Dissidia: Dystopia - 0XX: Acerbus-Phase (Act 3)
Dissidia: Dystopia
0XX: Acerbus-Phase
______________________________________
Notes:
Acerbus means; bitter, gloomy, dark (I’m using the “Dark” translation,
therefore “Dissidia: Dystopia” - “0XX: Dark-Phase”
(I’m in no way a Latin buff, got this from the internets…)
Inspired by the song; “God in Fire” by Takeharu Ishimoto (and performed by the Kidneythieves) (from Dissidia 012)
______________________________________
“So! There I was, leg cramping in the middle of that hotel room! Maaan I thought ‘I must look soo dorky right now’…” Laguna laughed and looked towards Bartz and Zidane. “You guys got any embarrassing women tales?”
“Me? No, I only have female success stories!” Zidane said with a triumphant grin.
“I… don’t really remember any of that, sooo I don’t worry about it.” Bartz said with a shrug.
“Hmmm. Oh well, I guess we can’t all have tragic love lives like me.” Laguna stopped to stretch “How long have we been walking anyway? Feels like forever!”
“Not that long.” Zidane shrugged “I dunno, a couple of hours…”
“And we still haven’t see anyone… Friend or foe.” Laguna murmured.
“I wouldn’t count your eggs until they wark, Laguna… Look.” Bartz pointed, something was approaching the trio. A tall, armoured figure, a possible enemy.
Laguna gripped his machine gun “Hmm. Alright. Let’s see who it is!”
They walked towards the approaching shadow, something about the slow languid pace of the unknown warrior put Zidane on edge. This guy was way too calm. Why wasn't he charging them? Why was there a sickening feeling in the thief's stomach? They closed the gap between them and the warrior, Laguna’s eyes widened and he uttered “You…”
The Warrior smirked “Hmmm… Former allies, it seems.”
“You’re… the Warrior of Light! Hey! Where have you been?” Bartz grinned “We missed your stern school teacher scolding’s!”
The Warrior sneered, glancing at Bartz as though he were some sort of useless vermin “… Fool. You call me the ‘Warrior of Light’… Yet, I am not that Warrior any longer. I walk my own path, not the path that the Gods wished of me.”
“… Huh?” Bartz blinked, then looked to Laguna and Zidane “Think he woke up on Chaos’s side? Or, at least, the wrong side of bed?”
“Hmmm. Perhaps Garland got to him first, though… He doesn’t sound like he’s taking orders, or sides for that matter.” Laguna frowned, he felt a distinct presence emanating from the Warrior: A threatening darkness, chaotic and malevolent.
“You might play the fool most of the time, but your observations are quite sharp. I did awaken under Chaos’s command but I refuse to be used any further by these arrogant creatures. I have defeated Chaos, his powers are now mine.” The Warrior gestured to a glowing red crystal on the chest plate of his armour. “My trophy.”
“… So… you’re an enemy?” Zidane said, his eyes were uncharacteristically serious, he was glancing around, searching for the best place to stand his ground. His daggers were close to hand.
“Yes. I’m your enemy.” The Warrior grinned.
Laguna’s eyes narrowed, he ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think. Finally he cocked his machine gun and murmured “Bartz, Zidane get out of here. Go warn the others.”
“What?!” Zidane stared at him “Laguna! This guy beat Chaos, even I can feel how dangerous he is!”
“It wouldn’t be right to leave you to fight alone…” Bartz said, fist clenched “We stand a better chance together don’t we?”
“Do we? I’m not so sure. I’m not saying you guys are weak or anything but… isn’t it better to warn the others? Get the word out? We can’t take the risk that none of us make it back to warn Cosmos, right?”
“…. Damn.” Zidane frowned “When you put it like that, I don’t see much choice.”
“I can argue like the best of them… when I want to, of course.” Laguna smiled at them “Now go. I’ll hold him off, so you warn Cosmos and the rest of the guys!”
“You better come back, Laguna!” Zidane gave him a stern glare “You better come back!”
“Yeah. I will. Now get out of here, kids.” Laguna turned to the Warrior.
The Warrior drew his sword and manifested his shield “Are you prepared?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be!” Laguna reached in to his back pocket and pulled out a grenade, he clenched the pin between his teeth and pulled it out. Then he tossed it towards his opponent.
The Warrior regarded the dull green oval, recalling that this particular device would explode soon after it was thrown. Swiftly he kicked it towards Laguna. The gunner dived to the side, barely avoiding the explosion and shrapnel. He drew his machine gun and fired at the Warrior.
The Warrior rose his shield, bullets bounced off the bloody surface harmlessly, then he lunged forward with a roar. The hilt of his sword connected with the gunner’s jaw, Laguna groaned out in pain and rolled backwards. He rubbed the welt that was swelling under his chin.
“Geez. You’re pretty serious… Ow.”
“You should be more serious.” The Warrior scolded.
Laguna chuckled “Something’s just never change with you, do they? Even now I’m getting a lecture...”
A silver eyebrow quirked up “You still think I’m the Warrior of Light that you knew?”
“No… You’re colder, crueller and infinitely less fun than him… which is quite a tall order but… more than that; you’ve lost your heart and your soul. You’re a shell.”
“Ha. You won’t rile me with your jeers. Heart? Soul? Useless objects.” He brandished his putrid black sword “Now. Die.”
The gunner blocked the sword strike with the side of his gun, then he charged forward and tackled in to the Warrior’s armoured abdomen. He swept to the side and drove the butt of his gun in to the Warrior’s stomach. A loud hiss was expelled by the Warrior, through clenched teeth, followed by a kick which knocked Laguna away.
Moments later the Warrior was back on his feet and charging toward Laguna, his shield smacked the gunner in the face, followed by a vicious swing of his sword. Pain burned in Laguna’s side as the blade struck him, luckily he dodged enough that the wound was shallow. Laguna clutched his side, blood pooled in his palm.
The Warrior chuckled “Not so vocal now.” He spread a hand out in front of himself, crimson flames swirled in his palm “The dead are better off silent.”
He hurled the flames towards the fallen gunner.
There was an explosion of crimson hellfire, Laguna cried out and fell backwards, then there was silence. The Warrior observed the motionless, smouldering body for a few moments. The gunner did not stand, nor retaliate, the Warrior lost interest. He looked off towards the distance and the path that Zidane and Bartz had fled down. Perhaps he would still have time to catch up to them and crush their pathetic hopes, the hope of saving the others.
There would be no saviour, not this time. Not in this phase….
He walked away from Laguna, eyes keenly set on the next challenge; the crystalline, white spire grew ever closer as he progressed on his path. Soon he would meet with Cosmos, the very thought brought a familiar cruel grin to his lips.
“Goddess of Harmony… prepare yourself.” He murmured, his pace quickening in pursuit of the thief and his friend.
---
End of Chapter 3
0XX: Acerbus-Phase
______________________________________
Notes:
Acerbus means; bitter, gloomy, dark (I’m using the “Dark” translation,
therefore “Dissidia: Dystopia” - “0XX: Dark-Phase”
(I’m in no way a Latin buff, got this from the internets…)
Inspired by the song; “God in Fire” by Takeharu Ishimoto (and performed by the Kidneythieves) (from Dissidia 012)
______________________________________
“So! There I was, leg cramping in the middle of that hotel room! Maaan I thought ‘I must look soo dorky right now’…” Laguna laughed and looked towards Bartz and Zidane. “You guys got any embarrassing women tales?”
“Me? No, I only have female success stories!” Zidane said with a triumphant grin.
“I… don’t really remember any of that, sooo I don’t worry about it.” Bartz said with a shrug.
“Hmmm. Oh well, I guess we can’t all have tragic love lives like me.” Laguna stopped to stretch “How long have we been walking anyway? Feels like forever!”
“Not that long.” Zidane shrugged “I dunno, a couple of hours…”
“And we still haven’t see anyone… Friend or foe.” Laguna murmured.
“I wouldn’t count your eggs until they wark, Laguna… Look.” Bartz pointed, something was approaching the trio. A tall, armoured figure, a possible enemy.
Laguna gripped his machine gun “Hmm. Alright. Let’s see who it is!”
They walked towards the approaching shadow, something about the slow languid pace of the unknown warrior put Zidane on edge. This guy was way too calm. Why wasn't he charging them? Why was there a sickening feeling in the thief's stomach? They closed the gap between them and the warrior, Laguna’s eyes widened and he uttered “You…”
The Warrior smirked “Hmmm… Former allies, it seems.”
“You’re… the Warrior of Light! Hey! Where have you been?” Bartz grinned “We missed your stern school teacher scolding’s!”
The Warrior sneered, glancing at Bartz as though he were some sort of useless vermin “… Fool. You call me the ‘Warrior of Light’… Yet, I am not that Warrior any longer. I walk my own path, not the path that the Gods wished of me.”
“… Huh?” Bartz blinked, then looked to Laguna and Zidane “Think he woke up on Chaos’s side? Or, at least, the wrong side of bed?”
“Hmmm. Perhaps Garland got to him first, though… He doesn’t sound like he’s taking orders, or sides for that matter.” Laguna frowned, he felt a distinct presence emanating from the Warrior: A threatening darkness, chaotic and malevolent.
“You might play the fool most of the time, but your observations are quite sharp. I did awaken under Chaos’s command but I refuse to be used any further by these arrogant creatures. I have defeated Chaos, his powers are now mine.” The Warrior gestured to a glowing red crystal on the chest plate of his armour. “My trophy.”
“… So… you’re an enemy?” Zidane said, his eyes were uncharacteristically serious, he was glancing around, searching for the best place to stand his ground. His daggers were close to hand.
“Yes. I’m your enemy.” The Warrior grinned.
Laguna’s eyes narrowed, he ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think. Finally he cocked his machine gun and murmured “Bartz, Zidane get out of here. Go warn the others.”
“What?!” Zidane stared at him “Laguna! This guy beat Chaos, even I can feel how dangerous he is!”
“It wouldn’t be right to leave you to fight alone…” Bartz said, fist clenched “We stand a better chance together don’t we?”
“Do we? I’m not so sure. I’m not saying you guys are weak or anything but… isn’t it better to warn the others? Get the word out? We can’t take the risk that none of us make it back to warn Cosmos, right?”
“…. Damn.” Zidane frowned “When you put it like that, I don’t see much choice.”
“I can argue like the best of them… when I want to, of course.” Laguna smiled at them “Now go. I’ll hold him off, so you warn Cosmos and the rest of the guys!”
“You better come back, Laguna!” Zidane gave him a stern glare “You better come back!”
“Yeah. I will. Now get out of here, kids.” Laguna turned to the Warrior.
The Warrior drew his sword and manifested his shield “Are you prepared?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be!” Laguna reached in to his back pocket and pulled out a grenade, he clenched the pin between his teeth and pulled it out. Then he tossed it towards his opponent.
The Warrior regarded the dull green oval, recalling that this particular device would explode soon after it was thrown. Swiftly he kicked it towards Laguna. The gunner dived to the side, barely avoiding the explosion and shrapnel. He drew his machine gun and fired at the Warrior.
The Warrior rose his shield, bullets bounced off the bloody surface harmlessly, then he lunged forward with a roar. The hilt of his sword connected with the gunner’s jaw, Laguna groaned out in pain and rolled backwards. He rubbed the welt that was swelling under his chin.
“Geez. You’re pretty serious… Ow.”
“You should be more serious.” The Warrior scolded.
Laguna chuckled “Something’s just never change with you, do they? Even now I’m getting a lecture...”
A silver eyebrow quirked up “You still think I’m the Warrior of Light that you knew?”
“No… You’re colder, crueller and infinitely less fun than him… which is quite a tall order but… more than that; you’ve lost your heart and your soul. You’re a shell.”
“Ha. You won’t rile me with your jeers. Heart? Soul? Useless objects.” He brandished his putrid black sword “Now. Die.”
The gunner blocked the sword strike with the side of his gun, then he charged forward and tackled in to the Warrior’s armoured abdomen. He swept to the side and drove the butt of his gun in to the Warrior’s stomach. A loud hiss was expelled by the Warrior, through clenched teeth, followed by a kick which knocked Laguna away.
Moments later the Warrior was back on his feet and charging toward Laguna, his shield smacked the gunner in the face, followed by a vicious swing of his sword. Pain burned in Laguna’s side as the blade struck him, luckily he dodged enough that the wound was shallow. Laguna clutched his side, blood pooled in his palm.
The Warrior chuckled “Not so vocal now.” He spread a hand out in front of himself, crimson flames swirled in his palm “The dead are better off silent.”
He hurled the flames towards the fallen gunner.
There was an explosion of crimson hellfire, Laguna cried out and fell backwards, then there was silence. The Warrior observed the motionless, smouldering body for a few moments. The gunner did not stand, nor retaliate, the Warrior lost interest. He looked off towards the distance and the path that Zidane and Bartz had fled down. Perhaps he would still have time to catch up to them and crush their pathetic hopes, the hope of saving the others.
There would be no saviour, not this time. Not in this phase….
He walked away from Laguna, eyes keenly set on the next challenge; the crystalline, white spire grew ever closer as he progressed on his path. Soon he would meet with Cosmos, the very thought brought a familiar cruel grin to his lips.
“Goddess of Harmony… prepare yourself.” He murmured, his pace quickening in pursuit of the thief and his friend.
---
End of Chapter 3