White Knight: Twenty Five :Countdown 259

Terra frowned at the piece of cake on his plate. It was definitely weird being back in the kitchen after so long. The girl he knew had a crush on him kept staring at him blankly. He wasn't eating. It would look weird to a person her often watched him eat cake everyday. Used to, at least.

The girl leaned forward, blinking at him innocently. "Excuse me, Master Terra?" She asked, her long caramel colored hair falling into her face. "Is something wrong?"

He jumped, and looked up at the dark haired girl. She was very sweet, and bubbly. She also had a very positive vibe about her. Like Aerith, almost. But this girl seemed a little more up in the clouds than Aerith. "Huh?" He blinked, looking at the girl's dark brown eyes, and shaking his head. "No, I'm fine. Why do you ask, Rinoa?"

The girl gave him a half smile. "You look tired," she smiled, standing straighter. "I guess that's got to be expected though…"

Terra frowned, and scratched the back of his head. "I'm getting better," he said, looking at the girl. She tilted her head at him.

"That's good!" She laughed, turning away. "I'm glad."

Terra nodded, and looked back at the cake. He wasn't very hungry at all.

Suddenly, the door to the kitchen slammed open. Terra looked up, surprised to see Ven stride in, frowning, dragging an oblivious Naminé behind him.

He pulled her to the table, and sat her down on the chair, scowling.

"Er…" Terra set down his fork, and stared at the blond boy. "Ven?"

He held his finger to Terra, still scowling at the blonde girl, who was tilting her head back and forth. He bent down on his knee, and gazed into the girl's foggy eyes, eyebrows knitted together.

"Okay, we're here now," Ven said grabbing the girl's chin as her gaze began to drift off. Terra stared at her. She seemed… much more 'off' than usual. "You're gonna eat, right?"

The girl swayed slightly, and tilted her head at him. Her eyes were half lidded, and a goofy smile appeared on her lips.

"Twenty eight," she said, leaning forward, and kissing Ven's nose. Terra raised an eyebrow.

"Is she high?" He asked, resisting the urge to poke the girl with his fork.

Ven shook his head, and released Naminé's chin. He rubbed his face tiredly, and gazed up at the ceiling, "Oh, Gooood," he moaned, scratching the back of his head. Naminé swayed in her seat.

Ven looked at Terra and sighed exasperatedly. "Ask her a question," Ven said, grabbing a folding chair that was leaning against the wall. He unfolded it, and placed it next to Naminé, sitting down as he did so.

Terra looked at him incredulously. "What kind of question?" He asked, looking at the swaying girl.

"Anything. It doesn't matter." Ven said, folding his arms on the table, and resting his chin on them.

Terra glanced at him, and sighed, turning his gaze to Naminé's swaying figure.

"Naminé, what's your favorite color?" He asked, glaring at Ven, who was already mouthing the girl's answer.

She stared at him, and giggled a little. "Twenty seven," she said, her wide blue eyes looking like puddles, instead of eyes. Faded, and somewhat weary.

Terra stared at the girl. "What?" He asked, looking at Ven.

The boy stared at him nonchalantly. "She's been counting down from two hundred fifty nine for the last hour. I can't get her to stop, or to say anything else, or to do anything else. And she hasn't eaten anything today. I'm gonna go into super panic mode if she faints again." He groaned, and buried his face in his arms.

Naminé tilted her head at him, while Terra muttered under his breath, "again?" The girl shuffled to Ven's side, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Twenty six…" She breathed.

Terra felt his mouth drop open. "Okay…" He said slowly. "That's… just… freaky."

Ven gave a slight nod, as Naminé sniffled a little. "Twenty five."

"What does that mean?" Terra asked, shaking his head. "Why is she counting down?"

Ven looked up, his face tired. "I don't know!" He cried, fling his arms into the air. "She's been like this for a whole hour!"

Naminé shifted, and sat up straight. "Twenty four…" She muttered.

"What happens when she gets to one?" Terra asked, staring at the younger girl with fascination.

Ven shook his head. "I don't know."

Terra gazed at the insane girl, and frowned deeply. "I guess we'll find out…" He muttered, folding his arms across his chest.

Naminé blinked up at him. "Twenty three." She whispered, shivering.

"She's creeping me out…" Terra muttered, tapping his chin. Ven groaned, and looked at the younger girl.

"She has to eat something…" He whispered.

"Twenty two," Naminé murmured.

Terra pushed his uneaten cake toward Ven, making the boy look at him curiously. He shrugged. "Not hungry," Terra said, gazing at the insane girl. She swayed slightly.

Ven pouted. "Of course when I can't have it…" He muttered under his breath, picking up the fork, and taking a piece of cake.

"Okay, Naminé, open your mouth." Ven said, scowling as she spoke.

"Twenty one."

"Naminé," Ven said sternly.

"Twenty," she whispered, before opening her mouth wide. Ven smiled, and placed the fork in her mouth, watching as she began to chew the cake, and swallow.

"Good, Naminé!" Ven grinned. "That's really good."

She stared at the cake, and frowned. "Nineteen." She said in monotone, opening her mouth for another piece of cake.

Ven obliged, and looked at Terra, who was still freaked out by Naminé's numbers. "Where's Aqua?" He asked, looking around. "I haven't really spoken to her in a while."

Terra shrugged. "I think she's getting changed," he said, watching the blonde warily.

"I thought she wasn't a maid anymore?" Ven said, still not knowing what exactly these 'missions' were.

"She had to get fitted," Terra said, shrugging.

"Fitted?" Ven murmured, feeding Naminé another piece of cake. He was happy she had stopped counting for a little bit.

"Yeah," Terra scoffed slightly, and leaned on his hand. "She wouldn't tell me what it was for."

"Sounds like a dress, or something," Ven murmured, brushing some cake off of Naminé's lips.

"Probably," Terra said quietly. "Xehanort's been really pissy about her. I think if there was an occasion, Aqua would be the first his lapdog would go see."

"Lapdog?" Ven repeated, lost.

"Vanitas," Terra said with a small smirk.

"Oooh!" Ven said, grinning himself. "I get it."

"Actually, Riku's birthday's coming up…" Terra said thoughtfully.

Ven perked up at this news. "No way!" Ven hooted. "Party!"

Terra smiled a little. Riku's birthdays were always something of great celebration. Because the Master had no other reason to gather everyone of great importance in the Dark Region, and so Riku's birthday became his little way of observing his subjects.

"Eighteen…" Naminé murmured, fiddling with the hem of her dress.

"Hey, maybe Naminé can come this time," Ven said thoughtfully. "She's always been too wrapped up with destroying Xion's stuffed animals to go."

"I'm sure you'd like that," Terra said, grinning slyly.

"Huh?" Ven asked, tilting his head.

"Seventeen…"

"Nothing, Ven. Nothing…" The older boy chuckled.

Ven blinked, and scratched the back of his head. "Mmm, kay?"

They heard the muffled sound of a radio being turned on. Ven glanced over, and noticed that Rinoa, and a few other of the kitchen staff were huddled around the radio.

"Sheesh," he muttered. "What's that about?"

"Sixteen,"

"Dunno," Terra said, looking disinterested. "I don't like radios."

"Niether do I," Ven shrugged, "all they do is bring bad news."

"…Fifteen."

"So how is your back?" Ven asked, patting Naminé as she began to get restless.

"Better." Terra said, nodding. "Aqua did a good job stitching me back up."

Ven wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, I still can't believe you made her-"

"Fourteen."

"Naminé!" Ven whined, turning to face her. He pouted. "Why do you always cut me off when I'm talking?"

She blinked, and peered up at his face. Ven wondered if the weird count-down had stopped. She stared at him a bit longer, before her face spread into a wide grin. "Thirteen," she said, making Ven sigh.

"Yeah, I've got nothing."

Terra shrugged, and glanced at the younger girl. "Have I said how much she's freaking me out?"

"Yep."

"Well I'm saying it again," Terra said quietly, leaning back. "She really is freaking me out."

"Twelve."

Ven frowned. "Yeah, ditto."

"Eleven."

"Whoa, it's getting faster!" Ven whispered. He looked at Terra. "It wasn't this fast before."

"Ten," Naminé whispered, her hands trembling.

Terra shook his head. "Still freaky."

"Nine."

"Eight?" Ven offered, tilting his head at his friend.

Naminé paused. She was staring at her hands. "Oh, is she done?" Ven whispered, peering into the girl's eyes.

"Eight." She said quietly.

"Jesus…" Ven groaned, slamming his forehead down on the table.

Naminé swallowed, and Terra straightened, finally noticing why her expression was so vacant.

She was scared.

"Seven…" She whispered.

"Ven…" Terra murmured, studying her expression closer.

"Six."

Ven looked up, a little questioningly. "Huh?"

"Five."

"Ven, I don't like this." Terra said, standing up.

"What?" Ven sat up, as Naminé's tiny form began to shake. "What do you-"

"Four," Namine whispered to him.

"… Mean?"

Terra swallowed, and stared at Naminé's face, her foggy eyes wide, and weary. "She's counting down, Ven. From the randomest number. That itself is something freaky."

"Three."

"Two hundred fifty nine…" Ven muttered. "Yeah, it's a pretty weird number to start at."

"Two…" Her lip quivered a little.

"Shit." Terra murmured, launching forward, and grabbing Ven by his collar. The boy yelped as he was pulled to the floor.

The screaming started not long after. The whole kitchen turned, to stare at the girl, who was on her knees, screaming, screaming, and screaming some more. Her eyes were wide, but still completely foggy, staring blankly at the ceiling as she clutched her head in despair.

"What?" Ven shouted. "What?"

Terra shook his head, still confused over the ordeal himself. "She was counting down. It had to lead to something."

"And you figured this?" Ven cried, standing up, and walking over to his friend.

"Naminé, calm down." Ven yelled, trying to hush her screams. She took no notice to him. She kept at the screaming, never stopping for breath.

"Naminé!" Ven shook his head, and bent down, shaking her shoulders a little. She continued. Ven's ears were beginning to hurt from the screams.

She stared at him, tears in her strange foggy eyes, and she dropped.

Ven blinked, catching her before she collapsed on the ground. She was still conscious. Her eyes were darting back and forth, and she was muttering under her breath.

It's times like these… Ven thought, grimacing.

"What the hell?" Another person on the Kitchen staff, Sazh, said blankly.

Rinoa tilted her head. "What was she screaming for?" She asked brushing caramel colored strands of hair off her cheeks.

"Ah, shit." Another member swore. "My damned cupcakes burned."

Rinoa giggled a little. "Your cupcakes, Cid?"

Cid slunk back toward the radio. "They're for my wife." He grunted. "It was her birthday yesterday."

"Happy Birthday, Shera." A teenager muttered. Her hair was cropped short, jaggedly cut just above her shoulders.

"Shhh!" A girl yelped, her bright orange kitchen smock setting her apart from the other staff. "They're talking about the bodies they found!"

"Only you…" the short haired brunette said, shaking her head.

"It's for Aerith, not me!" The girl yelped, her light brown air bobbing around her head. "Cause we know that Zack…"

"Zack's alive!" Sazh called, twirling a walkie-talkie in his hand. "Yeah, I love this thing. So glad I got one."

"Yippie-friggin'-doo." Cid said. "But what about everyone else?"

Ven held Naminé closer to him, not making any sense of the conversation. Terra had stood up, and walked over to the cluster of kitchen staff.

"What's going on?" He asked, glancing at the radio.

"Bombing." Cid growled, chewing on a piece of wheat that he had gotten God knows where. "In the Light Region. The whole shitting rebel facility was fugging taken out, plus a good fricking chunk of civilians were killed."

Terra's eyes widened, and Ven's jaw dropped. "Wha-wha-whaaaa?" Ven gaped. "What are you talking about?"

"Xehanort sent his weird military type thing to the Light Region to bomb the whole rebel base." The orange smock girl said, brushing some of her strange curls out of her face.

"We've got Yuna." Sazh said with a grin. "Good. I always liked that girl." He went back to the corner of the room to fiddle with the walkie-talkie.

Ven stared at them blankly, trying to get this through his head.

"He bombed the rebels in the Light Region?" Terra asked, gaping. "Why would he do that?"

"Kill, kill, kill!" Naminé suddenly giggled. "Two-five-nine."

The short haired brunette looked at Naminé sharply, eyes wide. She was the only one though.

"Who's Reno?" Sazh asked suddenly, looking up from his walkie-talkie.

"He's a son of a bitch!" Cid shouted.

"Sounds like a nice enough guy…" Sazh muttered. "Oh, we've got an Axel too."

"He's the son of a bitch's brother."

"Sweet!" The orange smock one giggled.

"Come on…" Sazh muttered, tapping the wall in frustration.

"How many casualties?" Terra finally asked, though he was almost positive he knew the answer.

Rinoa looked up, and tilted her head at him. But it was the short haired brunette that answered.

"Two hundered and fifty nine is the final total." She said quietly.

Yeah. Even though I don't know if Xertaks is still around, I put in the Cid-cupcakes thing just for you. :] So if you ARE still around, drop a review.

... Yeah. Anyone get creeped out by this chapter? :3

IT'S STILL NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING OVER! What. The. Hell.

... Dani just has to add more and more shit.

Next Chapter: Looking Glass