paixaorpg | Deal With a Devil [completed]

Entry tags:

Deal With a Devil [completed]

Character(s): Marluxia, Timon, Urd, and Hades.
Content: ...lol, the title's a pretty good clue. XD ~~I can't think of a summary. .__.~~
Setting: Ceu de Mouraria
Time: Late Afternoon
Warnings: High potential for creepertude here with Marluxia being Marluxia and Hades being a stalker.

Near the charred remains of the opera house, a portal of darkness slowly opened. Marluxia stepped from the darkness, still looking a little worse for wear from his fight with the Luna Diviner, and surveyed his surroundings, closing the portal behind him with a wave of the hand. It didn't look as though Timon had arrived yet, but Marluxia had little doubt the meerkat would soon show up. And if he didn't?

Well, Marluxia would just have to find him, wouldn't he?

The Nobody stuck to the shadows, preferring to keep out of sight. The less people there were to let slip that he had been in the area, the better. At the very least until he had had a little longer to heal.

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Urd kept low as she flew through the streets of Paixao, holding Timon tight with one hand, a small, elegant urn in the other. "Why didn't you talk to me sooner?" she snapped at the meerkat, ducking under an arch just in time as she continued to fly. "He might already be there. We've already lost the element of surprise." There were too many uncertainties in this plan, she knew that now. But it wasn't as if she had any better ideas. She was confident she could protect herself and Timon if things turned bad...it was a Nobody, sure, but if she could hold off against the apparent leader, then fighting Marluxia off should be easy enough.

Their goal was rapidly coming closer, but the goddess showed no signs of slowing down.

Timon made no effort in making his discomfort unknown. He did not want to be there, not at all. Had he any choice in the matter he would have stayed at home and let Urd take care of things. However, much to his dismay, she had somehow convinced him otherwise. He had no interest in getting tangled up with the Organization again and yet, regardless of his efforts, here he was: making dark deals with dark people yet again. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Hadn’t he learned his lesson? The meerkat kept his head down and watched the ground as it passed below him as no more than a blur. His little heart beat so hard.

He was so nervous- No, not nervous, scared, horrified, petrified. He knew just as well as Urd, if not more so, how easily things could turn sour. The only thing predictable about the Organization was their unpredictability and that included all ex-members. Timon had been dreading this meeting from the minute he had arranged it.

“I didn’t think it mattered.” Timon replied sounding just as irritated as the goddess in regards to the topic. He had no intention of admitting his fear to her. “Besides, it’s not like you actually had much of a surprise in store of him anyway. This was my plan, not yours.” He added in displeasure. “Now are you absolutely, positutely, one hundred and ten percent sure I have to come for this?”

Urd landed gracefully despite the speed she'd been going and lifted Timon up to her eye level. She hadn't been oblivious to his nervousness (or downright fear) and she felt bad for him. "Yes. I know you don't trust me -- it's smarter to stay mistrustful around here, honestly. But believe me when I say I won't let anything happen to you, okay?" Her expression was devoid of the usual arrogance and assertiveness as she gazed down at the meerkat in her hand. "If you're not here, the whole thing falls apart. You add a little authenticity to this. When this is over, I'll get you some delicious bugs, okay? Buffet style."

With that, she set him down on the ground and looked up at the looming opera house. The urn she held thrummed with magical energy -- perhaps not exactly what Marluxia was looking for, but convincing enough for a trade. "Are you ready?" she asked, still looking up at the building, knowing full well he'd never be ready.

((He likely won't have another tag til this is done and folk leave lol))

Hades wasn't expecting any guests. This was hardly a place others frequented, after all, not unless they were new to the city and decided to stare and gawk at the remains.

But this! No, no, no! This was real guests! Now, now... what ever could they be up to? This was his haunt. Anyone else were considered trespassers, but Hades would be a nice guy. He wouldn't overstep the line and bring down his hideout on the intruders anymore than it's... already been brought down.

Instead! Oh, instead he would simply lurk in the shadows and listen in. If there were others coming here knowingly... then they had to be up to something sinister indeed.

Hades did sinister best.

The meerkat sighed. As much as he loved the idea of an all you can eat bug style buffet, he was far from bought on the idea that it was exactly worth this much trouble to find. Sure, Urd was strong but so were Laharl and Vyers and somehow Larxene had managed to single-handedly take both of them down. Now it was no secret that he was not particularly fond of Urd but the last thing he wanted to see was her get hurt, especially because of him. Being with her, with all this his plan in the first place, it made him feel respon-… responsi-… It made him feel even more obligated to see to it that things went smoothly.

He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. If he was going to do this he would have to play it cool, calm, smooth. He could do that. He was known for his cool. And smooth, he was always smooth. And calm. Yes, calm. He was calm, perfectly calm. Why, he was utterly under control. Taking in another deep breath, he began to pace while he allowed it to slowly escape it once again. Yes, he would think calm comforting things; butterfly wings, emerald rings, or a murmuring brook. And look: he was calm, aloofer than any giraffe.

Feeling more assured of himself, the rodent came to a halt and slowly counted to ten under his breath. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…”

Suddenly the meerkat grabbed Urd’s cape, bunched up the fabric, and screamed into it at the top of his lungs. It was muffled, but none the less easy enough to hear if one were close enough.

Somehow, that seemed to do just the trick. Timon released the fabric and looked up at the goddess fully rejuvenated and ready to go. “I better be in Shangri-La when all of this is over.” He said before he clapped his paws together and marched toward the remains of the opera house. “I want the works; potato bug salad, pento-beetles, fruit fly cocktail, roach dressing… And none of that store bought stuff! Now follow my lead and lets go.”

Urd smiled as she watched Timon walk ahead. After that little display, how could she not be amused? He wasn't all that bad...sometimes. Still a little jerk, but at least she knew where he stood. She followed him, the smile fading as they approached the large door.

Opening it as casually as she would her own, they strode into the impressive, dimly-lit entrance. Tightening her grip on the urn, she moved with Timon towards the center, where no doubt their "friend" would be waiting.

Marluxia followed the duo into the opera house, the heels of his boots making his footsteps audible against the charred tile floor. He eyed the urn curiously, able to tell there was something of interest within, though whether it was what was agreed upon, he couldn't tell.

"I'm glad we could meet face to face," the Nobody began amiably, pulling down his hood. "I hope you will be much better company than what I've had recently. It truly is a shame how rude some people can be."

Timon could feel the Nobodies presence even before his footsteps reached the meerkats ears. The stench of Darkness was overwhelming and feeling in the pit of his stomach far stronger than it had been with any of the others he had met. It was as though there were two of them present, which in fact there was. However, Timon was naive enough to suspect that all this had been caused by Marluxia and Marluxia alone. He must have been stronger than the others. Gee, wouldn’t that be the perfect cherry on top of it all. That must have been why he was such a higher number than someone like Larxene. He frowned and turned to face the Nobody, sure to keep his distance.

The meerkat was silent for a moment, taken back by Marluxia’s appearance. He looked rough, very rough compared to the others. Had he fought with someone recently? How greatly had they weakened him? Maybe this had brought him down to par with the lower Organization members. If things turned sour, they might actually have a chance to defeat him in such a state. Timon liked that idea.

“We’re only making this brief.” He replied, showing no interest in keeping the Nobody company. The sooner they got this over with the sooner they could leave. “You know the deal.” He continued, gesturing to the urn. “I held out my part. It’s yours after you hold out yours.”

Edited 2010-01-20 05:14 (UTC)

There was something wrong. The further they went into the building, the more tense Urd felt. Was there something other than the Nobody here? When Marluxia made his presence known, she tensed even further but kept her face a mask of cool impassiveness. Whatever the strange energy she sensed was, it would have to wait. It had a lot of power, but it was seemingly content to wait, so it was time to focus on the meeting at hand.

When Timon mentioned his part of the deal and gestured towards the urn, Urd met Marluxia's eyes and smiled very slightly. Running her manicured nails lightly over the urn, she lifted it slightly and tilted her head. The meerkat's animal instincts and intelligence aside, the power of the nobody and the goddess was no doubt palpable.

While Marluxia was well aware of the other presence in the room, he was unconcerned about it. The eavesdropper may have had power, but it was nothing quite so familiar as the other members of the Organization. As long as the individual kept silent, there would be no need to worry, and that person may, in fact, prove useful in time.

His eyes traced the curves of the urn in time with the goddess's fingers, and for a moment, Marluxia wondered exactly what it would be like to have his heart--or a heart--returned to him. A hindrance, no doubt, an addition that would only weigh him down. Would he feel doubt? Regret? Too many possibilities. Too many ways for it all to go wrong. But it could serve well as a prize. He already had a goal in mind, but there was no reason not to have another.

"Of course. It is only fair," Marluxia finally replied, his gaze on the meerkat once again. "What would you like to know?"

Timon wondered what the Nobody was thinking when his eyes traveled to the urn. There was definitely something but his expression shared nothing. Was he eager to receive the heart, grateful in any way? What would happen if he were to gain a heart again, would anything change? He remembered the interesting exchange between Larxene and Sephiroth he had witnessed, the Nobody experiencing an alarming change at the awakening of her previous memories. It had nothing to do with a heart but it certainly made him wonder. Did Marluxia remember anything of his life before he had become a Nobody? Would a heart awaken those lost memories?

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “The Organization,” he began. “They must be in the city somewhere. Where exactly are they hiding?”

Marluxia shook his head, an almost derisive smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Of all the things you could choose, you pick this? You still think in terms of this city..." he shook his head. "Do you think in terms of each member as well? Think carefully. What is it you really want to search for?"

The Nobody cocked his head to the side, waiting patiently--and, admittedly, curiously--for the other's response.

He frowned, unimpressed by the Nobody’s response. “I’m just getting started. Trust me, there’s a lot more where that came from. Answering one measly question doesn’t come close to making things equal here. Now, I’m the one asking the questions here, not you. I know what I’m asking.” The meerkat firmly planted both paws on his hips and looked up at Marluxia.

“There must be somewhere in this ‘castle’ they meet regularly. Where is it? How do I get there?”

"Oh?" He seemed to be please with that response. "Once upon a time it was the City Hall. Now, as you may have seen, that is impossible. For other places, it depends on who is meeting. A garden for some... A library for others... Sometimes in the city, other times outside it. If you want to find them, you have to follow, or else wander the Castle's halls until you find a room of note."

He shrugged. "Most of us use the corridors of Darkness to get where we need to go."

“Garden?” Since when had Paixao had a garden? Timon’s interest was immediately peaked at the idea, though he had a sneaking suspicion that the plants were no different than those in the rest in the city; fake. Still, it couldn’t hurt to ask… Timon opened his mouth and then, almost immediately, closed it. That would be a waste of a question, wouldn’t it? Especially when it was likely the plants weren’t even real.

“What kind of answer is that? I already knew they used to meet at City Hall. And the city, really? I would have never guessed. Could you be anymore vague? Inside the city, outside the city… You know, it’s kinda a big place.” The meerkat stopped to rub his temples in frustration. “You need to be more specific. So far you haven’t given me any new information. Either you start telling me something useful or I call this whole thing off and smash ‘it’.”

Marluxia nodded. "My very own. A sight better than anything you could find within the city's walls." Any touch of nature--true nature--was better than the false flora of this city. Why bother having the statues at all if you couldn't have the real thing? It was a disgusting mockery of nature's beauty and strength.

His eyebrows rose a fraction at the threat. "Ruthless..." he whispered to himself. "You would destroy a heart in order to get back at me?" Did he really understand what one was at all? "I wonder if you would do the same if you truly understood... That sort of threat would not be taken lightly by many people within this city." Unless he did understand, which only made him wonder how the meerkat and the goddess had managed to get their hands on such a precious thing in the first place. A created heart?

"Belonging to the same Organization does not mean everyone gets along, and it does not mean they advertise their favorite meeting spots to one another. I've already told you all the spot you want to go to. The most important one."

Well, now that he knew the garden belonged to Marluxia, it immediately lost its appeal. Anything he was behind wasn’t worth his interest. It was probably full of dull and predictable things like roses, thorns, and plants with teeth. Why, Timon wouldn’t be surprised if the Nobody had only brought it up to lure him there, a specially trained flesh eating venus flytrap there waiting for him. The meerkat made a sour face at the thought.

“Don’t think I don’t see what you’re trying to do here.” He warned the Nobody. “You can’t fool me that easily. Following them into darkness, going up to the next floor... It's all just so I can fall straight into their trap. Well, I wouldn't count on that happening any time soon. But, if that’s the way you’re going to be, fine. We’ll move on to the next question: what is the Organization’s weakness? Do certain members have different weaknesses then others? If so, what are they?”

Interesting... It seemed Timon had completely avoided his first question. Oh well. As fascinating a thought as it was, it bore little influence on the rest of this meeting. Not that he wouldn't look into it a little further, but he would get what he wanted first.

"Fall straight into their trap?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Why would I let any of you fall to that fate? Did I not make it clear? I want them destroyed as much as any other person trapped in this prison."

There. "Their greatest weakness is their lack of cohesion," Marluxia explained. "As I said, not many get along, and I imagine there are many of them who have their own agenda. The promise of a heart is likely the only thing that binds its members to the Organization. That and the threat of destruction." Slowly, Marluxia broke into a grin. "Which member would you like to hear about first?"

"Xemnas," Urd cut in before Timon could say anything. Eyes narrowed, she watched Marluxia with a guarded but serious expression. If Timon was upset that she'd spoken up, she didn't react, eyes never leaving the Nobody.

"Why is he in charge of your group? What is his ultimate goal?" Ever since his attack on her, she was desperate to learn more about him. It wasn't just any random guy that could keep her in check like that. She wanted payback and, most importantly, to stop him before he hurt anyone else.

Timon didn’t buy Marluxia’s words in the slightest. Just because he wasn’t working with the Organization anymore that didn’t mean he had any new interest in helping anyone. Not unless it somehow helped him. That was the only reason he had agreed to share any of this information in the first place, for his own personal gain. Nobody turned over a new leaf that easily – er, rather Nobodies didn’t. And Marluxia definitely did not regret what he had done in the past. Timon’s only response was an unsatisfied ‘hmpf’.

His brows knit further together when the Nobody went on to explain the Organization’s lack of adherence. This was nothing new to him, especially when his plan revolved around this fact, but maybe there was something that would inspire a new one. He listened closely.

When asked if there was someone he wanted to learn of first, one name immediately came to mind. However, when Timon opened his mouth he heard another member’s name instead. Xemnas? The meerkat reeled around to look up at the goddess disapprovingly. Marluxia had asked him not Urd and he already knew the answer to this question. This was a waste. He growled irritably at her but other than that said nothing. He would yell at her later, right now he wanted to hear the Nobodies response.

Marluxia's grin faded, although he should have known the Superior would be the first one of the first members to be asked about. "He was one of the founding members," Marluxia began, "and is the strongest." The Nobody's lips pressed together in a thin line. It was the truth. A disgusting truth that even he couldn't ignore. He had only escaped that room alive because of surprise, and that element would be gone if he ever had to fight Xemnas again.

"He wields the power of nothingness itself, and is said to be capable of a great many things. A popular worry is failure ending in one being transformed into a Dusk."

Her second question was a harder one to answer. "He says he wishes to grant us back our hearts. To do that, we need to complete Kingdom Hearts and gather hearts for its creation." That was what they were told, anyway. But hey had never been given a "how," only that its power could grant them what they desired.

Urd's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly at Timon's growl but she refused to look away from Marluxia. "Complete Kingdom Hearts?" she asked skeptically, shifting the urn in her hands slightly. She had no idea what that even meant. Or, for that matter, what being turned into a "Dusk" mean, but it was obvious that revealing her ignorance would tip things in his favor.

So for now, she simply conveyed her disbelief in the hope that he'd reveal a little more information.

The power of nothingness itself? What the heck was that supposed to mean, Xemnas had power over nothing? The meerkat looked at Marluxia in disbelief. That was, by far, the dumbest thing he had ever heard. And that was saying a lot, because Timon had heard, and said, some pretty stupid things in his lifetime. The power of nothingness… Oi. He looked back up at Urd momentarily, curious to see she had actually believed such nonsense but found no signs, at least as obvious of his own, of scepticism. Not when it concerned Xemnas’ power, anyway. Timon struggled to restrain himself from commenting, most notably planting his paw over his face with a frustrated sigh. Was he the only one with any brains in this city?

At the mention of Dusk’s, Timon’s interest was immediately focused on the conversation again. He had never heard of a Dusk before and if he didn’t know, it was even more doubtful that Urd did. But he could always ask another source for such information. Thankfully, the goddess made no mention of her incomprehension and succeeded in asking a surprisingly good question: what did it mean to complete Kingdom Hearts? What even was Kingdom Hearts and how would that possibly allow them to obtain hearts again?

Hm. This gave him an idea. It looked like Marluxia could be useful after all.

So they didn't believe him. Very well, he would explain to the best of his ability, and if they continued to disbelieve it was no problem of his. "The heart of all worlds," he clarified. "The gathering of hearts into one great world. It is our task to ensure its completion."

Marluxia left it at that. There was more to it, he was sure, but they had been told little, and he wasn't about to admit that he didn't have all the information.

Urd knew Timon would never truly understand the weight of what Marluxia said, but she did. Falling into silence once more, she considered the ramifications of the Organization's goal. Not to mention, there still wasn't any motivation to do this. What did they get out of it? Did they truly have the power to accomplish something like that?

She felt her indignation rise, finding it difficult to keep the fire out of her eyes as she gazed at Marluxia.

Urd was completely right, Marluxia’s words flew completely over Timon’s head. A heart of all worlds, hearts into a world, completing something that they’d fail at… He rolled his eyes. This was probably important information but as far as he could tell Marluxia was simply rambling at this point. He looked up at the goddess, curious if she still displayed the same belief she did before for what Nobody had to say. Unsurprisingly, she only seemed to look more serious. He shrugged to himself. Oh well, if she was that naïve there was nothing he could probably do to convince her other.

“Getting back on topic,” The meerkat began. “Exactly which members are in the city? I want names, not numbers. I wanna know about each of ‘em too, starting with their weaknesses.”

Marluxia didn't really expect Timon--or most of the denizens of Paixao, to be honest--to fully understand what he had meant, but it looked as though the goddess, at least, did. What that meant for him, he didn't know, but the look in her eyes told him to step lightly.

"A better question would be which ones are not," he replied. "They come and go, it seems, sometimes in a way similar to that you see in the city. Some remember the city and their actions within it, others believe this is the first time they have stepped foot into the castle. Xemnas, it seems, is one of the few who have never left." From what he could tell. Considering how he only showed himself when he wished, it was difficult to know.

"Saix, Roxas, Axel, and Zexion I know for certain. If others have arrived, they have done so after my departure." Larxene had yet to make her move, which only made him wonder whether or not she was even here to begin with. "I suppose Roxas you know of already."

He paused, a sudden thought coming to him. "What do you know of them already? I wouldn't want to waste your time with information you already know."

Timon shook his head. Marluxia was wrong. By asking who was in the city he could correctly identify those he lacked knowledge of. Those that were not present in the city were of no threat and ultimately no concern to him. The meerkat narrowed his eyes at the Nobody as he spoke. He had ‘forgotten’ one of colleagues, two if he included Larxene. He watched Marluxia carefully. And Roxas, how did he know he knew about Roxas? Did the entire Organization know or just him?

“You’re missing Vexen.” He noted and crossed his arms across his chest. “Larxene too, if she’s still even here anymore that is. Start with Saix and Zexion, what do they look like? What are their abilities? What roles do they play in the Organization and what are their weaknesses.” Timon had no intention to tell Marluxia what he knew so he chose to simplify his questions instead. “We’ll talk about Roxas and Axel after.”

Marluxia's eyebrows raised a fraction as he was corrected and his head turned slightly as he mulled it over. "So he is here, too." Another had filed through the gates during his absence. The Academic, the one who spent too much time with toys and so preoccupied with his rank... Possibly one of those higher on his list of those he--were he capable of it--would not miss.

"Larxene has yet to make a move," he explained, turning his attention back to the meerkat again. "She would have gone after me by now, considering our... relations when last we met. I doubt she is here any longer, though if you want to know about her, all you need do is ask." It would be good to have someone capable of dealing with Larxene in case she went after him again. Unpredictable as the city was, Marluxia half expected her to appear around the next corner the moment he dropped his guard. He couldn't have that.

"Zexion will be a difficult find. He is one of the shorter members, with blue eyes and blue hair covering one of his eyes. However, you will have a hard time spotting him even if I do give you a description. He is a master of illusions and can use them on himself, on you, and the world around you. But, from what I have noticed, he prefers to let others fight for him before he will fight, himself."

The Nobody's lip curled a little as he began to describe Saix, feeling a twinge from one of the wounds from their earlier fight. "Saix," the name was spoken with a twinge of venom, "can be considered the Superior's lapdog. He does what is ordered without a second thought. Completely loyal. He fights with a claymore and will fly into a rage, during which he can feel no pain and is nigh invincible. If you want to harm him, you will need to make sure that he stays out of these. Keep him out of the moonlight."

Oh, like he didn’t know about Vexen. Timon rolled his eyes showing no signs of belief at his words. Marluxia knew just as well as anyone else he was here after the Organization’s experiments. And there was no way the Nobody could tell him he didn’t participate in that. As for Larxene, there was no need to go any further into that. He knew Larxene better than almost anyone else in the city and, unfortunately, she knew him better than anyone else too. He shook his head, hearing all he needed to from Marluxia regarding her.

“I know all I need to about her.” The meerkat replied, then listened to what the Nobody had to say about his once fellow Organization members.
He had never heard of Zexion or Saix, though he had the suspicion that he had spoken to at least one of them some time or another. However, that could only have been over the journals. Timon rubbed his chin thoughtfully at the idea of meeting either of the two. Zexion seemed the most likely, especially if he was some sort of ‘master of illusions’. Had it been him he had spotted at Urd’s pool party? The meerkat wondered…

“He’s invincible in the moonlight?” Timon repeated doubtfully. “I didn’t realize we were fighting a werewolf too.” He sighed. Why did everything have to be so difficult? Couldn’t they all be allergic to sunlight or something? “Might as well hear what you’ve got to say about Vexen, then Axel and Roxas.”

Edited 2010-02-22 01:46 (UTC)

"'Berserker' would be a more apt description." As close as "werewolf" was to the truth, there was little transformation to be seen in the Luna Diviner.

"Vexen is the scientist," he began. "I have heard that more than one of them were before, but Vexen is the one most active about it. He controls the element of ice and fights with a shield. He is also rather full of himself and enjoys his rank all too much. And yet he's as terrified of Xemnas as all the others..." The corner of Marluxia's lips quirked upward in an all-too-amused smirk at that.

"Axel is a wild card. Red hair, controls fire. It is difficult to tell whose side he is on, but he appears to be loyal to the Organization." And yet it didn't seem that Axel had gone after him yet. Odd, considering his actions in the replica's memories... A wild card indeed. The Graceful Assassin's tone changed as he moved on, holding a hint of what could almost be called reverence. "Roxas I have seen little of, but he is the most important member. He wields the Keyblade... The only member of the Organization capable of doing such, and because of this he is capable of collecting hearts for Kingdom Hearts. He has great power in his hands..." And yet the boy barely knew how to use it. It was a shame, almost as much as his being in Xemnas's hands.

That would have to change.

Roxas...? Urd felt the blood drain from her face. She hadn't seen him in person, but she'd certainly seen him post on the network. He was just a kid, as far as she could tell. To think they'd corrupted an innocent...

She gritted her teeth, barely holding herself back from reaching out and gripping Marluxia's coat and tossing him through a wall. It was only a matter of time before this thin restraint broke.

“Whatever.” Berserker, werewolf… Timon didn’t see the difference, or really understand what either of the two were, but it didn’t matter. He’d find out later whether or not it was of any actual real importants.

He nodded along, taking notes quietly in his head while the Marluxia spoke. Vexen proved to hold no surprises. It seemed he already knew the Nobody better than he had originally thought. Although, his fear of other Organization members was definitely news to him. Timon raised a brow at Marluxia. He used the term ‘terrified’. That was a strange way to put it considering they were both Nobodies. The meerkat leaned in closer to hear about Axel, then lastly Roxas. He was the one Timon had wanted to hear about the most but seemed to be the one he received the least information about.

“That’s why you keep sending him out on all those missions…” He said to himself. “He doesn’t know he’s the only one who can collect them, does he? You never told him what you were using him for. What else is the Organization hiding from him?”

It was the aptest description Marluxia could think of. To be so daring as to raise a finger against his superiors simply wasn't one of Vexen's abilities. Recognizing who exactly was his superior was another.

He noticed the shift in the goddess's expression. "If you have something against the boy's use there is no sense in blaming me. I had only seen him for a few weeks before I was stationed here. He is, after all, one of the most recent members to join," Marluxia told her, doubting she would accept the explanation. She looked far too upset to see anything but his blame. Just another reason to stay without a heart. Its judgment could be so faulty.

"I do no such thing," he replied, frowning. "And he should know well enough. He was told what his job was when he joined." As to being the only one, Marluxia didn't answer. He was certain Roxas was, but, at the same time, there had been that other member, XIV, Xion. She had done little, spoken little when he had left. What was her importance? Why did Organization XIII need a XIVth member? Little had been told to him, and it made him wonder what those higher up knew that he didn't.

Edited 2010-02-25 02:45 (UTC)

The meerkat scoffed. Marluxia’s response was lacking, much like his others, but at this point Timon knew there wasn’t much else he could get out of the Nobody. He had served his purpose. The information he had provided them would be most useful. Assuming it was correct, of course. They were lucky to have had the opportunity to speak with him. However, Timon did not feel gratitude for Marluxia, regardless of his decision to help. He knew the Nobody had only agreed to do so for his own personal gain. This would not make up for anything he had done during his time with the Organization.

He turned his back to Marluxia and looked back to Urd, then urn in her hands. “That’s not what that kid needed to be told.” He replied to the Nobody. “But you held out your end of the bargain and, as promised, I’m holding out mine too.” Timon gestured to the urn. “Give him his heart.”

Urd's anger seemed to melt at Marluxia's words regarding the boy Roxas, but in reality, it did nothing to stem her indignation and horror. She glanced down at Timon as he looked up at her and the urn in her hands. So it was time, then? The gesture towards the urn sealed the deal.

She turned and smiled at Marluxia. Stepping into his personal space, the smile turned flirtatious and coy. She pressed it into his hand without letting go and lifted her face to the side of his. "A heart would only be a waste in someone like you," she murmured as she crushed the urn with her hand.

A violent wind screamed through the building as bright light exploded from beneath Marluxia and electricity crackled in the air, doing more than a little collateral damage to the building itself. She gave him meaningful glare and ran away quickly, stooping to snatch Timon up in the process. If the program she'd placed inside the urn was done correctly, the Nobody would be trapped in the circle of light under his feet, helpless to the chaotic lightening around him. Of course, Urd was more than likely to have made a mistake, sacrificing precision for power as per usual.

So she was running through the building and eventually flying off the ground, having no way of knowing how the spell would work and not wanting her or Timon caught in the crossfire. She crashed through one of the windows, protecting the meerkat from the glass with her arms and flew up into the sky, turning to stare intensely down at the building for any sign of Marluxia.

The smile was what set him on edge first. It was too similar to Larxene's to mean anything but trouble. Marluxia's eyes narrowed and as soon as the urn's surface touched his hand, the Nobody immediately began to draw back. It was likely that, combined with the preference for power that kept Marluxia from the full force of the attack, though he would not escape without injury.

Teeth grit and eyes squeezed shut, Marluxia brought his arms up against the wind, bracing himself and trying to stay in place. The hair on the back of his neck stood up from the static in the air--a familiar feeling that made him wonder just how apt his comparison to Larxene really was. A bolt hit him square in the back and he gasped in a shuddering breath as his muscles convulsed, sending him staggering. A fresh burst of pain from the wounds he'd received in his fight with Saix accompanied it, and it was all Marluxia could do to keep standing.

Electricity arced around him, many of the bolts narrowly missing. A few strays managed to hit him, slowing his dodging retreat. Once he had managed to get a far enough distance away, he turned his gaze to the skies, glaring up at the goddess floating above. His breath ragged, he scowled, collected himself, and in an instant disappeared.

The gentle fall of petals in the breeze would likely be the first thing the goddess noticed (Marluxia having forced his breathing to be as normal as possible in order to hide any sign of weakness). The Nobody reached a hand out and traced the goddess's jawline, moving his hand to hover over her neck as he leaned in close enough to whisper in her ear. "I would have declined anyway," he whispered mockingly. "In any case, I got what I wanted. A shame our meeting had to end so poorly."

And with that, he disappeared once more.

She was watching the building below them with such intensity that, at first, the lone petal that floated across her vision was ignored. The Nobody's complete lack of an energy signature made it so that she couldn't even sense him. It was only when more rose petals appeared that Urd knew what was happening...and it was too late.

Holding Timon protectively, she gritted her teeth, eyes full of fire as Marluxia touched her. She jerked her head away, unwilling to move even one arm, not trusting that something horrible wouldn't happen to the meerkat if she didn't keep him close. Urd's lips twitched into a cold smirk at his words, but she said nothing as her hovered his hand over her neck.

All talk. That much was obvious. She had to have gotten to him in some way. She remained in the sky after he disappeared, glaring into the nothingness.

That hadn’t been part of the plan. That hadn’t even been relatively close to the plan! The urn was supposed to have a fake heart in it, not some kind of bomb. Finding himself in Urd’s arms tried to look back at the scene to unfold but found great difficulty. Regardless, he knew Marluxia was going to mad. Very mad. The sort of mad they’d be lucky to escape without injury. She had completely broken his promise to the Nobody. Not only that, but attacked him too! This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all! If they weren’t on his hit list before they certainly were now.

Timon opened his mouth the warn the goddess they were being followed but Marluxia acted before he could allow so much as one word escape his mouth. He felt Urd’s hold around him tighten but much to his surprise saw no move to respond to the Nobody’s actions before he disappeared.

The meerkat refrained from speaking, allowing both himself and the goddess to properly recover for a moment before he opened his mouth again. “Are you okay?” He asked, looking up the Urd in concern. “Because that was by far the STUPIDEST thing I’ve ever seen. Have you completely lost your mind?! Attacking him like that was completely uncalled for! You were only supposed to put a fake heart in there. When you said you’d take care of it I thought you’d make something realistic looking, not a bomb! Now we’re both in for it! He’s gonna be back for us, you know that, right? If you hadn’t of pulled that stunt none of this would have happened!”

As the meerkat got his tirade rolling, Urd slowly descended from the sky to the street below, some distance away from the opera house. She could have responded in kind, anger guiding her words where they may, but she was too caught up in the thought of Roxas...and how many more?

"He would have known the heart was fake eventually," she said flatly when he stopped shouting. She placed him on the ground and turned away, arms tightly crossed. "Probably sooner than later. If he comes back for anyone, at least now it'll just be me." Face obscured by the fall of her hair, he couldn't have seen the tightening of her jaw or the fire in her eyes, but he surely could sense the rising tension in her posture...and the charged atmosphere around them.

"Children..." she muttered, lowering her head. "There are children turned into Nobodies?"

Timon sighed from where Urd had placed him on the ground. He had easily caught the sudden change of mood when she finally spoke. It was for this reason he had stopped shouting at the goddess, regardless of the fact that he was still significantly mad at her for her actions. Surely she was well aware of this though. The meerkat was silent for a moment, for once considering how to respond to someone instead of simply blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

“Anyone with a heart can lose a heart.” He said, deciding to keep it as short and simple as possible. His voice was soft though the topic itself was one he disliked. “The Organization doesn’t make them Nobodies, they just recruit them. I don’t exactly know how you know Roxas but if you have any sense of what’s good for you –which at this point I really doubt - you’ll stay away from him. You don’t want to get involved in… That.” The likelihood of her acting out on her emotions and doing something she would greatly regret was too high as far as Timon was concerned. “It’s bad enough you’re in this.”

Making them, recruiting them, it didn't matter to Urd. Innocence was being corrupted, possibly irreparable damage being done on a spiritual level and it turned her stomach. Children rarely had the sense of self to understand what messes they were getting into! To exploit that naivete, use it for some twisted and cold purpose...

"I can take care of myself," she said softly, moving away to look down the empty, eerily quiet street. "I don't know the kid on a personal level, but I've seen him around." Urd glanced back at Timon, anguish and anger barely hidden in her expression.

"How can I just ignore this? How could I let people walk around without any heart, any soul...? I have to help them." She turned away again, jaw set stubbornly. "And not just Roxas. All of them."

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on. Am I hearin’ you right? Did you just say you want to help the Organization?!” The meerkat looked at Urd in complete disbelief. Did she even realize what she was saying? “I don’t believe this! To think after all this time you feel sorry for them? You know what they’ve done to the city, what they’ve done to us! And don’t act like you don’t know what they’re capable of. They wouldn’t think twice about stealing somebody’s heart if they wanted to. You heard Marluxia. The whole reason they’re stealing hearts is just to regain their own!”

He shook his head before pointing up at the goddess accusingly. “Exactly whose side are you on here? Do you even know what you’re saying? You don’t know the half of any of this. Roxas… Still has a chance but the others will never become whole again. You’re wasting your time.”

She narrowed her eyes, lips pursing in what almost counted for a pout. Of course she knew what they'd done. Not a day had gone by that Urd didn't play back Xemnas' assault, the violation of her memories, and feel the anger rise. They weren't good people, not even remotely...and perhaps they never had been, even with a heart.

But that was besides the point.

If anyone understood what it was like to be missing a core part of yourself, the better part of yourself, it was Urd. "If you'd lost your heart, if the most important part of what made you who you are, was taken from you...wouldn't you want someone to help you?" she asked Timon now, kneeling to look closer at his outraged face. "I don't want them to hurt anyone any more than you do, but..." How could she make him understand? Would he ever be able to?

She sighed deeply, bowing her head. "...I'm sorry." Head still lowered, she held out her hand; with a puff of smoke and a few muttered words in her own language, a small wooden bowl of fat, juicy grubs lay in the palm of her hand. "You did your part, Timon...and you did it well. I can't ask any more of you." Urd finally lifted her head, gifting him with a small, mild smile.

"Thanks."

Timon’s expression failed to change. His friends were the most important thing to him, not his heart and as long as the Organization was around he knew they were in danger. The Organization had taken them away from him before, kidnapped them and tortured them with their wicked experiments. At one point they had even held them hostage. He would never forget Larxene’s impossible challenge to outrun her and reach Simba first. If only he had been stronger, fast enough to save his friend. Then he wouldn’t have had to sell out all the information on those he had befriended and lose their trust. The meerkat shook his head. No, Urd just didn’t understand. She never would. As long as the Organization was there and threatened Simba he would do all he could to protect him, even if it meant bringing down the Organization himself. … Gosh, that was a horrifying thought.

He looked down at the bowl of grubs presented to him, slowly taking it from her hand. There was still a lot he had to argue about but his stomach decided it was much better to put food into his mouth opposed to spit words out of it. Timon carefully picked a beetle out of the bowl and examined it curiously. He wasn’t exactly sure how Urd had managed to make it appear out of thin air like that but it looked real enough. With a smile he mercilessly ripped its head off and chewed slowly to savour the taste. Oh, it felt as though it had been years since he had last dined on any insect. It was far better than he had remembered.

Edited 2010-03-10 06:56 (UTC)

Urd had a lot of insight into the motivations and desires of people. She'd suspected from the start that Timon had more depth than he liked to display. She watched his expression, hoping for any kind of flicker that would betray what he was thinking, but...nothing. It seemed they'd be doomed to misunderstand and confuse each other.

As he ate with a smile, she had to smile as well. This small act was the least she could do for him, after what had happened this night. It was obvious there wasn't anything else to say. She needed to be alone with her thoughts now, consider what options lay ahead. She had to determine for herself if the Organization could be redeemed, if the children they'd corrupted could be saved. If Timon was right, if there wasn't anything she could do...then the only course was oblivion.

By the time Timon would looked up from his meal, Urd was gone, mysteriously vanished into the night.

Eyeing the still twitching remains of the beetle in his paw, the meerkat threw his head back and tossed the beetle into his mouth. A loud crunch was heard when his teeth broke the insects shell, several small ones following as he continued to break down the beetle. On top of this, the vulgar habit of chewing with his mouth open caused bits to fly out of his mouth but Timon paid no mind. Too indulged in his reward to notice anything else, he hummed softly in satisfaction.

“Mmm, delicious!” He said and licked his ‘fingers’ clean. “Hey, than-” His eyes travelled back up to the goddess only to find she had vanished. “Hu?” Timon scratched his head and looked around in confusion. “Where did she go? Geez, didn’t even say goodbye. How rude! Must have been in a hurry or something.” At that a new thought entered his mind. Maybe she had left because he smelt bad? The meerkat raised his arm and smelt his armpit curiously. “Hm, no worse than usual.” He said to himself with a shrug. “Oh well, more for me!”

With that, Timon feasted on his reward.

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Deal With a Devil [completed]

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