Dyad

"Heavy..." Raishun squeezed his eyes shut and shifted around uncomfortably. "Somethings holding me down...can't breathe..."

His eyes opened slightly, before shooting open in surprise. The dorm room he had slept in peacefully was gone, instead he was back in his house, specifically the living room. Yet it was different than what he was used to. The family photos that dotted the walls were gone, leaving only faded wallpaper in it's place. The whole room seemed to glow a mystical purple, which illuminated the TV and couch that made up all the furniture in the room. Plus, it was quiet, it was never quiet in his neighborhood thanks to the children who lived up and down the block.

"I'm officially going insane. Ahh... as if I wasn't before, thinking I met all those crazy people." He chuckled wryly, and moved to stand, only to be stopped by the weight on his body. He looked down at himself, and yelped in surprise when he saw a sleeping girl who looked to be around his age laying on top of him. Memories of what the shadowy stranger had done to him surged through his mind, and he frantically scrambled backwards off the arm of the couch and onto the cold wooden floor.

The girl, having been roused from her slumber by his movements, sat up and let out a tired yawn. She was beautiful, with messy violet hair that covered her shoulders and back. Her sleeveless black vest clung tightly to her figure, and the gold accents on her skirt seemed to twinkle in the purple light. She lightly pressed her fingers on the golden ring around her neck, then turned her crimson colored eyes on him.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so quickly after we bonded." She spoke in a soft voice, while patting the spot next to her on the couch. "Come, sit. You don't have to worry, I won't bite, I promise."

He looked her over for any weapons she could be hiding, and once satisfied she wasn't a threat, he hesitantly sat down beside her. She immediately leaned her head on his shoulder with a cute smile. The scent of lavender tickled his nostrils, she was too close. He scooted away to the other end of the couch in order to put some space between them.

"Don't be like that Raishun!" She cooed while putting on her cutest pout. "You're my Dyad, there's no need for you to be so nervous!... Or frightened for that matter."

His amber colored eyes stared into her crimson ones, as her statement confirmed his theory. "You're the Caligula's soul, aren't you."

"Winner, winner!" The purple-haired spirit happily said, "I knew the moment I met you in that cave that you'd be a great Dyad."

"Thanks for the praise." He said cautiously. His heart was beating so erratically that he wondered if it would burst out of his chest, and it was taking all his willpower to keep his breathing under control. The rumors of all the previously killed partners filled him with dread. [She may act cute, but the person in front of me has killed someone before... Don't tell me I'm gonna die in my house again!!] He thought.

The spirit suddenly frowned, and scooted closer to him. "You're anxiety is contagious, what are you so afraid of? I already said I wouldn't hurt you."

"What are you talking about? It was just a long first day at school, isn't a guy allowed to be tired?" He laughed, yet her statement made his blood run cold as ice.

"You can't lie to me Raishun. I'm your Dyad, I can tell what you're feeling." She held a hand over her stomach. "Your emotions also influence mine, so please cut it out. You're giving me a stomach ache."

"It's kind of hard to be calm when you're paired with the Imperial Arm who was called a tyrant." He blurted, figuring there was no point in lying to her anymore. "I heard rumors that you were brutal and depraved in combat, you went missing for years because you killed all your previous Legions."

Her expression soured, "What are you talking about? I didn't kill my last partner, he... he?" She clutched her forehead and frowned, "My last Dyad was a he... Yeah, his name was... it was Ra... no it was more like Aiden..."

She was starting to panic now, her eyes went wide and her heart rate spiked. Suddenly the light coming from the walls turned a dangerous red, as she hunched over and reached both hands up to clutch at her head.

"I can't remember... How can I not remember!?! What happened to him!!?"

"Hey hey hey, calm down look at me!" Throwing caution to the wind, he gently gripped her shoulders and turned her to look at him. "I'm right here with you, take deep breaths now, it's okay." Doing his best to quell the unease in his heart, he did what he could to calm the girl down.

After a few minutes of deep breathing, the lights in the room returned back to a normal color. She sucked in one last shaky breath, and smiled softly at him. "Thank you Raishun. I was supposed to help you, and yet you ended up helping me." She laughed bitterly, "And here I thought you were terrified of me."

"I was, but you looked like you needed help. I can't exactly just ignore a person in need can I." He said with a shy smile, "...That and because my anxiety might've been a part of what cause you to freak out... Oh and the walls turned a freaky shade of red too so that helped."

The two proceeded to sit in silence for a moment. She placed her hand over his and squeezed it reassuringly for comfort.

"So you really don't remember anything?" Raishun asked curiously while returning her gesture.

"No I don't." She replied while staring blankly at the floor, "I don't remember anything about how I ended up as an Imperial Arm, or about what I did before meeting you. The only thing I can remember is my name, Serah Conces."

"Don't worry about it too much, your memories I mean." Raishun said awkwardly, he had never dealt with a situation like this before. "They'll come back with time, and if not, then I'll help you find them. Even if it means I have to spend the next 10 years searching for them." He flashed a toothy grin, "You saved me from that Grimm back in the forest, it's the least I can do for my Dyad."

Serah smiled at him, and wrapped him in a tight hug. "I really did pick a good Dyad!" Pulling away with a nod, she adopted a more formal tone before continuing. "Right, let's seal our contract so you can prepare for your fight with Eric tomorrow."

"Sounds good." Squeezing his eyes shut, he turned his head away from her and extended his arm toward her. "Go ahead, I'm ready!"

"Um... What are you doing?"

"Letting you take my blood for your ritual." He slowly opened one eye to look at her curiously, "That's how they do it in the movies so I just assumed..."

She stared at him with a look of disbelief, before giggling cutely. "No silly we don't take blood to form our contracts, or at least I don't. My method is a lot easier." She smiled and puffed out her chest proudly, "All have you have to do is put your hand on my chest."

"WAIT WHAT!?!" He quickly tried to pull his hand back, only to have Serah grab him by the wrist and place his hand slightly above her chest.

"You're fun to tease." She smiled, before closing her eyes. "You are my Dyad... and I am your Imperial Arm..." A blinding golden light began to glow from under Raishun's hand as she spoke, from which tiny balls of light slipped between his fingers and floated around the room. "Together we form a Legion... With you as the heart and I as the soul... United as one, we will stoke the fires of redemption and bring us glory." Her eyes slowly opened, and her face took on an expression of cold professionalism. "Are you content with spending the rest of your days bonded to me?"

"Gladly."

"Then I accept you as my Dyad, from now until death does us part, we are one Legion."

His eyes went wide, and his cheeks flushed red as she suddenly leaned in and softly kissed him on the lips. The lights around them slowly faded away, and the room returned to it's normal purple hue just as she pulled back.

Raishun stared at his Dyad with a dumbstruck expression, his jaw slightly hanging open in shock as she pulled away from him. No matter how he tried to regather his thoughts, he couldn't seem to. All he could muster was a high pitched, "huuh"

"What's the matter?" Serah put on a playful pout and gently placed her index finger against his lips. "Was one not enough for you?"

"N-NO, that's no-- I mean!" He stammered and quickly backed away and pressed his back against the far wall. "It was good-- that doesn't mean I liked it-- no I mean I liked it but-- URGH!!" He groaned and hid his face behind his hands.

"My, my you're easily flustered aren't you?" She smiled, and let out a sleepy yawn. "We can fix that as time goes on, but for now it seems our time together has come to an end. Make sure to visit me again or I'll get lonely."

"What do you mean times up-- GUH!!" The pounding headache he'd felt in the forest returned, causing his vision to blur and his teeth to grit with pain. "I really hate this part." He groaned. He felt his body fall backwards, and then his mind faded to black.