3rd

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The moon was full, casting an almost ominous silver light over the small town. More so with a pale apparition slowly strolling down the empty street, the black area from his death wound engulfing most of his body. His devious grin seemed to be still, as if he was stuck in a perpetual state of obvious glee.

His visible eye scanned the surroundings, searching for something. Someone.

He couldn't evade him forever.

The full moon was out, and the poltergeist felt renewed with a powerful strength from it. If he got his hands on him...

Oh, let's not think about that yet.

"Alone, huh?"

It couldn't be this easy.

Gradient turned his head, and there stood the very spirit he was searching for. In his killing state, nearly all of Praxus's face was blackened, and his right eye was a red X.

Gradient chuckled. "Oh, I was just looking for you! Well, guess I don't need Xyan looking now."

He snapped his fingers, which were now sharp, jagged claws, and the blue form of Xyan appeared next to him. His emotionless gaze as he looked at Praxus explained the pain he'd been going through.

Xyan nodded. "I see you found him."

"More like he found me," Gradient rolled his eyes. His voice lowered to a whisper so that Praxus couldn't hear as he instructed, "Be ready to help at any time. Something's off about this."

Xyan gave a small nod.

Gradient turned back to Praxus calmly. Praxus glared icy daggers at him.

"Why are you dallying?" Praxus asked, "I know how much you want to consume me, so why haven't you done it? I'm here, aren't I?"

"Oh, but I'm not just going to consume you," Gradient said, a slight humor edging his creepily playful tone, "Your pain is my joy. So I will play with you as I wish."

He flicked his wrist, and Praxus seethed as he was forced to his knees.

Someone in the shadows watched, debating on whether to back out of this...

He shook his head.

No, he has to help. This is his fault that the demented apparition was loose in this spectral realm, and he would fix it.

Gradient walked slowly forward, and forced Praxus's chin up to look at him.

"I know when someone's playing games with me," Gradient claimed, his tone menacing, "Why did you come? It's obvious you are not merely coming to confront me, and sacrifice yourself without reason."

Praxus let out a small growl.

The moon rose ever higher in the sky. Praxus knew his bloodlust would soon take hold.

He needed to be quick.

Praxus flicked his tail. "I come with no trickery." He looked down, uncomfortable with mentioning: "I know that you have knowledge of my fears."

"Oh, your right!" Gradient said cheerfully, "I remember! Poor Praxus doesn't like loneliness. I guess that does explain why you're here."

His small tail motion to Xyan said otherwise.

Gradient knelt down, put his claws on the side of Praxus's head. Praxus could feel him digging into the black head wound that had killed him all those years ago. He had forgotten how physical pain felt before this. He clenched his teeth to keep from crying out in agony.

"Now, let's try this again," Gradient growled, his voice growing darker than the shadows cast from the physical world. "Why. Are. You. Here?"

Praxus kept his gaze hard, his eyes meeting Gradient's. Even as he saw movement from the corner of his vision.

Gradient, however, saw it as well.

He threw Praxus to the ground, leaving a black claw mark on his scalp. He turned angrily to the figure that had approached and brought him to his knees. The knife he was holding clattered to the ground - the very knife that had brought Gradient to Limbo.

The figure was none other than Gradient's killer, Richard.

Although Gradient didn't remember his death, the sight of his murderer sparked a memory. One of his last, at that. Gradient tilted his head slightly.

"Ah, I remember you," he said, "You brought me here, didn't you?"

Richard looked down, not wanting to meet his former victim's bloodthirsty gaze. His aura was petrified with fear.

Praxus attempted to get up, his head throbbing with a searing pain. Gradient lifted his hand, and Praxus was still, unable to move.

He turned back to Richard.

"I would thank you for giving me the means of being here in Limbo," Gradient said, "But I can see you have tried to kill me once again."

He gestured to the knife that was on the ground, knowing as well as Richard that it was the one thing that would destroy his spirit forever. His spirit totem.

"So I guess I will have two more souls tonight," Gradient chuckled at the thought. "Or even three, if this one continues to feel bad about his job."

Xyan shuffled nervously, not having to meet Gradient's annoyed glare to know who he was talking about. He glanced down at the knife on the ground.

"Anyway, enough delay," Gradient said. "I cannot contain my bloodlust any longer."

His claws reached into Richard's chest. Richard gave a harsh gasp of pain as Gradient grabbed hold his soul.

His stuttered breaths turned to screams as his spirit was torn from his body.

And it was met by Gradient's agonizing screech as Richard's knife was plunged deep into his chest.

Gradient fell to his knees, his claws losing hold of Richard's soul. It quickly re-entered Richard's physical body. Some sort of black, blood-like substance spilled from Gradient's death wound as transparent, colored spirits were freed from their prison, most disappearing before their shapes could take hold. He looked shakily up at the spirit standing above him, the one that had stabbed him.

Xyan.

Xyan was breathing heavily, for he felt some of the pain Gradient was feeling as well. Their souls had been bound from the moment Xyan entered Gradient's physical body, after all. His angry, pained, gaze met the almost fearful eyes of Gradient.

"You..." Gradient's anger peaked as the agonizing pain spread throughout his entire body.

"I would say I was sorry," Xyan growled, "But then I'd be a liar."

Gradient looked back to the stab wound, and he felt the joy of when he consumed every single soul that had just escaped suddenly rise to power.

He looked up, a joyous, black-toothed smile still chilling Xyan to the bone - if he had bones.

"Well, then..." Gradient said, "I'll be seeing you in hell."

He gave one last, violent spasm before his shuddering form fell limp to the ground, dissipating into nothingness.

Praxus, free from Gradient's hold, collapsed before slowly getting up. As he stood he was met by the powerful force of Xyan embracing him. His sudden shock turned quickly to relief as he hugged him, holding tight to his recovered beloved.

"I thought I'd lost you," Praxus said, burying his face in Xyan's fluffy hair.

"I'm here now," Xyan replied, relieved at the newfound circumstances with Gradient now gone.

"Xyan! Praxus!"

The two turned around at the telepathic exclamation to see none other than Akhet running towards them, with little Aiko holding her hand as she sprinted along with her.

Xyan and Praxus ran to them as well. Xyan ran into Akhet and hugged her, while Praxus took Aiko in his arms and held her tight.

It was good to be back together again.

Xyan turned to Richard, who was standing awkwardly to the side. Noticing the moon's high place in the sky, Xyan instructed,

"You should probably go. The bloodlust will probably start soon."

Richard, deciding to not ask what that meant, nodded, and quickly left.

—————

THE FINAL CHAPTER :0000 (well besides the epilogue)

Finally the yhenj is dead. Endera you can have your dad back *yeets Vector*

1311 words