The sun had crept up just enough so that light could hit Sora's face. His eyes fluttered open and he yawned. He felt refreshed and ready to go, but soon the reality of his situation set in. He almost died, and Riku paid the price for it…
Previously on Alchemic Hearts…
"Sora, you're awake."
"Riku is gone."
"Fixed?"
"That's what I would like to know."
Sora knew he was in trouble...
Go-sen
mairu hashitte iki o kirashite
Adorenarin hyaku rittoru gotai subete furu kadou
Koko
made kureba ii darou? Doko made ga OK?
Machi o irodoru kigi
wa moyougae kurikaeshiteru
Kawarihateta
shirosa kawarenai yowasa
Ima koko ni iru jibun o shinjitai
Migite
hidarite furikazashite yami o kirisaite GO!
Itsuwari wa nai ze kakugo kimeteru ze
Sutaato kitta sono shunkan kara sekai wa
hirogaru sa
Sora's mom had a rolled up newspaper in her hand. "What did I say about Alchemy?" She gripped it tighter.
"You said don't."
"And why is that?" Her left hand was shaking.
"Because people wind up with missing limbs for messing around in God's territory." Sora sulked. He leaned to the right slightly. His body wasn't used to the weight of the auto-mail yet.
"Damn right. Now Sora, I don't see two of the limbs that I made for you 14 years ago, so where are they?" His mother was still waiting promptly to beat the hell out of him.
"Mom, I know. I messed up. Things are even worse now. Riku's gone, Kairi is still dead and I-" He froze realizing what he had said. "Oh shit" is what he thought.
FWHAP! Sora fell back to the pillow he woke up from.
A hand flew across Sora's face, leaving a read mark on his left cheek. His mother widened her eyes. "You did WHAT?!"
The boy rubbed his face where he had been slapped. She glared at him seething with anger.
"W-we tried to bring Kairi back?"
At this point, the woman was so intensely angry that she began to beat Sora in such a manner, it was considered child abuse.
"Yeah, I think it's time we go." Selphie whispered to Tidus in hopes she doesn't catch an ass-whooping. The young boy nodded in agreeance. The twosome left.
As they came downstairs, someone greeted them. "Are they okay?" A stranger in all black greeted the two. He smiled an empty smile and the kids fell for it.
"Yeah, they're okay, but Sora won't be able to sit for a while." Tidus snickered.
"So how do you know Sora?" Selphie pulled a chair out for the gentleman.
"You see, I was the one who found him and the other boy and took them to the hospital. They were lying in the rubble of what was once my family's mansion. I acted quickly; luckily I got them there before they lost too much blood." The man explained. Selphie poured him a cup of tea.
The racket upstairs finally stopped. "Now march downstairs and thank the man for saving your life! Then apologize for destroying his house!"
There were footsteps heading towards the stairway. The boy emerged from the upper level holding his face and bottom. That is, until he saw the man.
"You-you're that guy I saw in the shadows that night. What are you doing here?" He pointed at the guest. Sora jumped from the stairs and landed on the kitchen table. Unfortunately for him, the weight of his new limbs caused the table to fall and him with it.
"I was in the shadows? I'm afraid you are a bit mistaken. I saved you. When you and your friend messed up your taboo transmutation, I was the one who made sure you were alive here today. It was I who carried you and your friend to the hospital." The man smiled his empty smile, but Sora knew what he saw.
"I just came to talk to you Sora. You see, I'm a state Alchemist." Sora froze when he heard that term. They usually don't come to these parts. Usually, when one appeared, it was the signal of something bad; ranging from something small like jail, or in comparison to things like war.
"You're a military dog? What do you need to see me for, and how did you know what Alchemy I used?" The boy stood up without any help from anyone.
"I think this is something we need to talk about without anyone around." He hinted to the other three in the room. Selphie and Sora's mom instantly got the hint. Tidus figured it out after he saw the other two leave.
The duo watched the others leave and Sora turned back to him. "So what do you really want?"
"Why, I'm surprised Sora. I didn't know you could actually pay attention long enough to get serious. The information gathered on you says you can't really focus too long, so I'll make this quick." He took a deep breath. "We want you to come and work for us."
Sora was stunned. Him, a State Alchemist? It was sudden. And even through it all, the best response he could muster was "so you're not here to arrest me or kill anyone?"
"Heavens no, I said I wanted to talk."
"Well, my answer is no. I don't want to have anything to do with Alchemy anymore. It's cost me my girlfriend, best friend, and two of my limbs that I know of at the moment. Save for me, there is nothing more in this world I hate more than Alchemy. Why would I want to take it back up?"
The guest leaned back in his chair. "There will come a day when there will be nothing you can do to stop someone you love from dying; at that point, Alchemy will be the only option. I want you to be ready Sora. I want you to be ready for whatever happens."
"Are you threatening me?" Sora jumped up from his chair.
"I am educating you." He replied flatly. "Now, should you choose to accept my invitation, go to what used to be the mansion. I'll be there."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you, your friends and family will die, and you can't stop it. Are you going to prepare for it?"
Sora thought for a moment. "Give me a couple days to think. I'll get back to you."
The stranger got up and walked over to the door.
"Wait, what's your name?"
"Mesna." And he walked out, leaving Sora sitting at the table confused.
Later…
"So he wants me to come join the State Alchemists. I told him no, but he insisted. His name is Mesna and he wants me to come visit him in two days. Mesna said that something is coming and that if I don't hone my Alchemic skills, I will be powerless to stop it and everyone I know and love will die." Sora's mom, Selphie, and Tidus gathered around him.
"So what are you going to do?" Selphie asked Sora, who was looking out the window. The smoke from the mansion was still smoldering.
"He's obviously going to say no. What's left of him?" Tidus tapped his head with his finger, signaling for the girl to think.
Sora's mother hated Alchemy. She didn't want him involved with it, and for good reason. Sora had already lost an arm and a leg, literally; there wasn't too much he could lose, except his life, which was far too precious to her.
Sora himself wasn't paying attention. His mind went back to what he saw. Those doors filled his thoughts with fear and strength. Yes, strength. Somehow, although he didn't know it, Sora was immensely stronger.
"Sora" His mother called to him to the fifth time.
He snapped back to attention. "Huh, oh, I'm not going."
"So what would happen if he was threatening us? Can you handle him?" Tidus and Selphie stood silent watching the two converse. They were continuously being left out.
"Nothing is going to happen, I don't need Alchemy, and we can drop it."
Sora's mother just looked at him. She knew her son. He was lying. He wanted to go, and it ate him up inside. He was growing.
"So, did he specify what would happen?" Sora's mother readjusted herself to the bed beside her son. He still wasn't paying much attention.
"No, he just said that I'd be powerless to stop it." The boy continued to mope. His funk seemed like it would never end.
The woman took a deep breath. "Then, if everyone is so important, you should go." Her voice broke. She knew that by letting Sora go, it'd possibly send him to his death. The look in his eyes was different from the Sora she knew.
Sora looked up at his mother. She was serious. He could tell by the cadence in her voice. The woman faced away from him to not see his face. She would break down in tears if she looked back. The woman began to walk away. "However, if you lose any more limbs, don't bother coming back at all."
Selphie and Tidus stared at her and then each other. Sora grinned. A tear formed in his right eye.
"Thanks mom."
…
In the distance, there was a shadow. Mesna knew that it was Sora. The boy gave off a very distinctive alchemic feel.
"Ah, Sora, I see you made it. Would you care for refreshments, or get right to it?" The man jokingly taunted. The boy said nothing as he moved past the smoke in the rubble. His face was finally exposed. There was nothing left to hide. Sora was there to learn with a serious look on his face.
"Stoic, nice, I like that. I noticed something about your Alchemy. Quite frankly, it sucks. For starters, you channel too much into equivalent exchange. Offering more than what you expect is good once or twice, but after a while equivalent exchange expects that. And it won't work if you don't have enough to offer. So starting from now until Sunday, you have to read my entire library." Mesna's facial expression dropped from jolly to serious.
"What library?" Sora finally spoke. Before the boy finished his sentence, Mesna moved over to where the living room used to be. In the remains on the fireplace, there was a small brown button. Only those who knew where it was would have been able to find it. Mesna pressed the button. The floor of what was left of the living room opened to reveal a staircase leading downstairs. "The library that's in my basement." The brown-skinned man led the way.
Coming down the stairs, Sora noticed a large shelf. It was only one shelf, so Sora was sure he could read that entire shelf between then and Sunday; that is, until he came fully downstairs. The whole basement was full of shelves. Each shelf was full of books, and every one of them he had to read by Sunday. "It's Friday now. By 8:00 pm Sunday night, you must have read all of this to understand what I intend to teach you." Mesna walked back upstairs. Sora heard his footsteps, and chased him. "Wait, I can't do this! There's got to be another way." Before Sora reached the top, the ceiling closed, leaving him to stay stranded there until Sunday. He came back down the stairs and looked at the rows upon rows of books. "Ah smoof" He "cursed" out loud.
Kairi just sat in a dark place. Nothing was happening. She blinked two times and stayed silent. Sora could just feel himself watching her. She turned to Sora and he opened mouth to speak, but he was pulled away from her at the last moment. "Wake up boy. I said here is your dinner." Mesna dropped a tray of food in front of Sora. "Huh" Sora jumps up. A piece of paper was stuck to the boy's face. "It's Saturday night and you've only read the first and second shelves. If you don't finish the whole library by Sunday night, you're done." Mesna began to walk away. "How can I memorize everything by tomorrow night? That's impossible." Mesna looked back at him. "I read this whole library in 30 minutes. I know you can do it by Sunday night." With that, the man went back upstairs. "AW SMOOF!"
About noon Sunday, Sora happens to stumble upon a book. It was the last one in the bookshelf he had not read. It was inappropriately titled "College level Alchemy and you." It was a college book. Previously, it was just used for last minute cramming. Using dangerous circles, an alchemist was allowed to literally absorb the information they touch. It was dangerous because it was an ultimately fatal technique; even labeled taboo. What it does is it converts the information into electricity, which is what your brain uses to communicate with the rest of your body. This holds high risks of electrocuting your brain, and frying your mind, leaving you in a vegetative state. Though done properly, one can learn alchemy of a higher caliber in books in a matter of seconds.
"So he did it in thirty minutes huh?" Sora began reading the book. The book itself would set him back a couple of hours, but if he learned what that book had to offer, it would be worth it. So the boy sat down to read the book. Upstairs, Mesna knew Sora found the book. His feel was now different from before. Mesna had made the right choice.
2:30 pm Sunday afternoon Sora put down the book. He had completed it and learned what Mesna meant. Before he thought it was impossible, but that book showed him something different. Sora, confident in his new abilities, looked at the rest of the library. "This will be cake." He said to himself and walked to the second shelf. Upstairs Mesna chuckled to himself. "Cake" He mocked the boy. "Ha, the cake is a lie."
Riku opened his eyes. Standing over him was a beautiful woman. She had long, black hair. One bang was separated and hung down the middle of her face. Her eyes, they were familiar. Like those of a dragon; fierce, deadly, but of siren quality. They called him, closer and closer, those eyes drew him into a false sense of security. The woman smiled a sweet smile. "Oh, you're awake." The boy's eyes fluttered a bit trying to readjust to the light. "You might just be a bit disoriented. Your body isn't really used to the additional weight, but it'll get there…eventually" Riku paid the woman no mind. He tried to sit up, but she put her hand on his chest, forcing him to fall on his back. "You need to rest. You've been unconscious for days, and you've also lost a lot of blood."
Riku looked at her strange. "Blood?" He obviously didn't think of what happened in Crystal City. "Yeah blood. You had to get a new arm, auto-mail. You can thank my men later when you're fully rested; until then, sleep. You won't be able to work in this condition." The woman tried reassuring Riku, but he wasn't buying it. It was never in his nature to just take the word of someone, so naturally the boy was suspicious.
"So where am I?" He started off with the most basic of questions. His intention was to play "20 Questions". The woman just stared back surprised. She severely underestimated him because he was young. "As a matter of fact, who are you? Why am I here? What the hell is going on?" She wasn't prepared for so many questions at once. It caught her off guard. "Somebody is going to start answering questions or things are going to get really bloody in here." It didn't take long for Riku to become his old grumpy self again.
"Well, aren't you a live wire? Very well, My name is Mel; Mel Meilhes, and this is my camp. I found you bleeding in what remained of the mansion of my childhood friend." She answered his questions in order. "So I brought you here to be fitted with an auto-mail; though this stuff doesn't come free. You're in my debt doubly; once for saving your life and again for the new arm. You'll be working in search parties, once you're done with your rehabilitation of course. And as good as you are kid, you're nowhere near the skill level of me and my men. Does that about sum it up for you?" Mel stared down at the boy and he stared right back.
Riku rolled his eyes and turned away from her. "Whatever" He closed his eyes and intended to sleep, but Mel turned him over and got in his face. Her eyes. Those eyes were different from the ones a few seconds ago. It was like staring deep into a dragon's eyes after someone had made it mad. They were an electric, crispy green. A tuft of her long, black hair hung down over her right eye. She opened her mouth to speak.
"You disrespect me again boy, I'll have your auto-mail ripped off and put at the bottom of a well; do you hear my boy?" Mel's face was twisted in rage. Even when she was angry, she was beautiful; though that didn't halt Riku's fear. The boy nodded. "You say yes ma'am when you reply to me got that?" Her grip tightened on Riku's shoulder. He could only open his mouth from sheer pain. No sound came out as the nerves connecting with the metal cried out in agony. She let go of his shoulder only to see that her nails had pierced his skin. Riku began gasping for air. His voice was raspy, like he strained it. Mel stood up and began to walk out of the tent. "Fix him. Make sure the dog doesn't stray from his leash." She said to one of the attendants in the area.
Mel walked out of the tent and was greeted by one of her cohorts immediately. "Good day Mel, and how are you?" The man wore a long blue coat. It looked like on from the military. "Colonel Hayden Mortis, how excellent to see you here. Is everything ready for moving?" The terrifying lady grinned benevolently. The military man only chuckled and walked past her. "Well, so much for respect and comradery." She turned around and followed him back into the tent.
The royal mage/advisor Donald Mallard had gathered the Captain of his majesty's Royal Knights, the queen and her caretaker into the queen's chamber to discuss the letter the king left.
"Donald, sorry to rush off without saying goodbye, but there's big trouble brewing.
Not sure why, but the people in the towns are dying off out, one by one; and that means disaster can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all but I have to go check into it. There's someone with a "tablet" It's the key to everyone's survival. So I need you and Goofy to find him, and stick with him, got it? We need that key or we're doomed! So go to Traverse Town and find Colonel Squall. He'll point you in the right direction. P.S. Would you apologize to Minnie for me? Thanks pal, The King MM."
"Oh dear, what could it mean?" Daisy, the queen's caretaker and nurse asked Donald. "It' means we'll just have to trust the king." The queen replied quickly. They all stared at the queen.
"Don't work your highness." The short magician tried to reassure queen. "We'll find the king and this "tablet." The woman nodded.
"Thank you, both of you." She looked and Donald and Geoff, or as he's affectionately called, Goofy. "And to chronicle your travels, he will accompany you." Queen Minnie moved her hand to her left. There, behind the king's desk, was a short man. He took of his hat curtly, bowed and said "James N. E. Crickette, at your service."
The queen, her nursemaid, and Captain Geoffrey all stood beside each other, with the taller man saluting. Donald grabbed him and said "You're coming too."
A man in a blue overcoat scratched his chin. His driver was waiting for the traffic officer to signal the car to go. They both sighed as the wreckage in front of them was slowly removed. The passenger looked at his driver and asked "So did you hear?"
The driver nodded his head. "The youngest State Alchemist in history. It would be an honor to have him as a child sir." He focused his eyes back on the non-changing conditions. The traffic officer looked in the direction of the passenger in the military car. He smiled at the young colonel and went back to his job. "I think its best I walk from here." The passenger said to his driver. The man in front seat looked back and agreed.
The passenger got out of the vehicle and grabbed his briefcase. He walked towards the traffic officer. As he neared, the officer bragged to the colonel "It's too late. We already have him. You'll see him on the battlefield soon enough." He smiled and left the colonel to clear the last piece from the earlier wreckage. The colonel's face dropped. He looked at his files to get the address of the boy he was supposed to be recruiting, and ran off.
The hatch/door thing opened to reveal Mesna's smug face. He walked downstairs to where Sora was just sitting. Mesna chuckled. "So I take it you found the book. That's good, I was almost afraid I would have to fail you. At least you managed to avoid this danger. Alright, head upstairs and I'll be up shortly. We're to begin your training." Sora walked past the man and went upstairs to find the house completely restored. "I wonder how he'll do."
Sora looked around the living room. Now this looked like a house someone lived in. The first thing the boy noticed was that the fireplace was roaring. It cackled and blazed, illuminating the room, which seemed to be golden. The whole living room was warm and had an all around 'home' feeling. Of all things to be on his mind at that moment, it was his friends. Not even his mother, his friends. There was a warm feeling in his chest. The boy grabbed his chest where the warmth was. "Riku…Kairi"
There was a thump. The windows shook a little. Sora looked around the room for whatever was making that noise. "THUMP" It went off again. Whatever was making that noise, it was big…