Frozen Coven

Every memory of Gwen laughing, of my little brother being happy, of my battalion as they sang Blood On The Risers, of being knighted by the queen, of gaining Basaka as my Successor....

Then the memories of Gwen's letter, and how it lead me to ripping apart all seventy- two members of my Batallion, of being captured in my Commanding Officer's office and tortured there as well, of escaping just to stab him in the gut with my Kabar and asphyxiating him, of how I could remember each dying breath of the hospital members that took 'care' of my brother, of every single being that I have ever watched die at my hand....

I was now visibly shaking, tremors going through my body as I attempted to battle against the madness that was slowly spreading its grip throughout my mind, the voices of seduction that teased me, taunted me, barraged me with all of my wants and desires, of being able to let go and sink into the blissful abyss of madness and deranged psychotic sadistic desires....

Darkness engulfed the entire setting around them. The focal point clearly radiating from Ansem. All was black as Ansem extended a single hand to Basaka. He looked at the shadowed form before him and stretched out a bit.

"Don't be scared Basaka. Don't resist. Beyond this door lies a different world. But don't be afraid. Don't stop walking."

"It's not me I fear for..."

The madness was spreading laughing at me as I struggled like a fish out of water, on my hands and knees now gasping for relief. An image of Berserker came to me then, as it always did if I was on the brink of insanity. His visor opened to reveal jagged teeth created entirely of fire, laughing at me and mocking my attempts to battle him.

"...Ansem...I can't fight this off for much longer....."

Ansem sighed and realized he would fail if he kept it up. He decided to invade the mind of the Berserker. He would help him in an almost cruel sense. He closed his eyes and displayed a scene for him.

It was a breezy day with peaceful music playing from afar. Basaka was laying under a tree, staring into the clouds. This image was of him as a child, with ambition. Not a care in the world. The clouds drifted across the sky as the berserker would watch. Suddenly the child form of Ansem would lay beside him.

"Beautiful aren't they?" He asked with a smile.

The scene that was before us was immediately recognized from my photographic memory, the shores of Normandy while a renaissance faire was going on, the lyre of a nearby bard making the beach even more peaceful. I frowned at the sudden displacement, before looking at the boy beside me.

"Ansem?"

A child's voice rang out to Basaka. This was one Ansem recognized as his own. He'd brought him back to this peaceful time. This time was what Ansem saw at all times. What he'd felt in his heart.

"Its perfect isn't it? A world without madness. With peace. A world where you can hear yourself think and lay in the grass simply to count the clouds that pass through the sky? What would you do to live here forever?"

Looking up toward the clouds that littered the skies of France almost constantly, I slowly thought of that question. Did I even deserve this peace? Isn't what I was putting myself through right now, an attempt of redemption for the acts that were deemed ungodly, sinful, and downright bloodthirstily mad? I remember my father taking us here to speak with the ambassador, being the politician that he was. I had just assumed that he needed to speak with friends, but later realized after his funeral, that it was indeed an effort to gain allies for Britain.

"I'm not sure, Ansem. I remember why I came here... And I remember what I did. I'm not even truly alive, now that I've put thought into it. I'm actually just attempting to gain some lost form of redemption, due to the lives I've taken in this small lapse of three years. Three years, but enough blood to fill the Thames to the brim with crimson water."

Looking sadly at my new found philosopher, I shook my head slowly.

"I don't think that I deserve the warm embrace that Darkness gives. Merely to work for it, in redemption of what I did with the Light, and what corrupted me. I am what I am now, and I will follow that until the end... But, as to whether or not I will let go of the pain, I'm not sure if I can. It makes me who I am, it has molded me into this soldier and for that I am horrified. I didn't want this gore-ridden path of Darkness. I wanted ignorance, and it's sweet, sweet bliss."

putting my chin on my clasped hands, I thought again.

"Why?"

The answer was quite obvious to the seeker of darkness. It was only slightly hidden. He looked at the berserker and spoke again, this time with his normal, much deeper voice. The words formed easily get hesitantly.

"Because you, Basaka, the shade that murdered countless, are not evil. You have a strong heart. You only play the role of a shade. Any heart strong enough to resist the darkness of which I carry, is one of purity. As a human you doubt and speculate yourself. Emotion is torture. But you... You are still human."

I was still, rather confused.

"I'm afraid I don't understand. You stick a sword in me, and the sword will break before I do. I can walk throughout wastelands without dying of bites, diseases, anything physical. But.... I admit to being tortured by emotion. Prometheus was cursed to die each day, but retain every emotion and reaction toward it."

Looking down, I felt my mind grow older than my current body.

"I understand his pain."

Ansem simply sighed. He had all the pieces. Basaka just had to put them together for himself. He could only give him hints. After standing, he dusted himself off and looked at the beserker on the ground

"Evil does not suffer. Evil does not die. Only the weak suffer. Only the weak are good." It seemed obvious to him but Basaka wasn't grasping it. "Should I be stabbed a thousand times, I wouldn't care." Nothing darkness wouldn't protect him from.

Hearing Ansem sighing, I shook my head at my bullheadedness.

"I must be frustrating you. I understand that Darkness would make me a better soldier, protect me, keep me safe, and let me carry out whatever will I wished. But, that's the thing. Madness has whispered that to me for years upon end... I don't understand what would happen. I apologize for being daft and beating around the bush..."

Standing up slowly, I could feel the fingers of insanity pushing at my mind as I remained here, even in Ansem's safety.

No no no.... That wasn't it at all.

"Maybe you are mad. Maybe you're a fool. Maybe you're simply belligerent. Either way there seems to be nothing I could say that would possibly lead you to coming with me. After forcing yourself to save my life you won't attempt to allow me to do the same. Shame."

He was irritating by his lack of persuasion. Maybe he was getting old. Doubtful, but perhaps he was rusty. Either way, he'd failed.

Blinking, I think I found a clue. And my grip on my accent failed, creating the annoying British tag that vexed me.

"I'm sorry, I think I did miss the point. Save? I hadn't realized that you held the power to help a madman. I understand you are a shade, and one that seems to be quite strong, but...."

This had put a new light on the situation. My thoughts had gone down a different path now, instead of Ansem inviting me to be saved by a god of darkness.... He was inviting me to be saved by him. His side. Or, so I thought.

Ansem looked back at the man with curious eyes and wondered why his perspective changed so quickly. He reacted swiftly at the thought of salvation. Ansem was able to take advantage of this.

"Salvation. What if we could save everyone. We could destroy this world to recreate it without sin or tragedy. Not only would your salvation emerge, but the salvation of mankind as well. This world is poison. It creates horrors. I'm sure you know better than I do that this world is the only evil that ever existed. If you'd be so willing to save me, why wouldn't you save all of them as well."

"Salvation..?"

My heart resonated with this thought. Why would I want such a bitter life on anyone else? Why would I curse them into feeling such despair and angst, dooming them to a life of misery and sorrow? My resolve and will snapped away from my old life, grasping onto this modicum of.. Hope. A want.

A smiled reached the face of the child before the berserker. Just as before the darkness began to radiate at his feet as Ansem looked into the eyes of Basaka. The dark was in him... it was growing. The black aura began to drape the seeker of darkness as he once again extended a hand to the lost soul.

"Will you join me and sacrifice yourself for the sins of these people? Will you give your body and soul so that these people will not be forced a path into the despair you have once felt? Do you feel it now? The warm embrace."

I could, indeed, feel it. My resolve thickened further as I took Ansem's hand, accepting his offer. I was ready to sacrifice myself- have I not been for the past three years? Something darker than my insanity found its way into my heart, as I stared Ansem in the eye.

"I shall."

Everything went pitch black for a short moment that seemed infinite. Finally, a strong warrior would assist in the destruction of this world. The heartless grew tiresome. But the resolve of Ansem would not fade.

They both returned to the real world and Ansem began to explain that no time has passed and whatever was seen by Basaka was merely a figment of his inner mind. Ansem too was able to see this. A twisted smile grew upon his face as he extended a fist toward his new ally.

"So, shall we raid a Garrison my friend"

Lifting my head slowly, I stared at Ansem. Silently, I moved to stand beside him- stepping out of the way of the exit. I had to tilt my head to fit into the small space, but regardless, I was there.