Down the Twilight Path

In search of an ally

A/N: As usual, feel free to shout at me for how this chapter got delayed. I take full responsibility for that happening. Thankfully I have understanding readers and a wonderful editor. In today's chapter Larxene, this story's heroine, will finally be introduced. So enjoy, my fair readers!

Scene 8: In Search for an Ally in the Den of Wolves

Jason woke up, feeling stiff all over. He sat up sleepily, not paying much attention to his surroundings. He leaned over to turn on the lamp on his nightstand – only to grasp at empty air where a nightstand was supposed to be. Jason promptly lost his balance, then tumbled right out of the bed. He looked around at the stark white walls and remembered that he was no longer in his room, or even in his world for that matter.

It was now roughly a day since he had been whisked away from his home. Jason wondered if everyone back at home had noticed he was gone at this point. Chances were they had, and were probably all searching for him right now.

Everyone's efforts will go to waste, Jason thought to himself. Hopefully they've at least chosen a flattering picture for my missing poster.

Jason couldn't help but chuckle because the thought that he would have missing posters had just crossed his mind.

Jason was still chuckling to himself when Xigbar arrived.

"Hey now, it's a little early to be losing your mind, don't you think, kiddo?" Xigbar said, bemused.

"If not now, then when?" Jason said in response. "If nothing else, I can at least make the process as amusing as I can."

The play-acting served its purpose: Xigbar seemed noticeably thrown off by the sight of his prisoner already coming apart at the seams.

"Well, you can go ahead and do that," Xigbar said finally. "But don't think that's going to get you out of bad missions. We already have a member that tries to duck his way out of most everything we try to throw at him."

"Does that mean that I'm going to join the Organization?" Jason asked.

"I suppose you could say that," Xigbar said, now looking wicked.

Abruptly a silvery blur flew into the room, hit the floor in front of Jason, and then took on a vaguely humanoid form. The creature stared at Jason from inside what seemed to be a white zipper hood, undulating its entire rail-thin body in a strange manner.

"What exactly is this thing?" Jason asked. "And what does this have to do with whether I'm a member of the Organization?"

"Those aren't the questions you should be asking," Xigbar said. "This is a Nobody, and so am I."

Wait, Xigbar and this creature are the same thing? And what exactly is a Nobody?

"You're probably wondering how I can be the same as this thing," Xigbar pointed to the pale creature. "And just what exactly we are."

Xigbar opened up one of those odd purple voids in the center of the room, and with the other hand tossed a black coat to Jason along with his bo staff.

"Well, on the other side of this Dark Corridor is a trial I set up just for you. If you can come back from this in one piece, I'll tell you everything you want to know. And hey, maybe you'll even find some answers on your own while you're out there."

Jason wordlessly put the coat on over his clothes from yesterday. The coat itself didn't seem to be much more than a regular piece of clothing, but there had to be a reason why both Xigbar and Jason's 'doppelganger' had worn it.

If I had to guess, maybe it provides some kind of extra protection. I could use that.

"So you've decided to play along. In that case, make sure to keep your hood up, and be careful not to get lost on the way out." Xigbar had a distinctly malicious look on his face. "After all, it would be rude to repay my generosity by falling at the first hurdle."