Tales of Cadence

[Desmond the Patient]

[Zandra]

[KK Twain]

Loved the chapter, Raven really does have a multiple personality disorder. (I wonder if Elsynne has one too...) Also, while reading the skit I thought 'Stephen's weapons are always going to be tested on Raven, aren't they?'

Come to think of it, Stephen said he had already tested it, right? Is there any chance he tested in on Raven before giving it to Ophelia? (Cause, y'know, shooting wooden targets is boring.)

Looking forward to the oneshot/questionnare/chapter, if the forums don't die first.

[Kevvie]

omg forums live

[Gamestop]

[Desmond the Patient]

[Roadie]

Thanks again for the comments on the skit and chapter, everyone.

Zan: It's fine, I hope you get better soon.

KK Twain: Raven seems to be Stephen's target of choice, so he most likely used him in the testing process. (Ooh, and almost hit the nail on the head...someone else besides Elsynne and Raven has a multiple personality thing, but you're close!)

YZorker: I sent Flamzeron PMs about it like a month ago but every time I ask he's sick. :') Maybe one day I'll get luck and PM him when he's feeling better...


Oh god finally posting the questionnaire. I was going to post the onesh*t but I'll save it for before I leave on vacation next week. :') This one's kind of wtf but I hope you enjoy nonetheless...


Tales of Cadence Questionnaire 10

Felix: Welcome back to a new Tales of Cadence questionnaire! Ooh, it looks like the writer’s finally numbering these properly…

Raven: I can finally see how much time I’ve wasted on these damn things.

Ilia: All right! Let’s get started! Let’s see, who’s first…

Felix: I want to read the questions this time! Please?

Ilia: Ooh, I get another week off…sure, be my guest.

Felix: Let’s see…ooh, these look like some good questions.

Raven: Can I see the batch?

Felix: Sure-

Ilia: No! Don’t let him have it!

(RIP)

Raven: Success!

Felix: No! How…how could you, Raven?

Raven: I’m getting sick of this. It’s as simple as that.

Skylar: You should’ve expected he’d try something like this sooner or later. I’m just surprised it took him 9 questionnaire sessions to think of ripping the list.

Ilia: Fufufufu, too bad. I made plenty of copies of the questions, just in case!

Raven: …God damn you.

Felix: This batch of questions is from Desmond. Elsynne: “Who is your favorite official Tales hero?”

Elsynne: My favorite Tales hero? Hmm…I really liked Chester Barklight from Tales of Phantasia.

Ilia: Ah, interesting choice.

Stephen: I wasn’t expecting him, to be honest. Why Chester?

Elsynne: I don’t know…I just like him best out of all the Tales characters, I guess…

Ilia: Heheh, you have a thing for the “bad boys”, don’t you~

Elsynne: Whoever said anything about that?!

Ilia: I’m just making an observation.

Felix: E-Er, moving along… Raven: “Who is your favorite Tales heroine?”

Raven: My favorite Tales heroine? I don’t know… I’ve never really thought about it.

Stephen: Haven’t you seen the Tales heroines before?

Raven: No. I don’t waste my time with that kind of thing.

Skylar: Judging my Raven’s taste – from what I’ve seen – I think he’d be a fan of Shizel, Grune, or Sheena.

Raven: Eh? Why them? What do they look like, anyway?

Skylar: Observe. (hands him photographs)

Ilia: A-Ah… I think I see what you’re getting at, Skylar.

Stephen: They all have one thing in common.

Raven: You dirty bastard.

Skylar: Heheheh…

Felix: I don’t really get it…what do they all have in common?

Elsynne: Look at Cymbeline and look back at the pictures…

Ilia: So which one out of that group, Edward?

Raven: S-Sheena, I guess…

Ilia: Hmm, interesting choice. (Blackmail! Blackmail!)

Raven: Just shut up…

Felix: All right, all right. The last question from Desmond is for Stephen: “If you were the hero of Cadence, what kind of party would you take? (And I mean official characters and fan characters.)”

Stephen: Well, let’s see-

Felix: What about Elea from Tales of the One Heart? You’d pick her to be your main heroine, wouldn’t you?

Ilia: And Guy Cecil from Tales of the Abyss would be in the party because he’s a big fon machine buff!

Felix: Then there’s Marta Lualdi from Dawn of the New World!

Ilia: Aw, but she couldn’t be in a love triangle because her heart belongs to Emil. Maybe someone like Grune from Tales of Legendia?

Felix: Yeah! And I’d want to be in the group, too!

Ilia: Then we could add in someone like me to balance out the magic.

Felix: Yeah! It’s the perfect team, isn’t it?

Stephen: …I suppose they just answered the question for me.

Elsynne: You don’t have any objections?

Stephen: Nope, not one. That team sounds fine to me!

Skylar: I doubt Ophelia will like it much.

Raven: Eh, who cares what she thinks.

Felix: Our next batch of questions comes from Sir Shrek. Raven: “How do you feel about LukasxHarriette?”

Raven: First of all, I doubt my ass of a cousin would be topping in that relationship.

Elsynne: Raven!

Raven: What? I’m telling the truth. Harriette would dominate every relationship she’s in. That’s why I feel sorry for her future husband.

Felix: If she ever gets one.

Elsynne: What was that, Felix?

Felix: N-Nothing!

Raven: Honestly, I don’t really know what to think about that pairing…it kind of disturbs me.

Stephen: Almost as much as Felix and the dragon?

Raven: U-Ugh…don’t even mention that one, it’s disgusting. Damn you for that, Kevvie.

Felix: Let’s keep going with questions.... Elsynne, you have the same one as Raven.

Elsynne: I’d prefer not to think of my younger sister in a pairing like that. Raven, how old is Lukas?

Raven: He just turned twenty-three last spring. He’s five years older than I am.

Elsynne: T-The age gap between him and my sister is too big…

Ilia: It might just be me, but…I find the pairing kind of interesting.

Raven: Well, we all knew you were weird anyway. You’re kind of fangirl-y like that.

Ilia: Hey, shut up!

Skylar: Raven, I thought you’d want to see someone like Harriette beat the living hell out of Lukas.

Raven: …You know, come to think of it, you’ve got a point.

Ilia: Now we have the same question for both Lukas and Harriette.

Raven: Wait, Lukas is coming here? Son of a b-

Lukas: You know how I feel when you start swearing like that, Edward.

Raven: At least I don’t talk like you. You’re as stuffy as an old woman.

Harriette: I see things are still bright and sunny here in the Tales of Cadence Questionnaire booth…I haven’t missed a thing.

Elsynne: (sigh) No, you haven’t.

Lukas: What was the question again, Ilia? I missed it when Edward was yelling at me.

Ilia: What do you think of the LukasxHarriette pairing?

Lukas: E-Eh?! B-But…Harriette is a child. She’s only twelve! I’m in my twenties!

Harriette: Love is blind.

Elsynne: Are you saying you support the relationship, Harriette?

Harriette: I’m withholding my opinion on the matter.

Raven: And things take a turn for the interesting.

Ilia: Lukas, if you had the choice…w-would you go out with Harriette?

Lukas: It’s hard to look past her age…

Raven: And her insane attitude.

Harriette: What was that, Bird?

Raven: I didn’t say anything…

Ilia: L-Let’s just move on to our next set of questions. This batch also seems to be from Desmond. Stephen: “What would you do if technology was forbidden? Meaning that it is forbidden to build anymore things.”

Stephen: That…that would be terrible!

Raven: That would be the best day of my life.

Stephen: B-But if we weren’t allowed to invent things, how would progress be made? We’d be at a standstill, technology-wise.

Elsynne: That’s certainly true.

Lukas: I couldn’t see the leaders of either Austror or Libra putting a ban on new inventions. They embrace creativity.

Raven: Shut up, Lukas. It’s a hypothetical question.

Lukas: I’m well aware of that, Edward.

Stephen: I’d certainly survive if they put up such a ban, but…life would be so boring.

Ilia: Eh, to each his own. Raven: “How does it feel to get rid of these girly clothes?’

Raven: ‘Girly clothes’? What the hell does he mean by that?

Skylar: I think he’s referring to the fact that you used to wear a pink shirt.

Raven: It wasn’t pink! It was salmon red!

Ilia: That sounds like a practiced response.

Raven: Damn you, Joseph! Why’d you have to pick out a color like that for my clothing?!

Elsynne: Joseph picked it out for you?

Ilia: Aw, how cute! Edward still had someone picking out his clothing for him!

Raven: Shut up! He just got me new stuff when I left home!

Lukas: But, Edward…you’re eighteen now and you were fifteen when you left. Were you wearing the same exact shirt for all those years?

Raven: No, of course not. What are you, stupid?

Lukas: No, I’m just trying to prove a point.

Ilia: Oh, Edward…you haven’t changed in three years, have you?

Raven: Just shut up and move on to the next question.

Ilia: Fufufu, all right. Felix: “What would you do if you REALLY were a girl?”

Felix: I-If I was a girl? I don’t know if I’d like that…

Raven: Well, your title list implies that you enjoy dressing up as a maid.

Felix: I don’t like dressing up as a maid!

Skylar: It’s probably your fault he ends up in that ridiculous costume, Raven. Now, tell me…you put him up to it because you enjoy seeing him dressed as a maid, correct?

Raven: Hell no!

Skylar: Well, no need to be so defensive about it.

Raven: You dirty old man…

Felix: R-Raven…do you enjoy seeing me in the maid outfit?

Ilia: I think he likes it.

Raven: I don’t like it! Why do you all have to gang up on me in every one of these stupid things…?

Skylar: That’s our Raven. Always playing the victim.

Stephen: Ilia, since the next question appears to be for you, I’ll read it off. “Which of the many spellcasters do you admire? (Official Tales and Fan Tales.)”

Ilia: Oh, hmm… Well, there’s always Genis from Tales of Symphonia. I mean, he’s just a kid but he’s pretty good. And Mao from Tales of Rebirth… Ooh, can’t forget Richter or Arche, either!

Stephen: How come no one here ever mentions the characters from Tales of Vesper-

Raven: No. There’s a ban on that game.

Stephen: A ban…?

Raven: It must never be spoken of. Or I’ll kill you.

Stephen: Okay, then…

Ilia: Those are pretty much the spellcasters I admire in the Tales series.

Felix: (I’ve always been a bigger fan of Richter…)

Ilia: What was that, Felix?

Felix: N-Nothing!

Skylar: Is it just me, or do the femboyish characters seem attracted to this Richter fellow?

Ilia: Eh, let it go. Cymbeline, this one is for you: “…I forgot what I was going to ask…”

Raven: That was a waste of my time.

Cymbeline: Oh, it’s fine. I forgot what my answer was!

Felix: But how can you have an answer to a question you haven’t even heard yet?

Cymbeline: What question?

Raven: Desmond’s.

Cymbeline: Who’s that?

Elsynne: A user who submitted a question for you. Or rather, a lack thereof…

Cymbeline: We’re taking questions?

Stephen: I think it would be in our best interest to just…ignore her for a while.

Ilia: Good idea. Elsynne: “The main leader changed clothes, don’t you think the heroine must have different clothes to?”

Elsynne: It would be nice, but it’s not completely necessary. I’m fine with what I have on now.

Felix: Besides, we’ll be getting costumes later!

Harriette: Indeed. Sister, what kind of clothes do you have on now? Are they something befitting an Heir?

Elsynne: N-No, not really…I chose something low-key to blend in with the people of Austror.

Raven: You failed spectacularly.

Elsynne: It was all we had that didn’t stick out too much, in my opinion…

Harriette: Hm, then it probably looks cheap.

Felix: I think it looks just fine, Elsynne!

Harriette: Always trying to argue with me, aren’t you?

Ilia: I think we have enough time to answer one more set of questions. This batch is from the user 0999Silv. Um, I hope we don’t mind if we just call you Silv.

Raven: Not like you ever refer to the users by their usernames anyway.

Ilia: This question is for all of us: “What are you afraid of the most?”

Elsynne: Crossing the black magic out at sea, getting separated from the group in an unfamiliar city.

Ilia: Wow, no cliché “I’m afraid of spiders and snakes.”

Elsynne: I don’t mind bugs or snakes, actually.

Skylar: I’m afraid of Raven, to be honest.

Raven: R-Really?

Skylar: Yes. I’m afraid that your stupidity might be contagious, so I have to keep my distance.

Raven: You stupid bastard-

Felix: I’m afraid of Raven when he’s angry, being up on stage, and Harriette.

Ilia: You’re afraid of Harriette?

Harriette: I’m not surprised, honestly. He’s mentioned it dozens of times.

Stephen: My biggest fear…is a secret.

Raven: Oh, come on. Don’t try to force your way out of this one.

Stephen: Fine, then. My biggest fear already played out.

Raven: It did…?

Ilia: It’s not that hard to guess if you really think about it, Edward.

Raven: (I feel stupid not getting it, but I can’t admit that to them.) A-Ah, right.

Ilia: My greatest fear…that would be-

Raven: Ghost stories and the paranormal in general.

Ilia: N-No way! How could I be afraid of things that aren’t real?

Lukas: Her fears aren’t limited to the paranormal, Edward. I’ve noticed that she’s afraid of the dark and she’s incredibly superstitious.

Ilia: I’m not like that at all!

Raven: Ilia…you’re a lot worse than I expected.

Harriette: Ilia may be centuries older than we are but she still has the heart of a young girl. How amusing.

Skylar: And you seem to have skipped that part of your life completely, Harriette.

Felix: Cymbeline, what’s your biggest fear.

Cymbeline: My biggest fear? Losing my brother or my parents.

Stephen: Your parents?

Cymbeline: You and Ophelia, of course. <3

Stephen: I-I’m not your father!

Ilia: Edward, you’re the only one who hasn’t answered the question yet.

Raven: My biggest fear is a secret!

Ilia: Don’t try to pull that one!

Skylar: Raven’s fears aren’t that difficult to figure out.

Felix: They aren’t?

Skylar: Of course not. Raven is a very simple person. Therefore, his fears are simple. He’s afraid of going hungry, being stuck in a small space, Stephen’s bag of inventions, that dark part of his mind, and myself.

Raven: …

Ilia: W-Wow…how did you manage to guess all of that?

Skylar: Guess? I didn’t have to guess. Not only is Raven simple, but he’s an open book. He’s very easy to read.

Raven: Bastard…

Skylar: Fufufu…

Ilia: This question is also for the entire party: “What official Tales of character would you want to do battle one on one with?”

Raven: Oh, that’s easy. I’d want to try fighting Veigue Lungberg.

Ilia: Why, because he uses ice magic? He’d freeze you to a wall and slaughter you.

Raven: Ha, we’ll see about that!

Elsynne: I think I’d want to fight someone like Colette Brunel.

Skylar: My choice would be…hmm…ah, I know. Dhaos, since we’re both alike. We hate humans.

Ilia: You just hate one human in particular…

Felix: I’d want to try fighting Lloyd Irving or Luke fon Fabre! They’re really great heroes. Ooh, or Emil, too!

Stephen: Ricardo from Tales of Innocence, definitely.

Ilia: And I’d want to go one-on-one against the ‘crybaby, good for nothing’ Keele Zeibel himself.

Cymbeline: I’d fight…hmm…

Raven: Just say Grune.

Cymbeline: Grune, then! Whoever she is…

Ilia: Wouldn’t Cymbeline be better matched against someone like Tytree or Regal?

Raven: No. Wouldn’t it be amusing to see her fight Grune?

Skylar: They’d both get distracted by something other than the battle, wouldn’t they?

Ilia: (sigh) You two are weird… Anyway, this question is for Raven: “What official Tales of main heroine would you go on a date with?”

Raven: A-Ah… Well, I don’t know…

Ilia: Edward would go pretty well with someone more commanding, like Farah or Rutee.

Raven: No, definitely not Rutee.

Ilia: So Farah, then?

Raven: I suppose… I don’t really care.

Skylar: Raven judges by looks, not by personality. So if we went by looks, he’d be more inclined to date someone along the lines of Colette or perhaps Estelle.

Stephen: Isn’t beauty based more on a person’s taste?

Raven: I don’t really care about all this.

Skylar: In that case, would you prefer to date a Tales hero?

Raven: No!

Ilia: Elsynne, the next question is for you and it’s pretty much what I asked Edward: “What official Tales of hero would you go on a date with?”

Elsynne: O-Oh, well…Cless Alvein or Yuri Lowell.

Raven: Was that a Vesperia mention I heard?

Elsynne: Never mind, I’d date Cless Alvein.

Felix: Cless is the traditional Tales hero!

Elsynne: Yes. He seems very nice.

Raven: So he’s basically just your average, cliché Tales hero? Boring…

Ilia: Ooh, Edward, is that a hint of jealousy I’m picking up?

Raven: Of course it isn’t! I’m just saying…

Felix: But who doesn’t like Cless? He’s so cool…

Ilia: All right, this next question is our last of the day.

Raven: Thank the gods. Finally!

Ilia: This one is for all of us: “What one word would you use to describe Stephen?”

Raven: Aw, just one word? But I have so many.

Skylar: Choose one from that list, Raven.

Raven: Bastard.

Elsynne: Thoughtful.

Skylar: Questionable.

Felix: Scary!

Ilia: Weird.

Cymbeline: Oh, look! That cloud up there…

Ophelia: (from a distance) Idiot!

Stephen: I…I have to question why I’m still traveling with all of you.

Felix: You’re scary but I still think you’re nice, Stephen!

Raven: I still think you’re a bastard with very few redeeming features.

Elsynne: Raven, don’t be like that. Stephen’s helped us out plenty of times with what he knows about machinery.

Raven: I take that back, then. He’s useful to some degree, but he’s still an idiot.

Skylar: All in all, he means well.

Stephen: You’re all still talking about me like I’m not even here…

Ilia: We’re done with questions for today, I think. Next time we’ll be replying to Sediea, Yzorker, and Fernard!

Stephen: If I haven’t left the group by then.

Raven: …You’d really do that?

Stephen: No, of course not! I was just kidding, Raven!

Raven: Damn it.
_________________

[Lord_Alucard]

lol this is good enough to be published into a book
_________________
StepManiaOnline
IGN-derukun

[Gamestop]

Oh look a questionnaire

Awesome work, Roadie. I hope Flamzeron's feeling better next time you PM him.

Also, I think the multi-personality is...

will
_________________

by Sir Shrek

sexy avy by Pictomaster Murasaki.

[Zandra]

To the skit: lololololololol

I think I know why there is a TOV ban, but I don't know why Raven is all worked up, I mean SPOILERS! [Raven uses the alias because otherwise he couldn't be in both the Knights and the Guilds.] END SPOILERS!

Poor Lukas. I should have never mentioned that pairing. Though, it was a meme generator's fault.
_________________

[Roadie]

Alucard: Thanks!

lol yay chapter

Can't believe I'm already posting chapter 49...lol ****. At least you can be comforted by the pain and death going on in this one.


Chapter XLIX

Elsynne remained motionless, her gaze blank as Raven concluded his declaration. She took a step forward, clasping her staff to her chest. “I’ve been trying to figure it out for a while now,” she began, her tone neutral. “What exactly happened, I mean.”


Raven let his arm relax. ‘What the hell is she trying to pull now?’

She hesitated before speaking and took a deep, quiet breath. “How much of you is really left?”

“How much of me is left? What?” Raven almost dropped his sword. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I don’t think you’ve completely died like you said you have, Raven.”

Raven readjusted his grip on the hilt of the blade, a haughty grin crossing his face. “You’re wrong. Every part of the person you used to know is gone now!” He launched himself forward before Elsynne could respond again, stabbing at her with the pointed tip of the already bloodied blade. She threw up her staff in time to block his first assault and ducked to the side before he could strike again.

Raven danced away as Felix lunged toward him, an unusually fierce scowl twisting the boy’s face. Raven neatly dodged the first few strikes, jumping to the left when he thought he sensed Cymbeline and Ophelia approaching him from behind. He reached out and conjured a thick plume of black magic, surrounding himself in the mass before the two could hit him.

Raven shrugged back into the sweet-smelling mist, his hand clenched around one of the wounds Felix had given him. He murmured a quiet incantation; a cool sensation collected around the injury as black magic flooded his body.

A figure suddenly burst through the shroud and a thick, heavy fist connected with his stomach. Raven gave a choked cry of surprise as he flew back, his head striking the stone wall before he slid to the ground. A pair of scalene hands clamped around his arms and pinned him to the floor. Raven winced, staring lividly into Arngon’s rough eyes.

“Your black magic tricks won’t fool a dragonling,” Ophelia said confidently, quickly dispelling his cloud with a casual wave of her hand. “None of your tricks will work on people who have the power to manipulate it like you do.”

“But it’s still worth a try, isn’t it?” Raven ventured, attempting a smirk. Arngon didn’t budge an inch.

Ophelia gave a nonchalant shrug. She motioned to Stephen, who stood off to the side, his uncertain gaze wavering between Raven and Ophelia.

“Keep your gun trained on him,” she warned. He nodded almost mechanically, his fingers hovering over the trigger of the loaded weapon in his hands.

Elsynne walked weakly, coughing into her hand as she moved toward Raven from the other side of the room. Raven felt himself tense, subconsciously prepared for the worst.

“Elsynne, don’t,” Felix said quietly, hovering close to her side. She ignored him and knelt close to Raven.

“We should just kill him now while he’s down,” Skylar said. Raven tore his eyes away from Elsynne and saw the elf leaning against the wall, his gaze hard.

“But what’s the point if we can stop him without killing him?” Elsynne asked.

“He’ll just keep coming back. Even if we drag him all the way to Lavinia he’ll find a way back on his own. I can guarantee it.”

“What if-“

“It’s too big of an ‘if’,” Harriette interrupted. Raven started; the girl had been so quiet throughout the entire ordeal that he had forgotten about her.

Elsynne sighed. “I don’t want to kill anybody…”

“That’s how the world works sometimes,” Skylar added. “Sometimes people will get in your way and you can’t move them with words alone. You have to get rid of them yourself.”

Ilia shivered. “Not all the time. You don’t have to kill people so recklessly!”

“I only kill when I have to,” he corrected. He lifted his eyes to meet Raven’s. “In this case there’s nothing we can do. That…Messenger thing—whatever it is—has taken over him so completely that we can’t get through to the old Raven.”

The words poured past Raven’s lips before he could stop them. “But I’m still here.”

Elsynne’s head jerked up, the color draining from her already pale face. Even Felix jumped back a few feet, standing uncertainly with his rapier still raised.

“Raven,” she breathed, “that was you, wasn’t it? The old you.”

Raven quickly pushed the old presence aside before it could answer again, smothering it as it protested. “No.”

Elsynne smiled coyly. “It was. I recognized it.” She turned to the others. “See? Didn’t that sound different than the one speaking now?”

“I’ll admit the tone was more familiar than the one he’s using now,” Stephen said cautiously, lowering the gun a few centimeters.

“I…I’m not sure about this,” Ophelia said, her hands still balled into fists. “It could be a façade of his. He might be trying to break free.”

“No, I know it was different! Didn’t that sound more like the old him?” Elsynne protested. She turned wildly to Felix, grabbing him by the shoulders. “You agree with me, don’t you? We’ve known him longer than they have!”

Felix pulled himself from her grasp, shaking his head slowly. “It sounded different, but… Elsynne, I agree with Ophelia.”

“As do I,” Harriette said. “He’s probably faking it to gain your trust. Completing the ceremony is all he’s thinking about right now.”

Raven watched them wordlessly, fighting back an amused grin as Elsynne looked from person to person, searching for a sign of agreement. Her own smile faded as she was met with stony, unwavering expressions.

“I know what I heard,” she said, sinking back to the floor. “I know part of him is still there.”

Raven waited for that stifled half to speak up again, but it was quiet. He couldn’t even feel it anymore. ‘It’s completely dead now, isn’t it? At last…’

“Ophelia.” Skylar said her name slowly, deliberately. “Give Arngon the order. Kill Raven now.”

Ophelia mouthed his words, but the only sound that came from her throat was an awkward choke. Arngon’s eyes darted to hers for a split second before they rested on Raven once more.

“Kill me?” Raven hissed, grinning. “Try! Just try, you useless bastard!”

“Don’t,” Elsynne warned in a low whisper. “Don’t say things like that. It’s not your life.”

“It’s not my life?”

“That life belongs to the old Raven,” she continued, her hands clenching in front of her. “His life isn’t for you to throw away!”

Raven threw out a blast of black magic, knocking Elsynne on her back. Another trickle of blood trailed from the corner of her mouth and slid down her cheek, staining the otherwise gray floor. A sharp, stabbing pain instantly ripped into his side—Arngon’s claws were embedded lightly in the space between his rips and his waist. The wound was shallow, but Raven still flinched.

“Give the order, Ophelia! That dragonling won’t listen to any of us!” Skylar said, loading an arrow into his bow. “Make Arngon kill him or I’ll shoot him through the head myself!”

Ophelia looked back and forth between Raven and Skylar, drawing in a shaky breath. Arngon pulled the scarlet, dripping nails from Raven’s stomach, waiting patiently for her command.

“Arngon,” she began quietly, her voice barely rising above a harsh whisper. The dragonling raised his hand again, razor-sharp claws already glistening with Raven’s blood.

Raven felt his breath hitch in his throat. He struggled against the dragonling’s grip but it was no use; he already knew Arngon was immune to black magic. A bead of sweat slid down his forehead.

‘I have to complete the ceremony…!’

He muttered the first few words of the incantation under his breath. A telltale glyph appeared beneath his body, webbing out to touch the symbols carved into the stone walls.

“Do it NOW!” Skylar shouted, releasing the arrow from the bowstring. Ophelia screamed her order at the same time and Arngon’s sharp hand came down.

Too many things were happening at once; sounds and colorful images blurred together, mixing painfully in Raven’s senses. But, somehow, Elsynne’s hoarse cry rose above the muddled cacophony. “Ray!”

A beam of pure, dazzling light struck Arngon in the chest and tossed him to the side. Raven barely had enough time to roll on his back, biting back a cry when the arrow embedded itself in his shoulder. He pulled it out and tossed it aside, throwing a barrage of fire in Skylar and Ophelia’s direction before he launched himself at Elsynne, sword in hand. He flung a mass of dark miasma at her before one of the rays of light struck him in the back.

The pain was so intense that Raven’s vision blotted out completely and his body was overcome by the agony. He lost control of his muscles and fell to the ground, his arms and legs twisting beneath him.

Someone grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and flipped him on his back, throwing him against the floor. Raven gritted his teeth, his hands flying to his face. He grasped strands of black hair, willing the torture away, wishing that whoever had grabbed him wouldn’t be so brutal.

Raven barely heard Ophelia’s voice as the ringing in his ears faded away. “Look what their magic does to each other.”

“Light magic versus black magic,” Harriette said smugly. “Just hearing their cries of pain is enough for me to know what’s going on.”

“It’s terrible. I don’t…like this,” Felix breathed. “I don’t like this at all…”

Raven tried to open his eyes; he hadn’t realized they were closed. He saw blood pooling by his face—his blood—and gave a quiet sigh. He could see the wounds Arngon had given him as well—the scarlet liquid ran along his stomach, warm and sticky against his clammy skin. Skylar stood over him, one hand holding him down and the other clenched loosely around his neck.

“Isn’t this enough?” Ilia asked bleakly. Her gaze was empty and emotionless now as she stared at Skylar. “Please, let’s just take him back with us.”

“We can’t take him back,” Skylar said softly. “We have to kill him. It’s the only way to end the cycle.”

“Cycle…?”

“Kill Raven and the Messenger’s bloodline will end. This entire mess will be over.”

Raven shut his eyes again, his muscles tensed against the pain. Dying seemed like a viable option now. At least this agony would go away…

“…What if Elsynne’s right?” Felix said suddenly. “What if part of the old Raven is still left? What if he isn’t completely gone?”

“Give it up already!” Skylar cried, exasperated. “Raven has to die. We have no other options besides this! I don’t know why in the hell you’re both so dead-bent on keeping him alive.”

“Just killing him doesn’t feel right,” Stephen said quietly, turning away. “I feel like we still have other options.”

Raven gagged when Skylar’s hand tightened dangerously around his throat. “Then you’re all stupid and naïve,” the elf said. “I’m sure even Harriette and Ophelia agree with me.”

Raven only bothered opening one eye to see their reactions. Ophelia watched them blearily, as if in a daze, shutting herself out from the world around her. Harriette confidently nodded her own agreement.

Skylar smiled cruelly. “Excellent.”

A burst of cold, foreign energy welled up in Raven’s chest. “Don’t let him kill you.” The voice spoke louder now, echoing in the confines of his mind. Raven grabbed Skylar’s hands and pressed his nails into them, adding a hot burst of fiery magic. The elf leapt back with surprise, swearing fiercely. Raven hit him with black magic before he turned back to the others, taking up his sword once more.

Elsynne knelt nearby, breathing heavily. Her skin was smudged with gore and grime, staining her clothing and even the handle of her staff.

“This was a fight meant to be between the two of us,” Raven said, his lips curling back in a smirk.

Elsynne barely managed an ironic smile of her own. “So it is… The first battle between a Messenger and an Heir in ages. I never…thought I’d be the Heir to go through with it.”

“What now?” Raven stepped back, surprised by her show of certainty. It had to be fake.

“I realized… I know what I have to do. I’m sure of it now.”

Raven ignored her. He rushed forward, disregarding the protests and shouts of the others behind him. They were nothing now, absolutely nothing…

Elsynne held up her bloodied, shaking hands. “Don’t, Raven,” she murmured, grimacing. Soft, glowing yellow tendrils emanated from the tips of her fingers.

Raven threw out his hands, summoning as much black magic as he could. The luminescent tendrils in Elsynne’s hands grew and reached out, grabbing at Raven like sickly hands. He jumped back and rolled to the side, but they followed him. The light wrapped around his body like coils and sunk into his skin.

At first, he felt nothing. Raven wanted to laugh at her again, mocking her for using such a useless art. But before he could move—before he could even think about what was happening—a hot, fiery pain erupted from every part of his body. Raven convulsed and hit the ground, writhing and trembling, his hands pressed against the cold stone floor. His vision was a blur of violent color as pain surged through his body, fire ripping and tearing at every part of his being as Elsynne’s light magic rushed through his system. A loud, hoarse cry tore past his lips.

It felt as if years had passed, but the magic was gone within seconds. Raven groaned quietly and shuddered again. The aftershocks were almost as agonizingly brutal as the initial pain.

Harriette’s voice was quiet and hazy, almost as if she was speaking from very far away. “That’s the spell used to kill.”

Elsynne murmured something in reply, but her voice was too distant for Raven to hear. He opened his eyes, but all he could see was red. His arms, legs, stomach, head, chest…everything hurt so much he couldn’t bear it.

Skylar’s eerily calm voice sounded muted in his broken senses. “…It’s over. Finally…it’s over. After eighteen long years of waiting for this day…”

Raven blinked, his eyelids as heavy as lead, to clear his vision. Now he could see the foggy, drifting outlines of the people he once called his companions hovering on the edge of the room.

They were just watching him. They were watching him die. And he hated them for it.

Raven opened his dry mouth to speak but only tasted the salty blood and bile. He cringed when he tightened his hands, another fresh spike of pain wracking his body.

“D-Did he wake up?” Ilia asked.

“It looks like he’s trying…” Stephen sounded worried.

“Don’t worry. He can’t move anymore. That spell drained everything.” Harriette’s voice was dead now, completely devoid of emotion.

Elsynne moved into his line of blurry vision. Raven muttered a vehement curse, wishing he could reach out and tear her limb from limb for what she did; the sickening crunch of bone, tearing flesh, spilling blood-

“Elsynne, you shouldn’t stay here longer than you have to. Let’s go,” Skylar said, cutting through Raven’s abstract, racing thoughts.

Elsynne hesitated. Raven saw her shake her head slowly before replying, “But, Raven-“

“Leave him here. He’s going to die anyway.”

Raven felt a shiver run through his body, bringing another wave of unbearable pain. He saw Harriette turn reluctantly and follow Skylar from the altar room.

‘They’re going to leave me here!’

The others paused, conflicted, looking back and forth between him and Skylar.

“Come on,” Skylar said. “This is the best thing to do now.”

Raven’s vision flickered and spun. He closed his eyes, fighting back the urge to retch.

‘Raven!’ He called out for his old self again, digging madly through the corners of his mind. ‘They’ll listen to you! They won’t let us die if you’re here!’

There was no reply. He wanted to get up and follow the others, find a way out of the Tower, but his arms and legs were too heavy. ‘Raven!’

He shuddered, a choked cry tearing painfully from the back of his throat. His fingers scrabbled uselessly against the ground but the rest of his body refused to respond. Now even his thoughts felt heavy; it was too much work to think. He didn’t have the strength left.

‘I’m alone…there’s nothing…alone…’

A warm darkness embraced his empty mind, enveloping his senses like a thick, heavy blanket. The pain was still there but it was beginning to fade with the remainder of his awareness. He was afraid at first; he could feel his body going limp with the disappearance of the torturing ache.

‘But it’s all going away… And everyone’s left me here, anyway… They’ve left me alone.’

Raven sighed quietly, letting the shadows smother the last of his consciousness.
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[Lord_Alucard]

Holy...crap. That was the best thing i've ever read. your writing is amazing roadie.. you should really become an author.
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StepManiaOnline
IGN-derukun

[0999Silv]

Nice chapter. I am defeidently going to see how Raven gets out of this one. I hope you're kinder to him in future chapters, if he lives to see future chapters.

[Kevvie]

dadwadsaggawfdgwafgafwdgfwdgfadwdawdfw

Holy crap that was an awesome chapter, Roadie. I wonder if Raven is really done for good. adwhdfh I want to read the next chapter.
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[Avatar: Roadrunnuh][Fanbar: squidmaster64]

[KK Twain]

Yikes. Brilliant chapter. There was only flaw, and that was that it ended in a cliffhanger. Please tell me you're updating it next week!

Was that the Heir talking through Elsynne at the end? Because it didn't seem like the normal Elsynne.

Raven's going to live somehow, right? Because main characters can't die until the story is over. (That or he gets reincarnated.)

For some reason, I want to guess that Skylar is the other person with multiple personalities... If I think about it logically, no one comes to mind besides Raven/Elsynne.