Hey guys! So I am currently working on Chapter twelve of A Nobody Worth Remembering. So there's currently no need to worry about me putting this thing on hold for a while. This chapter's pretty long, so I hope you guys enjoy!
"Hey Sayomi?"
"Yeah?"
"Have you noticed anything strange?"
"What do you mean? Everything seems pretty good to me…"
"That's just it!"
"Do tell."
"Well, it's all peaceful. Shouldn't we be fighting Heartless? I mean, Sora and his friends fought them in Hollow Bastion, and before that was the giant boss Heartless in Beast's Castle. Yet wherever we go, it's completely barren! It's like they're avoiding us!"
Cloud looked at him. "We fought a Heartless back on Berk. But you're definitely on to something. I admit that it's strange."
Sayomi shrugged. "I don't know."
"They're drawn to the Keyblade, right?"
"Yeah, but maybe they have another target?" Sayomi thought aloud. Inside, she was sweating bullets. She supposed it was pretty obvious that something was off. But the reason was linked to her past… and she just wasn't ready to tell them. Unfortunately, she knew she had to tell them soon; before they are needed in Hollow Bastion for the fight against the Heartless. By then, she knew, without a doubt, that it would be too late.
"It could be possible, but highly unlikely," Cloud argued, looking down at her. His eyes were narrowed slightly in suspicion. He wanted to believe she wasn't hiding something, but her stance was more guarded than usual. She moved on to another subject with Zack, leaving him to mull in his thoughts.
"So this is a world you went to eleven years ago?" Zack asked, looking around at the large forest. They were walking along a path, with only Sayomi knowing exactly where they were going.
"Yep!" she popped the 'P', "I even have a little memento from here. It's a very pretty gem I got from one of the seven dwarves."
"There are dwarves here?" Zack asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Mhm!" She grinned. "Seven. They live in a cottage with beautiful and kind lady and they work in a mine."
"And why are we here again?" Cloud asked. There had to be a different reason than to go see old friends. He knew that body language, and to him, it clearly indicated that she was here for a different reason than playing catch-up with the miners.
"I'm looking for a couple people. I heard that they were spotted here, but there's no guarantee they're still here, if at all."
"Who are they?"
Sayomi only smirked at her closest friend. "You'll see."
She turned away and he allowed his mouth to twitch upward slightly. Mysterious as ever. At least some things haven't changed.
A growl alerted him to their other companion. Cloud turned his head to the right and saw Ghostwing walking next to them. He didn't know what the hell her thought process was with this beast. She brings a large mythical creature to another world. It could easily be taken as a threat, and would be very bad for her and them. But this is Sayomi he was talking about. He'd go crazy if he tried to understand her.
They all suddenly heard a rustle in the woods and stopped walking, their guards up. Sayomi gestured to Ghostwing, and the dragon shot forward first toward the noise. Everything was silent for a moment before a loud scream was heard. One that was very familiar to Sayomi. With a gasp of shock, she rushed through the woods, followed closely by Zack and Cloud.
After a minute of running through the woods they ran into a small clearing. In that clearing was Ghostwing pinning down a person. They seemed out of breath, signifying they were running away from the Dragon. Zack and Cloud took out their weapons, the sound getting the person's attention.
"Who the hell are you people?!" they exclaimed, the voice definitely that of a female's.
Sayomi recognized the voice instantly and turned to Zack and Cloud. "Guys, it's okay."
They looked at her questioningly. After a moment Cloud put his sword away, giving Zack a look to do the same. If Sayomi said it was alright, then they should trust her. She gave a smile to Cloud before turning and walking toward the girl.
"Ghostwing, off," she commanded. The Dragon obeyed and climbed off the mystery girl. Sayomi bent down slightly and held a hand out to the girl. She looked at the outstretched hand before swatting it away with a scoff and standing up, taking a step back from Sayomi.
"Who are you?" she asked with a dark tone, "That coat… are you with the Organization?" She growled at Sayomi, her eyes narrowing.
"Huh? Me? With those creeps? No thanks," Sayomi scoffed right back, waving her hand dismissively. "My name's Sayomi. I'm not exactly one of their allies."
The girl raised her eyebrow, her guard still up. "Alright… Why are you here?"
"I received information that two people are here. Two ex-members of Organization XIII-"
Sayomi quickly dodged a knife that shot past where her face was just moments ago. She looked from the knife to the girl, seeing multiple knives between her fingers. Sayomi blinked incredulously. 'Where the heck did she get those?!'
The girl's eyes narrowed and she readied another knife throw but froze when a large buster sword appeared and pressed against her neck. Her eyes widened before narrowing and looking behind her, seeing Cloud with an angry look on his face. "Don't even try it." She growled, but relented, lowering her arms.
"Thanks, Cloud." Sayomi dusted her coat off then walked over to the mystery girl, receiving a glare from the latter. "Calm down. We're not here to hurt you. Now, I'd really appreciate it if you showed us to where you and your dear friend are living, Arlene."
Arlene, previously known in the Organization as Larxene, growled as she glared at the hooded figure, knowing she had no choice.
Lumaria sat in a chair inside the warm house, sipping his tea. He set the cup down on the small plate and looked up from the cup, his eyes studying the hooded girl that sat on the couch opposite of him. She sat calmly, her guard non-existent. He was surprised when Arlene returned with no wood or food, but instead with three people; two swordsmen and a hooded girl. His first thought was that she was a member of the Organization. But after her explanation, found that to be false. She actually intrigued him immensely, especially since she knew of their Nobody counterparts. She wouldn't tell him anything more than necessary, which he both admired and hated.
He set the cup and saucer down on the table and leaned back, placing an elbow on the chair's arm and letting his cheek rest on his fist. "You're a very interesting girl, Sayomi. A girl shrouded in mystery yet apparently knows more than she lets on."
"Secrecy is something I've learned and mastered over the years. You've had your fair share of secrets, too," she stated. He knew what she meant, though how she knew about his plans to overthrow the Organization back in Castle Oblivion was a mystery to him.
He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I suppose you're right."
"So… Will you help me?"
Lumaria hummed in thought, closing his eyes. "What would be in it for us?"
"Protection." That caught his attention, and he gave her a look to elaborate. "The Organization is powerful. I have no doubt you could hold your own, but there are stronger forces at work. A man named Xehanort is the one responsible for all of this destruction. He could easily kill the both of you." She looked down, her tone turning grave, "I have dealt with Xehanort in the past. He is ruthless. He will lie, cheat, and murder to get what he wants. And what he wants is the Keyblade War."
"I do recall Xemnas mentioning something about a war…" Lumaria wondered aloud.
"Plus, you can get the chance to beat some of them into the dirt. Might I recommend Xigbar? He's been a pain in my butt for eleven years…" Sayomi muttered in aggravation.
Lumaria chuckled, leaning forward and grabbing his tea once again and taking a sip. "I'll think about it. With the stunt your pet caused, I doubt Arlene will want to help, but I'm sure I can convince her. Though you'll have to pay me back for any and all injuries I'll obtain while doing so."
Sayomi chuckled, a small smile showing on her face. "Thank you so much, Marluxia."
"It's Lumaria now. I don't care much for that name," he stated calmly, taking another sip. Her smile only grew.
"It's more manly than Lumaria, though. You can't argue with that."
He chuckled, smiling lightly. "I suppose you're right." He set the cup down as Sayomi stood and took a bow.
"Thank you so much." She straightened and reached into her pocket, pulling out a strange star-shaped item and handing it to him. He took it with a raised eyebrow.
"What is this?"
"It's a Star Shard. It allows you to teleport between worlds. I put in the coordinates of what world we'll need you in. All you have to do is wait for it to start blinking, which means I'm signalling for help. You and Arlene just grab hold of it and it'll bring you to my location."
Lumaria looked the item over. "Is it… safe?"
"Kinda."
He gave her a look.
"Well, it'll be a rough ride. But you'll be safe. Just be prepared to land." He nodded, satisfied for now with the answer, as he knew that was all he'd get.
"Alright. I will wait for the signal."
Sayomi smiled and nodded. She turned and walked to the door, but stopped just as she grabbed hold of the handle. "Oh! One more thing…" She turned to him, her eyes glinting under the hood. "Be prepared to fight."
Lumaria stayed silent as she walked out of the room, staring at where she once was. He looked down at the star shard, thinking over the discussion he just had. After a minute he turned and looked up at the large scythe that rested on the wall. Ever since he returned to his home world, he found little use for the weapon. Any Heartless that appeared, if any, were weak and few. He stood up and walked to the bladed weapon, tracing his fingers over the blade lightly. His eyes hardened and he gripped the Star Shard tightly before grabbing the scythe and taking it off the wall. If he was going to fight, he needed a sharpened blade.
Sayomi closed the door behind her and took a few steps from the house before stopping and just… letting the scene before her sink in.
"Augh! Let me go!"
"Just shut up and die already!"
Arlene's hands were wrapped around Zack's neck, her expression revealing how pissed off she currently was. Zack was on his knees, trying to rip her arms off of his neck and breathe, which he was only partially succeeding in.
Cloud and Ghostwing were on the sidelines. Cloud's face was passive, his arms crossed, and Ghostwing was tilting his head curiously as he watched the one-sided fight.
Sayomi walked up to the two and stood by Cloud, remaining silent for a moment before asking, "So...what happened?"
"Zack was being an idiot."
"What did he do?"
"He insulted her by saying she was insane as hell."
"...Freaking idiot."
Cloud, Sayomi, and Ghostwing continued watching before Sayomi decided to break it up, snapping her fingers and pointing to the fighting duo. The Dragon snorted before rushing forward and gently (for a Dragon) prying the two apart. Zack fell to his hands and knees, gasping for breath, while Arlene backed off, still apprehensive of the four-winged beast.
"So, how was your little talk?" Cloud asked, glancing at her through the corner of his eye.
"It went well. They're going to help us. I have no doubt about it."
"You seem confident," he noted. She didn't reply, still smiling at the scene in front of her. He shook his head in exasperation, but watched alongside her.
The four friends soon departed, walking back to their entrance point. As they walked, Sayomi and Cloud discussed where they were going next and what their next plan was. Sayomi had listed off a variety of worlds, including places known as Port Royal, Neverland, Pride Lands, Atlantica (Oddly enough, this was the only world she absolutely REFUSED to go to), Arendelle, Castle Oblivion (she was very secretive on why exactly she wanted to go there), Corona, The Land of Dragons, and the last one was going back to Berk.
"I think going back to Berk is probably the best thing to do. I'm worried about Hiccup and what'll happen to him…"
"Are you sure that's wise? He wasn't very happy about what happened last time with the dragon Heartless."
"Yeah, I know..."
Sayomi suddenly stopped, holding her arm out to her side to halt Zack and Cloud. Her eyes narrowed as she sensed a dark presence and released a sigh. 'I suppose it was only a matter of time…' She heard Ghostwing climb up a tree, latching onto a few branches, and growl darkly. He must have sensed it, as well, making her wince slightly. 'Oh goodie…'
"What's wrong with Ghostwing?" Zack asked, pointing at the hostile Dragon.
"He's sensing something," Cloud stated, glancing at the Dragon before looking at Sayomi. "You okay?"
"They're here…" she muttered, those words instantly getting Cloud alert, Zack following shortly after.
Suddenly a black portal appeared in front of them for a few moments before disappearing, leaving a cloaked person in its place.
Sayomi got into a ready stance while Zack and Cloud put their hands on their swords. Ghostwing jumped down from the tree and screeched at the mystery figure. The figure seemed surprised to see the large beast, but quickly collected themselves.
"Well now, you certainly know how to pick up strays," the mysterious figure said, gesturing to the boys and Dragon.
Sayomi's eyes narrowed at the voice. She knew that voice, but it's been so long, she can barely register it. "You… Who are you?"
"I find that question silly, especially coming from a girl who seemingly knows of everything."
"Hmph… I think you and I both know I don't know everything."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. How could you have known about our plans in Castle Oblivion if that claim was false?"
She paused at that, then have a sheepish smile. "I suppose you got me with that. But I'm still no miracle worker. Besides, how could you possibly know what's up my sleeves? I could have a spy in your ranks, for all you know."
"Even if a spy were amongst us, I guarantee that some of the things you have achieved would go beyond them," the figure replied smugly, and it finally clicked as to who this guy was.
"Luxord… I should've known."
The figure, now deemed Luxord, pulled back his hood, revealing his pierced face, short light hair, and smug grin. "Ah, now onto my second point. How could you have known it was me before I even introduced myself?"
"Simple. I've watched the Organization closely. I know every move you guys make before you make them. I know all your names, strengths, and weaknesses. And most importantly…" She smirked, her weapon pointed at him. "...how to defeat you."
Everything was dead silent for a moment before Luxord laughed. Sayomi frowned at the man's mocking chuckle. She gripped her weapon tighter, her guard heightened. The man stopped chuckling and raised his hand. "Then perhaps we should level out the playing field." He snapped his fingers, and Sayomi realized too late what he was doing.
"Sai!"
"Sayomi!"
The hooded girl snapped her head back and watched as cards spun around Ghostwing, Zack, and Cloud. "No!" She ran toward them, intent on cutting the cards, but they disappeared before she could, taking her companions with her. She skid to a stop, staring in horror at where they once stood.
"One-on-one. That seems fair," Luxord said, smirk still plastered on his face.
Sayomi turned to him, eyes narrowed under her hood, a faint golden glint catching Luxord's eye and causing his smirk to falter. "You… Where did you bring them?"
"If you defeat me, you'll find out."
She grit her teeth angrily and rushed forward, Keyblade in hand. This bastard was going to return her friends!
Zack and Cloud stared at the cards as they continued circling around them. They tried breaking them, but they seemed indestructible on this end. Finally, the cards seemed to disappear in a flash of light, revealing their new location.
Cloud took a few steps forward, looking around and studying their new environment while Zack kept himself from giving up his lunch from getting dizzy watching the spinning cards. They were in a distorted plane, with the sky and surrounding area covered in a dark mist with seemingly no end. The grass under them was the same dark color, and seemed as still as the wind. Cloud's eyes narrowed. 'Sayomi, you'd better be okay.'
A grumble came from behind him and he turned to see Ghostwing walking up to him. He seemed upset from being separated from his master, and decided to stand by the next best thing. Cloud placed a hand on Ghostwing's crest, making him croon. "Don't worry. She can handle herself." Though he said it to the dragon, he was also saying it for himself. From the looks of things, they were caught in a space only Luxord can control. If she can defeat him, then they would most likely return. He scowled to himself. He hated being so useless.
The sound of footsteps got the three's attention and they turned to another cloaked person. However, Cloud knew immediately that something was different. It was the look of their sleeves, which seemed much thinner than before, that tipped him off to this being a different person than Luxord.
"Who are you?" he asked, hearing Zack walk up to his other side, sickness momentarily forgotten.
The figure stopped and leaned forward slightly, placing a hand on his chin. After a moment, he stood straight again. "Now, is that any way to greet someone?" he asked, his tone clearly one of mock hurt. Cloud's eyes narrowed, as did Zack's. "Shouldn't you give out your name first?" the figure asked, gesturing to them. However, they said nothing.
Ghostwing growled at the man, moving his head forward and showing off his sharp fangs. Cloud glanced at the beast. Even Ghostwing knew something was off about that guy.
The figure raised their hands in defense. "Okay, okay, don't get so jumpy, fire-breath." That only caused Ghostwing to growl even louder. Cloud placed a hand on his front, silently telling him to back down. The dragon did so, though his glare never wavered.
"We don't give out names out so willingly to enemies. I'm sure that's something you can understand."
"Oh? But you told your girlfriend your names, so why should I be any different?" the man asked.
Cloud decided to look over the 'girlfriend' comment, focusing on something more important that he had said. "Because she's not our enemy."
"I beg to differ."
"What do you mean?" Zack asked, stepping forward with a glare. "Are you saying she's an enemy of ours? That's absurd!"
"Is it? You kiddies may think you know her, but let me tell you: you haven't even scratched the surface."
"Shut up," Cloud ordered, "Stop lying to us. You'll never get anywhere."
"Lying? As if. If anyone's lying it's your Keyblade friend. Think about it: do you really know everything there is to know about her? If you were really friends, wouldn't she tell you everything?"
Zack paused in thought, but Cloud was quick on his feet. "If she doesn't want to tell us, that's her choice. It's her past, not ours."
"But she knows yours." That got Cloud to falter, which gave enough time for the mystery man to continue. "That nuisance knows more than she lets on. Things the average person wouldn't know. Call her psychic or special or whatever, but at the end of the day, she's someone who will use her power to get what she wants. After all, that's what happened to her other 'friends'."
"What?" Cloud's attention was grabbed at that. Her other friends? Does he mean the ones she went to go help all those years ago? "What do you mean?"
"Oh? So she never told you? Some friend she is, then," the man scoffed, shaking his head in shame. "I had the assumption you three were close-knitted. Inseparable."
"What do you know about her that we don't?" Zack asked, his tone hard but questioning. His eyes were narrowed at the man as he laughed.
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you three in on something."
The area was quiet; deadly quiet. The four had a stare-down, one against three. However, in this moment, Cloud noted, even though they outmatched him in numbers, it felt as though he were winning.
"That girl you've been traveling with… she's the one responsible for the deaths of all three of her dear old friends."
It felt as though the world crumbled around them as Zack and Cloud stared wide-eyed at the man. That had to be false; fake. There was no way that could be true! She left to go save her friends. She couldn't have been lying about that… right? Why would she lie to them about something like that? Is that what she's been hiding all this time? Doubt began to creep through Zack and Cloud's minds as they thought more and more on the subject. But even still, one question wasn't answered:
What was she hiding under the hood?
"Oh! The wheels are turning now!" the man exclaimed joyfully, as well as mockingly. Cloud glared at him.
"If you know so much about her, then what's under her hood?" Zack asked, still in disbelief.
The man hummed, crossing his arms. "Sorry, kiddo. The only one who knows what's under her hood is the boss himself. But I'm sure you'll figure it out in no time."
"Enough," Cloud whispered, but it was loud and clear in the man's ears. His frown replaced his smirk as he stared at the blonde, seeing the sword tense in his hands. "Everything you say is a lie. I know Sayomi-she'd never do something like that! She'd never kill her friends!" he yelled.
The figure and Zack were silent as they stared at Cloud. After a moment, Zack grunted in agreement and hardened his stare toward the hooded man. Ghostwing lifted himself up on his hind legs and screeched, spreading all four of his wings. The man took a step back, then scoffed.
"Alright then. Keep pretending to believe in your "friend". See how far it gets you."
A dark portal opened up and the man was gone, leaving the three in the distorted realm. But even with him gone, Zack and Cloud were still tense. The words spoken to them were haunting, scratching at the back of their minds. The two shared a glance before Zack put his sword away with a sigh.
"What should we do?" Zack asked. Despite being older, he knew Cloud would be able to think more clearly in a situation like this, though not by much. They were both close friends to Sayomi, with Cloud even more so. They were both deeply affected by the past few minutes.
"We keep this a secret from her. For now, anyway," Cloud suggested, "If he's telling the truth, she'll just deny it if asked."
"But he has to be lying! There's no way she'd-"
"Zack."
Zack stopped cold at Cloud's tone. After a moment he sighed and looked up at the sky. "Fine…"
"We'll keep an eye on her. I don't want to trust that man's words alone, but…" he trailed off, but they both knew what he meant. If she showed signs and proved that what was said was indeed true, then they had to deal with it accordingly. Cloud leaned against the dragon's side, earning a worried croon from said dragon. He placed a hand on his forehead, feeling the cool glove against his hot flesh. He wished for all that he was worth that he could believe in her 100%, but she was hiding a lot from them. Most of her journey, as well as the past ten years, were shrouded in mystery. Who knows what she could have done in that time? And her hood… what was she hiding under it? A scar? A disfigured face? It could be anything. He hated being in this situation, because he could not, in good conscience, call himself her best friend...if he continued to doubt her.
Ghostwing crooned next to him, nudging his arm. The two humans looked to him and saw the confusion in his own eyes. But there was also worry. Whether it was for them or Sayomi, or even both, they couldn't tell. Cloud gently pet his crest, unable to say anything to appease the worry without lying.
Suddenly, the world began to shift around them, setting them back on edge. The entire area seemed to crack from the center of the sky outward before smashing into pieces, revealing the area they were originally in: the forest. In front of them was Sayomi, Keyblade in hand, facing away from them and at Luxord, who was holding his abdomen in pain. Sayomi didn't seem to be faring that well either, as she was holding her right shoulder and seemed to be slouching and breathing heavily. She turned her head slightly and smiled.
Luxord saw that the others had returned and scowled, knowing he was defeated. He was too weak to keep them apart any longer, and they had returned. Seeing his opponent momentarily distracted, and seeing the turmoil for a brief moment in Zack's eyes, he decided to take his leave. He opened a portal behind him and walked in, the dark mass disappearing before Sayomi could do anything.
But she didn't care. She had whittled him down enough to free her friends, which was her main goal. She cast a quick curaga to heal her shoulder, dematerialized her Keyblade, and ran to her friends. She stopped in front of Cloud, sighing in relief. "I'm so happy you guys are okay…"
He didn't reply.
"Cloud?" she frowned, raising an eyebrow under her hood. "Hey, you okay? You guys aren't hurt, right?"
Zack smiled a bit at her. Though it was a little strained, he was able to hide it. "No, we're fine. What about you? You seemed to have taken quite a hit," he added, gesturing to her shoulder. She looked at it for a moment before looking at him with a smile.
"Nah, it was just a flesh wound. Nothing a curaga won't fix," she answered, waving it off. Ghostwing nudged her arm up before maneuvering his head under it so he could nuzzle against her. She chuckled, petting his crest and the back of his neck lovingly. "Well, I'm glad you're all alright. I'm sorry I wasn't able to react in time…" her smile faltered and she looked down. Ghostwing rumbled at her, looking up into her eyes. He blinked, then tilted his head in confusion, seeing something different than he remembered. Sayomi brushed her hand across his crest and gave him a small smile.
Zack stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him. "Hey, no worries. We all got out of there safely. That's all that matters, right?"
"Right," she said, nodding.
"Cloud?" Zack looked at the blonde, who was still looking down. Sayomi frowned in the darkness of her hood, hoping he was alright. To her relief, he looked at her and Zack, nodding and giving a grunt of response.
"So, where to next, Captain?" Zack asked, getting her attention off the brooder. Sayomi looked down and thought.
'We still have time before the big battle in Hollow Bastion… So we shouldn't go there yet. Disney Castle isn't up for debate. Going to the Pride Lands is risky since I don't know if I'd keep the hood. Most likely not, but I'm not going to take that risk. I'm not ready.'
"We'll figure it out later. Let's get back to the ship," Cloud ordered, his voice much more edgy than before. He just wanted to get off this world. Sayomi frowned in confusion.
"Uh… right. Let's do that."
She only wished she knew what happened…