[FFnut]

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Titania's Mind, The Last Seventeen Years, Memoria

Malice stared down at the young Titania with the child-Phoenix behind her.

(C'mon Malice. You have to have some sort of plan.)

The Theiran raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

(Let's just say I'm the reason you're in here, and you can save Titania. But you have to figure out how to save her on your own.)

"How? Phoenix saved her life twice, she'll only listen to it," he whispered.

(What about introducing some outside element? One that'll bring up residual memories?)

"What are you... UGH!"

Malice was slashed across the chest by the crying girl. Blood flowed freely from his new wound.

(DAMMIT!)

The adept felt the gash with one hand. "Huh... how...?"

Titania looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "YOU! Why... why did you..."

The voice of Phoenix grew louder. "KILL HIM NOW!"

(Magus said you had to use her unwillingness to fight against her! You can't die here!)

Malice looked into the small girl's eyes. "Why... why would you do this?"

Titania looked back. "B-b-because Phoenix s-s-s-said..."

Malice tried to stand up, but fell back down. "What did Phoenix say? Why would he want you to kill me?"

"You k-killed my mommy and daddy!"

"Do... do you really want to kill me?"

The girl looked at the ground. "Because..."

"FOR REVENGE!" Phoenix's voice echoed throughout the memory-world, as it shed its child form and became its true fiery splendor. "He killed your parents in cold blood, Tania! Do the same for him!"

"You can't prove it."

The flaming bird, the crying girl, and the wounded man all turned towards the source of the voice. Magus stepped out of the doorway (which quickly vanished) with his scythe in hand. He grinned.

"We didn't do it, Titania. Phoenix did."

The young girl turned to the bird with a confused look. "What?"

"Phoenix killed your parents," continued Magus, "and it tried to frame my friend here for it. It wants him dead for no crime, so it committed one to make you do it."

The bird's aura burned brighter. "If I wanted him dead, why wouldn't I do it myself then?"

Magus raised an eyebrow. "If you don't want him dead, why are you egging her on to finish him?"

"He committed an awful crime against this girl. It's only fitting that she dole out the punishment."

"Or maybe you can't do anything. Maybe you know that we won't kill her, because she's our friend. We wouldn't hurt her, past, present, or future. And you're trying to use that against us."

Ready, Magus!

The dark wizard grinned again. "Report, Masa."

This fiery bird is called Phoenix. Its feathers are known for their ability to call it for assistance in some cases.

"And in other cases?"

In other cases the feathers do the same thing the bird itself can do - bring people back to life.

Magus simply nodded.

The bird glared at him. "And the point of that was?"

Magus walked over to Titania and kneeled, so their eyes were on the same level. "Phoenix brings people back to life. Why didn't it bring your parents back?"

Titania turned, the knives Phoenix had given her still in her hands and dripping with Malice's blood. Why? Phoenix, why didn't you bring my parents back? Why can't you bring them back to life? Then I won't have to kill him. I don't want to. Her thoughts reverberated through the minds of all that were present.

"Titania, I saved your life," said Phoenix in a last ditch attempt to keep her on its side. "You couldn't possibly hurt the one that saved your life."

Magus smiled yet again. "Unless you're not the real Phoenix."

Three weapons slashed into Phoenix in rapid succession. The former two were Titania's knives. The latter one was a scythe.

Shadow flowed as blood from the great bird's wounds. It slowly turned its head. "Fine..." it rasped. "I needn't stay here any longer. You'll all fade as memories here." As if to emphasize this point, Malice's gauntlets fell off of his fading hands. "The memories will decay without my help now. I'll return to the waking world... goodbye, mortal meat-bags."

The bird faded into an indistinct shadow which soon vanished entirely. Magus turned to the Theiran. "Good luck, Malice. The dark thing's gone. You need to figure out a way to fix her memories." He looked to the sky. "Doreen, help him out. There's gotta be a way to replenish her memories."

Malice nodded, still clutching his chest. "Where are you going?"

"I've got a feeling that Glenn's going to need some help hunting a damned memory-killing shadow. Masa, take me out."

Aye aye, Magus!

Magus soon faded. Malice looked at the young girl, who was watching the point where Magus disappeared from.

(Well, Malice, looks like we have our work cut out for us. Any ideas?)

((This is to say nothing of the obvious overpoweredness of Brain there, but we'll worry about that later. I'm not sure how to get the memories out of Malice, but something's gotta work...))