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[ It's a brief moment of hesitance, her hood looking down for a second. Could she force someone to kill? ... Yes, yes she could. She did it to Roxas, but that was for his own sake. And this is for his sake, as well as others, too, but to have someone else do the deed...

He seemed sincere. Nice. But niceness isn't... wouldn't be needed here. ]

This is how!

[ She charges forward at incredible speeds and bringing down her Keyblade on him. Lay down the pressure. Force them to think they're fighting a random monster...

It makes this easier that way. ]

[if this opponent were any faster, he would have likely been done in right there, skull crushed beneath the pressure of that Keyblade. it didn't seem sharp, but...he knew that he didn't want to get struck by that. it seemed she was leaving him no choice... rolling across the ground with a grunt, he frantically forced himself back to his feet as he stared at the hooded girl prepared to kill him mercilessly. but that's not what she really wanted, was it? was this how he was supposed to help?]

I said wait, damn it! I still don't...!

[...by killing her? no. he'd find out why she was doing this as he defended himself. as he fought back. if there truly was no way of helping her the way that he wanted to, if she was a bad person--... unable to determine it just yet. he couldn't decide. he wouldn't dare allow himself to judge her until he knew for certain what could be done. to do so would mean to betray himself and his ideals]

Trace...

[ 1.) Judging the concept of creation
2.) Hypothesizing the basic structure
3.) Duplicating the composition material
4.) Imitating the skill of its making-- ]

Ggh-- [he'd create them. he'd fight back in the hopes of better understanding why he was fighting in the first place. to save her? to kill her? he wouldn't decide until he saw the truth. he'd make the truth appear! without Tohsaka's prana backing him up, however, he was swiftly reminded of the limitations of his projection without an outside source. it only caused his body to seize up, joints stiffening and his insides churning in the blink of an eye. ah, that's right... it was harder now, but after fully understanding why Emiya Shirou could do what he did in the first place, it was easier. he wasn't creating blades. he was putting what was in his mind to reality, drawing from his own world. drawing from the hill of swords... yes, that was it]

...on!

[ 5.) Sympathizing with the experience of its growth
6.) Reproducing the accumulated years
7.) Excelling every manufacturing process

--

he reaches them, Archer's most trusted blades, Kanshou & Bakuya (http://img2.lln.crunchyroll.com/i/spire4/e527037c5736e73588ab50e1e2fef1a11228662363_full.jpg) appear within Shirou's grasp, dual-wielding them as he regains full composure over his body and braces himself for Xion's next attack. getting into a fighting stance and waiting, he calls out to her]

Why do you want me to kill you?

I need... I need to fix things!

[ Xion's free hand flings itself out and summons swirls of darkness to form and begin to coalesce around her. She feels it, her true self coming forward...

And the cloak and hood are off, revealing her armored self, no longer anything resembling a human, and her Keyblade has changed. That, and there's one in each hand, almost mirroring Shirou's stance, too.

See, Shirou? Just a monster, a puppet. You're helping nobody here.

And in a small, but steady whisper: ]

I don't want to hurt them again.

[this was it. something wicked this way comes, and as he braces himself for it, he's visibly shocked by what he sees beneath the cloak and hood. this girl...no...this thing wasn't human. it didn't look like it, at least. and her weapons changed too... just what were they? he concentrated on them, trying to get a proper grasp of their inner workings. but it came up as a blank slate. he couldn't analyze their structure, their capabilities... these were weapons that Emiya Shirou was incapable of tracing. were they like Ea, constructed of materials that didn't exist under Gaia? divine weapons...

would Kanshou & Bakuya be enough? his grip upon the twin swords tightened as he braced himself, not willing to charge her just yet. to fix things... she didn't want to hurt anyone again. so this was something she didn't want. it was true then; she wanted to be saved, by being killed]

....

[there was still much for him to learn. by fighting this beast, but it just wasn't enough. armed with the knowledge that despite her monstrous appearance, there seemed to be a girl inside of there that wanted nothing to do with this... his decision was obvious now]

I see...

[I...]

Edited 2011-12-11 06:12 (UTC)

1.) Kill her
2.) Keep thinking about it...
3.) Save her

Edited 2011-12-11 06:12 (UTC)

[he's going to find a way to save her. she's calling out for help, wanting an end to whatever caused her pain. this form of hers, the killing intent. this wasn't what she wanted. killing her was the last thing that Emiya Shirou wanted. he didn't even know this person, and yet...]

Then let's fix this. [to uphold everything that he believed in, the second that he wavered he'd be killed. he didn't want to be a superhero. he was going to be one. sacrifice one life for the sake of a hundred others? not if he had anything to say about it. he was going to save everyone that he could see, for those that couldn't in the wake of his own rescue. this was his purpose. Emiya Shirou would fight for everything that he believed in, no matter what came from it. no regrets. just moving forward; always... he was not Archer. and this would be just another testament of that. though he maintains his fighting stance, he calls out to the being as if it were a friend]

I don't know what's happening to you, but you clearly don't want this, right? If you really regret what you've done, then you're not a puppet at all. You really want to fix things? Then overcome this and make it up to those you hurt!

[with no hesitation in his voice, he points to the armored being with Kanshou, as if challenging her to prove him wrong. she wouldn't succeed. once Emiya Shirou set his mind to something, he saw it through to the end, no matter the consequences. no regrets... because to him, wanting to help someone was never wrong]

Get ready. I'm going to save you from yourself.

[ Xion's just... shocked, and it shows in the way her body absolutely stills at his words, the conviction behind them. Her state of being, manipulated by the Organization, dictates her to destroy this man, absorb his essence, and strengthen herself. Another part, tiny and quiet beside the other, is just... begging. Please, please, please. Just fight. Try.

But.

But...!

It isn't her life that's at stake. She doesn't care what happens to her, so long as her friends were kept happy, safe. Her mechanical body shakes with emotions she shouldn't be feeling before she points one of her Keyblades back at him.

Challenge accepted. ]

I wish I could believe you.

[ Then she charges. ]

Get ready!

[he didn't know who she was. he didn't know what she was. all he knew was that this was someone he needed to save. she needed his help and perhaps by fighting her and stalling for time, he could get a better understanding of the steps he needed to take to save her. he couldn't project her own weapons, so he'd have to rely on something within his own reserves that could do the job. perhaps knock her out? talk her down from it? something... anything; he'd try everything in his power to save this person. the person he knew was beneath this armor of despair]

I'll make you believe me. I don't care if you complain.

[and with that, fluently moving with those twin-swords of his, Shirou rushed in to meet her attacks. he had to show her he wouldn't back away, that he had strength behind his words at least. testing the waters, he thrust forward with the black sword, keeping a watchful eye of his opponent least she try to disable his arm. he'd defend himself with the other sword, parry, counterattack, do what was necessary. he didn't know how tough that armor was, but he held on to the hope that it was tough enough to handle a few hits least he needed to take one to survive]

[ The blades clash, sparks flying everywhere! Xion defends against that thrust with an upward strike in an attempt to flick it away from her. He's... This guy's no ordinary human if he can keep her at a lock for even a moment.

Afterwards, she moves back on the offensives and goes to rush closer to Shirou by charging her shoulder at him. It doesn't matter if he hits her in the process. The armor... her body can take it. No, she won't go full on defensive any longer.

Her goal isn't to survive. ]

[the force in which she struck his sword away was amazing. his grip has loosened momentarily, afraid that if she had clashed with him any harder it might have popped his arm right from its socket. she was wrong. Emiya Shirou was as human as they came. a young man willing to defy everything to uphold what he believed in. if his body was battered, bruised, bloodied and torn apart, he'd be content knowing that at least he saved someone in the process. but he steeled himself, regaining his composure as he narrowly dodges her shoulder barge. staying on his feet, he lunged forward immediately to counterattack, slashing down once with Kanshou and then slicing upwards with Bakuya. if he stayed on the defensive too long himself, he wouldn't be able to amount the proper momentum to win]

You never answered me before... [he'd keep talking to her. he'd talk as he fought, silence between them only able to do so much in regards to finding out what could be done. if he couldn't analyze the structure of her armor or Keyblades, then he'd go about this the good old fashion way. talk to her as much as he could, bring her back and try and find some proof that there really was a side of humanity to her. the side that didn't want this, the side he could bring out...]

Who are you?!

Edited 2011-12-11 07:07 (UTC)

I told you: a puppet!

[ Never mind the fact that his words earlier - the one where she wasn't a puppet if she felt regret for her actions - hit things deep. His first strike hits her square in the chest, and she only manages to maneuver her head to the side and have his second blade graze against the metal of her helmet in a metallic screech.

She'll take it. She doesn't feel it, doesn't feel the pain despite the fact she should be under reliable armor.

Xion jumps back some distance away from Shirou. ] Huurgh! [ She concentrates, then flings out a barrage of light towards Shirou AKA Ragnarok. ]

[there she went with that damn response again. that wasn't acceptable to him. she was wrong again. he didn't think he'd have to tell her what was right, but...it was starting to look that way. any way that he could make her believe. despite the fact he landed two of his blows, he didn't revel in it, only using that moment to continue his offense. but just as he was about to rush her down? she'd suddenly fired a barrage of light beams, spiralling towards him in a bid to kill him.

this was a fatal attack, if he took the entirety of it he'd be finished before he even started. immediately rolling out of the way, he turned back towards the attack, only briefly turning his back on Xion to watch the attack fly by...only to have it turn right around and home in on him]

A homing attack...! [he knew better... this wasn't some reverse of causality or a change in time and space. fortunately for him, these were just homing shots in the present time. something that he could use to his advantage. unfortunately? he still couldn't avoid them and Xion forever. no, he had to stop them here and now. readying Kanshou and Bakuya, he faced Ragnarok with no fear, unwavering as he slashed away at as many as he could as they rushed at him. one slash. two slashes. three--four--]

[too slow. the remaining beams of light erupt against his defenseless body as he's overwhelmed by their strength. flying back with an anguished scream, Shirou's body crumples to the ground as his grip upon his swords could hardly be called a grip. his breathing stopped, his organs feeling as though they could rupture any time. it was that painful, and he hadn't even taken the full front of that attack... dodging it was meaningless and he still her the main attacker herself to deal with. wincing in pain, despite his body's protests, he forced himself to get up, steeling his mind and body as he immediately turned his attention back to Xion]

Haah...haah...haah... [this time he was outright glaring at her. he was pissed... not because of being nearly killed by her, but... "I told you: a puppet!" how could she say such a thing?]

You idiot... That's not an answer...!

Edited 2011-12-11 07:37 (UTC)

It's the truth.

[ Her voice is calm and steady in its deliverance... and in her own lack of action, too. She had just the opportunity to damage him further, possibly outright killing him when he was overrun by the last remaining bits of Ragnarok that got to him... but she didn't.

Even more regret adds onto her conscious, but she pushes it back, readying herself again when he stands and faces her. Tough, strange human. Only Roxas was able to withstand that, but he had curative spells. It looked like this guy didn't.

But... maybe... He just deserves a little more truth from her. ]

... Please. I know it's all strange... but it's my friends. If I continue to live, then...

[ She's speaking, even as she's charging up another Ragnarok. Hope you have the wit to dodge this all outright, Shirou. ]

[her hesitance, speaking out to him and speaking of friends... yes. this was what he wanted to see. this was what he knew laid beneath the surface. now he knew that if he just killed her outright that he wasn't going to forgive himself. wasn't it a wonderful feeling? a blissful idea to save her and have ler live long enough to make it up to the others? this was a coward's way out. if she were truly a twisted individual who just didn't care... if she had control before, had a way out if only temporarily...

she didn't deserve to die. he knew for a fact now. he would never waver]

You're wrong. If you continue to live after all of this, then you can make it up to them. I won't let you throw away your life just because you can't see a way out.

I'm going to help you. And that's all there is to it.

[and yes, he's saying all of this even as Xion is charging up another Ragnarok. he knows that he'll die if she launches another one. or at least he'll be immobilized. even now he's trying his hardest not to fall over, bones threatening to break on him from pushing himself too hard. but he always did this... surely this body, this will... it was made out of swords]

Besides... I want to get to know the person beneath the armor. [is that a smile on his face? yes, yes it is. he's still pissed at her for the way she was thinking, but it was the little things he could give to her. it was far too soon to give up. he'd never give up]

[ She makes a faint sound at his last comment before crying out again and releasing that Ragnarok. Dodge, Shirou. Just... do something. Don't get yourself killed by this if you actually want to save her.

She's faltering. She herself can tell. Maybe Shirou can, too. It doesn't matter. Xion can't... She won't back down from goal. And yet...

Maybe there's a chance? ]

[he knew she could hear him. that his words were getting through to her. that a part of her deep down really wanted to believe in him. believe in him to find the strength to believe in herself... and as Ragnarok is unleashed upon him again, he stares at it with a look of sheer determination. he wouldn't break. he'd break that armor to get to the real her if he had to. she must have had a name... something better then 'puppet'. he was going to find out sooner or later. but until then...

he had to live. survive this attack or else he would die. he couldn't dodge. he couldn't strike back with Kanshou and Bakuya. and he had no initial means of defending himself. surely he would be mercilessly killed, failing to save her and his path ending right then and there...

that would have been the case...were it anybody else but Emiya Shirou. if he couldn't use his swords to defeat this attack, then he'd create something that would! the twin-blades shatter in his hands, though it was the will of their wielder that made it so. this would be testing his limits, showing how far he'd come and how much he had retained now that Tohsaka wasn't here. though difficult, surely he must have gained something from this. no, he had to have gained something from this. what was the point of fighting as hard as he did if he was just at square one?

he'd stop Ragnarok. and then he would stop her. he'd make it happen, even at the cost of his own body. closing his eyes, he could immediately see into the world that embodied everything that he was. accelerate the process... he had no time to take his time with it. a defense, any would do to stop them. if it broke in the end, so long as he was still in tact to save her, that's all that mattered. the structure, the history, the manufacturing process... it was already there. he didn't need to create it after all. just reach it]

[his body seized even harder then it had before, choking on what felt like nothing at all, he forced himself to open his eyes, seeing things clearly as Ragnarok was mere moments away from crashing into him. less then a milisecond... it was right in front of his face. for Emiya Shirou, there was only one objective before moving on to the next.

stop Ragnarok!]

Rho Aias!! (http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110727200756/typemoon/images/c/c1/RhoAias.jpg)

[found it. reached it. pulled it from the hill of swords, Archer's greatest protections and by extension, Shirou's; the four petals bloom immediately before the magus and defend him from the oncoming attack. with each impact, it coursed through his arm and threatened to break his body, but he was untouched by Ragnarok. Rho Aias, it's existence as a conceptual weapon capable of maintaining an absolute defense against all projectiles. even though this one was an incomplete version, the blasts were near-effortlessly stopped. standing adamantly behind his defense, he stares down the girl with a goal to end it all. Rho Aias stood for his beliefs, defending his own goals and a testament to what he set out to do. he'd shield her from this depair she'd sunken into]

[ That display of power, his... incantation of it, all stopped Xion in surprise as Ragnarok all but disappeared against that shield. What? What was that?

You may be an ordinary human, but Xion can't be wrong that whatever... whoever this guy is, he's showing abilities normal humans she's seen can't display, even from her own time of being human and watching others.

No... No, no, no, what can she do now? He's staring straight at her, and her grip on her Keyblades almost become non-existent. ]

W-What...

[and just like that, the shield bursts and from behind it comes Shirou, ignoring the pain and limitations of his body to move at her with great speed. if he could just get rid of that armor, then he could get to the person beneath it... if there was anyone there. he couldn't think like that though. he was positive that there was someone trapped within that suit. break them out and it was easier to knock them out. that was his logic. he could see how shocked she was, the waver in her voice as the Keyblades seemed to slip from her grip almost. this was his chance! he could probably project Rho Aias one more time, as for swords? he had more liberty with those. but he didn't need to project anything insane to get the job done]

HAAAAAAAAHH!!!

[all he needed was a sword strong enough to break that armor. it didn't have to be a favorite one such as the twin swords, or even Caliburn... something easier yet strong would do. it didn't matter if it broke shortly afterwards. accelerating his processes yet again, he had a two-handed bastard sword in his grasp, raising it high over his head as he wielded it with great efficiency, as if it were his own weapon of choice. already he closed the gap between them as he brought the weapon down, ready to crush the armor and put her out of commission for now. if this didn't work, he'd just have to keep attacking. he wouldn't have to use Rho Aias again if he could just keep attacking her until she was defeated, so that she didn't use Ragnarok]

[ The overhead swing is coming down faster than she'd like, her shock still settling inside her head. She doesn't have time to react when the blade smashes down on her head. She feels the blade actually start to bite into her helmet, but the way he swings it, and her own weird resistance throws her backwards, sends her flying, then rolling on the floor in a loud clatter and crash.

Her Keyblades also fly off, but she comes to a stop, golden talons digging into the ground to stop her sliding on the ground. ]

U-Ugh...

[ Something broke. She heard... something... crack. She moves her head and slowly begins to lift herself off the ground on hands and knees. Her vision swims and she feels something drip down her forehead... and then the left side of her helmet fully gives way, pieces of metal and red liquid falling to the floor before she lifts up her face. ]

[and just as he'd thought, the projection wasn't strong enough to withstand the blow. after shattering away part of her helmet, his own sword broke into pieces before vanishing in sparkles of light. but that wasn't a bad thing. and just as she stopped herself from sliding on the ground, Shirou was already on her again, doing his best to close the distance. a look of sheer determination in his eyes, the magus looked like a man possessed. was he going in for the kill?]

Stay right there!!

[he commanded her, the image of her face exposed partially with blood a sign of what he expected to be true. there was a human under there after all... a girl with feelings, scared of herself and what she would do to others. whatever was troubling her, what bond she had to this berserk state she was forced into...whatever made her a puppet, it wasn't what she wanted. he was right. she was wrong. far from a puppet, she was just a girl who needed to be saved from herself. to live long enough to atone for what she had done in the past to make things right. but it was dangerous...

I...

1.) Try and talk to her
2.) Don't stop ]

Wake up, you damn idiot!

[if he softened now, she'd just get back up and regain her composure. he had to stop her before she could move. he'd weakened her then, and having the advantage he could project another weapon being within that close of range. but until then, he pulled a rather drastic move. ducking down low in his dash, he reached out to grasp her shoulders, uncaring of the consequences as he went in unarmed. gritting his teeth, he forced her onto her back as he roughly tackled her, straddling the armored Xion's stomach as he forced her wrists into his hands and pinning her beneath him. holding her arms over her head, he took a moment to gather himself and settle his harsh breathing as he stared down at part of the exposed girl. he wasn't letting go any time soon]

[ She blinks up at him, just... unable to do more than stop and stare and blink. "Wake up"? Wake up from what? Well, whatever he did... her mind is quiet, clear, despite the obvious head trauma she just endured.

When she came toward him like that, she was sure he was going to kill her. End it all and fulfill her goal. But now this? She's... unsure. Just... ]

... why?

[ She's frowning up at him now. The glare's a bit weakened, due to half of her face, and therefore, expression, is still concealed by the helmet. ]

Why're you... trying so hard?

[ They don't know each other. Really. They weren't friends, but he seemed to act as though he was trying to save one. You're so confusing, Shirou. ]

Because I'd never forgive myself if I just ran away. And...

[he's no longer yelling at her, though he's firm in his choice of words, assertive with his grip as he keeps the girl pinned beneath him. amusingly enough, he still wasn't certain as to what he had to do to free her. everything was on a whim by this point. whatever he had to do to snap her out of this, to get her to suppress it and believe in herself and her own identity...]

[he stops then, giving her time to think. he hasn't ceased, in fact his grip on her tightening as his voice softens, almost soothingly so as his body visibly shook]

I think you deserve a chance. I wanna give you that chance.

[ She half-assedly tries to struggle against his grip, but fails. Anger is such a wasteful emotion... but she still feels it, despite her state of being. Now she's just... tired.

But she looks back up at him. ]

So for your own goals... then?

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