Through the Rubble [Levis]

Levis walked through the ground as torn up as it was. She stopped to look at the entire place, still finding it hard to believe that the place was a horrible as it was. Her face was, though, emotionless as she heard the sound of someone jumping and the familiar ring of a sword being unsheathed. Smiling and turning, she pursued the sound, half-expecting to find someone who she could fight with and take out something worthy of a challenge. Instead, though, she came across a many in a blue suit with a sword on his shoulder. She stood where she was for a moment to see if anything would attack him, but instead it was her who was attacked. Her hand, which hadn't left the handle of her sword, gripped it tightly and pulled the blade out, slashing at the two heartless that had come in front of her. Immediately afterward, another shadow fell from above - her taking care of it involved thrusting the sword upward, zapping and obliterating the shadow from above. Leaning back up against the wall, she returned to watching the man to see how he might react to her being here, wondering who he was and why he was here.

Levis ignored his question and instead decided to protect him, jumping off of one heartless' head as she leapt just over the man, slashing twice and killing the heartless that were behind him. As she landed, a smile was brought upon her face when the shadow that were surrounding her all simultaneously jumped for her. Spinning once she cut them all up, though it just led to more shadows being spawned. They were the weakest and most annoying of the heartless, but at least they died easily. She jumped back into the air and landed on a small pillar, out of the range of an attack that was headed in her direction. Jumping straightforwardly back there she thrust, stabbing the shadow that attack her and killing it instantly. Landing next to the mystery man again, she turned her back to him and pressed up against his, handling her sword in her usual stance with her left arm rigid and right arm loose and striking like a snake.

"Lightning," she said, telling the man her name.

The man seemed to be pretty intelligent. In fact, he had just done what she was about to do. She watched and noticed the one minuscule error in footing that could have caused serious failures, though he was lucky and continued. She spun again, attacking all the enemies around her and smiling. Jumping, she back flipped and landed right next to him. Looking at him, she pulled his sword out and pushed him to a place the wall would not hit as she fell backwards off of it. Hitting the first pillar, she kicked with all her might and split the wall in two pieces, both falling down. The heartless looked up at it and did not respond as it became a very large cloud of black, her landing and sheathing her sword. Looking where the wall fell, she noticed one shadow still living, covering its head as though it didn't want to die. She walked over to it and smiled at it, giving it a sense of self-worth before stomping on it one, killing it instantly. Turning back to Snow, she put a hand out to help him up, knowing that he hadn't landed on his feet when she pushed him. Her frozen eyes gave a cold menacing look in combination with an open happy look. It was kind of scary.

What brings her... to the city of rubble? This was the Twilight Blast Zone as far as her records were concerned, and she treated it as such. It did look like it was hit by a lot of heavier explosives, if not just about all of them. Levis turned to the man and stared at him for a moment. "Nothing important," she lied, "just looking for the next fight is all." She began to walk off, not caring if he followed her or not. But sooner or later, another battle would come around and she would have to fight. She could probably take it on her own, but it was always more fun if there were more people fighting. She wasn't the type to ask outright directly, but she did shrug her shoulders at him letting him know he could come along without him even asking.

Levis realized that the man had indeed decided to come with her, but also came upon the revelation of the fact that the male had been watching her armor. She almost wanted to turn around and tell him why he might recognize it if he did, because he seemed to be thinking of it. Instead she walked on, keeping a stern face and watching in front of her, waiting to see the next battle pop into place. Occasionally a shadow would jump out at her, but it didn't take long to unsheathe, swing and sheathe again. The former soldier continued to walk on, not talking to her new found companion in fear of him realizing she was a part of the Guardian Corps. She knew exactly who he was - he was a part of Leon's gang, which meant he might know her, thanks to Cid. He was the only member of the gang that ever met a Guardian Corps soldier, but he was also the one who taught the rest of them to be weary of the armor. Levis sighed and jumped up to the nearest building, getting a better view of the town, still looking for another battle.

She stopped when she noticed him coming up to her. Shaking her head, she jumped down and landed with one knee on the ground and the other bent with the foot on the ground. Glancing back up at him, she stepped backwards on step to allow him to take point this time. It wasn't that she didn't want to, it was just getting annoying having him stare at her the entire time. Almost like he was going to rape her or something. She didn't like it, so she would let him take point so that he could focus on the task at hand: looking for more enemies to fight. She almost wanted to take it out, but decided not to, waiting for Snow to come down so that they could continue.

If Snow had looked back to Levis just a moment earlier, he would have seen how she decided to take care of the nobodies. Three dusks and two dragoons pounced on her, causing her to react by kicking the first dragoon and taking the spear from the second, swinging it and collecting the three dusks in her swing throwing them to the dragoon she kicked, which she threw the spear, killing all four nobodies at once. Then, she grabbed the helmet of the last dragoon and slammed it down into the ground, shattering it and killing the nobody instantly. She was able to land and turn to Snow before he had even finished his sheathing his blade, a smile upon her face. It soon faded away at his mention of Radiant Garden - her security regiment. She glared at him, walking up to him and pressing him against the nearest tree. "Do not bring the past up, Wolfram." she spoke in a cold tone, still glaring at him. What happened happened, and she didn't want to spend time thinking about it.

She opened her mouth to snap back at him, but Levis could just see the hurt in his eyes. Coming to this time and era wasn't something planned by anyone of the people who were there from the past, and it hurt all of them to talk about it. She shook her head, looking around, able to faintly hear the sounds of a distant train as she sighed. When Snow told her to take point, she turned back to him and nodded - now that he knew why he knew the armor, maybe he'd stop staring at it and, in turn, stop staring at her. She walked in front of him and continued towards the mansion, remembering this to be the place where something very strange had happened to her, though she couldn't recall any specifics. The former soldier sighed and stopped when they got to the gate, trying to figure out how the mansion was still in such good shape. "Probably the work of a nobody..." she said out loud, not thinking the fact that she only answered a question she had asked herself mentally.

This was only the second time she had ever come in contact with this mansion. The first was when she was on the Twilight Town Security Regiment, some 300-odd years ago. She shook her body to crash back into reality and forget about it, trying to focus on the task at hand. The former soldier watched as Snow ran his hand over the gates and stop, both feeling the presence of a very unwelcome guest. Without hesitation, she drew her sword and cut through the gates, jumping into the small hole and walking towards the mansion, stopping at the halfway point to drop to her knees. The presence they both felt was not only stronger, but she couldn't tell what direction it was coming in. It seemed to be surrounding her, almost as though it was already choking her. Her eyes were glazing over as her hands groped her throat, trying to fight was was making her not breathe. Blinking, she didn't even realize what was there: a giant, as in extremely large, snake with the nobody symbol on its head.

Snow leaned against the wall behind them. Lightning had unbelievable timing. A second later and he would have been snake chow for sure. Lightning manage to weaken it, that was good, all she had to do now was finish it off. Just as Snow was beginning to relax the snake was beginning to go invisible again. Snow's good mood faded too quickly and too soon. Snow looked at the snake's last position. By the way it moves it would be at their right about now. This wasn't going good...they had to even things up. "Stupid snake." Snow muttered under his breath, but then it hit him. "Snake." Snow said outloud to himself. He then lifted up his blade and ran his hand across it ignoring the stinging he was feeling in his side. The blade glew red and was scorching hot. "Fine. If we can't see you...then you won't see us!" Snow yelled as he dug his sword into the ground and sprinted in zig-zags around the battle field. The stinging in his side was almost unbearable at this point but he had to focus on the task at hand, hopefully...his plan would work. Snow continued to run around the field with his blade until he flipped out of the way when he heard something coming. He landed on his feet but he still flinched. After a moment the snake appeared and was now starring into space. Its eyes were looking right, left, here, there, everywhere. Snow made it so that the whole field was just one big hot patch of dirt. If this was like any other large snake he'd fought...it could only catch it's pray by sensing the heat of it, how would he know what was Snow or Lightning...or what was the ground? Snow smiled before turning to Lightning, "Rest's up to you." he called out to Lightning.

The snake's eyes were darting in every-which direction, seemingly very confused. Levis took it as a sign that Snow's unorthodox plan had worked, nodding when he told her to finish it. The golden aura still around her, she ran towards the snake and stabbed it when she got close enough, the being cringing back in pain. The way that it did so, however, threw her and her sword into the air, where he could focus on them. Then, it lunged and enclosed its mouth around her, swallowing her whole in one bite. It then proceeded to turn to Snow, though it was still difficult because of the ground. The eyes were able to notice the one slightly stronger heat, as the ground was absorbing the rest and it was wearing off. It reeled back, waiting until it pounced with its mouth open, ready to strike at Snow as well. It never got a chance to. Halfway there, Levis popped out of the nobody's mouth, facing it sternly. Covered in saliva, which was weird for a nobody, she rose her blade and cut across, striking at the mouth of the being. Then, reaching over and grabbing its fang, she pulled it back in towards her before it could run away and thrust upward, stabbing through the roof of its mouth to attack the brain, killing it instantly. As it fell limp on her, she broke the fang off and held it in her hand. The yellow glow transferred from her body to the fang, and then back into her body, the fang no longer being visible. She breathed heavily for a moment before sighing. At least she got her fight. "That's one less problem." she stated before returning to walking towards the mansion, leaving Snow on his own.

Snow watched as Lightning finished off the snake. Another close call. Snow slowly stood up putting his blade back in his sheath. Before Snow could say anything Lightning was headed towards the mansion. Snow watched as she went and moved back against the wall as support. He didn't have the energy to follow her...just yet. "What? You finished already?" a voice said in Snow's head. Snow at first starred at the sky and sighed before a faint smile grew on his face, "Not a chance." Snow said outloud. He opened his jacket where the wound was, it was a deep one and had a purple liquid pouring out of it. Poison. Snow thought to himself. Snow closed his eyes and concentrated as he began to glow with a light crimson color. The poison dissolved as the wound began to heal. Snow barely used this ability and probably wouldn't try to use it again because even though it healed him...it burned. The only time in life Snow would ever feel any kind of heat that harmed him. Snow stood up and held his hand out as a small flame formed in his hand. "You going after her?" asked the voice. Snow sighed as the flame in his hand turned blue...and cold...like snow. "She doesn't need me around..." Snow answered back as he closed his fist, extinguishing the flame. "That's a lame excuse..." said the voice in a softer tone. Snow closed his eyes as the smile appeared again, he shook his head and crossed his arms. "You talk too much." he replied as he began to walk in the direction Lightning had went. "Hey, wait up!" Snow shouted to Lightning.

Even though she had acted cold towards him, she was acting cold. Much like any other person, she still wanted a friend every now and then and, thus, it was a frown that came upon her face when she had almost reached the door and he wasn't following. Then she heard his voice, stopping as she reached for the door handle. A very, very feint smile came to her face as she stood straight, waiting to hear him be closer. As he approached, she opened the door and stepped behind him, pointing for him to take point. The twilight sky of the blast zone was still appreciable if one knew how to appreciate the good things in life. It was a symbol for what was neither light nor dark; neither good nor bad; neither dead nor alive. It was the symbol for everything that was in between; betwixt and between, if one would. Levis waited for him to take point before they walked into the mansion, not sure what would be on the inside.

Snow finally caught up with his new partner...was partner the right word? Friend. That seemed right...didn't it? He didn't know and didn't really have to time to think about it. Lightning opened the door of the old mansion and stepped aside for him to take point. Snow put on a small half smile as he stepped in, leaving the twilit sky behind them. He had no idea what would be awaiting them on the inside of the mansion but there was only one way to find out really. The inside of the mansion was kind of dusty and old but Snow remebers it being like this last time too...so this place really was untouched. Snow crossed his arms as faint glimmers of light shined in through the windows and some cracks through the ceiling. Snow turned to Lightning, "Well...might as well take a look around, right?" Snow said as he began walking backwards into a room full of books and papers. Some were scattered on the floor and some spread over a table. He picked up a few, some read: "Crystal Project" and other things that seemed meaningless. A dusk nobody appeared but Snow quickly slashed it in half before it could cause any alarm. "Some things...never change." he sighed out loud resheathing his sword.