Author's notes: Is it just me… or is this beginning to hint Soku?
Renovamen
"How's he doing, Yuna?" Zack asked the healer as he stepped into the room. They'd stayed with Yuna overnight while she worked on Lumen.
"Good, but," Yuna rolled the unconscious boy onto his side. She had removed his shirt to examine his old injuries so that she knew where the magic she was using was going to. She pointed to his left shoulder. On the left side of the shoulder blade, a series of numbers had been burned into the skin. It reached half way down his back before it stopped.
8872-41
-82
-91
-23
-54
-19
-1
"He's a slave." Advocatus said as he stepped into the room. "The first four numbers are his slave code, the second set of numbers are his master's code. I have a code on my shoulder, too. Only one, though, because I've only had one master. 4713-1, I think." Advocatus frowned. "No wonder the bidding on him started so low. It's normal for a slave to get traded around a lot, but… seven times before they're even fifteen? Even if they were born into slavery… it's not normal."
"You went AWOL? On your own? How?" Yuna questioned in a hushed tone.
"We had some help. Some of the Top Thirteen came with – Axel, Xion, Mase and a few others, I'm sure."
"No, actually." Zack commented. "Only you, Lumen, Naminѐ, Xion, Axel, Mase and myself. There are going to be people from out of the castle going to meet us there, though."
"I'd come, too, but I'm the only healer in the town and they need me." Yuna shook her head. Zack nodded. Yuna pulled out a piece of paper and wrote something down on it. "When the time comes to fight, just let me know." She handed it to Zack.
"Shall do." He gave her a mock salute. "We need to get going… anything we need to do to keep Lumen from getting sick again?"
"The remnants of the magic should work their way through his injuries. All you need to do is keep him from getting moved around too much."
"Alright. We've got Chocobos waiting outside of the town for us."
Yuna nodded, grabbing Lumen's shirt off the end table and gently pulling it over the boy's head and carefully sliding his arms through the sleeves. Advocatus lifted the boy into his arms easily.
"We owe you, Lady Yuna." He told the healer.
"The honor is mine, Advocatus." She told him. "Now go, before the castle's guards catch up with you. I'll claim that you said you were on your way straight back to the castle."
"I'd rather see you run." Zack shook his head. "If worst comes to worst, head to Cosmo Canyon."
"I'll do that."
"See you later, Yuna."
"Goodbye, Zack, Advocatus." She nodded as the two turned and left.
They quickly moved out of the town, heading away from the castle. The Chocobos were being held onto by a young stable hand.
"Thank you, Denzel. That should be more than enough to get you through the week. Give Tifa a 'hey' for me, would ya? Also, give her this." Zack said as he dropped some munny and a small note into the boy's hand. The brunette boy nodded.
"'Course, Zack! Come and visit some time!" Denzel nodded, before running into the town.
"You know him?"
"Sort of." Zack answered. "I know his adopted family from the last life. When people remember, they tend to seek out their old friends." He explained as he helped Advocatus place Lumen on one of the three Chocobos, and then helped Advocatus up so that he was sitting behind Lumen to support him. Zack climbed onto his own Chocobo. The last was carrying the backpacks and supplies, and was tied to Zack's.
"You know how to ride Chocobos?" Zack asked Advocatus. The assassin nodded.
"Yeah. The Top Thirteen taught me."
"Good. That saves us time. Let's go." The black haired man grabbed the reins of his oversized bird and gently kicked its side. It let out a 'wark' like noise. Advocatus did the same, and soon the two birds were off.
"How far are we?" Advocatus asked Zack, who glanced up at the sky, dotted with stars. Lumen was sitting up, although he appeared to be half asleep. A fire crackled in the middle of their small camp. Zack was on the other side, and there was a tent hidden in the darkness. The Chocobos were asleep, tied up to a tree, and the back packs had been taken into the tent.
"Ahead of schedule." He answered. "The next town is Twilight Town, and after that is Cosmo Canyon. To imagine, they all used to be separate worlds."
"Huh?"
"Don't worry. It's a long story." Zack shook his head. "You'll remember it, I'm sure." Advocatus nodded, then looked over at Lumen.
"How're you feeling?"
"Better." The boy answered weakly. Advocatus nodded.
"You should probably go lay down." He commented. Lumen nodded, so Advocatus stepped over to him and easily picked him up. He carried the boy into the darkness of the trees, where the tent was situated, and headed inside. The three sleeping bags they had bought in the last town had been laid out. He sat Lumen on his, before Advocatus sat down on his own.
"I won't leave your side." He assured the boy. "Just get some rest."
"It's too cold for you to sit there…" Lumen frowned. Advocatus smiled.
"If it gets too cold, I'll get into my sleeping bag, alright? Now get some rest."
"What animals are out here?" Lumen asked.
"I dunno. I haven't been out this way." Advocatus answered, causing the brunette to lower his head fearfully. The older teen sighed. "Please tell me you're not scared."
"I was born a slave… I wasn't trained as a warrior… I'm not fearless."
Advocatus frowned as he was reminded of that fact. He placed his hand on Lumen's shoulder. The boy responded by clinging onto him.
"Forgive me for having childish fears, but I never had friends to grow up beside."
Advocatus stroked Lumen's hair. "If I hadn't have been trained by the king's men, I would have childish fears, too." He told the younger teen. He picked the boy up and placed him on his lap, the cold finally beginning to nip at his exposed skin.
"It's cold." Lumen shivered. Advocatus hummed. He reached for the bag and started going through it. He found a blanket they had bought at the last town and wrapped it around himself and Lumen.
"Any better?"
"Yes, thank you." Lumen answered, before he yawned and closed his eyes. It wasn't long before Advocatus realized that the boy had fallen asleep…
"Come on, sleepy heads, if you don't get up the king's guards will catch us."
Advocatus blinked, only just realizing that he had fallen asleep. There was a weight on top of him, and he looked at the sleeping Lumen. He sat up, muttering a 'little help?' while trying to untangle the blanket. Zack laughed and helped remove the blanket from the two teenagers.
"Kid got scared?"
"Yeah." Advocatus answered.
"Poor thing."
"Hmmm…"
"Let's go. I'll pack up, you get the Chocobos ready."
Advocatus nodded. He got up and, still carrying Lumen, left the tent. He laid the boy down against a tree as he grabbed the backpacks and began to place them on the Chocobo. Once he had allowed the birds to eat their share, he waited for Zack to finish packing up the tent. Once the raven-haired man had done that, Advocatus placed the tent with the bags. He climbed up onto his Chocobo.
"Pass me Lumen." He ordered Zack once he was up on the bird. The man picked up the fourteen year old and passed him up to the assassin. Advocatus situated the boy in front of him on the oversized bird.
Soon they headed off again.
"Twilight Town isn't involved in most of the Kingdom's business. Perfect place to stay for now." Zack told Advocatus on the way. The servant nodded.
Twilight Town was too small for a city, but almost too big to be a town. It was themed with oranges, red and browns – the colors of dusk. The signs of blue and around looked so out of place…
The town seemed to be built on a hill. There was a large tower that doubled as a clock tower and a train station. Lumen was awake by the time they reached the town, and he looked to be in quite a better condition.
"You lot travelers?"
They looked over their shoulders and turned their Chocobos around to look at a group of three people. One was muscled, another was a tomboy-looking teenager, and the leader looked like a rebel, with silver clothing and a black beanie hat.
"Them." The girl spoke, pointing at Advocatus and Lumen.
"Well, if it isn't the Struggle champion, Sora. You come back for a fight?"
Lumen buried his face against Riku's chest.
"Seifer, he's too young to have remembered, y'know!" The other male commented. Seifer, as he had been called, seemed to examine Lumen.
"You're right. He's just a childish coward now. A slave, probably. Come back in a few years, Sora, and we'll have the rematch that was supposed to occur a few thousand years ago."
"Seifer, Advocatus Diaboli, that's Sora's friend Riku, y'know."
"I noticed." Seifer rolled his eyes.
Advocatus, the stone.
Advocatus remembered the small, purple stone he'd gotten when Riku had vanished, and reached into his pocket and pulled it out.
"Thank you." Riku rolled his eyes as he materialized from a purple sparkle of light. He looked over at Seifer and crossed his arms. The trio seemed to back up hesitantly. "Anyway, I didn't show up to scare them off." He turned back to Advocatus. "Watch out… the Top Thirteen know this area well. In fact, it used to be the portal to their home. Just because it's not associated with the kingdom that much does not mean that they don't keep an eye on it. To assume that they don't simply makes an ass out of you and me."
"Right. Thanks for the warning." Advocatus nodded.
"Put the stone back in your pocket."
Advocatus did so, and Riku faded away.
"If that's the case, we need to get the hell out of here." Zack muttered. "Come on, let's go." He turned his Chocobo around and took off. Advocatus followed him.
They didn't get far. They'd barely been out of the town when they were circled by the black Chocobos of the Top Thirteen. Lumen looked at them, before clinging onto Advocatus in fear. They were surrounded by Braig, or Xigbar, Dilan, or Xaldin, Even, or Vexen, Aeleus, or Lexaeus Ienzo, or Zexion, Asї, or Saїx, Myde, or Demyx, Rludo, or Luxord, Railamu, or Marluxia, and Arlene, or Larxene.
"I must congratulate you for getting this far, Riku." Ienzo commented. "And on saving your dear Sora from the poison I put in his food." Advocatus growled. "You should be thanking us. You'll get to see your dear Kairi again. Aeleus, knock them out."
Advocatus had no chance to resist as the tall, broad-shouldered, muscled Aeleus moved his Chocobo up beside Advocatus's and smacked the silverette up the side of the head, knocking him unconscious. The last thing Advocatus remembered was falling off his Chocobo with Lumen still in his arms…
