[Heart Game - Ed, Maya, Roxy]

[carptricks]

[It's dark. You're trying to move forward, but it feels like your limbs are weighed down by chains and shackles. Still, you push. You push and you pull and those chains are pulled taut and strained until suddenly--]

[Something snaps]

[You tumble forward, wind blowing past your face, until you lose awareness of anything around you. . .]

((another run ran concurrent to this one here))

Comments

[soulping]

[The sword brushes past Ed's shoulder without a scratch. The burst connections in a spectacular explosion, kicking up snow and flora and ice everywhere, which all momentarily obscure "Lila's" form]

[. . . but when the dust settles, the figure is still standing there on the pond completely unharmed]

[fuhrinkaed]

[New plan. We peek with magic sight, to see if she's connected to anything.]

Sis.

You know... I never got to tell you, but I really didn't want to kill you.

I think... you knew. But it's true.

[soulping]

[The figure is made of the same type of magic as everything else in the heart. What sort of connections is he looking for, exactly?]

[In the meantime, "Lila" lunges again, this time aiming a stab right at his thigh]

[fuhrinkaed]

[Flight spell's coming online, and with it he pushes himself up and out of reach, fast.]

[Specifically, he's looking to see if she's being powered or sourced remotely--like from that suspicious frozen lake or something.]

[soulping]

[The figure skids to a halt, then arches her sword up to slice at Ed while he is in the air]

[There doesn't seem to be a power source, either. The figure is an independent construct in and of itself. A part of Kaito's subconscious]

[fuhrinkaed]

[Rather than jerk himself up and away, he does the opposite and shove the ice underneath "Lila" down.]

[Foe that is seemingly invincible shows itself, the classic counterattack is 'render the foe unable to act.']

[soulping]

[That plan works, and the figure's feet sink into the ice. The tip of the sword merely catches Ed's shoulder, slicing a shallow cut into his skin through his shirt. It burns white-hot just as the stab through his gut did. That sure is a lot of pain for a tiny little scrape. Along with that scrape comes a feeling]

[You can't do this alone]

[The figure lets out a shrill noise before it backflips away from Ed and into a nearby tree. It crouches against the trunk, using it as a springboard so it can launch itself through the air riiiight at him like an arrow]

[And it sure is using the sword as its arrow tip]

[fuhrinkaed]

[Cant do this alone?]

Of course I already know that. [Advanced flight tactics 101: turning the spell off and faceplanting to avoid being stabbed. Ow.]

We need everyone working together to do anything, right?! But right now, I'm alone--that's what you're thinking too, isn't it? [Standing... Up...]

You couldn't be more wrong. Because this is Kaito's heart, and we're friends. So of course he's here too... And not just him. Everyone in his heart, and everyone in mine too that would rather I didn't die.

So get the heck out of my way, because as long as anyone's relying on me not to lose, I won't ever stay down! [His hands fumble for the clock hands. They're stabby, right? Right. Then he can clean them after.]

[soulping]

[You're fine]

[You're. . . f͍̻̰͗̓͋ͩi͚̘̰̺̮n̓̾̽ͩ̄ͅe͎̜̞ͫ̃ͯͣ̈́͑]]

[You're fine you're fine you're fine yoU'RE F I N E]

[It's getting awfully hard to think straight, it's getting awfully hard to move, what with all of that blood loss. Even that impressive stamina is starting to reach its limits. Your head feels light, the entire area is beginning to swim, and you're noticing that the snow where you've been fighting is sporting some impressive red blotches courtesy of yourself]

[You fumble for the clock hands-- they're a little bloody already, actually-- but "Lila" seems to hone in on your increasingly draining energy]

["Lila" grins, the area around its face glitching, blinking in and out of focus. A second sword swooshes into its other hand]

[And it charges again, this time arcing both swords in a scissor-cutting motion riiiiiight for Ed's neck]

[TRY. NOT TO GET BEHEADED BRO]

[fuhrinkaed]

[If he had sword fighting skills, he'd know what he was doing a lot better. Without them, the best he can think of is pulling the ice around him into a thick icy collar.]

[As he does he takes blades--er, hands--in hand, aims at the middle of the three Lilas he can kinda see charging him, and stab. Even if he's going down he's gotta try something.]

[soulping]

[the figure's blades embed themselves into that ice collar; smart thinking there, bro. but its body glitches, bending in an impossible angle to avoid being stabbed by those clock hands]

[and then it kicks Ed right in the stomach, where his stab wound is, knocking him to the ground on his back]

[fuhrinkaed]

[I FELL RIGHT ON MY KEYS.]

[Or I would if I had keys.]

[His grip on the tower hands tightens, and he draws a ragged breath. Hurt. That freaking huuurts.]

[But it's not like he can stop just because it hurts or it's a bad day or whatever. GONNA TRY AND FORCE HIS WAY TO A KNEE.]

I... Made... A promise.

I'm... going... to keep it.

1/2

[soulping]

[as he struggles, the figure approaches calmly. the grin is absolutely sinister]

G̻̫̹̅ͮͤȍ̙͇͖̍̓̆o̗̼̼ͤ̽̋̓ḓ̤̦̼̗͇̪̈́̌̿̉͑̀b̲͔ͥ͂ͣͅy̺ͣ̈́e͖̦͈̥̹̻͉ͪͭͣͧ̉̆.

[it lifts a sword high in the air, the blade glinting as it catches the light. and then brings it down to slice through Ed's shoulders--]

[carptricks]

[. . .]

[it doesn't make contact]

[at least, not with any part of Ed. a loud clang echoes throughout the area, the sound of metal on metal. of sword meeting sword]

Ed!

[that's. that's Kaito's voice. that's Kaito, now dressed in a Tiamat scarf, standing in front of the figure with a cutlass of his own in hand, having blocked the enemy's finishing blow himself. the figure's grin is gone, replaced with an annoyed scowl. and although Kaito is crouched underneath the weight of the figure's sword, he pushes back valiantly with his own]

What are you doing out here?!

[fuhrinkaed]

[Oh. I'm not dead.]

[....good.]

Trying to get to your clocktower. You hide stuff, so I figured following the shiny thing that isn't on the given path would be the right way to find them.

...can you gimme a sec? I can barely stand. [Or so he says while shakily finding his way to his feet.] I'll back you up right after the world stops spinning.

[carptricks]

[what, as though Kaito would let anyone die in his own heart?]

Ed. . .

[Kaito says with a huff, before he pours his entire weight into shoving the figure back. "Lila" stumbles away, but it doesn't remain "Lila" for long. it's Nyssa now-- no wait, Poltergeist-- no. . . Snake]

[Kaito swishes his sword at his side, chin tilted up, expression a mixture of worry and determination]

You had the right idea with those clocktower hands! Don't move; I know how to handle this thing now. I'll pin it down for you.

[fuhrinkaed]

I figured--'can't do it alone,' means I had to use a weapon from the heart, right?

Alright. You pin it, I'll finish it off!

[Hes supporting himself on a hand. Shh. Pretend not to notice.]

[carptricks]

[oh he's noticed. and he's made a mental note to finish this quickly. with a breath, he lunges forward, and--]

[well. the real Kuroba Kaito may only know the most basic of swordsmanship skills, but a metaphorical representation of Kuroba Kaito can do whatever the hell he wants]

[the sound of metal crashing against metal fills the clearing as Kaito lunges and dodges and parries and slices at the figure, who does likewise in return. the two individuals kick up snow as they fight, their swords glinting and glimmering as they move. they seem to be pretty evenly matched]

[until the figure-- who now looks like a glitchy Kaito, of all people-- is suddenly slammed against a nearby tree, pinned to it by the hilt of true heart Kaito's sword]

Do it!

[fuhrinkaed]

[Takig a step forward, it's the numb leg, which buckles and he stumbles into just straight up flying at the creature. If his body won't work, he'll make up the difference with magic.]

[WE STABBIN' DIS!!]

[carptricks]

[the clock hands strike true]

[the figure emits a high-pitched shriek, which fills the air and echoes for miles. it's form begins to break apart, like pieces of data disintegrating (think Digimon, here), until it is no more. Kaito breathes out deeply and lowers his sword to his side]

. . . it'll be back. It's never gone for long.

[and then he immediately whirls towards Ed and crouches at his side]

Oi, you!

[fuhrinkaed]

Heheh... Right.

[Collapsing to a knee and holding himself up.]

I'm glad you came when you did. My next plan at that point was melting through the lake and trying to find Splashy Jr. I'm not very good in a melee, especially without information on the enemy.

[carptricks]

[slips his arms underneath Ed's, all that blood be damned. he's helping support you, bro]

The crates and the captain's quarters. They all had stuff that would've helped you out. G-geez, look at you. . . you're freezing.

[fuhrinkaed]

Rule number one: don't move anything in a heart if you don't know exactly what it does.

Besides, I like the cold. [And now that I don't have to worry about getting murdered, maybe I can focus on warming myself again. ...which melts the ice bandage. Welp.]

So anyways, I only had what I was given. That's... how I roll.

[carptricks]

Idiot. Idiot. Those items on the ship are supposed to be on the island.

[. . . the world is starting to fade around you]

Here-- there's somewhere nearby we can go. Some place warm.

[and before you can ask about it, everything seems to fade away into nothingness]

[but at least you wake up]