Terra ForceXIII – And here's the next chapter I promised y'allz! I gotta say; I am so happy that people are starting to do my challenges. If you guys are interested, check them out. Some goods once like 'Polar Reflections' '50 Droplets of Fallen Rain' Mio Fratello' and my personal favorite 'Red Thread of Fate'. :P
And (On a random note) I saw Lion King 3D and I decided to watch Lion King 2 when I got home, and I must say, that movie is one of the rare 'good' Disney sequels. O_o If Sora ever goes back to the pride-lands in KH3, I hope they use the story of Lion King 2.
But enough randomness! Let's continue... :P
It was so quiet.
The pale white room was as void of sound as an endless pit of nothingness. The girl with the long slick blonde hair was sitting quietly on her chair next to the table. She had her hands firmly on her lap; her head drooped downwards with her hair falling over her face.
Her eyes were closed, but her face showed signs of validation. After much silence, she finally opened her mismatched eyes.
"Yes… I know," She whispered, the sound of her voice breaking the empty silence for only a moment.
The greenish colors of her right iris shifted a bit like water, the blonde girl's expression changing into a grimace.
"I can't, you know I can't…" She whispered again, a hint of sorrow in her voice.
Her hands clenched her white dress on her lap, the knuckles of her hands turning white as they shook in fear. The girl shook her head frantically, a hissing sound escaping her lips.
"I said I can't!" She shouted. "If he finds out, he'll keep me here forever. I'll just be a bird in a cage again!"
The green colors of her right eye began to shift again, the girl slapping a palm over her right eye and cringed.
"I'm sorry… but there's nothing I can do for them now…"
Writer: Terra ForceXIII
~*~ Hitomi no Tsubasa ~*~
Chapter Ten: Watchful Eyes
The cat waved its furry black tail back and forth as it stared at the bewildered Unversed, Terra eying his pendant with widened eyes.
How is this possible? How could a stray cat find his lost charm and bring it conveniently back to him? All three Unversed stared at the cat in confusion. Aqua made a dumbfounded 'huh?' to avoid the awkward silence to prolong.
The cat lowered his head and placed the necklace down, returning its gaze to the group while letting out a soft meow.
Xion's azure eyes widened and sparkled. "Oh my god, it's SO cute!" She squealed.
The raven haired girl immediately grabbed the cat before it could escape, holding it tight in her arms as she lightly swayed back and forth. Meanwhile, the cat's expression looked more aggravated as he let out low groans of annoyance.
"Can we keep him Aqua, please, can we?" Xion begged, jumping on her toes.
Aqua placed her hands on her hips and gave the girl a disapproving look. "No, Xion! We're fugitives; we can't take care of a cat. Besides, it already has an owner, look at its collar."
Xion gave the older woman a pouted look before checking the cat's red collar. She lifted the cat up and examined the circular golden tag below its neck. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to sound out its name.
"Zee…. Zex…. Un?" She muttered. "That's a weird name for a cat."
The black feline groaned again and the slits of his eyes showed his irritation.
Aqua walked over and demanded the cat from Xion, which made the raven haired Unversed pout a bit before reluctantly handing him over. The Blue Angel held the cat with one hand grasping the scruff of its neck, her ocean eyes looking over the cat's tag herself.
"His name is Zexion," She confirmed.
Without Aqua realizing it, Terra had stood up from the bed and started walking passed her. He grabbed his missing pendant on the window and examined it for further damages. There were small red stains on the orange glaze, Terra remembering his own blood leaking over his fallen necklace.
He felt such relief, glad that his only link to the past hasn't been lost to him. He noticed that the chain was broken, only half a loop remained from last night's affair.
For now, he placed the star-shaped pendant in the pocket of his pants, giving his pocket a light pat to secure his precious object.
"So what do we do now?" Terra questioned.
Honestly, Aqua had no idea. They should leave the town before the HOC catch up to them, but which direction? What would be a good place for Unversed to hide?
Aqua's expression became brighter as an idea came to her head. "Destiny Islands!" She answered suddenly.
"Why there?" Xion asked while holding the groaning cat in her arms.
"It's my home, and the people there are really nice. It's a safe place, and it's also in the Nobody region so the HOC have no jurisdiction there."
"Sounds like a plan…" A groaning voice spoke, making the three Unversed turn to the waking blonde on the bed.
Roxas was sitting up, rubbing his eyes, a long yawn escaping his lungs. He scratched his messy blonde hair as he awaited a reply, feeling a bit awkward by the group's unexpected silence. But then Xion's confused look brightened into a joyful smile, quickly running over to the boy and giving him a hug, unaware that the cat was squished in between them.
"Roxas, you're okay!" Xion cheered.
They both chuckled in glee until they heard a loud growling sound coming from the inside of their hug, both looking down to see two narrow eyes staring at them. Roxas jumped back while the cat pounced out of their embrace, the black feline hissed at them both from the edge of the bed.
"Feeling better, kid?" Terra asked.
Roxas gave the tall man a confident smile. "Yep, Next time, I'll be ready for that bounty hunter."
"Glad to hear it," Aqua commented. "Because next time we might not be so lucky."
Aqua crossed her arms and her gaze on the two teens was firm, still reminding them about their recklessness from last night. Roxas scratched his head nervously and looked away, Xion bowing her head in a shameful manner.
Aqua closed her eyes and sighed. "Well… we should start heading out, it'll be better to leave in the morning crowd so we could get some good distance before the day is over."
The blonde girl always felt nervous around him, especially when he wasn't talking. This man, Diz, stood at one end of the white room and was facing the wall, his one grey eye examining one of the drawn pictures that hung on the wall.
Other pictures were scattered throughout the pale room, the dull white dining area looking a little more lively with each colorful picture that stuck to the walls. But when he was in here, no amount of colorful pictures could diminish the haunting feeling in the girl's gut.
"These Unversed are becoming quite the nuisance, as long as they are together of course," The bandaged man spoke deeply, his tone stripped of any amusement or enthusiasm.
His one grey eye blinked and directed towards the picture beside the previous one he looked at, a low huff escaping his nostrils. The picture showed two grownups on either side of the picture, while a child held their hands in the middle.
"What a quandary, how two empty shells could have created something new... something extraordinary," He continued.
His grey eye narrowed at the picture, specifically the dark haired child in the middle. "Xion... the girl who was created from nothing..."
He paused, his mouth slightly opened as if waiting to continue, but it didn't. He turned, his expression dulled of any happy emotion. He walked over to the silent girl at the table, his precise steps echoing through the room. He stopped when he was behind her, turning his head to direct his grey eye on the still girl.
"Naminé ..." He spoke, demanding the girl's attention.
The pale blonde named Naminé raised her head, her mix-matched eyes staring blankly at the empty picture book on her lap.
"What are they doing?" He questioned, his stern expression turning colder when he received no instant reply.
Naminé closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again to reveal a slight shimmer coming from her right pink eye. "They're leaving... heading east..."
Diz chuckled, turning away from the girl and headed towards the door. "Nobodies... Unversed... Heartless... such purposeless creatures..."
"What are you gonna do to them?" Naminé questioned suddenly.
Before he left, he stopped in front of the door. He glanced back, his cold grey eye meeting her mixed ones. "As long as they are together, they prove to be a problem. But separated..."
Aqua sighed a breath of annoyance, hearing that irritating twinkling sound behind her and her friends as they continued walking in the streets. They wore their cloaks to hide themselves from curious eyes of the patrolling guards, while a particularly furry creature followed them, which ironically brought attention to them.
The Blue Angel walked in a quick manner, with her hands turned into fists as they swayed back and forth with each distant step. Meanwhile, the rest of the group tried to keep up with her, but the hidden blue maiden sped ahead of them as soon as the shimmering sound got closer.
Once her hears were filled with nothing but the repeated jingling sound, she finally snapped. She stopped and turned swiftly, her irritated gaze shooting daggers at the black cat stopping in front of her.
"Okay, I've had enough of this cat!" She shouted, making the other Unversed back away. "We can't have this cat following us the whole way!"
"Why not?" Xion asked in a whine, scooping up the feline in her arms. "He apparently likes us."
Aqua turned away in a growl and continued speed walking down the street, while the rest of the group timidly followed.
Xion's Azure eyes widened in dismay, a high whine escaping her frowning mouth. She stood on the bridge with her friends, a small stone bridge that led out of the Grex Perditus. The small bridge led to an open plains, a small stone road leading through the plains to the east.
The morning light shined over the grassy plains, the cool breeze brushed over the green grass and creating a rippling effect that brought radiant splendor to the calm fields. But that didn't stop Xion from seeing the hidden truth behind these morning plains.
"We have to walk there?" She whined.
Aqua felt the morning breeze brush over her, the wind's grasp removing her hood to reveal her cheerful smile. She brought her hand to her face and pulled a couple of blue strands away from her face.
"Yep, the Grex Perditus trains don't go east, we would've had to head south to the next town before taking an east train," She answered calmly.
"When's the next town?" Terra asked, removing his hood as well.
"Its a little ways away, a local town named Porta Libertati."
Aqua began walking down the stone bridge, her silver heels clanging against the rock surface. Terra took a deep breath, looking over at the two teens before giving them a confident smile, then quickly walking down the steps to Aqua's side.
Xion groaned a bit, her face tight into a pout as she watched the two adults stroll on without them. Then she grasped Roxas's hand and dragged him along.
"Come on," She commanded.
Roxas stumbled as he tried to keep up with her. "W- Wait a second!"
Meanwhile, the black cat was perched on the bridge as he watched the four Unversed begin their journey. His tail moved back and forth in a relaxed fashion, the cat's grey-blue eyes watching them with hidden motives. He then pounced off the bridge, his little paws moving quickly to catch up to them.
I don't know, I kinda dislike this chapter. But don't worry; the next chapter will be good. And it'll be a good way to bring some character development between the four.
Oh and by the way, Terra is about 24 years old and Aqua's 21, Roxas and Xion are 16. One of my readers asked this question so I'll just clarify this now. XP
So we all know who the cat is huh? Zexion, who would've thought? Well, I did. X3 But the next chapter will introduce another 'X' character, who'll cause some trouble for our little group. And as an apology gift, I'll make the next chapter 'extra' large and full of action! :D
The town 'Porta Libertati' means 'Gateway to Freedom' in Latin.
This week's shout out goes to 'Love can Change a Person' by xDarknessAngelx, it's pretty good. Mostly because Aqua is so humorously head over heels over Terra in that story, it's enjoyable to read. Check it out, even though it has Xion and Riku together... Bleh! XP
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy...