The Land of Chaos: Part II

Hunter shook his head. "No, I like it, but I don't get to roam as freely as you do," he said with a soft smile. "But I will soon." He rocked a bit as he looked up at the expanse of tree leaves. "There's a lot of stuff to explore out there. I sure do miss exploring." He smiled with excitement, but it fade when he spotted a white shape in the shadows. "We know you're there." Or at least he did. When a small dragon came wobbling out with a 'Nyaa' Hunter sighed. DK was more trouble than he was worth. When the moon creature climbed into his lap he petted him without a word.

Silence came out of the bushes with unblinking black eyes. However his gaze turned to DK who was nyaaing at the feel of his ears being scratched. Moon creatures were both good and bad. A great yet troublesome asset to the Unknown. Looking past the dragon he looked to Hunter. "Boreas will join you and Batsu." After he'd finished speaking the winged creature stirred.

Batsu sat up with a sigh and narrowed his eyes. He looked around, feeling a bit strange when he saw how many people were around. It got even stranger when he saw Fara sitting on the shoulder of someone he didn't recognize. "What happened," he asked feeling confused. He slowly stood up and stretched his wings as he awaited an answer.

Alice hadn't said anything about the moon creature because if he'd wanted to come out, he would have come out, right? Maybe he just liked hiding. She didn't know, but when he did come out, she smiled and waved at him. She adored most of the creatures in the Unknown, feeling bad for the ones who couldn't leave. At least, for the ones that were harmless who couldn't leave. When she heard more noises, her smile widened upon seeing her dad and some other man walk out. Since Fara was on the man's shoulder, she wondered if it was either Jasper or Boreas. The little fairy didn't really seem to like anyone else. "Hi again daddy," she said with a giggle. She found it funny that he'd shown up so soon again. That wasn't really like him. She turned her gaze to the red haired male when he woke up. "Good morning mister," she said with her usual smile. 'Mister' seemed to have become Alice's choice term of endearment for Batsu. "You were hurt and fell asleep, so my daddy fixed you up," she nodded. "Oh!" she chirped with a small look of realization. "Thank you for helping me and Cross!" she told him happily.

Boreas followed behind Silence quietly, grinning as he looked around. This was amazing. Finally, his own body, one completely under his control. And if he had any less controol, he would have been laughing ecstatically the entire way. He wondered what he could do. If he could turn into his usual forms or not, and if his body was better at handling ice than Jasper's had been. Carefully taking off his glove, he glanced at Fara before looking back to it, letting it first frost over before ice seemed to grow out of his very skin, encasing it in an icicle so that his hand looked like it had become a dagger of ice. Too overwhelmed to keep himself from doing so, Boreas laughed in amazement and joy. This was too perfect! There were so many things he wanted to try! He let the ice melt when he heard they were coming towards people, slipping his glove back on. His grin only widened when he saw Batsu and Alice and Cross. He didn't care for humans, and even though he'd met Hunter before, he stil didn't care for the guy. However, he was too happy to care about the purple eyed guy being there. He gave a wave to Batsu and Alice, as did Fara. "Hey," he grinned, his orange eyes glimmering.

Hunter nodded when Silence said Boreas would be joining them. So did that mean Jasper was able to move on? That was good. The purple eyed male then looked to Batsu who had woken up. Good thing too, they could get out of this hole. He stood up with DK in his arms. The little dragon seemed happy enough with the action. "You realize I'm leaving here, right?" He hoped DK wouldn't try and follow him.

Batsu looked at the guy who waved at him. "I don't know you," he stated bluntly before he waved to Fara and turned to Aliice as she spoke. His grey eyes blinked as she gave the vaguest description ever. "Okay...you're welcome?" He then looked to Silence. "Thank you." He looked down to Cross and then it hit him, Oblivion. They'd fought that thing even though they didn't stand a chance. He looked back to Silence. "You wanted to see me," he asked. Silence nodded.

"Come with me," he spoke. "We need to talk." Batsu nodded. He glanced back to the others with wondering eyes before he followed Silence away.

Despite Batsu's blunt dismissal, Boreas couldn't stop grinning. He even chuckled a bit at what the winged creature said to him. Now that he thought about it, if he ever encountered Serenity again, the woman wouldn't recognize him either. He should say goodbye to her for Jasper. He was gonna do that if he ever saw her again. "Yeah ya do," he grinned, giving a small wave as the guy walked away with Silence. Even thought Hunter had just stood up, Boreas plopped down, his greyish-brown hair swaying lightly as he did. He propped himself up by placing his hands behind him. "So, when're we leaving? Batsu's coming with us, yeah? And is Cross and Alice coming with us?" he asked, glancing to Alice, who smiled at his happiness.

The white haired girl gave a small shrug. "I don't know. I have to ask Cross when he wakes up. He's still tired. Oblivion was being really mean to him and mister." When Boreas gave her a questioning look, she giggled. "Mister Batsu," she clarified.

Hunter couldn't believe this to be Boreas. He'd become used to just seeing Jasper's face with orange eyes, not an entirely new being. When he was addressed he simply shrugged. "I guess we leave when Batsu gets back," he said with a shrug. "Afterwards we wait for Cross to wake up and then we can head out." He looked down to DK who was squirming. Hunter frowned. "Be still." The little dragon shook his head and then flapped his wings, breaking free of Hunter's grip as he flew towards Batsu and Silence.

The Guardian of the Unknown put a bit of distance between himself and Batsu from the rest of the group. With Batsu following behind him he spoke. "Your friend made the wish to bring the souls here and you took it upon yourself to guide them," he began. "Madness has spread to those souls and they have escaped. It is your responsibility to find them and remove the Madness, or Hunter will destroy both Madness and the soul it has infected."

Batsu blinked as Silence spoke to him. What? Hunter would destroy the souls he'd brought in if he couldn't stop them. He knew he shouldn't be surprised because he'd been destroying souls for nearly twelve years, but still. The grey eyed male kept quiet though, for Silence began to speak again.

"You are in charge of righting a wrong, and should you fail this task, the world will become consumed in Madness and Oblivion will break free."

"Can't someone just wish away Madness," Batsu asked.

Silence merely shook his head. "I am not capable of granting such a wish. Madness has always been and always will be, for there must be a balance between good and evil."

Batsu frowned. "I see...." Batsu was quiet for a minute before he spoke again. "What if...what if someone chose to be a vessel for all of the Madness? What if they could take it all in and survive? What if someone wished to become a vessel?"

Silence stopped walking and turned his black gaze on the winged creature. Batsu was much smaller than he remembered, but it was only because he had his own body. "Would you be willing to make such a sacrifice?"

Batsu nodded. "If it means that we can end this peacefully, then yes." He looked up to Silence. "I don't have anything to lose, so I would do it."

A gentle smile formed across Silence's face. "You are a changed being. Giving up your life for others." He rested his hand on Batsu's shoulder. "I wish you luck in this task, Batsu. Now go back to your friends and live the life that you have been given. You have purpose, seek it."

Grey eyes blinked in confusion. Was Silence denying him the opportunity to save a thousand lives at the cost of his own? Deciding it would be better not to argue he started away when suddenly the little white dragon Hunter had been holding ran out.

"Nyaaa!!!"

Silence looked to DK. "You wish to help too?" The dragon nodded. "If I allow you this chance, do you vow to help Batsu and the others? Again DK nodded. Silence narrowed his eyes at the eager dragon. "Very well, follow me."

The group of three headed back to the clearing with Silence in the lead, Batsu walking a few feet behind him and DK skipping along beside him with his wings flapping every now and again.

Boreas looked around as Hunter answered, just because he loved the idea of seeing everything with his very own eyes. He'd never had that sense of just being happy to be alive before now. It was...different, and new, and very much awesome. "So Cross is helping us?" He didn't know. All he knew was that they were hunting Madness and fighting against his. His own body, and with a purpose! Boreas gave a small chuckle, and laid back with his arms crossed behind his head. It was then he realized that his canines were especially sharp, almost like the fangs of a cat. Neat. He gave another small chuckle when he heard no reply to his thoughts. Yeah, maybe it would be lonely inside his head, but who cared! His orange eyes looked curiously as he saw Batsu and Silence and the little white dragon walking towards them on the ceiling. Well, that's what it looked like, anyhow. He didn't bother sitting up. Jasper would have, but not him.

Alice kicked her feet in front of her, glancing at Cross every now and again while Hunter and Boreas talked with each other. She wondered if Cross would be going with them to fight Oblivion and Madness. He wouldn't let her help him if he did, because he'd been mad at her for taking Oblivion away from him all those times. She wondered if he'd still be mad at her when he woke up.

Hunter shrugged. "I guess so." He then looked to Silence as the guardian came back with Batsu and DK. "So, what are we doing now," he asked.

Silence answered Hunter's question immediately. "You four will hunt down the creatures that have escaped. There are a good amount that have escaped, but once you leave, the gates to the Unknown will close and nothing will be allowed outside if it has been touched by Madness."

Hunter raised a brow. "Four?"

Silence looked to DK. "He will join you."

DK gave a small bounce and moved so that he could be seen. His yellow eyes were wide with excitement. He was gonna get a new body too!

Batsu fluffed his wings when DK stepped forward. He'd never seen this creature before and he was still wondering who Fara had become so attached to. Why wasn't she with Jasper and Boreas? His gaze looked to Alice and Cross. It was strange to just now notice the similarities between her and Silence. 'Daddy.' That was her father. Batsu felt a bit envious, he had no family. Turning his gaze away he looked to Cross. So he hadn't yet awoken.

Boreas couldn't help but to give Batsu a grin. He didn't realize it yet. The orange eyed chakra wondered if he should tell the black winged being. "Batsu," he called, continuing to lay on his back while looking at Batsu. Fara had taken to sitting on his chest with her legs crossed, smiling. She'd miss Jasper, but Boreas seemed so happy, it was hard not to smile. "Come on, you know who I am. Take a guess." He fell silent when Silence explained their mission. He would have frowned about that part about the gates of the Unknown closing, if he cared about being away from humans. That much about him hadn't changed, he still hated humans. He glanced to the little white dragon. The tiny creature seemed happy for some reason.

Batsu's grey gaze turned back to Boreas. He seriously didn't know who this guy was. He seemed so laid back and carefree and Fara seemed to be just fine with that. For a minute he felt like he did know this guy. It didn't hit him until he noticed the orange eyes. "Boreas?" He took a step forward and looked down at the guy with wide eyes. "No way. Where's Jasper?" He looked to Fara and gave her a small smile, but his attention went straight back to Boreas.

DK looked to Silence with curious yellow eyes. Was he going to get his body or not? Batsu had a new body! Jasper had a new body! What about him. He trotted over to the two changed beings and took a seat as if telling Silence that he wanted to be changed too.

Silence noticed DK as the dragon tried getting his attention. "I have not forgotten about you little one." He waved DK over and once the dragon had come to him, he petted him on the hand. A bright light washed over him and then DK was no longer a dragon, but a ten year old boy with purple hair and eyes.

DK looked himself over. He noticed how small he was and frowned. "Why aren't I an adult," he asked a little disappointed. He looked to Silence with questioning eyes. "Can't you make me an adult?"

Silence shook his head. "The greatest gifts come in small packages. They will need someone of your caliber DK. You will be a great asset."

"But I'm just a kid," DK complained. His tiny voice matching his age, making him feel less than important. He'd wanted to play a major part in this, but now he was too small to make a difference. He gave a small sniffle an looked back to the others. They were all capable of doing something, but not him.

Silence smiled. "Just be patient." He looked to the others. "Now, I must go. Now that my staff is returned I can close the gates. All of you will be able to come and go as you please. I wish you all the best of luck with this task."

Hunter blinked when he saw DK turn into a kid. Now wasn't that an interesting sight. He gave a small chuckle as the child complained. He shook his head and then looked to Boreas and Batsu before his gaze finally landed on Cross and Alice. So, this was their group, oh wait, he'd forgotten Fara. He could only imagine how this was going to turn out.

Boreas grinned wider when Batsu finally said his name. "Bingo," he said, pointing his finger at Batsu as if his hand were a gun that he were firing. "Since he got the sword back to Silence, he wanted to move on and be with his family," he said with a light shrug. "But I didn't want to go, so Silence gave me my own body so I could help you guys," he said with a grin. He sat up and looked at the red haired male. "I finally have my own body," he said in a giddy tone, snickering happily at the thought.

The grey-brown haired male looked over to the little dragon as he paced around impatiently. Was that little thing getting a body too? He couldn't help but laugh when he saw the ten year old child that came in place of the dragon. "How's that gonna help us!" he laughed, holding his stomach. They were gonna be so totally doomed if that little kid was gonna be on their team! "He's so tiny!"

Cross grumbled lightly before stirring, his eyes flickering open. What was with all the noise? He sat himself up, using his wings to push himself until his arms were of use. He blinked in surprise when he suddenly found Alice's arms wrapped around him. "...A...Alice..?" He didn't get why she'd hugged him so suddenly, but a moment later he remembered what had happened with Oblivion before he'd lost control. Oblivion had Alice in his grasp. He pulled the small girl away from him to look her over, his usually cold and emotionless eyes wide with worry. When he saw that she was completely fine, relief washed over him like a tidal wave and he pulled her to him again, wrapping his arms around her. He didn't know what he'd have done if she'd been hurt. And then he remembered all the people he'd heard talking before he'd woken up and slowly released Alice, somehow making it look natural in the process. The only thing that gave away his still relieved state of mind was the breath he took after he let her go. "I'm glad you're okay..." he said quietly, which sent Alice into a fit of giggling. She'd never seen him act like that before!

DK turned to look at Boreas when he made fun of him. He frowned and shook his head. "Shut up! I can do more than you can," he argued. The purple eyed child looked to Silence in distress. "Make me an adult," he demanded. "I want to be an adult!" DK's eyes watered with tears. "Why can't you make me an adult, I don't want to be small." It wasn't fair! The child turned his gaze to Cross and Alice when he saw them moving. What was going on with them? He didn't care.

Hunter blinked when DK demanded that Silence turn him into an adult. "Are you crazy kid," he asked with a shake of his head. "Don't go demanding stuff from a guardian!" He walked over and pulled DK to the side. "If you're going to act like a child then you might as well be a child," he scolded. He really didn't want to put up with a brat throughout this entire mission.

Batsu smiled when Boreas said it was in fact him. "Glad to see that you stayed to help," he said. "And the new look is way different." Batsu looked to Fara. "Hey little lady, are you glad to have Boreas staying with you?" He then looked to Cross as the guy sat up. "Welcome back to the waking world," he said with a nod of his head. He was glad to see Cross awake and okay. The guy had been pretty bad off the last time he'd seen him. He then looked to Silence who was also looking at Cross.

Silence was silent for a while as Alice and Cross caught up, as well as Boreas and Batsu. To say DK was lucky for Hunter's interference was the understatement of the year. His eyes narrowed lightly at the child's action, but he didn't care to comment. "It looks as though you all have recovered. I shall take my leave now." His gaze landed on Cross. "Continue to watch over her, Messenger."

Boreas's eyes nearly filled with tears as he laughed, now it was at the child's actions though. Oh boy, this was gonna be great. When he saw Silence's eyes narrow though, he tried to stifle his laughter and turned his attention instead to Batsu. "I didn't get a chance to see too much of how I look," he shrugged, but then pulled off his glove. "But I do know I can still do this much," he grinned, coating his hand in ice. "I promise not to freeze you anymore, by the way, not unless you seriously piss me off," he joked. He glanced to Fara, smiling when she eagerly nodded at Batsu's question. Man, she really was adorable. He was glad he'd kept her with him through all those years. He'd talked to her a lot during the time she'd been frozen. He wondered if she remembered any of it, or if she'd even heard. He gave a grin and a wave to Cross when the guy woke up. He'd have to get the full story later.

Cross looked around in slight embarrassment at having been caught at such a vulnerable moment. When Silence addressed him, he looked to the guardian, closing his eyes for a moment and giving a bow of his head, the closest thing he could come to bowing without actually standing up. Mostly because Alice was still half sitting on him.

The white haired girl looked a little sad when Silence said he had to leave. She quickly got up and went over to him, giving him a hug and a smile. "Bye-bye daddy," she said. She always smiled for him when they separated. At least, after she'd learned of death, she had. She knew she had Cross to protect her, but what if it was a really really really long time until she saw her dad again? She wanted him to remember her smiling.

Silence patted the white haired child on the head. "Stay safe little one," he told her before he started off, disappearing into the blackness of the Unknown. He was heading for the center. There he would stop all creatures of Madness from exiting.

Batsu looked to Boreas with a tilt of his head. "I hope you're joking," he said. The grey eyed male smiled though when he saw the expression on Cross's face. He then looked over to Silence who was obviously planning on leaving. Batsu fluffed his wings again and shook them out. For a moment he was silent after Alice hugged her father and the guardian left. He looked to the group, looking them all over before he spoke. "I know we don't know each other very well," he began. "And the journey ahead of us is going to be a hard one, so I'd like to say this before we leave. If you feel as though you won't be able to complete this task, then that's okay. This is really my responsibility, but I know I can't do it alone, so I appreciate you all for coming along." He gave a small smile. "I've never met the changed forms of these souls, so whatever threat they may pose is unknown to me. It might get a little dangerous and I don't expect any of you to give your lives up for something like this. If it becomes too much, you're free to go, but for the time that we are together, I'd like to express my gratitude."

Hunter turned to Batsu as the winged male began to speak. He didn't think the guy would give a speech, but he listened. "Well, I've promised Silence I would help, so you've got me until we've gathered all the changed souls or until I die. Whichever comes first." He smiled and placed his hands behind his head.

DK frowned at Hunter when he was told he was acting like a child, but got over it when Silence took his leave and Batsu started to speak. "I'm going to help too," he chimed in. "I don't very much like staying in the Unknown, so I don't really have a choice." He smiled lightly and looked up to Hunter and then to Batsu. "I'm not sure what I can do to help, but I will help out where I can." Bright purple eyes shinned with determination.

"We'll just have to see," he grinned. Boreas looked to Batsu with a raised eyebrow when the guy started off on a speech. By the end of it, he found he couldn't contain a chuckle. "Who knew a destroyer of worlds could make such a touching speech," he teased, standing up and stretching. "I have a body and a purpose, and that's all I need to follow you wherever you need to go," he grinned, his orange eyes shining. "I made a promise to Silence to help find Madness, and unlike humans, I keep my promises," he said nonchalantly. He hadn't even paid attention to Hunter. He glanced to DK when the little guy said he was gonna help where he could, but said nothing. He felt bad for the guy, getting a kid's body. Hell, he woulda been pissed off too!

Cross slowly stood up after Alice went over to Silence, his wings stretching out fully behind him for a few moments before relaxing again. He felt refreshed, and he had no idea how long he'd even slept for. The Madness was gone from his system, he could feel it. He said nothing as Alice came back over to him, his face back to the blank mask he usually wore, but Alice could see that his expression looked a little softer than usual. "Me too!" Alice giggled, raising her hand excitedly. She gave an innocent giggle at the look Cross gave her, which only consisted of a blank stare and several blinks.

Batsu turned his head to Boreas when the guy spoke. "The hell with you," he said with a smile. He knew the guy had been teasing and that was okay with him. He looked to the group. "So, that covers just about everyone," he said. He looked to Fara. "Care to tag along? I'm sure Boreas would love the company." He looked to Cross. "And Alice as well." His grey eyes were full of curiosity. He really hoped the guy would come with them. It would make things so much easier. Cross was also able to consume Madness, so they could divide it if whatever creature they were facing had too much for just one person.

DK looked to Hunter when Boreas made the comment about humans, considering Hunter was the only human in the group. His big purple eyes then turned to Cross. He didn't expect this guy to tag along, he was a bit strange. The child then turned to Batsu. "So, when are we leaving and where exactly are we going," he asked. "I mean, how do we track these changed souls," he asked. Maybe he was asking too many questions, but he was ten.

Hunter sighed at all the questions DK was asking. "How about we start off with getting to know each other's name before we decided to run off and battle Madness." He'd decided to let Boreas' comment slid for the time being. He knew he was the only human here, so he didn't care to argue. He didn't know what this guy's deal was, but he wouldn't play Boreas' game.

Boreas let the ice around his hand melt, slipping his glove back on just as Fara happily nodded in response to Batsu, hugging Boreas as best she could, which resulted in her hugging his neck. She didn't seem to mind it, but Boreas stopped putting his glove on halfway because of it, his orange eyes blinking in mild surprise. After a moment though, he just gave an embarrassed grin, his fangs showing only slightly as he did. He didn't mind them, in fact, he thought they were kinda cool. They probably would be until he bit his tongue with them. Then they'd be a pain in the ass. He glanced to Hunter only momentarily when the human said they should introduce themselves. He was gonna wait for everyone else.

Cross nodded lightly at Batsu's question. He had nothing better to do than go, especially if Alice would be insistent on tagging along. He was starting to figure things out, at least he thought he was. He didn't remember much about his childhood, or if he'd even had one. The earliest points in his life he could remember were just before he met Alice. Most of his memories involved the Unknown in some form or another.

Alice spoke for the raven haired male when he didn't answer. It looked like he was back to his usual, silent self. "I'm Alice," she chirped happily. "And this here's Cross," she said, pointing to him. "We're definitely coming with you, uh huh," she nodded.

Batsu smiled when Cross nodded. When Alice confirmed that the two of them would tag along he replied with, "Good. Glad to have you aboard." He then looked to the others. Hunter spoke next. "My name is Hunter." "And I'm DK," the other purple eyed male spoke up. "Nice to meet you Hunter and DK, I'm Batsu." His gaze then turned to Boreas and Fara. He wondered how colorfully Boreas would introduce himself.

Boreas watched everyone introduce themselves, giving Fara a light grin. Once it was his turn, he motioned to the grey haired fairy first. "This little one here's Fara. She doesn't talk too much, so try'n stick to asking her yes and no questions," he said with a grin. "And I, I am Boreas, master of all things cold, and your second in command for this journey," he said with a grin cast at Batsu. "Only second in command cuz I've no idea where to start," he chuckled.

That introduction earned a few unimpressed blinks from Cross and a couple unstifled giggles from Alice, who was still standing next to the raven haired male.

DK gave a small laugh at the introduction Boreas gave. "Who died and made him second in command," he asked with wide eyes. With a small huff he looked to Batsu. "Can we go now," he asked. He wanted to leave out of the Unknown. It had been ages since he'd last left. After Felix had run him back inside, he'd been too scared to leave, but now he was in his own body and if he ever came into contact with that guy, his friends would help him. Oh, friends. Yeah, these were his friends.

Hunter raised a brow. Second in command? He was with DK, who died and put him in that position. "I think this new body is getting to his head." The little dragon nodded in agreement and they both looked to Batsu for an answer.

"Um, I...I really would have consid-er, nevermind. It's whatever you want Boreas." He gave a small smile and then waved for the group to follow. "Let's go to a village and figure out a game plan. Not the Gears, someplace small where we can rest up and stay unnoticed." With that he started off for the exit.

Boreas could only grin at the responses he got, since no on was actually seriously trying to dispute his position. No one else was taking it, so he could procure his spot as second-in-command without issue. Of course this was just a game to him. He nodded, following Batsu's lead as the guy started for the exit. "So, I may be wrong, but wouldn't staying in a small village attract more attention?" He asked, tilting his head. Fara, as usual, was silent, but look around happily at all the people.

Just like the little fairy, Alice was quiet and happy, skipping next to Cross' side for a bit before turning into a white cat and trotting along for no reason. Her black eyes were just as bright as they'd been before. The first thing Alice did when they exited the Unknown was to chase down a butterfly. Cross only shook his head, looking to Boreas at his comment. The guy had a point.

Batsu paused for a moment before he spoke. "Oh, yeah, that makes sense." He looked to the side and then straight ahead. Where was a large village at? He didn't know the terrain that well. "Okay, does anyone know where a village is at," he asked. "I don't know this place very well." Or rather all the villages he knew about he'd destroyed. The black winged creature looked to Alice as she chased a butterfly. She really was adorable.  

Hunter rocked back and forth on his heels. "Well, just south of here is the Valley of Thunder. It's not well known, but it's population is pretty expansive. News about the Gears probably wouldn't have reached them, so you all would be okay." He was mainly talking about Cross and Batsu. Those two were the most noticeable with their wings.  

DK was bouncing with excitement when they exited the Unknown. "It's been so long!" He started off into a run, laughing with joy. The little purple haired kid had barely made it to the top of the hill when an earsplitting growl sounded and the ground caved in under him. For a moment DK screamed as he plummeted to the bottom of the earth before he willed himself to turn into his dragon form. However, when he changed, he wasn't just a little dragon, he was a full grown white dragon with yellow eyes. He flapped his wings powerfully to pull himself out of the hole, but as he did, a claw grabbed onto his back, pulling him back to the ground. Just as quickly a head popped up, revealing a white and red wolf that had Madness seeping from him.

Cross looked at Hunter when the guy started speaking of villages. He was glad the brown haired human spoke up. He didn't like talking all so often. As soon as DK ran out, Cross's eyes darted to the small child, his black wings spreading out. Already? When the ground caved in, he looked towards Alice, who had stopped chasing the butterfly at the sound. He hoped this was the only creature around. "Alice," he called, glancing back towards the Unknown. She couldn't get hurt there, and he wasn't taking a chance. It wasn't so far away anyways.

Boreas blinked as the ground crumbled, his eyes wide with surprise for a moment before he grinned. "Now that's more like it!" he chuckled, when he saw what DK turned into. Maybe the guy wouldn't be so useless after all! And even better, he already had something to test himself on! Fara had flown off to be with Alice, so that left the orange chakra to do as he pleased. He yanked off his gloves in excitement. Being one of those people who rushed into battle, Boreas wasn't about to wait around for a game plan. He was sure DK would appreciate his rushing too. He immediately ran closer to the hole in the ground, only a moment before the head popped up. Damn that thing was vicious looking! His first instinct was to stay the hell away from it, but that resulted in a bow and arrow made of ice forming in his hands, which he immediately shot at the creature. "So," he called back loudly, over the roar of the creature. "Do you drain the Madness before or after it kills us?" More importantly, how much damage could they do to the creature before Batsu could get close enough to fix this thing?

Batsu's wings spread the moment DK fell through the earth. Whatever had grabbed the kid was clearly from the Unknown. He could feel the Madness flowing off of it before it even appeared. When it did, Batsu wasn't sure why the hell it was so big and vicious looking. Would they all be like that? He shook his head and got a move on. Flying into the air he was grateful for Boreas' arrow, for it made the creature loosen it's grip on DK. Batsu landed on the thing's back and pulled on the Madness within it. Of course it wasn't an easy task, for the moment he landed the things reared up onto it's hind legs, giving DK a chance to escape, but at the same time it fell onto it's back, crushing Batsu as they both fell into the hole that it had come from.

Hunter's eyes widened when DK fell through the earth. He started forward, but Boreas was already on it. He drew his sword and then looked to Batsu. He was supposed to be in charge like Boreas had so blandly stated. The purple eyed male waited as if on standby. When Batsu attacked and ended up falling through the hole, Hunter ran over. "Damn it....." He turned and looked over his shoulder. "DK, are you alright?"

DK ad turned back to his human form and was looking at the scratches along his side. They stung horribly, but that was the least of their problems, Batsu had fallen through that hole. "I'm fine," he said as he hurried over to the edge of the hole. "How deep do you think it is? That thing is pretty big, so that hole has to go for ages....what if Batsu doesn't make it out?" He turned his purple gaze to Hunter who only shook his head.

By the time Cross was sure that Alice was out of harm's way, the creature had fallen backwards and was tumbling down the rabbit hole, so-to-speak. And apparently Batsu was attached to the thing. Without worrying about DK's question about how deep the hole was, Cross flew over it and glanced at them. "Stay here," he said, a light engulfing his hand as he dropped down into the hole. With his luck, the hole would probably lead into an underground cavern. What was he thinking, he should have been the first to start forward.

Boreas suddenly felt guilty when the thing fell backwards with Batsu on its back and then fell down the hole. "Shit," he mumbled, going towards the edge of the hole. "You okay short stuff?" he asked DK at the same time as Hunter. He only glanced at the human before looking back to the purple haired kid. He was about to go down the hole himself until Cross flew over and started down it. He clenched his jaw a bit at the order they'd been given. He hated it, but he wouldn't be much use going down that thing considering he couldn't fly. Already he was flustered. "Shit, what the hell are we gonna do," he swore lightly, his eyes following Cross' light down the hole. Once he knew how deep it was, he could probably jump down, shooting icicles into the earth for a ladder to come back up...but if Hunter followed, the guy would get his hands frozen from touching them. He internally swore. Why the hell did his ice have to be so cold!

When Batsu had fallen through the hole with the madness infested creature, he'd lost his grip, but found it not long after. The whole fall down he'd had to keep from getting snapped in two as he drew out the madness. When they hit the bottom, Batsu had made sure to be on top of the creature. However the thing wouldn't go down without a fight, it swiped Batsu off like the winged male was a mosquito. Batsu hit the side of the wall with a thud. Eyes narrowing and canines growing, he launched himself back into the battle. Grabbing the red eyed being by the throat, taking it to the ground. The two scrabbled for what felt like ages until Batsu was thrown off once more and the creature tackled him into a tunnel. Batsu gasped when they hit a rock wall and his grip failed. Glowing red eyes peered down at him and for a moment Batsu was uncertain as to what was going to happen to him. When the beast opened it's mouth to snap down on Batsu, he folded his wings over himself. The creature bit down and immediately pulled back, for he had a decent amount of sharp feathers stuck in it's mouth.

DK looked down the hole until Cross came over, telling them to stay put. The child nodded and then watched the other winged male go down. "I don't hear anything," he said. "What if they're both dead?" He looked to Boreas and then to Hunter and then back to Boreas as the guy swore. "Maybe we should just wait like Cross said," he replied. "....hopefully he'll come out with Batsu and everything will be fine."

Hunter looked at the two but his main focus was on the hole. "This is crazy," he said with a sigh.