animus_network

[... When Xion sees who it is her heart practically stops. Between that and what the message is...]

Where are you?

[No maybe that's too specific. Especially with Vanitas around. Ugh think Xion think don't let how relieved you are make you do stupid things.]

Wh-which floor, I mean. I can find you from there.

[Hmm. Something in her voice puts him on edge.]

Dorm.

[She should know which floor he means, if she was being vague for a reason.]

[Dorm floor 2. Got it.]

I'll be right there.

[And pretty much as soon as she logs off she'll be opening a darkness corridor straight up there, and it's less than a minute's wanderings after that until she sees him.

Abandoning all pretenses, she hurries over and as soon as she's close enough, wraps her arms around him in a cling.

She'd been scared, so scared that she would look out one day at his door and see his name was gone. Vanished. And it wasn't like she'd be able to see him again if their worlds were ever restored, like Axel.

But he's here now. He's okay. It'll be okay, fog and Vanitas be damned.]

[Reno had been focusing on the monitor for a bit, so her clinging came as a bit of a surprise to him.]

Gack!

[It feels weird, having someone touching him after so many weeks of being alone in a dead world. It felt like this was just another dream and he was still back there.]

Xion? [He's holding her too, not realizing how much he had needed physical contact until just then.]

You ok?

[No words yet, she's too busy trying to hold everything together. She nods against his shoulder though. The real answer is a lot more complicated than that, but it can wait. For now, she's a lot better.]

[Okay, so something major happened while he was away. Good to know.]

Xion, can't breathe.

[Shion had started running the moment he saw Reno reply to Xion, he couldn't travel like Xion so he had taken the stairs. It was a compliment to Reno's training that Shion had only had to stop a few times, he was getting fitter.

He took a moment to get his breath back before rounding the corner and seeing Reno and Xion. He paused, wanting to run forward and fling his arms round Reno but feeling awkward. After all despite Reno's teaching Shion had managed to die twice whilst he was away, he hadn't even been able to stop Xion from being hurt. The fact she hadn't died had been thanks to the other boy who had come to her rescue.

So he stood with shining eyes watching.]

[He knows her far too well. At his words though, she hastily losens her grip, stepping back and looking away guiltily.]

S-sorry...

[She wipes at her eyes before turning to look behind her and seeing another familiar face. She smiles a little, and waves at him.]

Shion! He's back!

[Sure, he could see that for himself, but it felt so good to say it. It made it more real.]

[Oh no. There were too many tears. They were going to drag him with them if he didn't stop it.]

Hey. No crying over me. You got it?

[Still, he was so glad to see them. They looked relatively unharmed, but that was deceptive here in the Tower.]

You two take care of things for me?

Reno... [At the name Shion began to cry as well ignoring Reno's order not to, he closed the gap between them and flung his arms around him, his awkwardness disappearing in his shear relief that Reno was back truly.

He didn't answer though, just made a small motion of the head that could have been yes or no]

[Xion waited for a little while as Shion hugged Reno, understanding all too well the need to. The need for the tangibility, to feel that he really was really back.

She looked away at Reno's question.]

I don't know if... [She shakes her head] There's been a lot of things going on.

[She takes a deep breath though and looks up]

But... The biggest thing right now is probably... Vanitas is back. And... I don't know how but he's a lot worse this time.

[Sigh. He gave up and let the kids do whatever, like a tired old dog letting puppies run all over.

But Vanitas had him alert again.]

What happened? What'd he do?

[Shion began to tremble the moment Xion mentioned Vanitas. He felt like he couldn't breathe, somehow telling Reno about it was almost scarier than it happening. At least then he hadn't had time to think.

There was also the fact he didn't think Xion knew he had died, they hadn't spoken about it and if she had been too injured to realise then Shion didn't want her to know, she already was too hard on herself.] He attacked Xion... me and another boy tried to fight him... Xion was really hurt...

[Xion bit her lip a little. She didn't remember a lot of the specifics of the fight itself, especially after she'd been inflicted with Blind, but she'd been informed of Shion's participation after the fact. And while things were still pretty hazy, she didn't remember seeing Shion afterwards. Just Yu and Fey.

She didn't like what that might mean. She had a hunch. She really didn't want to be right.

Still, that was a matter for another time.]

He was too fast. I didn't even have time to make a corridor out. If Yu and Fey and [...] and Shion hadn't gotten there in time...

[She still wasn't sure if he remembered or not, but it had looked like he was trying to make good on his threat either way.]

[Facepalming. So hard.]

I'm sorry, kiddo...

[Looking at her again, and at Shion, it was obvious. She had gotten hurt. They had gotten hurt...

After all their training together, it still wasn't enough for that Vanitas character.

It was his fault. He failed as their teacher.

Hiding his reaction, he shook his head at them.]

I'm sorry...

[Shion just hugged Reno harder and shook his head again.] No... [His voice wasn't right, it was strained like he wanted to cry. He did want to cry.] I... should have learned faster... I tried to protect her but he was too fast... too powerful...

Stop it.

[Something in her hardens a little, hearing Reno apologize - something that seems so... uncharacteristic of him, and Shion, blaming himself.]

It's not your fault. Either of you.

[Then whose is it? The words "It's mine" are halfway there before dying on her lips because she isn't sure. Hers. Vanitas'. Hers. Vanitas'. Everyone's. No one's. It's all one mixed up jumble in her head and this isn't what this was supposed to be about anyway.]

I don't know whose but it's not yours.

[She can't get upset. Not now. She closes her eyes tightly, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around them both - at least as much as she's able to. She ducks her head, not really looking at either's face]

I-It doesn't matter now, okay?

[She'd just wanted to warn Reno, not make everyone mad or sad or whatever they were at themselves.]

[Her vehemence - at least it seemed vehement for her - startled Reno enough that he didn't respond to either of them, just let them hug him.

How did he get to this place, with these two so reliant on him, attached to him?

The Reno that had first come to the Tower wouldn't have ever imagined this.]

[Shion paused in his hugging of Reno to wrap his arms round Xion and hug her tightly. He nodded] Yes. It's over now... we just have to make sure it doesn't happen again...

[He wanted to change the subject because she was upset and he didn't want her ever to find out about him dying. He would talk to Reno about it in private, mainly because he wanted to tell him about the change. The strange half remembered thing that had happened before he had entered sleep paralysis.]

[Xion nodded against them both for a moment, before lifting her head up. She'd said her piece, and so far as she was concerned all that needed to be said on the subject had been said It was time for a topic change. It might not be the smoothest but... it was just time.]

There's a lot of other things that've happened too but... maybe we should go somewhere else first.

[Since they're. Kind of standing in the middle of the hallway still. Probably not the best place for catching up.]

Heh... yeah... I guess.

[Slowly, with them still attached, he tried waddling to his dorm door.]

[Shion let go a little to let him walk, but only a little because if he let go he might disappear again. He paused to shut the door behind them.]

The tower got attacked, actually attacked from an outside force. Some of your things might be missing... All the floors have only just been restored...

[When Reno starts to move, Xion's eyes widen for a moment in surprise, then she starts to giggle a little, before finally letting go for the most part. Once they're in Reno's room and the door is shut, she goes to sit down on one of the chairs. She is supposed to be resting and all.

Her face gets more somber as Shion mentions the whale attack.]

Yeah. It was really crazy. You couldn't control your powers half the time, and there were monsters everywhere.

[She glances down at her hand, the one she usually held her Keyblade in, making it into a fist. As much as Reno kept telling her to not rely on it, she still didn't like it when she couldn't summon it.]

Sounds... [Okay, he has no idea how that sounds.] crazy. You guys get through it all right?

[As in, did either of them die? Reno gave them both a harsh look.]

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