AN: This chapter is truly one of the most chill chapters lol! Just kids being kids and a bit of minor plot stuff toward the end. :D Because they deserve it after saving Terra and shit (Plus I need Kairi and Riku to bond again LOL or this will never work).
"Okay, so who wants to take bets that Ansem isn't fully dead dead this time either."
"I'll take it," Riku said, shaking his head. "The guy really seems to know a thing or two about hopping in and out of people's Hearts. Worming his way into them, burrowing down deep."
"Cockroach," Kairi nodded, her face twisting with disgust. "Also, Sora, how long does it take to load a cannonball? Please, are we ready to go yet or what?"
"Hey! Cannonballs are heavy!" Sora said, glaring at her.
"Okay - my bad, Sora. Sorry." Kairi held up her hands. "So are we ready yet?"
"I can help," Xion said, stepping forward.
"Nah, I've got it!" Sora chuckled. He stumbled back from the short, black metal cannon on the ship's main deck, dusting off his hands. "Okay, now we're ready! What are we doing again?"
"Yes, children, that is a very important question I have as well: what are you doing?" Aqua's voice rang out as she stormed onto the deck.
"Manually firing deckboard cannons to see who can get the most points by hitting the targets out there in the void of space," Kairi answered promptly, flipping her bangs out of her eyes and giving Aqua a wide grin. She threw out a hand to point to the huge chunks of rock and strange floating blocks and stuff in the Ocean Between.
Aqua stared. She looked from one to the other. From Kairi, to Sora, to Xion, to Riku. "And you thought this incredibly ridiculous, dangerous game would somehow be fair to Riku how...?"
"He gets triple points if he even hits anything - and he gets Sora to be his spotter," Kairi explained with satisfaction. "But besides that it's just blind luck...sorry."
Riku laughed. "No, no - that was good, Kairi. Nice one..."
"Idiot," Kairi said, rolling her eyes. "Roll-"
"Rolling your eyes again - yeah - I got that," Riku said humorously. "I have known you for the past nine years, remember that?"
"I try not to now, mostly," Kairi said honestly - bluntly.
Riku winced. "That's fair..."
"Okay, who goes first?" Sora said excitedly. "Let's get this game started already, guys!"
"We could do the tried and true rock paper scissors?" Kairi suggested.
"You can't play that with five people," Riku refuted.
"Okaaay, well how about we set up a mini game?" Kairi went on quickly. "We could...set up a target on the deck, and the first person to hit it with a- let's say a Blizzard spell gets first try? We can all do Blizzard, right?" she added, looking around.
"Yes," Xion nodded, relief on her face.
"Yeah, I can cast it," Roxas stated, shrugging.
"I could manage it, I think," Riku said. "Sora will have to spot me with this one, too, though," he added reluctantly.
"Hey, no problem!" Sora told him, clapping him on the back.
Riku gave an embarrassed grin. "Thanks..."
"Children..." Aqua spoke, striding closer to them all. Right up to them.
"Yes?" Kairi said, turning to her apprehensively.
They all shared the same look, just then, pretty much.
Aqua raised a hand, and a white light flashed. Hovering in the air beside her was a ball of magical energy, swirling and bobbing in the air. It was the size of her whole torso. She cast out her arm, and that ball of energy flew out across the deck, stopping several feet away. Then, it began to move - in a figure-eight pattern. And at a considerable speed.
Aqua looked at them, and she gave something like a smirk, hand on her hip. "If you're going to do this, let's make it a little more interesting, shall we?"
Kairi beamed. Sora's face split with a wide grin. Riku's head was moving, following the pattern of the energy ball, a look of deep focus on his face.
"So, who thinks they can make the shot?" Aqua went on, her gaze sweeping them all over. "Standard Blizzard spells - no homing, no curving."
"What happens if nobody hits it?" Sora wondered.
"If nobody hits it, I'll decide who goes first," Aqua stated casually, shrugging a single shoulder. "How does that sound?"
"Sounds good," Riku grinned.
"Yeah," Kairi agreed. She looked to Xion and Roxas. "Is that good with you guys?"
"Yes," Xion said simply.
"Sure?" Roxas said, shrugging.
"Great!" Kairi beamed at them. "So let's line up and get to it."
"Wait, who decides who goes first for the mini game, then?" Sora said loudly, holding up his hands.
"Me - thank you for volunteering yourself, Sora," Aqua replied promptly. "Step up."
Sora nervously moved forward, standing before the moving orb - separated by a good distance still. His eyes followed it all around its serpenty pattern of movement. He raised a hand shrouded in icy mist...and let loose with a projectile of ice the size of his own hand. The jagged chunk of ice flew across the deck- and missed the target by a wide margin. "Aw..." he whined, sagging on the spot. He straightened, turning to rejoin the others. "Okay, who's next?"
"You get to choose the next person," Aqua told him.
"Well, we know who he's picking..." Riku snorted.
"Kairi, you're up!" Sora said instantly, turning to her with a smile.
Kairi blushed, racing off to take her place before the target. But not before she gave Riku a solid smack on the arm.
"Ow..." he muttered.
"Come on, big, strong, cool guy - that one didn't hurt," Kairi said to him over her shoulder. "And if it did...I thought you were stronger than that, after all of yours and Sora's rough swordplay!"
"Alright, stab me, then rub salt in that wound - thanks, Kairi..." Riku said, shaking his head in disbelief. But he gave a small chuckle, all the same.
"You're welcome," she replied, prompt and sweet. She brushed back her hair and faced her target, focusing now. She raised a hand of ice...and fired when she thought the time was right. Unfortunately, her icicle of doom flew past the target a good full second before it was to cross its path. She sighed. "Crap..."
"It was a nice attempt," Aqua said with a smile. "Now, who are you choosing to go next?"
Kairi walked back to her friends, looking from Xion, to Roxas, to Riku. She met Xion's gaze; the girl instantly, silently began to plead with her to not be picked. Kairi shrugged and raised her hand to point at Roxas. "He can try next."
"Knew she'd pick her kid," Riku joked.
"Oh, not you too," Aqua said, rolling her eyes.
Roxas gave Kairi a smile and strode off immediately to take his position before the target. He raised a hand, waiting. Watching it move...
"It's not a big deal if you miss it!" Kairi called out.
Roxas startled, glancing back at her. He grinned, nodding. "Okay - got it." He faced forward again, and within a few moments he let his spell go. A big chunk of ice flew across the deck...and went way too high over the target.
"Good effort!" Kairi said, clapping for him and smiling.
Roxas gave a rare laugh, shaking his head as he returned to the group. "Nah, that was terrible."
"Are you teasing him or supporting him, Kairi?" Sora said, taking quick sidesteps away from Roxas as soon as he realized how close they were.
"As his mom, I have the right to do both!" Kairi declared, putting hands on her hips. She twisted around to grin at Xion, who startled at the sudden attention. "Now the only one left is auntie Xion! So get out there and go for it!"
"Auntie...?" Roxas said, perplexed. "What's that mean?"
"It means the sister of your parent - which is me," Kairi explained seriously, letting her arms fall away. "I mean, I'm the mom, and Xion is my sister, so that makes her your aunt."
"I'm probably gonna regret asking this, buuut what does that make Riku...?" Sora said hesitantly.
Kairi considered Sora. She turned her head to consider Riku. Riku shifted uncomfortably, sensing her gaze somehow. "That one family member who dropped out of school to do drugs and rob stores, and then he spent some time in prison for rehab and reform, and when he got out he got back in touch with the family and started coming around for Christmas parties but nobody really talks to him or anything because it's just-"
"Okay, sorry I asked - I regret it, I regret it!" Sora said swiftly, holding his hands up to her.
Riku blew a breath that fluttered his long silver hair, then brushed it back. "No, she's right. That's...kind of accurate right about now..."
"So...which family member would he be?" Roxas questioned.
"The fuckup uncle?" Kairi shrugged.
"Alright - ahem - Xion, please come up here and do your best!" Aqua said loudly.
Xion, looking resigned to a terrible fate, bowed her head and shuffled her way forward. She looked at the target, bringing her hands together at her chest. Then she stretched out an arm of icy mist...and let a spell go almost immediately. It flew out on a downward trajectory, striking the deck below and beyond the target. She let her arm fall, shuffling her way back to Kairi and the others. "Sorry..."
"You didn't have to win - it's just a game," Kairi smiled. "Just like kickball. It's nice to win, sure, but nobody actually cares if you do. Unless you're Riku..."
Riku turned, half opened his mouth - then he closed it. "Y-yeah, alright, that one's fair too. Actually it's the- truest and easiest of all your burns so far. I was...way too competitive."
"Speaking of competitions - how about Roxas goes first?" Aqua spoke up again, striding over to them all. And then past them, to the side of the ship. Looking out into the void, and the mess of space debris and weirdness.
"Uh...I've got no idea how this works," Roxas said helplessly, eyeing the cannon.
"It's easy - just light this fuse here with a little fire spell and watch it go," Kairi told him quickly, indicating the back of the cannon. "Aim first, obviously!"
"Right," Roxas laughed. "I wouldn't want to screw this all up." He stepped up next to the cannon, gazing out into empty space. "So what am I aiming for?"
"That blue L shaped thing is ten points - that stray block over there is five - and that huge asteroid is two. Then there's the small purple bit way down there..." Kairi explained, pointing. "Small and purple is twenty points."
"Okay." Roxas eyed the huge asteroid mass. "I think I'll go for that one; it's my first try, so I should probably play it safe, right?"
"Probably," Kairi shrugged.
"That's probably the smartest choice," Sora agreed from several feet away, grinning at Roxas.
"S-some..." a quiet voice came.
Kairi turned, eyeing her sister. "What, Xion?"
Xion stared at Riku. She seemed to be struggling with herself. Then, in one breath, she came right out with: "Something Riku wouldn't know anything about!"
Silence, and stares. Xion wilted under it all, ducking her head hard.
"Oh, I love you so much, Xion!" Kairi squeaked, jumping on her with a hug! "You got him, your first burn! Yes, yes, yes!"
"That was a pretty good one," Sora said, laughing hard.
"Yeah, she got me good," Riku admitted, laughing too.
"So, am I firing this thing or what?" Roxas spoke up uncertainly, watching them all.
"Oh - yes - sure, go for it!" Kairi said quickly, letting Xion go. "Fire away!"
"Okay..." Roxas held a hand of fire over the cannon's base, and the thick rope began to sizzle and shrink. A second later and it fired, with a great loud boom. A ball of swirling white shot out into the void; it struck the giant mass of rock and exploded, sending large pieces everywhere with sparkling energy particles.
Aqua inspected the damage for a moment before nodding. "Roxas takes the lead with two points, then. Everyone else has zero. We'll use the same rules as the mini game - after every turn, you get to pick who goes next."
Roxas turned to the others, looking over them all. He gave Sora a nod, gesturing to the cannon as he quickly backed far away from it.
Sora hurried forward eagerly, a little flame already shimmering in his palm.
"Not so fast, silly - we need to load another cannonball first," Kairi told him, giggling.
Sora closed his hand on that flame with a groan. "Kairi..."
"Don't worry - I can make this easy for us," Aqua spoke up. She raised her hand and a new energy sphere appeared before her. She took it in her hands, came forward, and then loaded it up into the cannon. She stepped back, clapping her hands. "There we go. Now you can fire, Sora."
"Heh, fire..." Sora chuckled, raising a hand of flames again.
Aqua put her hand over her mouth, laughing softly. "Oh, Sora..."
After Sora took his turn - and missed his target - he chose Riku (and then helped Riku). Who also missed. Xion went next, and she actually managed to hit something, to her total shock and pleasure - even if it wasn't what she'd intended to hit... After that, Kairi had gone, and missed her mark. Then, Roxas again. And the game had continued. When it was over, and the final scores were tallied up, Roxas came out the winner, with Kairi a close second.
And after the game, they retired together to the Captain's cabin, sitting around together in various seats, like before.
Aqua had tactfully declined to join them (either she didn't want to be the only party pooping adult in the group, or...well, or she wanted to get away from the rowdy madness of a bunch of teenagers high on fun).
Not that they were overly rowdy...
Sora and Riku got into a rough sparring session together (which Sora won); and then even Xion had been coaxed into joining in on gathering up all the ink bottles in the room and splashing it all over the walls; then Roxas had demonstrated that he did not possess his twin sister's allegedly amazing drawing skills (something else Kairi was mad at her daughter for not telling her about! They'd had so much time in that castle to say stuff, for crying out loud!); and then the latest probably stupid idea came courtesy of Kairi.
Create light swords, make a line of them across the ceiling like monkey bars, and see who could make it from one end of the room to the other. Without. The aid. Of magic. It was also made even more challenging by the fact that Kairi was still pretty terrible at maintaining their physical presence, so sometimes a bar or two was wont to vanish inside your very grasp.
All this to say: nobody had made it even half-way across the room yet.
After maybe a sixth attempt, and a bad slip and fall, even Riku finally threw up his hands and gave up on it, brushing back sweaty long hair and laying flat on the floor on his back.
"And so my obstacle course remains undefeated," Kairi declared with triumph, sitting back on the nice red couch.
"Hey, you can't even finish your own course!" Sora said beside her, slumping down lazily on the cushions.
"Yeah, I know," Kairi giggled. "Let's face it: we have noodle arms. All of us."
"Hey, Riku!" Sora spoke, straightening up and leaning forward to peer at him. "Think you could show us that Keyblade you got before?"
"Uh, sure..." Riku sat up again on the floor. He raised a hand uncertainly, and his Keyblade appeared in a flash of light. That simple Keyblade - gold handle, silver blade. Plain teeth. Square hilt guard. He tossed it up to Sora, who barely caught it by its end.
Sora looked it over for a minute, then gave it to Kairi.
"What are you going to name it?" Kairi asked, passing the weapon over to Xion beside her.
"I dunno? Haven't even thought about it..." Riku confessed, shrugging.
"Mine is Destiny's Embrace," Kairi began, thoughtful. "Sora named his Oathkeeper. And Roxas's is...did we settle on Two Become One?"
"Yeah..." Roxas confirmed, flushing with sudden discomfort.
"I can guess why Sora named his that way, but what's Roxas's mean?" Riku murmured.
"Um, well, see, it's sorta supposed to be about me and Xikira," Roxas mumbled, looking away. "We're twins, and we're separated right now, but...we'll be together again someday soon, right? So I guess it's like...a promise. From me to her. For- for both of us."
Riku nodded. "That's deep. Good, though. Good name." He raised a hand again, and his weapon reappeared in his grasp. "As for mine... Well...how about - Kingdom...Key?"
"Kingdom Key?" Kairi repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, uh, this Xehanort guy is after Kingdom Hearts, and we use Keyblades to fight him and keep it from falling into his hands...So it's the kingdom key. The key that protects kingdom hearts?" Riku hedged, shrugging and giving an awkward grin.
"You totally made that up on the spot," Kairi stated.
"Hey, you asked...that was the best I could come up with under pressure! You gave me like two minutes!"
Kairi stared at him for a long moment. Then she snorted softly. "I can't believe you pulled off the cool guy act for so long. You're as big a goober at heart as Sora! You were just hiding it all this time! Except you're worse than Sora, because you were an actual evil idiot!"
Riku lowered his keyblade, letting it vanish before falling back onto the floor again. He put his hands under his head, blowing a breath. "Y-yeah, I know, I know..."
Kairi glanced around herself, then sighed and sat back in her seat again. "I really wish I had something to throw at you..."
Sora hesitated, then he reached into his pocket...and pulled out her charm. He offered it to her hesitantly, grinning a little. Mouthing silent words to her.
Kairi grinned, taking it from him as she mouthed back a silent "Thank you". She shifted in her seat, raised her arm and took aim...
And chucked it at Riku.
"OW - HEY! What was that about?!"
"I found something to throw at you."
Within the Chamber of Repose, Xemnas sat alone.
Alone, as usual.
Except...that his usual routine was interrupted by the arrival of another.
A dark corridor formed, and a brown robed figure came slinking into the room.
Xemnas stood immediately. "I told you we cannot meet like this so frequently - not here," he spoke, disapproving.
"I have critical information to relay to you - it cannot be helped," Ansem responded.
"I'm sure my Organization can gather the same information for me," Xemnas dismissed, waving a hand and turning away.
Had Ansem still a human form, he would have frowned deeply. As it was, all he had was the troubled feeling in his Heart. His entire being. All he was... "Terra's Heart has been freed - returned to a human form by the Princess of Heart - and I have lost my vessel...as you can see."
Xemnas turned, surprise on his face at the news. Then he began to laugh.
"I fail to see how this is in any way amusing," Ansem growled.
"It is of no real consequence to our plans," Xemnas replied. "Terra will be yet another Keyblade to collect Hearts for me - and, someday soon, perhaps he will even make a suitable...Guardian of Light. It matters not. In the end, they will all ultimately play the roles we will give them." He paused, his gaze taking in Ansem's brown robed form again. In full. "Is it truly that difficult to hang on to the Hearts of children?"
Ansem's body radiated darkness, but he was silent.
"Perhaps it was a mistake to divide ourselves as we did," Xemnas went on, pondering. "You seem to have become far less than what you once were."
"And you're not?" Ansem scoffed.
Xemnas smirked. "Oh, I don't doubt that I have lost considerable power - yet still, the power I have gained far surpasses yours...clearly. And soon, once I have acquired Kingdom Hearts's powers...I will surpass all others."
"Do not forget what that power is meant to be used for," Ansem spoke.
"Of course," Xemnas said, slow and deliberate, that smirk fixed in place. "If you're in need of a new vessel, I believe I have several waiting in the wings. Vanitas has proven that even the current stock are capable of handling a great deal of power. I think you will find it a suitable replacement - and you will no longer have to contend with the Hearts of others, either."
"It will have to do," Ansem responded.
"Indeed. But, I do not have an unlimited supply..." Xemnas continued, mirthful.
"You're enjoying this far too much."
"Ah, but were our situations reversed - wouldn't you?"
"Hmph..."
Vexen sighed as he sat back in his chair, pushing off from his desk.
He spun around and jumped to his feet, striding off between the rows of containment tubes - each holding an unused and unfinished Replica. Only one of them was further along...
He stood before said Replica, gazing at it, hand going to his chin.
Creating a masterpiece was a grueling process - continuous trial and error. Calculating, and then erasing those calculations. Repeatedly.
Some might have called it tedious, but to Vexen it was...
Well, he would never use the word aloud, but in his own mind's refuge - he could admit it was "comforting." Even "relaxing."
This was his...element. It was his...
All he truly had from his life before, now, wasn't it?
The only thing of value, the only...
He felt a tightness in his chest, and he let out a low gasp. He glanced down at himself, raising his hand to his chest. More phantom pains, echoes of feelings that, even as a human, he'd rather have kept to a minimum, thank you! Overly indulging in such- frivolities was for absent-minded fools! He was a man of focus, of discipline, and of course, of superior intellect! He was-
He glanced up as he suddenly saw motion from the edge of his vision. He peered around the tube, looked left and right. He frowned, his arm falling to his side. Now hadn't that been strange? Was some infernal Dusk in here with him, or- His thoughts were interrupted as, again, movement came: from inside the tube!
His greatest work-to-be moved. It was not reflexive, there was no testing in progress - what could it possibly be reacting to?! What sort of stimulus? Was something wrong with the environment, the containment tube itself? Was something going awry within the Replica's very body? Vexen raced back to his desk, snatching up several handheld items and running back to the Replica. He aimed them at it, watching them closely - and it, of course. He glanced between one and the other rapidly, waiting.
Hmm...all signs...appear to be normal. Structure is sound, vital energy levels within the artificial Heart are normal, and there are no other anomalies I can detect...
Yet there was some sort of unidentified anomaly! It had happened twice-
Make that three times, Vexen amended, as he saw the Replica's hand move - its arm actually beginning to rise before falling again into stillness!
Perhaps these...anomalies were due to the fact that he had input the data into it before removing it from containment? But even so, that should not burgeon awareness - there should still have been no form of consciousness! Until he chose to wake it! It was not yet activated. No, no, it was not consciousness; it was merely reflex. A reflexive...response to the data within it now. Yes! It was perhaps the Replica attempting to process and...assimilate such vast, powerful data! After all, Vexen had never attempted to create a Replica from a person so powerful and skilled before...
It might simply be too much for the Replica to handle. Power burnout would be a potential issue, then, if that was the case. That was worrisome. Adjustments and stress tests would need to be conducted before any field testing whatsoever! If it were to destroy itself trying to do too much...
No, surely his finest creation would be capable of handling it!
So there were a few bugs, what did that matter, ultimately? Loathe as Vexen was to admit it, not even his greatest work could be perfect. Everything and everyone in this universe had flaws, imperfections, blemishes, god help him...
And try as he might, ninety-nine point nine percent of perfection was all he might be able to achieve here.
With her...
What?
Vexen startled as a loud bang resounded in his lab. He stared into the tube, at his greatest creation. Had it just...struck the glass?! He looked to the door of his lab furtively, hoping no one else was in this part of the Castle That Never Was. If anyone wanted to be petty and report these- minor bugs to Xemnas...
Vexen tossed his instruments onto the nearest table, then crossed his arms, taking a deep breath as he gazed on his Replica closely now. Far more closely. But it was motionless again, and its eyes were closed. Had never even opened, of course...
"Come now, you will survive this," he murmured out. "You need only bear it a little while longer. And when you are ready, you will be..."
What would she be?
The thought came to Vexen, that creating such an ultimate, powerful being to be used for the collection of Hearts and to combat the Keyblade "heroes" was...a colossal waste...
The Keyblade Heroine's words came back to him, suddenly.
"Xion is your best! She went from- from that- to a person! She's grown and learned, she's gone to school, she thinks and she feels and she has a Heart! Fine, maybe you did make her here - but that doesn't mean a goddamn thing otherwise! That's just- where she started. But her life since coming into existence? She's made it her own, just like the rest of us! How she was born doesn't matter; how she's lived does. And she's lived wonderfully - as my sister!'
Yes, that was the truth, wasn't it, even of the lowliest of the Replicas - Xion...?
"...You can be proud of her! She grew into an amazing girl - not an evil shit like you people who made her are. And not just some- disposable tool like you wanted her to be! Just some test for me! Fuck that, and fuck you! She's better than you'll ever be!"
And what had his response to her been? Quite a good one, he had thought.
"And so the brief light of intelligence sputters and dies..." He had sighed, shaking his head at her. "Evil, honestly?"
"YES! What the fuck else would you call all of this?!" the girl had erupted at him, in typical teenage fashion.
"Scientific research and experimentation," he had told her simply. Factually. Calm in face of this mere child and her outbursts.
"EVIL science!" the girl had retorted, not missing a beat. "Science is supposed to be used to help people! Research - medicine - it's supposed to- to enrich and benefit people! And- scientists, intelligent people like you...a person like you is supposed to be doing good in the World! I'm sure even you used to know that once, didn't you? You can't be a scientist without- taking Hippocratic Oaths and stuff! So why did you stop, why'd you throw it away and start doing evil bullshit? When did you lose sight of that?"
It was all just ridiculous, moralistic nonsense - the naiveté of a child who hadn't seen the world, who couldn't understand...not to mention she had spoken several inaccuracies that just pained him.
So then...why had that teen girl's ramblings actually made him pause?
Why had he, back then, actually...given it any form of merit?
And why was he doing it right now?!
What possible reason, what possible conclusion-
Vexen felt a pain shoot through his chest, and he grasped at it again now. What is...THIS now? What's-
He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth against it all, taking rattling breaths until...it eased.
He opened his eyes, and looked upon her.
Science was supposed to be used to help people...
When did he lose sight of that...?
Could he pinpoint the exact moment? Could he ever...?
"What a waste," he whispered, turning away from her, and letting his hand fall from his heart.
BANG!
He whirled back around to see two hands pressing to the inside of the glass - and a pair of blue eyes wide open, staring at him.
He drew in a sharp intake of breath, meeting those eyes.
The scientist in him was, of course, furiously theorizing and making little observations of every inch of her - but the other parts of him, parts long dormant (parts thought to have actually died when he had lost the boy)...
If he'd still had a Heart, it would have been...
But, as it was, it was not, because he hadn't one to- of course not!
This, in his chest, it was nothing - certainly nothing real or tangible. It was phantom, echoes, it was memory and mind and nothing more. It could not be anything more. There was nothing inside him - he was a literal shell of the man he once was...
He was just-
His utter mess of a mind was put to rest as the containment tube suddenly exploded in a flash of white light; Vexen raised an arm on instinct to conjure his shield, glass shards pelting against it and falling to the floor.
He lowered his shield, letting it vanish as he set his gaze on...her. She was unsteady on her feet, standing in the remnants of the tube - then she fell forward, hitting the floor face-first from a considerable height. Vexen threw himself forward, seizing onto her and turning her over. His eyes roamed her for injury - but any she had seemed to be superficial. Minor cuts and bumps. Perhaps a bruise to form. Nothing a Cure couldn't handle...
The question now was how to handle the woman- the Replica herself.
He gazed down into her face. Her eyes had closed again. Unconscious once more, then? What was the plan at this juncture, in light of this remarkable development? Contain her again, put her into a forced sleep? Or perhaps...
No, no! She isn't ready - don't be foolish! Hastiness will get us nowhere! She was supposed to take another two or three weeks, at best, to bring up to full functionality! Any deviations at this point would harm her development more than help it. It would just hinder her. Although...perhaps live testing at this stage could possibly lead to an early deployment, if handled with utmost care and keen observation - as only I possess the capabilities for, of course...
Vexen, lost in his thoughts, that feeling still in his chest...inexplicably found himself brushing a lock of blue hair from her face. He froze as his awareness caught up with his body's actions. That single, simple act. That one...
He glanced at the door again, his chest seizing tightly. He climbed to his feet quickly, hauling the- Replica up with him. He dragged her over to the table and lay her down upon it (ensuring no stray limbs hung off it). He stepped back from her, but he actually feared turning away from her again. What might she do when he wasn't looking again?
You, my dear...are going to be as excruciatingly troublesome to handle as your progenitor, aren't you? All that power, fury, and yet...gracefulness.
And yet...Vexen somehow found himself looking forward to it. Found his heart skipping a few critical beats...in excitement?
Again, he reflected upon this...feeling in his chest. With logic, from a scientific standpoint, he could compare and contrast it with the feelings he'd had as a human being - and he could, of course, excuse it all away now as being just "phantom" feelings. Memories in his mind causing him to feel things that very closely resembled human emotions yet could not be.
And that scientist would find that he was biased and deluding himself here: this feeling was the same as they had always been, there was no difference! He realized this, it was his conclusion - no matter what theories or hypotheses he had to make to get there! True, usually it was not proper science to work backwards from an answer, but...
But the man once known as "Even" knew exactly what he was feeling as well. And he knew it could only be true. This - this was sorrow, it was grief, it was pain and it was regret - and it was real. Such an unrivaled intensity could not possibly be fake, or an echo!
So then...Final conclusion: both the rational mind of scientist and the feeling human were in agreement on this perplexing, impossible phenomenon (however it had happened - and he had so many theories).
A scientist did not fear doubt - he accepted the possibility of failure, of being wrong, making mistakes. And then did his best to amend them. But the human did fear it: all of it. Especially the daunting task...of amending things. For he would have so many, numerous, weighty things to make amends for...
Vexen sighed, crossing his arms tightly around himself.
Even if he wanted to - all right, yes, he sort of wanted to (infernal emotions, of which he couldn't lie to himself about nearly as easily as he could to others!) - how could he possibly know where to start?
And to risk anything (not that he was committed to doing anything yet!) under Xemnas's nose? To even think about doing something counter to the Organization, risking erasure and oblivion? And yet...
Many other members had already done so, hadn't they? The likes of Marluxia, Larxene, Lexaeus, and even Roxas (though that one, Vexen honestly put down to thoughtless stupidity). The track record so far was three successes, one failure...
Both the scientist and the human in Vexen rather liked those odds...
Besides, he, as a brilliant scientist, would be far more subtle and inconspicuous about his actions than the rest of those fools! With their grandstanding and open declarations - honestly, it was as if they'd been begging to die!
Yes, Vexen would be a lot more reserved and calculating in his...brand of rebellion. The smallest, most unnoticeable of acts. Miniscule nudges. Such that none would ever realize what he was doing at all.
So it was that Vexen lowered his gaze to her again...and a small smile came to his face.
Let's see if we can't start with you, seeing as you're so eager to be up and about...