Re: Kingdom Hearts: Hearts in Unison (Chapter 12 posted)
Jeez, this time we have another double-post, but that won't be a hindrance for me to post the next chapter.
I'm a day late I know, but last weekend I apparently left my brain in bed and simply forgot some things...XD
Anyways, let's now take a look on what Braig really plans, some more mystery with our hooded chief and especially take a look on what's up with Sora and co.
There's actually a close connection to chapter 9 in here...
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XIII. Infiltrators and worries of a Princess
Braig turned away from Aerith, giving Isa another cocky grin which nearly drove the other man crazy. "You need to cool down...maybe I should ask the boss to freeze you solid in ice for once...might help with that. Ienzo's illusions work nearly to perfection as you see..." He extended his hand as if to ruffle a girl's hair shortly, stopping just inches before contact, causing a sharp hiss from Isa. "..., she didn't notice anything."
"I know, but it only works without real physical contact and weapons...and as I said..." Isa stated, growling.
"So you think I'll be as stupid to risk real physical contact? AS IF...!!!" Braig interrupted, waving his hand. " You really need to loosen up, blueberry. These committee dickheads going there trying to investigate is actually a boon for us..."
"Even if that's true...your lackluster behaviour invites unnecessary additional risks. And why would their interference be good??? The boss doesn't want that the Radiant Garden-committee gets any valuable information!"
Braig snorted, somewhat with a disappointed look. "Now take a look at this...don't you even have an ounce of creative energy? Really buddy, your talent for improvisation needs quite the improvement..."
"If you would not goof around we wouldn't need improvisation...jerk." Isa spat annoyed. "What's with all those risky games you play...the boss won't approve of this."
"What the boss doesn't know doesn't concern him...it's really that easy. And in the end only the success counts."
"Bah...and what will you do when you fail? Cover it up with constant blabbering? I'm sick of this...I will start the distraction right now to lure them away from Ansem's study..."
"Nope, you won't just yet blueberry...we'll wait until they access the main computer...then we start the distraction."
"You moronic..." Isa started, but then stopped, an evil smirk appearing on his face. "...correction: You sneaky bastard...now I get what you're planning...very savvy."
Braig roared with laughter. "See now blueberry, just because I'm
acting cocky and carefree doesn't mean I'm stupid. I just don't give a damn about carefully laid out plans which have close to no flexibility. Furthermore, me doing work if you can let even your
enemies work for you...as if!"
"How could I forget you're certainly more than big talk...alright...no time to waste. We'll let them type in the new password, gaining access to
their system in the process, and
then give them something to worry about."
"Exactly, and then we'll go find the blackbox with the uncorrupted data as well as blasting the whole heartless manufactory to pieces. Don't get too fussy about that memory thing. I still don't fully understand the re-assembling of the full being and what this means for the "nobody"...but I slowly got back both my Braig- as well as the Xigbar-memories." Braig smirked as they continued walking towards the castle, now more or less "stalking" Leon.
---
In the meantime the black coated figure was still on the cliff overlooking the town and castle, now accompanied by another figure clad in black, a teenager around 16 to 17 years in appearance with steel blue hair, which fell over his face on one side.
"Everything moving on alright, Ienzo?" The hooded figure asked.
"The illusion is...working fine...no real problems." The teen answered with a slight strain in his voice.
The hooded figure turned around, hands on his back. "It's more stressful than you are used to, isn't it?"
Ienzo only let out a small grunt. "Tsk...no wonder, as my powers are effectively halved and only recover at a slow rate."
Nodding slightly, the figure let out a small sigh.
"Yes...that replica absorbing so much energy from your nobody wasn't part of the schedule..."
"Hmph...the replica got destroyed as well, so the energy is free to return to me. But as it is "delayed" due to not coming from the essence of my nobody the recovering of it takes longer." Ienzo again grunted, this time with an angry tone. "Axel, that goddamned hideous traitor...he was no better than Marluxia..."
The hooded figure turned around again, shortly looking into the distance.
"It seemed like Axel had his own agenda somehow, and at first Saix was in it as well."
"Well, whatever, Axel should be gone for good, disappeared into the darkness without a way to return."
"I would not be too sure of that, Axel touched Sora's heart and also befriended the other one, the new one, Number XIII, that connection to both of- no, the
three of them might have set something up we could not even dare to foresee."
Ienzo blinked confused. "Huh? What are you
talking about? I don't get it."
The figure chuckled. "It's too early, Ienzo, way too early to make any clear statements."
Hearing that, the teen just shrugged and focused now again on reinforcing the illusion he kept on the Radiant Garden, which made both Braig and Isa invisible and inaudible to everyone in a certain radius around them.
---
The 'strange lifeform' however had in the meantime really other things to worry about. His head still dizzy and blurry with memories swirling through it unordered, it almost seemed as if he had the memories of
two persons within him.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or what? Heck, would you now please cut out that stupid memory swirl, silly messed up brain!
Lea firmly shook his head again trying to get it clear before taking the last two steps to the door.
Ghh, like I thought, locked. What the heck, this place somehow feels familiar, agh, why can't I focuse on a single straight chain of memories? I have to get out of here.
Slamming his fist against the door several times Lea yelled loudly for someone to come, but only his own voice echoed back from the strange walls on the corridor.
---
The sun was sending bright warm light over the verandah where Riku sat on the fence a bit apart from Sora and Kairi, who were preparing the table for a breakfast outside, thinking deeply.
How to get to Disney Castle, that's the main question now. I can't open Corridors of Darkness anymore, and we haven't a gummi ship ready.
Sending another letter in a bottle asking to fetch us would probably work after some time, but actually I don't want to waste that much time, not if there's the danger for Sora to getting overwhelmed by the torment of someone connected to him.
Despite everything I still think he wasn't completely honest with me this night, a scream in a dream, no matter how horrible, does not suffice to explain the state he was in, there has to be!
Riku's face froze as he heard the sound of breaking porcelain and Kairi screaming Sora's name in distress.
Without thinking he jumped from the fence, rushing over to the table.
Coming to a halt just before crashing into the chair before the table, he saw that his fears were correct.
Sora stood there with a pale face, his expression a mixture of surprise and pain, clasping his chest with one hand while the other rested on the table, supporting his trembling figure.
Kairi was across him, having let go of the teapot in shock, her eyes wide with surprise.
Riku slammed both hands on the table, looking Sora straight into the eyes. "Sora! What happened??"
The brunette shortly blinked, before gasping for air a few times and placing the other hand also on the table.
"Wave." He muttered.
"Excuse me?" Riku wondered while Kairi now stood already beside him, highly worried.
Still slightly trembling, Sora stared back at his two friends, a shocked and sad expression forming on his face.
"I-I suddenly felt it, an-an immense wave of pain washing through, not my own, someone else's, I never thought such horrendous agony is even
possible."
Riku bit his lower lip.
Caution, don't let slip anything about what happened this night! Kairi is already worried enough. Why does it happen only now? Why not earlier if these tormented people are connected to Sora. It's been only two days since the letter from King Mickey arrived here, and almost a month after we came back from defeating Xemnas, nothing happened in that time!
Eyeing his best friend suspiciously, Riku searched for appropriate words.
"So...you felt pain which was not your own...does it have any lasting effect?"
This is worse than last night, first a scream and now a wave of pain!
Sora sighed, sinking back into his chair. "No, it doesn't have a lasting effect...I didn't even feel real pain myself...at least not much. I only was greatly surprised by it...and while it was distant, it nonetheless felt disturbingly intense."
Kairi crossed around the table, settling down in the chair beside Sora.
"At first you say you didn't feel it, then suddenly it's not much...what's now the truth? Has this something to do with the suffering people King Mickey spoke of in his letter and the truth that is supposed to lie in our hearts?"
"It's very hard to explain...I...I did
feel pain, it hurt, but I don't think I'm actually injured. Furthermore it was almost as if my heart was jumping up...trying to do something to help." Nodding shortly in Kairi's direction, then looking down, he continued. "If I ever had any doubt about venturing out again it is washed aside by now...I just can't sit idly here on our island paradise while there are people out there connected to me who are suffering
this badly. I don't know how long it may take or what there's actually to
do, but with the help of my friends we will find ways to put things right."
Settling down in the chair across from Sora, Riku let out a sigh as well. "Very well then, so that only strengthened your resolve. Still, we can't let that occurrence go unchecked...it didn't cause actual damage this time, but who knows if it remains that way?"
Kairi pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear. "Their torment must be really horrible if Sora can even feel it for himself. Nonetheless...I wonder why this didn't occur earlier then. I mean, these people are not just suffering for the last week or so..."
Riku turned to face Kairi.
Right on the spot...that's what I am thinking as well.
"Hey..." They both turned to face the spiky-haired brunette again. "...I know this might sound stupid...but isn't that irrelevant now? I thought about it nearly the rest of the night..."
Riku bit his lip.
Sora...you idiot...
"..., and while it may be disturbing, I will take it. It counts now to get off from here and meet with the King." As Sora finished, he noticed Kairi's surprised expression. Riku fought hard to suppress the urge of facepalming.
Sora made a face.
Agh...no, me and my blabbermouth.
The girl sighed unhappy. "So this wasn't the first time you had something like this...!?"
"No...I just had a nightmare...it was different from the issue now...really, no need to worry." He hastily exclaimed, wanting to lay that issue to rest.
Damnit...why had it to occur right before her...
"No need to worry you say..." The princess of heart squeaked. "...how can I...there's obviously something strange happening with you...and you dismiss it like nothing. Of
course I'm worried. Riku! Why won't you say anything?"
Kairi's voice had got noticeable higher, and Sora winced at seeing her this worried.
That's what I wanted to avoid all the time!
He thought with bitterness.
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Here we are again. Pretty much location hopping this time but also brings up more mysteries and some answers (if one can connect the dots ^__^).
The next three chapters will focus on our main trio though before we get something
entirely different.
