Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter II

The Doors in the Darkness

To plunder

that which has been lost,

Blood and Flesh and Bone

and something else.

The Unseen World

Floating

Alone

"Wake up. Wake up!"

A voice. There was another voice. Someone was calling out to him.

"Wake up! You need to wake up and remember."

It went on.

"Remember? Remember what? Who are you?" he voiced out, hoping to shed some light into all of this.

The strange voice laughed with amusement and then sighed.

"You really have forgotten, haven't you? You do not remember me? Us? After all we've been through? After everything?"

He knew not what the voice was talking about. Nothing rang a bell. It was as if his mind was empty, wiped clean. His memories were nowhere to be found. In his head there was only the unfilled space of the darkness.

"No. I do not remember a single thing. Not even my name." he replied.

He was lost in all of this and the strange voice was quick to notice, or rather, feel it from. "You need to remember. The journey the Goddess has set for us is a hard one. You need to know who you are and what you are for us to succeed. We owe her our… redemption."

'Redemption, what is he talking about?' He asked himself.

Strangely enough, the voice heard his thoughts and replied. "I am speaking about our second chance, a life unbound from the cycle. We are finally free from the curse and the Goddess has given us a new purpose."

A cycle, a curse, and a goddess, he did not have any idea about any of it.

'Was the Goddess the one that spoke to me before?'

"'Us', spoke to us." The voice corrected and chuckled. "And yes, it was her, the Goddess. But for you to better understand, it seems that we need to unlock your memories."

A pause and then voice spoke again but this time with a serious tone. He didn't expect that change of demeanor. He didn't even know who the speaker was.

"Time is running out. We will arrive soon. The Goddess said that her sister's warriors, the chosen ones, will be gathering and we need to aid them on her behalf."

This was getting all the more confusing for him. First, he woke up falling into the darkness with a strange female voice talking to him in riddles and showing him strange flashes of events. Now, he was floating in white space with another voice talking – this time, it was a male and strangely familiar. Where had he heard this voice before? He sighed and took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. He decided to calm down. If he was to gain understanding, he needed to calm down and set his mind straight. Again, his thoughts were heard by the voice and it spoke again.

"You are right, you need to come down. At least now you're showing signs of being your collected self. That is a good step. We must get your memories to return now if we are to fight in the battles ahead."

He furrowed his brows. "Battles? What for? Against who? What?"

The voice was chuckling again. "I understand that you have so many questions. But rest assured, all will be revealed. But to answer one, we will be up against… an old enemy." The voice said the last part with a hint of excitement.

"Let us go! We need to hurry."

The darkness came again and it engulfed him, blanking the white space he was floating in black shroud. Left and right he could not make out anything, it was blindingly dark. But in a distance, not very far off, he could see a floating object.

"Your memories await and time is running short."

It was the source of the voice.

He's not alone anymore.

The Necrohol of Nabudis

Three days ago.

"My suspicions were correct, they did come from here. The place maybe in ruins but still it's a stronghold nonetheless." the man whispered.

He stood about six feet tall and has brown hair with blond highlights and sharply styled sideburns. He wore an embroidered golden and olive green vest over a high-collared shirt and tightly black leather trousers with shin pads, and steel, opened-back sandals. He had a set of earrings in both ears and a collection of brightly colored rings on his left hand. Strapped on his back was his weapon, Fomalhaut.

Silently the man spied at the ruins. Demons were running about, a lot of them and different kinds. There were the hounds that were usually seen during the attacks. There were some with wings and maws on their stomachs while some were floating and had multiple sets of eyes. He looked towards the spires that we're still standing and wasn't surprised that a demonic turret was stationed there along with blue skinned demons armed with a giant cleavers.

"My, this is really interesting. I wonder what they're guarding inside the Necrohol." he wondered.

"Obviously something that has to do with their sudden appearance in this world." a female voice replied from behind him. His partner stood six feet tall, has dark skin complexion and thick white hair that was kept in a ponytail. Her eyes were red and she has long rabbit-like ears covered in white fur with browns speckles at the tip. She wore high heels and very revealing Wood Warder Armor.

"The Mist is very thick. Since the Nethicite has corrupted the life here before, it is no wonder why the demon were drawn to this place."

The man smiled at her tall copanion. "Sensitive to the Mist as always, that's a Viera for you. And I agree, it seems that whatever made the demons appear has something to do with the Mist here and what's inside." He peered again at the ruins. "The entrances are heavily guarded."

"Have you noticed that the monsters have all disappeared?" she asked.

The man nodded in agreement. "They were driven out obviously. These demons are very territorial by the looks of it. And that's what's making all the more difficult for us to go inside."

The Viera closed her eyes when her partner stopped talking. She concentrated on feeling the swirling Mists around the Necrohol, noticing nothing out of the ordinarily unstable nethicite mist. Then, she felt something. She focused on feeling the source of the churning Mist; she felt something in the darkness.

'There!'

She opened her eyes. "There is something inside. Thick Mist is swirling around it and I can feel plenty of demonic energy flowing out from it, like an open doorway. It's in the middle chamber, the one that we unlocked before."

The man's brows furrowed at what the Viera said. "In the middle chamber? The room where we encountered Chaos before?"

This was getting hard to figure out for them. He thought of the possibility that perhaps another Esper was housed inside the ruins making the demons appear but quickly banished the thought. There were only thirteen Espers and they faced them all before.

Roar!

A demonic cry broke him out of his contemplation. The demons were starting to stir. Quickly, he peeked from their hiding spot again. 'Have they noticed us?'

"We have to go back. They're on the move. They're going to attack the city again. The Princess needs to be warned." Her partner said with urgency.

He nodded and they silently headed back towards the Salikawoods as the demon cries were getting louder behind them. And then they heard a terrorizing howl which stopped them on their tracks. They were compelled to look back and from the distance, what they saw only made them shake.

From what they could make out from the Mist, it was a very large demon that could rival the size of a Saurian. A demonic centaur with wings on its back, it wore heavy chains and armor and held a massive halberd-like weapon. Green mist was smoking from its mouth.

As a sky pirate, the man rarely feared monsters. He had faced a lot of them from wyrm to undead and even Espers – vassals of the Gods themselves. But this time, he couldn't stop the fear from gripping him. He's hands were shaking.

'If this massive demon was going to attack Rabanastre...'

The thought alone jumpstarted his feet to move but the fear was still crawling inside his skin. He could feel the cold sweat running down his neck, his throat suddenly going dry.

"We have to go! Now!" her partner snapped him out of his terror. He nodded at her and they both ran back towards the Strahl, disregarding stealth for haste.

The Nabreus Deadlands

'Where could they be? They should've been back moments ago.'

Basch fon Ronseburg was running out of patience. He was waiting for the two sky pirates to return from their scouting mission for an hour now, wondering if something might have happen to the duo. But knowing these sky pirates, they're very capable of handling themselves. Still he was concerned. They were comrades after all. No, they were closer than that. They were friends. They saved him from that hell of a prison years ago. They helped him free Dalmasca and stopped Vayne's conquest for power, ending the war. They helped him protect the princess. And they helped him free his brother. They have been through a lot for them to fail now. After all, this was just a simple mission. Sneak in. Gather information. Go back. It was simple.

But what they found in the Nabreus Deadlands hour ago was a grim sight to behold. Demons, an entire army of them coming from the direction from the Necrohol, they were using the ruins as a stronghold. And the closer they came to the palace, the more demons were present. The Mist also grew thicker and it mingled with some green demonic energy. They were assigned to scout the main road to the Necrohol while Balthier and Fran went to the Salikawood path hoping for a better chance to sneak in into enemy territory.

The door opened suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. "Are you alright, Basch?"

In came a man that looked exactly like him. Both had the same dirty blond hair, same haircut, and same facial features. They had the same steely gaze of determination and loyalty that was hard not to notice in their eyes. Both stood at the same height and had equal build as well. And both had the same resolve to fight to protect and defend, the Judge armors they both wore are testaments to that will.

There were differences though. Basch's armor was white-silver while he's brother's, Noah fon Ronsenburg, was ebony black as night. And facially, Basch has a long, prominent scar across his left brow; a brand that he will forever wear, a reminder, a dear lesson from the past.

"Noah." Basch regarded him, standing up from his seat.

Gabranth chuckled, "Brother, I told you not to call me by that name." his expression turned serious and so did their conversation. "I have left that in my past and with it, my mistakes. I have vowed to redeem myself by serving Lord Larsa with my new name… even if I am a stray."

Basch only smiled at that and placed a hand on his twin's shoulder, a gesture of support. "Even a stray has pride, Gabranth." His brother smiled. Basch went on. "And we are both the same. If I could protect but one person from war's horror… then I would bear any shame. I would bear it proudly. I am a Judge Magister, same as you. Lord Larsa assigned your duties to the House Solidor and mine to crown of Dalmasca. We are not entirely strays. I have failed our homeland before, I will not fail now. And…"

And then his voice turned soft as he finished. "And I hope you have forgiven me."

It wasn't the perfect time nor was it the perfect place. But with their duties ever since the end of the continental war, they barely had time to see each other, let alone talk.

Basch knew his mistakes; Gabranth knew them as well as his own. But for his brother to suddenly ask for forgiveness now, it made his heart swell with both joy and regret. He was supposed to be the one to ask for forgiveness but instead it was Basch that asked for it from him.

"As will I brother. And no, it is me who needs to be forgiven, Basch." Gabranth said with a firm nod.

The door to the Strahl opened and both brothers looked back to see Balthier and Fran walking into the ship trying to catch their breaths.

Basch took a bottle of water from the supply pack and handed it to Balthier. Gabranth did the same and handed one to Fran. The brothers could only assume that the two pirates had been running fast. And questioning inwardly, what they were running from?

Gabranth was the first to speak, "What's the situation Judge Ffamran?"

Balthier chuckled at the formality. "Please, Judge Magister. Do not call me that. I don't like being called by that title. And regarding the situation, it'd be best if we talk about it while we fly." He turned to his partner. "Fran, start the engines. We need to get to Rabanastre as fast as we can."

Gabranth's brows furrowed at this, noticing Balthier was in a rush and judging from his expression, the sky pirate was disturbed? He instantly asked why.

Balthier remained silent as if he didn't hear the question. And he certainly didn't hear it because his mind was still haunted by the sight of the massive demon. The Strahl hummed to life and the four quickly took their seats.

The air ship flew off.

"What happened there, Balthier?" Basch asked, hoping that this time the sky pirate would hear the question.

The male sky pirate sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "New demons are coming, big ones. And they're starting to move."

The judges went silent. And both had the same thoughts.

We need to get to Rabanastre!

The Unseen World

Darkness

Everything was covered in black, even the solid surface he was treading. The only source of light he could see was a floating silver wisp he had been following for who knows how long now. He had no idea where they were or where they were headed but something inside him assured him that he could trust the floating orb – the source of the dark voice, his only companion inside this light-forsaken abyss.

"Where are we? Why is there no light?" he asked, wondering why such a place was so devoid of even the slightest glimmer.

The voice chuckled. "We are inside your soul, in the deepest parts of it."

He stopped walking at hearing this, shocked.

The voice noticed his reaction, finding it a bit amusing. "Are you afraid?"

He looked around but again saw nothing but walls and curtains of darkness. "No. Just curious." he replied.

He found it really strange why there's no light as if the place was forsaken, abandoned. If this was what's inside his soul, then he must be a very corrupted man. There was nothing but darkness in here and that disheartened him. He wondered why the Goddess would grant him, a man with nothing but darkness in his soul, a second chance at life. It was all very confusing. Nothing made sense.

"You must be wondering why it is dark in here." the voice said, interrupting his train of thought. "No need to worry about it. It's not what you think. Only this part is like an abyss since it is where you kept away your most… prized possessions."

He was silent.

"You are not entirely different from other men. They all have dark secrets. And this place is where you hid and locked away yours."

As if on cue, large metal double doors appeared before them. It was adorned with glowing silver runes along its edges, covering the majority of its intricate design. There were no handles. In its center were complex patterns of markings and circles. 'Obviously a seal of some sort', he silently thought.

"Correct." the voice answered. It obviously heard his thoughts again.

"How are you doing that?" he needed to ask. "Is it some kind of trick?"

The voice laughed at his question. "No tricks. And as how I can hear what you're thinking, it will be answered inside along with all your other questions."

He set his sights back to the huge doors, studying it. "How do we open this? It's obviously locked by two keys." He pointed at the two keyholes on each side of the door noticing them for the first time. The one on the left was glowing cool blue and the one on the right was glowing warm red.

"Do you, by chance, have the keys?" He asked.

"No, I don't. But… you do." The voice replied.

He could tell that it was excited now but he was confused by what it meant when he has the keys to the doors. From what he could remember, which wasn't much at all, this was the first time he saw the doors. His pockets were empty as well, so there was no way he had the keys.

"You need to summon them; they are a part of you. Summon the keys. Place each of your hands on both seals and call them. They will come."

He nodded in understanding although a bit unsure if what he was about to do would work. He placed his left hand on the blue seal and his right on the red one. The moment both his hands made contact, the seals and the runes glowed. He closed his eyes and words escaped from his lips. And it was then that he realized that He was the key.

"Wasurenaide"

Do not forget.

The doors hummed. The runes the adorned the doors glowed brightly and the seals were slowly undoing themselves, retracing their patters and lines until they faded one by one. He gently opened his eyes and…

Click.

The doors were unlocked now and it started to open, bright light spilling from it. He covered his eyes and was swallowed by the brightness. What was once the darkest place of his soul was now the brightest as the light from the opened doors was starting to blind him. But he decided to move forward, to follow the orb as it floated inside. He didn't feel fear. He didn't feel excitement. But it mattered not because for the first time since he awoken, he felt a sense of longing inside him. Something was inside that was calling out to him begging to be remembered. He took a deep breath and then went forward into the light.

"Return to where it all began."

I tried to make the chapters a bit longer for more content.

There will be multiple characters in this story from different FF worlds and there will be other pairings as well.

If you spot any errors, feel free to correct me.

Please leave a review and tell me what you think. I'd appreciate it. Thanks! :)