A/N: It's chapter eleven! And it's up in a reasonable amount of time!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Alright, here I'm going to address some issues, which I believe need to be addressed before one of you people eat my soul. Alright, first thing: Chapter length. All my chapters are almost the exact same length, about nine pages on Microsoft Word. That's about roughly two thousand words, in the type size I use, which isn't huge, but it isn't super small either. Alright next: lack of plot development: It is there, it just doesn't make any sense yet. This story is going to be very odd and very long. And I mean very long. There's simply too much I want to include to rush things along (I have a three page list of things I want to include). The reason I wrote this story was to tie together all the little things I noticed in the game that weren't explained (Ansem's Guardian), were altered (Cloud and Leon's character designs, character relationships, new characters not in Disney or FF, etc) or things that were left out (everyone from FF9, a thorough explanation of the Heartless and their connection to everything else, and what was the history of the Keyblade). Next issue: My inconsistent updates. My family has a lot of problems right now, and all the technology in my house is possessed. Hollow excuses, but they are true. The next issue: the lack of yaoi so far. Alright, I know you all are impatient for this, but nothing will be happening for a while, as I responded to someone's review, I'm a firm believer in character development, and these guys have a lot of development to do. Yamibakeru inquired about the Yuffie/Vincent pairing, the reason that's included is this: When I first started out reading FF7 fanfiction, I wasn't yet reading yaoi/shounen ai. I also hated Tifa (I still do) and I was having a hard time finding many Cloud/Aeris fanfics that didn't seem to flow oddly. So I ended up reading Yuffie/Vincent and that's just where I'm used to seeing the two of them. If no one wants to read them, then I'll leave them with only hints and will never take it farther then that. Don't ask me to write femslash as I won't touch it with a ten-foot pole (and I absolutely loathe Kairi). Nothing against yuri, I just don't want to read it (or write it). If you have any other questions, feel free to e-mail me any time. I'd be more then happy to clear up whatever questions you have, and I will take in suggestions so long as they don't screw with the plot of the story. Also, please don't review telling me to update faster, as I simply do not have the time for that. I'm trying to keep so many chapters written ahead of what I have posted, and if I update faster then soon I run out of material, and I don't have the free time to make up the lost ground. You can of course tell me I need to start getting things moving and what not, but I cannot update any faster.
THIS HAS YAOI/SHOUNEN AI, WHICH MEANS IT CONTAINS MALE/MALE RELATIONSIPS! IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS THEN DON'T READ IT, CAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO FLAME ME IF YOU'RE TOO BLIND TO READ THIS WARNING!
Review Response:
Yamibakeru- thanks for being the only reviewer! Everyone else probably forgot about me! Oh well… Sorry the length made you upset, but please review to my note for my reason for that, as well as the Yuffie/Vincent pairing, but as I said up there if people tell me they don't want to see it I'll tone it down. Yeah, plot development. One thing I think people will find in this story is an over abundance of plot. Oh well. Here's an early update to help make up for the time I was MIA. 'Silver Battle?' Heh heh, sounds like fun. If you really want me to put something like that in I'm sure I could mess with that for a chapter somewhere along the line. Though personally I think that you should write your own ideas out, as it's your idea, but whatever. If you were serious then let me know, I can't read minds!
After Sora's explanation of what was going on with the Heartless, Ansem, and himself, everyone rushed back to the house in third district and was packed and ready to go in no more then an hour. All of them were eager to be off, and quite frankly it unnerved Sora at how happy they were with the whole arrangement. Though the Gummi ship Sora and Ansem were using, the Umbra, was rather large for a vessel of its type, that didn't change the fact that there would have to be two or three people to a room.
Ansem and Eclipse were going to share, of course. Sora and Riku agreed to split a room, Yuffie and Aeris, being the two girls were sharing, but with one room left, Leon, Cloud, and Cid had agreed to make the best of the last room all three had to share. Sora made a point of noting how Cloud and Leon looked nervous about the arrangement, while Cid looked put out, but didn't complain.
It wasn't until the ship was about to lift off when Sora noted the absence of one of the passengers. "Hey Ansem? Where's Eclipse?"
"I asked him to run an errand for me. He'll meet up with us at Hollow Bastion." Ansem replied.
"If you say so. I'd think you'd be a little bit more concerned for your own guardian is all." Sora grumbled while Riku watched the exchange between them with interest. Cid had hijacked the controls insisting that he was the pilot, while Leon, Cloud, Yuffie, and Aeris carried on a heated discussion about Shin-Ra or something and poor Leon looked completely lost.
Ansem rewarded Sora with a trouble-making smile. "Please, if I were to do that Eclipse would give me the 'you're the protected and I'm the protector' lecture, about he is more then capable of defending himself, which I know to be true first hand as do you Key master. Besides, he shouldn't be in any danger where he's going." Sora shrugged and leaned back in the chair he was sitting in, which like all of the furniture in the Gummi ship was anchored to the floor.
"Hey Sora?" Riku asked suddenly.
"What?"
"How long does it take to get to Hollow Bastion?" Riku asked.
"From Traverse Town? It usually about a day, a night, and then a half a day to get there. And that's if we don't run into any trouble. Though I haven't seen any Heartless vessels around unless they're heading to attack a world." Sora told his friend as they stared out the window.
"How can you tell when it's night?" Riku asked his friend. "Do you have to look at a clock?"
"Yeah, or we sleep whenever we get tired. Of course, then you usually get used to your own private time schedule, and believe me, it takes a while to get used to normal time again." Sora shook his head. "Take my word for it, it's no fun at all."
Riku smirked. "I believe it. It does sound like something you'd do."
Sora pouted. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." He grumbled. Riku grinned at him.
"Hey! I was just playing! This whole war must be really stressing you out." He spoke the last part with a sincerely concerned tone.
The Key master rolled his eyes. "You have no idea. I can't wait to get back to Hollow Bastion and relax for a few days. I'm wound so tight I'm like a walking, talking, rope knot."
Riku winced sympathetically. "Ouch. A day of laziness will help that. I speak from experience."
"I'll bet you do." It was Sora's turn to smirk at his friend. Riku's only reply was to stick out his tongue and give his companion a raspberry. The conversation continued easily for hours. And for a while, the warriors could pretend that there was no Heartless threat, and that they were a normal group of people. Sora couldn't help but wonder, would his and Riku's life have been like this had they escaped the island and there were no Heartless to fight?
As the members of the group began to feel exhaustion catching up with them, the decision was made to just drop all conversation and head off to bed. It was also decided that Sora would stay up for the first shift and pilot the ship. Once he was finished Ansem would take over, and then Cid would be up early to finish the journey. He was oddly quite happy about it. Well he was a pilot for a reason, was Sora's guess.
The entire ship was quite and dark as Sora stayed up by himself. Only making minor adjustments in the ships trajectory every-so-often. Even when people had been talking and the lights were on space seemed cold. But sitting in the dark silence made it seem like there was nothing that could ever be out there that it seemed so frigidly icy. No other worlds, no other people.
This space is something that over two years ago I couldn't even dream of experiencing. Look at me now! Flying straight through it! Sora shook his head. It was almost surreal how far he'd come. When he looked back on his memories from the Destiny Islands, they almost seemed like they were memories of another person they were so distant.
Sora sighed. What he hadn't told Riku was that he'd been back to the Destiny Islands since his initial defeat of Ansem. He'd gone to make sure that everything had returned to normal. That no one had been hurt and everyone was back to living their lives as they were before the Heartless invaded.
What he'd found out when he'd visited, was that it had returned completely to normal, minus two things: Sora and Riku. When Sora had returned there, no one remembered him. No one had known who he, or, when he mentioned Riku, was. Not any of his old friends, and not even his family. He'd remembered how his own mother had looked at him like a stranger, how Selphie, Kairi, Tidus, and Wakka had only smiled at him out of politeness rather then familiarity and friendship.
He'd been greatly upset by this for a while. That no one from his childhood other then Riku even knew who he was. He'd slipped into a depression for several weeks, and nothing Ansem or Eclipse could say or do would make him get up and continue his search for his friend. However, what did force him to wake up and pay attention, was the return of the Heartless. As twisted as it sounded, he owed them for snapping him out of his funk.
He was jolted from his pondering by a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around to see the orange eyes of Ansem. "Your time's up Key-boy. My turn. Go get some sleep while you can."
Sora nodded gratefully as he stood to head to the room he and Riku were sharing. "Hey Ansem?" He asked suddenly with a quiet tone of voice.
"What is it?" Ansem asked just as softly, understanding without words that this was important.
"Do you honestly think we can win this war? Do you think I can actually defeat the heartless?" Sora's eyes were downcast, and held no expression. Ansem was silent for a moment.
"Yes." He said finally. "You can win. You will win. It's that simple. You're not quite ready yet, but soon, you'll end this war. At least until the next Keyblade master is chosen."
"Thank you." Sora said quietly, sincerity in his voice. He began to head for his room when Ansem spoke again, not looking at the Key bearer, but contemplating the space outside the window.
"No matter what it looks like the outcome will be, know that I'll be there to help you till the end." Sora didn't respond, but instead walked down the hall leaving Ansem to get them through to Hollow Bastion.
Sora strode through the main hall in the Gummi ship, trying to be silent so as not to wake anyone else. It was around twelve thirty a.m. so he know no one would appreciate being jogged from a comfortable sleep. He chuckled to himself as he passed the room Cid, Cloud, and Leon were sharing. With all the tension between Cloud and Leon, and Cid's horribly loud snoring I doubt either of them will be sleeping well tonight.
He opened the door to his own room as softly as he could. Riku, though, was wide-awake to Sora's great surprise. He was sitting cross-legged on the futon he was using, staring intently off into his own little world. Sora waved a hand in front of his friend's face.
"Hey Riku? You in there?" Riku jumped in surprise, nearly tumbling over.
"Sora! Jeez! Give some warning!" He said breathlessly.
"What are you doing up at this time?" Sora asked him. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"
"Yeah. I was never comfortable sleeping in moving vehicles of any kind." He said staring at the floor.
"Is there anything I can do?" Sora asked him gently.
"Yeah," he said after a moment "you can just talk to me. Sometimes talking helps distract me from the fact I'm moving, and I'll go to sleep. Would you mind staying up a little longer?"
"Sure. I had problems when I was first getting used to Gummi ship travel. Eventually you get used to it." Sora said smiling, glad for the excuse to talk to his friend about trivial things again and not all the problems they faced.
Eclipse floated through the deep, black corridors of the great castle. Everything was colored black or dark gray, and the only light to see by was what was reflected from the fearsome gargoyles and demon statues from some unknown source. Considering the obviousness of the darkness here, Eclipse found himself thinking, though certainly not for the first time, that Shadow Bastion was appropriately named.
He continued along his course, sometimes turning and taking a great, high-ceilinged hallway deeper into the castle. Despite the fact that he was moving along at a pace equal to a normal person's run, that halls seemed to go on forever without any end in sight.
After a long time of navigation, Ansem's guardian at last came to a great set of enormous double-doors made of an almost translucent, black stone. Above the foreboding threshold, was mounted a great piece of carved marble, also in black. The stone was delicately sculpted in many interconnecting patterns and pathways. If one studied it for a moment, it could be seen that the design formed two great Keys; one was as mysterious, dangerous, and dark as the stone it was carved from, and the Key chain hanging off the end could be noticed as a shackle. The other Key, although carved from black stone as well, held a certain brightness about it that the other lacked. The Key chain of this one was a simple looking crown.
Upon the magnificent doors themselves was a third Key. This Key, however, was quite plain, a silver shaft and blade with a gold handle, with no significant features, other then the small Key chain it bore, which was a simple silver circle, with two smaller circles connecting on opposite sides near the top. The Key was the only flash of color to the otherwise stark entrance.
Suddenly the doors creaked open with an eerie sound, though Eclipse was not intimidated in the least. "Come in." The baritone voice was clear and direct, with only the slightest hint of amusement. Eclipse ghosted into the room he was beckoned, and waited for the figure in a chair, which happened to be facing away from him, to further acknowledge his presence.
"So Eclipse," The person asked conversationally "To what do I owe the honor of receiving the darkness of my dear friend Ansem?" The chair swiveled around and the guardian of the former Heartless master was greeted with amused, hollow, yellow eyes that one would normally find on a Heartless. "Do you come to speak for the great King of Clubs because he wishes to have a question answered?" Eclipse's reply was simple.
"Yes Lord Kagi, mighty King of Hearts."
A/N: And that's it for chapter eleven! I know what I'm going to say probably sounds really vain, but I think this thing is great. You have no idea how pleased I am, It's turning out so much better then I anticipated! Next chapter: Hollow Bastion! See ya!
Kagi (Japanese) Key