Disclaimer: You know the drill. First chapter.
A/N: Okay, I have now seen the third DVD. And all I can say is. . . wow. It was awesome! And it fits with the plot I had planned for this fic, so it's all good. Well, anyway, here's chapter four!
"By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest, second, by imitation, which is easiest, and third by experience, which is the bitterest." -Confucius
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Potential
By Moonlight'sSpell
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Chapter Four: Fate
Helba tried to pull herself together. The Wavemaster in front of her was merely an image made up by a computer; it was meaningless. It didn't mean that she was. . .
*Oh, doesn't it, Helba?* whispered Morganna's voice in her mind. *It was simple enough to give her that image, especially since it was a rare moment when Harald and I were working in unison. . . he wanted you to be able to spot his Chosen One, you see. And I. . . well, surely you've noticed the resemblance?*
Helba shook her head. It couldn't be. It just wasn't possible. . .
*Oh, really, Helba!* Morganna hissed. *You think she chose that name by accident?* And then, with a snicker, *Ask her yourself. You'll see. And then. . . you know what you have to do.*
"Uh, Helba?" a voice asked uncertainly, turning her attention back to the people in front of her. It was the Twin Blade, Sora, who had spoken.
*Ask her, Helba,* Morganna whispered again. *Then you'll know for sure.*
Helba strode right past Sora, coming to a halt in front of BT. If this girl really was. . . if what Harald had said was true. . .then she had a duty to perform.
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BT looked at Helba uncertainly. For a hacker, she sure was acting weird. She hadn't even said anything. And behind that visor, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
Finally, Helba spoke, but she asked the most unlikely question BT could think of. "You. . . you'd be about sixteen now, right?"
"Seventeen," BT corrected before she had time to think about it.
"And you. . . you look the same outside. . . in the real world, don't you?"
"I. . . yes, I do," BT responded, again before she'd fully processed the question.
Helba frowned for a moment. The girl didn't seem to know anything. Well, Morganna had seen to that. She turned back to BT. "One more question. When the Twilight Eye opened, you were the first to reach Harald. What did he say to you?"
Crim and Sora looked at each other in bewilderment, but BT's eyes went wide. "No! You can't! Please. . .don't ask me that!"
"You saw someone there?" Crim asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
BT's staff fell to the ground, and she backed up as though she was afraid of them. She was being forced to remember that place. . . and the words she had tried so hard to forget were streaming back into her mind.
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There was only an old man, bound to some sort of statue. Otherwise, the room was blank, completely white. She stood uncertain for a while, then finally spoke. "Are you the one who. . . sent the message? I came to talk."
The man's eyes opened, a deep green that matched her own. A small smile appeared on his tired face. "You're here at last. I've waited so long for you to come. Now his debt to me shall be repaid."
For the first time on her quest, BT felt afraid. "What are you talking about? Whose debt? Who are you, anyway?"
The man just smiled. "There's no time. The others will be here soon. You came here for power, right? I'll give it to you."
Another one of those odd sounds chimed through the air, and suddenly she wanted to run away. But she was frozen in place, unable to move.
The old man sighed. "Come here." And then she was walking toward him, powerless over her own feet. She stopped right next to him, and his hand reached out, straining against the red mass which bound him. "I am placing my trust in you," he said, that ghost of a smile still lingering on his face.
Somehow, that was too much to bear. So many people had said that to her, and she always ended up failing them. She gave a bitter laugh. "Trust me? That won't get you anywhere."
He was still smiling, but there was sadness in it, and his voice was laced with regret. "I wish it were otherwise, but we cannot change the past. And he did promise me that I would have my payment." His hand reached nearer, and a single finger landed on her chest, right over her heart. . .
It seemed as though something had jumped from his body to hers; some fragment of being had passed between them, and, for an instant, she knew all that he did, and the sadness and pain of it was unbearable. Then it faded, and only the remnant of the feeling was left behind, but even that was enough to make her wish she'd never come. Suddenly she could move again, and she knew she had to leave the place. She stumbled out of the room, only to find Bear, Mimiru, and Tsukasa waiting for her. She tried to warn them, but she was still in shock, and she only knew she had to get out of there. . . she walked away then, leaving them staring after her.
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As Helba stared at her, it was as though she knew what had happened without BT having to say anything. Then, without warning, Helba had her by the throat and was lifting her in the air. BT struggled, but her grip was like iron. And she was only using one hand. . . to be this strong, she must have hacked her player data. . .
Helba lifted her staff, placing it over the very spot where the old man's finger had fallen. "Now I uphold my part of the bargain. I have accepted Harald's choice, and I acknowledge that the debt to him has been repaid."
Sora, who until now had been too confused to do anything, started forward. "Helba, what is the meaning of this? You said you were going to help us, and I really don't think this is what I would call helping. Maybe you could just put her down, and we could come back later, when you haven't gone insane!" He had no idea what this was about, but he knew, somehow, that it involved more than this game. And he knew that BT was in terrible danger. He began to approach her, but she leveled her staff at him, and suddenly he was shooting across the room like a doll, crashing into the ground in a spray of dirt.
Helba returned her attention to BT, pointing the staff at her once more. BT tried one last time to break away, but it was no use. Helba hesitated for a moment, but when she spoke, it felt like she was not talking to BT but to someone who was no longer there.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I know you didn't realize what you were agreeing to, and you tried to keep it from being this way, but now that it has come true, I have to do this." She turned her face to the sky. "Forgive me. . . brother."
Then she struck out with her staff. Sora saw the staff connect, heard BT scream in pain, and then a blinding light sprang up. It grew more and more intense, until Crim, frightened, disappeared as he took his helmet off. The light grew brighter, and Sora couldn't see anything. It was quiet now, and he had no idea what was going on. The light was hurting his eyes, and it grew so strong that he, too, couldn't take it anymore, and flung off his helmet, returning to the world of reality.
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Wow, this fic is going places I never thought of when I was writing the first chapter! But that's the fun of it, right? Oh yeah, I would like to know if you guys have any suggestions for couples, 'cuz I really can't decide. I was thinking I'd do a Tsukasa/Mimiru, and possibly a BT/Sora, but I'm not so sure. So tell me what you think, k?
???: Um, I don't think I've gotten to that part, cause I don't really get what you're talking about. Sorry.
Lady Death: I have some weird website where I get all these quotes, but I can't remember the address. And as for BT. . . you'll just have to find out, won't you? *grins evilly*
crestofhope4salvation: Wow, thanks a lot! I am thinking about putting Sora with BT, and there are complications if he's ten, so. . . you get the point. And those sound effects are so cool! One of the ten billion reasons why I love Sora.
Taltos: See, I slipped an age in there! And I'll put Crim's and Sora's ages in the next chapter. Thanks for the tip!
death-resurrected: Oh, it is. . . *evil laugh* And it will only grow more important as the story progresses. . .
Thanks so much and please keep reviewing! I'll write the next chapter as soon as I can!
A/N: Okay, I have now seen the third DVD. And all I can say is. . . wow. It was awesome! And it fits with the plot I had planned for this fic, so it's all good. Well, anyway, here's chapter four!
"By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest, second, by imitation, which is easiest, and third by experience, which is the bitterest." -Confucius
************************************************************************
Potential
By Moonlight'sSpell
************************************************************************
Chapter Four: Fate
Helba tried to pull herself together. The Wavemaster in front of her was merely an image made up by a computer; it was meaningless. It didn't mean that she was. . .
*Oh, doesn't it, Helba?* whispered Morganna's voice in her mind. *It was simple enough to give her that image, especially since it was a rare moment when Harald and I were working in unison. . . he wanted you to be able to spot his Chosen One, you see. And I. . . well, surely you've noticed the resemblance?*
Helba shook her head. It couldn't be. It just wasn't possible. . .
*Oh, really, Helba!* Morganna hissed. *You think she chose that name by accident?* And then, with a snicker, *Ask her yourself. You'll see. And then. . . you know what you have to do.*
"Uh, Helba?" a voice asked uncertainly, turning her attention back to the people in front of her. It was the Twin Blade, Sora, who had spoken.
*Ask her, Helba,* Morganna whispered again. *Then you'll know for sure.*
Helba strode right past Sora, coming to a halt in front of BT. If this girl really was. . . if what Harald had said was true. . .then she had a duty to perform.
************************************************************************
BT looked at Helba uncertainly. For a hacker, she sure was acting weird. She hadn't even said anything. And behind that visor, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
Finally, Helba spoke, but she asked the most unlikely question BT could think of. "You. . . you'd be about sixteen now, right?"
"Seventeen," BT corrected before she had time to think about it.
"And you. . . you look the same outside. . . in the real world, don't you?"
"I. . . yes, I do," BT responded, again before she'd fully processed the question.
Helba frowned for a moment. The girl didn't seem to know anything. Well, Morganna had seen to that. She turned back to BT. "One more question. When the Twilight Eye opened, you were the first to reach Harald. What did he say to you?"
Crim and Sora looked at each other in bewilderment, but BT's eyes went wide. "No! You can't! Please. . .don't ask me that!"
"You saw someone there?" Crim asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
BT's staff fell to the ground, and she backed up as though she was afraid of them. She was being forced to remember that place. . . and the words she had tried so hard to forget were streaming back into her mind.
************************************************************************
There was only an old man, bound to some sort of statue. Otherwise, the room was blank, completely white. She stood uncertain for a while, then finally spoke. "Are you the one who. . . sent the message? I came to talk."
The man's eyes opened, a deep green that matched her own. A small smile appeared on his tired face. "You're here at last. I've waited so long for you to come. Now his debt to me shall be repaid."
For the first time on her quest, BT felt afraid. "What are you talking about? Whose debt? Who are you, anyway?"
The man just smiled. "There's no time. The others will be here soon. You came here for power, right? I'll give it to you."
Another one of those odd sounds chimed through the air, and suddenly she wanted to run away. But she was frozen in place, unable to move.
The old man sighed. "Come here." And then she was walking toward him, powerless over her own feet. She stopped right next to him, and his hand reached out, straining against the red mass which bound him. "I am placing my trust in you," he said, that ghost of a smile still lingering on his face.
Somehow, that was too much to bear. So many people had said that to her, and she always ended up failing them. She gave a bitter laugh. "Trust me? That won't get you anywhere."
He was still smiling, but there was sadness in it, and his voice was laced with regret. "I wish it were otherwise, but we cannot change the past. And he did promise me that I would have my payment." His hand reached nearer, and a single finger landed on her chest, right over her heart. . .
It seemed as though something had jumped from his body to hers; some fragment of being had passed between them, and, for an instant, she knew all that he did, and the sadness and pain of it was unbearable. Then it faded, and only the remnant of the feeling was left behind, but even that was enough to make her wish she'd never come. Suddenly she could move again, and she knew she had to leave the place. She stumbled out of the room, only to find Bear, Mimiru, and Tsukasa waiting for her. She tried to warn them, but she was still in shock, and she only knew she had to get out of there. . . she walked away then, leaving them staring after her.
************************************************************************
As Helba stared at her, it was as though she knew what had happened without BT having to say anything. Then, without warning, Helba had her by the throat and was lifting her in the air. BT struggled, but her grip was like iron. And she was only using one hand. . . to be this strong, she must have hacked her player data. . .
Helba lifted her staff, placing it over the very spot where the old man's finger had fallen. "Now I uphold my part of the bargain. I have accepted Harald's choice, and I acknowledge that the debt to him has been repaid."
Sora, who until now had been too confused to do anything, started forward. "Helba, what is the meaning of this? You said you were going to help us, and I really don't think this is what I would call helping. Maybe you could just put her down, and we could come back later, when you haven't gone insane!" He had no idea what this was about, but he knew, somehow, that it involved more than this game. And he knew that BT was in terrible danger. He began to approach her, but she leveled her staff at him, and suddenly he was shooting across the room like a doll, crashing into the ground in a spray of dirt.
Helba returned her attention to BT, pointing the staff at her once more. BT tried one last time to break away, but it was no use. Helba hesitated for a moment, but when she spoke, it felt like she was not talking to BT but to someone who was no longer there.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I know you didn't realize what you were agreeing to, and you tried to keep it from being this way, but now that it has come true, I have to do this." She turned her face to the sky. "Forgive me. . . brother."
Then she struck out with her staff. Sora saw the staff connect, heard BT scream in pain, and then a blinding light sprang up. It grew more and more intense, until Crim, frightened, disappeared as he took his helmet off. The light grew brighter, and Sora couldn't see anything. It was quiet now, and he had no idea what was going on. The light was hurting his eyes, and it grew so strong that he, too, couldn't take it anymore, and flung off his helmet, returning to the world of reality.
************************************************************************
Wow, this fic is going places I never thought of when I was writing the first chapter! But that's the fun of it, right? Oh yeah, I would like to know if you guys have any suggestions for couples, 'cuz I really can't decide. I was thinking I'd do a Tsukasa/Mimiru, and possibly a BT/Sora, but I'm not so sure. So tell me what you think, k?
???: Um, I don't think I've gotten to that part, cause I don't really get what you're talking about. Sorry.
Lady Death: I have some weird website where I get all these quotes, but I can't remember the address. And as for BT. . . you'll just have to find out, won't you? *grins evilly*
crestofhope4salvation: Wow, thanks a lot! I am thinking about putting Sora with BT, and there are complications if he's ten, so. . . you get the point. And those sound effects are so cool! One of the ten billion reasons why I love Sora.
Taltos: See, I slipped an age in there! And I'll put Crim's and Sora's ages in the next chapter. Thanks for the tip!
death-resurrected: Oh, it is. . . *evil laugh* And it will only grow more important as the story progresses. . .
Thanks so much and please keep reviewing! I'll write the next chapter as soon as I can!