Sprites, Spirits, and Auras(Tim)

[Sjha]

His hood was over his face again, he had become fairly fond of the black garment; it did match his soul, after all. He thought the steps over in his mind, he wanted to train some sprites, yet training them with each other was so boring. His heart rate slowed to a rear stop, and his body suddenly started to give off black orbs of Soul. Yet this was not normal souls… they were tainted; this was madness. He chuckled slightly, this would hopefully attract a good test subject “I hope a pure one comes, there spirits taste so good before the pass the death gate...” He stopped him self as he felt the madness take over, he could control it, but he would have a slip or two every now and then.

The dark orbs gently floated into the sky, yet when they reached the death gate, were pushed away, floating back down to earth, they quickly covered the area. He started to wait, thinking of his selection. As far as he knew, he could have one spirit, one offensive sprite, one defensive sprite, and a support sprite. Which ones would he use? He smiled a sadistic grin, the aura his body gave off such a chill the ground under him started to frost. His voice was hallow, void of any sense of caring or emotion “I’ll pick when I find out who it is.”

[Aether]

Called out again...
Perhaps he should simply take care of the problem this time around. And of all areas, the trouble had to be sparked at the Peak.

A lone figure made his way up the hill, not bothering to stay hidden as he walked out in the clear, despite the garments he wore. His robe could be used in most situations, with the only difference between making it casual wear and combat gear was the hood, which was up at this time, signaling that the SOLDIER could possibly be preparing for a conflict. The katana hung on the back of his waist like usual, which was always there whether he was fighting or on a social hangout.

This was almost just like the other time, which is why the boy made sure to get here first. He could feel the air grow slightly colder, but he made no reactions. After taking a few more steps the warrior stopped suddenly, lifting his veiled face to the sky.

"You're not here to cause trouble now, are you? Or do you tend to do this frequently?"

[Sjha]

Oh, that was getting interesting; how many students walked around with a blade… better yet, how many were allowed? He assumed not many, sparking his interest. He felt the madness urge him to strike, to draw blood, to kill. Yet he held it back, for now. “Ah, how interesting of an energy you give off.” His voice was harsh like that of a beast, yet cold as deaths. The black orbs stopped flowing out, but he let the madness stay. He pointed at the blade “I wonder…” he felt one of his daggers slid down his sleeve, and into his hand. He tossed it, aiming for a tree, rather then the person. The blade sliced in with out any problem, gravity pulling the blade to the ground, leaving a gash in the plant. The other slid into his hand, no sooner did the light catch the metal did he vanish like a shadow.

He re appeared in the shadows closest to him. With his bard garb, he loved Shadow Stepping, it added such an ominous feel to a battle. He stepped towards him, the blade held tightly in his hand. “Remember, human.” He laughed, pointing the blade at his heart “Pain is just your body’s way of tell me…” He laughed. They were now at the perfect distance for him to use his weapon; Sjha would have to wait for him to attack before the dagger would be of any use. “That I didn’t hit you hard enough the first time.”

[Aether]

His energy?
Oh, this boy had no idea. Had Sjha come by on the old island, the boy he was confronting would have been so different. He would have been hesitant and timid, doing whatever he could to prevent a fight. However, time has passed, trials had been faced, demons had arisen and personalities change.

"You like to laugh, don't you?"

His voice was fierce, but the SOLDIER had heard worse. A black soul he may have, but at least he still had a soul, unlike the demon who wrapped himself in light. Nothing this Sjha could pull or execute could compare to pale horseman or the dark emperor he rode for. However, such thoughts would not prevent the boy from responding.

"What gives you the idea that I am human? If you have been on this island for long, you would know that not everything is as it seems."

He watched the dagger fly by, not bothering to follow its path. Is this what the dark denizen called intimidation? To a untrained school boy, this might prove to be overwhelming, with the knives and the quick steps from shadow to shadow. Call it whatever, but these things have proven to be ineffective against the WEAPON, at least in the form of intimidation tactics. And now he had the audacity to point another blade at his heart. Obviously, this child was unaware of just who exactly he was dealing with.

"I see...so, this is what happens when one falls to the darkness...I pray this fate does not befall me.

If you are waiting for me to strike, I'm afraid you will get no such reaction out of me. I have yet to find reason to attack you; only to be annoyed and suspicious. I doubt you are a servant to Erebus, but your presence has yet to bring me anything other than caution. Who are you, and what is your purpose here?"

His dark aura would warn him of any means of attack from the intruder. His black adamant would rise against any assault and retaliate with vicious aggression. And there was the SOLDIER's natural reaction time and his keyblades to defend and attack. In terms of experience and advantages, this boy was no where near equal grounds with Aiden. The boy would be wise to figure this out before he leaned the truth in a more unfortunate manner.

[Sjha]

One who falls into darkness? Sure, he might not have had a soul, morals, and the power of darkness, but he was not controlled by it. “My name is Sjha Keltison, the bringer of Death. My only reason here, well, the only reason I’m even in your world is to protect someone.” He remembered the picture he had, and thought to give this, as far as he cared, dead man, a small privilege. He dropped the other Dagger, which sliced into the ground with ease, and took out his SOL, and brought up a picture of him and Naomi “I’m here to protect Omi.” He turned the screen around to show the picture. They were in a room, with some other people, at what appeared to be a Christmas party. In the picture, she was opening a gift, while he had an arm wrapped around her, while giving the ‘Peace’ sign to the camera, a large smile on his face. That was the one Christmas they spent together. “Other then her, everyone else can die as far as I care...”

He returned his SOL back to a pocket, then recalled his Daggers. The weapons turned to pure energy, before breaking into orbs of light. The orbs floated to his hands, were they retook shape. He placed the daggers back up his sleeves. “I was wrong to draw my daggers; I don’t need them for some one like you…” A small sprite floated out from his right shoulder. She wore a long, flowing blue dress, metallic in appearance. Her skin was snow white; her long sliver hair was flung over her left shoulder, and flowed down past her legs. Her eyes were dark blue, matching the gems on her earrings. “Aquarius.” The sprite nodded, and raised both her hands to point at Aiden “Hydro Cannon!” A blue light formed between the sprites hands, glowing bright enough to illuminate the darkness around Sjha. Finally, when she gathered enough, she launched a massive serge of water, more then enough to drown a person.

[Aether]

"A bringer of death whose goal is to protect a person? Can't say I understand..."

Someone who so boldly claimed to bring any possible harm to those on the Academy certainly were not welcome by the Guardian. At first glance from this point of view, Aiden would appear to be somewhat cold himself, which anyone who knew the boy would also know this was not his usual temperament. However, after all that had occurred, Aiden could not afford to go easy on intruders.

But the strangeness came when the boy brought up a picture of who he claimed to be protecting. The SOLDIER failed to pay attention to much while the picture was on display as a foreign sensation overcame his heart. Though the girl was younger, the was no doubt as to her identity. Aiden felt confused as to why he suddenly felt a twinge in his heart and his stomach, and as to why he suddenly grew far less fond of this boy. His eyes under the cover of darkness squinted in a hidden expression that he couldn't explain. He disliked the boy, that was for sure, but he suddenly did not trust the foe due to his death statement.

Aiden was naive to the ways of jealousy.
Fighting back the unexplainable urge to strike, the WEAPON watched as the boy continued in his light show.

"Well...at least we have one thing in common..."
Aiden's reply was colder than he had anticipated, not expecting to sound as mean as he did. He watched as the sprite appeared, taking notice of the creature he had not seen before. Aiden could sense the rising levels of energy, knowing that he was about to be attacked, but he didn't budge; he simply glared at sjha through his own hood. The surge of water was predictable, since not only did the boy call out the attack, but the Aura of the attack gave off a aquatic feel before she even had to launch the Hydro Cannon. This would only prove to be a feeble and ineffective assault, as a triangular shaped column of black adamant shot upward from the ground in front of Aiden, splitting the deluge into two streams, which shot out to the sides of the boy and leaving him spotless.

"I have no quarrel with you creature. Stay out of this."

As the column returned to the ground, Aiden had already unleashed his two Keyblades: One with the same color patterns as his robe, and the other white as immaculate snow. He did not make a move to release the katana he carried for his own personal reason. He raised the black Keyblade towards sjha in a similar fashion the boy raised his dagger to Aiden, only he wasn't pointing at the heart specifically.

"Because this is what Naomi would want you to do, right? If you knew anything about Naomi, you know what she would think of this! So when you say everyone else can die, does that mean all of Naomi's friends and the people she cares about as well? You certainly aren't playing the part of a protector, but the bringer of death you claim to be. If you don't stand down, I will have no choice but to end this."

No more chances. This was the last time sjha would have to stop. Only divine intervention would prevent his death otherwise.

[Sjha]

Sjha grinned and removed his hood. His eyes were lifeless, and projected the madness his body now held “Yes, they can. I do not care about them. As long as she is alive I am fulfilling my role. Beside, I only have bits of my memory of her.. and I was gone for a whole year, humans can change..” He sighed slightly “She don’t control me, I’m not inclined to listen to her orders. The only thing I have to do it stop her from dying until she finds her sanctuary.” The Sprite returned to his body; he would not need it for him “Omi Must live, simply put, The rest can die. How do you think I got my title? Kids, Women, Men, Elders, Beats, Pokémon, I do not care if they live or die. The children are the most fun however; they like to scream when they die.” Another sprite merged from his body; this one was male in appearance, yet had not features, simply metallic in color.

“You see, Human, That last sprite was what known as a Offensive Sprite, this is a defective sprite.” The metallic being glowed a dim green before disappearing. “From the Earth to the forge, Great heat, new life, metal: to protect and to kill.” His skin went from pale white to shining steel. He knocked on bark on his chest: it sounded of solid Metal “Fuse, Mok.” He started to walk towards him and his blade “I do not fear you. You see, this sprite is a defensive one. It turns the body of its host into elementhium, A metal of the Spirit World. It is twice as hard as this words steel, more flexible then your Aluminum, yet more dense then Uranium; Allowing the host to take a beating and live.”

When he stopped, he was near inched away from the end of the blade. “Go a head, hit me as hard as you wish.” His grin grew slightly “I’m going to kill you anyways.”

[Aether]

This was getting ludicrous at a annoying rate. This boy was leaving himself open in so many ways, it was as if he was asking Aiden to take his life. Who is foolish enough to waltz up to your foe, who you know nothing about, and ask them to strike you? Nothing but a foolish psychopath who has fallen into a godly-grandeur of a facade. Aiden knew these mind games, having been tricked by them once before. There was no proof to his taunts; it would be as if Aiden was saying the very same. Who was sjha to be any the wiser? They had never met before.

"So, you're not a protector at all, just a monster who has let the darkness deluge his mind and plans on using another for his own whims. And your speaking skills are not any better.

As for your title, I don't know how you got it. Self-proclaimed? A joke from a friend? I just met you, so I have no idea how you got your title or anything about you...other than the fact you are annoying and that you misuse the powers that have been bestowed upon you."

Aiden's temperament changed from aggressive to nearly nonchalant. Sjha could keep his death threats and sprites; he was no match to Aiden. All the boy would have to do was use one of his Keyblades to sever the lock the fused the boy and the sprite together, but he kept that fact hidden to himself for the time being, instead deciding to find a rock to sit upon and stick both Keyblades into the ground, using the hilts as rests for his hands. Aiden wasn't playing this game.

"What would be the point of attacking? I can't break through your defenses, and you can't break through mine. It appears we've come to a stalemate. So..."

Aiden took his hands off the blades for a moment to remove his hood, revealing his long silver hair and sapphire blue eyes.

"I'm not expecting you to fear me, but it's not as if I fear you either. If the need arrives, I can finish you, but I'd rather not should I start becoming a 'bringer of death' such as yourself. I think it would be best for you to leave; your presence here has yet to make a good impression."

Yes, Aiden said he would finish this fight if Sjha did not stand down, but if there was going to be a fight, Aiden would not be the one to start it.

[Sjha]

Sjha followed him; summoning a seat of a his own, a rock just like the one Adien sat on, mimicking the same pose; only his arms hung in the air, rather then sitting of swords of some kind. He waited, his eyes starring into Adiens, he didn’t move, or make a sound. He waited; he waited for something to happen. He felt the madness and its roots slowly creep away until finally; it was gone. He continued to simple stair at him. His mouth mimicked words, words in Spiritic, the language of death. He sat there, like a cat which cornered it’s pray, waiting for the moment to make its last strike; the one that really mattered. Finally, he made his move; His hand was like a flash, a loud cracking sound filled the air as he slapped Aiden across the face, enough force behind the swing to turn the palm of his own hand fairly red. “Fool.” His message was clear and simple; this boy, he was a fool.

“How can you protect someone when you wound not even raise a blade to kill a person, openly making threats to kill the family of those you care about? Your not a Warrior, your not a fighter, I almost feel ashamed to call you a scout; let alone a Soldier. Even those training in my world know the difference between stopping a threat and being a coward.” He returned to his sitting position, glaring at the boy “You don’t even know the properties of your powers! And you dare say I have abused mine, when in reality you probably are yet to even scave at the surface of your own potential. When I came to your world, I learned the properties of all your elements, all your substances… If you knew them as well, you would have known your Adamant would easily slice threw my metal shield.” His voice seemed hostile; angry and disappointed at Aiden. “You have changed, after all. And I have to say, I was a shamed to of called a scout, a rank I think to great even for you… But to of once considered you my Equal seems a dishonour to my name.”


Was everything else before this, the attacks, the on set of the madness, the replacement of the blackened souls; was it all just a ploy to bring this boy here? What was Sjha’s connection to him…?

[Aether]

(FMA OST: Kenran)

Sjha spoke as if he knew everything. The slap across the face only helped start a small black fire that was already starting to burn, and the words that proceeded out from the real fool's mouth only added more fuel for the flame of rage. Here was this moron, who not only had the gull to come to the island and cause mischief, but had the audacity to speak to someone like Aiden at this point in time in the manner he did without knowing anything of what he had just been through, along with others from the Academy-the remnants of the old island that is. Aiden's head turned to the side with the slap, but his head returned in a flash of darkness as the hood of his robe veiled his face once again without the need of hands to do so.

He emitted a peculiar sound as he stood up and raised his hand in the same instant flash sjha had slapped him. He wasn't giving the boy anytime to react as he wrapped the raising hand around the boy's neck and began a furious leap towards a nearby tree, which he decided quickly to cover in a adamant barrier, not in hopes of protecting the tree but to make the impact more severe. With a massive amount of his strength, Aiden slammed sjha into the adamant, still holding him tightly by his neck. The adamant did not give any signs of giving in, but the force of the impact was definitely enough to feel, and was certainly enough to break bones such as the shoulder blades and tailbone. Adamant tendrils reached out and wrapped around Sjha's arms and legs, ensnaring the boy to decrease his chances of escape down to virtually zero.

As said before, only divine intervention would save him now.

"Do you know how many people I've killed, trying to protect people I care about and even people so disgusting and idiotic as you? You know nothing about me, what I have lost, what I have had to gain in order to defend what I have left, and yet you label me as if you've read the book of my life? Then you have the nerve to strike me in such a pitiful manner that my adamant wouldn't even bother to block? I've had enough of killing anything for a while, and now you have to come along and pull this nonsense!? I'm tired of dealing with beasts like you!"

His voice was loud and clear, filled with a anger that had not been seen by the likes of anyone, not for at least 7 years. Aiden raised his free hand as a adamant spike suddenly protruded from the palm of the black glove. In fact, his whole arm appeared to be engulfed in black adamant.

"I gave you a chance to leave without any problems. You're the fool for not taking that offer."

****
Hidden from the prying eyes of mortals stood the Ethereal, overseeing the partial-execution of his prophecy. Would Aiden open his eyes to the truth from this? Or would he be forever blind to the road he walked which would lead to his demise? It was clear the darkness had a foothold now. Wrapped in the guise of righteous anger, but was there such a thing in the first place?

What did it matter. Fate was weaving her cruel tapestry before his eyes, and yet he could not feel a thing. Emotion was for those with that precious entity called the heart; the Void was empty.

[Sjha]

He grinned as Aiden held his grip around his neck “Who’s the one befalling to there power now?” his words were gargled slightly from the pressure on his neck. “Do you know how much evil I have killed to save your world, let alone people like you?” The grim of his face was contorted, compressed and stretched onto the Adamants surface “You call me a beast, yet you know nothing of what I do.” He let out a maniacal laugh “So, I’ll show you.”

The Adamant shattered around his right hand; his arm was deformed, made of darkness, appearing to be made of many parts. What seemed to be a hand, mealy because of the seven boney fingers which not held Aiden onto a different tree. Sjhas eyes were black, the darkness engulfed his body. His other arm rapidly turned into that of his right. The rest of his body morphed, and soon the Madness was fully out. It had no legs, a vial of death layering around its feet. A black mask, with white eyes made the face. It ripped Aiden and the tree from the ground, tossing it back down with a simple flick of a joint. Soon, Thousands of Souls started to flow into its mouth as it drain the life forces from the island. Every thing started to die, and soon it was nothing more then a waste land. Souls continued to flow from the ground as it continued to feed off the souls of everything living thing on the earth. It let out a loud scream; its howl shacking the ground is it permeated the earth. The Death gate, which swirled around in the sky, stopped, and soon vanished. The planet had died.

Sjha grinned as he watched the scene unfold on the surface of the Adamants reflection “That’s a monster called madness. When souls from your world enter the Death Gate, the negative energy, the screams of death, the last words of the dead, all come together and form Black Souls, or the Tainted Ones, should enough collect to form a spirit; which are brought to my world, were they are purified and returned to yours. A few years ago, a monster went around destroying worlds with life, causing countless spirits, and nearly endless amounts of rages, sadness, and hates to collect at the gates. In one final push, my world intervened and killed him, fusing his body, mind and spirit, his trinity, with the impureness he had created, forming that. Forming the madness. It feeds of the madness rejected by death gates, yet hungers for pure souls, for the lives of those with out sin.”

He simply stared into Aiden’s eyes “I don’t know how it was afflicted to me, and I do not know why, but it has been there for as long as I can remember. He motioned with his eyes at the Adamant spike “You said your Adamant did not rise because my attack was not a threat.” He motioned to his arms and legs “Why do you think me own defences do not rise? Because my spirits know that should I become week enough from your attacks, and lose control, and let the madness take over… It would snap your neck like a twig… Then end your world like the ones it did before.” He smiled, and leaned in close as he could to Aiden’s face “You see Aiden; I summoned the Madness, and released some black souls to lure you here. Finding Omi was a fluke, but you were easy. You see, there’s a problem soon to befall onto your world, and my Organization has invited you two to come help deal with it… But seeing how you have changed so much from our old files, we might have to reconsider…”

[Aether]

He watched as the visions took place through the reflection of his black adamant, yet he made sure to watch every inch of sjha in the process. His hidden eyes squinted in frustration, but inside, deep down he knew the boy was right about a couple things. It was shameful that Aiden had to be reminded by his own words; he couldn't let the darkness take him over, not now. He couldn't afford to grow weak and useless with such powerful enemies running about.

With that, he removed his grip, and with the withdrawal of his palm the adamant cuffs also released their grip on the boy. There was no doubt he was still filled with frustration, but his sudden burst of anger died down: not completely, but mostly. On top of refusing to let the darkness take him over, Aiden had a couple other reasons for letting the boy go: He didn't like sjha being so close to his face, for one. This boy had yet to actually bring harm to anyone on the island, so who was he to punish someone who had yet to commit wrong? He might have committed many wrongs anywhere else, but on this island, besides causing unnecessary disturbances, had yet to exact any crimes.

Besides, punishment was probably left to those in authority, or ultimately the Planet, maybe even Arceus should he find importance in the matter.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but I do know that you need to work on your recruitment methods. You don't attract assistance by unleashing darkness, especially around here at this time.

We're dealing with enough planet-destroying, universe erasing monstrosities right now. We have about 10 months left to train and maybe catch a break from the pain. If you want help, just ask for it: I'd be more than glad to help, especially if the problems puts our world and homes in danger.

I don't expect you to understand our current situation, but I can tell you that we're already in enough trouble. However, if you are going to cause problems in your stay, you will have to leave..."

****
"How pitiful...He continues to be ignorant, even after the warnings...
He willingly walks down a road he is blind to, just like everyone else...
How long until the fall, little worm? To dig a hole so deep...will you be able to find your way out?"

[Sjha]

(Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni ((Memories of then they cried)) Main Theam)

He fell to the ground as the bonds were released. When he made contact with the ground, a circle of earth under him turned to pure energy, traveling up his body, wrapping around his chest to heal the broken bones. He sat on his knees in the newly formed hole “You see, not all spirits are fond of your world. Sure, Earth might bring in some brilliant minds, yet the spirits from it are easy to corrupt, and easy to lure into the wastelands.” He created a screen of energy in the air, much like the one he had used to show Omi what he could see; the screen projected his sight again, the souls leaving the living beings he could see, even the earth gave off souls. This is not what he wanted to show Aiden, his gaze went up to the Death Gate in the sky, which continued to turn, and take in new souls. “That’s the death gate I was talking about. It connects to my world. Only the spirits of the dead, or the souls of the living can pass through it. It connects to a Soul stone, were the spirits and souls are released into my world.” He pointed down at the earth “The same way, a Life Gate connects to a your world, and your soul stone, so spirits may leave and bring new life here..” He pointed at Aiden, then the tree behind him “All living things in your world are made that way”

“As you might know, the human body is made of three parts, or energies. The Spirit, which used Soul energy, The body, which uses Elemental Energy, and the Mind, which uses and energy mostly referred to as Chakra. The same way, there are three worlds other then your own, the Spirit world, were the spirits live, The ‘Physical, or ‘Elemental’ world, were the body is formed, and the Mental World, were the thoughts of all living thing that ever were, or will be, talk to each other, spreading knowledge. Each world feeds your own, creating life. When broken apart, the spirits are alive, the body is alive, and the mind is alive. Each still has a body, mind, and spirit, but the energy they use is different.” The screen now showed a large City, a giant crystal stood in the center. The city was surrounded by a large, blue field of energy. “Many years ago, before I was born, a cataclysm ripped the Spirit world apart, and the Crystal Sun, and it’s life giving energies fell apart. The planter soon fell apart, creating large land masses which floated around the Death gate which was once it’s core. The crystals still gave off light, and allowed life to flourish around them. However, there energy could not cover the entire world that was once one, causing only pockets of life to exist. Cities built up, and eventually the technology to teleport form city to city was made. The area between cities could not support Spiritual life, but rather turned them into twisted beings which could not live in the safety of the crystals.” He nodded at his words, as if talking and accepting his own words “Life went on.”

He fished the SOL out of fir pocket, and brought up an image of the races: Spirits, Elementals, Memoriars, and Humans. Each had a similarity to the human appearance, yet looked nothing alike to each other. He pointed at the image of the Memorians “There’s the physical form of the Mind. Recently, the Spirit world has been trying to improve there diplomatic relation with the Elementals, causing the relations to strain with the memorians, and now a large group are planning on attacking the Spirit world and the gates Doing so will kill all life in your world and mine.” He put the SOL away, and went back to his little talk “If they do that, they can still live, and so Will the elementals, so they do not care.” He let out a sigh “And there are spirits from my world more then happy to let it happen, and die, if it meant whipping your world from existence…”

[Aether]

There was a lot to take in, almost too much. All this talk about spirits and other spiritual phenomenon didn't make sense to him. He tried to analyze the descriptions as best he could, but to be honest, he had a hard time believing everything that sjha told him. What he was told seemed to conflict with Aiden's view of how worlds we created and destroyed, and all this was happening so quickly that it almost sounded far-fetched.
He could almost sense a twinge somewhere close by while sjha explained his situation, which made Aiden somewhat nervous. He looked around a couple times before shaking his head.

"I see...Well...Sounds like a troublesome predicament. If anything happens...I'll help, but I have to go."

His reply was hasty, as if having the sudden urge to get away from the scene, though not out of the need to get away from this boy. Aiden quickly turned and began his fast-paced exit. If there was truly to be any help from the boy, it appeared as if more convincing would be needed.