[perhapsManic : Ataxll]

His lungs hurt, and his yellow tinted tears stung his eyes.
Why did this happen?
He could hear the screams ahead of him, as he followed the trail of green and yellow blood, that painted the ground. He wanted to wake up more than anything. He wanted it to be a dream. He knew Ataxll’s aspect was Doom, and that the bard could have brought it, but this wasn’t right. It had to be a lie.

He rounded the corner, and the shouts were heard above everything.
” Y00U WeRe ThE 0nE. ThE 0nE Wh0 AlWaYs MaDe FuN 0f Me. Y0U DiDDn’T LiKe Me. DiDn’T LiKe WhAAt I SaIgd. ExCePt F0R ThE LaSt I SaId.” He could hear Ataxll’s voice, the androgynous tones, and the unmistakable wavering that never went away, even in the screams. The stutter was worse, and Ataxll couldn’t seem to properly speak anymore, some words difficult to understand. “Y0U WeRe G0InG T0 C0NvInCe ThEm T0 D0 It.”

“N-no, 1 wa5n7!” Fentir? The blueblood? He burst through the doorway, and he saw them, and for a moment everything seemed to slow as he took in the details.

Ataxll, with the stark white hair that they bleached out of curiosity, was spotted with yellow and green blood. In their hands, they held a scythe, raised above their head, eyes manic, Fentir laid on the ground, a hand raised to defend himself, but without a weapon to help. His hammer laid too far away, and a stream of blue dripped from a gashed leg.
“D0N’T LiE. Y0U WERE G0ING TT0 MAKE THEM KILL ME!”

The sound was all he registered at first, then the image sunk in. The blade was lodged in Fentir’s head, and his body laid limp, the fear on his face frozen, and glassed in his eyes. He shook, and vomited, falling to his knees. He could hear Ataxll’s hair shift as they undoubtedly looked at him, and the footsteps drew close to him.
“Hek WaS. He W0UlD HaVe, Y0U Kn0ww, MeRl0z.”

He looked up at the crazed face of Ataxll, and he slowly shook his head. “Why would hE?” That was all he could say. Why would Fentir do that? Sure, he was rude to everyone. But Fentir cared, and didn’t want anyone to die, and hated seeing people hurt.

“BeCaUsE We SaW It. We T0Ldd HiiM AnD SaW It. We SaW We WW0UlDn’T HaVe FrIeNdS.” He noticed the transparent purple drop slip from one of the crazed eyes, and saw Ataxll’s usually shaky body trembling. He flinched lightly as their hands slowly touched his face, and held his cheeks. “We SaW ThAt TThE SeSsI0N WaS D00mEd WiTh Me HeRe. ThAt T0 DeStR0Y ThE D000m F0R 0uR TeAm, ThhE BaRd MuSt DiE. AnD He L000kEd At Me AnnD I KnEw He W0UlDD. He HaD BeEn W0RsE WhhEn I F0Ll0wEEd Thz HuMaN’S AdVViCe.”

“BuT I DiDn’T D0 Iet F0R ThAAtt. I DiDD It BeCaUsE He WaSn’T A FrIeNd AnYm0rE. AnD Ijf I CaN’T HHaVe FrIeNdS, ThEn ThEy CaN’T ExIssT.”

He shook his head again, sobbing, reaching up and touching Ataxll’s arm. He wanted to say he was their friend, but he couldn’t. Not after all the others. It was only worse by the flushed feeling he had begun to feel for the odd one. And he couldn’t bring himself to admit that either. He just closed his eyes, and simply said the only thing he could.
“I forgive yoU. Alright, AtaxlL?” He asked, without opening his eyes. “I forgive yoU.”

He felt a blade slip into his chest, and he opened his eyes for the last time, to look at Ataxll’s frightened face. He smiled lightly at them, the way he always did when they seemed upset, and as his vision faded and thoughts slipped away, his mind formed one last phrase.

I hope that someday, Ataxll, you find true happiness, where those visions don’t bother you anymore.