From Bad to Worse

It took all of Laura's willpower to keep her teeth from sinking into her lower lip in frustration. Sitting in one of the infirmary chairs, she could only ball her hands into tight fists as she stared at the pair of unconscious bodies before her. Raishun had been unconscious for nearly a week now, with Alisa having just reached the two week mark. A reassuring pressure on Laura's shoulder served to remind her of Gil's presence beside her.

"That was... the power of a Legion who has fought countless battles..." Laura whispered, her voice trembling under the frustration she felt. "Even with all our training, all our experiences, we couldn't so much as lay a finger on her."

"Fighting her probably wasn't our best decision. She did sneak into the school, attack a student, and escape without a trace." Gil replied in a calm voice. His chocolate-colored eyes were narrowed into thin slits, and he sported a bandage on his forehead from where he'd been struck. "Fighting her head on was noble, but futile. I think the only way for us to win is to play dirty. If you'll let me, I can go-"

"No. You've already killed two people in my name Gilgamesh. I won't let you kill another." Her gaze flicked to his. "If we have to kill again, I will be the one to carry out the task."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you admit a desire to murder." Gil hissed under his breath. "You're the heir, I'm the bodyguard. My job is to get my hands as red as needed, so that yours don't have to be sullied."

Laura caved and bit her lower lip, not in frustration, but in guilt. Casting her gaze toward her lap, she remained quiet for a moment. After a moment of silence she spoke once more. This time her voice lacked any of her usual self-confidence. Hurt and doubt dripped from her words, filling the void where her self-confidence had been.

"About being my aide... Have you ever imagined what your life would be like if you never came into my service?"

She couldn't bear to look at him, even as she heard his breath hitch in surprise. A tranquil silence, like the calm before a large battle, filled the room. In this war of emotions, neither one could bear to face the other.

"I-... I didn't mean to say that your service is unappreciated. I meant that your life would have been easier." Laura suddenly blurted, "Hobbies, friends, lovers, a normal life. I stole your right to have those things when I forced you to run away with me all those years ago."

"Not once in my life have I ever thought of serving you as an unfortunate event. Nor have you ever forced me to do anything I didn't want to." Gil said in a nostalgic tone. His hand lifted from her shoulder, and found it's place over his heart. "When I officially entered your service on my 8th birthday, I was terrified. Aides are usually treated like hired guns, taking care of the lord's dirty secrets. The lucky ones are just treated as tools to be used until they break. But you... you treated me with kindness and love. No other aide has received such treatment in the history of our family. On that day, I vowed that I would stay by your side forever. Nothing will change that."

With a small grin, he patted and stroked her hair. It was an action he'd done to countless times to calm her down when the pair were younger. While she found it childish and condescending now that she was an adult, this time it felt soothing.

"So no, I've never imagined what my life would be like without you. In fact, I'm quite content being your aide."

"Gil..." Laura sniffled and hung her head.

"You haven't taken a break recently have you... no, you haven't taken a break since we started running." Gil noted, "You can go back to the dorm and get some rest. Keeping watch over dumb and dumber over there is something meant for an aide any-"

"G-GAAAAHHH NO! GET AWAY!"

Alisa woke with a start, a bullet formed in her hand and ready to fire. Her leaf-colored eyes were manic, searching the room with dozens of small rapid flicks. However, without her rifle, the bullet simply faded back into a useless pile of dust in her lap. Laura quickly rushed to her side and placed a supporting hand on her shoulder.

"Alisa! Calm down, you're safe... You're in the infirmary. We're all here." She whispered in a soothing voice.

"What--where..." She was as white as a sheet. Slowly her trembling hands clutched to Laura's for support. "I-I was in the rafters and then.... then..."

"We know. You were attacked by that hooded figure." Gil said grimly. "We tried to track them down, but we weren't able to do much."

Alisa followed his gaze and grimaced when she saw the state Raishun was in. However, her concern lasted only for a moment, as she suddenly looked confused.

"Hooded figure?" She asked, "I was attacked by... something. I can't remember anything, other than the feeling that I was stabbed." Patting the center of her stomach, she quickly continued. "But, there's now wound, much less a scar... Gah, my brain feels like it's been fried."

"You really can't remember anything?"

This time it was Laura's turn to look concerned. Her hands shifted to the peppy girl's shoulders and grasped them tightly.

"No. I really can't... But you can tell me." Alisa looked each of her teammates in the eye, determination burning bright in her features. "Don't leave out a single detail. If anyone can find out who they are, it's me."

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Raishun's world was crumbling before his eyes. The violet void that surrounded the world of his heart was swirling with turbulent wind, which buffeted what remained of the shattered windows. The walls had cracked, their glow was so dim that the room was cast in frightening shadows. Tattered and broken furniture was strewn about as if a storm had ravaged the house.

Even stranger, his ever-cheerful partner was nowhere to be seen.

"Serah?" He took a step forward, his voice filled with panic. "Serah, where are you? What happened here?"

There was no response.

[Is this because the gem took an attack from that woman's spear?] He thought, [But her gem didn't so much as crack. It was painful, but we both survived... right?]

He hadn't taken more than a few steps when he heard it. A low rumbling sound not unlike that of a predatory lion. The hairs on his neck stood on end, and he was able to duck just in time to avoid a creature diving towards his neck. It spun midair, trying to catch his leg with its jaws, but he rolled backward avoiding it. Jumping to his feet, his hands were already raised defensively. But even all the training in the world couldn't prepare him for what he came face to face with.

The creature that attacked him looked as if it were once human. Its body was pale as a sheet of paper, the skin so taught against its bones that their organs were almost visible. Sharp spines ran along what its elongated curved spine, leading to a face so monstrous that merely the sight of it nearly made him pass out. Most terrifying were it's crimson eyes, the sclera around its pupils so black and viscous that it was almost slime. The monster cracked a smile, revealing a mouth of jagged teeth as it crawled towards him on all fours. The bright yellow mark on its chest burned blindingly bright the less distance there was between the two.

"T-toll..." It wheezed in a crackly yet familiar feminine voice. "Pay... your toll..."

"Serah..." His stomach fell to his feet in fear. His body refused to move, even as his mind screamed in horror. "Serah, what's wrong! Talk to me!"

What remained of Serah was upon him in an instant. Her spindly clawed hand closed around his neck, lifting him into the air with surprising strength. In a panic, Raishun started to punch and kick at her body, but to no avail.

"S-Serah! It's me!... Stop this!"

The creature's neck bent with a sickening crack, its head hanging at an unnaturally odd angle. Then its teeth tore into his neck, there was a fiery explosion of pain that seemed to permeate his very being, and he passed out.

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Raishun awoke in a panicked state. His forehead with slick with sweat and his breathing was erratic. His hands shot up to his neck, where he was relieved to find there was no wound. All he could do was wince at the harsh memory and the transformation of his partner.

[Maybe she's calmed down now...]

Steadying his breathing, he spread his mind outwards in an attempt to find the spirit. For a brief moment, he felt it brush up against Serah's, only to have her pull away and disappear. With a frustrated click of his tongue, he pulled his consciousness back.

"Bah, nothing. I was hoping I could ask her about what happened in my dream." Raishun huffed in frustration, though his mood quickly improved when he saw the row of empty beds on either side of him. "Wait... Alisa's not here. Does that mean she's finally awake?"

Throwing off his covers, he hadn't even risen to his feet when Dr. Hazel strode through the door with a pep in her step. Her chestnut-colored hair was messy and stood at several odd angles. There were dark bags under her eyes, yet it did little to detract from the perverse look of excitement on her face.

[Oh boy... here we go again.]

"Oh, Raishun~! It's time for our tests-- oh! You're awake too!" The energetic physician rushed to his side. "Good news! Our research on your aura has finally borne some fruit!"

"That so?" He replied with muted interest. "Let's hear it. But no touching below the belt this time, 'kay?"

"No promises. Now let's get you out of those clothes!"

"What!? No-- Hey get off!"

The woman lunged at him with an expression, not unlike that of a child picking up their favorite piece of candy. The two began to struggle on the bed, with Hazel tugging at Raishun's clothes, while he desperately tried to keep them on.

"Come on now, at least take off the top! I promise it's for purely scientific reasons only!"

"Scientific my ass! You're drooling you freakin' perv!"

In the struggle over his modesty, the doctor's hand brushed against the ruined remains of Raishun's armlet. In an instant, a wave of black tendrils wrapped themselves around her hand and began to quickly travel up her arm. She let out a quiet yelp of pain and tried to pull away to no avail.

"LET GO NOW!" Raishun cried. Every hair on his body stood on end as he tore at the dark tendrils. Grasping one of the ropes tightly, he tugged with all his might, and the darkness retreated from her arm to his. The blue-haired boy winced in discomfort, the skin from between his arm and neck becoming tough and veiny.

With her arm free, the Doctor rushed back to the other end of the bed. She clutched the hand that had been swallowed so tightly it was beginning to turn a light shade of blue.

"D-doctor. take a few breaths." He gasped. The ropes of shadow were beginning to slowly recede back into the armlet now, but it did little to lessen the discomfort he felt.

'A-.... a...." She muttered in a shaky voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think this would happen. I don't even have the Caligula on my person, maybe it's because my armlet is what first connected us. But I really had no idea-"

"Amazing... you're amazing Raishun!"

The woman had produced a tablet from seemingly thin air and had begun rapidly typing information into a program.

"This is amazing! There's so much more data than I could have ever hoped for!"

"What the hell are you talking about? You would've been killed if it wasn't for--"

Raishun couldn't speak. A sickening pain filled his stomach, and he quickly doubled over in a coughing fit. He clasped a hand over his mouth as he felt something rise up his throat. With some effort, he was able to swallow it down and cringed at the strong taste of iron.

After another minute, he was able to recover. Pulling his hand away with a tired gasp, he felt his heart sink at the sight of his palm. It was covered in so much blood, that crimson droplets like morning dew were slipping through his fingers. His eyes quickly darted to the doctor for reassurance, and he was surprised to see the tablet was no longer in her hands.

"You're... you're not gonna take notes on this?" He couldn't help but laugh pitifully at his situation. Unable to hurt his attacker, and now losing control of his Imperial Arm. [Some Legion I am.}

"No. But this confirms what I thought was going on."

The doctor's demeanor seemed to change on a dime. The playful light in her eyes was replaced with cold professionalism, as she took a seat in one of the chairs by his bed.

"What I'm going to tell you doesn't make sense, controversial in fact," Hazel said while procuring her tablet from god knows where. "Do you promise to keep an open mind?"

"I do," Raishun replied, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Good. Then we can start by discussing that unregistered Imperial Arm on your wrist."