"Are you done staring and glaring like macho men or are you going to waste more time?" A bored Vhen called. Slightly flushed Vexen sent one last glare at Sven before turning to the group.
"We know where the members have organized, I suggest we see if that's where Xemnas took Am." He sighed.
The group crept quietly through the corridors till they stood before the massive doors of the common room. Sucking deep breaths and readying their weapons they burst through only to find four people standing within.
A loud cough resonated through the room.
"Whaaa?" Vhen stammered.
Demyx squeaked with surprise and cowered behind Zexion, Xigbar cocked an eyebrow while Luxord merely went back to shuffling his deck.
"Where is everyone?" Vexen asked, warily stepping closer.
"Dead, eaten, or gone." Zexion replied coolly, "All thanks to your experiment."
Vexen could feel the burn of eyes boring holes into him but chose to ignore it.
"Are you going to fight us then?"
Xigbar shook his head, "No, we turned traitor. After seeing Am in that state.." He paled visibly. Vexen turned to Sven fear in his eyes but the man shook his head vigorously.
"Only in KlÄry does that work." He grumbled. "I'm not getting any readings off her."
"Where could they have gone?" Ealair asked.
Riku shrugged, "There are a million possibilities."
"So you're saying it's hopeless?" Vhen snapped.
"Well we can't just search all the worlds!" Riku growled. Sora glanced between the two and placed his hand on Riku's arm.
"It might not be all that pointless." Demyx piped up. "Xemnas told Saix he had to go back to where something was found. A vital piece he said."
Nine pairs of eyes swung to his face causing him to blush furiously.
"Where something was found? And important piece?" Riku muttered. "What the hell? It's just fucking gibberish."
"No it isn't." Vexen said sounding weary.
Sven glared at him, "You know where they are?"
"I know where they are." Vexen said, voice grim.
-----
"How do you know you can trust them?" Roxas whispered to Bug.
She shrugged, "If they were going to murder us, they would have done it already."
"Too right you are," Aedan laughed. "Now, younglings do you have weapons?"
Roxas nodded and summoned his keyblade.
"Ooooh, the keyblade master, nice. What about you Bug?"
"I don't fight, I'm a healer." She said.
"Then where is your mage's staff?" Aedan asked puzzled.
"Don't have one of those either," Bug said sheepishly.
"You're rather ill-equipped for battle, aren't you. Come you can choose from our Armory." Aedan said smiling.
She lead them to a oaken door and pushed it open. The long corridor was bustling with activity, people in stages of undress and arming. Shouts of, "Where's my sword?!", "Shit! I lost my shield!", Where's my jerkins?, and "Does anyone know where the extra socks are?" resounded within the room.
She lead them down the hall dodging flailing limbs and flying weapons. Bug spun in circles, taking everything in. Out of the corner of her eye, a white object caught her attention. She walked towards it, enthralled.
It was a white bow, intricately carved with...keys? It seemed to glow with it's whiteness.
"Pretty isn't it. It's Am's." Aedan said from Bug's shoulder. "Made from Blacktree, of which there is only one left in existence. The tree itself is a misnomer. It's not black at all, but a pure and glowy white."
"Why doesn't Am use it then?" Bug asked.
"This Bow chooses its owner, for the reason that it's so powerful. Am realized this and placed a spell on it. The Eternity Bow, imbued with the light of the purest of souls, it burns the Darkness and banishes the victim for Eternity."
Roxas sighed, "That would be really useful. How do you know if it'll choose you?"
"It'll appear in its chosen's hand at their greatest need. Afterwards, it'll reappear here. Or at least that's what Am said the enchantment did. It's never been tested. There's never been a need for it. Anyways," Aedan tugged on Bug's arm. "Let's get you battle worthy eh?"
They stopped in front of a large rack of staffs. A girl was already there pondering as well. When she was them she perked up.
"Hey-oh!" She trilled. "I'm Reya! I'm Sven's wife." She beamed.
Bug's jaw dropped and she glanced at Roxas who shrugged.
Reya laughed, "I take it you didn't realize that he was married. Sven and Am, Maighsi and Ealair are part of us. Four parts of fourteen, and two parts of seven." She pointed at Aedan. "She's married to Ealair, while that man with the half moon sign," She pointed at a tall ruggedly built man who seemed to be scowling at his armor."He's Vhen's husband, Septimus. Awel," She pointed at a sturdy giant of man who was casually leaning against the door to the armory, "He used to be Am's boyfriend."
Bug giggled," And now she's married to mean old Vexen. But there's something I don't get. If you all are married to Sven, Ealair and Vhen...why don't you live with them?"
"We grew tired of living there so we "retired" they come and visit sometimes. But when you'be lived as long as we have...Life gets boring.." Aedan shrugged and picked up a cherry staff and handed it to Bug.
Roxas cocked an eyebrow, "How old are you guys anyways?"
Aedan and Reya looked at each other, "We were twenty one when we fought at the Tempest. Hmmmm..."
Bug gasped, "That was almost fourteen hundred years ago!!!"
Reya smirked, "Yup Thirteen hundred and seventy nine years ago."
Roxas snorted, "Wow...that's really old."
Bug punched him in the arm before casting a light spell. Delight lighting up her face.
------
Xemnas chuckled, everything was falling into place. He grinned and stroked the shining metal that would give him the power to get his final wish.
He turned to his second in command who was still holding the unconscious Am.
"Will she wake soon?" He asked eyeing her.
Saix shook his head. "She's in a coma. you fractured her skull."
"Small tragedies I suppose." Xemnas chuckled, "Put her over in the tank."
Saix cocked his eyebrow. "Where did you find that?"
"Stole it from Jenova." He said.
Saix hauled her up the ladder and slowly lowered her into the swirling mako, attatched the breathing tubes and clambered back down.
"So do you have a pla or anything. Or are you expecting them to just surrender?" He said sarcastically.
Xemnas rolled his eyes and strode back to his machine.
"With the help of this the Demoness will be completely under our control." He said smirking.
"So what are we waiting for?"
"The Prey."
------
"You have got to be shitting me." Sven groaned, pulling away from a whispering Vexen.
"I don't kid." Vexen grumbled ushering the group through an open portal. He stepped inside sealing it behind him
He wound his way through the group before opening the other side.
"Welcome," He said morosely," To Hell."
Vhen's mouth dropped open and Ealair and Sven paled.
"Why did you bring us here?!!" She screeched.
"Because this is where Am is." Vexen snapped.
"Then you went to Hell to get an essential piece?!" Ealair groaned.
Riku coughed," Ummm lost?" Grumbling he held Sora closer to him. He could feel the darkness emanating from where he was standing.
By all appearances the place was peaceful enough. A small thicket was clumped by the side of the road and a copse of trees stood on the other side. But that's where it got creepy. Nothing moved, yet it felt like they were being watched. By something dead.
"This is the Crossroads of Hell," Sven spat as if the words were nasty tasting.
Sora shivered and Riku pressed him closer.
"If you take another step past the intersection and look back everything...everthing" Ealair choked up.
"Everything looks like it's died. Vhen finished patting Ealair on the back.
Sora cocked his head and ran into the intersection. Riku grappled for a second with thin air.
"Sora, I'm not sure that's a good idea." Vexen drawled. Demyx grinned and dragged Zexion towards the intersection.
"Let's do it together." He giggled, taking Sora's hand they jumped back a step, and...
Disappeared.
-------------
"How are we going to climb back up that rope?" Bug whispered to Roxas.
Struck by the thought Roxas shrugged. "Portal it?" He whispered back.
"Won't work" A man drawled. Swinging around Bug and Roxas faced the man with the half moon mark.
Jumping with surprise Bug looked up at him.
"I'm Septimus." He offered.
"Bug and Roxas." She replied. "Oooh you're Vhen's husband aren't you." Roxas poked at her but she ignored him.
The man's harsh features lit up with joy. "She talks of me?"
"Uh..no, but she's starting to." Bug said, feeling guilty at the sadness that crossed the man's face.
"At least she's safe," He nodded, smile slowly working across his face.
"Suit up and rank up!" Came a sharp command. Awel stalked to and fro before the throne.
Smiling Septimus drawled, "That's Awel...don't fuck with him okay?"
"Got it." Roxas gulped.
The mass of bodies arranged themselves into two lines of five. Roxas noticed that each person stood by another that had the same mark.
"Bug, Roxas, we're leaving hold onto someone's hand!" Aedan called.
Scrambling Bug latched onto Aedan while Roxas grabbed onto Awel who grinned wickedly down at him. Gulping in fear he shot a look at Bug who smirked.
"I suppose all I can really say is have fun." Gaia sighed smiling at the group.
They bowed as one and with a mighty cry they stepped into a flash of light and vanished.
"Shit!" Riku cried and leapt forward. Vhen and Ealair shared a glance before following Sora. Sven, Xigbar followed immediately after.
Vexen glanced around before sighing and stepping though as well.
Mangi was not happy. Both of her prey had managed to excape. Am had gone to Xemnas with her box. For what she didn't know but it couldn't be anything good.
Heartless swarmed around her, sensing her anger. Cooing she plucked one from the group and nuzzled it. Wriggling excitedly it snuggled back.
A brilliant idea flashed through her mind with calm movements she molded the heartless with her hands.
"Perfect." She muttered.
Xemnas had been stroking the glass of Am's tank when he felt the presence of someone. Turning he was amused to find Sora, Demyx and Zexion standing there. It was only a second before Sven, Vhen and Ealair came through as well.
Sven was the first to catch sight of Xemnas and his sister.
"Am!" He cried before Xemnas hurled a time stop over the group.
"Yes, yes. It's Am." He cooed, "But you fools can't save her. She'll be my own personal Jenova."
"Not if I can help it." A voice said.
Xemnas half-turned and saw Vexen standing among the frozen.
"In any case she won't be able to leave the tank. She's absorbed too much Mako." Xemnas chuckled.
"Wow, you really are a fucking idiot. You didn't even bother to find out anything about her did you?" Vexen said in disgust.
"What do you mean?" Xemnas asked cocking his head.
"He means she's a Goddess. Mako's made of the life stream, aka her favored food. She eats that shit." Saix drawled from Xemnas's side.
A hand landed on Vexen's arm looking around he saw that Sven had managed to throw off the spell and was eyeing Saix. Nodding Vexen threw himself at Xemnas while Sven went after Saix.
