Hello, everyone! What's this? An update before three months have passed? Insanity! LOL
School is out forever! (Until I decide to go to grad school, that is.) With my workload dwindling to just actual work, I'm hoping I'll be able to update this story a lot faster than when I was in college.
CALLING ALL KHUX PLAYERS! SUBMIT YOUR CHARACTERS TO BE IN THE STORY! Something I've always planned on doing with this story is getting the readers involved in the actual story. With this, I had always intended on asking this, but with the final update of KHUX incoming at the end of the month, I wanted to ask this now just in case customization is no longer possible.
- If you want your character included in the story, please send the following to this email address: nightowl9810 . You may also DM me if you do not feel comfortable sending the following to this email address. DO NOT COMMENT ON THE STORY WITH THE FOLLOWING.
* A picture/detailed description of you character (this can include the names of the clothing items themselves, as I understand trying to describe some of the clothes are a bit difficult).
* The name of your character
* The Keyblade you wish your character to wield
* Your username/pen name/name you would like to be recognized as
* OPTIONAL: If you would like your character to perform a specific move, give the name of this move (NOT THE MEDAL), and a detailed description of the move itself.
I will not be answering questions pertaining to the story through this email, and this is solely to act as a place for you to send the above should you wish to do so. Again, if you do not feel comfortable emailing the above address, you can instead DM me through my profile.
Those who do wish to use the above email will only receive a confirmation email from me to let you know I got the information. Any further questions, unless they have to do with crediting or legality, will not be answered.
Thank you to those who wish to participate, and I understand those who wish to not.
With all that said and done, on to the story!
Sora stretched as he made his way down the hall, his hands resting comfortably behind his head. He smiled as he stepped into Yen Sid's study, seeing who was at the window. "Hey, Ven!"
"Hey," Ven returned, smiling at him before looking back out the window again.
"How'd you sleep?"
Ven gave him a playful look. "You mean last night or the last ten years?"
Sora snorted in laughter. Chuckling, Ven replied, "I couldn't really sleep, I've gotten plenty of that. How about you?"
Sora shrugged in return. "I don't even remember falling asleep, honestly. After everything that happened yesterday, I was exhausted." Ven nodded, turning his attention back to the dueling girls outside.
The brunette joined him, looking down for himself. "Huh. How long have they been up?"
Ven shrugged. "Not long. I heard them talking, so I wanted to see what was up. I think Nightly's showing Kairi something, but I can't tell what."
Sora hummed in thought, watching as Kairi made a motion with her hand, something lighting up at her left hand before she launched into an attack he had never seen before.
He felt his heart flutter as she landed, pulling off the move with a patiently practiced grace he seldom saw. Nightly called out to her, and Kairi responded by making the motion again. The light erupted in her hand again, and she launched into an attack against Nightly, who was holding her Keyblade in a block.
Sora watched as light erupted from her creating six copies of her before all seven figures rushed to attack the waiting opponent. Kairi flowed easily with the Light copies of herself, and he found himself thinking the red-head was meant for that move, like its entire design was created with her in mind, and she was the only one who could execute it with such perfection. He didn't fight his hand as it went to his chest where he felt the all-familiar pull he felt toward her and all Princesses of Heart he had ever come across.
Ventus glanced over at his friend, smiling cheekily to himself when he saw the look in his eyes. "She's pretty amazing, isn't she?" he teased, looking back down at the duel.
"Huh—what?" Sora stammered, snapped out of his gaze, eyes flying to Ven.
Ven gave him a look. "I know how you feel about her. Why haven't you said anything to her yet?"
Ven almost laughed out loud at the blush rising in Sora's face. The brunette rubbed his nose, avoiding the other's gaze as he replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yeah—right, okay," Ven snorted. "But seriously, you should tell her how you feel."
"Who should tell whom how they feel?" came a voice at the entrance to the study.
"Nothing!" Sora replied quickly, hiding his face as he showed a sudden extreme interest in the window sill.
"Good morning, Aqua!" Ven greeted with a cheeky grin.
"Good morning, Ven," Aqua returned, giving the boy an affectionate ruffle on the head, unable to hide her wince as another throb pulsed through her head.
"Are you alright?" Ven questioned, noticing the sign of pain from his friend.
Aqua's hand went to her temple, massaging it. "Yeah, I'm fine," she smiled through the discomfort. "It's just a weird migraine, is all. What are you two up to?"
"We're just watching Nightly and Kairi train," Sora answered quickly, propping his chin in his hand to keep his face hidden.
Aqua peeked out the window, seeing Kairi perform the move once again. "Oh, wow! How long have they been up?"
"Not long," Ven answered. "I heard them talking so I came to see what was up."
Aqua nodded, watching Nightly call something to Kairi, bouncing on the balls of her feet while she changed their position. From where Aqua was, she could only guess Nightly was giving Kairi advice on how to land after using the attack.
"What attack is that, anyway?" Aqua inquired, watching Kairi activate it again, this time landing more solidly. Nightly jumped excitedly, clapping her hands in praise.
"I'm not sure," Ven responded. "It feels…really familiar, honestly," he confessed.
Aqua's ears perked. "Really? How so?" She observed her friend closely, looking for any sign of remembrance in his eyes.
For a moment, his eyes glazed over. "I'm…not sure…" Sora heard the inflection in his voice, and glanced at Ven before locking eyes with Aqua, both unsure of what to say. They watched as Ven seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and shake his head.
"Oh, you guys are up, too?" came Skuld's voice as she and Ephemer entered the study.
"Yeah. Good morning!" Sora greeted.
"Morning," Ephemer returned. "What are you all looking at?"
"Kairi and—uh, Nightly?—woke up early and started training," Ven answered.
"Yeah, that was right," Skuld assured him, her and Ephemer taking a look outside in time to see Nightly and Kairi talking at the stairs of the tower. Nightly seemed really excited, her usual bubbly personality showing through as she talked animatedly to Kairi. She practically leapt up the stairs, waiting for Kairi at the door. The red head smiled brightly at her excitement, joining her at the door before the two started inside.
"What's going on?" Riku asked sleepily from the door. Sora turned happily to his friend before his face pinched in concern.
"Riku, you okay, man?" Sora asked. "You look tired."
"I am," Riku confirmed. "I don't know why, but I had trouble sleeping last night."
Chirithy piped up from the door, "That's funny. Nightly did, too."
Sora hummed in thought. "Where are Donald and Goofy?" he asked.
"They and Mickey and Master Yen Sid went to Mickey's castle," Chirithy answered. "Mickey wanted to see if they could find anything else about where Daybreak Town might be, and Yen Sid said he wanted to go with them."
"Master Yen Sid's not here?" Nightly said as she and Kairi made it back up the stairs.
"Nope," Chirithy replied. "He's with Mickey and Donald and Goofy at Mickey's place."
"Oh, okay!"
While Chirithy caught the two girls up, Ventus pulled Sora's attention to him again with a nudge, pointedly looking to Kairi. Sora bristled, his face reddening as he shot a look to the blonde.
"Sora, are you okay?" Kairi asked. "Your face is as red as that old jumper you used to wear."
Sora clenched his jaw, ducking his head as if to hide his face more, somehow turning a shade darker than he already was. Behind him, Ven clapped both hands over his mouth, giggling like an idiot.
Nightly raised an eyebrow at the two's antics. "Me and Kairi were thinking about going back to Radiant Garden today. You guys want to come?"
"Yeah, sounds great!" Sora answered quickly, glaring without heat at Ventus.
"Uh, yeah, we'll come, too," Ephemer confirmed, Skuld nodding with him.
"Where are we going?" Lea questioned, walking into the room with a stretch.
"Radiant Garden again, if you want to come," Kairi answered.
"Yeah, it'd be great to annoy Ienzo again," Lea replied.
"Um…annoy?" Riku inquired.
"Oops, did I say that out loud?" Lea said with a teasing tone. "I meant 'see'. It'd be great to see Ienzo again."
"Uh huh, sure," Kairi agreed sarcastically, rolling her eyes playfully.
"What about you two?" Sora asked, gesturing to Ventus and Aqua.
Aqua massaged her temple. "I think I'll stay here and rest a bit. Maybe do some training. You can go with them if you want to, Ven."
Ventus looked suddenly flustered, being put on the spot. "Um…I think I'll stay here and train. Gotta make sure I'm up to snuff after sleeping for a decade," he said with a sheepish laugh, discretely avoiding the gazes of Ephemer and Skuld, who were looking at him with those odd, longing eyes again.
"Yep," Sora agreed, clapping him on the shoulder, "gotta make sure you don't fall behind. Feel free to join us if you need a break, though."
Ven chuckled, "I will."
"Ienzo!" Lea greeted loudly as the group entered the large computer room. Lea stopped short, however, when he realized the gray-haired scientist was not in his usual place. "Aw, where is he?" he lamented as everyone filed into the room.
"Maybe the library?" Riku offered. "Should we go looking for him?"
"No, I don't think so," Kairi answered. "Maybe we can ask Tron?"
"Ask me what?" came the voice from the computer.
"Hi, Tron!" Sora greeted happily. "Do you know where Ienzo is?"
"Yes," he confirmed, "and so will you in 3.7 seconds."
"Uh…what?"
"Oh, good, you're here," everyone jumped at Ienzo's voice as he strode into the room, toting a black doctor's bag. "I was about to call you here."
"Hey, Ienzo. Long time, no—" Lea cut himself off when Ienzo expertly dodged his incoming arm. The red head stared in shock, the dark-haired man had never done that before.
Ienzo completely disregarded Lea's greeting. He had too much on his mind. "Is Ventus here?" he asked Ephemer and Skuld.
"Uh…no," Ephemer answered, caught off-guard by the question.
"He wanted to stay behind and train," Skuld added.
"Ah, I see," Ienzo said, his eyes searching the ground as he thought. "Perhaps that is for the best."
"Why? What's going on?" Ephemer inquired.
Ienzo didn't answer at first. His gaze rose to meet theirs, and he searched their eyes. He looked for a moment, not sure what he was trying to find, or what he was trying to tell them.
Finally, he broke the stare with a sigh. "I…I found something. I'm not entirely sure what it is or what it means, but you may know more than I do."
The teens exchanged a glance. "Okay, what have you got?" Ephemer asked.
Ienzo wasn't sure exactly why he hesitated before carefully placing the bag on the closest desk. Before he opened it, he addressed everyone else in the room: "Not to seem rude, but why else are you all here?"
"Oh! Uh, me and Nightly want to learn a bit more about my grandmother," Kairi answered.
"And Aerglo," Nightly added, her hand resting on her Moogle bag.
Ienzo nodded, thinking to himself. "Tron," he commanded, "run the names 'Eve', 'Ava', and 'Aerglo' through a thorough search, and include library and office documents in the parameters." To the two young women, he said, "That should help your search. With any luck, this should save you a few hours if you wait for a few moments."
Kairi beamed at him. "Thanks, Ienzo!"
Ienzo smiled back at Kairi before returning his attention to the bag and the waiting duo. He popped it open and reached in. As he rummaged through the contents, he began speaking.
"I noticed yesterday when we met Strelitzia that you had a green notebook that the three of you recognized as being a sort of instruction manual given to you by Master Ava." He paused when he grabbed hold of the item he was searching for. "And…well, after following the instructions she gave me yesterday, I found this."
Ienzo removed his hand, pulling out a green spiral-bound notebook that perfectly matched Ephemer's from yesterday.
The two teens stared at the notebook wordlessly, their eyes saying all that needed to be said. "I found this, as well," Ienzo said, reaching in once again and pulling out a small leather-bound journal. "I…would like you to confirm the writer, if you could."
"Uh…sure," Skuld answered, taking the journal while Ephemer took the notebook. Upon opening the journal, her eyes immediately widened. "Ephemer, look," she breathed, holding the journal out to him.
"No way," Ephemer agreed, taking in the words on the page.
"What is it?" Nightly inquired.
"This is Brain's handwriting," Skuld replied. She looked up at Ienzo, missing the gained stiffness in his posture. "Where did you find this?"
Ienzo tried to shake off his shock, his head beginning to hurt at the second confirmation. He blocked any thoughts that could lead to an existential crisis and answered Skuld's question: "In the back room in a filing cabinet at the back corner."
"Do you mind if we looked back there?" Ephemer asked.
"No, I don't. Just please don't touch anything unless it relates to your search. And please leave the journal here, I was just about to run further analysis."
The two nodded in agreement, Skuld giving the journal back to Ienzo before he led directed the two of them. "If you turn left out the door, you'll find the office through the third door on your left. Go straight through the office, and you'll be in the back room. Again, if it doesn't pertain to your search, do not touch it."
"We got it," Ephemer chuckled, following after Skuld out of the room and out of sight.
"Ienzo," Tron called, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "I ran the name 'Aerglo' through all possible parameters, and came across a single file."
Nightly perked up, her hand instinctively going to the book within her Moogle bag.
Tron continued, "It only contains one video. It appears to be security camera footage from 13 years ago. I can transfer the data to the console screen if you would like."
"Yes, if you would," Ienzo replied. "Thank you, Tron."
"Of course," Tron answered happily. Almost instantaneously, the screen on the main computer flickered to life, an image of static filling to all four corners. "I apologize," Tron explained, "you are going to have to manually adjust the feed. For some reason, I am unable to access such controls."
"That's perfectly fine, Tron," Ienzo assured the computer, taking over control and tapping a few keys, the buzzing of the static quieting down.
Nightly and Kairi pressed in to view the screen closer, Sora, Riku, and Lea right behind them. Ienzo tapped a key a couple times, and the static on the screen completely dissipated, revealing the black-and-white, slightly grainy image of two elderly people in the Radiant Garden library. One was Kairi's grandmother, the other was a man in a long coat and pants, his back hunched slightly as he held something to his chest with one arm.
The audio began in a fuzz, and Ienzo made another adjustment. The sound cleared, and the three heard the woman begin to speak.
"And you're sure it'll be fine here?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm positive," the man replied, his voice coming out gravelly and tired. "Our friends told me this is where they began looking, so this is the fastest way to get the book to her." The man crossed over to the shelves that were underneath the second story. "She begins looking here. She'll find it."
The man came back into view. "You'll make sure she gets it, won't you?" he asked.
Lady Eve chuckled. "You don't even have to ask that, Aerglo. You know that."
At the mention of the man's name, Nightly's breath hitched in her throat. 'This is him. The guy that wrote the letters. He said he's my brother.'
She stared at the man named Aerglo, trying to make out any facial feature of any kind through the grain of the screen. She couldn't help but feel disappointed when she didn't feel any kind of familiarity as she studied.
Aerglo smiled softly and nodded to himself. He let out a tired sigh, and asked, "How have things been here? How is Kairi?"
The question made both girls tense up. They held their breaths as they waited for a response from Kairi's grandmother, only for her to not need to speak at all.
"Gam'ma!" came a tiny voice, a little girl running into view. Kairi gasped upon recognizing her younger self. Out of instinct, she grabbed Nightly's arm, and Nightly didn't complain as she glanced over and watched Kairi's eyes widened as the woman stooped and hoisted the little toddler to her hip.
With a chuckle, Eve asked, "And where have you been, little one?"
"Me an' I-zo are playin' in the garden!" Little Kairi answered in her broken two-year-old words.
"Oh, really? And where is—oh, there you are, Ienzo!"
The boy in question came into view. Only appearing 3-4 years older than Kairi, he stood aloofly near the door, gazing silently at the two adults in the room.
Aerglo tried to strike up a conversation with the small boy. "How are you doing, Ienzo? Do you remember me? I visited here last year."
At his question, Ienzo stood silent for a moment before shyly nodding his head, not making any other indication of emotion whatsoever.
Lady Eve gave the boy a patient, practiced smile. "Well, you two run along," she said as she put Kairi down. "I need to talk to my friend for a bit, okay?"
"Okay, Gam'ma!" Kairi replied happily, running to Ienzo and taking his hand. As the two turned to leave, Ienzo stopped, pulling against Kairi's hand. She stopped and looked at him, head tilting in an obvious question. Instead of answering, Ienzo turned, his eyes resting on Ava, who looked back at him with an odd expression of hope and anticipation.
The moment passed, and Ienzo gave his attention to Kairi, who grinned and pulled him along down the hallway and out of sight.
At the children's departure, Eve released a heavy sigh. "How is he?" Aerglo questioned.
Lady Eve closed her eyes and shook her head. "He doesn't remember anything. I've tried so hard to jog his memory, but all I get are blank stares and shrugs. His Heart was so damaged he won't even speak.
"Sometimes, he'll do what you just saw, he'll turn around and stare at me. Every time, I can just feel him getting so close to remembering something, but then…nothing."
Aerglo frowned in the direction the two children went. "Why not take him to—"
"You know why we can't," Eve interrupted. "And even if we could, it may make things worse. It's not exactly the same as it used to be, and who knows what would happen if he does remember?"
Eve let out a fatigued breath. "The best thing would be to let him remember when he can better process the information. Until then, Brain does not exist. Ienzo does."
Kairi and Nightly both turned to Ienzo, his eyes searching nothing as his jaw hung open in shock. They could almost see the gears turning inside his head, and looked to each other before returning to the screen.
Lady Eve let her words hang in the air before nodding resolutely and busying herself with a bookshelf. After a sigh, she asked, "How is your grandson?"
"Great-grandson," Aerglo corrected with a chuckle. "He is wonderful. A happy boy looking for adventure wherever he goes." His words took on a playful tone as he added, "And you won't believe who he's already best friends with."
Lady Eve laughed, "Oh, I'm sure I can take a few guesses." The two fell into a comfortable silence as Eve slid a book from the shelf and laid it on the table behind her. She didn't notice Aerglo's eyes fall to the floor, his expression becoming sad.
"Ava," Aerglo said, his voice taking on a more serious tone.
Hearing her real name, Kairi's grandmother stiffened before facing him again. "Yes, Aerglo?"
Aerglo was quiet a moment, and Kairi and Nightly got the sense he was avoiding Ava's eyes. Finally, he said, "I am afraid…I will not make it to see her return."
The words sent a pang through Nightly's chest. She didn't feel the tears slip down her cheeks as she watched Ava let out a shocked breath before speaking again.
"Aerglo, please don't say that. You don't know if you will or not."
"We have over a decade to wait, Ava. I…I don't even think I will make it through the next couple years. I can feel it in my Heart. My time is coming soon. Promise me you'll make sure she gets set on the right path."
Master Ava averted her gaze from the pleading old man. "Aerglo, I—"
Aerglo crossed over to the retired Master, gripping her hands. "Please, Ava."
Ava sighed heavily, her head ducking. "Alright," she conceded, meeting his gaze. "I promise."
Aerglo gave a relieved smile as the screen grew fuzzy. "Thank you, Ava." With those last words, the image dissolved in a sea of static.
"No!" Nightly shouted before she knew what she was doing. She grabbed the screen, desperately trying to see more. She whirled to Ienzo. "Can't you do something?! Can't you fix it?!"
"I…" Ienzo tried, desperately grappling with what he heard in the video, his thoughts flying too fast for him to keep up. "The feed is too scrambled past that point. There's no way for me to correct it."
"But," Nightly stammered, "but they were right there! We were getting answers." She felt a hand take her arm, and she looked up to see Kairi meeting her frustration with her own sadness. She bit her tongue, trying to figure out why she was feeling this way when she didn't even recognize the man on the screen.
Kairi looked up to Ienzo. "Are you okay, Ienzo?"
Ienzo's eyes flit from her to the computer then back to her. He glanced at the bag that currently held the items from the cabinet before snatching it up and heading out the door. "I need a moment," he said quickly as he left the room.
Ienzo all but bolted down the hall to his room, throwing open the door and slamming it once he was inside, locking it in place. A migraine had been forming behind his eyes ever since he heard Lady Eve's words.
"Brain does not exist. Ienzo does."
Again, words from earlier filled his mind:
"Does the name Brain mean anything to you?"
"What about the number 4?"
Ienzo shook his head, trying to force down the odd longing and sadness that was forming in his chest. He dropped the bag onto his bed, his heart pounding as he fumbled with the latch, yanking it open.
He lifted the fedora out of the bag. It looked like it would fit him perfectly. Reverently, he turned to his mirror, looking up at his reflection.
'How much of my life has been a lie?' he wondered to himself. 'Just how much do I really not know about myself?'
He hesitated, looking back down at the fedora before gingerly lifting it to his own head. Just as he suspected, it fit snuggly around his head, and he had to resist the urge to pull it down further, feeling an odd desire for it to cover his eyes, feeling like it should have been bigger.
As he observed himself with the odd article atop his head, he couldn't shake the feeling of everything around him being too small. Or…was it that he was too tall?
He tilted the hat back a bit, tucking a bit of his lengthened hair under the fedora to reveal more of his half-covered face. The feeling got stronger, and he found himself putting a hand to his face as he attempted to mentally ground himself.
'What in the World?' he questioned.
"See, now we can match!" The familiar voice made Ienzo jump, and he whirled to find…nothing.
The name attached to the voice bubbled in his Heart, but he clenched his jaw as if to cut it off, though his mind screamed at him to call out to the one he heard.
He slowly turned back to the mirror, an odd pang of heartache welling up in his chest. He picked up the jacket, feeling the dark material in his fingers. The clothing article was obviously too small for him, and seemed to be more fitting for a child that was—
"I'm thirteen, what about the rest of you?"
This time, Ienzo recognized the voice as his own. Again, he started at the sound of his younger voice, feeling as if it were right behind him. He looked over his shoulder, once again seeing nothing.
The two voices rose in his mind in a whisper:
"I'm telling you, something's off."
"Brain, I know you have your reasons, but you just met them all. Don't you think you're overreacting?"
"Ugh…okay, fine, maybe. But still, where do they keep running off to? And just the two of them. You can't tell me you haven't noticed the way they keep glancing at each other like they're reminding each other to stay quiet. At the very least, it's cause for question."
"And you can ask them later…Look, everyone is trying to adjust to this new reality. Give them some time."
Sigh…"You're right…Thanks, Chirithy."
"Chirithy," Ienzo called, unable to keep the name from his throat this time as he turned around. For the third time, he was met with nothing.
He put a hand to his forehead, his breath catching in his throat and a dizziness filling his head. 'That's right,' he recalled, 'Ephemer and Skuld…they kept saying they had to check on something…or someone. Every time I tried asking, they would wave it off. I never found out what they were doing.'
He pinched his nose, trying not to think too hard about the fact that he just admitted to himself to knowing Ephemer and Skuld before recently.
'Didn't someone else do that, too?' His mind running down a train of thought too quickly to comprehend, he tossed the jacket onto his desk and grabbed the journal. He flipped through the pages. 'Here it is!'
Day 48
I tried to ask Lauriam where he keeps going off to, and he told me not to worry about it. Why is everyone keeping secrets?
Ventus has them, too. I don't think he knows I know. I keep seeing him hastily putting a piece of paper in his pocket when he notices someone is around or looking at him. I haven't pressed him yet, something tells me he's about to come clean, anyway. The more we talk about moving forward, the more uncomfortable he gets.
I saw him earlier with the recipe book in the Foreteller's Chamber. I tried asking him if he had any ideas for what to do next, and he jumped. He hadn't known I was there. It was like he froze.
He tried to hide the fact that he was reading it, and he kept switching between holding it behind his back and at his side, like he couldn't decide whether to pretend to hide it or act casual.
The strange part is when he left. He had the book with him, I saw it in his hand. But when I turned around to the desk, the recipe book was right where I left it.
Does he have an extra copy of the recipe book?
Is that even what it is?
Note to self: ASK HIM!
Ienzo knit his brow in thought, trying to make sense of the entry. He flipped ahead to the first blank page, thumbing back to the last entry in the journal.
Day 67
I'm about to complete the finishing sequence for the recipe Lauriam asked me for. I'm gonna ask him about his investigation when he comes to help me with the last steps. Hopefully he'll finally give me some straight answers, since this seems to be related to an investigation…of some kind.
What in the World is he trying to find with a Visions of the Future spell, anyway?
Hopefully I'll actually find out. 3 is supposed to come by, too. Said he wanted to help finish it up.
Guess today will be a day of answers.
Ienzo felt his jaw slacken. 'That's it?!' He flipped to the blank page, flipping further into the journal, only to be met with more blank pages.
He went back to the first, holding the journal up to the light, flipping the page back and forth, anything to try and see a possible hidden message. He snapped the journal closed and slammed it on the desk in frustration. He gripped the back of his neck as he began to pace, thinking out loud.
"This can't be it…what happened to us? How did we even get here? Why don't I remember anything else?"
The questions played through his mind on repeat, before he finally let himself slow down, trying to calm down and think rationally.
"The journal says two other people were there at what I can assume was our last day in Daybreak Town. From the first entry, I can guess '3' is Ventus. Would he know? No, 1 and 2 mentioned he couldn't remember them, so I doubt he'd remember—"
He stopped himself. 'Did I really just refer to them by their numbers?' He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in a very Zexion-like fashion. 'Well, at least it seems my memories are returning.' Unfortunately, such a thought sent him spiraling into more thought:
'What does that mean for me? Am I Brain, or Ienzo? I was Brain first, that much is obvious, but I've been Ienzo for far longer than I've been Brain.'
He stopped himself again, remembering that yes, while he seemed to have been Ienzo for longer, that was only because he could not recall his life before Daybreak Town. Such was the case for all who lived there.
He groaned again. 'It doesn't matter what I go by. What matters is figuring out what happened in the first place. Since Ephemer and Skuld seem to have all their memories intact, perhaps they would know something?'
He turned back to his desk, picking up the journal and taking a breath. He wasn't sure what answers he'd find, but he knew he needed to talk to Ephemer and Skuld.
This time, he didn't ignore the way his Heart leapt at the thought of them.
"Where did he go?" Skuld asked.
"We're not sure," Kairi answered. "He took this bag that was on the table and left."
"Why?" Ephemer asked. "What happened?"
Kairi and Nightly exchanged a glance. Kairi made a motion toward the two, and Nightly hesitated, biting her lip.
"Uh," Nightly answered after a moment. "In the video, Master Ava called him 'Brain'."
A moment passed. "Oh," Ephemer breathed.
"We might need to look for him," Skuld suggested. "Who knows what he's thinking."
"That…won't be necessary," said Ienzo, appearing in the doorway. The silverette stepped into the room, eyes unable to leave the two teenagers gripping each other's hands at the sight of him. Their eyes weren't quite meeting his. In fact, it looked like they were looking right above—
Oh, that's right. He was still wearing the fedora.
"Oh, um…" his hand reached for the fedora to remove it. "I didn't realize—"
"No, don't," Ephemer stopped him, holding up a hand.
Skuld smiled and added, "It's always suited you."
Ienzo paused, then let his hand drop, a small smile playing across his lips. Kairi lightly nudged Nightly, nodding to the door. Silently, they walked out of the room, heading toward the library.
"So…" Ephemer began.
"So…" Ienzo returned.
"Are…um…are you okay?" Skuld asked.
Ienzo answered, "That question is…a bit more complicated than I'd care to admit." His words elicited a chuckle from Ephemer and Skuld, albeit a strained one.
"What, uh…what do you remember?" Ephemer inquired.
"In all fairness, not much," Ienzo replied. "I remember my Chirithy, and you two, and Ventus and certain things about Lauriam. Other things I remember in concept; but as for actual details, it's very fuzzy."
The teens nodded in understanding, their eyes lit up in hope.
"I also wanted to ask," Ienzo added, "your friend you kept trying to see: that was Nightly, wasn't it?"
The question caught them off guard, and their eyes widened. "You noticed that?" Skuld asked.
"There wasn't much I didn't notice, apparently," Ienzo answered with a chuckle. "Did Lauriam ever tell us what he was looking for?"
"No, he didn't," Ephemer answered. "But we all knew he was looking for something."
Ienzo nodded, "And am I the only one who noticed Ven carrying around an extra copy of the recipe book?"
Their expressions gave him his answer. Their faces took on looks of surprise as Skuld affirmed, "We did not. He had an extra copy that whole time?"
"Yes. It's unfortunate he does not seem to remember anything," Ienzo said. "If he did, we could simply ask him, but…"
"Yeah…" Ephemer quietly agreed.
"Well, at least four of us are here," Skuld offered. "Now we just need to find Lauriam, and we might have a full picture of what happened."
"Yes, about that," Ienzo began, looking at the journal again, his brow pulled together, "what does Lauriam look like? His name…there's something about it. I feel like I've seen it before."
"You might just be remembering," Ephemer said.
"No," Ienzo insisted. "If that were the case, I would know what he looked like by now. I need you two to tell me."
"Okay," Skuld conceded. "He was the tallest of the group. He had blue eyes and pink hair."
"He had a thing about flowers, too," Ephemer added. "Especially—"
"Roses?" Ienzo asked, his eyes widening.
"Yeah, that's right!" Skuld said happily. "Are you remembering now?"
Instead of answering, Ienzo moved over to the desk and grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen. He jotted something down, then added what appeared to be one more letter. Then underneath, he seemed to add a letter at a time, crossing out a letter from the line above as he went. When he finished, he sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What is it?" Ephemer inquired.
Ienzo looked up at the two of them. "I think I know where Lauriam is." He held up the sheet of paper to the two. Ephemer and Skuld could make out Lauriam's name written at the top with an "X" added onto the end. Underneath, the "X" included with the rearranged letters of Lauriam's name created a new name entirely:
MARLUXIA
Sora tapped his fingers on the table, exchanging a quick smile with Riku. They had been waiting outside for Kairi and Nightly for what must have been half an hour at this point.
"What do ya think they're doin' in there?" Goofy asked. He and Donald, after helping Mickey, had gone back to the Mysterious Tower, where they had been directed to Radiant Garden by Ven and Aqua. Now they waited alongside Sora, Riku, Chirithy, and Lea.
Sora sighed. "Who knows? Kairi seemed really excited about whatever was in there."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure they'll be out soon," assured Riku.
"From what I saw at a glance," offered Chirithy, "it looks like some of Master Ava's things are in there. I thought I saw her mask and her cloak."
"Maybe she just wants to look around?" Sora speculated. "Nightly would know the most about Master Ava, so maybe she just has some questions."
"Maybe," Riku agreed, half paying attention, half speculating.
The boys didn't have to wait for much longer before the door opened and Nightly stepped through, smiling when she saw the waiting group.
"What are you two doing in there?" Sora asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"You wanna see?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah," Sora replied as if it were obvious.
Nightly smiled and stepped aside, making room for Kairi to step out.
"So, what do you think?" she asked.
Sora felt his Heart skip a beat and his jaw slacken. The red-head's hair was now twisted in a set of braids, one hanging behind her right ear and the other two pulled back where they held back the rest of her hair in a small, tailed bun. What appeared to be a sash of some kind was now wrapped loosely around her chest and flung over one shoulder, the white fabric twisted in a couple places to reveal the hot pink color of the other side. Her pink, figure-hugging dress had been modified, and now stopped at her waist, where a lavender, knife-pleated skirt now hung, her black hip purse still hanging at her side. A pair of white and pink boots now rose to right below her knees where they ended at curled points.
Kairi blushed under their stares, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Wow," Donald admired.
"Gawrsh, Kairi, you look amazing!" Goofy complimented.
"Those suit you real nice, kiddo," Lea added with a nod.
"Aww, thanks, guys," she preened shyly. She looked over to her two friends, who were both staring at her like she was a new person, entirely. And from the shine in their eyes, it wasn't a bad thing, either.
"Well?" she asked, encouraging them to speak. "What do you guys think?"
Riku was the first to snap out of his trance, and smiled at the Princess of Heart. "You look great, Kairi!" he said. His eyes flicked to Sora, and lightly hit the boy on the arm.
Sora jumped, a blush rising in his cheeks, one he didn't try to hide. "Yeah, you…you look amazing, Kairi," he breathed.
Kairi gave a small smile, her own blush rising in her cheeks before Nightly grabbed her arm.
"Come on, let's go show everyone!"
Ienzo stood, crossing over to the computer and setting the journal down. "Well, I suppose I will keep searching all the files I can until I either find more answers, or remember them. What will you two do next?"
"I guess…" Ephemer began, "we'll just keep looking for Lauriam. Hopefully he's not…well…with this Organization you were talking about."
Ienzo gave a halfhearted chuckle. "Let us hope. And Ventus?"
Ephemer answered, "We're just gonna have to wait. Maybe he's like you, and he'll remember with time."
"I guess we can only hope for all these things, hmm?" Ienzo said. He turned back to the two, only to be hit in the chest by Skuld as she suddenly threw her arms around him.
"I'm so glad you're okay," she said tearfully, "even if…you're not completely you yet."
Ienzo let himself smile, an odd relief flooding through his Heart. "I'm glad you two are alright, too," he said, completing the embrace. Skuld smiled up at him.
"Hey, guys!" Sora called, jumping into the room.
"Hey," Ephemer greeted.
"What's going on in here?" Lea asked teasingly, genuinely curious as Nightly and Riku filed in behind him.
"Well," Ienzo began, thinking. "A reunion of sorts, I suppose."
"Oh, really? Mind filling us in?"
"It…would be difficult to explain every detail at the moment. Where have you all been?"
"We found Master Ava's room," Nightly answered.
"You did?" Ephemer and Skuld perked up.
"Ah-hah," Donald confirmed as he and Goofy sauntered in. Kairi entered behind them, again a little shy about her wardrobe change.
Skuld was the first to see her. She covered her mouth as she took a sharp breath. Ephemer followed her gaze, and froze at the sight of the Princess of Heart before them. Ienzo simply smiled at the change in outfit, something in the back of his mind reminding him of someone he no longer remembered.
"Aww, Kairi," Skuld cooed, "you look just like her."
"That's what I said!" Nightly chimed in agreement.
Kairi sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "You think?"
"Definitely," Ephemer added, smiling brightly.
Kairi smiled, beginning to stand more confidently in her new look. The moment didn't last long, however, before a Corridor of Light jumped to life beside the group, and Ventus appeared, out of breath and visibly shaken.
"Guys! I need help."
"What happened?" Sora asked.
"Aqua collapsed! I don't know…her headache just suddenly got worse and she passed out!"
Without a second thought, Riku, Kairi, Lea, Goofy, Donald, Sora, and Nightly ran through the Corridor. Ventus followed right after them. Ephemer and Skuld hesitated, looking back to Ienzo.
Ienzo lightly pushed their shoulders. "Go on. I'll let you know if I find anything. Good luck."
The two teens smiled at him. "Good luck to you, too," Ephemer returned.
Ienzo smiled as he watched the two disappear into the Corridor before it, too, vanished. With a sigh, he let the smile fall, and picked up the journal, sitting down, and beginning to read.
And scene! I wanted to get this out as quickly as possible, both for the above announcement and to just give you guys an update. That being said, I wanted to submit this when I also had an illustration of Kairi in her new outfit ready, but that just didn't happen this time around. Oh, well LOL. I'll have an illustration up as soon as I can, though.
Thank you, everyone, for reading and coming along on this journey. If you would like your character in the story, please see the announcement I made at the beginning of this chapter. I look forward to seeing your submissions. See you all next time!