Green grass sprouted from the ground, dancing in the warm wind. The sky was a clear blue, dotted with only a few white clouds. The trees bloomed with new leaves and pink flowers, and they shaded Lloyd's path as he weaved through the forest. He glanced around as he walked, scarcely feeling his earlier pain. Where am I? he wondered. I thought I was in Baddie Bend...
Only when his stomach started to nag did a burst of realization hit him. He recognized that forest. It's the place I used to go to in my visions, he recalled. Am I having another one?
He hadn't had a vision in years. Why now? Why another one after so long?
The thought made him irritated. One thing I know about these visions is that I'm never alone, he mused, just when he finally thought he would never have to deal with the ninja again. If this is like the others, Kai should be just around the corner...
Following the tug at his stomach, he slipped around a tree and found the familiar clearing. Let's just get this over with, he thought. Entering the clearing, he glanced around and found someone sitting on a rock, back facing him. "Kai" was just on the verge of passing Lloyd's lips when he took a step closer and stiffened.
It wasn't Kai.
It was Cole.
You have got to be kidding me, Lloyd thought, eyes rounding. Cole didn't turn around, and the Baddie wondered if the black ninja knew he was there, when he spoke.
"Well." Cole's voice was low and emotionless. "Isn't this awkward?"
Furrowing his eyebrows, Lloyd reached over and drew out That Sword, realizing this was finally his chance. I've tried to kill you once when I stole your scythe. I've tried to kill you again in the hospital room. I've tried to kill you a third time in battle, then a fourth in the monastery, then a fifth in the mountains. But this time, I'm not going to fail.
"Go ahead," Cole murmured, hearing the sword unsheathe. "Kill me. I don't care."
Lloyd halted beside the rock, raising an eyebrow. Wondering if the black ninja was just bluffing, he raised the sword and touched it to his opponent's neck.
Cole didn't even flinch.
Puzzled, Lloyd drew his weapon away again, pondering this. What fun is killing him if he doesn't care?
"Don't you realize," Cole went on, his voice steady but empty, "that when you killed Raymond, when you made Vanessa leave me, you caused me more pain than death ever could." He wrapped his arms around his chest. "You made me suffer more than I ever had before. A suffering I want to end. You should've killed me in the mountains. I would've thanked you. Thanked you to have relieved me of my pain."
Lloyd felt awfully bewildered. What could be worse than dying? he wondered. Taking away things he loved makes him no longer scared to die? He hadn't intended that to happen. He hadn't realized that could happen. Slipping his sword away again, he rounded the rock until he was in front of the black ninja. Cole kept his gaze on the ground, seeming awfully crushed.
"So... why are we here?" Lloyd demanded, tired of being confused.
Cole shrugged softly. "I know why," he said unenthusiastically.
Lloyd stared down at him. "And are you going to tell me?" he barked, frustrated when Cole didn't seem scared. You're supposed to fear me! he wanted to shout. How depressed are you?
"That depends." Cole finally looked up at him, eyes dull and lifeless. He tipped his head. "Do you want to die?" he asked as if it was an innocent question.
Lloyd was taken aback. He wanted to snap what kind of a question was that, but then he found himself thinking deeply about the words. "Well... let's see," he began, rubbing his chin. "Ariana doesn't like me anymore. Nobody really likes me anymore. I've made more mistakes than I can count, and I'm a terrible person." He furrowed his eyebrows. "But I don't want to die."
Cole seemed deeply intrigued by Lloyd's words. "Why not?" he wondered, sounding genuinely curious.
Lloyd shuffled his feet uncomfortably, avoiding the black ninja's intense gaze. "Because then I won't have a chance to make it right," he answered honestly.
"Hm." Cole turned his eyes back to the grass. "Then you should probably wake up."
Lloyd blinked. "What do you mean?"
Without shifting his gaze, Cole pointed his finger to the sky. "Someone's about to kill you in your sleep," he replied nonchalantly.
Lloyd felt a jolt of alarm. "Wha—What?" He followed the ninja's gesture to see the faint outline of a sword highlighted in the sky. His eyes widened. "Wait—for real?"
Cole rested his chin on his head, letting out a sigh. "Visions never lie," he mumbled.
Panic rose inside of Lloyd. "I-I can't die!" he gasped, desperately trying to wake himself up. Blinking rapidly, pinching himself. "I've still got a life to live!" Breath quickening, he hurried closer to the black ninja and gave him a shove to the shoulder, struggling to snap him out of his haze. "Do something, won't you? Pinch me or something!"
Cole shook his head, unmoved. "A pinch won't wake you up," he told him. "You're in a deep sleep."
Gasping, Lloyd stumbled backward again, his gaze rapidly switching from Cole to the sky. "Th-then what will?" he fretted.
"Hmm..." Cole glanced up at him again. "I could punch you," he suggested out of nowhere. "That'll wake you up. But why should I?"
"Because they're gonna kill me!" Lloyd shouted, his panic turning to anger.
For the first time, Cole seemed aware of what he was saying. "And you really think I'd care?" he grumbled.
Lloyd opened his mouth, then clamped it shut again. He's right, he thought dreadfully. Why would he help me after all I've done to him? He suppressed a groan. Here we go with the karma again.
"Come on, Cole, just do it," he pleaded. "You know you want to."
Cole nodded, the lifelessness returning to his face. "Yeah..." he breathed.
Lloyd wanted to scream at how impossible the black ninja was being. He didn't know how much time he had before he would wake up dead. Why did I have to do this to him now? "Just this once," he continued desperately. "I'll never bother you again, I promise, just punch me already!"
Cole let out a strange, cackle-sounding chuckle. "Never bother me again, yeah, right," he snickered. But he slipped off the rock anyway and stood to face the Baddie. "Your promises are as keepable as a girlfriend. And I'm saying that from experience. But... I'll wake you up."
Shock shot through Lloyd. "You will?" he gasped. But Cole's sudden change in mind made him suspicious. "Why?"
A blaze formed in Cole's eyes, and he seemed to regain his bearings again. "Because if you get stabbed to death," he growled, "I want to be the one holding the knife."
Lloyd's eyes widened in alarm, but before he could say anything, Cole's fist hit his face. He barely had time to feel the pain before his eyes flew open to the darkness of his room. He didn't give himself time to wonder if what Cole said was true as he jerked himself off the side of the bed, and the blade meaning to slit his throat sliced across the side of his face instead. He let out a gasp of pain, covering his eye with his hand to feel fresh blood all down his face, half-blinding him. Struggling to see through his other sleep-filled eye, he stumbled backward until he found the wall and he heaved himself back to his feet. But his chest suddenly tightened and he gagged, remembering he was no longer in a vision and the pain from the Overlord was back.
Wheezing for breath, he glanced around wildly for any sign of his attacker, but he seemed to be alone. But there was just someone—
His thoughts broke off with another gasp as he felt a shove from behind. A groan escaped him as he tumbled to the ground, shaking with pain. Struggling to stay strong, he flipped around and squinted through the darkness, just able to make out the dark figure across the room.
"Rise and shine, Muscles," a voice chuckled from the same direction. "'Cause you ain't gonna be alive much longer."
Breathing heavily, Lloyd stared up at him, recognizing the scarred face of Hugh. "H-Hugh," he rasped out, skittering farther away. "J-just settle down, a-and we'll talk about this."
Hugh stalked closer to him, a long blade in his hands. "What happened to that tough guy behind the plank of wood?" he sneered. "You know what he would've said? He would've said talking is for wimps!"
Shakily, Lloyd rose to his feet again, trying his best to appear strong. He reached over and pulled out That Sword, unable to stop his hands from trembling. "Come on, man-to-man," he breathed uneasily.
"I would, but I'm no man." Hugh grinned menacingly. "I'm a thieving, little rat."
And the next thing Lloyd knew, Hugh was on top of him.
The Baddie gasped for breath as his opponent jerked him around and his mind clouded with pain. With what little strength he could obtain, he pushed against Hugh and, grunting, managed to heave him away. But his vision was dizzy and before he could regain his senses Hugh was tackling him again. His face hit the ground and he let out a shriek of pain as Hugh twisted his arm.
"It's mine, Muscles," he panted. "The sword and Ariana."
Lloyd gritted his teeth, desperately trying to fight the pain. "Why do you want That Sword so badly?" he hissed out, gasping as the pain in his arm intensified.
Hugh grunted, pulling the sword from the Baddie's hands. "Stupid," he spat. "It's not the sword I'm after. It's the gem inside it. That holds all the power."
Lloyd couldn't turn his head, but he drew a quick picture of That Sword in his head, remembering the large purple gem encrusted into the handle. I thought it was just some sort of design, he thought, wincing. With a grunt, he gave himself a violent jerk and lashed his other hand at Hugh, but before his blow could land, his opponent caught his fist in his hand and flung him back to the ground.
The breath was driven out of Lloyd as he tumbled onto his side, aware that he had broken parts of the floor in his awkward roll. Come on! he told himself, struggling to get up again. You can't let him get away like this!
Finally, he was on his feet again. Hugh flipped over the bed and darted at him, lashing out his arms and legs in a flurry of blows too quick and too sudden for Lloyd to block. The Baddie staggered backward, gagging for breath as he dodged as best he could. But he could barely see, barely stand, and he was only weakening.
A fist hit his jaw and the world seemed to jump. Pain throbbed through Lloyd's body and he made a feeble attempt to swipe back, but his hands met nothing but air. Then he felt a slash at his side and he crumpled over, tumbling onto his bed. Eyes dizzying, he rolled around to see Hugh hovering above him. He tensed, ready to burst up with new strength, but he never got his chance. Hugh gripped his suit and yanked him upward again, nearly choking him. Eyes glinting maliciously, he thrust the Baddie across the room, sending him crashing into a now-broken piece of furniture. Lloyd groaned, head throbbing, rasping to catch his breath as he tried to pick himself out of the wreckage. But any move he made sent another shot of pain through him and he eventually felt himself sink back to the floor, barely able to make out what was happening. His senses clouded, he thought he felt more strikes from Hugh, but everything was a blur. All he knew was that he was in pain, and he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.
Breathing heavily, he felt a final shove to his back and he tumbled back to the ground, landing awkwardly on his side. His vision started to glaze as he stared blankly at the wall in front of him, knowing that, behind him, Hugh was ready to deliver the killing blow. No... I can't die... Lloyd thought, desperately struggling to stay awake. I can't... What about Ariana? What about our future together? I can't leave Ariana... I-I can't...
But as Hugh pressed his foot against the Baddie's neck, Lloyd knew it was all over. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't keep going.
"Sorry, Muscles," Hugh snickered. "I didn't want it to end this way. But you left me no choice." Lloyd choked out a gasp as the pressure on his neck increased. "So I guess this is goodbye."
Lloyd waited for it to end, waited for Hugh to stomp his foot and completely cut off his lungs, but he felt nothing at first. But then a flash of light stretched across the floor and he wondered if it had already happened. Am I imagining it? he wondered. Am I dead?
But he felt Hugh freeze, and the creak of a door wafted toward his ears. Wheezing, Lloyd rolled his gaze around to see a shadow of a person in the doorway.
"Hugh?"
Another gasp managed to escape through Lloyd's throat and his heart began to thump with a new will to live. He was practically dead, but he would recognize that voice anywhere. It was the voice that brightened his every day. The voice that gave him joy in the bleakest of circumstances. The voice that made him laugh and the voice that made him yell. The last voice he would've wanted to hear before he died.
The voice of his wife.
Hugh's foot lifted off Lloyd's neck and he took a step back. His eyes rounded as he gazed at Ariana in the doorway, who stared back at him with shock. "Dustbunny..." he whispered.
Breathing shakily, Ariana turned her gaze down to the limp figure of Lloyd and horror shot through her. "Lloyd!" she gasped, rushing over to him. Crouching beside him, she turned him over and heaved his head and shoulders onto her lap, eyes widening as she saw the blood covering half his face. "Oh, Lloyd," she choked out, running her fingers down his cheek in attempt to wake him again. "Lloyd..."
Lloyd let out a groan, and his eyes opened slightly to reveal blazing pain inside. He opened his mouth as he gazed up at her, struggling to speak, but all he managed was another groan before his body went limp again.
Throat tightening, Ariana looked back up at Hugh, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. "You really were just waiting until he was weakened, weren't you?" she breathed, voice trembling.
Hugh returned her gaze, heart cracking after hearing how crushed her voice sounded. "L-look, I didn't mean... I-I didn't want..."
Ariana shook her head, swallowing hard. "Lloyd was right all along," she whispered. "You don't care about me. You just wanted more power. That's always what it was with you. Power. Power and nothing else." She glanced back down at the half-conscious Lloyd. "I don't know how I didn't realize it before."
Shame flooded over Hugh. "No, I do care about you!" he protested. "We've been through so much together, Dustbunny. How could you think that?"
Ariana felt as if a sword had stabbed her heart. "If that were true," she murmured, "you wouldn't have done this to the man I love. And for what? Riches? Fame?" She was no longer able to look at her former best friend. "Tell me what it was for, Hugh."
Hugh looked down at That Sword in his hands, hesitating to reply.
"It's not for me," Ariana continued with more fire. "It's not for Ronin. It's not for anyone but yourself. Because you are the only person you see!" Her voice rose to a shriek. "I knew it all along, Hugh, but I didn't want to believe it! I couldn't! Not when you were so important to me! Not when you took care of me as a child, and taught me everything I knew. Not when I looked up to you." Her gaze turned back to Lloyd and she felt the beginning of tears in her eyes. "But I guess I needed someone who never knew you before to find out who you are now."
Dropping That Sword, Hugh took a step toward her, mind spinning with panic. "Dusty, please, just rewind and we'll go through this again." He forced a smile. "Come on, it's me. Your old pal. Y-you know me. I would never..."
"Just go," Ariana spat out, turning away from him.
Hugh stared at her, desperation in his eyes. But she refused to look at him, and, with a defeated sigh, he shuffled out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
Ariana gazed after him for a moment before feeling Lloyd shift in her arms. Turning back to the Baddie, she found his eyes glittering as he stared up at her, breathing heavily. A weak smile crossed his face. "Wow," he breathed feebly, "y-you really showed him."
Choking back a sob, Ariana reached down and embraced him, dread rushing through her as she realized Lloyd was unable to return the favor.