((Final chapter, ladies and gents and everyone in between. :) It's been one hellava journey (no pun intended) and I'm so happy to have had all of you along with me. Your support is something I can't tell you how much I appreciate. I enjoyed writing this crazy little story and I'm so happy to have had you along with me to experience it. You're wonderful and beautiful and awesome and don't let anybody else tell you differently.
I'd really love to hear your feedback on the story if you happen to have a spare minute or two. Please leave me a comment here, or send me a message on my tumblr account, Freezepride. Thank you again, and if you're still in the mood for more stories from this universe PLEASE LET ME KNOW. If there's more of a demand for these stories, I might write more. Also, there's two bonus chapters I have written: Manly Men, and The Peanut Butter Gun. Please read those if you'd like to as well. They're much shorter and just a bit of fun.
Again, thanks for all of your support. I love you all! Take care! :) ))
The morning was peacefully overcast, just as the night before had been. Clouds ranged across the sky's range, coloring it a dull gray with a gentle touch of blue, an afterthought of a clear day. The sun still fought to brighten the ground beneath it, to bring a startlingly clear sunrise, but it had not so much as managed to enlighten a pebble until at least noon.
Even and Lumaria's arms still hung loosely around one another as they lay together on the sizable bed, finding so much comfort in the warmth shared between them, that even their exhaustion seemed to overpower their usual urge to awaken much earlier. The room was peacefully silent, much in the same way the sky outside was. Unfortunately, their deep, restful slumber made it all the easier to have unwanted visitors sneak in.
"So, did you have sex?"
Even nearly head-butted Arlene as he awoke with a start, sucking in air and swatting away the huge bright blue eyes that stared directly into his own. Arlene swayed backward dangerously, cursing under her breath. "Hey! Completely legit question, considering the circumstances." She said, pointing an accusatory finger at the sleeping arrangements. Lumaria groaned, rolling over and covering his eyes, claiming he needed more 'beauty rest' under his breath.
"Up, up, up!" Arlene proclaimed, and ignoring the chairs set up around the sizable healing quarters which Even had been given, she eased herself up on to the comfort of the soft mattress to sit. It was only now that Even noticed how she winced as she moved her legs.
"Muscle strain." He reasoned softly, running his fingertips over the side of her thigh and feeling the knotted tightness of the muscles trying to heal themselves slowly but surely.
"If you weren't gay, I'd clock you, nerd." She warned, her giggle turning into a hiss of pain as he moved his observations to her knee and then downward to her calves.
"It's a good thing I am then." Even observed, quickly feeling as though something he had misplaced was slowly coming back into focus. "Aerith has done a great job, but you will need to stay off of these for a while. What made you think you could be walking around now at a time like this?" Even continued, sounding upset and annoyed.
"You haven't been awake for five minutes are you're already nagging me. That's talent, Even." She cut in, keeping him from getting on a roll. "I'm here because Ienzo is about to bring in breakfast, and we need to get filled in. Storytime with Even and Lumaria, pronto."
Even quirked a brow, and quickly made as though to speak when he was interrupted by as the door swung open yet again, this time revealing Ienzo carrying a heaping tray of foods which smelled absolutely heavenly. Muffins, biscuits, pancakes, bacon, donuts, all looking as lovely as if they had walked out of a starving man's dream. Even realized, quite suddenly, that he had not eaten a full meal since...Scotland...?
Swiping a croissant from the pile before Arlene's adventurous fingers found it, he bit down, savoring the buttery layers just as Aeleus leaned into sight. Supporting his heavy frame on the threshold of the door, he slowly, carefully stepped inside, holding his stomach with one hand and supporting his extra weight with the other. He was wrapped in thick bandages as well and sporting an easy smile that made him look years younger. For all the pain he was apparently in, it certainly was not showing on his face.
"Aeleus told me not to let you have the donuts. Too much sugar on a mending body." Ienzo stated, and then nodded significantly at the chocolate chip muffin he had grabbed in it's stead for the scientist. Even smiled appreciatively, taking the muffin and setting it down on his lap for a bit later.
He nudged Lumaria gently, trying to rouse him. "Sustenance. Get up, you need it. For that matter, we all need it." He said, giving the rather worn looking party a look over before realizing that, even though they may have looked exactly like 'what the cat had dragged in', they had managed to overcome the odds.
"We survived." Ienzo breathed, voicing his exact thoughts, with even the same amazement which the realization deserved. The entire group nodded, somewhere between perplexed, elated and dumbfounded. Had it been skill, tactics or sheer dumb luck that had brought them thus far? In the end, had it even really mattered?
Lumaria sat up in bed, scratching at his head and blinking slowly as if letting the filter of daylight into his mind to awaken him. He looked blearily at them.
"Afternoon." Aeleus greeted warmly, tossing him an apple. Lumaria caught it on instinct, even in the middle of yawning. He nodded his thanks before taking a substantial bite.
"So, did you or didn't you-?" Arlene pressed.
"NO! We did not, but it isn't any of your business who I chose to bed anyway!" Even snipped.
"Apparently it is. I am on your bed right now, after all." Arlene smirked, taking a bite out of her own large croissant.
"Would anyone mind telling me exactly what is going on here?" Even groaned, running a frustrated hand through his pin straight hair and trying not to start screaming at them.
"We're here to catch up with you on what exactly happened while in Hojo's lab." Aeleus replied in measured tones, sitting down easily next to Ienzo, who nodded at him in agreement.
"Granted, I'm certain that there was a great deal within there that is beyond our understanding without infiltrating all of his studies," Ienzo explained, motioning smoothly with his hands. "but we did manage some rather innovative hacking through Cid's computer and using the information from the teleportation connection to hijack some of the videos as well as the recorded audio from that-" He suddenly cut off, snapping his mouth closed, turning a deep shade of scarlet as he cast his eyes down on the floor.
Silence fell in the room until even the chewing ceased. Even looked blankly at the party, seeming to be lost in confusion. "What? What did you mean, the recorded audio?" He stammered, concern replacing the relief of seeing them all fit and whole.
"Hojo's final experiments." Lumaria whispered significantly, giving him a sidelong glance. "Your final words."
It flooded back to Even in a torrent of pain and hopelessness as he grappled with exactly what he had said, or how he had worded it. All he seemed to recall was the feeling which it invoked, a longing sadness to be able to say such things in person, to be strong enough to break away from his confines, and brave enough to deny his own sick fascination at Hojo's brilliance and horror.
He had somewhere within their conversation, said goodbye. He remembered the fondness he had felt for them, yet the words eluded him. With a rather dry gulp, he decided that perhaps he never did want to hear them. They were the genuine feelings of a drugged and dying man, of Even, forced into his most base and vulnerable state, turned from scientist to experiment with a twisted sense of satisfaction.
Of course he would have clung to the only wholesome relationships he had in life at the end. He looked up at the wide array of individuals before him. At face value: a fierce protector, a brilliant prodigy, an unparalleled spitfire, a gorgeous dancer. Beneath: so very much more. Even felt his heart full to bursting, and in truth, he wasn't quite sure if that was quite so healthy for a man in his current state.
"Did you mean it? Or were you buying time?" Ienzo asked, his voice flat yet remarkably without judgement as he finally turned his attention back to the academic. Even shifted uncomfortably, looking about as though something might save him from needing to answer, and yet he felt overwhelmingly compelled to do so all the same.
"Of course I meant it! I'm not cunning enough to lie at a time like that! For Light's sake, I didn't have any time for a master plan! He had me strung up by my spinal cord!" He huffed, annoyed, and just a hint overwhelmed. There was no escaping the feelings he had on the verge of what he thought truly would be the end. Once Hojo had the core, all others certainly would have suffered for it, and yet all Even could think to do was spout off his farewells and be done with it. Truly not a tactician, but thankfully his lack of foresight was not as detrimental as it could have been. He ran his hands uncomfortably through his hair once again and settled into a moody silence, trying to ignore the blush spreading from the tip of his nose to his ears.
They sat in silence, letting the facts settle into place as the sun fought outside the window to warm the ground below it. A small, knowing smile spread across Arlene's face as Even finally looked up from watching his hands on the bed.
"Thanks so much, Even." She replied warmly, trying not to let the tears rimming her eyes show. "You're my favorite robo-man scientist."
Ienzo nodded his gratitude. "Thank you, truly." He said, his voice catching before he swallowed and fell into silence once again.
"Your words are much appreciated." Aeleus added, looking at him with a touch of pride. Lumaria rubbed his back helpfully, almost in a territorial way.
With a short nod, Even began his end of the story, starting with the moment he shut the door behind Lumaria. Hojo hadn't really been intending on killing him then and there. He had been following them for long enough at that point to know the limits of their power, and also to know that, with Even weathered as he was, it would be far more easy to attack him if he strayed from the party. Each and every robotic form of darkness on their journey must have been something planted by the the Professor in order to assess the situation.
"That means," Ienzo cut in, brow furrowed in thought, "The darkness that took Lumaria in Italy and Aeleus in Scotland..." He trailed.
"Was genuine. Just as the darkness that took Dilan. I think Hojo was ever really just planning on observing and catching us. Namely, capturing me." Even continued. He delved into the details of the man's motives, his need to study Even's uncanny ability to give life, referencing his two successful creations. Shivering, Even remembered the cold, hungry look in the professor's eyes, flashing behind those round glasses. Unfortunately enough, he found he related to the man on that note. He wished he could have known himself why his core seemed to manage such a thing.
As a feat though, creating life came at a great cost. That, of course, was a conversation for another day.
"This is about to get rather confusing." Even admitted. "I'm not entirely certain what happened beyond that point. I know that most of Hojo's tests did not involve my questioning, just my being present. Endless samples and connections made to my body."
"That would explain the wounds." Ienzo filled in the gap, nodding in understanding. "Your back was absolutely full of them, along your arms and legs as well. They looked oddly like plugs." Even cringed involuntarily.
"That's where my memory slowly begins to give way. It's terribly hazy." Even trailed, glaring down at the half finished muffin as though it might give him the answers.
"You were strung up on that monstrous machine." Lumaria recounted. "And Hojo seemed about to take your 'core', he called it. It was really your heart. He was certain it would 'render results and information'." He finished distastefully.
"I'm not entirely certain he was incorrect. It's most likely that he would be able to get some intriguing results." Even added thoughtfully, ignoring the looks of absolute horror. "Of course, that would cost me my life, so I must admit that I am not keen on that idea." He finished with a prim nod as though to cement the idea that he was not, in fact, suicidal.
"Either way, he nearly had it, but I managed to stop him, and then you became," Lumaria paused, wondering what exactly to call the blinding, jarring program that Even had morphed into. "You became that individual from the grid. You chased Hojo into retreat and took over the computers within the labs." He finished quietly.
Silent amazement fell between all of them as they stared at Even and Lumaria, breakfast forgotten in mid-bite.
"That's pretty awesome." Arlene marveled, so very apt at breaking the silence as a small mischievous grin grew on her face. "But I dunno, Aeleus did a bang up job back in Radiant Garden too." Aeleus blushed in response as the attention shifted directly to the injured guardian.
"He beat Xaldin, singlehandedly, and brought back Dilan." Ienzo stated with a note of pride. "We covered Arlene's flanks so that she had enough time to run ahead to get help."
"The plan went without a hitch then?" Even grinned proudly despite himself, the feeling was quite infectious.
"No hitches, just a good deal of recuperation time to follow." Aeleus laughed a bit weakly. "Was on the wrong side of a lance by the end of the battle and Arlene's legs are still smarting from overexertion. Lumaria and Ienzo wouldn't have been able to hold the pass from the Great Maw if the wielders hadn't found us. We were lucky." He admitted softly, looking around at the group of them with a deep fondness, knowing that the entirety of them could have met an end out on that battlefield. Easily. For all the times they had bickered uselessly during their great journey, Aeleus found that their faces were the ones that flickered in his mind when he needed strength to hold on to, strength not to feel the pain of his wounds. He always remembered Ienzo's words of encouragement, of trust. It warmed him more than the prodigy could ever know. "We owe them our thanks."
"Yes, yes." Even agreed distractedly, running his hands once again through his messy bed-head, trying to get his thoughts in order. "One aspect still does not add up. Aeleus, you defeated Xaldin and brought back Dilan, correct?"
Aeleus nodded, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Only a keyblade can bri-" Even began, but the door was flung open this time, revealing the sort of individuals that the assembled would have never quite expected to interrupt one of their pow-wows.
Tifa and Aerith stood in the doorway, each looking rather apologetic in their own particular way, the former by waving awkwardly at them and muttering a quick 'excuse us', and the latter by literally bowing her head rather low. Behind them was a toweringly tall man with a gaunt face and wide, unblinking eyes which seemed to stare endlessly down at each and every person within the healing quarters, silently judging, his words kept carefully in check. His tall, pointed hat seemed to glow with power, which was an addition that seemed to confuse Lumaria to no end.
"Sorry, guys." Tifa began. "Yen Sid was here to pick up the keyblade wielders to continue training now that the insanity has passed and he..." She trailed, as though carefully sifting through words. "He wanted to come see you to check up-."
"I sensed you." He rumbled. "All of you." Aerith looked rather uneasy at this realization.
Only Even seemed willing to speak, as he always was. "What...what is going on here?"
"You did not inform me there were five more." Yen Sid finally spoke, and when he did his voice was heavy, deep, measured and stern, as though the revelation was as serious as the battle that lay ahead.
"Five more what?" Aerith asked patiently, eager to end this conversation and let her patients get as much rest as possible. She gave Even's chocolate chip muffin a frown while he shrugged and took another quick bite before she decided to take it away from him.
"Wielders." Yen Sid admitted bluntly, yet calmly, looking to the two women as though they had been hiding the truth all along. "They will need to be trained as well. We must begin the preparations."
"Where? What are you-?" Tifa began, and then, glanced in the room once again. "Them?" She burst out incredulously.
"Us?" Even echoed, looking even more shocked. "Oh, no, no, no, you must be mistaken. We've only just regained our true forms. We were members of the Organization. We can't possibly be wielders." He admitted quickly, but even as he did, his mind trailed back to the fiery redhead and knew exactly how incorrect he was. It was entirely possible. Perhaps entirely too possible. He gulped dryly, feeling as though perhaps he should not have eaten breakfast so quickly because it very well might come back up once again.
During their adventures together now, they had all been forced to face aspects of themselves which they would rather have wished away, corners of their dark hearts which lingered from their own insecurities. Lumaria had his power-hunger and control to wrestle with. Aeleus had to quite literally, face his inner rage and self-loathing. Even had the horrifying experience of becoming the experiment, rather than the mercilessly clinical scientist. Ienzo had to face the knowledge of of his own necessity to have love and support around him. Arlene had unwillingly gained a family and perhaps was the closest of all of them to realizing how easy it was to lose them.
Even paused, breathed, thought, and came to absolutely no conclusion whatsoever.
"Draw forth your weapons." Yen Sid commanded. Looking to one another warily, not knowing what they feared yet knowing they feared all the same, they did as they were told. Lumaria pushed himself from the bed to give himself room, but the rest simply drew forth their weapons where they stood or were seated.
Aeleus' was, by far, the most noticeable of a change. His huge tomahawk was now golden and silver in color and shade, blunted just as Skysplitter was, but still just as heavy. He rested it on the floor, marveling at the huge, outlying teeth making the hefty weapon look a good deal like a gargantuan glowing key. The resemblance was unmistakable.
Ienzo marveled, looking to his own lexicon, whose color had shifted to a pure ivory, hints of blue swirling on the surface as if threatening to unleash powers untold. A gold rimmed keyhole was inlaid on one side, a silver key, rather similar to Aeleus' new weapon was on the back. He gasped involuntarily, his eyes locked on to his weapon and relishing the cool touch.
Arlene was holding her knives before her, now marveling at the graceful, deadly swoops that made up the design, shining in startling yellows and soft metallic orange, as though they glowed with their own radiant energy. She twirled one between her fingers, feeling it slice through the air as though it had a mind of it's own. Flawless, just like herself. She smiled despite her inner panic; the weapon was a thing of beauty.
Lumaria's scythe had turned smoother, and the golden designs which lined the handle snaked their way all the way up to the blade, which seemed to stem from the very handle itself, vines covering it in soft touches of purple and gold, regal and proud, yet somehow even more gracefully designed than he could have imagined.
Even sat on the bed, his weapon glowing up at him from his lap as he gaped at it. It was far more simple, truth be told, but it seemed somehow much more intimidatingly effective. It was a pure white in color, yet the main portion of the shield had become a deep and hypnotizing black like the un-named void of the Grid. A single keyhole glowed from the center in piercing neon green as though daring for a challenger.
They gaped at the new weapons, seeing, yet not entirely believing. Little had they known that their efforts along the journey, the trials that they had face had built them up far more than it had broken them. They snapped their attention to one another, caught between pride and fear, looking for comfort, logic, anything to make sense of this new development.
"Incredible!" Tifa cried, looking at the lot of them, holding their shiny new glowing weapons. The weapons themselves seemed to beam in response, or perhaps just shimmer in general as they marveled at them. Even kept looking from Yen Sid to his shield, and back to Yen Sid as though this were some sort of trick.
"This...I..." He stammered, running his fingertips over the chilled surface of the weapon appraisingly. Lumaria was, on the other hand, already testing the heft of his weapon, the balance of the pole in, and running the flat of his palm against the flat of the blade. He shook his head, as if unbelieving.
"It's exquisite. The blade is impeccable." He admitted it in just as unbelieving a tone as Even's.
Yen Sid glanced at the party once again, his heavily lidded eyes revealing nothing beyond sternness as he backed up once again and turned to stride down the hallway with slow, measured grace and far more going on within his mind than he was willing to share. Aerith and Tifa followed soon after, chasing after his retreating back, Aerith taking a hiccup of a second to give a small bow of her head before rushing off.
"But wait!" Ienzo called to no avail, his frown tightening at being ignored. "What does all this mean?" He groaned, running his hand across the spine of the new Lexicon, feeling the touch of it reacting to him fondly, as though it had known him all along.
"That's obvious, I thought." Arlene responded immediately, surprised at the curious glances that it earned her from the rest of them. "It means we've been tested now," She finished quietly, running her fingertips along the blade with a note of warmth and affection. "We're worthy."
"I certainly don't feel worthy. I feel rather queasy, actually." Even grumbled, suddenly quite wishing that he could make sense of it all, but the news seemed too new, too jarring, too unexpected. He sighed, leaning back on to his pillow and headboard.
Aeleus turned his weapon around, getting a full view of the key tomahawk, seeming to take in each shining angle before letting it dissipate back into nothingness once again in a burst of energy. "To be honest, it doesn't change much of anything."
Ienzo frowned, considering this fact. "You're not wrong." He admitted, flipping the book from front cover to back cover and then back once again.
"We have been covering ground for those keyblade wielders since we began." Lumaria agreed, letting his weapon float away in a burst of energy and the unbidden scent of roses. "Now, I suppose, we just have more of a reason to." Arlene laughed, ending in a nervous sigh which caught the room's attention.
"I'm...not really nervous about the keyblades too much." Arlene admitted, peering down at her new throwing blades and letting them fade away in her hands. "I just feel uneasy that-, well, do you think they'll separate us out?"
"That doesn't matter either." Even answered with a touch of annoyance. "I'm certain that at times, they will have to, but I shall always be traveling with all of you in my thoughts. You've wormed your way into my consciousness, and now I can't possibly root any of you back out again even if I tried." He frowned, letting his own weapon disappear beneath his hands. "It's annoying how much I care about all of you. Don't any of you dare die while all this ridiculousness is going on with the battle." He warned, a frown creasing his face.
"Gee, thanks, Even." Ienzo laughed, easing his fear, feeling the book fade away until there was nothing left within his hands.
"I think that's the cutest grumpy scientist quote I've ever heard." Arlene nodded.
"I'd have to agree." Added Lumaria, his eyes shining as he glanced at the academic.
"Then it's settled?" Ienzo continued. "We really don't have too much of a choice. We've got to train as keyblade wielders. Look at what the side of light is depending on, for God's sake. I don't know if we qualify as the 'Seven Guardians of Light', but-"
"We can certainly be the 'Five Kickers of Ass'." Arlene finished helpfully with a wide smile.
"Precisely." Ienzo agreed for once without an eyeroll. The party nodded appreciatively, their fear ebbed in a haze of good food, good company and the rare occasion of good spirits. It was a grim, overcast sky, on the day they had discovered their powers, but within their little circle, things couldn't have seemed any brighter.