This is chapter twenty - six, updated early because I'm not sure if I'll have access to the internet for a while tomorrow. Thank you Bookworm Gal and caitlinkeitorin for reviewing last chapter!
Chapter Twenty - Six: Cracking
When Ven arrived in the Lost Station, he expected to only see Axel and Xion. It surprised him when he noticed a third, more transparent figure standing alongside them. "Why are you back?" he asked, cocking his armored head to one side. "Did you find a way to get Axel back to Lea?"
Possibly. But I need your help.
"My help?" Ven glanced curiously at the other two, noticing how uncomfortable they both looked. Turning back to the knight, he continued, "Ok, so what's this plan of yours?"
I need to talk to Roxas. I believe he may be the way that I can reconnect Axel and Lea.
Ven stiffened. "So, you want me to take you inside Sora's heart?"
That would be the idea.
The Keyblader shook his head. "No way. Not a good idea."
He heard what sounded faintly like armor before looking up and realizing the spectral knight was standing before him, looking down with hidden eyes.
Take me to him. Now. Or would you prefer the time line to fall apart? Ven's blue eyes stretched wide behind his helmet. Despite the fact that the strange knight couldn't be touched, there seemed to be something powerful emanating from him. "Um, no, but-"
We don't have time to argue.
Ven flinched. He didn't like the idea of taking this strange figure into Sora's heart, but it did bring up a good point. "You're sure that if I don't this'll destroy the time line?"
This is the only way I can think of if we want to preserve it.
Ven sighed. "Alright," he agreed half-heartedly. He hesitatingly reached out a hand before stopping. "But how do I touch you?" Before he could protest the knight had walked forward, its spectral body encompassing that of the young Keyblader. For a disconcerting moment, he felt the memories and power of this strange entity press against him, as if they were trying to smother him. The feeling was broken when the knight spoke.
Shall we go?
Ven answered by allowing himself to return to Sora's heart. The world around him shifted, a mist shrouding the Lost Station, only to fade away and reveal the one that lay in Sora's heart. Roxas, who was sitting not far off, looked up at his sudden appearance. "Ven?" he exclaimed in surprise. "Didn't you just leave? And what's that around you?"
Ven hadn't realized how much trouble he'd had breathing until the knight moved off him, allowing him to draw in huge gasps of air. Roxas took an uncertain step backwards as the knight approached him. It stopped a few paces away from him, examining him for several moments before saying:
Axel and Lea have become separated. They need to become one again.
Roxas's blue eyes widened in alarm. "What?" He flashed a look to Ven, who nodded his confirmation. He returned his look to the knight. "How'd it happen? And why do you think I can help?"
Just as you are the link between Sora and two others that are connected to him, you are also the link between Axel and Lea. I thought you may be able to help.
"I'm the link?" Roxas repeated, sounding skeptical.
You're friends with Axel, and you fought Lea many times.
Blue eyes narrowed. "And how do you know all that?"
It's better if you don't ask questions.
"You might just want to go along with what it says," Ven suggested. "It's not going to take no for an answer."
Roxas's eyes flashed briefly towards him before returning to the knight. "Sorry, but I don't know anything."
Think. Carefully.
The blond Nobody flinched backwards, and Ven empathized with him. He shook his head, standing straight again. "How would I know what to do? I may know both of them, but I'm Sora's Nobody, not Lea's."
And do you have any suggestions?
"If you can get into Sora's heart, why not try Lea's?"
…That…could possibly work. However, I would need a way to enter his heart.
Ven couldn't give him a solution for that, and he knew Roxas had no answer either. The strange knight was silent for several moments before its head shot up.
Perhaps I have an idea. Thank you, Roxas. You've been very helpful.
It turned its head towards Ven, who stiffened as it made its way over to him, its body passing over his.
Let's go.
Ven shivered, wishing he could get rid of the strange feeling of the knight's power. As he began to leave, he could just make out the concerned look in Roxas's eyes.
The spectral knight stepped away from Ven as they returned to the lost station, taking quick steps towards Axel. "So, what'd you learn?" the red-haired Nobody asked warily. It ignored the strange look Xion shot its way and answered:
We're going to try something interesting, but I need you to stay still.
Emerald eyes narrowed. "Why?"
The knight answered by walking forward, allowing its body to partially surround Axel's.
Sorry. You're a bit taller than I am, so this won't be perfect.
"Wh-what the hell?" Axel exclaimed, eyes stretched wide. The knight didn't explain further. I hope this works, he thought, feeling a slight twinge of nervousness. I've never tried this before, and don't know what the repercussions might be if I do it. But I'm not sure I can afford not to.
As it activated its power, the world around it and Axel began to warp. It felt something push against it, and pushed back, wondering at the cause. "What's going on? What are you doing?" it heard Ven cry in surprise. Xion let out a cry of alarm, and it saw her fall to the ground out of the corner of its eye. The action made it realize that what it was attempting to do was affecting the Station itself, and therefore, most likely, it was the Station that was resisting. But how is that possible? it wondered. It isn't sentient. Or is it something else? The idea made it wonder what exactly would happen if it continued to push the use of its power.
Then it shook it off, pushing harder against whatever force was attempting to it and Axel there. It thought it could hear what sounded like breaking glass as the area around it continued to contort. "Stop it!" Axel cried in alarm. "You're destroying this place!" It ignored him, continued to try and force its will against whatever was fighting him.
Then it felt Axel start to move out of its form. It cursed, slamming its power against the force with renewed urgency.
The world suddenly contorted, the black area filled with white. The sound of shattering glass filled the air, and then the spectral knight and Axel were falling.
Zylen's head jerked up as he felt something. What was that? he wondered. His lips pulled down into a frown. It reminds me of when that boy found his way in here. He knew Gillick wouldn't be happy about this, but he himself felt somewhat happy about it; after all, if this was the same boy, then he had the opportunity to try and get his Keyblade back. The problem came, however, with finding the disturbance in a place where nothing existed.
His head whipped around as he heard what sounded like something shattering. Dark amber eyes stretched wide as the space before him cracked open, revealing what looked like a dark void. "What is this?" he whispered, taking a step backwards.
He stiffened in further surprise as a red-haired man fell out of the void, landing heavily on the ground. Two armored, clawed hands gripped the edges of the cracked space, seeming to struggle to pull whatever was attached to them through. After a few moments their owner stopped the attempt, the arms growing slack.
You're there, right, Zylen? I need you to do something for me.
The metal-haired man felt a jolt of surprise at the use of his name. Shaking it off, he responded, "Give me a reason."
If you don't, time itself will fall apart.
"It looks you're doing that, not me." But for some reason, the soundless words were uncomfortably familiar.
This crack will heal. However, there is another fracture that won't. I need you to get Axel to Lea, no matter the cost.
Before Zylen could ask what it meant, the clawed hands released the edges of the hole in time, allowing their unseen owner to fall back into the void. Zylen raced forward, eyeing the hole warily before hesitatingly reaching out a hand to touch the cracked edge. His entire body became rigid as his fingers touched the fracture, images flashing through his mind so quickly that he had trouble understanding what each one was. There was a boy with gray metallic hair, many people in white and blue, a sword, mist, a blond-haired boy, a man with red hair, a dead girl, and a massive amount of blood.
One more thing; don't let Gillick know about this.
The strange un-embodied voice broke him out of his trance. He jerked his hand back as if he'd been bitten, stumbling in his attempt to catch his balance. The fracture in the space slowly started to knit itself back together, replacing the swirling black void with a much more familiar one.
When the hole had healed itself, Zylen remained where he was, continuing to stare at the place where it had been while holding the hand he'd touched it with. In all regards, it seemed like there was never a hole to begin with. He took an uncertain step forward, dark amber eyes narrowed as he examined the space. His hand twitched, as if to reach out and touch the space again, but he clenched it closer to his body with the other, not wanting to experience whatever that was again.
Slowly, the Time Racer turned around to look at the man who'd fallen through the crack. "I'm guessing you're Axel?" he asked, though considering the red-head was unconscious, he didn't expect a response. He closed his eyes, remembering the soundless voice's words. "It won't be long before Gillick's here," he murmured. "Anything like this will attract his attention. But if I drag you off somewhere, I may not find you again." Then his shoulders slumped when he came to a realization. "Unless I go with you."
The spectral knight fell through the void, its mind feeling slightly numb. I guess time didn't want me there, it contemplated. But I suppose that's for obvious reasons. Even with all the possible things it had considered, it hadn't thought something like that would happen. If I didn't already know it would heal, I could've just caused a very big problem.
Then again, maybe it actually had. Maybe it had made the wrong decision, and had accidentally altered the timeline itself. Or maybe Gillick would find Axel, which would also cause the timeline to change. How did it know for sure what had happened before, and what hadn't?
You've certainly strayed a long way, haven't you? The spectral knight stiffened in surprise as it heard the soundless voice. It called back in its own:
Bahamut. Where am I? And how is it possible that you can reach me here?
I believe you know where you are, if you search hard enough. That will make all the answers clear.
I know? The knight shifted its head, trying to look around it. There was nothing, no identifying feature, but for some reason that seemed familiar. Ah. I see. In its mind's eye, it could see another void, much like this one, that came into existence a very long time ago. This is that same void. The one that was born when the X-blade nearly destroyed the world.
Ok, so that's the end of chapter twenty - six. Reviews would be awesome, please?