I want to thank everyone for taking the time to review!
So recently someone asked me who my Top 10 favorite characters were from Kingdom Hearts, excluding established Disney and Square Enix characters. Admittedly, this was a little hard for me to narrow down since I generally like most of the characters in KH. There are a few I dislike however, the biggest being Larxene. I friggin' hate that bitch! The only good thing about her reappearance in KHIII is that I'll get to kill her again. So instead of throwing a bunch of names at you guys, I'm going to list my least favorite to the top in the following chapters and explain some of my reasonings for why I like each character.
Number 10, Master Xehanort: This may come as a surprise to some, considering Xehanort is the main antagonist, but it's because of this that I like him so much. Not like him, as in I'd want to be his friend or approve of his methods, hell no. I just meant that I love to hate this old coot. Xehanort has consistently ruined the lives of others, but it's never done out of spite or with an overall aggressive motivation. In fact, he made some arguments that I can't help but agree with.
Where Eraqus was borderline obsessed with Light and preached of how vile the Darkness was, Xehanort reasoned that Light begets Darkness and vice versa. One can't exist without the other, and to get rid of Darkness completely would just cause chaos. During his journey to other worlds he begins to believe that the scales are already unbalanced and that the World needs to be purged. That's why he wants Kingdom Hearts—so that he can create a new existence where there is balance. Of course, pressing the restart button on the universe is clearly nuts, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have some valid points. In the end, despite every horrible thing he's done, I can only respect Xehanort for completely owning his Machiavellian tendencies.
Plus having the late, great, Leonard Nimoy as Xehanort's voice actor, might've won me over from the first time I heard him speak. And can I just say that Rutger Hauer did an amazing job taking over the role of Xehanort in KHIII? Seriously, I have no complaints whatsoever. The man actually gave me a few goosebumps in a few scenes.
Organization XIII Excerpt No. V: Checkup
Yesterday I performed a physical on Number XIII. Her height and weight are underdeveloped—likely stemming from some form of malnutrition. The lack of muscle tone is unfortunate as it is telling. Clearly Number XIII has had little to no combat experience before becoming a Nobody. She will need extensive training to bring her up to the Organization's standards.
As I understand it, Xigbar was chosen as the girl's mentor—a decision I find questionable. Surely Lexaeus or Xaldin would've been more suitable instructors? Number II has a bad habit of imitating emotions too often, rendering him both exasperating and unproductive. We do not need his protégé to copy such illogical idiosyncrasies.
I have transcribed these observations unto my report on Number XIII, but as usual it seems my inferences have gone on disregarded.
–Vexen
Chapter 4: Training Begins
"So, you got a thing for the Superior, huh?" Had Hexerath still possessed a heart, she would've choked on air alone, face flushing red from embarrassment as she stuttered stupidly—no doubt creating a hilarious scene for anybody who witnessed it. As it was, she merely blinked, her body tensing slightly as a slight frown came to her face.
"…What?" She responded flatly as she peered up at Xigbar, who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat himself.
"Oh, come on! I saw you last night. You couldn't keep your eyes off Xemnas." The Freeshooter was referring to yesterday's dinner. Hexerath shifted her gaze away from the man's leering expression, trying to muster up the feeling of being either annoyed with him or with herself. Instead, her mind chose to break down how Xigbar had reached such an outlandish conclusion.
She had glanced at Xemnas several times throughout the meal. Although to be fair, her gaze had lingered on almost every member of the Organization, save for those she had to go out of her way to get a good look at. The members sitting opposite her had been the most available, but Xemnas's position at the head of the table had naturally attracted her attention the most. Thinking it over, Hexerath realized that her focus had indeed kept returning to the silver-haired Nobody.
If Xigbar had noticed that, then the Superior had most likely noticed as well. Yet for all the times she'd stolen glimpses of him, Xemnas had, not even once, locked eyes with her. The only times she could recall that happening was when she'd first met him, and again when he'd introduced her to the rest of the Organization. The image of his solemn, ethereal irises seemed to be seared into her memory with perfect clarity. She couldn't decide what hue they were at first, they weren't orange or gold, but somewhere in-between, tinged with darker shades.
While lying in bed later last night, she concluded his eyes were tawny colored—like a bottle of whiskey sitting in the sunlight.
There were just so many questions that came to Hexerath whenever her attention turned towards the enigmatic man. Thoughts of Terra and Xehanort, and of how Xemnas fit between them. Was a part of Terra present in Xemnas? The body was his after all, and that's what a Nobody was; the empty shell left behind when a Heartless is made. In that regard, shouldn't Xemnas be more like Terra, while Ansem, Seeker of Darkness would be more like Xehanort? Or was Terra now only aware and alive in the form of the Lingering Will? What of the Guardian? Where did he factor into everything?
"Hello, is anyone in there?" A solid hand landed on her shoulder, followed by a rough shake, physically jerking Hexerath out of her ruminations. She blinked up at Xigbar, whose expression bordered on irritated. Ah, right. He'd asked her a question, even if it was phrased mockingly. "So, what's the deal? You sweet on the boss or what?"
"I can't even manage a proper smile. What makes you think I'm capable of harboring affection?" She answered objectively, belatedly raising an eyebrow at the man.
"Well, you got a point there." He scoffed as he let go of her shoulder, but not before giving her a slight push in a silent order to continue walking.
They'd just finished breakfast, an affair that lacked the rigid atmosphere dinner had held. There'd only been a few members present—Lexaeus, Zexion, Saïx—and none of them had been in a talkative mood. In fact, she'd spent no more than twenty minutes in the kitchen, listening to Xigbar make small talk with the others as he ate a warm meal consisting of eggs, toast, and sausage. The Freeshooter had tossed two granola bars and a banana her way, citing that she needed to eat light or else she'd likely throw-up during training.
"What was up with all the staring then, minx?" Hexerath's first instinct was to offer a lie like the one she'd uttered yesterday concerning Axel. However, Xigbar hadn't believed her claim of curiosity then, and likely wouldn't do so now. Especially after she'd just reiterated her inability to muster up even the faintest of feelings. She needed to come up with something else, a believable cover story that could–
Inspiration struck her in an oddly muted way.
"…He reminds me of someone." Hexerath said after a moment, her mind quickly putting together a vague but convincing lie.
"Oh, yeah?" Xigbar asked, his tone now bored as he likely remembered that his teasing was essentially wasted on her. She could probably stop there and he wouldn't prod any further. Still, she'd thought up a rather good idea, might as well use it.
"Yes." She continued, pretending not to notice his disinterest. "It had to be… ten years ago now. Maybe a little more." She spoke slowly, as if she were doing the math in her head. "I was playing in the woods when I heard loud noises coming from deep within the grove. I was curious, so I went to investigate. There was a young man fighting against a… horde of strange creatures that I'd never seen before." She didn't try to gauge Xigbar's reaction, that might give her away. "He was dressed weirdly, and he had this odd-looking sword–"
"How was it odd?" He interrupted and Hexerath glanced up at him, but his face was the picture of nonchalant.
"It was big." She replied, saying the first thing that came to her mind, before moving onto an ambiguous description for the Ends of the Earth. "It certainly didn't look like a normal sword. The blade's edge wasn't sharp or curved, but it had… branching fragments at the tip, small parts that stuck out." She shook her head, finding that it was difficult to describe the weapon without comparing it to a key. "The color was a tarnished gold, with brighter highlights, and the guard was metallic blue… I think there was a chain too, attached at the hilt, but I don't remember what it looked like."
"And did this mysterious warrior have silver hair like the Superior?" The Freeshooter questioned, his voice reverting to mocking.
"No, it was brown. Shorter too." She answered dully, knowing that this last tidbit wouldn't leave any doubt on who she was describing.
"Uh-huh. Did you talk to the guy?"
"No." Hexerath answered immediately and quickly realized she would need to offer more than that. "I watched him, hidden behind a tree, as he destroyed the creatures. He was swift and strong–"
"Ha! Sounds like a crush to me." Xigbar laughed and she opened her mouth to argue before realizing that he'd given her the perfect excuse for her apparent fascination with Xemnas.
"…I suppose you're right." She stated after a few seconds and he blinked down at her in surprise. "I was fourteen back then, maybe thirteen, and I was just starting to notice boys. That young man had looked like a wandering knight to my overactive imagination."
In truth, her Somebody had harbored a small crush on Terra back when Birth By Sleep came out in 2010. She'd been inspired to write a fanfic centering around an OC, named Sidney, who'd been a fellow apprentice to Mickey and studied under Yen Sid. The story had never gone beyond a few chapters, containing less than ten thousand words. The sole purpose of its creation was so she could live vicariously through her character as Sidney developed a relationship with Terra. After a few years her older self had cringed at the story, pulled it down from the site she'd posted it on, and had left it to stay unfinished on her laptop. The only thing she'd remained proud of was the name she'd picked, which had been an anagram of Disney.
"Seriously? That's just sad." The Freeshooter sneered, and she nodded in agreement. It was natural for people to look back on their teenage years with a sense of embarrassment or self-ridicule. "So how does Xemnas remind you of that guy?" She shrugged, the action finally feeling a bit more comfortable.
"I don't know. There's just something about him that makes me think of that young man. That's why I kept staring at him. I was trying to figure out the connection." She paused for a moment, as if considering something. "Maybe it's the hair? True, the coloring is all wrong, but the style is rather similar…" She trailed off there, not sure where to take the conversation, and ended up not having to continue as they arrived at the Proof of Existence.
"Alright, enough reminiscing. Time to get down to business!" Xigbar announced as he led the way to his marker with a slight spring in his step. They slipped through the veil where Elusive End and a cloudy dark sky greeted them. "Today we're gonna work on your stamina, so…" Raising his left hand over his right shoulder, a sequence of white light engulfed his hand before quickly spreading into a silhouette of purple arrows. The arrows spanned outwards like a fan before the arrow at the top expanded past the others, the purple light turning white once again, and solidified into one of the arrowguns known as Sharpshooters. Smirking, Xigbar mimicked the process with his right hand, drawing out his second arrowgun. "Start running."
Hexerath needed no further prompting. With a lunge to the side, she just barely dodged a bullet from the Freeshooter. Turning on her heels she sped in the opposite direction and repeated the serpentine tactic she'd used the day before. She didn't summon her weapons—attacking him would be futile at this point. She didn't have the speed to match his, and she had no knowledge in defensive maneuvers. Unfortunately, the extent of her skills mainly included running and punching.
Gravity and the manifestation of her element could only get her so far, especially with Xigbar who could teleport out of her range easily. Gravity was usually able to hold her enemies down long enough for her to finish them off, or at least give her the opportunity to run away. And her attribute's manifestation was only ever used to bring an enemy towards her for a finishing blow. So that only left dodging.
Hexerath ran, jumped, dove, rolled, skidded, and cartwheeled away from his bolts. But as the minutes passed, she began to lag, and the harmful shards of energy got progressively closer. They clipped the edges of her limbs and skimmed over the fabric of her coat. A few quick glances showed that her clothes were still intact. When the fifth shot brushed across her lower ribs, Hexerath realized that Xigbar wasn't going to take it easy on her. If she didn't pick up the pace or do something different, she would eventually get hit.
She launched a Gravity spell at the man, where he fell to one knee before he teleported away to a different pillar overlooking his domain. Curiously enough, it seemed that her spell was still working as Xigbar appeared to have some trouble standing back up. While the spell had its set parameters, the effects apparently still lingered after a person had been hit. That was useful information to have.
Her spell slowed Xigbar down for a handful of moments and, making sure to keep her eyes locked onto him, Hexerath used that brief reprieve to recuperate. Unfortunately, the Freeshooter was back on his feet before she could catch her breath and the game of cat and mouse continued. She casted Gravity on the man again to buy herself more time, but quickly found herself becoming dizzy after the third use of the spell.
Immediately, she felt drained in more ways than one. There was physical exhaustion, her muscles screaming with the urge to rest, but there was also a mental one too. Her thoughts were hard to focus on—fuzzy in a way that she only ever experienced when she was overly tired. Hexerath wobbled dangerously for a moment, half sure that she was about to kiss the floor.
A shard shot past her face, hot and searing as her vision flashed white. She knew she needed to move, Xigbar would shoot her again, but a step forwards made the world around her tilt sideways and a wave of nausea almost overwhelmed her. Hexerath managed to swallow back her breakfast and hunched up her shoulders defensively. She had to shut her eyes to block out the spinning, and brought up her shaking arms to guard her head.
It took her a moment to realize that her cheek was wet. Was she crying? She squeezed her eyelids tighter. No, her eyes were dry, but then what–
"You used too much magic." Xigbar announced from where he was suddenly beside her. Hexerath peered up at him over her crossed arms and met his gaze evenly, still too breathless to give a reply. 'Too much magic?' She repeated silently before understanding dawned on her. So that's where the dizziness and mental strain had come from. All out of mana. She grimaced, feeling the beginnings of a headache take form behind her eyes, and slowly lowered her arms. Xigbar's expression twitched for a moment before he let out a low, appreciative whistle.
"Lucky for you I'm such a good shot." He said as he leaned into her personal space with a scrutinizing stare. "Else you'd be wearing an eyepatch like me." The Freeshooter then proceeded to poke her cheek without any sense of propriety, his finger only an inch or so away from her right eye. She saw, as the man pulled away, that there was something wet on his black glove. Raising her own hand to her face, the Nobody stared at the dark red substance smeared on the fabric of her fingers.
"Oh." Hexerath muttered, adrenaline fading and allowing her to feel the full sting of the cut on her face. She was bleeding, that's why her cheek was wet. Still panting slightly, she left her arm flop down to her side and stared up at Xigbar, waiting for some direction.
"Ugh." The Freeshooter groaned lightly as he laid a hand on the back of his neck and rotated his head. "Drink this." He handed her a potion and she took it wordlessly. "I'm gonna run outta potions at this rate." She downed the drink, once again making a face at the taste coating her tongue, and immediately felt her body healing. Though the headache didn't fade. She touched her cut again and was a little surprised to find that it had scabbed over. "Now, what did you do wrong?"
"…I exhausted myself by casting Gravity too many times." Hexerath answered quietly. "I didn't know I could get tired from that… or dizzy." In the game, none of the characters had suffered any backlash after using up their magic. She'd just had to wait for the MP bar to refill or use an ether.
"That's another thing we'll have to work on." The older Nobody remarked with a huff. "For now, you're only allowed use two spells during our spars until you've built up more endurance." He looked down at her with a thoughtful expression. "You lasted about eight minutes this time, so I guess that's an improvement, but why didn't you attack at all?"
"I didn't think it would help." She answered, her muscles still notably sore. She decided to copy Xigbar's earlier actions, bringing a hand to the back of her neck and shifted her head to the side. It felt somewhat soothing to her remaining aches and something cracked almost pleasantly. She'd done this before, her mind and body remembered this sensation, but it still didn't feel natural. "You're faster than me, stronger, more skilled." Hexerath wasn't trying to flatter the Freeshooter, she was just stating the facts. She was a novice, he was a veteran.
"Good to see you know when you're outclassed." Xigbar smirked. "However, I'm a long-range fighter while you're the kind that needs to get in close and personal. You only gave me another advantage by keeping your distance."
"Would that have worked against you though? Fighting you hand-to-hand?" She returned flatly. "You can teleport after all."
"Well sure, but we're training to make you stronger. These sessions would be pretty pointless if I went all out on you." He lifted his hand, summoning his marker, and led the way back to the Proof of Existence. "Next time don't be afraid to throw a few punches, okay?" Hexerath nodded. "Good, now I still gotta show you a few things about the Castle, then we'll take a stroll through the city below. After that, we'll come back here for round two. Sound like fun, slugger?"
It took a few hours to see the rest of the Castle and explore a little bit of the city, which was originally named the Dark City in the games, but was in fact called the Empty City according to Xigbar. It was a vast, sprawling, lifeless metropolis that went on for miles, and it was a surreal experience to walk through it. She had lived in a city her whole life, so the towering buildings, narrow alleyways, constantly flashing lights, and paved streets were intimately familiar to her. Yet the silence that hung over them was unnatural for a place she'd always associated with constant noise. There was also a staleness to the air. Not one of pollution, but like the kind one might find in an old cellar or a dusty attic.
If Hexerath had a heart, she would've been deeply unsettled by the Empty City.
As it was, she merely dogged Xigbar's steps, studying the man as he strode through the streets. He was lackadaisical, shoulders loose and hands tucked into his coat's pockets, posture slumped as he gazed at their environment with a half-lidded eye. On a whim, Hexerath tried to imitate his movements. He peered back at her after several minutes and his face twisted up oddly as he took in her copied stride, which likely lacked any of the man's character. He said nothing, simply scoffing loudly, and continued onwards.
The Nobody paid close attention to her surroundings, not really recognizing anything until they entered a plaza that had appeared in several moments throughout the series. In the games, the area was called Memory's Skyscraper, but Hexerath had learned that besides the city itself, none of its sections or streets had names of their own. She stared up at the skyscraper, her head tilting backwards at an uncomfortable angle. A massive television screen was at the top of the building, surrounded by small screens that flickered with blue or green static.
The largest screen was different however, glowing a prominent white light. She blinked at it, unsure if it had possessed the same appearance in the games, before the screen abruptly turned black. An image quickly appeared on it—a craggy pathway of darkened stone came into clarity, and the sky was black as Shadows erupted along the path.
Hexerath subconsciously took a step backwards, an ephemeral feeling of genuine fear rising within her in.
She accidentally bumped into Xigbar, whom her gaze darted towards as a result, which immediately diminished the sense of dread. For a split second however, the Freeshooter had seen the sincere terror in Number XIII's crimson irises. Interest peaked, he looked up at the skyscraper, the infamous Scrying Screen obviously doing its thing overhead. It had been dubbed that by Vexen after they'd learnt firsthand that the television had the ability to project the memories of those in the square.
'And it looks like its latched onto the newbie's mind.' Xigbar concluded as he watched the memory play out. It took place in the Realm of Darkness, as evident by the distinct broken landmasses and dark atmosphere that loomed over everything. The memory naturally progressed from the minx's point of view, who summoned her Knuckledusters and proceeded to defend herself against a couple of Shadows. He glanced down at the girl, whose face had turned expressionless once again.
The scene faded, and a different memory appeared on the screen. Number XIII seemed to be talking with a young girl, a teenager with black hair and green eyes. The girl smirked and her fist lashed out to punch the Nobody in the shoulder before she burst into laughter, the sound notably missing as the Scrying Screen only played the images of a person's memory. The most intriguing thing was that the girl looked odd. It was as if her and the world she lived in was made of a different texture or something.
"What is this?" Xigbar looked back at Number XIII, eyebrows furrowing as he picked up on the small amount of emotion that had wormed its way into her voice. Surprise was the most prominent feeling by the sound of it, but there was something as well. Was that… longing he heard in her tone?
"This is the Scrying Screen." The Freeshooter answered shortly, his attention returning to the television as another memory started. It had gone back to the Realm of Darkness, though instead of fighting the Heartless, Number XIII appeared to be running away from them. The scenery tilted suddenly, the minx had apparently fallen to the ground, and she flipped over to reveal a Shadow leaping towards her. Xigbar grimaced as he watched the girl's heart rise out of her chest, the small pink light just beginning to take shape as the Darkness swallowed it up.
The memories began to shift in rapid succession after that, a sign that the scrying was coming to an end, and images flashed across its surface nearly too quickly for Xigbar to see. Among them though, one scene in particular got his attention. It was Terra, though the memory itself seemed to be eroded somewhat, making the Keyblade wielder look almost blocky and indistinct. His Keyblade was oddly flat, less detailed, and he was fighting Unversed in a grassy area that looked to be just as off as the man himself. The memory ended as quickly as it started, giving Xigbar no time to really linger on it as another odd-looking scene played out with the black-haired girl returning and looking years younger.
Then, without any warning, the screen blipped back to white, returning to its inert state.
"…Those were… my memories." Number XIII said after a long moment.
"Yup, that's what the Scrying Screen does." Xigbar replied as he watched the young Nobody. Her face still retained its usual blank expression, but there was a definite tenseness in her shoulders that hadn't been there earlier. "It reflects the memories of those near it. Some may be recent events or old ones you barely remember. As far as Vexen's figured, it seems to pick the memories randomly."
"That's highly invasive." She muttered in return, and if Xigbar didn't know any better he would say that the girl was sulking.
"Hey, no arguments here." He stared up at the screen warily before opening a portal. "Let's take a shortcut back to the Castle." She nodded, and he gestured for her to go through first. As Number XIII disappeared into the Corridor, Xigbar couldn't resist glancing back up at the screen one more time, which was predictably running through his own memories.
Five animal masks stared back at him with a cloaked figure standing at the back of the group. His past self turned and he must've said something funny because the others broke out into muted laugher. The memory shifted to a black box and a nameless Keyblade, before changing once again. His jaw clenched as he watched his former self get his scars from Terra. Quickly turning his back on the scene, he entered the Corridor and stepped back into the Proof of Existence. Wordlessly he led the way back to Elusive End and summoned arrowguns.
"Ready for that second round I promised ya?"
Leon, formerly known as Squall, a name he'd abandoned when Radiant Garden was overrun by the Heartless, watched as the thirteen-year-old boy before him took on a trio of Shadows. He studied the kid's widespread stance, his single-handed grip on the elemental sword, and nodded silently in approval. It had taken days to hammer in the basics, despite Tidus's boasts at already being an accomplished fighter.
The Brotherhood was a longsword with a shimmering blue blade ending in a hooked tip. The grip was wrapped in brown leather, and a short red ribbon hung from the pommel. The guard was black and extended only over the back of the blade. The sword was also imbued with magic allowing it deal out water-based damage. In truth, the weapon was too big for the kid, but apparently he'd been wielding a bokken about the same length for the past two years so there was not much correcting needed in that regard. Thankfully the Brotherhood was a fairly light weapon, even if it was a bit impractical.
For a moment, Leon was reminded of another blonde with an oversized sword, and he shook his head to get rid of that thought.
The Brotherhood had been stashed away in Cid's shop until recently. It was something he'd likely been saving for a special costumer. It was by no means an ordinary weapon, and certainly not a cheap one, but he'd decided to give it to Tidus after the boy had found it when they'd been reviewing the man's inventory. Cid, as his usual fashion, had brushed over the whole affair, gruffly claiming that the sword had just been collecting dust anyways—it would be put to better use in the teenager's hands. Tidus had of course been over the moon with joy.
"Good, kid. Keep it up." The swordsman commented as the boy blocked an attack and countered with a quick slash that destroyed one of the Shadows. The young teen flashed him a cocky grin before lashing out again at the nearest Heartless.
Tidus had arrived in Traverse Town the same time as Sora, although none of them had been aware of this at first. About an hour after Sora, Donald, and Goofy had left they'd found the kid being chased through the Fourth District, which had been closed off along with the Fountain Plaza, the Back Streets, and the Fifth District after the Heartless had flooded those areas over the years.
Yuffie and he had been the ones to save the teenager, where they'd brought him to the First District. Along the way Tidus had told them some of his story. Growing up on the islands, his best friend and adoptive brother, Wakka, his neighbor Selphie. Riku, the toughest fighter around, Kairi, the mayor's daughter, and Sora, his favorite sparring partner.
Leon had shared a look with the self-proclaimed ninja before sighing softly and informing Tidus of the fate that had befallen his World. The boy had denied it at first, vehemently so, but had been left with no choice but to believe them when the swordsman described Sora's appearance and attitude. Hearing that one of his friends was safe had given Tidus some hope that he might find the others around Traverse Town too. Leon hadn't disabused this notion, but instead swiftly returned to search through the restricted sections. He decimated any Heartless he came across feeling furious with himself as he called out for any survivors.
How many people had ended up in the closed off regions before Tidus? How many of them had fallen to the Heartless before they could make their way to one of the safer districts? He and Yuffie had only been in the Fourth District to check out the Heartless's numbers and to see if there was an influx due to the Keyblade's presence. They'd stopped patrolling those areas years ago.
How many people were gone because he'd been neglecting his duties?
The hours of searching and constant combat proved fruitless in the end. If there were any more survivors of Destiny Islands, they weren't in Traverse Town. With those thoughts weighing heavily on his mind, Leon had returned to the First District and told Tidus the bad news. Soon after, it was decided that the kid would stay with them as they waited for Sora's reappearance. That was how Leon had, somewhat reluctantly, taken the boy under his wing.
"Alright, Tidus." The swordsman announced when the last of the Shadows were destroyed. "That's enough for now. Let's head back."
"Sure thing." Together they made their way to the First Distract, the man keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings while the teenager jabbered on. He tuned Tidus out, well-practiced at filtering out pointless ramblings after dealing with Yuffie over the years. "–Leon!"
"Hmm?"
"You weren't listening, were you?" The dirty-blonde accused correctly. Fortunately, the swordsman was saved from having to respond by a call in the distance.
"Tidus! Leon! You're back!" Tidus quickly turned around to wave at the girl who was running towards them, her Guardian trailing slowly behind her.
"Hey Yuna." The boy greeted happily as he jogged to the thirteen-year-old girl. They met in the middle of the plaza, smiling at one another.
"How did your first patrol go?" Yuna asked a little shyly, her fingers playing a with the hem of her shirt.
"Heh, it was too easy!" Tidus replied as he grinned, puffing out his chest and pointing at the swordsman from over his shoulder. "Leon didn't even need to be there. I took on all of the Heartless by myself."
"You did, huh?" The girl asked playfully before giggling softly and clasped her hands behind her back. "I'm glad you're doing so well." A short distance away from the pair, Leon came to a stop as Yuna's Guardian, and his childhood friend, approached him.
"How did he really do?" Lulu asked skeptically as she raised a delicate eyebrow questioningly.
"Decent." The swordsman answered honestly. "We only ran into a few Soldiers and Shadows, but the kid handled himself well enough."
"And I'm sure the low number of Heartless had nothing to do with how you left earlier this morning to clear out the Third District?" The mage stated while sending him a look. He shrugged, not denying or admitting anything, and Lulu's mouth twitched upwards slightly, the only giveaway that she was amused. Wordlessly, the two adults walked behind the children, trailing back a few feet to let the teenagers interact with each other unhindered.
After a few minutes, Leon let his gaze drift up to the stars, withholding the urge to sigh as bitter nostalgia stole over him. It had been nine years since Radiant Garden was taken by Maleficent. He had been fourteen at the time, the same age as Sora, but unlike the Keyblade wielder, he hadn't been able to do much against the swarms of Heartless that had descended upon their home.
He'd stumbled across Lulu, who'd been protecting Lord Braska's daughter from a group of Shadows. He hadn't hesitated drawing his training sword to help his best friend and the child, but the blunted blade hadn't done much damage. Thankfully Lulu, who'd recently begun studying under Lord Braska, had known a few offensive spells. However, her magical reserves had been small back then and she'd quickly tired herself out. Merlin had found them moments before she'd collapsed from exhaustion, his advance spells obliterating the Heartless easily. He brought them to the Gummi Ship, a vessel that Scrooge McDuck had been using to traverse different worlds.
There, Leon had learned that besides himself, Lulu, Yuna, and Merlin, only Scrooge, a foreigner, Cid, an old friend of Ansem the Wise, Yuffie, a seven-year-old he'd never met before, Aerith, the thirteen-year-old daughter of the local florist, and Cloud, a quiet twelve-year-old boy Leon had only ever seen in passing, were the only ones who made it to the ship. Cid and Scrooge, both cursing up a storm, had gotten them off Radiant Garden, and Leon had only been able to stare in horror as their world grew darker in the fading distance.
"Hey." The quiet, but firm voice of his friend brought Leon back from where his mind had strayed, and he glanced over at Lulu. "You were thinking about that day again, weren't you?" His gaze dropped to the ground in admission. "It's been about nine years, hasn't it?" The swordsman simply nodded. "And yet it seems so much longer. Yuna was so young—she barely remembers what Radiant Garden looked like."
The somber conversation came to a halt as the adults found that they were only a few feet away from the teens now. Tidus had come to a stop, one of his hands brought up to his chin in a thoughtful manner with his head tilted upwards, his face pulled into an expression of concentration. Leon withheld a comment about not straining himself and instead looked at Yuna, who was watching the dirty-blonde with a fond smile.
The swordsman forced himself not grimace. It was quite clear that Yuna liked the kid as more than just a friend, and those feelings seemed to be reciprocated, though not without a touch of self-consciousness that almost all teenage boys had at Tidus's age.
Leon had realized a couple years back when Yuna had that innocent month-long crush on him, that boys would eventually come into the picture. Since then he'd kept a sharp eye on the youths in Traverse Town, and so far his hovering some feet behind Yuna with his gunblade casually resting on his shoulder had been enough to ward off the prepubescent brats from getting any bright ideas. Tidus, on the other hand–
A sharp poke in his side, got his attention and a glance towards Lulu showed she was wearing a chastising expression. She had been rather unimpressed with how he'd decided to deal with the idea of Yuna dating. Apparently, his intimidation tactic had worked a little too well. Most of the local kids now avoided Yuna, which left the girl with few friends. Lulu must've already noticed the budding attraction between her charge and Tidus. As such, Leon knew she wouldn't allow him to scare the kid off. He didn't voice his displeasure over this fact, but a harsher frown formed on his face as he crossed his arms.
"Hmm, I guess I don't remember much about my old man." Tidus said after another few moments.
"Nothing at all?" The dirty-blonde glared at Yuna's innocent prodding, kicking at the ground in a childish manner.
"Well, he was good at blitzball—like really good. And my mom… she loved him a lot, you know? But he was a total jerk! If I ever cried, he'd tell me to man up or call me a wimp. I… I really hated him… and then one day he just disappeared." Yuna frowned worriedly, clearly not expecting for her new friend to have such an outlook on his own father. Leon had to admit he was a little surprised as well. "When I was three, he went out on his boat to practice a new move for blitzball and we never saw him again." With his head ducked down, none of them could see what expression what Tidus was making, but his voice wavered between anger and sadness. "My mom—everyone said she lost the will to live when he didn't come back. She died when I was six and Wakka's parents took me in."
"I'm sorry Tidus. I don't really remember my dad either, and my mom died giving birth to me." Yuna offered softly. "…If it's okay, can I ask what your dad's name was?" The kid didn't say anything for a long moment before a grudging word escaped his lips, like it was the worst curse he could ever utter.
"Jecht." Yuna let out a small gasp, her wide-eyed gaze darting from Tidus to Lulu while Leon shut his eyes. Well, that complicated things a little bit, didn't it?
Organization XIII Excerpt No. VI: Our True Nature
Number XIII is the epitome of what we Nobody's are—unfeeling and unhindered by the heart. We all start off like this, but then our memories reinforce themselves, and mannerisms that once held meaning become fixed and hollow. However, it seems Number XIII's gestation is taking longer than what we've previously seen.
Is this merely a side effect of Number XIII being trapped in the Realm of Darkness? Or is she behaving how we are meant to? Aren't we the ones going against our natures, still clinging to emotions that we know are no longer there? Truly, Nobodies are such piteous creatures.
–Saïx
Alright, let me explain where the last part of this chapter came from. In KHI, there's an NPC in the First Distract that I legitimately thought was Tidus for years. I eventually learned that although this was the same model with some cosmetic redesigns, it was in fact NOT Tidus. So, when I started writing this, I thought what the hell? Why not change that NPC to him? From there things sort of spiraled. And now I have a prequel in the works because of this idea.
I always hated what they did to Yuna, Rikku, and Payne in KHII (fairies?!) so I happily rewrote Yuna to be a part of the Radiant Garden Gang. Lulu somehow managed to sneak her way in there, fitting perfectly as Yuna's Guardian, Leon's childhood friend, and the group's black mage. Then I got inspired to connect Auron to Radiant Garden's history, which incidentally spread to include Braska and Jecht too. It's become a story all it's own that I'll piece together little by little as things progress. I mean if you have Final Fantasy characters, I feel like you need to use them.
Finally there was the minor change of renaming the Dark City as the Empty City. Considering that most of the areas in The World That Never Was all reflect on nonexistence in some way, the name "Dark City" seemed a bit out of place for me.
–Hexalys
