Hey everyone! Things are starting to pick up for this mission. And we should be following a bit of the movie plot again.
Enjoy!
Tenebrae woke up the next day and stretched. It was early morning, and Tenebrae needed to meet Shaylex and Demyx. He entered the city and went to the café.
Tenebrae made it to the café, and something felt off. He entered the café. While there weren't a lot of people, it felt busy. The owner looked upset and overwhelmed. Tenebrae snuck in and sat at a booth. It looked like it would be best for him to lay low.
Tenebrae watched as the owner was doing everything himself. He was cooking and serving the customers. This went on for about an hour before Tenebrae heard Demyx.
"Hey Duke! No Tiana today?"
The cook, Duke, scoffed. "Nah, she quit. Miss Charlotte La Bouff gave her enough money to buy her restaurant." That explained the young woman's excitement yesterday. "Although, she said she would come in and help today. But she never showed up. Hey, how about letting me borrow your lady friend? Just for a couple of hours until the rush hour dies down?"
Tenebrae couldn't let that happen. Shaylex actually DID her work, apparently.
"Shay has some important business here in town today," He said as he stood up. He saw the cook and the two Nobodies. He walked up to the trio. "And besides, she's far too important to be a waitress."
Shaylex smiled. There was a mischievous glint to her eyes. "But my friend Demy here loves hard work. He's the perfect candidate for your little diner."
Demyx must have caught on because he seemed startled by the suggestion. "No. No. No. I've got important things to do today too! Nope! Can't do it!"
Tenebrae walked past the stammering blonde and pushed him inside. He thought it good payback for his lack of motivation last night. Demyx was immediately handed an apron.
"Sorry Demyx, but Tenebrae and I have an important mission. Or did you forget? Have fun." Shaylex giggled as the pair left. She smiled a bit as they did. "He's going to have lots of fun. But I wonder why Tiana didn't turn up for work?"
The Nobody adopted a thinking pose as they walked. There were very few reasons and, according to Duke, Tiana had given her word.
"Maybe she's sick?" Tenebrae offered.
Shaylex shook her head. "No, Tiana's too strong to get sick so easily. And from the way Duke was talking, she would always be there to help out. Something's happened!" Shaylex had a look of determination as she stopped walking. "I say we go to the La Bouff household and ask around. That's where Tiana was seen last."
This was Shaylex's mission. And the name La Bouff sound like the one from the flyer he found. They hosted the party yesterday.
"Good idea. I think the house is that way." He pointed to an area deeper into the city, away from the forest.
Shaylex nodded and the pair walked towards the house. There were so many lights on last night, Tenebrae hadn't noticed how the economy changed. They headed towards what looked like upper-class estates. And he recognized the one from the party, as it was the largest among them. The La Bouff family had to have been extraordinarily rich.
The two made it to the front gates, where a butler was waiting. He looked at the two and asked, "Can I help you today?" His tone made him sound either bored or elitist.
Shaylex took point and spoke politely. "We would like to speak with Miss Charlotte La Bouuf, please. It's important."
The butler just looked at them and glared. "I'm sorry, but Madame La Bouff is terribly busy and will not be seeing anyone today. Now I suggest you leave this place alone. We don't need beggars at our doorsteps."
It was the last comment that pissed Tenebrae off. It was fine being asked to leave. But he couldn't take the beggar comment lying down. He took a step forward, before Shaylex grabbed his arm.
She still spoke politely when she said, "Of course. Thank you for your time." She pulled the Seeker away and down the street.
Tenebrae growled a bit. "Shaylex. Why didn't you let me beat that guy up?"
"Because we are here on a mission. And besides…" She chided him before looking over his shoulder. She grabbed his arm again and lead him around the house and towards it's back. "We have another way in."
The pair was surrounded by Darkness before appearing in a garden. Shaylex had teleported the pair to just beyond the fence of their last location. It was a clever plan.
"Great idea." Tenebrae couldn't help but chuckle at the simplicity. "So, where would Miss Charlotte La Bouff be?"
A female squeal was heard by the pair and approaching them. A young woman then shouted, "We're gonna have ourselves a Mardi Gras wedding!"
The pair exchanged a smile. Shaylex said, "That's her."
A young blonde woman came walking to the pair. It looked like she didn't see them yet. But Tenebrae recognized her as the one who danced with the man dressed as a prince. When she finally noticed the pair, her happiness turned to shock.
Tenebrae realized what was about to happen. He boosted his speed to cover the distance and reach Charlotte. He covered her mouth just as she was about to scream.
Shaylex wasn't too far behind. "Charlotte. We mean you no harm. We're friends of Tiana."
Charlotte's eyes shined when the name was uttered. Tenebrae let her go and took a step away. It looked like she wasn't going to raise alarm.
"Well why didn't you say so in the first place?" Charlotte asked with a giggle. She glanced at Tenebrae then back at Shaylex. "So, what can I do for you and your 'friend' here, Sugar?"
Tenebrae didn't like the emphasis Charlotte put on the "friend". When Shaylex chuckled, he scoffed and looked away. A small part of his pride took a hit.
"Oh, were just colleagues, nothing more. Anyway, we are looking for Tiana," she explained. "She didn't show up for her shift at Duke's thing morning, and Duke asked us to come look for her. According to him, she was here last night."
"That's right dear. She brought he delicious tasting beignets for Prince Naveen to try," Charlotte was all smiles. At least until she continued explaining. "But something happened, and her stall got knocked over. I let her borrow one of my dresses and then I went back to the party. I haven't seen her since. I thought she was behind me, but she wasn't. She did seem pretty down about something. The realtors, who she was buying the sugar mill from, were at the party last night. Perhaps you should try talking to them?"
Shaylex nodded, "We will. Could you tell us who and where they are?"
Charlotte had a smile on her face again. "The Fenner Brothers. Just down on Main Street. You can't miss it!"
Saylex smiled back, before bowing and grabbing Tenebrae again. "Thank you, Charlotte. And congrats on your upcoming wedding!" She took him around the corner out of sight and teleported the pair into a forested area, on the other side of the fence. She dusted her hands, "See, easy as pie. Now let's go and see these Fenner Brothers."
Tenebrae nodded. Before they could make any progress, a wave of Heartless appeared. The pair summoned their Keyblades and jumped into the fray.
Shaylex made the first move. She casted a high-level wind spell, it looked like an Aeroga. Tenebrae saw the Heartless get trapped into the vortex and had an idea. He useda fire spell and had it mix with the wind. The Heartless in the spell were destroyed instantly.
The Wielders rushed the remaining Heartless. They made quick work of the stragglers. They were breathing hard when they finished up.
Shaylex and Tenebrae dismissed their Keyblades when they were rested. The pair walked down the road until they made it to the Fenner Brothers' "office". The room they were at had little more than the desk and a plant. There were two gentlemen at the desk, signing papers.
When the Wielders entered, the two men looked at them and smiled. The tall, thin gentleman spoke first. "Greetings to you two. Are you looking to purchase a property today?"
Shaylex approached the desk. "We would like to enquire about one of your most recent buyers, Tiana."
The shorter fatter of the two gentlemen spoke next. "Oh, Tiana, the poor girl. She wanted the old sugar mill for ages. But she was outbid last night before we had a chance to sign the papers. Such a shame."
Tenebrae crossed his arms in thought. "Why did she want the old mill?" It didn't make sense since she wanted to open a restaurant.
The taller brother spoke again, "She was hoping to open her restaurant. But to run it all by herself wasn't going to be easy. Especially with her background." He started to sift through some papers as he continued explaining, "And, luckily for her, she won't have to deal with that. Someone came in shortly afterward that same day, cash in hand, and bought it."
That didn't sit well with Tenebrae. It was one thing to have them bid. But it was another to promise something and take it away. His anger rose as he walked up to the desk.
"So, you allowed someone else to buy it? Even though she technically purchased it first and you met with her?" Tenebrae slammed his hands on the desk as his voice rose. "You were going to sign the place over to her!"
The smaller brother responded, "Yes, but we are a business young man. If someone out bids the original offer, and the other person can't come up with a higher bid in three days, they lose the property."
Tenebrae's anger rose even more with that bullshit explanation. He started to grip the desk as he started to shout. "To hell with business! Have you no sense!? It's pretty obvious that girl spent her entire life to make a dream come true, and you've crushed it to dust. Did you see her last night?"
The taller brother had the gall to look upset. He then explained, "Why yes we did. At Miss La Bouff's party. Although after we told her she lost the mill, we didn't see her again. She disappeared into the house with Madam Charlotte and never came out. She probably snuck out around back to hide her shame. Poor girl."
"Although. There was that rather odd commotion, where two frogs jumped out a window and headed towards the Bayou on a balloon," The shorter brother explained, "The dog was about to jump up and stop them, when it just stopped dead. As if the frog communicated with the dog, which is impossible."
The two brothers then started to laugh. They seemed to find the idea funny. But Tenebrae's thoughts couldn't register more than what they said about Tiana.
He snapped out of his anger when he felt Shaylex grab his arms. She pulled him out of the office as the two brothers kept laughing. His anger didn't go away completely, but there was nothing else he could do.
"So now what?" Tenebrae asked, containing a growl.
"Maybe we should head to the Bayou. We still need to be collecting Heartless, remember?" Shaylex suggested, "Saix would have a fit if I didn't meet the quota today."
That was what they were here to do, so Tenebrae just shrugged. "Fair enough. Let's go."
Shaylex led the way as the two walked towards the bayou. Tenebrae needed to get his emotions under control. But he couldn't get those men's insults out of his head.
"You seemed pretty defensive for Tiana back there," Shaylex mentioned as they walked.
Had he been? He looked up at the sky as they walked. He hated people exactly like those Brothers.
Crossing his arms, he said, "Yeah, well I hate people who like to crush the dreams of others. Especially, since they've worked so hard to try and achieve that."
His mind wandered back to when Master Ira punished him, for sating his curiosity. And belittling him for his research.
Shaylex looked his way as they walked. She asked, "I take it you had a dream once?"
Any dream he had, was now his waking nightmare. "Yeah, maybe, still trying to figure out." He didn't have much he could say, so he passed it off. "You?"
"I'm not sure. If I had one years ago, then I don't remember it," Shaylex answered. "But for now, my dream is to get my heart back and remember my past."
"Sounds like a good dream to aspire to." Tenebrae was grateful for Shaylex's positivity. It was what he needed right now.
The pair walked deep into the bayou, following the route they took before. When they came to the same fork as before, they agreed to head down Shaylex's path. They decided to stay together to get more work done. A small wave of Heartless appeared, that they made short work of.
After about an hour of walking and fighting, Shaylex mentioned her quota was filled. Even though they finished, Shaylex suggested they keep going. They made it to the spot she collapsed, and Tenebrae could tell she was worried about something. They decided to press on, with Shaylex claiming to feel a powerful Darkness nearby. Tenebrae felt it too.
The pair continued into the bayou. Any more Heartless they encountered were quickly struck down. When they cleared a wave, they heard a scream.
That spurred the two Wielders to action. They ran deeper into the bayou, coming across a swamp and an interesting sight.
Two frogs seemed to have wrapped themselves up in their tongues. How… he wasn't sure. There was also a firefly hovering around and buzzing at them. The firefly dove into the tangled mess of frog and came out with part of a tongue. It pulled on the tongue and the two frogs unraveled. The firefly then wrote the name "Raymond" int the air with its light. And all of that wasn't even the weirdest to happen.
"Pardon me, but your accent? It's funny, no?" The voice sounded male, and came from the frog?
Tenebrae was genuinely freaked out. That was impossible, at least it had to have been for this world. He noticed Shaylex look his way, just as shocked.
The other frog, which seemed to have a more feminine voice, explained an unheard question. She mentioned how the male messed with some strange voodoo magic.
Shaylex had a look of recognition, before getting closer. "Tiana?" she asked softly.
The three creatures jumped a bit. The female frog, Tenebrae did recognize her voice as Tiana's now, looked at Shaylex. She looked happy to see the blonde Nobody.
"Shay? Is that you?" Tiana gasped, "How did you know it was me?" She hopped towards Shaylex.
Tenebrae took his time to walk closer. Shaylex kneeled down to be closer to Tiana.
"I recognized your voice," Shaylex answered, "What happened to you, Tiana?"
"Well, Prince Naveen here made a deal with the Shadow Man, and got turned into a frog," Tiana explained. She pointed to the other frog, "I then kissed him, thinking it would break the spell, but I wound up as a frog too. And we're on our way to Mama Odie's to see if she can break the spell."
'Oh great,' Tenebrae thought, 'They are going to visit that crazy old broad. But wait a sec…'
"Wait? Shadow Man?" he asked.
"Dr. Facilier was his name, I believe," Naveen said.
The name had no meaning to him. But a quick glance at Shaylex said she knew something. And judging by her shock, it wasn't anything good.
Tenebrae watched the firefly buzz around Tiana and Naveen. Whatever it was saying, the two frogs could hear. But why couldn't the two Wielders hear it, if Shaylex's confusion matched his. His thoughts went to the back of his mind as his instincts kicked in. A large alligator came out of the brush, waving a stick. Both Wielders jumped back to keep some distance. They were slightly scared by the sudden appearance.
Tiana seemed upset though and crossed her arms. "Louis? Ray here says that you've been taking us in the wrong direction."
The alligator, Louis, started talking. At least, the movements Louis made could have been showing a conversation. And Tiana's frown made it look like the gator was making excuses.
When some Heartless showed up, Tenebrae was slightly relieved. The two Wielders summoned their weapons and prepared for battle.
"Get out of here, you guys!" Tenebrae called to the creatures. "We'll hold them off."
Shaylex smiled back at the creatures. "Go Tiana, Naveen. Find Mama Odie and be safe. The bayou is probably crawling with Heartless."
Tiana and Naveen nodded. They hopped onto Louis's back and the gator took off. Ray followed them into the Bayou.
Tenebrae and Shaylex made quick work of the Heartless. Since there was nothing to protect, they were done in a few minutes.
"You think they got away?" Shaylex asked when they finished.
Tenebrae chuckled. "I think so that gator sure looked scared."
Shaylex giggled. She then put a hand to her chin as she spoke, "Isn't it weird we could understand Tiana and Naveen, but not the others?"
Each World had its own rules on magic. Tenebrae tilted his head as he thought out loud. "I guess. But maybe because Tiana and Naveen were human before their business with the Shadow Man." He crossed his arms and leaned on a tree, focusing on Shaylex. "Speaking of business, you knew his name the minute Naveen said it, Shaylex. I saw your face."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Her answer was quick enough. She was hiding something again.
Tenebrae stood up and walked up to her. "Shaylex. I may not have known you for long, but I can tell when something is bothering you. You met him yesterday, didn't you? This Facilier?"
Shaylex was still guarded, but her sigh showed she would talk. She crossed her arms and answered him, "Yes I did, Tenebrae. He said he wanted to keep the Heartless from destroying this World. And if I managed to help get rid of the big, dark presence here, he would give me back my memories." She looked up to the sky.
'Give back her memories!?' Tenebrae thought. 'That should be impossible!'
"And you agreed to that!?" he yelled.
Shaylex looked at him with a serious expression. "Well, he showed me a memory, and it felt familiar. So yes, I accepted. But after that, I blacked out, and when I woke up, I had this same thought not to trust him. I don't know where it came from."
At least she was being open about the encounter. What worried him was the blackout. He must have found her sometime after that. And that feeling she had…
"Well, it's probably your subconscious telling you the truth," he said. "Chances are this man cannot be trusted."
Shaylex nodded. "I understand that now. Look, it's getting late and we need to get back to town. Demyx is probably waiting for me."
"You go on," he said, turning away. "I'm going to stay for a while. Do some training. I'll see you tomorrow, Shaylex."
It was soft, but he heard her say, "Don't do anything stupid, Tenebrae. I'm warning you."
He turned to her and smiled. "I won't. Don't worry."
She smiled back, before saying, "Well then, see you tomorrow." A corridor appeared surrounding the Nobody, teleporting her away.
"I guess I should do some recon," Tenebrae said, "Or at least check on the others heading to Mama Odie. Can that crazy woman really turn them back to human?"
Tenebrae went back into the marsh. He had memorized the location, and, within half an hour, he made it back to the boat. He noticed it was glowing much more than the last time. And there was music coming from it?
Tenebrae ascended the stair. It sounded like Mama Odie was singing along with some of the animals close by. It sounded like the song was designed to have Tiana and Naveen to figure out what they needed deep down.
When the song ended, Mama Odie seemed worried. Guess it didn't do as she planned. She took the two frogs to her tub of gumbo. He wasn't sure what they saw, but it seemed like it was the answer they wanted.
When Tenebrae saw them walk to the door, he jumped up to get out of the way. Mama Odie pushed out Louis and the animals departed. They went down into the marsh and out of sight.
Tenebrae jumped down and entered Mama Odie's home. "I guess you are able to help people."
"Mama Odie does her best," the old woman laughed. "And it's up to the children to find what they really need. Which remind me, did you figure out what you need?"
Tenebrae looked away embarrassed. "No. Only because I have to talk with the other two you mentioned. But I see what you meant. I saw the Darkness here and what it could do."
"And?" Mama Odie seemed intrigued.
"It'll take some time, but I'll dig," Tenebrae said with a smile. "But because of what I've done, I'll need a lot of help."
"That's good to hear," Mama Odie said with a smile. "Then get a move on! You ain't got much time to waste."
"Yeah," Tenebrae said, turning to leave. "And thanks. I will take what you said to heart."
Tenebrae left the boat and descended the tree. It was still dark, and he needed a place to rest. He ran through the marshes, so he could make up for lost time. As he ran though, there was a feeling that was unmistakable. He made it to the edge of the forest before making himself comfortable.
As he fell asleep, he had a dream he didn't expect. In it were the Light Protectors, Cetus, and Shaylex, but by his side was Laci. She was smiling at him brightly, and he felt happier than he had in long time. -
It's fun when you have two sources to work with. This chapter was fun, since I had a backbone thanks to my friend Shaylex_Cosplay, and I was tempted to actually include the lyrics from the song. But still this story is starting to develop and I'm happy with how it's turning out.
So I'll see you all in the next one!
