Preparations
The keyblade wielders aren't the only ones who have their work cut out for them. Now where had they put the spare coats?
"You're not going."
At Even's words, Ienzo glanced up from the books he'd spread out on the table, and gave his former caretaker a sheepish grin.
"Not to worry, I have taken your words to heart—it still feels weird to say that and mean it, doesn't it—and I believe you are correct. Alone, I am not likely to make much progress so I have discussed it at length with Aeleus and he—
"I meant," Even interrupted sharply, giving Ienzo a firm look (and quickly sending a disapproving glare at Aeleus' retreating form as well, stopping him in his tracks), "You need to let this harebrained scheme go."
"My apologies then, I refuse." That had to be the shortest phrase to come out of Ienzo's mouth yet. He turned back to the books, picked up one particularly thick tome and nodded in approval before setting it down into a steadily growing pile on one end of the table. There was another pile on the other end—much smaller. Those had been the books deemed unsuitable.
Even watched him critically, before directing his gaze to the still frozen Aeleus, whose face was unreadable as always.
"And you approve of this as well, do you?" Even asked, his voice mocking.
"I do."
Idiots, both of them.
"Dilan has agreed as well," Ienzo added calmly.
All three of them then.
"You're wasting your time," Even scowled.
"Perhaps," Aeleus agreed, "But I would rather find that out for myself."
"It's not a waste of time!" Ienzo's previously calm tone gained an irritated edge, "There is already plenty of evidence in our favor." Even rolled his eyes. At least this new chatty Ienzo still had one thing in common with the comparatively silent Zexion: he absolutely hated having his ideas challenged, no matter how ridiculous they were.
Even had a mind to knock his young colleague down a few pegs and really emphasize how childish he was being. They'd done it: they were whole again. Couldn't Ienzo appreciate that? Why did he—no, all three of them, feel the need to go dig up skeletons they'd tried so hard to bury in the first place?
Even would have launched into a lecture then and there, but it was at that moment that the third traitor entered the library. Dilan carried several boxes in his arms, the top two of which were quickly taken by Aeleus and moved to the corner with the others. Dilan set his down as well, his gaze lingering on one box in particular.
Ienzo lit up, his previous petulance immediately forgotten. "Any luck?" he asked hopefully.
"See for yourself," Dilan replied, gesturing to the box. Ienzo rushed past him, opening it up like a child would a Christmas present. He wasn't disappointed either, his smile only growing as he pulled out the prize they'd been seeking. A black coat.
"Coats?" Even sputtered, his headache returning full force, "You intend to use the Dark Corridors for this? Have you completely lost your minds? All these years trying to reclaim our hearts and shake off the darkness and now you—
"Well it's not like we a have a Gummi Ship at our disposal," Dilan snapped at him, before turning back to Ienzo, "Satisfied?"
"Quite." Ienzo wasted no time in shoving his lab coat into Aeleus' hands and donning the all-too familiar trademark of Organization XIII. His purple ascot and collared shirt were still visible, but otherwise it was as if Zexion had returned, albeit with an uncharacteristic boyish grin. "I must admit, after all these years, I feel this does suit me better. What do you think?"
Aeleus and Dilan wisely averted their gaze, and their expressions told Even to do the same. Fortunately, Ienzo didn't push for a reply. He stood patiently as Dilan threw his coat over his uniform without a second thought, and as Aeleus looked at his pensively before doing the same.
"Where did you find these anyway?" the guard asked.
"The Garden of Assemblage," Dilan replied, "That room was never the easiest to reach, so some of the old Replica data survived. I found the coats there."
"Replica…" the word lingered in Even's mind. It had been one of Vexen's most important projects, yet his memories on the subject were hazy at best. He remembered the last one he made, but it had been a spur of the moment doll intended to counter the plot at that godforsaken castle. It was never…
His train of thought broke as a black blur suddenly flashed in front of his eyes. He took a step back in disgust, not daring to let that thing touch him.
"Has your petty idealism made you deaf? How many times must I say I'm not going?" Even snapped. Ienzo didn't lower his arm though, the final black coat clasped in his hand.
"It wouldn't be the same without you?" the young man tried half-heartedly. When all that earned him was an affronted scowl, he shrugged and turn back to his co-conspirators. "No matter then. With the coats out of the way, how is the rest of the search faring?"
"That should cover most of it," Dilan eyed the shelves, "Although most of our research has been lost, or more likely confiscated and the password to the Hollow Bastion OS has been changed. Although I doubt there was much left on it to begin with."
"Good," Even muttered.
"What do you mean "good"? That was valuable data," Ienzo pouted.
"I mean, good," Even repeated in a low angry voice, "That data should never have been recorded in the first place. The entirety of the last decade has gone to fixing the mistakes caused by that research—mistakes we were directly responsible for. And now, after eleven years of hell, we finally have our hearts again only now you want to throw them away to satisfy your stubborn egos and—
He didn't realize he was shouting until Aeleus silenced him by placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's because we have our hearts again that we need to do this Even," his voice was steady, but his eyes revealed just how much bitterness he was holding back, "During our time as Nobodies, our only goal was getting our hearts back. We never once stopped to think about just what we had done."
That wasn't entirely true. They knew exactly what they did and what the effects were—entire volumes had been penned on the observations. Lacking emotions though (or perhaps more accurately, empathy, if Even really thought it over now), it just never seemed particularly concerning. When they were Nobodies, there was only the Organization. Getting their hearts back was the only thing that mattered. That might have been a small mercy though. Even still couldn't sleep at night without remembering the things he, as Vexen, had done (funny how having a heart painted "exciting scientific ventures" in a new light), and even those things may as well have been small potatoes compared to Even's mistakes. If he'd never lost his heart, he'd more likely have gone insane from the crushing guilt.
He understood what Aeleus meant though—the same expression reflected in Ienzo and Dilan's eyes.
"Amends must be made, and we must be the ones to make them." Aeleus' tone left no room for argument. Even didn't disagree with him. But there were plenty of things they could have done here, in the city. Taking care of Radiant Garden had been the very thing they were trained for, dammit!
But no, Ienzo had it in his head that the Garden's true leader, their former teacher, Ansem the Wise, was still alive somewhere, and was determined to find him. Never mind that him being alive was only a possibility, and never mind that even if he were alive, his treacherous apprentices ought to have been the last persons he wanted to see. But somehow, Ienzo had even gotten Aeleus and Dilan's support in this. Only Even still saw reason it seemed.
They weren't forcing him to come along though, no matter how expectant their (or at least, Ienzo's) eyes were. That was one reprieve at least. But after everything they'd gone through, could he really sit back and let them risk their lives like the fools they were? Even clicked his tongue in disapproval. He could just hear that guy laughing at him and mockingly whispering that trite catchphrase of his into Even's ear.
Grumbling under his breath, Even took off his lab coat, chucked it at Ienzo's head (for good measure), and then grabbed the final coat from him. He hated how comfortably it sat on him.
"Just so we're clear, I still say this is a fool's errand, and you're all fools," he hissed at them, "But I'd be the biggest fool if I sat back while you fetched our old Master."
"And Braig. And yes, you would be," Ienzo agreed seriously. When had he gotten so cheeky?
"Good to have you onboard," Aeleus clapped his shoulder lightly.
"Your abilities will doubtlessly be an asset to us," Dilan gave his approval as well. Even couldn't say he was too fond of the warm feeling rising in his heart, and quickly changed the subject.
"What have you decided upon so far anyway?" he demanded, "Do you intend on involving the others as well?"
"No," Ienzo replied, "Well, Axel—er, Lea is already involved as it is, but the others were never a part of this. If they have returned as we have, then they have fulfilled their duty to the Organization and should be allowed to move on with their lives." Even nodded, not willing to admit that he hadn't been particularly eager for a reunion with the other Nobodies. Their past allegiance had been a strenuous affair at best (it was truly a miracle the Organization lasted as long as it had, even before all the backstabbing officially started). Axel's involvement was bad enough really, but at least he wouldn't be physically present.
"I still don't understand why he had his coat though," Aeleus muttered, "Or where Ienzo's clothes came from for that matter."
"It's quite fascinating, isn't it—
"No, it isn't," Dilan cut Ienzo off, before he dared bring up his pet theory again. That had been one of the first things to come up when Even and Dilan finally woke up, and it was not a conversation that bared repeating. Ever a fan of Occam's Razor, Ienzo had somewhat innocently (and in great detail) proposed that someone—perhaps Xemnas, took their coats while they were unconscious and changed them into their old uniforms. Ienzo also somehow failed to look even remotely concerned by the notion's implications, which forced Even to have a long chat with him about saying such base things so nonchalantly. They had enough nightmares in their heads as it were.
"Perhaps that's something to discuss later," Aeleus clearly regretted bringing it up himself, "For now we should focus on finding Master Ansem."
"And Braig," Ienzo said again. Even didn't miss the flash of uneasiness their fifth colleague's name brought to Aeleus and Dilan's faces, but he didn't press. Braig was… an enigma; just how deeply he really was involved in everything was unpleasant to think about. But this wasn't the time to argue about him.
"Yes, yes him too," Even agreed hurriedly, "Right then, if we have time to stand around here and chat, we have time to pack. What do you need me to do?"
The laboratory they'd awoken in was cold and dark, and considering they could open dark corridors anywhere, Even had absolutely no idea why it had been their decided setout point. Probably for dramatic effect, he rationed.
The four of them stood in a circle, each with a small duffel over their shoulder containing food, spare clothes, and whatever research books and notes they'd deemed relevant for their mission. Aeleus and Dilan wore stern faces, while Ienzo (for once) seemed at a loss for words.
"Well, go on already," Even pressed, "We all agreed to this already, so there's no point in you getting cold feet."
"My apologies," Ienzo said, "The place I want to investigate first… considering all that happened there… to us… I just—
"It's alright, Ienzo," Aeleus assured, "If going there is too difficult for you, we can start elsewhere." Dilan nodded.
"No, I'll be fine," his gaze lingered on Even though, "That place unquestionably holds more secrets than we knew of. Shortly after we'd first discovered it, Braig—er Xigbar, told me something interesting." Ienzo took a deep breath before speaking again. "The "Chamber of Repose" is part of a pair. The "Chamber of Waking" is the other."
"Chamber of Waking?" Aeleus repeated the name slowly.
"Why have you never told us this before?" Even demanded. The Chamber of Repose… to think there was another one of those horrid things out there.
"I must confess it didn't interest me too much at the time," Ienzo admitted, "Back then, I suspected Xigbar only wished to hound me for Lord Xemnas' secrets—not that I ever knew anything the rest of you didn't, but now I feel he was trying to tell me something important."
If there was one thing the apprentices could agree on, it was that behind that carefree attitude, Braig always knew more than he let on.
"So, you intend to find Braig to learn what he knows?" Dilan asked, with just a hint of approval.
"No. I intend to find Braig because he's one of us," Ienzo waved his arm dismissively, "If he is willing to share his knowledge with us afterwards, that is simply a bonus." Ienzo waited for his comrades to fully take in his words before opening a dark portal in the wall with a flick of his wrist.
"Gentlemen," he affirmed, "I believe it's about time we properly investigated the secrets lurking inside Castle Oblivion."
A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it :)
Some sort of storyline for the Apprentices is something I really want to see in Kingdom Hearts III. Preferably involving them trying to reconcile with Ansem, and maybe getting Braig back as well.
Xigbar telling Zexion about the Chamber of Waking is one of KHII Final Mix scenes, and it's probably the biggest use of foreshadowing in the series. Never mind the Birth by Sleep stuff (and Braig's role) for a moment, but it also hinted at something from Dream Drop Distance: namely, that the apprentices may have had their doubts about Xehanort's plans. The Chamber of Repose is explicitly stated to be the entirety of the underground lab (not just the room with Aqua's armor), so it's kinda interesting how both Vexen and Xigbar are so reluctant to set foot in it even calling it a "graveyard". They don't really sound like unfeeling treacherous apprentices put like that...
(And of course, the fact that Xigbar would approach Zexion of all people highlights his importance to the Organization hierarchy in Days, and also the fact that Mr. Cloaked Schemer may well be the only person in the entire group of scheming bastards who genuinely trusts Xemnas and the whole "The goal of the Organization is to regain our hearts" schtick. He's surprisingly innocent, now that I really think about it.)
Well, I'm done rambling now. This was really fun to write (I just hope I didn't go overboard with Ienzo's chattiness, haha) and I'd love to hear any feedback :)