(AN: Hey everyone! Today I bring you chapter 10 of The Brewing Storm! As always, I hope you enjoy!)
From the moment that Ruby saw the two strangers, she could tell a great many things about them. The one called Corrin held herself as though she were royalty, though she couldn't be. Zexion was clearly a scholar and magic user, with probably little skill in physical combat.
The next thing Ruby saw immediately was that the two had likely been through alot together. Like her team, before they had all split, that was. Ruby was sure that they had seen many battles together. But she was unsure about one thing. As close as they looked, Ruby couldn't tell if they were romantic or not. She supposed that she'd find out.
Zexion was a difficult person to try and read. Not only was his hair covering his face, but what was showing was very well guarded. Ruby took this to mean that Zexion must have been hurt a lot. But Corrin seemed the same way. Though she sounded kind, her face showed someone who had become somewhat numb to the world.
It made Ruby wonder what the two were looking for at the temple. It was a place for guidance. Maybe they were looking for someone, or something. Ruby decided to try and find out. It would at least give them something to talk about. Slowing to walk with Corrin, Ruby also do Zexion striking up a conversation with Jaune.
"Hello!" Ruby said.
"Greetings." Corrin replied. "How may I help you?"
"I just wanted to try and get to know you a little better." Ruby answered.
"Oh, alright. Ask away." Corrin said.
"So, where are you two from?"
"A very very far away kingdom known as Nohr. I'm one of the princesses of Nohr. Zexion is my best friend and servant, technically, but I've never treated him as such." Corrin answered.
"Woah, really?!" Ruby asked. Corrin nodded. "Wow, I never knew that princesses still existed."
"Well, as I said, we live very far away." Corrin said.
"So much what are you doing so far from home?" Ruby wondered.
"We're looking for someone." Corrin said. "But we don't know who."
"Huh, I guess that would make them pretty hard to find, right?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah. Zexion has a sense for where whoever it is is. We think they're at the temple." Corrin replied.
"Really? No one really lives at the temple." Ruby said. "It's supposed to just be a place to find guidance."
"Maybe we'll be guided to the right person then." Corrin said. "I wouldn't know. But what I do know is that I trust Zexion."
"Oh you do? You and he must be pretty close." Ruby said.
"Yeah. He was found by King Garon before he died, wandering around outside the fortress I grew up in. Father brought him in, and made him my servant. But one day he disappeared, and I never knew why. He came back many years later, once I was grown. Helped me win a war. He vanished again, before returning this time. He told me why finally."
"Oh? Why's that?" Ruby asked curiously.
"I'm afraid that's not my secret to share." Corrin replied. "But when he did, that's when we began our quest for allies. Following the trail of the ones we needed."
"Wow." Ruby said. She was a little stunned. "So… are you and he…?"
"Are we what?"
"You know… a couple or anything?" Ruby asked.
"Oh." Corrin flushed red, and Ruby could immediately tell her true feelings. "No, we're not."
"But you want to be? Don't you like him?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, I admire Zexion a great deal. I care for him a great deal. But there is a curse on him that makes it so he cannot love me until it is lifted. He is unable to feel any emotions."
"That's awful!" Ruby gasped.
"Yeah, it is. That's why we're getting allies. Getting others that also share the curse and we're fighting against a group that wants to control the thing that could free those like Zexion." Corrin explained.
"Wow…" Ruby trailed off. "Sounds like a tough fight."
"It will be, I'm sure. But I know we can fight together." Corrin said, looking toward the horizon.
***********************IN THE KINGDOM OF HOSHIDO*********************
Axel had always heard that if you practice beating something enough, when the real thing came, you'd win. Apparently that wasn't true for fighting Hinoka. With every match, he slowly got slightly better, but Hinoka was always at least a step ahead, her cute little battle smirk always prominent on her face.
He had heard from Saix that he was sending heartless into Hoshido as soon as he could amass a large enough force to make the army panic. That was around a week ago, so Axel thought it should be soon.
Meanwhile, he stayed at the castle. Some of Elise's entourage had left, but Axel still stayed. He enjoyed it too much. He would miss this place for sure. He had even been helping in guard duty. Axel knew he'd have to come back one day, perhaps as a somebody with Hinoka. That is, if the plan succeeded.
Truth was, Axel enjoyed being around the queen. He would probably be the nobody equivalent of sad when her heart was taken. So it began one day that he and Hinoka were practicing that a Hoshidan ninja came running toward them, looking startled. Hinoka stopped as the ninja approached, bowing. "Yes, Kagero?"
"Your Majesty, there has been an attack on the Hoshidan border." Kaveri wasted no time in revealing this.
"What?! Who?!" Hinoka demanded.
"An odd group of creatures. I sketched a few of them based on what I saw and reports of others. They came from Nohr." Kagero handed the sketches to Hinoka, while Axel came up behind her. Kagero's sharp gaze moved to him. "I do not believe I have made your acquaintance. I am Kagero, retainer to Queen Hinoka."
"The name's Axel, got it memorized?" Axel smirked. "I bumped into Princess Elise of Nohr on her way in. I thought I was going to get the dungeon, but instead I got invited to the castle." Axel said. Kagero nodded, and Axel looked at the drawings. They were heartless all right.
"You know, these things look like heartless." Axel said.
"Axel, do you know what these creatures are?" Hinoka turned to him seriously.
"Yeah. I've fought em' before. Nasty creatures. They come from the darkness in people's hearts, and try to take other hearts. Usually, they don't come into a world without being summoned first."
Kagero shot him a questioning look before speaking up. "My Queen, the border guard was annihilated. These, as Axel has dubbed them "heartless" were only beaten back by reinforcements who arrived a little too late."
"I see…" Hinoka bowed her head. "Axel, I want you to compile all the data or information you have on these creatures. And meet me in the throne room in half an hour. Kagero, call the others, and make sure the word gets out to everyone outside the castle. The ones from the war." Kagero nodded.
"It will be done." She ran off.
"We've got work to do." Hinoka growled, as she and Axel ran off.
******************IN THE WORLD OF REMNANT******************
The six had finally arrived at the temple. A large, decaying structure made of stone that was clearly very old. Zexion and Corrin were walking together, and Zexion leaned to whisper to her. "This is it. Whoever we find in here should be the one."
"Got it. I'll keep my eyes peeled. You keep your, uh… sensing thing peeled." Corrin said awkwardly. Zexion nodded.
"Alright team and guests! We've arrived at the Temple of Guidance." Ruby said, turning to face them. "The locals said that we should probably all split up, or be in pairs. So! In the interest of having someone to watch your back… Ren and I will be a pair, Jaune and Nora will be a pair, and our guests will be a pair as well. All right. Is everyone ready?" Ruby asked them. They all nodded.
"All right. Then let's go!" Ruby said. The six headed into the temple. The temple was large, and empty, so the group was able to wander its echoing halls freely. They each went down one of the three branching paths. Zexion and Corrin took the left, Jaune and Nora the right, and Ruby and Ren going straight ahead. Zexion knew that the person they were looking for lay at the heart of the temple, where likely all three paths would converge. And he was right.
After a long walk down the curving corridor, the six of them reunited at the base of the shrine. Zexion was getting some odd signal from the shrine. As if the person was inside it.
But as they approached, Zexion could see this wasn't true. For a pillar of light was issuing from the center of a water pool at the center of the shrine.
"Woah… what is that?" Ruby asked in awe.
As though in answer, the pillar of light began to dim slightly. Standing in there was the figure of a small girl. Not too small, but shorter than even their shortest member Ruby. She had longish hair too. The light faded, and the girl was left glowing, and her appearance was revealed. She appeared to be wearing a dark brownish shirt, and pants to match, and said pants were held up by a similarly-colored belt. She wore a white jacket, and tall white boots, and black gloves to top it off. Ruby gasped in surprise.
"It's that girl!" Ruby pulled out her scythe. "Roman's associate! Neo!"
"Wait! Calm yourself." Zexion warned. "She's the one we're here for."
"What? But she's a bad guy!" Ruby protested.
"I know nothing of her, or her history. Only that she is the one I am here for. In addition, she is in some form of comatose state." Zexion approached. "Even if she were an adversary, she is asleep."
Corrin followed close behind Zexion, and examined the pool surrounding Neo. It was easily less than a quarter inch deep, easy enough to walk through. An inscription was scrawled on a tile. "Hey Zexion. Did you see this?" He shook his head as he came to look.
"Hmm… it says that she can be awakened if we possess her parasol, and her necklace. It also says both are in this temple." Zexion read.
"I found a necklace." Nora announced, stepping forward. It was a long one, made of black beads, and seemed ordinary.
"I found a parasol, which I brought." Ren revealed, pulling one from seemingly nowhere. Zexion took both items.
"Thank you both." Zexion told them. He re-approached the edge of the pool. "Neo. Awaken!" The girl stopped glowing, and opened her eyes. She blinked sleepily for a moment, stretching. Her eyes came open, revealing a pink left eye, and brown right eye. They flickered for a moment to silver, them back to what they were before. Her eyes looked around, and she saw Zexion standing with her two items. She began walking toward him, but then saw Ruby and her team. Gasping silently, Neo turned and ran the opposite direction, pointing at Ruby and hiding behind a pillar.
"Wait, Neo. We mean you no harm." No response. "Ruby, I must ask you to lay down your weapon."
"What?! No I-"
"Lay it down." So Ruby did.
"Happy?" Ruby asked. Zexion didn't answer as he approached the pillar.
"Neo? We mean you no harm. Please, come out. I need to talk with you." Neo poked her head from behind the pillar, her eyes were rapidly changing color. She pointed at the necklace which Zexion was holding, and then at herself. Zexion slowly handed it to her. Once it was in Neo's grasp, she ducked back behind the pillar.
Then, a voice came, which all of them, even Ruby, had to admit was rather beautiful. "Has Red laid down her weapon? And will she promise not to attack me?"
"Ruby, will you promise not to attack Neo?" Zexion called.
"I promise, unless she attacks us." Ruby said.
"She promised." Zexion told who he assumed was Neo. So Neo came out from behind the pillar. Zexion handed her the parasol, which she took, and held nervously, her eyes now solid silver.
"Why did you want to talk to me?" Neo asked.
"I need your help." Zexion said. "An evil man is trying to destroy all worlds, and you can help."
"Why would you trust me? Hasn't Ruby over there told you about me?" Neo asked.
"No. She said you were evil, I said I would give you a chance." Zexion answered.
"Hold on!" Ruby said, approaching. "How come you talk now?"
"This necklace. I've had it for a long time, but I only recently gained the power to talk, as long as I wear it. My voice was stolen a very long time ago, as a young girl. I'm just glad to have it back." Neo replied.
"If you come, you would come with Corrin and I." Zexion continued.
"I see…" Neo turned her gaze toward Neo. "I've wronged you, Ruby Rose. Deeply. But listen to me. When I come back, I'll right everything I did. I'll help you." Neo paused, looking genuine about this. "But until then, stay safe my little rose. This isn't the last time, you've heard of Neopolitain."
"Then you'll come?" Corrin checked.
"Yes. It's time for a Neo outlook on life! Let's go save the worlds." Neo declared with a grin.
(AN: Heya everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter of The Brewing Storm! If you did, please favorite, follow, and share! Please also leave a review for feedback on the story. Until next time everyone!)