I must follow orders...

[Masina]

"Vexa." Lirxia walked past and whispered to her.
"Go and check if she's concious." Vexa nodded. "Just don't watch her like she's an animal in an enclosure." She said coldly.
"Naturally." Lirxia carried on walking until she got the dungeon. "Your pretty popular you know?" She looked at Ayla with a slight smirk on her face. "Are you seriously as strong as people say you are Ave?"
"You don't want to find out." Ayla said lifelessly, the energy draining away from her voice.
"Well, I'm safe out here. It's not like you could do much, caged up like you are. That cell stops you using your powers anyway."
"Didn't Vexa tell you not to watch me like an animal at a zoo?"
"Your voice really is very pretty, even it is is drained, and harsh." Lirxia smirked. "That she did. But Im having a conversation with you, so I'm obviously not treating you like an animal in a zoo, am I?"

Eve smiled at Rildax. Her eyes drifted to a rock opposite her. Shadows seemed to creep up it, weaving themselves so they grasped firmly onto it. Eve clenched her fist and the rock shattered as the shadows locked and tighted so hard that the rock could not withstand the pressure.
"Right." Herutsu nodded, he looked at the rock as it shattered. "Come on now Eve, what did that rock ever do to you?" He said in a joking voice.

[Skarlia Kara Strife]

Skarlia watched Vexa and smiled. "Hi," she said. "And yeah. Not a clue where he is. He never tells me." She shrugged. "Still... yeah."

Rildax raised a brow. "Leave the poor rocks alone," he said, his own shadow powers making the shadow of the rock Eve had broke reappear as if it was still there.
Kara sat down outside the house and Reno sat next to her.
"Do you ever get the feeling there are becoming limited people you can talk to properly?" Kara asked.
Reno laughed. "All the time. I have you... and Rude... and I think that's it." He shrugged. "Beat that."
Kara smiled. "Glad I make it onto your list."
"It's as long as my last Christmas list. I wanted world domination and a new pair of socks. Then Tseng had to go and tell me Santa wasn't real."
Kara shook her head. "You really know how to bring jokes into a conversation, don't you?"
"I don't try. It wasn't a joke." Reno looked mockingly hurt.

[Masina]

Eve giggled slightly, showing that beneath how serious she acted, she was still a little girl. At the moment, a little girl whose mother had been taken away from her.
Masina smiled at Eve, but then she looked at Herutsu, he looked slightly unsettled. She got up and walked over to him.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
"That's a lie." She said sternly.
"Do you think that Ayla might die before we can get to her?" He whispered.
"Not a chance." Masina told him, her usual delicate voice was firm now. "You know her, she'll never give up without a fight. It's her promise. One she made to me. I made her promise a while ago, that she'd never give up. She just said she never does anyway."
"Right." Herutsu nodded, though he didn't look too sure.

Lirxia looked at Ayla. "I'm getting bored ow, you can go back to sleep." One of Lirxia's daggers appeared behind Ayla, tapping the tattoo on her back.
Ayla screamed as she collapsed. "Get lost."
"Can't, I know this place pretty well." She smirked as she began to walk away. She heard Ayla fall fully to the floor behind her.

"I told her not to do that." Vexa growled as she heard Ayla's scream. "Sorry Skarlia." She looked back at her. "I have to go deal with something in the dungeon, I'll see you later." Then she ran off down the corridor.

[Skarlia Kara Strife]

Skarlia watched Vexa go and made a note to ask Axel who exactly was in the cells.
"Hey," Lexu came walking down the corridor and Skarlia looked over at him. Now that Axel had said it, she saw that he did indeed resemble Reno more than he did Axel.
"Hi," Skarlia said as Lexu leant against the wall next to her.
"Everyone's doing something or other," he said. "I'm just plain bored now."
Skarlia caught him glancing away from her. "Is that an invitation to do something?"
Lexu snorted. "Oh, if you insist." He stood up fully.
Skarlia looked at the ground. "Alright."
"Good. Then let's go get some sea-salt ice creams."
Before she knew it Lexu was dragging Skarlia along the corridor towards another room which resembled a kitchen.

Rildax found himself absently chewing his own tongue with the absence of his chewing gum. He stopped doing so when he saw two figures appearing.
He at first thought they were Organisation members, but soon realised they weren't. One was older than the other, the younger sharing an odd resemblance to Rildax, with his hairstyle mainly.
Rildax recognised them after a moment. He'd met them three years ago, but hadn't got to know them well.
"I know you, don't I?" He found himself saying.
Quinn smiled. "Ah, we don't need to introduce ourselves then." He glanced about briefly. "We heard about some groups against the Organisation years ago, but spotted you joining together today. We usually travel alone but we decided we would offer our help to you."
"What are your terms?" Rildax asked.
"We are looking for a friend too," Quinn explained. Behind him, Shiro stood silently, his hands in his pockets, looking at everyone slowly.
"So by helping us you will also be looking for this 'friend'?"
"Correct. We do also desire to see the downfall of Organisation XIII."
Rildax considered it for a moment. "I suppose we need all the help we can get." He glanced at Herutsu. "What do you say?"
It was Shiro who first thought he recognised Elu in Kara. He disregarded it though, even if it did still stick in the back of his mind.

[Masina]

Herutsu nodded bluntly.
Masina sighed at his absense. "Ignore him, our friend is currently locked in the organisation's dungeon. So he's a little, absent." She looked at him briefly before looking at Rildax again. "Which is annoying since Herutsu and Rildax are supposed to be the ones in charge." She stamped on his foot as she said the last word.
"Ow! That hurt."
"Good. Snap out of it. I already told you, she'll be fine."
"Yeah yeah." Herutsu shrugged. He took a step forward. "Sorry about that. Sure. Like you said, we need all th help we can get."

[Skarlia Kara Strife]

Rildax nodded with a slight smile to Masina. Quinn bowed his head briefly.
"We will help in any way we can," he said. He pulled something from his inner pocket and tossed it to Rildax who caught it in his left hand. "Take that. Call us when you need us."
They vanished once again and Rildax opened his hand to reveal a small horn. It didn't look like it would make much noise, but he put it in his pocket anyway.
"Hi Demyx," Reno suddenly said, waving at him.
Kara looked sideways at Reno, her brow raised.
Reno looked at her. "What? He looked lonely."
Kara shook her head and held her face in her hands.
"You like it really when I act weird," Reno said in a mockingly flirty voice.
"Well, one day I will hit you because you're going to make another inappropriate joke."
Reno shrugged. "Until then I'm fine."

[Masina]

Black flames appeared beside Demyx as he waved cautiously back to Reno.
"I swear if any of them touch her again, I will tear their head from their shoulders."
"Nice to see you to Vexa." Masina said sarcastically and Vexa appeared.
"Right sorry. Hi." She said awkwardly. She took a step backward as she saw Kara.
"Can I ask you to do something?" Herutsu said to her. "And ask you something?"
"Fire away." She paused. "Sorry, bad choice of words."
"Kesus. One, keep him away from Ayla. Two what do you know about him?"
"Kesus?" Vexa seemed to tense slightly.
"What is it?"
"Kesus is, well, rarely seen. I couldn't keep him away from her. No matter how hard I tried. He'd either get around me somehow, or kill me. He hates me."
"Ah." Demyx nodded once. "You're not very popular at the organisation are you?"
"Er, no." Vexa responded sarcastically.

[Skarlia Kara Strife]

Kara glanced up at Vexa and held her gaze for a moment before dropping it, seeing that she could say nothing. She just sat there instead, not saying a thing to anyone.
She held a hand to her head as an image flashed before her eyes, two glowing red eyes that pierced through the darkness. She heard a rumbling growl deep within the beast's throat and she winced. As the vision faded, a very weak one compared to others, she found herself beside Reno, who had his arm around her protectively.
"You alright?" He asked softly.
Kara paused, then nodded.
"Good." Reno smiled at her briefly, glancing away. His arm remained around her but Kara didn't try to move. She liked how Reno just sat there absently, his arm around her as though silently promising to keep her from danger, at least for a while.
She sighed and her head fell onto his shoulder. He glanced at her to see her eyes closed. Even tiny visions left her tired.
He smiled slightly and continued to watch everyone else.

[Masina]

"Well could you fill us in on him?" Herutsu asked.
"Sure." She shrugged. "He is really overly-confident, and has ahuge ego, just as normal. He thinks he's amazing and can get anything he wants. As he's proved." She paused. "He controls people like they are puppets now. As if they dont hurt when he does it. He also still fancies the hell out of Ayla. So I'll do my best to keep him away from her. Usually she's be strong enough to counter him. As when he controls you, your mind is the only thing free. Her power would be perfect for countering his. But with that cell draining her energy, she's defenceless. I'll do my best. But I'm not entirely sure Axel will let him anywhere near her. Not sure why. I just, I'm not entirely sure he'll let him."

[Skarlia Kara Strife]

Rildax was staring at the floor. He said nothing. He knew he would just end up in a rage again. Not a good thing.
Reno listened carefully to Vexa before he stared also at the floor, but he seemed to be concentrating.
"Ever had the feeling you're being watched?" He said loudly, looking up on the roof of the house. A figure stood there, watching them.
The man laughed, his eyes surveying the people here. "Well, what interesting things I now know," Arxbi grinned.. He leapt from the roof and glanced at the group of people. "Nice to see you all."

Axel watched the beast dive through the world, dwarfing him with its sheer size.
"Nice to see you alright," he said and disappeared in black flames.
He reappeared on top of the Twilight Town clock tower. He had let his mind wander free and had appeared wherever his mind had settled. Why here?
He clutched his head as memories attacked him. He dropped to his knees in pain, both hands on his head. He growled slightly in pain before it began to subside. He staggered to his feet, looking over the town.

After the ice cream, Lexu disappeared to do something in his room. Skarlia decided she'd find out who it was she'd heard scream. She walked along the corridor and towards the cells.
She gasped as she saw Ayla and backed away into the opposite wall.
"Ayla?" She called quietly.

[Masina]

Ayla coughed slightly before looking up. The glow had dissapeared from her jenova eyes. They were just her normal eyes now. And even they didn't glow. She looked at Skarlia, remaining silent for a while.
"The only conversations I've had today where people weren't trying to kill me were with Kara and Axel. What do you want Skarlia?" She finally said. Her voice more drained than it had been when she had spoken to Lirxia. Her voice was barely even there now. Merely a whisper.

"Likewise Arxbi." Demyx nodded to him. As did Masina. Vexa just smiled absently, glad of the destraction. She was an assassin, she was no good at gathering information or guard duty.
"Hi." Herustu said simply. "Nice of you to join us." He smiled slightly.

[Skarlia Kara Strife]

Skarlia let out her breath and tried to speak, but lost her words quickly. She tried to find something, anything to say. But for sometime she was merely wrestling with her thoughts.
"How long have you been here?" She asked, trying to calm down. Her voice shook slightly as she spoke.

Arxbi nodded. "Good, sounds like I'm welcome to crash here for a while." He sat down on a bench, looking at everyone. "I'll be outta here soon don't worry. I just thought it was interesting what you were talking about... considering I know how to infiltrate the Castle in the Sky, as I'm sure Vexa does. I can still get into the castle, so if you need help getting in I'll help." He shrugged slightly. "Nice weather we're having. I may remove some of these clouds though. Three years mainly spent in the Caste in the Sky does nothing good for your skin colour."
Reno watched Arxbi with curiosity. "He almost rivals me on randomness," he said quietly to Kara, who still had her head on his shoulder.

[Masina]

"Not long. Bout an hour, hour and a half maybe." Ayla shrugged. She shifted her weight slightly.
"Urgh." She cringed as pain shot through her mind. She sat down in the corner again, her hand resting on her stomach. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were were with Axel."

Herutsu smiled at Arxbi. "Uh, yeah." He laughed slightly, but cut off when a familiar voice came from a building opposite them.
"Having a nice conversation?" A shadow moved from under the shadow of the building.
"Kesus." Masina whispered.
"Haven't seen you lot in a while. Hows Ayla, Herutsu?" He stepped out a a smirk spread across his face, his hair was shorter, messier, but in general he was taller. His muscles were much larger. He laugh as Masina and Vexa growled.
"I'd shut your mouth if I were you Kes." Vexa told him.
"Hey there Vexy." He smiled cheesily at her.
"I'm not Vexen, back off."
"What are you going to do kid?"
"It's not me you have to worry about. Though I could kill you." She looked at Rildax out of the corner of her eye.
"Could you now?" He held up his hand and Vexa froze.
"Let me go." She hissed.
"Fine." He smirked. He followed Vexa's gaze to Rildax, his smirk grew. "Afternoon Rildax."

[Skarlia Kara Strife]

Rildax's eyes were alight. "I think I'll be the one to kill him," Rildax growled through his teeth. "Let's see, how shall I do this? Forcably rip your head from your shoulders by hand or just let the shadows do the dirty work?"
Kara was awake now; she had awoken when Kesus had come. She sighed as Rildax was sent into a rage again. That was her fast-thinking out the window.

Skarlia was looking at the ground. "He went off somewhere..." she said. "I-I didn't know any one was in these cells. I..." she tailed off. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know he still used these cells."

[Masina]

"Rildax, calm down." Demyx said calmly. "I suggest you leave, or I don't think anyone would be able to stop Rildax ripping your head off."
"I'm not particularly worried about Rildax." Kesus shrugged. He put his hands in his pockets and leant against the wall. "Good job Ayla isn't here, he scares the hell out of her when he's angry."
"No one asked your opinion Kesus." Herutsu snapped.
"It's true though, right Masina?" He smirked as his eyes flickered to the dark haired girl stood beside Herutsu.
"I'm staying out of this one." She mumbled.
"See." He smirked. "You're not a very good boyfriend if you terrify your girlfriend, are you?"
"Kesus." Vexa mumbled. "I'd shut up if I were you."
"I already told you, I'm not bothered about him." He looked at Vexa. "You really aren't one of us anymore, are you?" He looked at Arxbi. "Either of you."
"No." Vexa said.
"Axel actually thought you were, after you taking Ayla." He smiled slightly. "She's in the dungeon right?"
"You go anywhere near her I'll kill you."
"You couldn't if you tried." Kesus said mockingly. "Ayla's the only one that could. But, she can't do anything right now." His voice was smug.

"What, did you think they were just here for show?" She said sarcastically. Her arms wrapped protectively over her stomach. "There is nothing you can do anyway. I'm here, only the organisation can get in the castle, I'm on my own for now."