The Land of Chaos: Part III

"It's very nice," commented the grey eyed male. Honestly he didn't think black suited the small child, but if she liked the dress who was he to tell her that it didn't fit. When Alice said she was gone without getting anything Batsu simply nodded and moved off to the counter. His heart skipped a beat when the little girl almost ran into the counter. He didn't think Cross would be so kind to him if Alice got injured on his watch. When he got to the counter he placed the items up there an then paid. Once everything was squared away he started back for the hotel. He was a bit hungry. It would be easy to find and eat a few souls, but at the same time it would be more civil to just go order food. Then again, he was supposed to let everyone know a game plan. He nearly sighed.

DK had eaten one two many waffles and was now sitting back in his chair with his hands over his belly. "Awww, I'm so full." He looked to Cross. "Where'd Alice go, I wanted to see if she wanted to playat the park today. Would that be okay," he asked.

(Eheh, Alice is making him nervous.)

Alice gave a small giggle when Batsu said her dress was nice, smiling widely. She spun around once when they started out of the shop, giving a wave to the worker guy, who waved back to her with a smile. "Where are we going now?" she asked curiously.

Cross looked to DK. He was sitting back in his own seat as well, but not because he'd stuffed himself. While he was still feeling refreshed, despite his injury, he was getting back to his old self. "With Batsu." Yes, he'd seen her leave with him. He didn't mind, but if something happened to Alice because of him, Cross would rip the guy apart. He still wasn't convinced of the guy's stability. Around them, he seemed calm enough. Maybe the guy really had just gotten carried away last night. He gave a nod at DK's question. They'd probably have to wait until after they took care of a creature or two though.

Batsu looked to Alice when the little girl spun around and waited him where he was going. "Back to the hotel. We have to give DK his shirt and plan on what we're doing next which includes hunting." The winged male then started for the hotel. Once there he looked at the others for a brief moment."Where's Boreas?" His eyes were a bit curious. When DK answered in the room the older male nodded. "If everyone is done eating we'll go up there and talk."

DK smiled when he saw Alice and Batsu come up. When Batsu was done talking he hopped out of his seat and went over to Alice. "Cross said when can go play at the playground later." He then looked to Batsu. "Is that okay." When the guy nodded, DK jumped up happily.

Alice followed happily behind Batsu, her gaze flitting around. It was obvious she wasn't shy, because she waved to everyone they passed, saying good morning as they went. Since the black winged male was holding a bag, she didn't hold his hand on the way back, but instead skipped along. "Awesome!" She giggled, when DK told her they could go to the park later. She went over next to Cross, giving him a smile. "Thanks Cross." It looked like he was certainly back to himself, for the only answer he gave was a nod before he too got out of his seat, quite ready to go.

Fara smiled when she saw Batsu, giving him a wave before flying over onto his shoulder and sitting down.

Boreas had finished eating by now, a bit surprised his food had come so quickly. Now he was just laying back on his bed with one gloved hand on his stomach, and the other ungloved hand holding a frozen apple, which had turned white with the frost on its surface. He kept wondering if before had been a fluke, when DK had swatted at the ice crystal. Hell, maybe the little dragon hadn't even touched the crystal. He refused to believe the kid was ice-proof. His ice froze everything, and apparently his hands were no different. Since Fara had been able to hug his neck without freezing, he was assuming that only his hands would freeze things on contact, and not just his skin in general.

Batsu smiled as Fara came over and sat on his shoulder. How could he ever thought he was alone. "Morning to you as well little lady." He looked to DK. "Lead the way," he said. His eyes momentarily glanced towards Cross. He didn't really care for him anymore. He'd been trying to make up for those twelve years Cross had missed, but now he just didn't care. The grey eyed male followed DK to the elevator and once inside handed the kid the bag. "That's for you."

DK bounced to the elevator without a care. When he got inside and the winner make gave him a bag he smiled. "Thanks." He opened it up and squeaked with excitement. "You got new a shirt! And it's my size too. Thanks Batsu!"

Hunter had followed along in silence. There wasn't much to say. He wasn't thrilled to be going up to Boreas and DK's room. The guy was an ass to humans. However he made no complaints.

Cross and Alice followed behind DK and Batsu and Fara, Cross more silent of the two. The white haired girl smiled wide when Batsu gave DK his bag, giggling at the boy's excitement. "I think he likes it," she told Batsu with a tiny laugh. Of course she knew it was obvious, and she was kinda making a joke because of it. She looked at Cross, whose wings were folded behind him to make sure there was space in the elevator. If he spread his wings out fully, it probably would've taken up the space of one and a half of these elevators. His wings were really long.

Boreas sat up on his bed, propping the pillow on the headboard so he could sit against it. He kept staring at the apple in his hand curiously. He wondered if, because it was covered in his ice, he could make it float. When he tried, he gave a grin. The apple was so frosted over that it appeared to be a very light shade of blue, and it hovered easily above his hand.

Batsu was glad DK was happy with his shirt, and it showed in his eyes. Letting the younger boy less the way, Batsu blinked when they got to the room and DK knocked on the door. He'd briefly forgotten that he was the only one with an extra key. When Boreas answered the door, Batsu gave him a nod. "Good morning."

The moment the door was open DK skimmed past the ice chakra and towards the bathroom to change shirts. Once hehhad it on he came out of the room and grinned. "Looks cool right?"

Boreas looked to the door when he heard a knock. "I didn't order anything else from room service," he mumbled in irritation, putting the frozen apple down on the bedside table. It frosted a small area around it, and would probably be frozen to the table now, but the orange eyed male didn't care. It would melt eventually. Getting up, he went over to the door, blinking when he saw that everyone was gathered outside it. Right, they were supposed to meet today to talk about a game plan, but he'd refused to come downstairs. "Mornin'," he said, stepping aside. "Come on in." He glanced to DK once he came out with a new shirt on, giving a small smirk, but saying nothing.

Alice, on the other hand, happily walked inside, smiling at DK when he came out of the bathroom. "Mmhm, it looks awesome! Now we both have new clothes," she giggled. Cross had waited for everyone else to walk in first, before he came in, but she didn't mind. When he did come in, Boreas closed the door behind him.

"So, I assume everyone's here to discuss a game plan?" he asked, walking back over to sit on the edge of the bed. He'd forgotten to put his glove back on, and now the doorknob was covered in ice. Oops. Glancing around, he found his glove and put it back on. He was glad he hadn't accidentally frozen the lock.

Batsu nodded at the question. "Yes we are." He leaned against the wall, spreading his wings a bit for room. "Now, this is what's going to happen. I've already made a map of sightings." He pulled a map from his pocket and unfolded it. It was pretty big. "This is the surrounding area. The larger circles are where large changelings have been spotted, while the smaller ones are of course were the small ones have been sighted. This is what we're going to do. Both Cross and I can consume Madness while Hunter has the ability to destroy it." He paused for a moment. "We'll divide into three groups once we've gotten rid of the bigger ones. These groups will consist of Cross, Hunter, and DK. Me and Boreas will make up the second group." The grey eyed male looked between the others. "Sounds good with you all?" He'd left out Alice and Fara because they weren't really combat material.

DK seemed happy enough with his shirt and he happily took a seat on he bed and waited for Batsu to speak. When the guy had finished, DK nodded. "Sounds fine with me." He looked to Alice. "We'll get to play together for a little while," he said with a smile.

Hunter tilted his head. "From what I'm seeing, there are six large sightings. How do we know the smaller ones don't contain a lot of Madness too," he asked. He crossed his arms. "And don't you think six large creatures is a lot," he asked. "Will you be able to handle that much?"

Boreas got up off his bed as soon as Batsu pulled out a map. He hadn't thought about it until the human had brought it up, but the purple eyed guy was right. What if Batsu and Cross couldn't handle that much Madness? Hunter was the only one here who could destroy it, if it came down to that. Of course, if it came down to it, Boreas could probably freeze the monster him and Batsu were fighting until backup came, or until the guy could get rid of whatever Madness he had. Boreas straightened up after studying the map for a few moments. "If the smaller ones contain too much Madness, I'll just freeze'em and bring'em back to the Unknown with Batsu. Two birds one stone, Silence can take care of the creature and whatever other Madness he's collected," he said, motioning to Batsu. "And if I can't freeze them over, luring them towards the Unknown should work just as well."

Cross was silent until after Boreas made his confidence clear. "We'll be able to handle them," he told Hunter plainly, glancing to the other black winged being in the room. He turned his gaze to Alice and silenced her with a short "no" when she started speaking with "Yeah, and I can-" to which the white haired child promptly pouted.

Batsu didn't take offense to Hunter pointing out the amount of madness that he could handle. Although he'd been upset with Cross, Hunter had a valid point. The grey eyed male looked Hunter and would have spoken had Boreas and Cross not beat him to it. His eyes closed briefly and he nodded. "If push comes to shove then we'll split into three teams. Boreas, Hunter, and DK can take down the little ones as a single unit, while me and Cross go out on our own. I'd rather it not result to that." He shrugged. "My concern right now isn't the amount of Madness one creature has, it's the amount of damage it can do by throwing around it's weight."

DK remained quiet throughout the debating. He was still in a kids' body and he figured no one would care much for his input. The little dragon didn't even say anything when Batsu said he'd throw them all on different teams, pairing him with Hunter and Boreas. He didn't mind either, but he was sure Boreas wouldn't appreciate having Hunter on his team.

Boreas paused when Batsu said that instead they'd split up into different groups if it came to it. He didn't like these new groups, and it showed on his face in a slight scowl, though he kept his gaze off Hunter. He'd made it clear to DK and Alice that he hated humans, maybe it was time he made it clear to Batsu. "Not a chance in hell," he spoke icily. Aside from the obvious, there was another reason the orange eyed chakra wouldn't work with Hunter. The guy was only capable of destroying the Madness and whatever it was attached to, and Boreas wouldn't have that. The death of these creatures was avoidable, and he was going to do everything in his power to assure that it was avoided.

Cross glanced to Boreas as the guy spoke. He was quite certain their group wasn't a democracy. Instead of dwelling on it, the raven haired male turned his gaze to Alice as she spoke, raising her hand as she did. "Mister? You said three groups, does that mean me and Fara get to do something too?" she asked excitedly, her black eyes hopeful. Cross stayed silent. He'd told her before it was too dangerous, but she wouldn't stop asking. He'd let Batsu or one of the others say something, in the hopes that she'd listen to one of them.

Batsu looked at Boreas when he spoke. "Alright, we won't do that then." He wanted to make sure they would all be comfortable with what was going on. His grey eyes looked to everyone before falling towards Alice who was speaking to him now. He did not know what to say to her because one, he hadn't planned on including her and two, if he said something wrong Cross might take his head for it. "You and Fara stay here," he said. "You two will be on standby in case we need someone to guide the tiny souls back to the Unknown." He knew that would be unlikely, but it was better than nothing. He glanced to Cross, going that was okay. He also looked to Boreas as well.

The light brown haired chakra nearly sighed when Batsu didn't put up a fight. No one else had said anything about it either. Instead, he took a small breath. He was glad that he didn't have to work with that human, if nothing else. He glanced towards Fara at Alice's question, who suddenly looked just as excited as the white haired girl. He hadn't known that the little fairy had wanted to be a part of this as much as she seemed to now. Boreas took a breath and gave a look to Batsu that said he'd said the right thing. The small gray haired fairy on his shoulder pulled on his shirt a couple times until he looked back to her. She pointed to herself and put her hands close together, and then made a wavy motion with her hands and made a gesture that looked like 'big'. Boreas gave a light smile. He thought he understand what her concern was. The souls were bigger than she was. "Don't worry little sister. Alice will help you," he told her softly. Even though Fara didn't look very convinced, Alice seemed to be.

"Really? Okay!" she said happily, looking to Cross. She wondered why he looked kinda relieved. "Me and Fara will take good care of the souls!" she grinned, giving a salute, and then a giggle. She liked playing with souls. Sometimes they had fun memories.

For a moment after Alice responded to Batsu's answer, Cross closed his eyes and held back a sigh. He was honestly surprised that she'd bought it, and when he glanced at the red haired male, he gave a small grateful nod.

Making the right decisions was one of Batsu's main concerns with the group. He didn't want anyone feeling unneeded. Not having a purpose was not a good feeling. Speaking of which. "DK, you haven't said anything, are you good with this as well?" When DK nodded Batsu continued. "Alright, good. Let's get a move on with this." His grey eyes surveyed the group. "Cross, take your team to the east, I'll head for the west with Boreas. We'll meet back here in six hours." He wondered how they'd keep in touch if something went wrong, but at the same time figured they would be okay.

Cross nodded at Batsu's instructions and looked to Hunter and DK. "Do you need to get anything before we go?" he asked, his jade-colored eyes blank, as they usually were. Just because he'd been in a good mood this morning didn't mean he had to show it all day. Yes, he was still in a good mood, and yeah, he'd probably still be when taking care of the creatures, but it would still be business as usual for him.

Boreas crossed his arms behind his head and glanced around at everyone but Hunter. His gaze stopped on Batsu. "I'm good to go when you are," he told him lightly. He was just glad he didn't have to work with that human. He hoped he'd be able to ignore whatever thoughts came into his head about Hunter destroying the creatures. He just had to believe that Cross would be able to handle all the Madness. He wondered if it would be possible for him to take some of the Madness too...

Hunter shook his head. He didn't need anything for this. The sword was already strapped to his side in its case. The purple eyed male looked to the prime haired child, wondering if he needed anything. When DK shook his head, Hunter started for the door.

DK for up and followed after the others. His eyes shining with excitement. He felt important and that made him happy. He glanced to Cross. "So, do you think they'll be really big like the wolf thing we saw?"

Batsu looked to Boreas when the guy spoke to him. "Let's go," he replied. He had everything he needed already. He too started out the door and then down into the lobby. He was sure that whatever the creatures out there were, he'd be able to handle them with ease. All he had to do was keep in control of himself, which was an easy task. Batsu had plenty of self control.

(*snicker* LIES.)

Cross nodded when both Hunter and DK said they had everything they needed. He started out after Hunter, glancing to the small purple haired child. "Let's hope not," he said with a small shrug. He headed for the elevator, looking towards Boreas when he noticed the guy was walking towards the stairs and not the elevator. He was sure there'd be plenty of room in the elevator. But it wasn't really his problem, so oh well. He glanced to Alice, who was coming along with them. Once they were in the elevator, he took the key to their room from his pocket and handed it to her. "Be good while we're gone, okay?" he knew that she'd probably walk them out to the gates, and he was fine with that. The only thing he was worried about was if she actually saw a soul and decided to take it out to the Unknown. She couldn't get hurt while within the borders of the mysterious land, but outside of it, she was as vulnerable as any other child.

Boreas looked to Fara, who was still on his shoulder as he went towards the stairwell. "You're not going with Alice?" he asked curiously. When she waved her hand, he took it to mean that she would later. He chuckled and nodded. "Okey dokes then."

Batsu was planning on taking the elevator, but Boreas seemed to have other plans. It was not a problem for the grey eyed male. Once outside he started for the west. Batsu had the feeling that this would be an easier day than the one before. Probably because they were prepared this time. Somewhat. "I want to start where the most sightings have occurred," he said to Boreas. "Is that okay with you?"

Hunter was once again silent. He had other things on his mind, like Serenity. He really missed her. He looked to DK when the kids started speaking nonsense. He sure was talkative. Hunter didn't mind, but he wondered if the kids ever hushed up.

"I think this is going to be awesome," DK was saying. "I mean, once this is over I'm going to go back to the Unknown, but i guess that's cool because I'll have met some really great people." He looked to the three in the elevator. "You're all lucky to be able to roam free." DK really envied them, bit he'd get over it. "I wish Silence would give new a wish," he said distantly. "I think I'd wish for all my old friends to come back to life so we can all play again." He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a piece of candy. "Yummy."

Boreas turned his head to look at Batsu when he spoke, giving a nod and a grin. That meant they'd have plenty of action. He'd been wanting to try some things out, and since he hadn't had the chance to the day before, now would be a perfect time. Even if it was going to be in the heat of battle. Agh, he was sure he would manage. "Yep." He stretched his arms above his head before crossing them behind it, glancing at Fara as he walked. Now that he thought about it, he wondered how adept he would be with fighting. He'd always had Jasper's body, whose muscles remembered all the training they'd gone through, and always knew how to react, even when Boreas didn't. He frowned lightly and looked ahead. If all did not go well today, he'd have to start training like Jasper use to. The thought didn't come kindly to the orange eyed chakra, since most days Jasper came back to the house exhausted. "Hey Batsu. What'dyou think these ones are gonna be like? You don't think they'll be like the one from yesterday, do ya? That thing was huge," he grinned. He was actually hoping for a large opponent. There were so many things he wanted to try out. He wanted to try freezing one of its limbs on a whim, to see if he could trip it up, he wanted to see how good his aim was with that ice bow and arrow of his. And above all, he wanted to see if he could make wings out of ice.

Cross glanced at DK as he spoke, but said nothing. Hunter wasn't saying anything either. Would they spend this entire day listening to the child talking?

Alice blinked when her purple haired friend spoke, her eyes filled with curiosity. "But you have your own body now. Why do you have to go back? Are you stuck there like Hunter was?" she asked, tilting her head. She always thought once moon creatures had a body, they could leave the Unknown. Or maybe it was because there was no one to replace DK in the Unknown. Alice frowned in confusion. She'd never really understood the rules of the Unknown. She'd been too busy dreaming of learning the rules outside of it.

(I don't know why, but I felt like I hadn't posted in days.)

Batsu shrugged as he walked. "Not sure," he replied. "I'd prefer if they weren't," he admitted. He wasn't tired from yesterday, which was odd, but still, it had been hell taking out those creatures. He wouldn't tell Boreas that all the ones he'd encountered last night were exceptionally large. His theory was that they were just overwhelmed. The grey eyed male pulled the map and looked down at it. "The largest siting was near the end of the edge of the village in a small valley pass. Let's start there." He flapped his wings. "Will you be able to keep up if I fly?"

DK looked at Alice when she spoke. "Yeah, I know. I just thought that Silence would make me come back to the Unknown once this is all over. That and I'm just a kid...so I wouldn't people able to take care of myself. In the Unknown I'm okay, but out here, it's different." The purple haired male shrugged. "I don't really know. Maybe I can find someone to care for me until I'm old enough to take care of myself."

Hunter looked down to DK. He wouldn't mind taking care of the little dragon, but at the same time, he wasn't sure if he would make it out alive either. He looked to Alice to see what plan the child might come up with. She seemed to always have some input on whatever was going on.

(Heh. It's just because you're used to posting more than once a day that it feels like so long~)

Boreas nodded at Batsu's response. Yeah, he wouldn't mind it either way. He'd just wanted the guy's input on the situation. "Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough," he shrugged. He looked to Fara when Batsu got ready to take off. "Alright, go find Alice, little sister. See you soon, kay?" he smiled. When Fara gave him a small hug and flew off, he gave her a wave. Looking back to Batsu, he was quiet for a moment as he pondered the question. "Yeah, I should be able to. Actually, there's been something I've wanted to try," he admitted with an excited shine in his orange eyes. He took a look at Batsu's wings. He'd never really seen different wings, aside from DK's, but since Batsu was right in front of him, it might be easier to model the wings after the black feathered ones. He had to remember too, that the feather's centers were hollow. Tch, so many things to consider. Instead of over thinking it, he just went on instinct and the air around started becoming extremely brisk, mostly around his back. Ice started forming in crystalline shards from between his shoulder blades and spreading outward until two completely ice wings were sitting behind his back. He found it weird that the wings were actually sprouted from his skin, but went straight through the shirt as if his shirt were also a part of his wings. The wonders of water and ice...Boreas let the wings flap lightly once or twice, just to get a feel for them, a giddy grin spreading over his face. "Alright, let's get going," he told Batsu. He hadn't thought it would work. But then again, he still had to test them out in flight. Right now they might have been all show. He'd just have to adjust them as they went along.

Alice tilted her head at DK's words. "Oh yeah...maybe you can find someone like Cross to take care of you," she suggested. "He kinda found me one day right outside the Unknown, so maybe someone will find you too!" she giggled. "There's a lot of nice humans around," she nodded, her white hair swaying a bit, so the small fairy that approached her had to wait a moment before landing, or else risk getting tangled up in the pure white strands. "Oh, hi Fara," Alice smiled, giving a small wave to the little fairy on her shoulder.

Batsu watched Boreas test out his wings. In his mind he thought it was interesting to see the orange eyed male in such a happy mood. The guy was like a little kid testing out his new toys. Batsu almost chuckled. Maybe this wasn't the time for laughter and joking, for at this very moment the world was being consumed in darkness and in a sense, it was his job to cleanse it. Batsu looked up to the sky as he waited for Boreas to ready up. I don't remember who I was before now. But I wonder if he was born into a world such as this one, into a world with fading light. I wonder if he had to have such a responsibility as to save the world like me. Batsu let his mind wander. He'd never taken the time to think about his former life, who he'd been, or even about the future and what he'd become after this. What will my purpose be? When Boreas stated that he was ready, Batsu nodded and took off at a steady pace. He hoped that Boreas would be able to keep up, flying any slower would become a bothersome.

Hunter nodded in agreement with Alice. "If you'd like, you can come stay with me DK. I'll keep the sword and we can find a place to stay." He then looked to the side. Maybe they could find Serenity and from there maybe start a small little family. Adopting DK wouldn't be too bad of an idea and he could live out his life happily. Hunter nearly sighed at the dreams. "So Cross, where are we going to start?"

DK looked at Hunter with wide eyes. "Really?" He looked to Alice. "Thanks for the suggestion! Now I have someone to watch over me," he said happily. His eyes glowed with happiness. The small child was about to explode with happiness. Everything about him said that he felt both shocked yet excited. Crossing his arms behind his head he walked ahead of the others including Cross with a smirk.

Boreas couldn't keep the grin off his face when Batsu started into the air, flapping his own new wings a couple times until his feet were off the ground. On the last beat of his wings though, he'd done so too hard, since he hadn't been lifting off the first few times, and shot a few feet into the air, nearly losing his balance. Once he managed to get up into the air though, he regained his composure and ended up even more excited than before. He laughed a couple times, his eyes shining, as he shot forward. "Woohoo!!" He spun a couple times horizontally in the air, laughing like a little kid who'd just found out he'd got a new puppy. "This is freaking awesome!!" He steadied himself with a huge smile on his face and looked at Batsu. "Dude, dude, let's race! First one to find a monster is the champ!" he laughed, immediately taking off. No one said Boreas was mature just because he had an older body.

Cross paused once they were at the gates, his eyes flitting around. He was remembering the map Batsu had shown them, and trying to figured out which was would probably have a creature infected by Madness. While DK, Hunter, and Alice were chatting, he pulled out some money for the younger child, handing it to her once Hunter asked him which direction they were headed. Alice knew immediately what he was going to say before he said it, and responded with a smile and an "I'll be good. Promise!" Cross merely shook his head, a smile nearly making its way onto his face. "North-east is probably our best bet," he said, patting Alice on the head before starting in said direction. Since Batsu and Boreas would be working in the west, it wouldn't be a problem. The white haired girl stood at the gate and waved to the three of them, wishing them good luck and telling them to be careful with a cheerful smile.

It wasn't that Batsu didn't want to race,.He just didn't want to beat Boreas too badly. That and the fact that by racing they soul mgs more than likely end up running into a monster. That was not something he wanted to experience. He'd seen how scared DK had been afterwards, even if the child hadn't said anything about it. With a small sigh he followed the orange eyed male. It was an easy enough task keeping up. With his wings focused on flying and his other senses focused on picking up madness, everything easily fell into play. It was almost ten minutes into their flight that he actually picked up the familiar scent. "Boreas wait."