Disclaimer: DP © BH, KH © Sq/Enix
Authors notes: Finally, the next chapter of CftL. I'm sorry it took so long to get up, my computer access is kinda limited. I'm trying to find a way around my Computer-Nazi mother so I can type these chapters up and gain some sort of regular updating schedule thingy.
On another note, this is the final of probably three or four versions for this chapter. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to write a plot through an effective fight scene. So eventually, the fight was nixed, as you'll soon see. Or at least most of it was. I wanted desperately for Danny to get pummeled. Only his end of the fight was nixed. ;)
Anywhoo, enough with my chatter and on with chapter 7 of CftL!
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-Clockworks POV-
"There are far too many dangerous outcomes for what you've done!"
"It would've been safer here!"
I sighed as the two observers continued to drone on about all the horrible things that could arise from the simple act of giving Danny the keychain of Lights Guidance. I already knew about what they where telling me, but they continued attempting to, as the saying goes; 'Drive me into an early grave.' Fortunately for them, I was already dead, and they could keep this up for hours. Days, even. And considering they weren't effected by my powers over Time, I had no way to stop them.
I continued to rub my temples, taking care to avoid the scar that ran down the left side of my face. For some strange reason, I could no longer remember how I had gained it, nor could I prevent it from shooting pain though the left side of my head whenever I applied pressure to it.
I turned around to face the observers, sighing when I discovered that they where talking rather loudly about getting a new Master of Time, and how they would go about doing such a thing.
"It would've been no safer here than it will be with Daniel." I told them. "You have nothing to worry about. He will choose the right thing to do. I'm sure he will." I was delighted when the both of them stopped talking, but soon, my delight turned to both worry and nervousness, Worry, because what I had said displayed a new lack of knowledge about what would happen to Danny, and nervousness at how this would effect the observer council, which their decisions could effect me directly, possibly stripping me bare of my timekeeper status. My face didn't display the aforementioned emotions, however.
The observer council holding some control over my job was one of many reasons as to why I had an obvious dislike for the one-eyed specters.
"What do you mean? You are the Master of Time! You know every possibility, every outcome, and have no reason to be unsure!"
"No reason at all!" The second observer chimed. I sighed, knowing that these two would run off to their part of the Council, tell their superiors that the Time Master seemed to be losing his powers, and effectively put my entire reason for existing on hold.
"I am only the Timekeeper of Earth. Not of the Un-world, the Hollow Garden, the Islands of Fate, or any other world. And you know better than I do that tampering with the affairs of another world could have dire consequences." I told them, taking away yet another reason for them to speak.
Both observers stared at me for a few seconds, before turning to leave. One of them, however, stopped at the door and turned back to me.
"I hope you know what you're doing Clockwork." He said. I turned away from him to look at the time portal, a subtle and rather polite hint that I wanted him to leave.
The telltale sound of intangibility -To one who knows what to listen for- told me the observer had left, leaving me to myself. The scene playing itself out on the portal stopped on an image of Danny, and a sigh escaped me.
"So do I..."
0o0o0o0
-Danny's POV-
I had expected a tough fight, -Six against three, the odds are pretty unfair, especially once you dig into the details- but what I had gotten was ridiculous. It was like fighting my toughest enemies all over again, none of which I wanted to re-encounter. Especially Pariah Dark. If It hadn't been for Vlad showing up at the last minute, I probably would've died, Pariah escaping and wreaking havoc all over the world. Undergrowth, My dark self, Vlad; with the odds we had when we first met, and a few more I couldn't remember offhand. In all fights, I had help somehow. Undergrowth had only been defeated because, by some fluke of coincidence, he had appeared just as my ice powers had decided to show themselves in the form of an arctic strength ghost cold. The defeat of my dark self, Dan, had been all me, but he would've succeeded in his goals had I not met Clockwork earlier that week. I couldn't exactly recall what had happened in my very first fight with Vlad, but I knew I had lost spectacularly. I didn't want that happening again. I had fallen unconscious after the fight. I had been completely vulnerable.
I was shocked out of my thoughts as one of the six men -Or women- surrounding me pretty much fried me with an electric blast that reminded me strongly of Vortex. Oh yeah! Vortex was one of the enemies I didn't want to re-encounter. Only defeated him because I had accidentally received some of his powers in an attack.
But I'm getting off-track. I was fighting alone, because halfway through the fight, Sora had collapsed from fatigue, and Axel had rapidly gone to help the keyblading teen, leaving me all alone in this roundabout of doom. So, while Sora was sleeping, Axel was watching him, and I was getting my butt kicked from here to Cleveland in some strange game of 'Who can deal the most damage to Mr. Phantom-Or-Balance without killing him?', which I didn't know the rules of.
Anyway, at this time, I was barely standing, and the six Org. members had formed a loose circle around me. My left arm was holding a cut in my right side, and my left eye was closed due to a cut that I knew would probably never heal properly. I might even end up blind in that eye. Joy.
"I thought you were supposed to be tough!" Yelled my current attacker, whos name was Harintex, though I didn't know how I knew.
Harintex began to laugh at my pain, the others quickly joining in. I, however, took the opportunity to jump up and send ectoplasm-charged ice shards at everyone. Sadly, something wouldn't let me finish them off, because black consumed my vison, and I found myself standing in a pure white room decorated by a white table and chair. A male -I think- wearing a white organization cloak sat in the small chair. I was about to ask him who he was and where was I when he raised a hand, a sign for me to keep quiet.
"You must let them capture you."
"Why? They're the bad guys. I'm a hero. I fight bad guys. They lose, I win. Standard code of the universe." I spat at him while crossing my hazmated arms, my 14-year-old selfs snarky and oft-times cynical sence of humor resurfacing. I expected him to attack, or something close, but much to my surprise, he simply chuckled.
"You haven't changed a bit, have you Balance... Even without your memory..." I sighed at the male sitting in front of me. Who was he? He seemed to have known Balance, but finding people that 'keyblade' me used to know wasn't my current objective, finding and rescuing Sam was.
I could feel the white-clad male in front of me look at me curiously. He folded his pale hands together and spoke.
"You wish to save her, do you not?" I knew in an instant who he was talking about. Sam. My Sam.
"Of course I do! I'm not going to leave here... Er, there, without her!" He cocked his head to one side.
"Then if you let yourself get captured, it will save yourself the trouble of trying to break into their fortress." Well, that was obvious wasn't it. I felt stupid, and kept silent, a hint that I was listening. He seemed to have caught it, and continued to speak.
"You need not worry. They cannot alter your memories, human or keyblade. But beyond that, I have a gift for you. Take it." The male raised a hand toward me, and a white pouch with a highly detailed yin-yang symbol emblazoned on it appeared before me, I let it drift lazyly downward, onto a waiting palm, and put it onto my neck. Immediatly, I knew that what it held was very important to me, and that I couldn't let it fall into the wrong hands. Impulsivly, I tried opening it, only to find that it was held closed by some sort of ethereal force.
"It will open when the time is right." I looked from the unopenable white pouch up to the male and spoke, my goal set.
"Okay. Then sennd me back." The answer I received was not what I had anticipated.
"You never left." A bright light flashed in my eyes, but slowly faded to reveal the fact that I was being held by a familar, silver-haired male, Llexam. He was walking a few steps behind the other Org. members, and I knew that he had decided to risk everything to come out of hiding. His reason why, though, completely eluded me. I was about to quietly speak to him, but he seemed to know what I was going to do and looked down at me, shaking his head back and forth in a 'no' motion.
'Pretend to be asleep' He mouthed at me. I, however, didn't want to close my eyes. Who knew what would happen once I was unable to see my surroundings? I also wanted to ask him what his motif for coming out here was.
Examining his face, I could see that his aqua-colored eyes held worry and anxiety. He obviously did not like being so vulnerable. He was also in plain veiw of five other org. members, who probably would recognise him if they gained a closer look. I sighed quietly, closing my eyes in obvious defeat. I calmed myself down, but grunted as a strong force pushed my mind into the depths of unconciousness.
0o0o0o0
-Unknown POV-
"So... You gave it to him?"
'I thought he was ready, yes.'
I hope you are corect in your assumptions, friend. I would hate to see Daniel injured in a 'storyline' he has no part of."
'I am sure. I have yet to be wrong.'
"You remind me of the ghost called Clockwork."
'You know him? Could you tell him that I apollogise for giving it to Balance early? It was no longer safe with me. He will understand.'
"How much longer will you send your messages through me? I am not your errand boy."
'Yes... I apollogise for that. But I cannot deliver messages myself. I am not ... Complete, I guess you could say.'
"And... Daniel will be able to help you?"
'Yes.'
"If he is indeed this 'Balance' you keep talking about, how will he go about discovering the abilities you mentioned earlier?"
'He will obtain them gradually, when he subconciously summons them. Some he can already use.'
"You told me before that this group of people is not only after Daniel but me as well. Does this mean they will attempt to fight me?"
'Yes, but do not retaliate. They may not seem it, but they are much more powerful than yourself. I suggest you seek out Balance, The Fire Dancer, Light-Door incarnate, and The Dark Hero in the Un-world. Balance is with The Dark hero, go to them first. Look for the single light illuminating perpetual darkness. I must leave now... Good luck Corruption.'
"I've told you before. Call me Vlad."