For three months, I have not had one opportunity to sit down and work on this chapter until now. Suffice it to say I am busier than I have ever been. I apologize for being gone so long, but rest assured that I am not disappearing or quitting before this story is done. It's not in my nature to leave things unfinished and I can't do that. Freedom's Fall will be finished, eventually! When last we left off, Raelyn and his team had launched an assault upon the Ark, the fortress where Caleb had stored away evidence that could be used against him. We pick up immediately where we left off. Enjoy and see you at the end!
Chapter 23: Out of the Frying Pan
(Reviving Hollow Bastion, Kingdom Hearts II)
As Zane walked through the halls of the Council's castle, Owen Fair fell in step beside him. "I have been preparing everything while you were away. Raelyn will have the means to safely arrive here with his evidence against Caleb," the man said. Zane nodded in approval.
"Good. Keep this out of public knowledge. If word gets out that Raelyn is returning with the means to oust our enemies from power, there will be pursuers from all sides when he steps foot into the city," he replied.
"Will do. Zane, have you given thought to the future if this does not work?" Owen asked, pushing open the door as they reached the next hallway. They were nearing the Council meeting rooms, as session had been called.
"If the applied system fails us, then we shall be left with but one alternative," Zane spoke in a quiet voice. Owen glanced at him, aware of the Ancient's caution regarding eavesdroppers in every shadow. "Nighthawk and the Mark of the Founders."
"I thought the Mark was a legend," the Soldier muttered in surprise. Zane smiled slightly.
"It is as much a legend as the X-Blade and the Divine Beings. Lesser men in recent days have taken to labeling anything they do not wish to believe in as legend and myth. Diminishing something does not make it less real simply because one wants to ignore it," he explained. Owen nodded in understanding.
"What is he even trying to accomplish? Caleb knows we won't let him round up all of the Founder Relics. It's almost like he is….," he began.
"Preparing for war," Zane finished for him, confirming the thought.
"War with who, the Council?"
The Ancient shook his head slightly and paused upon reaching the doors to the Council meeting chambers. "His actions do not make sense. He preaches peace to the worlds and the people and dismisses the deeds and beliefs of the Founders, yet he hoards over their relics like a dragon over gold. I need a man inside the Order. Without a contact, I can learn very little regarding the machinations of Caleb's mind," he explained.
"How many of the Founder Relics even still exist that he hasn't found yet?" Owen asked, crossing his arms and looking carefully behind them. Zane thought for a moment.
"Zack's Buster Sword and Kain's Lance remain in the hands of descendants of the families and are hidden well. The Sword of Darian Voltare lies with Nighthawk in a place where the Keyblade Wielders can no longer reach, and the Eternity Fang is safe within the Golden City, an entire Realm away. Xion's Relic remains hidden with the Genie. Sora's Necklace was taken by Raelyn during his escape, but the rest are with Caleb as far as I know. We must discern what he means to accomplish with those Relics. He is not worthy of the items left behind by my old comrades," he said in a hushed voice.
Owen nodded in agreement and looked at the doors to the session chamber, where he could already hear Heelia and Garret Cousland arguing governmental power and control. "I'll work on finding someone who can keep tabs inside Heroes' Forge. For now, let's focus on whatever evidence Raelyn manages to bring back. Caleb has to be ousted now if the LE and Council are to come to any kind of peace," he said. Zane nodded, casting his thoughts aside for now. He then took a breath and pushed his way into the meeting chamber. (end Reviving Hollow Bastion)
MEANWHILE, THE ARK, HIDDEN PENINSULA, DESTINY ISLANDS OCEAN….
Raelyn and Kyan stared through the pitch black room at the giant shape moving in the darkness. The roar it was emitting was making the entire place tremble, and Raelyn had never felt such power before. "It can't be….an Astral!" he exclaimed fearfully.
"Thought most of them died of the Aeon Plague a century ago," Kyan muttered quietly, staring hard at the moving shape and brandishing his sword and Keyblade. Raelyn nodded slightly.
"So history says," he whispered. Somehow, Caleb had managed to find a surviving Astral to guard the vault of the Ark.
Suddenly, pillars of flame erupted across the edges of the room, simultaneously lighting the room and trapping them in from all sides. (Hellfire, Final Fantasy XV)
On the other side of the room was a massive humanoid man bearing horns and wreathed in fire. He glared at them furiously and stood up off of his throne with another trembling growl. "Ifrit, the Infernian. Origin: Insomnia," Raelyn spoke clearly.
"I thought Ifrit was from Spira," Kyan mentions, but Raelyn shook his head.
"Many worlds once bore their own incarnations, as these creatures were spawned from the heart of their respective worlds as guardians. Yuna once commanded an Ifrit of her own in Spira, but Insomnia, Baron, and Gaia had their own versions, as well. The Ifrit of Insomnia was intelligent, cruel, and very hateful of humans," he explained.
Ifrit drew a crooked sword almost resembling a fang and slammed it upon the ground, sending a pillar of fire toward the two Keyblade Wielders. Kyan stepped in front of Raelyn and held out Bloodfang to absorb it, but such was the power behind it that the flames exploded into Kyan and knocked him back off of his feet. The older man let out a groan as he landed on his back in a daze, and Raelyn watched as Ifrit stood to his full height and stared hatefully down at them. Nervously, Raelyn raised his Keyblade toward the Astral.
"I am a Keyblade Wielder of the Realm of Light! I know who has captured you, who holds your chains! I am his enemy, and I can free you from this cage!" he called out.
"You presume that I need your aid. I have merely waited for the right moment to strike. My fires will dim to cold winter before I stand with a human." Ifrit replied. He then raised his fanged sword and charged for them.
"Kyan, on your feet!" Raelyn yelled, causing the other man to look up with wide eyes and do so. They waited for their opponent to near them, carefully watching his movements to establish a pattern of attack. Once Ifrit charged close enough, he raised his sword and moved to slam it down upon them. They scattered in different directions, with Raelyn moving to flank. He reached the Astral's ankle and swung widely, slicing the burning flesh. Ifrit roared and jerked his leg away, turning to face the boy. As he did, Raelyn watched Kyan leap up from behind and impale both of his blades into Ifrit's back.
"Gah, he's hot!" the man yelled as the Astral began to buck around to try and throw him off. Raelyn readied his Keyblade, but Kyan shook his head. "Find the vault! Get what we came for and we can find a way out of here!" he yelled. Raelyn nodded and looked around, tapping his earpiece.
"Girls, we have a situation!" he exclaimed, panting for breath from the heat of the flames. He was sweating profusely, and almost felt like the fire was sucking the air out of the room.
"You too, huh?" Drea's weary voice came back through. By her tone of voice, things weren't much better on the eastern side of the compound.
"We're in a ventilation shaft making our way toward one of the outer walls. Kyan's men have a boat there waiting for us. Should we wait for you?" Taelor asked.
"No! We'll get out using our Keyblades! Get yourselves clear! Caleb found a living Astral, and he's probably gonna destroy this whole place! I have to find what we came for before that happens!" he filled them in on the situation.
"An Astral?! That's impossible!" Drea exclaimed. He rolled his eyes.
"Tell me about it, and yet here he stands right in front of me," he grumbled.
"Raelyn, quit standing around and hurry! I'm not having fun!" Kyan yelled from behind him. Raelyn turned in time to see Ifrit slap Kyan out of the air with his gigantic palm. Kyan crashed to the ground with a groan and quickly rolled away as the massive sword came slamming down again.
Raelyn hurried toward the back side of the room where Ifrit's throne was. The walls were still covered in dancing flames, so he knew that the room was a dead end. What he needed had to be here somewhere. He checked in vain behind the throne as if hoping for a big treasure chest, but found nothing. Looking back around the room for any signs of anything else, he shook his head in frustration at seeing nothing. He then had a sudden realization and looked at the Astral's throne. Gritting his teeth in determination, he reared back his Keyblade and swung with an echoing cry.
The throne shattered from the force of his blow, and he kicked the debris aside to find a hole in the floor large enough for him to fit through. He glanced over at Kyan, who was hiding behind Bloodfang as a stream of fire was pouring at him from Ifrit's palm. Knowing time was short, he dropped down into the hole and only fell about ten feet before hitting the ground.
Conjuring a ball of fire in his hand, he saw that he was surrounded by a number of dusty old scrolls and even some electronic equipment. He quickly picked through the papers, finding faded handwriting and fragments of documents that seemed to date back to the Founder Age. Cursing under his breath, he tossed them aside. "These are ancient! I need something recent that could belong to Caleb!" he exclaimed and knocked over a nearby computer in frustration. As it fell with a crash, he took a closer look at it and saw a hard-drive sticking out of it. He reached out and pulled it from the computer, looking closely. "Manufactured in Year 120 AAW(After Ancient War), this has to be it. It's the only thing in here from this century," he muttered, placing the hard-drive in his cloak pocket.
He heard Kyan scream from above and looked up at the hole, quickly leaping back up through it.
The older man was kneeling on the ground, panting for breath and holding himself up with Bloodfang. Raelyn raced to his side as Ifrit triumphantly raised his sword. "There was a time when Keyblade Wielders held the strength to shatter worlds and challenge self-proclaimed gods. Now you are but children playing with instruments you cannot fully channel," the Astral said. Raelyn reached his comrade's side with his Keyblade ready as the blade began to swing downward.
However, a voice rang out clearly through the crackling of the flames in that moment.
"Burst-Blizzaga!"
An orb of ice magic appeared overhead from which frigid vapors issued, almost immediately killing the flames surrounding them. Ifrit himself fought against it, but slowly but surely the ice began to collect around him and cover his skin. With a last bout of energy he swung his sword, narrowly missing the two men but striking the vault doors, cracking them open. By then, the ice had frozen his legs and lower body.
He let out an echoing roar of fury and then ceased to move as the spell froze him solid. Raelyn and Kyan looked around in surprise, but quickly realized that their struggle had not been ended. (end Hellfire)
"Who is that, walking toward us through the smoke?" Kyan asked, peering closely through the icy vapor still lingering in the air. There was a figure indeed striding toward them, but Raelyn narrowed his eyes and could already tell. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the hard-drive, handing it to Kyan.
"You kept Ifrit at bay. This one's mine. Get out of here and get that to Taelor. She should be able to pull what we need from it," he said. Kyan glanced at him in surprise.
"I'm forty-five years old, and a kid half my age is trying to give me orders," he mused with a touch of humor in his voice.
"Just go, trust me. That evidence has to reach the right hands, and I need to deal with this," Raelyn pressed him. Kyan sighed, but placed the hard-drive in his own pocket and turned, running through the crack in the doors that Ifrit had made. Raelyn sighed resolutely and readied himself as the figure emerged fully from the vapor.
His right arm was made of black metal, and it crackled with purple electricity. His right eye was glowing bright red, and he wore a calm but confident smile as he came to a stop, staring at Raelyn from across the room. "The Agency's favored son makes an appearance, after all. I was starting to think you wouldn't show," said Lorne. Raelyn remained stiff, his hand tight on his Keyblade.
"Let me guess: you knew I was coming," he replied. Lorne smiled wider and tapped the right side of his forehead near his glowing eye.
"I know everything, Raelyn. Anything that exists or once did exist on the net, I can see. I know what's on that hard-drive that Caleb stashed here. He left a physical copy of it intact as insurance against internet hackers, in the event of someone altering it to accuse him of things that weren't on the original. I could have easily destroyed it before you got here, but I chose not to," he explained. Raelyn laughed coldly under his breath.
"You're still so sure of yourself, aren't you?" he asked. Lorne stared at him evenly.
"I am so much more than I was, Raelyn. Unlike Caleb, I can see the true picture. I can see the old files on what happened before us. I know the Divine Beings are real, even as he dismisses them as exaggerations and fairy tales. I can grasp the true power that the Founders once wielded. Caleb wants to reclaim that, but not me," he explained. At this, Raelyn raised his Keyblade.
"Enough. I don't care for your speeches or your feelings. You chose your side when you got my father killed. Whatever you preach, you chose Caleb over the man you called a brother, and for what? My post as Field Commander? Glory? We read the same history books. You're no better than Xehanort," Raelyn spat.
Lorne's glowing eye let off a buzzing sound and he raised his hand. "Thundaga!" he yelled, causing Raelyn to leap barely out of the way as a pillar of lightning crashed into where he had just been standing. "Don't you dare call me Xehanort! And don't ever presume to know my intentions! I am not Caleb's lapdog!" he declared.
"Yet you're here, doing his bidding. Like a good boy," Raelyn retorted furiously. Lorne's face contorted in rage.
"Why must you refuse to see the bigger picture?! You are so poisoned by your hatred of me that you cannot see what lies just beyond your sight, the true threat to the worlds! Have you so quickly forgotten the duties of a Keyblade Master?!" he yelled.
"I'm not a Keyblade Master, not anymore. You made sure of that when you cast me out into the night for a puppeteer who turned you into a monster," Raelyn replied. Lorne growled furiously. (Ravus Aeterna, Final Fantasy XV)
"Fine, then! No more words! I thought to reason with you, but I see that no accord will be reached! You leave me no side but Caleb's! This time, I hold nothing back!" he roared and summoned his own Keyblade. The two former friends glared at one another, before Raelyn charged first.
Lorne waited patiently for him, and easily blocked Raelyn's initial strike with his own. Wasting no time, Raelyn wrung their blades around and leaped high, flipping sideways and swinging from the right. Lorne leaned out of the strike and charged his metal fist with lightning, punching him in the stomach. Raelyn groaned and fell back through the air, righting himself at the last second and landing on his feet. This time it was Lorne who charged, his face surprisingly calm and serene for how angry he was.
Their blades clanged together with the sound of ringing metal, and the onslaught began. Lorne rained heavy blows as he went on the offensive, forcing Raelyn to back-step and deflect the rapid strikes that aimed for his sides and head in a consistent yet unpredictable manner. The force of the blows was already making his arms hurt, such was Lorne's new strength. He was using the metal arm to full effect. Tired of being pushed backward, Raelyn let out a yell and stepped forward, forcing them into a blade-block. The two stared at each other for a long moment, before Lorne switched hands and raised his metal one toward Raelyn's face. A pulse of sub-sonic frequency emitted from the prosthetic, catching him directly and deafening him temporarily. He groaned in pain and stumbled back, allowing Lorne to easily break the lock and spin around, kicking him across the room.
Raelyn groaned as he hit the floor, the wind knocked out of him. He hurried to his feet as Lorne approached and threw his Keyblade forward. Lorne narrowed his eyes and elegantly struck it with his own blade, rebounding it back without missing a step. Raelyn caught it and then raised his free hand. "Firaga!" he yelled, unleashing a stream of fire.
Lorne raised his metal hand and caught the stream with it, smiling coldly. As both men's hair shook from the force of the spell, Raelyn maintained the fire and watched as Lorne kept his hand in front of him and began walking forward. Using his metal palm as a shield, he closed the distance between them. Seeing no other option once Lorne was a step away, Raelyn ceased the spell and punched forward with his fist. His opponent slapped the punch away and pushed his metal hand into Raelyn's face, releasing a bright flash that blinded him. Raelyn stumbled and fell backward, a moment later feeling his opponent's Keyblade slash him across the chest and once more send him flying onto his back.
Thanking Dawnomar for the Ancient armor under his breath, he shook his head vigorously to try and overcome the daze he was in. "Is that all you can do, hide behind Caleb's toy?!" he yelled angrily.
"You always believed yourself the better when we were truly equals. Now, I stand head and shoulders above you. You thought to oust Caleb and become Grandmaster? Please, Raelyn. It takes more than confidence and familial preference to become the stuff of legend. You will never be what Sora was! You do not have his power, and you never will!" Lorne taunted. By now, his vision was starting to return and he could vaguely see the man standing before him.
He had been wholly unprepared for this. Lorne seemed to be growing even stronger. Even after their last encounter, Raelyn had told himself that Lorne had only gotten lucky. But maybe he was wrong. Maybe he truly was outmatched.
"I never claimed to be Sora. But I am trying to do what's right! That's the difference between us, Lorne! You only ever cared about yourself!" he retorted. Lorne shook his head and pointed his Keyblade directly at Raelyn, who still could not see fully.
"Surrender your blade, and you will see the dawn. That is as much as I can promise given you tossed aside my repeated offers of an accord," Lorne told him coldly. Raelyn shook his head, refusing to allow himself to become Caleb's prisoner. But he obviously couldn't overpower Lorne. What else could he do?
It was then that he looked over at the still-frozen Ifrit. He looked back at Lorne and smiled confidently, standing back to his full height. "I'll take Option B, where I proceed with my original plan of using what I found here to take you and Caleb both down!" he declared and pointed his Keyblade at Ifrit. "Firaga!"
A large ball of fire emerged from the tip of his blade and soared toward the frozen Astral, exploding into him a second later. Much of the ice was dissipated by the flame, and what was left began to glow orange as if heat was melting it from the inside.
In another moment, Ifrit broke free of the ice with a roar of fury. He stomped the ground and raised his fanged sword as the compound began to tremble again. Lorne rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the Astral, readying his Keyblade. "This again? Burst Bliz….," he began, but at that moment Ifrit reached down and snatched him in his fist. Lorne groaned in surprise and felt the strong fingers tighten around his waist as Ifrit held him up close to his face. "You should be careful when you grab snakes by the tail," Lorne growled and placed his palm on Ifrit's giant thumb holding him. "Thundaza!" he chanted, and an explosion of lightning energy erupted from his metal arm, causing Ifrit to stumble and roar in pain. Such was his pain that the Astral swung his sword wildly and cleaved a hole in the ceiling. He dropped Lorne, who fell to the ground in an elegant crouch. However, he looked up to see Raelyn already leaping out of the new hole. "Till next time, Raelyn," he growled, twirling his Keyblade and turning to face the rampaging Ifrit. (end Ravus Aeterna)
Raelyn reached the roof of the Ark, several weakened from his wounds. He stumbled around and dazedly made his way toward the outer wall. Upon reaching it, what was left of his strength seemed to give way. He had a moment to glance down the wall toward the ocean, before he felt himself losing consciousness and he toppled off of the roof.
He felt himself falling for many moments, followed by a splash into the water as his vision darkened and his hearing grew more muffled. The last thing he saw was a figure in a diving suit swimming toward him, and he thought he heard the smallest sounds of a boat engine above. Then, he knew no more.
LATER…
The newly-appointed Keyblade Master Aidan Heras strode confidently through the halls of Heroes' Forge. He nodded politely to the Agents stationed nearby as he walked, breaking in to his new duties as a Master.
His ascension had occurred mere weeks ago, upon his return from his Journey, the pilgrimage that Journeyman Wielders undertook before their full honors. During such time, he had encountered Raelyn Yoric in Twilight Town and his faith in the old Order had been rekindled. Following the exiled Commander's instruction, Aidan had reached out to Zane Alkerias. There were those capable of knocking Caleb off of his stolen throne and restoring what had once been, but Aidan knew he was not that person. He could, however, be of help from within the Agency as a mole. And so he had resolved to be Raelyn's contact in Caleb's court. To do so, he would have to play his part well, as the new Grandmaster had been tightening the nets around him out of paranoia.
He saluted the two Apprentices standing guard over the hallway to the Senior Chambers, where Caleb's rooms were. They returned the gesture and he continued without slowing down. He marched with his head upright and his shoulders back, the very model of a proud Keyblade Wielder. However, he withdrew the depth in his steps as he neared the doors to Caleb's chamber, as he heard something coming from within. Reaching the door, he made himself quiet and scarce, listening intently at the muffled sounds.
"…..boy seeks the means to reveal the truth of my actions. How am I to prevent the collapse of all we mean to achieve?" Caleb's voice was speaking in a panicked tone. Aidan narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to the door. As far as he knew, the Grandmaster was in the room alone. To his great surprise, a second voice answered.
"You place too much trust in these walls you have built around yourself. I come from a time that predates these worlds, the Keyblade Order, and humanity itself. I promised you the means to find yourself the Grandmaster, and I have fulfilled my bargain. Now, you shall proceed with the established plans," it said. Aidan did not recognize the other voice, for it sounded incredibly deep and distant, as if it belonged to something both very powerful and far away. It seemed almost an echo, a fragment of something much greater.
"But if the boy convinces the Council to mobilize against us…..we do not yet have the means to end this civil war before it can begin. You promised me the means to cast down the Council without the excessive loss of human lives. If the Keyblade Wielders are to reclaim our former power and do our duty to protect the worlds, then we must unlock the Founders' legacy. You said the Relics would open themselves to me!" Caleb yelled angrily.
Aidan widened his eyes in shock, but in that moment he heard a loud slamming noise and Caleb cried out in pain.
"Take great care how you speak in the presence of a god, human. You are my chosen vessel in my return to this world, but do not make the mistake of thinking you are irreplaceable. Once, I wore the Wanderer as my living armor. With him as my vessel, I could have cast aside the Council and the Keyblade Wielders alone. You and your kind do not even rise to pale imitations of what your Founders once were. I will grant you the power to save the worlds from the coming war, but in turn you will free me from this prison. Do not forget who is in control," the second voice responded.
"I need the Relics in order to throw open your cage. Without them, my entire host could not take the city, let alone descend into your pit," Caleb replied, the tone in his voice belaying great pain.
"Enough. Set me aside for now. You have events transpiring in other worlds that require immediate attention, and you have other ears approaching the door. Be gone until progress has been made," the second voice said.
At that moment, Aidan cleared his throat and knocked on the door. "Grandmaster, Sir?" he called. Caleb coughed from within the room.
"Enter," he muttered. Aidan grasped the handle and opened the door, stepping inside. Caleb was hurriedly snapping the lid shut on an old metal box, and he placed it out of sight before looking up at the younger man with his good eye. His eye-patch seemed to have been knocked out of place, and he fixed it with a shaking hand without taking his eye off of Aidan.
"Field Commander Lorne sent a report directly for you, Sir," Aidan explained. Caleb nodded impatiently and waved his hand.
"Alright, out with it, Boy. I've no time for suspense," he muttered. Inwardly, Aidan rolled his eyes but forced himself to remain respectful.
"He said that the Ark has indeed been hit, and Raelyn's team escaped with their intended package. He wanted you to know that he is on his way back here, due to arrive by first light tomorrow," he explained. Caleb nodded in response to his words, flustered by the news but trying not to show it.
"It's Heras, isn't it? One of my newest Masters?" he asked. Aidan bowed his head.
"Yes, Sir."
"I need you to leave immediately for the Destiny Islands. The Realm's number one fugitive may be hiding somewhere in those tropics, especially given the world's ties to both Sora and the Rikkison family. Leave at once, and tell no one of your departure. If the Council catches wind of these developments, it will spur movement on the Freedom's Fall Protocol. We cannot afford to show weakness," Caleb instructed him.
Aidan cursed mentally. His intention had been to relay what he had overheard to Zane and Owen Fair, but he would not be able to before he left. He bowed once more and turned to leave the room. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of Caleb's face and could see fierce suspicion there. Caleb suspected that he might have overheard something, and so he was being sent away.
Still, he could do little within the confines of his duty as an LE Agent except obey his Grandmaster's orders. Raelyn would have to wait.
MEANWHILE….
(Roxas' Theme, Kingdom Hearts II)
"What the hell were you thinking?"
Raelyn rolled his eyes and propped his feet defiantly on the table in front of him. "It wasn't even important, get off my back," he replied.
"You made a fool of yourself in front of everyone, and not just yourself. You made us look bad, too."
"Didn't have to work hard for that, did I?" Raelyn said sarcastically.
"It's not funny, Raelyn! This is your future we're talking about! If you don't start caring about it, then you'll never reach Master."
Raelyn rolled his eyes. "Look, don't fault me for not being you. It's us bad students who make the ones like you look good. So in a way, you ought to be thanking me.
A man ten years older than him with shortly-trimmed blonde hair strode around the couch and stepped in front of him, staring angrily down at him. "When are you gonna grow up?! Keyblade Masters don't ignore their evaluation tests and torch the Professor's chambers! You made Father and I look bad too! If Mother were here…..," he began, but Raelyn cut him off in a heated tone.
"She's NOT here, Eskan! She's been dead for ten years, so stop bringing her up! So Father's Grandmaster now, who cares?I didn't ask for this life. Why does everyone expect me to live up to him?" he yelled. Eskan furiously slapped his younger brother's feet off of the table and pulled him up by the collar of his shirt. Raelyn fought his older brother's grip, but Eskan would not relent. "There was a time when you were fun!" Raelyn spat.
"There was a time when you were respectful and responsible. I'm not just your brother, I'm your Field Commander. Father needs us both at our best in order to become Grandmaster. I won't let you hold him back because of your selfishness and apathy," Eskan said angrily, though much more calmly.
"You stopped being my brother and started trying to be my mother. I didn't ask for that! I can't live your life, I have to find my own way," Raelyn. Eskan sighed angrily, but let go of his brother's shirt and stepped past him. Raelyn glanced over his shoulder at his older brother's back.
"Someone had to look after you, and I did my best. We're meant to be the best of humanity, little brother. As Keyblade Wielders, we are supposed to stand above the rest. I tried to help you see that," Eskan muttered. He then turned back to face his younger brother, his deep gray eyes looking sadly upon him. "Father is sending me on a deep-cover assignment. I'll be off the grid for a while, reconnecting with some Wielders who broke ties with the Agency decades ago. When I return, we will sort this out. Until then, stand with your head high, Raelyn. Tread the dark road, for that is where light is needed most," Eskan muttered.
With that, he walked out of the door, and that was the last time that Raelyn had seen his brother alive. (end Roxas' Theme)
Raelyn could feel consciousness returning, and he groaned gently and opened his eyes. He realized that he was lying in his bed back at camp in the SS Wanderer. He looked down at his chest and could see Sora's Necklace glowing brightly with energy. However, after a few moments it faded. He shook his head in disbelief and sat up, wiping the sleep out of his eyes with his hand.
Had the Necklace been affecting his dreams? Had Sora's fragmented power chosen to remind him of his last moments with his brother?
"There you are," Drea's voice spoke from his left. He looked over to see his bedroom door open and her leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. "We were worried about you for a while," she smiled and stepped inside the room.
"What happened?" he asked wearily.
Taelor and I got out of the compound through the air ducts and reached the eastern pier, where Kyan's men picked us up. After that, we circled around to find you guys. We got Kyan first, and when you fell off of the roof of the compound into the ocean, I dove in after you," she explained.
"Thanks. Guess that's another one I owe you," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Drea smiled.
"Teammates, right? If you can walk, let's head outside. Taelor's working on decrypting that hard-drive and she's got something for us," she said.
After a few minutes of stretching and dressing, Raelyn followed Drea out of the ship to the campsite. Kyan was seated at the crackling fire, roasting a thick slab of meat that smelled delicious to Raelyn's growling stomach. Taelor, meanwhile, was at her own desk surrounded by computer monitors and was typing rapidly on two different keyboards. "So what did we get?" he asked as he walked up. Kyan and Drea joined him as well, all eyes on Taelor and her computers.
"There's a lot of data to decrypt here, and I've only just scratched the surface. But, what we're looking for is definitely here," she explained, as a file appeared front and center on the screen in front of them. "This is a series of correspondences between Caleb and someone who I haven't yet been able to identify. They're discussing the transition of power from Turias to Caleb, and his willingness to take Turias down….by any means necessary," she began. Raelyn shook his head.
"Caleb can just dismiss this as after-the-fact rantings during his post-ascension celebrations," he argued. Taelor, however, shook her head.
"This exchange takes place before the coup against your father. This is proof of premeditation," she said.
Drea's arms fell to her sides. "This is it. This is exactly what we need to prove that Caleb's usurpation of power was always intended to be bloody. Peaceful transition, my ass," she remarked. Kyan growled under his breath.
"Just confirms what we already knew. The guy's a piece of…..," he began, but Raelyn cut him off.
"Do we have enough here to go to the Council? If we can convince them of the truth, then we'll have the support to confront Caleb."
Taelor nodded firmly. "Like I said, I've only just started scratching the surface. Give me a couple of days, and I can have a lot more ready for you. But what I've already decrypted will be enough."
"Good, then pack everything you need into a mobile unit. We're proceeding as planned," Raelyn said and looked over at Kyan. "You know what to do. If we're lucky, then this thing might just go our way."
Kyan nodded. "Do what you need to. We've got your back, and we'll be in place," he said, thumping Raelyn on the shoulder and moving to help Taelor. With that, Raelyn looked at Drea with a slightly cautious stare.
"I don't trust him," he said. Drea nodded slightly.
"The important question is, do you trust me?" she replied, holding out a Hidden-Legion issued phone. Raelyn stared at it for a long moment, thinking hard.
Then, finally, he took the phone from Drea and flipped it open with a sigh. He cleared his throat and dialed the single number that was programmed in.
"This is Raelyn Yoric, and I want to turn myself in."
This chapter has taken me so long to finish. I'm really sorry that it did, but trust that I am still here and still resolved to finish this story! I hope you guys are interested for where things are heading, as we reach the climax of the first half of the story. Thanks for tuning in as always and I hope to see you guys again soon!