Re: Kingdom Hearts: Hearts in Unison (Chapter 43 posted)
Let's go with the next chapter in line.
This might be the heaviest chapter to date in terms of emotional impact and we also get to hear at least the menace's voice for the first time.
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XLIV. Overflow of Agony
Roxas! What are you doing?
Ven's screeching, terrified voice sounded unnaturally high and unsettling in Roxas' mind, but he let his own mental image only form a small affectionate smile.
Keeping you out of harm's way, as promised.
These words triggered another memory inside the wounded boy as an image of Aqua came up in his mind.
"Let me go with you, Aqua." He heard his own voice plead.
"No, Ven. Do as I say and go home." She spoke in a somewhat strict manner.
"Why won't you let me?"
Ven's echo said disappointed inside the memory.
"I don't want to put you in harm's way..."
Her voice softened as she reached out as if to put her hand on Ven's shoulder.
"...you understand?"
The memory faded and Ventus felt his own breath increasing, his bare skin rubbing against the leather of his improvised blanket as the pace of the raising and lowering of his chest got faster.
"I understand, but that doesn't mean I have to accept it!!!" He yelled out in frustration, more directed at his twin-in-looks.
Roxas could only faintly hear Ven's second outburst, all his senses now exploding into a rush of pain as the energy ray hit him from the right side.
Aaagh...what is this? Uuuh. It feels like dozens of icicles are rammed through my chest...
Despite trembling more due to the agonizing feelings, he stubbornly held his arms up and Ven's heart firmly out of reach for the energy ray which was continuously running through his torso.
Hff, hfff, it hurts so much...it's as if my form is going to explode, my mind nearly snapping...
"Aaargh!"
Roxas couldn't suppress it anymore and screamed out in pain, his urge to fall to his knees and press his hand against his own chest increasing.
No...can't afford to subject Ven's heart to this...he would break completely...uuh.
Continuing to scream as he squirmed in agony, he also felt his eyes slowly get watery, wondering just how much longer he could endure this excruciating ordeal.
Suddenly, faint voices coming apparently from inside the ray could be heard, freaking the young Nobody out even more.
What? No, not such things on top too...aah, my chest, my head...it's as if something freezed them and is now squeezing and stabbing at the same time...
The first clearer hearable voice was a deep male one.
["No... I succumbed to it. Just like when I stole Princess Aurora's heart of light. I can never return home now. I'm a failure."]
The statement drove another spike of pain right into Roxas' head, causing him to cringe and howl again.
Not a single pause was granted as the next eerie voice fragment crashed into him.
["If I didn't obey, he said I'd be locked in this castle forever. I've been alone for so long..."]
Namine...that is for sure Nami...aaargh.
The next voice shouting was definitely also female, but he couldn't say to whom it belonged.
["Terra, please! Listen! The Master has no reason to distrust you, really! He was just worried."]
Next were Namine and that unknown man again.
["No. Sora forgave me even when I deceived him. So how could I destroy his heart? There's no way! I don't care what happens to me. I won't hurt Sora! I won't do it!"]
["No, stop! My friend gave me that!"]
Each single sentence brought Roxas another bout of increased pain, him holding out solely due to his strong will and resolve to shield Ven's heart from all this.
Three more quotes of the unknown female voice came rushing past in quick succession, causing him to nearly clench his hands to fists.
["Terra... Ven... I hope we're ready for the storm that's coming."]
["No! That's absurd! Terra would never!"]
["Shut up! I'm sick of your nonsense! Give Ven his heart back!"]
In the last moment he remembered that he would crush Ven's heart with such an action and bit his lip instead, an unsettling moan escaping his mouth as he struggled on to cope with the torture.
Give...Ven...his...heart...back? Guuhh...
Quantity and pace of the spoken snippets both increased the longer the ray rushed through his memory-based form, nearly driving the boy mad.
The next four being divided between two of the unknown man with the deep voice again and two of a third female voice, similar to Namine's but still different.
["Funny... This whole time I've been telling myself I want to be stronger, more independent... But the second I let my heart do the talking... I find out how little I really know myself. And how much I miss them."]
["Ven, Aqua... I'll find some way to make things right."]
["He's wrong. It's not a sham...and neither am I."]
["I'm sorry, but...I can't go with you. It's my friends--they need me. And I need them, too."]
No, stop...what in all worlds is this...?
Meanwhile, Ventus saw in their mental connection how Roxas was squirming and suffering outside, his own emotional state worsening with every second he had to watch this.
Knowing that his "twin" did all this to protect him because he was so vulnerable increased the saddened and frustrated feelings of the boy, which in turn caused the pain of his wounded heart to soar up again, adding to his fear.
No, no, no, please heart...uuuh, hold on. I can't let him just suffer there, just because of me! I have to...do something!
Trying his hardest to cope with the increasing pain Ven threw himself around in his improvised "bed", burying his face in Roxas' white, red collared overjacket as a new pain seizure gripped him.
Giiyah...I will not let you keep me down anymore, pain! I will...help him...
Biting into the fabric of the jacket, Ventus struggled hard to lift his projected body up, his left hand pressed tightly on the glass floor to help pushing him up while the right was another time placed firmly on the left side of his bare chest.
Groaning because of the high effort he continued stubbornly to try and move his shivering figure, more pain seizures causing additional coughing fits and some low sobbing, which made the blonde increasingly more angry with himself.
All this, this goddamn crippling pain only because of that dreaded, stupid weapon my heart was used as an ingredient for!
It was now like Ven could feel the aching of every wound his crippled heart still had, his emotional state nearly overexerting its limits right another time. Stiffening with a pained yelp he collapsed back into the lying position, kicking the air with one leg in a fit of annoyance, the black coat removed from his body completely in the process.
Far from giving up he stubbornly wiped away the upcoming tears with the left hand. The sobbing nearly overplayed by angry snarling like a dog, Ventus tried to get up another time, the right hand pressed so hard against his chest that it left some red marks on the skin.
As he remembered his slight ambidextrous ability he summoned his Wayward Wind with the left hand, plunging it harshly into the stained glass floor in order to use it as support to pull himself up.
Ghh...it hurts so much, but even if I undo all the recuperation I managed to make, I will assist Roxas against this weird attack.
Outside, Roxas felt Ven's heart getting warmer inside his outstretched hands and due to their mental link he could vaguely see through the veil of his own pain how Ven was struggling to come to his aid.
Ven! No, don't do this...you'll increase the pain of your heart! I...I am sure the attack is over soon...I can hold on for some more.
This pledge wasn't brought up very convincingly in the other boy's head though as Roxas' voice sounded shaky and pressed.
["No... +Uh!+ I'll keep him safe--until he wakes. Forever if I have to."]
This was again the second female voice speaking, sounding sad, but determined.
["Master! What are you..."]
Roxas' eyes widened in shock, not at the intensity of the new pain burst, but the new voice in the mix.
That's, That's Ven's voice...!?
["Please don't do this, Master. I'm not strong enough."]
Ven's voice sounded pleading and fearful, notably higher than usual.
"Aarrgh!" The young Nobody let out another pained scream, but this time in unison with the real Ventus who he essentially held in his hands.
He struggled on against the painful waves in his mind, hearing Ven sniffling through their mental link.
These? That thing even uses some of my worst memories? The wounded boy whispered meekly in Roxas' thoughts.
These quotes are...from memories? Ugh...
Another rush of pain emerged as two more quotes of the unknown man with the deep voice came along.
["You may be my Master. But I will not...let you hurt my friend!"]
["+Uh+ What have I done... Master... I just...wanted to keep Ven safe."]
This is...such a horrible torture. You must move out of the way of that beam! Ven screeched.
I can't. It's still about six metres to the next platform and the walkway is too narrow! Roxas sounded almost desperate, he wanted this ordeal to end, but not if it would mean that Ven had to overexert his injured heart again.
Another quote rushed past, this time from Namine again.
["It's too late either way. His awakening will have to be delayed. I never imagined Sora's Nobody and the other one would fight so hard to be their own people. Unfortunately, the only real solution...is for them both to go away."]
Realizing this pertained to himself, Roxas couldn't hold back the tears anymore, one flowing down his entire right cheek.
["Such a terrible...darkness... Fight it. Terra, please!"]
The second female voice was it again.
Torment over torment, what IS this attack? The young Nobody faltered, continuosly trembling heavily.
["I still don't know exactly what it is. But...it scares me to death. Even just the thought of it."]
Ven...no, what was done to you? Roxas pressed his eyes shut, groaning as a second and third tear slipped out of both his eyes.
["Oh my, I didn't expect you to step right into the way of my beam, but that is actually a neat development, Roxy. Finally you adhere to your purpose here!"]
This new voice came thundering into both boys heads like a chilling ice storm, causing them both to yelp in agony with nearly identical voices.
Who...who are you? Why do you know me? What purpose?
Roxas' questions had a certain vibe of uneasiness but also an angry undertone.
Hearing the twin-scream the voice lowly chuckled.
["So Venny's there as well? What a surprise..."]
Don't divert! Why do you agonize me like this? What purpose do you mean? Roxas interjected with a hiss.
["Tsk, tsk, still the defiant one, huh? I'll teach you to be more subservient!"]
More quotes flowed through the still continuous beam into Roxas, rocking his memory-based body with additional pain bursts.
["Ven, Aqua...I won't let him hurt you."]
["You will pay, Xehanort! Was my Master--no, my father, Eraqus not enough for you? Leave my friends alone!"]
["Aqua, Ven... One day I will set this right."]
Another pained scream of the boy holding Ven's heart followed, but that was apparently not enough for the cold voice.
["I just...want these days to last forever. Hanging out, the ice cream, the sunsets..."]
["It's scary to think I could lose you guys."]
["If I had a heart, you think I could love somebody?"]
No...these are my own...
"STOP! STOP IT!" Roxas shook is head repeatedly in despair, the pain becoming nearly unbearable.
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Needless to say that it was pretty difficult for me to write this, but it's necessary for the purpose of the narrative.