LokiLeo789 — Roleplayer Guild

Rayne

Xerxes

Location:
Solitary Cell of The Muron Prison

"I've been expecting you." the man began, smiling eerily.

"And who might you be." Xerxes replied, his muscles taunt.

"I'm you, and your me." he said simply.

"What?" Xerxes proclaimed, genuinely surprised.

"I'm you and your me, nothing more, nothing less. We experience Identity Alteration, and I want my body back." the young man explained. 

Xerxes was taken back, he wanted…his body back? 
"Take a seat Xerxes." he coaxed, gesturing to the seat on the black end of the board.

"If you think I'm going to give up my-"Xerxes began, but he was interrupted by the young man. 

"You inhabit something that doesn't belong to you, and I want it back. You won't have to fight, just play." he announced. 

Xerxes was confused, after being shot he was thrust into a game of soul vs soul, who would spend time on the back burner. He wasn't gonna let that happen.

"Table stakes?" Xerxes asked. The lines of the days battle had etched into his face were harsh.

"Not this time, I think," the man said. He wore black, a business suit so dark that it looked like midnight's shadow. Xerxes cocked an eyebrow.

"Your rules, then?" he asked. The man in black considered for a moment, then nodded. Without another word, the two set up the chessboard which lie between them. It was wooden, and set into the table they shared, each drawing polished marble figures from a case under the table. The man in black played white, and Xerxes played black. White king's knight to f3.

"Conservative," the man in black said.

"This is the game that matters," Xerxes said. Black pawn to d5. 

"Who are you?" Xerxes prodded. White pawn to c4. The man in black looked over slowly, rheumy eyes thoughtful.

The man in black shrugged. Black pawn to e6. "I said you."

"Apparently, control of this body hangs on a game of chess, I should know we dares try to take it, another Devil Fruit user of the Marines, Cipher Pol?" Xerxes countered. White pawn to g3.

"Nothing you need to fret over," the man in black said. Black King's knight to f6. He waved a hand, half-distracted.

"Do you know what I've been through today!" Xerxes bellowed. White pawn to d4. The man in black shrugged.

"I said--" Xerxes said angrily, starting to rise.

"I'm Xerxes." the man in black said simply.

"What?" Xerxes gawked. When he said it there was a moment of perfect quiet. The man in black smiled, but said nothing. Black pawn to a6. 

"You." the man in black said, glancing up. "Though I prefer Rayne. The old names are nice." Queen's bishop to f4.

"Don't mess with me." Xerxes growled. Rayne shrugged ever-so-slightly. Black queen to e7.

"Are you mad." Rayne said, cocking his head to the side.

"You bet I am, you bring me here to play a game of chess for my soul!" Xerxes bellowed once again.

"It's not that simple, Xerxes. It never is," Rayne said. Xerxes shook his head. White pawn to a3.

"It never is, is it?" Xerxes mumbled, leaning back in his seat.

"No Xerxes, it isn't." Black pawn to h5, an obvious error. White pawn to b4, swiftly, securing the center.

"Why? Why do you come out now, I was just starting to have fun?" Xerxes asked, seemingly unperturbed at the state of the board.

"You killed countless for 4 years, desecrate two islands,  destroy three navy ships, and get shot in the chest." he explained simply, turning back to the board. Black king's rook to H6.

Xerxes looked surprised, "How do you know?"

"Just because you never heard anything, doesn't mean I was never there, you getting shot just gave me the opportunity."

"Damn smoke Marine." Xerxes said in dismay, and shook his head very slowly.

"No," Rayne said, with a sigh of savor. "Damn your carelessness.." White queen to a4. "Check." Xerxes leaned back and regarded Rayne, surprised.

"Is it really that simple for you?" he asked, after a time. Rayne nodded. "Well, then, I suppose that I've been playing defensively for long enough today."

And, slowly, Rayne tipped Xerxes king over. 

"I don't claim that the rules I chose were right," Rayne said, Xerxes fingertips slowly fading. "Only that they were the rules I chose. I hope you enjoy watching on the sidelines."

"I WILL BE BACK, RAYNE!" Xerxes screamed, eyes still fixed on the fallen black king.

"Of course you will," Rayne mocked, and Xerxes faded from sight.

The body that was once Xerxes sat up,  clad in a seastone chained straitjacket. Now inhabited by another, Rayne. He saw the world in the driver seat for once in a long time. His chest was numb, but was clad in medical bandages, it seemed that the Marine Medics, out of the kindness of thier hearts, saved him.

Rayne's roving eyes examined his cell, it was small, very small. It was a 5×5 cell with cushioned white walls and the only amenity was two buckets, one with clean water, and the other for his business. How long had he been playing that chess match? Where were they now?

After a few days of sailing, the two surviving members of the Sunny Massacre found themselves on Drum Island, home of the Muron Prison. Muron was a high level prison the functioned as a towered keep. Rayne could remember little of his trip to the island, as he had been unconscious the whole time up until is arrival on his cell, one week, maybe.

Suddenly, the grating of stone on stone awakened him from his stupor. "So your finally awake, Crimson Reaper." grunted the man from behind the bars.

Rayne remained silent, seeing as he was the prisoner, he had little to say.

"You've been sleeping on us for 3 days boy, been having to feed you through an IV, we're to loving, right?" The man jested, laughing horsey. Rayne remained silent. "Anyway, month till execution, I'll be happy to get rid of you." the man said finally before walking away from the door, he footsteps soon fading.

 For the next month, Rayne remained mute, he had no intention of dieing, but he had little choice in the matter. Instead, he spent his time working out, with the little energy he had left, doing whatever workout he could im his stright jacket. As he worked out, he would try to bring back his past, struggling to remember who exactly he was, but there was only little success. He could remember poverty, the Revolutionary Army, training, blood, screams, agony, fury, death. If he couldn't remember his past, he would look to the future, or the one he made up. He would spend hours medicating, going over past battles and seeking a way to beat Xerxes' foes, he mentally created mock battles, utilizing techniques he created mentally to beat them, over, and over again. 

Food and water was scarce, only eating thrice every two days. But he savored the meals, and made sure to save leftovers to fill up on if need be.

After a month and non-stop exercise and meditation, his execution day had come. His bald head now full of long, raven black hair that reached past his shoulders, his body taunt despite the small and rare meals. The man who had visited him the day he awakened, was now at his door.

"Today's the day Xerxes! So what do you want for your execution day huh, don't ask us to spar you!" the man mocked.

For the first time in a month, Rayne spoke, with a grin. "A black suit."
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