Chapter 1: A Brother's Dark Heart
"Why..." Doned thought to himself as he stared out his fogged up, bedroom window." "Why did he bring me back to this reality?"
His heart no longer knew the bliss of happiness. It now only knew anger, hate, sorrow, and isolation. Confined to his wheelchair, for what felt like an eternity to him, Doned could only gaze at the chilling rain as it poured from the wide stretch of dark grey storm clouds. He watched as the heavy rain pounded upon the city streets, autos, and bustling people that ended up getting caught out in the downpour.
"He knew what would happen to me if the world was turned back to normal, yet he still just thought of his own damn self! He knew that if we all came back here, to this reality, I would continue to be a prisoner to this sickness. I'd be a spectator to life, doomed to sit here and watch people do things they take for granted each and every day. Thing's that I'll never get to do again."
While listening to the sounds of the hard rain beating against his window and the sound of cars driving by, Doned slowly closed his eyes. As he began to drift into a light sleep, Doned began to remember his time in Ivalice. He could picture himself walking and running for the first time ever. He could remember when different clans taught him basic combat skills as he wandered Ivalice's beautiful landscape. He could remember how beautiful the blanket of green grass under his feet, the towering mountains, serene waters, and robin blue heavens above Ivalice were. He even remembered the friends he had met along the way. The more these memories visited, Doned became angrier, more hateful, and sorrowful than before. He also began to feel an incredible amount of rage. More than he had ever felt in his entire life. As he continued to drift between consciousness and unconsciousness, the hinges on Doned's bedroom door began to creek as the door slowly began to swing open.
"Whoever it is, you can just turn right back around and close the door behind you." Doned said with his eyes still shut.
"It's just me, Doned." a reluctant feminine voice responded back as the bedroom door slowly swung open a little more.
"My bastard-of-a-brother sent you to come and check on me, Ritz?" Doned asked her, his tone cold and unwelcoming.
"I came to check on you, Doned." Ritz responded in a concerned voice. "Marche has been telling me how you've been acting lately. How you won't even speak to your mom or leave this room."
"The hell do you care!?" Doned snapped as he opened his eyes and lifted his head from drooping down. "You're the one that let him do this to me! You could have stopped him!"
"You know what he did was for the best, Doned." Ritz said defensively. "You can't tell me you've been sitting here all this time hating your brother for bringing you home!"
"He damned me to a life of hell!!" he screamed hatefully. "Can't you see that, or are you THAT blind!? I'm even more sick now than I was back then! Everyone else gets to actually live a normal life while I just get to sit here and do nothing but simply exist! All I ever hear come out of Marche's mouth is how great everyone's life is now! Meanwhile, I get to sit here, confined, and feel the gradual deterioration of my own body! To put it a better way...I get to sit here and rot!"
"Doned..." Ritz uttered concernedly.
"Just get the hell out." Doned coldly interrupted. "I'm done talking to you. You'll never understand my pain. Just go...and never come back in my room again."
Ritz sorrowfully dropped her head slowly as she finally realized Doned's harsh and cruel reality.
"Finally get the picture?" Doned questioned with hatred to his tone.
"Yes, Doned. I get it..." Ritz depressingly replied. "I get that you hate your brother, and the rest of the world it seems like, for what he did. Because he wanted reality back the way it was ment to be. I accepted this, Doned. Reluctantly, but I accepted it. Why can't you?"
Doned eyes glowed with frustration and hate.
"You still don't get it..."
"...And she never will." a dark voice interrupted as it echoed throughout the room.
Ritz frantically scanned over the whole room as Doned smiled to himself. The sudden eerie sound of the mysterious voice gave Ritz a fright that chilled her to the very bone. Of course, she tried hard not to show her fear to Doned or the strange dark voice.
"Who are you!?" Ritz called out as she stood ready for whatever was about to happen.
There was a long pause as an eerie silence consumed the room.
"C'mon out and show yourself!"
"Silly girl." the dark voice replied with a laugh. I'm Doned's dream brought to life! I'm the very thing he has been waiting for since his dreams were shattered three years ago."
"You're no dream..." Ritz said as she scanned the room for the entity. "You're a nightmare! What do you want with Doned!?"
"I simply want him to step through the door to darkness. It is through that void where he shall regain his lost dreams."
"Yes..." Doned uttered as he began to grin wickedly. "My dreams..."
"No, Doned!" Ritz called out.
"Why shouldn't I?" Doned questioned in a dark tone. "I have nothing here except broken dreams and empty promises."
"That's right, Doned." the dark mysterious voice echoed. "There's a place waiting for you that will give those dreams back to you and more."
Just behind Ritz, a black vortex slowly began to open. With each passing second, the vortex opened bigger than before. A chilling wind began to blow gently throughout the room as surges of lightning lit up the room. Doned was unafraid of this. He showed no fear in the face of this chaos.
"The door is right in front of you, Doned. Simply step into the darkness and you'll be free of your pain forever."
Not even a flinch was noticeable from Doned as he took in the words of the mysterious echoing voice and stared in to the black vortex that was right behind Ritz. The expression on his face showed that he welcomed the darkness. It was as if he had longed for this moment for a long time. He welcomed a chance to leave the world he hated and despised. The world that made him what he is. Then, without fear, Doned slowly began to roll his wheelchair towards the void. He could feel his heart pounding as he thought about the sweet bliss of regaining the dreams he had lost.
"No!" Ritz screamed out. "I'm not letting you go through this vortex!"
"The hell you're not!!" Doned screamed back as his eyes began to glow and surge with the color of crimson.
He extended his arm out and held up his hand. Ritz could only stand there firm and ready while wondering in the depths of her mind what was going to happen next.
"Doned..." Ritz began in a trembly voice. "You don't want this! You can't..."
"How the hell do you know what I do and don't want!?" Doned snapped frustratingly as he interrupted. "You're not inside my head! You're not me, so you don't know what I've been through!"
"She'll never know, Doned!" the mysterious voice echoed. "She'll never know the pain you've suffered! That is why it is inevitable that you must go into the darkness. It will cure you, release you from your pain, and bring everlasting bliss."
Doned smiled to himself and continued to roll toward the dark void. His mind was made up. Nothing, nothing on Earth, would be able to stop him. Ritz began to franticly dash after Doned's wheelchair. It felt as if she was running in slow motion as she drew closer to him. She was just about to reach the grip. It was nearly in her hand when suddenly a dark force threw her up against the wall. It felt like a hard blast as she was thrown back against the wall. Her head hit hard upon impact and she dropped to the floor like a rag doll. Doned looked back at Ritz one last time with a cold look in his eyes. In his mind, he was saying his last goodbye to her, his brother, and this world. Without a hint of fear, Doned entered the void of darkness and disappeared from the world that caused him such sorrow. Ritz laid on the floor unconscious and motionless as the portal began to close. At this point, Ritz was unable to do anything but helplessly stand before the portal and watch it close completely.
Right after the dark mysterious portal had closed, Doned's bedroom door suddenly swung open. Marche began to enter the room only to find it was empty. A confused and concerning look came over Marche's face. He carefully scanned the room for any trace of his little brother.
"Doned?" Marche worryingly called out. "Doned, are you in here? Stop playing around!"
A serene, yet eerie silence continued to fill the room. Marche could not help wondering what was going on. He was concerned for his little brother, knowing the condition he had been in since their return home from Ivalice. He began to think the worst as he continued to search every inch of the room for his little brother. Marche then turned around and noticed Ritz lying up against the wall unconscious. Her body was limp and motionless.
"Oh my God! Ritz!" Marche shouted worryingly.
He dashed to her side as quickly as he could and kneeled down next to her. Marche gently lifted her head and looked on at her in dreaded concern.
"Wake up, Ritz!" Marche called out to her. "C'mon, Ritz! Snap out of it! Please!"
There was no response from her. She continued to lay there silent and motionless.
"RITZ!" Marche screamed as he shook his dear friend gently in his continued attempted to wake her up.
"She'll be fine, Marche." a gentle feminine voice suddenly said reassuringly.
Marche's eyes grew wide in fear. He was unable to recognize the voice that was speaking to him. He slowly looked over his shoulder, reluctant to see who was standing behind him. He looked up to see a mysterious figure cloaked in a black hooded trench coat. The figure's face was hidden from view due to the hood the stranger was wearing. Marche could only rise up off the ground and slowly begin to back away from the mysterious figure.
"Its alright." the mysterious figure said softly as she slowly extended her arm out.
Marche's heart was pounding in his chest, but could feel his fear beginning to diminish. It felt as if his fear was beginning to release its grip on him, like he felt unclenched. He watched as the mysterious figure reached its hand out to him. His rapid, pounding pulse began to slightly drop.
"I promise I won't hurt you." the mysterious stranger said softly. "I'm only here to help you."
Marche stopped only a few short feet away. The fright upon his face began to disappear to reveal a boy simply shaken by what he had witnessed and looking for answers.
"W-who are you?" Marche questioned nervously with a reluctant tone to his voice.
"You'll find out in time, but right now, it is extremely important that you brother is rescued and returned to this world."
"Why?" Marche curiously wondered.
"Because, he is in more danger than you, or even him, knows right now."
"No..." Marche uttered devastated in disbelief as he dropped to his knees.
"A group called The Organization has recruited your brother because of the extreme darkness that lurks within his heart."
"Darkness?" Marched questioned confused as he looked up at the mysterious figure.
"Since the world of Ivalice was taken away from him, along with a future of a healthy life, a seed of hatred, anger and carelessness has been planted deep within his heart. That seed has grown to what it is now. That is, a boy with pure concentrated darkness within him."
"W-what have I done...?" Marche asked himself in disbelief as his eyes began to fill with tears.
"Don't blame yourself, Marche." the mysterious figure said reassuringly while placing a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "You did what you had to do. What you knew in your heart was right. Everyone else was able to accept this."
"But Doned couldn't..." Marche continued as tears streamed down his face. "I took away the only thing that brought him happiness. The only thing that made his life happy and healthy, I took away."
"You did what needed to be done. Nothing more, nothing less. Now, you must put all of that in the past and be strong. Your brother needs you now more than ever."
"What can I do!?" Marche angrily shouted in frustration. "You said it yourself! His heart is filled completely with darkness! There's no possible way to reach him and make him see!"
"There is, Marche." the mysterious figure said removing its hand from his shoulder and slowly turning its back to him. As the mysterious figure began to slowly walk away from him it said "There is someone that can help you reach his soul. Once reached, you'll be able to convince him of what is happening to him."
"Why should I believe any of this any of this anyways?" Marche questioned with his fist clinched. "You're one of them, aren't you?!"
The mysterious figure replied with a simple nod.
"I thought so..." Marche replied disappointed and angered.
"It's not what you think, though." the mysterious figure quickly added.
"How!?" Marche angrily snapped questioning the mysterious figure.
"I'm a rouge member of the Organization. I can't tell you much right now, but I swear on my life that you can trust me."
While Marche started to think over the mysterious stranger's proposal, the sounds of groans were noticeable in the background. He quickly turned around to find Ritz grabbing her head and slowly leaning forward away from the wall. She clinched her teeth and tried to shake off the feeling of dizziness she was feeling.
"Ritz!" Marche gasped as he rushed to her aid.
"M-Marche...?" Ritz uttered in a daze as she began to come back around. "W-what happened?" she asked confusingly.
Marche kneeled down next to her and replied curelessly "I was going to ask you the same thing!"
"A-all I remember is...Doned. He was so full of hatred for you. I had no idea it was that bad."
Marche nodded and slowly rose to his feet.
He extended his hand to Ritz as he replied "I'm pretty much used to it. In fact, not only has he written me off, but mom too. He wants nothing to do with anybody."
With the aid of Marche, Ritz gradually got to her feet. As Marche turned to look at Ritz, he noticed a look in her eye that he had never seen before. It was a look of pure fear, gripping the very depths or her soul.
"Are you alright, Ritz?" Marche asked concerningly.
"I'm fine." Ritz casually replied.
Marche looked back over his shoulder to find that the mysterious figure was gone. Only Marche and Ritz had remained.
"This can't be happening." Marche said distressed.
"Think this could be a dream?" Ritz curiously questioned in wonder.
"If it is, how could we be having the same dream?"
Ritz smiled.
"I could just be a part of your dream, you know."
Marche looked to the empty space where his brother's wheelchair once sat and sighed.
"If this is a dream, I hope I wake up soon. So far, I don't like where this is going."
"You!?" Ritz shouted in disbelieve. "I was thrown against a wall and my head is killing me! I should be the one not liking this!"
Marche gave a long deep stressed sigh.
"I know Ritz, but I'm worried about Doned. What do you think is going to happen to him?"
Ritz could hear the concern for Doned in Marche's trembling worryful tone.
"Honestly, I have no idea..." Ritz replied cluelessly.
"Your brother must be saved from the darkness." a distorted feminine voice echoed throughout the room.
Shaken by the strange voice, Marche and Ritz glared around the room attempting to find where the voice was coming from.
"His heart can still be saved, but you have to act quickly. Be here tomorrow night around this time. A guide will show you the way."
"Why not tonight!?" Marche angrily shouted. "You said we needed to 'act quickly'!"
"The gate can only open tomorrow night." the distorted voice echoed. "Only then will the guide be waiting to take you through."
"Well, this is just great." Ritz snorted. "What are we gonna do!? Doned's been taken by...something...and we haven't a clue on how to get him back!"
"Calm down, Ritz." Marche replied consolingly as he placed his hand on Ritz's shoulder.
What was once sky shrouded in darkness was now lit up by the moon's warm gentle glow and the twinkle of each individual star that shined in the night sky. Marche could only look out his brother's bedroom window and stare in to the distance. A determined look came over his face.
"My brother is out there somewhere, Ritz." Marche said continuing to stare out at the glowing night sky.
"He's out there, and I'm going to bring him back."