Sechs didn't move nor open his eyes, bracing for words of disgust and ridicule to come his way from the others. Yet the silence which met his ears instead felt far worse. Zero and Aigis were probably just standing there, staring and realizing just how much of a failure Sechs really was. For all Sechs knew, they were probably already on their way without him, but he still didn't dare to look...
As though answering his fear, the sound of footsteps echoing off into the distance broke the silence. The realization that he may have just been left behind was more painful than he thought it would be, forcing his eyes open to catch a glimpse of an empty ballroom and two shadows disappearing into one of the corridors. Such a sight caused the Replica to shut his eyes and grind his jaw, overwhelmed by a bomb of emotions he could not deal with all at once without exploding himself.
"Shit! They didn't... Did they really...?" Sechs thought to himself, too shocked to be angry just yet. "...Maybe it's better that way then..."
It was then that Sechs just about gave in to his loathsome ailment -- but a new sound halted his downward spiral. Someone had sat down close beside him, a warm presence which Sechs immediately recognized...
Opening his eyes once more, Sechs found that he wasn't alone in the ballroom as he thought. Zero remained standing guard while Aigis had perched close beside Sechs. They were waiting for him, just as he had asked.
Seeing Aigis so unexpectedly close to him again, Sechs felt that unexplainable warming sensation in his face again, but this time he wasn't so bothered by it; for he could feel it melting away some of the icy pain in his spine. Sechs gave Aigis a pained but grateful smile. The drug had just been trying to trick him again, and so far it wasn't so pleased by Sechs' realization. "They're only sticking around because they pity you!" it bitterly snapped in Sechs' ear.
Ignoring the voice, Sechs put his flashlight into one of his pockets and gingerly rose back up to his feet. Sechs still felt the residual effects of the drug's attack, but with the worst of it over he was ready to continue. "Thanks for waiting," he said with a small sigh of relief. The Replica's trust in Zero and Aigis had definitely grown and it showed in his eyes. "I'm ready to get going now."
Before he took a step however, Sechs suddenly remembered something important that he brought with him. "Ah -- Wait a second..." Digging into one of his pockets, Sechs retrieved a ring he found weeks ago. "Got this ring that can teleport us here if we need to later," he explained. "Lemme get it working..."
"Shoot, how did these rings work again?" Sechs recalled seeing Utena using a ring just like his own before. The ring had to be activated in a place someone wanted to go back to, right? He could only recall smashing the ring and giving it blood. Utena smashed hers during that one night to get to the ballroom, so that meant...
Taking out his machete, Sechs carefully drew the blade against one of his fingers just as he recalled seeing Utena do so before. He hissed quietly from the pain, but it was nothing compared to all the other injuries he sustained so far. At first the blood emerging from his skin appeared dark and tar-like, but after closing his eyes against the drug's illusions for a second, Sechs was able to direct the red blood onto the ring, causing it to react affirmatively to his small sacrifice.
With that done, Sechs dropped the bloody ring back into his pocket. "There, ready now. Let's go."
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As though answering his fear, the sound of footsteps echoing off into the distance broke the silence. The realization that he may have just been left behind was more painful than he thought it would be, forcing his eyes open to catch a glimpse of an empty ballroom and two shadows disappearing into one of the corridors. Such a sight caused the Replica to shut his eyes and grind his jaw, overwhelmed by a bomb of emotions he could not deal with all at once without exploding himself.
"Shit! They didn't... Did they really...?" Sechs thought to himself, too shocked to be angry just yet. "...Maybe it's better that way then..."
It was then that Sechs just about gave in to his loathsome ailment -- but a new sound halted his downward spiral. Someone had sat down close beside him, a warm presence which Sechs immediately recognized...
Opening his eyes once more, Sechs found that he wasn't alone in the ballroom as he thought. Zero remained standing guard while Aigis had perched close beside Sechs. They were waiting for him, just as he had asked.
Seeing Aigis so unexpectedly close to him again, Sechs felt that unexplainable warming sensation in his face again, but this time he wasn't so bothered by it; for he could feel it melting away some of the icy pain in his spine. Sechs gave Aigis a pained but grateful smile. The drug had just been trying to trick him again, and so far it wasn't so pleased by Sechs' realization. "They're only sticking around because they pity you!" it bitterly snapped in Sechs' ear.
Ignoring the voice, Sechs put his flashlight into one of his pockets and gingerly rose back up to his feet. Sechs still felt the residual effects of the drug's attack, but with the worst of it over he was ready to continue. "Thanks for waiting," he said with a small sigh of relief. The Replica's trust in Zero and Aigis had definitely grown and it showed in his eyes. "I'm ready to get going now."
Before he took a step however, Sechs suddenly remembered something important that he brought with him. "Ah -- Wait a second..." Digging into one of his pockets, Sechs retrieved a ring he found weeks ago. "Got this ring that can teleport us here if we need to later," he explained. "Lemme get it working..."
"Shoot, how did these rings work again?" Sechs recalled seeing Utena using a ring just like his own before. The ring had to be activated in a place someone wanted to go back to, right? He could only recall smashing the ring and giving it blood. Utena smashed hers during that one night to get to the ballroom, so that meant...
Taking out his machete, Sechs carefully drew the blade against one of his fingers just as he recalled seeing Utena do so before. He hissed quietly from the pain, but it was nothing compared to all the other injuries he sustained so far. At first the blood emerging from his skin appeared dark and tar-like, but after closing his eyes against the drug's illusions for a second, Sechs was able to direct the red blood onto the ring, causing it to react affirmatively to his small sacrifice.
With that done, Sechs dropped the bloody ring back into his pocket. "There, ready now. Let's go."