Hidden

Despite having managed to get into hiding, somehow she lost her grip and lost her obscurity. 'What are you even doing?' Hidden grit her teeth. 'There isn't much natural light here okay, I'm not used to having to think about controlling the shadows to hide. I'm doing my best okay?' Hokori snorted at her. 'That's your best? Wow.'  Hidden refocused on the zombies, a brilliant white light sparking from her location. For a moment, the zombies would falter, even that which was burning. It was as if the fear of holy light was more terrifying than the flame that consumed its flesh. 

Shadows would almost seem to dance as Hidden began to spin rapidly like a top. Black hands formed from shadows would begin to reach out, grabbing hold of something within the zombies that they wouldn't be able to physically see. In Hidden's dance, a blade would strike out, causing two of the enemies to immediately disintegrate into nothing. The other two hadn't been spared either, losing a great deal of health. Stopping her attacks, Hidden would glare at the two remaining Revenants. They wouldn't be alive for much longer. 

Players:
Hidden | HP: 840/840 | EN: 73/102 | DMG: 30 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 6 | BH: 46 | LD: 1 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | REC: 8 | V.D.: 46 | V.O.: 92 | Vanish [1/3]
Raidou | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 114/138 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 304 | EVA: 7 | ACC: 4 | BH: 66 | LD: 6 | BLGT: 32 | REC: 8 | TAUNT | V.D.: 132 | V.O.: 198 | Bloodclot  

Mobs:
[1,4] Red Cloak Revenant #1 | HP: 0/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Activate [15/30] | Stun Immunity [1/3]
[1,4] Red Cloak Revenant #2 | HP: 225/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Activate [5/30] | Stun Immunity [1/3]
[1,6] Red Cloak Revenant #3 | HP: 0/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 55 | Paralytic Immunity | Activate [10/30] | Stun Immunity [1/3] | [BRN:56/2] [BLGT: 32/2]
[0,3] Red Cloak Revenant #4 | HP: 584/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Activate [10/30] | Stun Immunity [1/3]

Rolls and Stats

A strike of red lightning would seem to be called forth just before Raidou allowed the hoard to slew forward. 'Alright... AoE. I haven't played around too much with this Sword Art before. Let's give it a shot.' Moving forward, the silver-haired woman moved forward to activate <<Dark Torrent>>. A mistake was made and the woman drew to close the burning zombie who wailed in agony from flame. The light from the flame cast upon the woman's figure, bringing down her stealth rating even further after she spoke out. 

'Damnit!' the woman would curse herself. 'Wow, nice one. It's almost like you never actually practiced us-' Mentally telling Hokori to shut up, Hidden would continue activating her sword art. A dark ring would encircle the girl, reaching only three of her enemies. Biting her lip from embarrassment, The shadows seemed to almost wrap the girl in their hands and after a moment she was completely obscure. That was something she couldn't do quickly before but after Hokori learned to share she too became able to vanish on a dime. 

Players:
Hidden | HP: 840/840 | EN: 83/102 | DMG: 30 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 6 | BH: 46 | LD: 1 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | REC: 8 | V.D.: 46 | V.O.: 92 | Vanish [0/3]
Raidou | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 115/138 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 304 | EVA: 7 | ACC: 4 | BH: 66 | LD: 6 | BLGT: 32 | REC: 8 | TAUNT | V.D.: 132 | V.O.: 198 | Bloodclot  

Mobs:
[0,4] Red Cloak Revenant #1 | HP: 568/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Activate [10/30] | Stun Immunity [0/3]
[0,4] Red Cloak Revenant #2 | HP: 692/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 55 | Paralytic Immunity | Activate [0/30] | Stun Immunity [0/3] | [BLGT: 32/1]
[0,3] Red Cloak Revenant #3 | HP: 744/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Activate [0/30] | Stun Immunity [0/3]
[0,3] Red Cloak Revenant #4 | HP: 999/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Activate [0/30] | Stun Immunity [0/3]

<<Hidden's Battle Theme>>

A Shadow traversed the ashen fields of the fourteenth floor without a foot falling out of pace. From a distance, the sight would appear as a dark blot moving before the backdrop of the floor where light seemed to be unable to touch it. Speed at this point was of the utmost importance. There was a short period that she would have where she knew the Wanderer's location but if he moved then she wouldn't have the slightest clue. Without scouting skills, it would be nearly impossible to locate him again without requesting additional questions. From her source, the man seemed to be moving in the direction of a POI named the Ashen Keep. 

Vantablack caught the wind and guided itself to flow behind her. Finally, the location in question would reach her vision and with it an... interesting sight. A flaming mob stuck out like a beacon. Hidden's steps faltered for a moment as she squinted her eyes to get a better view of the situation. The chances of this being Raidou were more than slim. Floor fourteen was not a place people would just 'be'. The ashen ground made it difficult to push off, but the assassin would resume her pace. Stealth would be entered, the shadows folding around her until she became entirely obscure.

Upon her approach, the amount of light in the area would almost seem to fade a bit and the ashen air would seem to become even colder than it already had been. To her luck, the beacon had led her straight to Raidou. The man appeared to be holding a door while watching as a zombie burned. Scratches and moans lined Raidou's back as they struggled to get out. Was he planning on allowing them out one by one? Why was he fighting them out here? A flick of her wrist would see her dagger dropped from its sheath and into her hand. A sacrifice of her stealth rating would be made to speak to Raidou.

"Let them out."

Stealth Rating: 14
ID: 205648 LD:7(+7)

Players:
Raidou | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 125/138 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 304 | EVA: 7 | ACC: 4 | BH: 66 | LD: 6 | BLGT: 32 | REC: 8 | TAUNT | V.D.: 132 | V.O.: 198 | Bloodclot      
Hidden | HP: 840/840 | EN: 102/102 | DMG: 30 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 6 | BH: 46 | LD: 1 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | REC: 8 | V.D.: 23 | V.O.: 46

Mobs:
[4] Red Cloak Revenant #1 | HP: 912/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Activate [10/30] | [BLGT: 32/1][BRN: 56/1]

Hidden sat, arms folded, in the chair meant for Ain himself. This small room was specified for private meetings. Once up a time, Mujo, Ain, and herself, made plans to strike against the Laughing Coffin guild in here. A single hanging bulb was all that provided light to the intensifying argument.

"I'm afraid we've got nothing at all." Hidden would roll her eyes in disgust. "There was a large amount of work put into finding out their whereabouts. Now, they've moved their base and you simply have no clue where they went? That's some shit." What kind of informant was this? "We were found out and ambushed. Barely escaped with our lives and were completely gone when we circled back. No clue to where they went." 

Hidden would stand from the chair and the informant would suddenly become pale, his eyes widening in fear. "You got the tracking skill don't you?" The boy slowly nodded his head, yes, his confusion growing. "Good, you've finally made yourself useful." Hidden turned her gaze to Ain. "You can leave now. I've got all I need." Ain frowned for a moment before stepping forward. "This is my operation now. I don't think I'm ju-" A chilling cold would tickle his throat as a shadow traced up it. "If you want to be helpful, you can wait for me to message you again. Now get lost." 

Ain would remain frozen in place for a moment. Was it possible he was afraid? The man that wanted to fight the strongest people in Aincrad could fear? Perhaps it was because he wasn't facing something he could quite understand? A shadow in the form of a hand would usher the man away. 

"Alright, Kid, tell anyone anything that was spoken of in this room and I know a few ways to make you vanish." The shadows in the corners of the room began to inch closer. "O-Of course!" The shadows retreated almost immediately. "Good, I need you to track a player named 'Raidou'."

Floor 7.

Wood creaked as a shadow crept forward into the rundown warehouse, voices from within talking in loud and obnoxious voices. From the sound of it, the members of the Faceless had long outgrown their meek tendencies. Months ago, they were the kind that would have cowered from any social interaction. In some odd way, the shadow had breathed life back into each of them. Even if only half of them remained alive. The arbiters had killed many and proven that sheer numbers didn't prevail against an overwhelming force. At that moment, Hidden had left them to simply fend for themselves. From the sound of their laughter, it seemed that they had progressed. 

Pushing open creaky wooden door with rusted hinges, her eyes would peer inward. While the exterior to the building hadn't been remodeled, the interior had seen some serious work. In fact, the inside of the warehouse resembled some sort of hangout. All of it was a little nerve wracking. 

Hidden's steps were silent but that didn't prevent her from gathering attention. She was not wearing the mask that served as the symbol of her leadership but many of them would recognize her instantly. Whispered chatter continued to fill the room until almost every pair of eyes rested upon her. A figure split from the crowd and stepped forward to meet her in the center of the room. Ain. "You aren't expecting to just walk in here and assume control are you, Demon?" A sly grin grew across her face. "Well, I'm not expecting that no. I need some information. If you don't have that information then I need someone who can use the tracking skill."

Hidden stepped forward past Ain, only pausing for a short moment to speak a single sentence. 

"The name is Hidden, might as well start using it." 

Hidden | HP: 840/840 | EN: 102/102 | DMG: 30 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 6 | BH: 46 | LD: 1 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | REC: 8 | V.D.: 46 | V.O.: 92

Light shone in through the colored glass, painting their colors on the marble floor stained with red. Hidden's eyes bore forward into Hokori. Twice the monster had managed to completely best her without breaking a sweat. If Hokori was just her... how was she so refined. It seemed that every movement was honed to its maximum, each strike aimed to kill. 

"Have you noticed yet?" Hidden was suddenly brought back from her thoughts. "What are you talking about now?" The way Hokori spoke and acted, was that how others perceived her? It was nearly unbearable. "Each time I kill you, you become just a little fainter. Soon enough, you'll disappear completely. I won't be able to even see you anymore. You won't exist." 

Unconsciously, Hidden's gaze fell to her hands. Her skin tone was always deathly pale but now it seemed to somehow exceed even that. Was it true? Was she going to stop existing? "You don't stand much of a chance here. Not only am I the better fighter, but I can also manipulate each of these hands to my will. Honestly, what do you even have that compares?"

That was a good question. What did she have to face this behemoth with? Only one way to find out. Activating Vanish, a shrill scream would pierce the air along with a blinding flash of light. Hidden would enter stealth at this moment as half of her opponent's senses were dampened. 

The cold metal slashed through her throat sending Hidden's head from her shoulders. In an instant, the world became dark and silent. Was she dead? Was this the afterlife? It was so... void of anything. 

Sudden light blinded her along with an intense cold. Slowly opening her eyes from a squint, she once again found herself in that very same room. Her own figure stood there, foot resting on a now fading corpse that also belonged to her. 'If I just died, how come I am alive now?' Hidden would ask herself. The white-haired woman wouldn't even be able to take a step forward before the doppelganger began to speak.

'It seems you still cling to life. After you managed to get through those tests I didn't figure it would be that easy. You faced the past and worked up the courage to speak up to Father. You discarded a world built with your desires in mind. You even watched the world crumble away and still managed to overcome it. You could have given in and gave everything to me, but annoyingly you persist.' 

It was this woman that had put her through all that? That didn't make her happy. "Who the hell do you think you are?" The doppelganger rolled her eyes. 'Isn't it obvious? I mean, I already told you long ago. I'm you. We are the same. The difference is I'm not weak-minded like you. I know what I want and I take it.'  Hidden grit her teeth. It was a lie. The two women were obviously different. "What do you call yourself?" The question seemed to confused the doppelganger for a moment. "I've never thought about that... I would never go by the same name as you, I wouldn't stoop to that level." Still patronizing her? What was the deal with this thing? "Hokori. I like that.' 

A flick of her hand would send her dagger from a sheath in her sleeve to her hand. "Well 'Hokori', I hope you enjoy getting your ass kicked." Hidden surged forward, her weapon aimed for the throat just as Hokori had. An orange flare would switch to a hue of white as holy power imbued her attacks. 

It was so sudden, one moment Hidden was attacking and the next she was disarmed and knocked to the ground. Hokori's attack had been unseen as if she had managed to instantly enter stealth and strike at the same time. It was almost as if Hidden blinked and missed the whole thing. "Don't feel bad, you never stood a chance. I will kill you however many times it takes. I'll try not to have too much fun with it." Hands sudden ripped out from behind Hokori, reached for Hidden. On the ground, there wasn't anyway she could fend off the sudden ambush. A tug on her hair would suspend her in the air before Hokori. "This makes two." That very same ninjato would lash out, slicing Hidden perfectly down the middle 

The hands... they were the same as before. Their cold grasps had been the one to drag her to drown before. Violet eyes widened as the White Silence retreated with a leap in the opposite direction. The hands of shadows continued forward, having a seemingly infinite reach. An orange light flared as a dagger slashed through the air and ripped through one of the hands. Unlike last time, Hidden was absolutely confident in her ability. This monster inside of her wouldn't be standing any chance. Another quick stroke followed by a few more would quickly see the hands dispatched. Now, the assassin would simply need to kill her assailant before she had time to make more. Pushing off the ground, she would dash forward at a blinding speed before the hands even had time to fade completely. If only she had known that hands weren't going to disappear. 

Instead, the limbs she had spliced would regrow their hands nearly a second later and began latching onto the unsuspecting woman. First, her weapon hand would be latched onto followed by her legs. Finally, her last hand and neck would tightly grasped. The grip of these shadows brought an unbelievable cold along with a feeling of sickness. It was slight, but the grips of these hands began to slowly reduce her health. Struggling would come to no avail as she second would sap her strength even more. 

"You actually thought you amounted to something? You're just a spineless coward that relies on others to accomplish things. I on the other hand know what I'm capable of and don't need others getting in my way."

Hidden gave one more struggle before breathing, "If that's the case then stop getting in my way." A smirk rested on the doppelganger's face as she slowly stepped forward. "No no, it is you that is in mine." A weapon would form in the doppelganger's hand, a ninjato. From what Hidden could see, each face of the blade was different. One was marred and unclear while the other had a brilliant sheen, mirroring with a perfect reflection. A sadistic look was cast on Hidden, followed by a nearly untraceable strike which would sever head from shoulders. 

Black hands painted their way through the crowd of soldiers, the sickening sound of rending flesh audible from an amethyst blade cutting through people. With the <<Vanish>> skill, Hidden was able to strike multiple targets twice in a row. With the time that had passed, only a small group of soldiers remained. Hidden stood in between the soldiers and Simmone now, not a breath out of place and a grin spread across her mouth. 

"Freyd is on board and has secured an entry. Question is, will they attempt to rush to the big ship's aid?" 

Hidden turned her gaze to the cat-like woman and would reply, "I don't think these soldiers will be. If only Gabrandr was still over here, he could shoot down the ships carrying soldiers, couldn't he?" 

The remaining three soldiers would charge suddenly forcing Hidden to assume a defensive stance as Vanish had yet to go off cooldown. To Hidden's surprise, the legs of the soldiers would buckle and give out before they even reached her. The swift strike of a dagger would see data shards fly into the air. That was the last of them. "Where to next? We're hunting the ground troops, right? You can find them can't you?" Hidden didn't doubt Simmone's ability to see. If she could point them out, the unlikely duo could be on their way. 

@Simmone

Chapter Four: Autophobia
"Face Yourself"

The sudden light was stinging but no more stinging than the fierce cold that existed inside of the room. Her teeth chattered for a moment before her survival skill began to activate. Violet eyes traced the frosted ground until they would meet a figure. Standing there was her own figure, a disgruntled look plastered on her face. It was obvious who the scowl was aimed at... her. 

The large room floor was made of marble, covered in frost from the dreary cold. Colored glass pane windows lined the longer two walls of the room, sunlight shining through the western glass and casting their colors onto the floor. A dark doorway hung far behind not-Hidden, leading to whatever the assassin assumed was 'forward'. 

A voice as cold as the room spoke, 'I'm surprised you made it here. Every single one of those rooms should have prevented you from proceeding. I had hoped you would have gotten lost inside, but it doesn't look like I get things that easily.'  Eyes narrowing, Hidden would recognize the voice pattern of the figure. While it was her, it wasn't at the same time. "It's been you that has been talking to me, hasn't it? You've been around since..." A memory of the last time she had visited the waterfall had surfaced. Before the memory had been fuzzy but now it was crystal clear. A lot of things had become crystal clear, like that dream about NIGHT.

'I've been talking... not that you listen,'  the voice returned spitefully. This served to anger Hidden a bit. "I shouldn't have to hear you, do you understand how much trouble you have-" Not-Hidden wasn't even facing her. "Are you even listening to ME?" The words were venomous. The words would earn her the attention of the figure. "You want me to listen to you? THEN GET ON YOUR KNEES AND BEG!"  Black hands would reach out from behind Hidden's enemy, launching out.

The cold stone would dig into her knees as she knelt into it. A white mist was visible as she exhaled. Looking up, she would find herself staring down the hallway once again. Now, however; the hallway was perfectly illuminated in light blue. The Shadow could see a frost that covered the walls, only growing thicker as it continued. Unlike before, she could see the epilogue to the never-ending story. It existed as a harsh light at the end of the hall. 

Standing to full height, Hidden would take a confident step in a direction: Forward. Whatever was there, it was waiting for her. No matter how long she would try to hide from it, it would still be there waiting. The Shadow would have to take it head-on. 

Pressing forward, the light only would become harsher as she came closer. Pushing into it, she would become engulfed by the light. Laughter would be heard followed by the words:

"Face Yourself"

A Shadow pressed into the robe, drawn to the very beacon that would burn it away. A Whisper spoke, its voice pushing the Shadow into a direction unknown to it. Where was it that the Shadow had heard these words before? Had it been from a Wanderer in passing? Had it been the melody of a Songstress? Maybe in the smoke cast from a Seer? Perhaps from the one branded in Orange just as herself? Had they all been simply repeating the same words, fallen entirely onto deafened ears?

A hand unclenched, a flower as white as snow would hit the ground. The stinging cold would be relieved from her grasp. The freezing herb would lay there, slowly wilting away. Hands tugged at the hem of the Red Robe one last time seeking the shelter it had once provided. 

"You are only alone because you choose to be."

The words brought on a sudden fierce wind, the robe ripped from her fingertips. Teary eyes, widened with shock, would watch as the Robe flew high into an empty air until she could see it no longer. 'Freyd' was gone and the boss room with him. All that remained was a white void, her, and a black flower that had taken root and bloomed with a purple glow. With a frown, the assassin knelt to the plant. It was... familiar. It was the same flower that she had been surrounded by on her first visit to the waterfall. The same flower that she used as a hairpiece. 

An understanding reached her as the last thought crossed her mind. Her flower had wilted and fallen off long ago. Grasping the flower by its stem, she would rip it from the ground that it had sprouted from.

Simmone's motion caught her attention and she would meet up with the woman shortly after. Hidden's breathing had started to get heavier but her words made it through to the woman just fine. "Talk about? I thought we had spoken plenty," Hidden answered with a coy smile. A figure covered head to toe in dark obsidian armor stepped forward, a heavy two-handed sword would become blocked by a thin rapier. 

"My bet is on you, go wild."

A small chuckle would be heard from Hidden a moment before she vanished from sight. Amethyst cut through armor before exploding into light almost immediately after. The 'Elite' was dusted into nothing. "You sure you want to see wild?" The assassin would question before whisking out of sight. 

In the next moments, Simmone would witness the white-haired girl move in and out of sight, a shout of surprised pain with each time she appeared. Within a mere two minutes of their arrival, over half of the soldiers had been dispatched. 

Why had she allowed herself to be dragged into more of a mess than what they had started? One moment she was fighting a floor boss and the next she stood underneath a raging war that she had nothing to do with. Violet eyes looked on as Shiina and Simmone moved forward to tend to the Floor Boss they had just saved. What was Shiina planning to do with this guy?

The outcast's gaze turned to Simmone. The woman's words still rang fresh in her ears even though Hidden knew that they were truly never spoken. "Make this happiness your own, through the trials that you must face. Make it real. Don't look back." Was she doing that now? Was she working on it? A flash of color would gather her attention to Shiina and Hidden would take a step back. One thing that had certainly not changed since the Waterfall was the innate fear of whatever the small girl was doing. 

A song would shake the ground and vibrate through the air. Pain. The girl in the dark cloak didn't enjoy it one bit. Her eyes caught a flash of steel as two small enemy airships would arrive next to them and begin lowering the ground. "Guess that makes sense, we're standing next to the 'enemy' king," Hidden would mutter to herself. Hidden would eye those around her. Shiina and Simmone weren't too much of 'fighters' were they? She wouldn't even think to rely on the NPC, and the redhead was unknown entirely. 

'Come on, you just gonna stand there? Do the thing.' A roll of her eyes as her pride began to persuade her actions. "Yeah yeah," she would mutter before wading through the small group. The airships would land and about forty soldiers would pile out from within them. Hidden would move to stand in between the two groups and pull her hood over her head. The cloak would ripple with the vibrations in the air and its fabric would appear to be a tear in their vision as the item refused to reflect light. 

"Finish off the king and any who stand in the way of it!" A leader shouted amongst his group of people. Shouting in unison, the soldiers would charge forward.

Suddenly, the assassin no longer stood in front of the oncoming threat but instead would appear moments later off to the side. A blade of amethyst ripped through the crowd tearing metal from flesh as five black hands stemmed from her figure and seemed to grab and tear at the shadows the soldiers cast off. 

Her face would twitch as Freyd began to speak. Would this man lie straight to her face? When had Raidou cared? All he had done was treat her like a child, toy with her emotions, and use her as a tool. When she had realized that, that's when they had broken apart. Her eyes were drawn to the bright red robe of the Wanderer. Seeing Freyd in it brought a nasty taste to her mouth. If she hated Raidou... why was she even upset about his passing? For the past few months, she had ventured away on her own. The assassin had only traveled with Shiina since and had pushed away all others. Violet eyes were drawn to the ground. Why couldn't she replicate those feelings of anger towards him now? The distrust that she had for him was no longer to be found. Why? 

Discontent would only grow as Freyd continued to steal Raidou's appearance. A pair of spectacles would rest on the man's facial features. In reality, the glasses would just fit fine. From her point of view, they wouldn't fit at all. Freyd would flick the robe and raise it over his head. Hurt revealed itself in her violet eyes as she looked on. Who was he to continue like Raidou didn't exist? He was just going to carry on and pretend to be him? Ridiculous. 

"Change is inevitable, Hidden.  Give up that source of pride and misplaced anger," Freyd would tell her. 

"Change? Is that what you're calling this?" Hidden would fume. Her right hand, the one that was completely her own, would clench. An intense cold would grow there but she would ignore it. An intense gaze would be held between the two together and Freyd would step forward. A defiant look would gleam in her eyes as he took her wrist and placed her hand on his chest. Her hand would stiffen, curling into Freyd until the claws pierced into him. It was obvious that anger still rested within her. 

 "This burden is not meant for you, and must never be.  That was his wish.  Please, let us honor it."

The claws would further dig into Freyd. "Why is he taking all of the burdens? I wanted to help him but he ended up just trying to take my burdens too!" Anger had shifted slightly into grief. "What could have I done to save him? Why am I always losing the things I care about?" 

'What is offered cannot be stolen, simply a gift from one to another, and to those who would take from those they do nothing more than steal from themselves. You have not to steal, for I will gladly offer. If you need a hand, I would offer you one.' 

"Who's going to be there now? Who do I turn to?" Her hand relaxed, the black goo softening before transferring from her hand to the man's chest she had rested it on. Defeated, Hidden's hand fell to her side. 'Is this the future that lays in store?' Looking up, burning tears would slowly gather and overflow from her eyes. Feelings would pour like silent rain as tears began to trace down the side of her face. Hidden would stand silently in her anguish though her breathing was uneven. 

In the moment Hidden leapt forward her vision had faded. She could tell she was moving but had lost all rhyme or reason. Her arm was outstretched, black sludge sharpened into elongated razor sharp claws. These claws would rake forward aimed to kill the man in front of her. Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into her back of her head and sent her flying into the ground where she would roll several meters before coming to a stop. Surprisingly, she hadn't suffered too much damage from the attack. 

Teeth grinded together as the woman and creature attempted to stand. It seemed the blow had left dazed or something? Why couldn't she get up? The ground beneath her split with cracks and an infernal screech filled her ears. 'Why can't I get up?!' she thought as she pushed against it with all of her might. A sharped cold pierced through her, reminding her of the hallway she had taken to get here. Even now, that seemed like a distant memory. Claws raked on the ground in an desperate attempt to escape the cold. She didn't notice but the goo had began to churn violently as it desperately clung to her skin. 

"I promised him that if he ever fell, the robe and all it represents would carry on.  Whether either of us likes it or not, I gave my word.  This banner cannot fall."

The words were faint and distant but Hidden had heard them. Jubilex would cling to the last emotion it could, attempting to hold on with everything it had left. In its final gasp, Hidden would push off the ground and throw off Freyd's knee with it. Only her hand now remained covered in the black sludge of Raidou's creature. 

"That's not a banner, its a curse. A curse that kills anyone who bears it. That's why I will tarnish the sacrifice of all who wear it. I will make sure the sacrifices of those who bear it are made meaningless. That is my promise. that was our deal." Hidden wouldn't attack this time. She had at least regained self-control with Jubilex being left in shambles. No longer did her raw emotion drive her. Or maybe it was just Jubilex hesitating after taking such heavy losses before? 

♫

 "Leave."

The words were all that were audible in the short span of silence. Hidden's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched Shiina vanish suddenly. Wasn't the girl supposed to be their only healer left? Who was going to keep Raidou alive while they made an escape? It wasn't like the man needed much healing but still. Reaching to her side on the inside of her clothing, she would find the cool touch of a small blue stone. "Teleport Ta-" Her words were cut off as she watched Ayame charging forward with her dagger. A heavy sigh escaped the girl's lips as she moved her hand away from the crystal. It seemed she was going to need to reel in her little 'sister'. 

However; before Hidden could even make a move, disaster would strike. The beast moved in instantly on the small girl as if it had forgotten Raidou completely. She watched as Raidou blocked the attack with his arm, the appendage ripping from his avatar. Gritting her teeth, Hidden would push off the ground as hard as she could, vaulting for the boss. The boss's health was low, maybe she could finish it off before things got anymore drastic? A flash of blue light engulfed Ayame, sending her out of the boss room. Swinging her weapon, the purple aura of her dagger would strike towards the flesh off the boss... until the attack bounced off a sudden black spire. Catching herself on the ground, she would step back as the black spire would pierce into the ceiling. 

The sound of glass shattering filled the air as the final hit on the boss had been dealt. Tracing her eyes down to Raidou, she wouldn't find his figure. Confusion was apparent on her face as her violet eyes searched for where had had suddenly moved to. Instead, what she found was a red robe flapping in the stone. Weird, she hadn't seen the Wanderer take it off before. It was sort of his thing to always be wearing it right? Footsteps behind her echoed throughout the Boss room. Freyd stepped past her, heading towards the robe. Her eyes trailed further, searching for Raidou. The next item to be found was a sword, wedged in the stone. Cracks formed around the heavy blade. 

A gasp was the first audible noise she made after the realization hit her. With widened eyes the girl would stumble forward to the weapon, collapsing in front of it. The impossible had transpired, the unshakeable constant in her life crumbling at foundation. It was all she could do to sit there in silence, onlooking at the weapon.

'This isn't real. This isn't real. THIS ISN'T REAL!' 

The words screamed through her mind, but she found it impossible to convince herself of their meaning. A drop of liquid traced from the side of her face, unknown to her. How could this have happened? Hadn't she been making sure something like this wouldn't happen? 

"What are you doing here."

The cool voice spoke to her and jarred her from her thoughts. Violet eyes turned from the weapon before her to the figure that stood on its opposite end. "I-I-I don't know." Her voice shook at its core, it was completely obvious she was suppressing the feeling from bursting out. She was choking on the raw emotion that screamed to be released. Her eyes fell, falling to the coat that was grasped in Freyd's hand. "That's Raidou's robe. He needs it back." Still, Hidden refused to admit the truth in words. "You can't have it, it's not yours to wear." Hidden's hand reached out for the coat, instead finding the hilt of Raidou's sword. The weapon was too heavy to even attempt to carry. Instead, she pushed her weight onto it. 

In an instant, black sludge clung to her avatar and sunk its fangs into her. Stretching along the side of her body, the sludge would quickly began to wrap its way around her body. A sudden struggle would take place as Hidden began to claw her face, remove the sludge from it. While her efforts ended in success, long red gashes remained etched into her face as her left hand had morphed into long extended claws. Much of it was hard to see thank to her clothing though the sludge had gathered onto nearly all of her left side. 

"This is exactly what you wanted, isn't it? Die." The last word was a cold deathly calm. Though, Freyd wouldn't have any time to ponder its meaning as Raidou's sword became a projectile thrown at his body. Whether the man blocked or dodged the attack, Hidden would end up directly next to him with claws aimed directly at his figure. 

Chapter Three: Resist
"Face the impending disaster."

When her vision returned to her, she found herself staring at a stone tile floor. A voice called to her, asking if she could get up. Raising her head, she found herself looking on at a raging battle. A familiar man clad in a red coat stood, struggling to hold back the force of a monster with three heads. His health was beginning to drop considerably, but the woman was certain of his recovering capabilities. Her eyes flicked back at those that surrounded her. Many of the Firm Anima members stood there, calling out to each other. A few others remained in the fight but it seemed many of them were in the process of teleporting out. 

The white-haired girl stood up, backing away from the fight and reentered the shadows. It seemed that their situation was dire, but the boss that stood against them was also on its last leg. Most likely, the monster was baring its last fangs as its last health bar dipped into red. <<Tanabata Hydra>> was a large three-headed beast, that seemed more than agile enough to keep them on their toes. Violet eyes would onlook as the beast withdrew from Raidou before leaping into the air and slamming into the ground. A shockwave shook the ground knocking several of the remaining players in the fight to the ground. 

'Why is there an odd number of players here? Raidou seems to be the only tank going on, but he is tanking for multiple parties too? I guess we better kill it quickly to take some of the load off huh?' 

Another glance at the other players, it seemed many of them had the same idea as her. Setsuna, Freyd, and Ayame...? What was the girl doing here? When had she gotten to the frontlines? Each of them seemed poised and ready to attack at once. Ayame was most likely still in this fight because Hidden herself was still there. Stupid girl, when would she learn about stepping into fights she didn't belong in? At least it looked like she had Shiina there keeping her healed. A violet aura wrapped around her amethyst blade as Hidden primed an attack, creeping forward from the shadows. 

Her footsteps echoed as she continued down the hall. Her breath created a thin white mist in the air, something she only just now seeing thanks to the additional light. Unlike before, the girl made no hesitation in her steps and was confident with the path laid out bare before her. Surely enough, another door would rest in her path. A seal resting at its center depicted by tea leaves in the shape of a dagger. From first glance, the burning-red image on the door held no meaning to her. Hidden couldn't even begin to formulate a guess on what could rest on the opposite side. 

Stepping forward, she would find that the door let off an intense heat. The smell of blood and smoke rested on the other side. Faltering for a moment, her hand would remain stationary in the air as it extended out. Something told her this door would resemble the first much more than that of the second. Taking a breath to steel herself, the lily would push it open. Not even given a chance to make her own decision, a mighty flame rose consuming girl and door alike. As the woman burned away into ash, words would be echo through the air. 

Face the impending disaster. 

Continuing to walk, she would end up reaching the outskirts of her house's yard. How much farther did she needed to go to leave? Had she not actually completed the Trial? Did she need to go back? Something told her Simmone would be unimpressed. Continuing to walk, she found that it suddenly became harder to walk. As if a harsh win was attempting to prevent her from proceeding forward. Pushing forward, a ripping sound would become audible as the world around her would suddenly tear away and cause even the ground at her feet to fade. Falling through the air, a sudden thud as she planted to the ground. 

'Ouch that wasn't graceful at all!' she thought to herself. Turning around, she would find the door she had stepped through to get this far. What had happened? When she stepped through did she become momentarily unconscious? All of everything she just witnessed had happened during the time it took her to fall to the ground? The idea disagreed with her. Shaking her head, she would simply decide to ignore it. This entire place didn't make much sense in the first place. 

The hallway had remained cold, in fact it seemed colder as she proceeded. It was as if she was in a long freezer and each step took her closer to the fans. However, with the second door passed, the area had become brighter and she could at least make out several feet in front of her before it became impossible to see farther. From what she could see, nothing had changed in the hallway. There were no side rooms, it was just one long cold, stone, dark hallway. Boring.

Taking a step forward, she now found herself actively looking for the next sealed door. With the pattern of things, she was certain another was up and coming. Hopefully it was more like the second door instead of the first. She was much happier to stay within Aincrad than have anything outside of it. 

Simmone would assure Hidden's conclusion of the world around her and her place. The scary thought was knowing that her and Simmone had traded places. Now, it was Simmone who couldn't see herself in the mirror. A faint memory of Simmone's own mirror whispered into her mind. Hidden would watch as the dark haired woman would press her hand against it, assumedly without any result. The cat-like woman would pull her hand away from the mirror, telling her to leave. Slipping from the room, the woman would offer her a weak smile before returning to the table and cover for her absence. 

Moving towards the front door, she would stop for a moment and falter at the knob. 

"Make this happiness your own, through the trials that you must face. Make it real. Don't look back."

Against her warning, Hidden would turn. Violet eyes peered into the vision, a vision that made her happy. Simmone whispered something to Sey and he'd become bright red. She had always loved to see his embarrassed side, though she always found herself getting embarrassed before she could get him to be. Ayame was happily eating, some of the sauce had even gotten onto her face. Hidden was glad that the girl had become so happy from her frightened and feral original self.  "Go go." Simmone ushered her away, continuing to push her away. The woman was right. She needed to leave. If she stayed any longer, she would never want to leave. 

Simmone's final words would humor her, a small giggle forming. Turning back to open the door, she would call back to the woman, "At least you have an ass! That spaghetti hasn't gotten me anywhere!" Laughing and smiling, Hilda would made her way out and into her yard. A pleasant breeze rolled through, leaves fluttered to the ground. It was simply... perfect. For her though, perfect wasn't good enough. 

As normal, most of Simmone's words held no meaning for her. Instead of providing a straight-forward answer, the white-haired girl was offered a question. Which of her was truly the real Hidden? Instead of leaving the question in the air, Simmone took her interpretation of the answer. The answer was that there wasn't any, her and her other half were one and the same. Nodding, Hidden would lock eyes with the golden irises of Simmone. "I think I understand. What's wrong here isn't necessarily me or even the surrounding. The only thing that may be off is the people in it. Everything else is caused by a change in circumstance." The thought process was completely off-the-wall but it was the only thing she could make out of Simmone's words.

Standing up from her toilet seat, she would look at Simmone silently for a moment. Her happiness was fake because it was forced upon her. "I guess... I guess it might be time for me to leave then. I don't belong here... at least not yet." The voices of three drifted in from the kitchen. What would they have even thought of her absence? Would they try to stop her? There was really only one way to find out. 

"I'm sorry... I don't remember going to get that Bridal Gown. That wasn't me." Taking a breath, Hidden would move over to sit on toilet as she attempted to understand the world that was going on around her. Was this simply an alternate version of Aincrad, but she had replaced the Hidden of it? "Reversed huh? I wish I knew what that meant. Does that mean that I've become the shadow in the scenario? Is that why I am so out of place here?" The question was asked slowly and spoken softly. Simmone told her that she thought she looked better this way. A smile would form on Hidden's lips. "Of course, I'd be happy here. I'd get to wake up every day and see Sey. I doubt that Laughing Coffin or the APD ever existed here or they at least leave me alone." Hidden had almost become completely aware of her surroundings. No longer was she trying to integrate herself with it. 

"I'd be happy... but nothing would ever feel right. I'm not even speaking with the people that I know. To you, I'm a stranger wearing someone else's face." Tracing her hair back to her ear, she would tuck it there as she gazed down into her lap. The question also lingered in her head: If she looked better here, how could she be like that back where she belonged? 

The sound of high-heels clicking against the floor caught Hidden's ears before Simmone's words did. Unlike Sey, she didn't immediately push the woman away. Out of everyone, she hadn't acted at all out of the ordinary. There was a bit of information she was missing, but Simmone hadn't acted any different. Eyes raising to the point where she could see Simmone through the mirror, she studied the woman closely. Her eyes were still tinged with gold and for once it was a relief to Hidden. 

"What's the matter, dear? After all, the marriage is in a few days." Turning from the mirror, mouth wide open, she would stare stunned at Simmone. "MARRIAGE? ME?" Here words were coughed out essentially and were sounded with disbelief. She was getting married to Sey? It had once been planned but the whole business with the APD had prevented it from ever happening. 

 "Isn't this everything you have ever wanted?"

Stunned by the question, Hidden would turn her head away. Wasn't this everything she ever wanted? She had friends that visited, she was living happily with Sey, and not a single worry tread her mind. What was the matter with her? She should be more the excited. "Hey Simmone." She would suddenly speak, calmly. She simply needed to affirm something. "You've been appraising Sey and I since you got here. What do you see in me?" She had remembered the woman's answer from before. Was it going to be different here? Was she a different person here, or had just the world changed around here?

OOC Note: From the nature of how things were going, I had to reverse the order of what is happening in the post to be able to respond to it. 

The friendly nature between Raidou and Sey was unfamiliar to her, but it was starting to grow on her. The thing about it that was the hardest to wrap her mind around was Raidou being overly pleasant. She didn't remember having seemed like this before at all. Raidou and him had spoke like they were old friends. In response to Raidou's question, Sey would smile brightly. "Oh? It's moving along quite nicely. Soon, I don't even think I'll be able to keep up with the orders!" A trill laughter would cause Hidden to smile. It was nice to see him getting to enjoy himself. As for Raidou, he seemed pretty happy as well. His attitude it was pleasant, but there was something wrong with it. It wasn't the Raidou she had become accustomed to. Something in her head told her to simply roll with it. She was willing to roll with it until Raidou slid closer, his face inches from hers. Quietly, he would assure her that he had known her for much longer. The issue was not only his distance from her, but the fact that he said her name. 

Standing suddenly, Hidden would get up. There was something sickening about hearing her own name here. That wasn't who she was here. Only Sey had ever been told it because she wanted to meet him outside of Aincrad if she ever left. To hear Raidou say it and so casually... it made her want to vomit. 

Trying to push down the sickness that gathered in her throat, she would excuse herself from the table heading in the direction of the Master Bathroom. Sey would immediately respond to her need, "Love?" He would step in her direction but she would hold out her hand. "Stop! Don't you follow me!" Moving down the hall, she would skirt through their room and to the bathroom. Moving to the sink, she would tightly grasp the counter. Violet eyes met her own as she stared into he mirror in front of her. All she could see was herself, pale as ever, with snow-white hair falling over her shoulders. Hadn't it returned to its natural black before? Memories that existed outside of this place she was in were hazy, but she couldn't shake the feeling that nothing was right. It made her nauseous. 

Turning on the faucet, she would slash some water into her face to help herself cooldown. Something inside of her told her she was overreacting but did she actually feel that way?