"I may be a bitch," Colonel Nabaat says, the sound of her striding boot heels echoing throughout the room, "but I know who my subordinates are. And I know that neither Biggs nor Wedge would ever willfully demonstrate spine enough to correct me."
Riku knows Telary is giving him a look, but he just shrugs. The silver-haired young man begins to rise, slowly and quietly. Telary lets him go, the wizard himself opting to slide a few inches closer to the server. If Riku's going to play distraction, he'll need to be ready the second 9S is good to go.
"I can only imagine you have something to do with that pathetic mob of idiots outside," Nabaat continues, her voice moving closer. "More resistance rats. Why can't you see the truth, and trust that your superiors know better than you? You're only hurting yourselves here."
Really? Riku thinks as he quietly climbs atop a server. From here he has a perfect angle at the colonel's back. One quick blow should put her down for now. His Keyblade springs to his hand, and for once he's grateful for the darker energy that signals its arrival. Taking a deep breath, Riku leaps down at his opponent.
She moves like lightning, one moment right in his sights and the next out of range. Way to the Dawn hits the floor with a loud clang, and its wielder can't help but gasp. How?
Jihl must be able to read it on his face. She smiles down at the Keyblade wielder, her glasses sliding forward a centimeter along her nose. "I may not be out in the field as often as I like anymore, but that doesn't mean I let all my training go to waste." She reaches down, grasping a metal baton at her waist. With a flick of her wrist, segments of the weapon telescope out. She points it down at Riku's face. "Let's see if I've still got it."
Riku decides the best path here is to say nothing. He thrusts his Keyblade at the woman's heels, but once again her speed proves uncanny. It still gives him a second to get up though, and he leaps to his feet. Making sure to keep his blade raised defensively, he manages to block Nabaat's attack. He swipes her baton away, and pushes forward with another attack. She's gone by the time he finishes.
"Nice to see they have someone who knows what he's doing." Her voice is coming from the left, just around the next server ahead. Riku leaps, swinging as he turns the corner. His Keyblade meets baton, but at least he knows where his opponent is. "An interesting weapon you have there."
Riku doesn't bother stepping forward, swinging again. Carefully though, considering he's not sure what it would mean for the mission if he were to take out a few servers. Nabaat starts backing up, and he cautiously pushes his advantage. They fight all along the aisle, every swing and riposte countered by the colonel with minimal apparent effort.
When she finally decides to counterattack, it's a fairly clumsy lunge. Riku reacts quickly, stepping back and raising his Keyblade diagonal. But his opponent is faster and more clever than that, quickly lowering her strike under his guard. Even through his stolen armor, the thrust is powerful enough to throw off Riku's balance.
He adjusts quickly, ducking to the side of the nearest server to get him clear of any followup. He's beginning to back up a few steps when Nabaat tears around the corner, swinging down at him with vicious speed. He barely swats the blow away, sending it crashing into the nearest server. A shower of sparks shoot up from the impact point as the device's metal bends. Riku can't help but wince, hoping that won't affect anything.
It does nothing to diminish his opponent's zeal, and the colonel keep coming for him. Now it's Riku who's forced to move in a constant backpedal, deflecting shots. There's got to be an angle here, and the Keyblade wielder is desperate to figure it out before it can be played.
"Oh, Riku!" Telary calls from across the room. "I think… Yeah, we got it! We got it!"
"Good luck leaving with it," Nabaat sneers, quickly ducking behind the server to her right.
Riku rushes forward to follow, finding only empty space. Then he feels an impact against his back, sending him sprawling to the floor. He rolls quickly to his back, barely getting his blade up in time to prevent his opponent from knocking him while he's down.
"This is really their best, isn't it?" the colonel sneers, pushing down harder. Riku keeps her at bay, but finds that the woman is quite a bit stronger than she appears. "Pathetic. And here I heard righteous conviction was the resistor's most potent tool. Seems that was… Yargh!"
She falls to the ground in a heap, revealing Telary standing behind her with his staff held out. "Um, we're good to go. Isn't that right 9S?"
"Yes, I believe I've gotten exactly what we came for," the program replies from his flash drive's small speaker. "In fact…"
"What?" Riku ask, rising to his feet.
"Well, this is only what you Users would call an 'intuition'," 9S replies, sounding unsure of himself. "But frankly, what's on here is, oh what's the phrase… Oh, yes. Too good to be true."
"How do you mean?" Telary asks, frowning.
"It's a direct video feed to the President's office," 9S reports. "Literally showing General Fury's briefing of Vinzer Deiling on the likely existence of Radiant Garden. From there, the president proceeds to give the general a speech on the importance of controlling information. Fury objects quite loudly, and the president shoots him point blank without remorse. From there President Deiling seems to remember the camera's presence, and it is disconnected approximately two point eight seconds after General Fury's elimination."
"There's an actual, literal video of the president committing murder?" Riku declares, with all the incredulity such a statement deserves. "And they just kept… Well, this certainly fishy."
"Along with the video, which I imagine to be the most damaging evidence," 9S continues, "I also was able to find and pull several studies on ci'eth numbers for the past few months. The decline is pretty significant."
"What are we supposed to do, then?" Telary asks, biting his lip worriedly. "I mean, we got what we came for but… Why was it here in the first place?"
"I think," Riku says, steadying himself and taking charge, "that these are all thins that can be investigated later. For now, we've got a mob outside fighting against a force that will in all probability abandon the conflict once we show them this. Regardless of how it came about, we have clear and undeniable evidence of a murder. The people need to know the man they've put in power."
"You're right," Telary agrees, taking a cue from his partner and hardening his resolve. "We need to get out of here and…"
"Why?" Riku asks, a thoughtful look on his face.
"User Mid can hack the public address feeds," 9S reports. "He could broadcast the video and…"
"Why take the extra time, though," Riku says. "I mean, presumably the main feed comes from this place. Why not just broadcast from the source?"
"Because we're in a highly defended building and we'd be looking for a room we have absolutely no clue about re: location," Telary replies, crossing his arms. Riku isn't quite familiar enough with the wizard yet to tell, but he's wearing what Sora or Azlyn would easily identify as has "kindergarten teacher" expression.
"Not so highly defended since most of the defense force is outside having it out with a protest mob," Riku counters smugly. "And as to your first point, consider this: when the hell has something like that ever stopped us?"
"Me it's stopped several times!" Telary protests, now just looking angry. After a moment though, he sighs. "But Azlyn, Sora, or Kairi wouldn't even consider letting the facts stop them. Yeesh, and here I thought you were my partner is maturity and reason."
Riku shrugs, nonplussed by the criticism. "Well what can I say. Now c'mon." He turns and heads for the door, firmly believing Telary will follow. As expected, the wizard goes along. Riku takes one last look back at the fallen form of Jihl Nabaat, and he can't help but laugh.
"What's so funny?" Telary asks, though somehow he knows he's going to regret the question.
"I can't wait to tell Azlyn," another chuckle breaks through the silver-haired young man's composure, "about you hitting on another woman at your bachelor weekend."
"You, my friend," Telary says, teeth clenching just a little, "sure pick strange times to display a sense of humor."
KH-KH-KH
"This isn't what I wanted to happen," Rinoa says, almost too quietly to be heard over the noise of the confrontation. Leon, standing beside her, just gives her an ambiguous look. She regards it only a brief second before turning back. "I just wanted to show Deiling that the people would stand up to him."
"They certainly look to be doing that now," Fang, standing on the resistance leader's other side, declares. There's a certain amount of satisfaction in her tone. "They're giving a good fight."
"But a fight they can't win," Leon chimes in, his posture tensing almost imperceptibly. "I've seen Telary come through before, and Sora vouches for Riku, but…"
"I shouldn't have let this happen," Rinoa finishes, the words like knives slicing into her mouth. "Even if they succeed, a lot of people are going to get hurt in the meantime. If I'd waited until I knew we had something solid to show…"
"They killed your father," Leon says, finally releasing his crossed arms and putting a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You want justice, you want these people to never have to live like this again. But things take time, Rin."
"I was waiting for this," Rinoa says, regarding her old lover with a bitter smile. "The lecture. You always loved your lectures."
Leon looks away. "Rinoa, I'm only trying to…"
"I'm not saying you're wrong." Rinoa bumps into his side playfully. "You never really were. It's just annoying."
"So not the time," Fang mutters, focusing the pair's attention back to the sight in front of them.
Luckily things have remained tame as far as riots go. Even the PSICOM officers are making sure to only use what force is necessary. Their apparent commander, Colonel Laguna or whatever, is certainly doing his best to remind them not to let things get lethal. That will hold for now, but after much longer things can only become worse.
That's about Sora's assessment of the thing. The Keybearer stands away from the major conflict, more observing things on the sidelines. He knows he could rush into the fray, maybe turn things around, but that could also easily lead to an escalation itself. For now, he can only watch.
Things like this are better with Heartless, he thinks. Well, perhaps not better. But it doesn't gall Sora like this. Extra-dimensional creature of darkness are one thing, but somehow the simple act of human beings fighting each other just chips away at the happy-go-lucky aura he's always tried to surround himself with.
He feels a certain amount of respect for the enemy commander, Lagoon or whatever. The man stands right in the midst of the conflict, calling for all the soldiers to remember their duty to protect citizens, not engage in brutality or a slaughter. And the men are listening. At least there's some bright spot in all this.
But it can't hold, especially considering Snow and his most loyal men's insistence that the rebels push harder. The brash rebellion leader is in the thick of it, shoving any PSICOM soldier who dares get close to him. At the moment, he's displaying a particularly heavy resistance against a soldier in red armor. Something about his movements, and the way his expression is truly twisting with anger, suggests to Sora that this particular conflict is personal.
And then it happens. Finally, spark truly hits powder. Whatever business exists between Snow and this soldier, it goes far beyond a mere police action. Whoever he is, the soldiers stops merely holding his ground against Snow's shoves and blows. He strikes out with his baton, smashing into the young rebel's face. Blood spatters his uniform, but the man doesn't seem to care, pressing his attack.
Rinoa yells, Laguna yells, even Sora raises his voice in hopes that something can be done. But it's too late. Whatever control level heads could maintain over this moment is gone. One of the resistors finds a rock, hurling it into the face of the closest soldier. Another grunt starts using his baton against the nearest rabble. Battle lines break, the melee beginning in earnest.
"Gwarsh," Goofy mutters, shaking his head. Beside him, Donald wears a grimace of his own. For all the magician's talk about quick solutions and easy violence, it's clear when confronted with it he'd rather not be.
"Stop!" Rinoa yells at the top of her lungs, rushing toward the fray. Leon barely reacst quickly enough to stop the woman from charging into the thick of it. She hardly appreciates that, turning and giving the man a smack. "Let me go Squall! Let me go!"
"I won't," Leon declares through clenched teeth, standing firm even as another slap lands. "It won't solve anything. You can't get involved."
"You lost the right to care about my safety, Squall," she argues, tugging against his grip. "Please, I…"
"If you won't listen to him," Fang says, stepping up beside Leon and giving the resistance leader a hardened glare that matches his, "then listen to me. You're not getting anywhere near that mob. Once you lose your head, it won't be long before we have a real war on our hands. You don't want that, do you?"
"Snow is going to have to answer for this," Rinoa declares, finally ceasing her struggle. "I knew he was eager, brash even, but…" She sighs, shaking her head. "I never wanted this. I wanted peace."
"I know," Leon says. Slowly, cautiously, he reaches out to rub his hand against her back. Despite everything, the rebel leader looks at peace as he does it.
Sora opts to look away, feeling this isn't a moment he should be a part of. Unfortunately the only other option is the view of the increasingly violent protest. As he watches the opposing forces clash, he sends a silent prayer of hope to Riku and Telary.
KH-KH-KH
"Take the left," Riku instructs, barreling toward the intersection ahead. Telary runs along behind him, his long legs making up the difference in physicality between the pair. Just barely.
"Went left last time," Telary reminds his partner, trying not to sound out of breath.
"That's the plan," Riku shoots right back, making the turn. "We go left until we can't anymore, then go all right. Checking every door, we should be able to figure this out."
"You should have told me about this," 9S complains from his flash drive. "I could've downloaded a layout when I was in the server. All you had to do was ask."
"I'm right there with you," Telary clandestinely informs his digital companion. The group has stopped for a moment, while Riku uses his Keyblade to unlock and check yet another room.
The silver-haired young man scowls as he takes in yet another bland boardroom. The only screen in here is the large projector set up on the far wall. For a moment he experiences the urge to smash it to pieces just because. But that's a dark impulse, not something he needs to be indulging anymore.
"Do they really need to have all these places to meet?" Telary asks as the search continues, Riku practically bouncing a few feet down the hall to the next door. The wizard trudges along after. This door is as nondescript as the last, so surely nothing in here will be any more of a help.
He thinks that right up until he's following Riku inside. The Keyblade wielder stands over a figure in an outfit like Ardyn's. Papers are scattered around the floor, and the clerk looks suitably intimidated by Riku waving around his fairly scary-looking blade.
"Where do you control the city broadcasts from?" Riku demands, giving the man below him a stare down which makes even Telary feel like answering his inquiries.
"It's three floors down, orange hallway," the terrified clerk confesses. Despite being military affiliated, it's clear that he isn't used to dealing with situations like this. "You need to know the day's password to get in, but I don't know what it is. I swear I don't!"
"Relax, I believe you," Riku assures the man, dismissing his Keyblade. "Uh, so, we weren't here if any security types ask, okay?"
"What was that?" the clerk says, looking around in exaggerated bewilderment. "I thought I heard something just now."
Riku turns to Telary with a small grin. "Oh, this guy is gonna go far!"
They lock the clerk in just in case he decides to grow a spine once they're out of sight, then head for the nearest elevator. The thirty-or-so seconds they spend in the small descending car are inexplicably nerve-wracking for Telary. In his mind, he can't help but visualize some savvy PSICOM soldier cutting the elevator's cord and sending its occupants plunging to their death far below. Sometimes, Telary just has too much imagination for his own good.
But contrary to the wizard's worst fears, the infiltrators reach their destination without incident. There are a few people milling about this particular floor, but luckily the boys' stolen armor holds up under light scrutiny. Not that many people bother with scrutiny, too absorbed in their own little worlds and routines.
Their luck runs out in front of the very room they seek. A soldier stands alert by the entrance, his posture stiff and weapon ready for a situation that calls for it. Riku and Telary slow their pace, trying to appear as unhurried and lackadaisical as the rest of the floor's occupants.
"We've got business," Riku declares, a little staged annoyance coating his words. "Orders straight from Colonel Nabaat. If that doesn't tell you how much of a hurry we're in…"
"I hear you," the guard replies with a good-natured chuckle. "But you know protocol. Password first."
"Yeah, of course." Riku's continued nonchalance no matter the situation has Telary equal parts impressed, disturbed, and jealous. "C'mon Biggs, you know I can never remember this stuff. Tell the man the password.
And then sometimes it just pisses him off.
"Sure thing Wedge." Telary is a great thinker. He spends a lot of time at it, carefully composing his thoughts, organizing them in a succinct manner. And he's honed pretty good instincts over the years, a necessity when a person sees heavy combat approximately once every ten hours. But he's not, all things considered, the quickest thinker. Knowing this, and its relative uselessness in this situation, he bypasses thought altogether. He doesn't throw in a bluff, stall for time, anything like that. Instead, he very calmly raises a hand, gathers his will, and says, "Thunder."
The broadcast room guard's body shudders once as the electricity courses through him. He loses consciousness almost immediately, and it's lucky Riku is there to catch the man or he'd have fallen fully-armored to the floor. It's a stroke of pure luck that no one is around to witness the sight.
Riku sets the guard down gently, and he's just about to congratulate Telary on his quick thinking when two guards round the corner. They rush forward, already asking questions. Riku takes care of this one, thrusting out his hand and unleashing a dark fireball that knocks one man down. While the other tries to recover from the shock of it, the silver-haired young man leaps forward and cuts him down with a single stroke of his blade.
"Oh, this is going well," Telary comments as his companion magically unlocks the door before them.
Another soldier is running across the room, responding to the disturbance. Though he doesn't like it, Telary has no choice but to take him out with a quick fire spell. The man goes down, and Telary and Riku step into the room. Once the door is closed, Riku takes the liberty of locking it up once more.
A shot rings out through the air, sailing just past Riku to embed itself in the wall. The Keyblade wielder turns to see a PSICOM soldier with rifle at the ready, standing behind a waist-high computer console. Around the rest of the room, a trio of technicians cower behind another workstation. Aside from the dim lights above, illumination comes from a giant screen embedded in one wall. Currently, it displays images from the riot outside. Telary hopes that they haven't gotten here too late.
Riku rushes the soldier, leaping to the side just as he rapidly fires off a trio of shots. Gritting his teeth, the Keyblade wielder casts another dark ball of fire. The soldier ducks just in time, the majority of the damage going to the console he's using as cover.
But all that was merely a distraction. With his opponent hunkered down, Riku easily finishes covering the distance. He leaps clear over the console, landing a few feet behind the soldier. As the man tries to recover, all it takes is a clean swipe to put him down.
"Sorry about all this," Telary says in a loud, calm voice. He walks closer to the frightened technicians, hoping he can find a way to strike the right balance between meaning business and not wanting to hurt anyone. "Um, so we have something we'd like to show. Uh, broadcast, y'know? Does anyone know where I can plug my drive in?"
"I've got a few suggestions."
They hadn't even heard the door open, but Jihl Nabaat stands just inside the broadcast room. She looks pissed, the baton in her hand practically quivering in anticipation.
Riku doesn't waste time with words, immediately bounding forward with his blade reared back to strike. The colonel takes blocks his blow, eyes flashing as the battle is joined.
Trusting his companion to deal with the combat, Telary returns his attention to the frightened technicians. That's just as well, considering one of them has managed to procure a weapon. "Okay," the wizard begins, hoping to appeal to some kind of logic or decency. But whatever he might have had to say is interrupted by the sound of shots being fired.
A quick shield spell blocks the first pair of bullets, robbing them of momentum and dropping them harmlessly to the floor. The wizard maintains his spell as more shots are fired, absorbing all their kinetic energy and converting it to magic. After a long few seconds, the technician's pistol clicks empty. Still holding in the appropriated energy, Tel turns towards Riku's fight. With a thought, he unleashes everything he's gained against Nabaat.
She never sees it coming. Riku is just pushing back a strike from her when the energy, mostly invisible with a few flashes of white light around it, hits her in the back. The colonel practically flips end-over-end, falling hard to the floor. With a grunt, Riku kicks her down again. She slumps to the ground, unconscious once again.
"Came through again," Riku notes as he steps toward Telary.
"I only hope you don't start feeling insecure about yourself," the wizard jokes. "Because I've had to sucker punch your opponent for you twice now."
"You can make it up to me by finishing this crap up." The silver-haired young man looks up at the dominating monitor. He's hard pressed to make out individuals in the midst of the riot scene, but it's a safe enough bet Sora is in the middle of it all.
"I've decided not to take that whole thing with the gun personally," Telary announces to the technical crew. "After all, you're just trying to do the right thing here. Which is actually what my friend and I are here about." He holds up 9S's flash drive, giving the people an imploring look. "So again I'll ask, where might be a good place to plug my friend in here?"
KH-KH-KH
Finally, Sora can no longer simply wait this thing out on the sidelines. No one can, as there is considerably less sideline to speak of at all. Somehow the chaos has only grown larger, uncontainable.
Kingdom Key blocks the fierce strike of a baton, but from there it's wielder can't help but feel concerned. What is the appropriate action here. He is being attacked after all, but he doesn't wish to dirty his own self with a fight like this.
Donald Duck takes the choice out of his hands with a prompt whack of his staff against the PSICOM man's shin. When he staggers, the mallard magician follows up with another attack that sends him to the ground.
"You were taking forever!" Donald complains.
"This is kind of a moral gray area here, man!" Sora yells down at the duck. He just shrugs, pointing to where Fang is defending herself without apparent remorse.
Rinoa and Leon run up to him, both looking winded. A bruise is starting to color Leon's cheek. "I need to get through this mob!" Rinoa says, shooting a determined look at the Keybearer. "If I can find the officer in charge, Laguna, then I may be able to get his help to calm it all down."
"I'm not sure about this!" Leon declares with a shake of his head. "This may have gotten too out of hand already."
Rinoa shakes her head, determination undeterred. "No! I know these people, Squall. They just need cooler heads to prevail."
"Them heads better be ice cold at this rate!" Goofy comments, pointing a trembling finger upward.
Everyone turns to look, and sure enough they begin to feel chills of their own. The square has managed to calm itself down considerably, though not without a cost. Standing atop the PSICOM temporary command post is Snow. Beside him, held down by Gadot and another burly young male, is Laguna. Whose gun is resting in Snow's hand, the other holding the officer's voice-amplifier.
"This is over!" the rebel leader declares, earning a loud and proud shout from his most ardent believers. "For the last three years of my life, my only goal has been to give real freedom back to the people of Bright Oasis. I thought I could change your minds, make you see the light with only words. But now I see that's not going to happen."
"What's his plan here?" Leon asks Rinoa, taking advantage of the dramatic pause.
She can only shake her head. "I… I'm not sure, honestly. This isn't like him at all…"
"You aren't in command of this city," Snow continues, only sounding more resolute as the moments pass. "The people are. And it's time there was an undeniable reminder of that fact." For a moment it seems as if he's suddenly decided to lower the gun. Then a shock goes up from the crowd as they realize he's merely aiming.
Right at Laguna.
Reaction is mixed. Some cheer at the sight, but it seems as if a lot more people are rather horrified by what is about to take place. Sora counts himself among the latter, and a quick glance shows that's clearly the sentiment in his immediate area. Rinoa looks like she's about to scream, Leon's teeth are gritted. Fang is muttering something to herself. Curses, if the look on her face is anything to judge by. Sora hears the Keyblade's handle squeaking as he tightens his grip on the weapon. There must be something he can do with all the power he holds in his hand. But what?
For a moment Snow wavers, his conscience having its say. But the moment passes, and with frightening resolve he reaffirms his aim. "This is for Bright…!"
The sound of a blaring alarm interrupts the rebel's statement. It's coming from all around, and while Sora is confused, it appears that the citizens of Bright Oasis recognize the tone. Almost on instinct, they reorient their gazes to one of the many video screens hung around the area. None of them are ready for what they're about to see.
From a high angle, the camera looks down at the President's office. It's an angle of the room most citizens haven't seen before, used to the straight ahead view that Deiling uses on those rare occasions he sees fit to address the city.
But the president isn't sitting on this video, attempting to look reassuring and fatherly. He stands behind his desk, shaking fists resting atop it. He looks furious, his expression twisted and eyes glaring daggers.
By contrast, General Fury Caraway stands tall, unflinching despite his superior's rage. He's a large man, something about his general posture and demeanor suggesting a strong, steady man. He certainly looks to be holding his ground here.
"You've gone insane, Caraway!" the president declares, slamming his hand against the desk. "You're deluded, do you know that? Just because your brat…"
"I'll thank you not to speak that way about my daughter," Caraway rumbles, his voice deep and masculine. It just adds to the overall sense that this is not a man to be messed around with. "You may not like what I have to say, Mr. President, but this is the reality. The only person being unreasonable about it is you."
"You… You have no real proof!" Deiling protest, his whole body shaking. He straightens his posture, crossing his arms in front of his chest like a petulant child.
"It can be easily obtained," the general says, shrugging easily. "Think of what this could mean, Mr. President. This is a great thing. Finally, we have something to offer the people of Bright Oasis other than fear. Something better."
"It's too risky," Deiling tries to argue, his words feeble and without conviction. "They don't know what they want, none of them do. They have no idea the sacrifices…"
Caraway needs only to clear his throat, and immediately the president's argument shuts off. "Ten years of mandatory conscription, an enforced curfew, curtailing dissident speech. You're wrong, Mr. President. The people of Bright Oasis know plenty of sacrifice." He leans forward only slightly, Deiling looking to grow warier. "I'm beginning to believe that it is you who refuses to give up the life which you have become accustomed to."
"You shut up!" Deiling yells, pointing an accusatory finger at his officer. "Just stop talking. I am the president of Bright Oasis, and I am the one who controls what the people can and cannot know! Radiant Garden is gone, do you hear me!"
"I hear you." Caraway is eerily calm now, folding his hands behind his back like and glaring down at the president. "I hear a deluded, self-important tinpot dictator who refuses to give up his power. I hear a sad, scared little man who fears that his people won't like him anymore once they know he isn't the big strong protector he made them think he was. I see a man who knows that he is about to lose everything. No, not even a man. You're a child, Deiling. Just an overgrown toddler who refuses to share his toys. And a child is not fit to lead a nation."
Vinzer Deiling seethes, his entire body shaking with uncontainable rage. He hardly even looks human anymore, just a barely controlled force of sheer anger. He leans over his desk once again, exuding an odd sort of calm all of the sudden.
"I thank you for your opinion, Fury," he says, somehow controlling all of his anger and disgust to sound halfway civil. Composed, even. "You've always been the one to tell me like it truly is. You've never been afraid to be the dissenting opinion."
"I consider it my duty, sir," the general says, his tone even and without inflection. Still, something about his posture suggests raised hackles. "I only say this because I think it is the right thing."
"The right thing." The president seems almost amused at that, an odd half-smile touching his lips. His right hand drifts below the desk, out of sight.
Caraway notices, taking a cautious step backwards. By the time the pistol has cleared the desk, aimed straight for him, the general is moving to the side. Most likely figuring that if he can dodge the initial shot, he can find a way around to removing the weapon from play.
But he doesn't get the chance. Deiling's first shot misses anything vital, but a bullet in the arm is enough to slow any man's stride. The second shot takes Fury in the chest, bringing the man down to the floor.
The general tries calling out, most likely to get help. But no words come out of his mouth, just a labored gasping.
"I'm sorry, Fury," Vinzer Deiling, president and murder, declares. Somehow, he sounds genuinely sad. He slowly strides around his desk, gun still trained on the general. "You were a good friend to me, once. You saw what had to be done, and you didn't hesitate to do it. But I see now that age has softened you, made you weak. I won't tolerate weakness, Caraway. I can't afford to."
The video cuts out, leaving only a screen of snowy white static. The entire city is silent, unsure of how to react to what they've just witnessed. In some ways, it feels like they are the ones who have been shot. Doubly so for anyone currently garbed in PSICOM armor.
Sora takes a deep breath, processing what he's just seen. He shakes his head, damning the fact that he's become scarily used to this kind of evil. Donald Duck can do nothing but shake his head in dismay, and Goofy looks like someone just destroyed his favorite toy.
The first thing Leon notices is the feeling of a hand gripping his, so tight it actually begins to hurt a little. He looks to the pain's source. Rinoa is stone-faced, while tears run from her eyes and make tracks in her lovely face. Otherwise, she might as well be a statue.
The spell isn't broken until someone takes action. Laguna takes advantage of Snow's surprise, knocking the young man down and snagging his gun back. Suddenly the crowd tenses again, ready for a new round of conflict to start.
But Laguna makes no more moves against his enemy. Instead, he calmly reaches down and takes the voice amplifier in his hands. All is silent, everyone seeming to all hold their breaths at once.
"I know that what we've all seen is difficult to process," the colonel begins, his voice steady and strong. "Hell, I wish I could just blink my eyes hard enough and wake up from this nightmare. But that isn't an option here. Now, obviously what we've just seen will require extensive investigation to confirm it as reality."
The anti-PSICOM faction is not happy with that statement, their voice rising in protest and complaint. Laguna stares them down, and within thirty seconds they've returned to silence.
"But that can't happen without President Deiling," Laguna continues. "I know you're angry, and you have every right to be if what we just saw on these screens was in fact real. But you have to let us handle this properly. Please, try and understand."
"Why should we believe you?" Gadot declares, stepping closer to the military man with a threatening glare. "How do we know you aren't just Deiling's puppet, helping him escape?" Some of the crowd seems to echo this sentiment, a murmur starting up amongst the masses.
"If you can't believe him," a voice calls out, echoing through the square, "then trust in me."
The crowd parts from the back, Rinoa, Leon, and Sora walking through the crowd. The rebellion's leader holds her head up high, projecting all the strength and confidence that she can. Whatever tears she had cried before have dried.
"That man you just saw killed was my father," she explains, stopping in front of the police vehicle. She looks up at Laguna, an instant understanding passing between the pair. "You can be damn sure I'm not going to let his killer get away."
"Let her go," Snow says, sitting up and rubbing his tender back. He looks strangely sad, almost regretful. "C'mon, as a sign of good faith or whatever, okay?"
Laguna nods. "Yes, I suppose it might be the only way to ensure your trust." He grabs a walkie-talkie off his belt, speaking into it in clear, crisp tones. "Celes, did you see what just… Okay, I see. You're on it? Okay, just make sure he's secure, and we'll be there in a minute." He pauses, listening to his lieutenant's reply. "Yes, I'm going to have some civilians with my. I can explain it once I'm up there, okay? For now just… Celes? Celes? Lieutenant Chere!"
"What's going on?" Sora calls up, frowning.
"Nothing good," the colonel replies. He hops nimbly down off the vehicle's roof. "But it sounds like we'd better get up there. Quickly!"
KH-KH-KH
"Did everyone else hear that?" Telary asks the room at large. Well, really just Riku actually. He's the only other person there not currently unconscious or recovering from the sight of their elected leader committing a murder.
"Sounded not good," Riku replies, already heading for the door. "My guess would be some kind of explosion. Upper floors."
"And we just finished coming all the way down here," Telary mutters. Riku is already out the door, but the wizard makes sure to remove 9S from the computer before following after. He almost trips over the still prone form of Jihl Nabaat, but keeps on going.
The wizard finds Riku back at the elevator, watching the upper part of the door frame with unusual interest. He's almost afraid to ask, but figure that he might as well have at least some small idea about the insanity to come.
"What are you doing?"
"Springing a trap," Riku replies smugly. After a second he realizes that statement could use further explanation. "If the pres just saw what we did, he's going to make his escape. I checked out a map while you were fussing with the computer…"
"I would hardly call it fussing!" Telary protests. Hadn't he just blown this entire administration wide open. Where is the respect?
"Sorry." That actually touches the wizard a little. So few people bother apologizing after an accidental affront like that. "Anyway, I took a look at the map of this place. If he wants hangar access, the most likely escape route, then he's going to need to go to the third level. That's two floors down from here. If I wait until he's coming down…"
"Sure, okay," Telary says, sounding perfectly complimentary. "Except for the fact that he's probably in enough of a rush to use the stairs!"
Riku chuckles at the statement, shaking his head like he's just heard some amusing tidbit. And here Telary is, right back at insulted. "If there's one thing I know, Tel, it's bad guys. More to the point…" The Keyblade wielder jabs his finger into the down button, moments after the floor indicator begins to count down. "I know that bad guys are, on the whole, pretty stupid."
"I know it's petty, and I shouldn't," Telary says, joining Riku in taking a step back from the elevator door and preparing for a fight. "But sometimes I just really hate it when you're right."
Ding!
The elevator doors slide open smoothly, revealing a seven foot tall, armored colossus. White, gold, and sky blue metal gleam even in he car's harsh fluorescent lights. Though the man's face is concealed by a heavy white helm, something in his body language conveys an immediate and deep hatred. Perhaps the six foot long golden spear at the ready has something to do with that.
The armored man, presumably Vinzer Deiling, jabs his gauntlet-clad finger at the inside control panel. Not on Riku's watch. Without the barest regard for his own safety, the silver-haired young man dives in with his blade drawn back. He plows into the escaping president, driving back hard enough to beat a dent into the back of the car. Seconds later, the doors slide to a close.
Telary looks up at the slowly falling floor display, heaves a great sigh, and rushes off in the direction of the nearest stairwell.
KH-KH-KH
Laguna leads Rinoa, Leon, and Sora into the lobby of PSICOM headquarters. As soon as the doors close, all the sounds of the people gathered outside are silenced. A tall, bulky soldier in red armor greets the group, saluting Laguna crisply.
"We have the lobby secured, Colonel," the man reports. He briefly eyes the non-military personal, but makes no comment. "He probably won't try to come out from here, but just in case…"
"It doesn't hurt to be cautious, I understand," Laguna says, friendly despite the tense situation. "Keep at it, Sergeant Steiner. Any word from Celes?"
The soldier, Steiner, shakes his head. "No, sir. If I may be so bold, I imagine he'll be trying to get to hangar access."
"That's what I had figured too." With a last nod to the sergeant, Laguna leads the group across the lobby. They duck into a hallway, finding the stairwell door and going through.
The sounds of footsteps are already echoing through the space, no doubt soldiers on the hunt for the fleeing president. Then the muffled thumpf of a nearby explosion separated by several walls overtakes all other sounds for a few seconds. The building shakes just slightly, enough that when combined with the sudden noise it sends several teams of trained but startled men tumbling off their feet.
A yelp goes up that instantly has Sora's ears pricking. He'd know that sound anywhere. "Telary?"
"Sora!" The call comes down through the stairwell, relieved. "Hey, the guy's going to the third floor to get to the hangar!"
"Yeah," Sora calls up, the final member in the group now making their way upward. "We know that, we're headed there now! Wait a sec, where's…?"
"Riku ran after him," the wizard repeats before his friend can finish the thought. "Jumped right into the elevator like a crazy person."
"Sounds about right." They reach the third floor just a few seconds later, finding Telary standing just inside the door still wearing his PSICOM armor. There's no time for any more greeting than a slight nod, and they're back in pursuit.
It isn't terribly difficult to track Deiling from there. The sounds of heavy combat fill the corridor, accompanied by occasional tremors that seem likely to bring the whole building crashing down. It seems clear that Riku, as usual, isn't willing to give up without a fight.
The group keeps running, Laguna leading the way. His familiarity with the building proves useful, navigating the surprisingly labyrinthine corridors of the complex with confidence. Until they find themselves with a handy shortcut, provided by Riku's body crashing through a wall.
The Keyblade wielder goes down with a loud grunt of pain. At this simple confirmation of his liveliness, Sora directs his gaze elsewhere. Through the new hole in the wall is a small conference room. There's a hole in its far wall as well, then another corridor, then a room, and finally the target stands before them. After the briefest of glances, Deiling takes off. The heavy sound of his hulking armor's footsteps grow quieter.
Rinoa doesn't hesitate to follow, leaping through the hole in the wall like a lion after a gazelle. Leon follows quickly behind her, with Laguna now holding up the group's rear. Sora and Telary, after a silent discussion of only a moment, stay to help Riku get to his feet.
"Are you okay?" Sora asks. Riku gives him a look. "Well, y'know. Considering the circumstances, I mean."
"Fine," Riku replies, short of breath. "I think the head honcho kept PSICOM's best toys for himself. Surprising, right? Enhanced strength, grenades. He had some kind of spear, but I took that off of him. And lots of guns, of course."
"It's not often we get shot at," Telary notes, oddly thoughtful. "By actual guns I mean. Magic, dark globs of shadowy badness, sure. But not bullets. This adventure's kind of a change of pace, in that regard."
"Variety is the spice of death," Riku mutters. "Anyway, let's go. I owe that prick some revenge, I think."
"I assume the guy in armor with your group means we've got the military on our side now?" Telary asks as the three young mean make their way through the holey walls.
"That video was pretty convincing," Sora remarks. "Honestly, I thought it maybe seemed… too
convenient?"
"We had the same idea," Riku confirms. "That's not for us to sort out, though. As soon as this Deiling goes down, I'm getting out of this place even if I have to walk back to the garden."
"I'll be right there with you," Telary agrees.
Without Laguna's knowledge and guidance, it takes the trio a few minutes to find their friends and quarry once again. They find a battle already in progress. Leon, Laguna, and Rinoa stand around the armored president in a wide triangle, using the advantage of numbers to keep the man unable to properly control the fight's angles. Any time he devotes effort to dealing with one person, the other two hammer his weak spots. The armor is clearly durable, but eventually that damage will add up its toll.
Deiling isn't willing to simply remain cornered while that happens. A slot opens in the wrist of his armor, depositing a small black orb onto the carpeted floor. All combatants notice, instinctively backing away in fear.
Telary has a different instinct. He reaches out with his thought, moving his hands forward as he prepare his magical power. "Magnera!" As he pulls back, the grenade goes flying through the air. It sails over his head by a few feet, landing in the hall beyond. It rolls to a stop, then detonates in a burst of bright white. The boys cower a bit on pure instinct, but no shrapnel flies after them. A flash-bang then, meant to distract instead of kill outright.
But Deiling doesn't get his distraction. If anything, the sudden failure of his last ditch tactic throws him off his balance. Leon's gunblade swings into the back of his knee with a loud clang on impact. The president staggers, his balance further impeded by three gun shots from Laguna. Even with all that punishment, however, the advanced armor doesn't buckle. All Deiling will need is a moment to regain his balance and the process will start all over.
Rinoa isn't having that. Without fear or any apparent thought, she leaps onto the president's back. He cries out in shock, stumbling even further. Her hands move up to wrap around his helmeted head. Deiling tries to raise his own arms and pry the girl off, but a quick hit in the chest from Leon foils the attempt. A moment later, Rinoa twists hard. Normally it might be enough to snap a man's neck outright, but applied here it only serves to break the seals of the armor's helmet. With a last tug, she pulls it off.
"Bitch!" Deiling snarls, once again reaching for the woman. Leon moves to help once again, but it's unnecessary. Rinoa, sliding down the armors back, brings the heavy helmet in her hands down on the president's head. After a short, sharp cry, the man falls in a metallic heap to the floor.
Rinoa regains her feet, giving the fallen man a disgusted look before tossing the helmet away. "That was for my father, monster."
A moment of tense, final silence follows. Leon stares unblinking at the woman he loves, expression enigmatic. After a moment, she gives him an equally ambiguous look. Their eye contact holds for a long, silent time.
"Uh, also," Laguna chimes in, snapping the pair of old lovers back to reality even though he's addressing the unconscious president, "you;re under arrest for the murder of General Fury Caraway. Of course, I'll probably have to tell you that again after you're conscious, but… Ah well, procedure is procedure!"
KH-KH-KH
There's a lot to work out, in the aftermath. The sitting-for-ten-years president has been deposed, and it's likely a murder charge isn't too far away. The citizenry will most certainly be demanding a new government as soon as possible, and PSICOM cannot stay the agency it has been.
That's not necessarily Leon's group's problem, though. So they're leaving. Riku, Donald, and Telary nearly send up a cheer when that news comes through. It takes some time to get their cars in order, but they manage to settle everything just a few hours before dawn.
"You're sure that you don't want to stay the full night?" Rinoa asks. She's with Fang to see them off, with the added bonus of getting a break from everything else that's going on. It will probably be the last one she has for a while.
"No," Riku declares, point blank.
"Not particularly," Telary adds.
"I'd rather be roasted over a fire!" Donald declares.
Sora tries admonishing the trio for their bluntness and attitudes, but Rinoa stops him. "Hey, I asked. I was prepared for answers like those."
"I hope you're prepared for a lot worse," Leon says, not quite as playful as his former lover. "I know from experience that setting up a new government isn't easy. Having to adapt the existing one is in all likelihood even harder."
"We'll do our best," Rinoa replies, tightly. "For now I think we'll let Laguna stay on to represent PSICOM, and no doubt I'll be wrangled into position to appease the citizens."
"Maybe you could just ask Snow to do it instead," Fang comments, scowling. "If he has any problems, he can just start a few riots and wave a gun around."
Rinoa gives her a look. "His actions will be dealt with. But for now, we'll have to keep him on in some capacity. We don't need another underground movement undercutting progress."
"Such as it would be," Riku can't help but whisper to Telary. The wizard laughs, feeling like a naughty kid in the back of a classroom. He feels even more shame when Sora, of all people, shoots him a cut it out look.
"Well," Leon says, with a sigh that sounds final, "whatever happens next, you've got what you wanted. The man who killed your father is going to face justice."
"I'm really happy for you," Sora says, completely sincere. "Plus the whole 'overthrowing the dictatorship' thing. Seeing that never gets old."
"Speak for yourself," Telary mutters, one arm draped over his eyes. "Didn't even want a stupid bachelor party…"
"We couldn't have done it without all of you," the rebel leader replies, giving them all her biggest smile. "Thank you for everything. Me and the entire city of Bright Oasis are in your debt."
"I know."
Even the tired and uninterested members of the departing party sit up and take notice at Leon's tone. He stands over Rinoa with both arms crossed, looking far more intimidating than someone just promised a lifelong debt should.
There's a moment where Fang considers going for her spear, but she ultimately defers the urge. She knows what is about to happen, and it would hardly be honest of her to act like it isn't inevitable and deserved.
Rinoa, for her part, has gone stoic as ever. She looks up at Leon, externally unphased. "Squall, I can…"
"Do not call me that," he snarls, cutting her off. "You lost that right, Rinoa. The second you decided it was acceptable to put me and my friends and my entire city in danger!"
"Uh, what's going on?" Sora asks, stepping closer to the pair. Or at least he tries to, not getting far before Cid stops him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Kid…" the old mechanic begins, grimacing.
"She led them to us, Sora," Leon explains icily. "With the tracker we used to find the meeting site in the first place. She had her tech kid open the signal back up. This time without masking it from PSICOM."
"You did what?" Donald Duck screams, just one in a chorus of outrage. Even Goofy looks pissed. By his standards, anyway.
"Did, did you really?" Sora asks, fighting hard to keep his voice from shaking. "Tell me you didn't!"
"I did," Rinoa admits, freely and without apparent emotion. She stares the entire angry group down, unflinching. "It was wrong, and I know that. I knew that. It wasn't the best option, it wasn't the only option, it was just the quickest. The fastest way to remove that monster Deiling from power. To knock the man who murdered my father off of his damn ivory tower."
"I'll show you knocking in a second here, lady," Riku declares, standing up with Keyblade in hand. Now Fang decides to get involved, or at least prepared for it. A hand goes to her spear, eyes narrowed and watching Riku like a hawk.
"Riku, don't!" Sora admonishes his friend, stern glare included. It takes a few seconds, but eventually the silver-haired young man stands down.
Leon takes over again, still cold. "Don't give me that noble talk, Rinoa. It's all shit. You wanted revenge, and you wanted it now, and screw anyone who got in your way. I wasn't lying when I told you I would come back. You could have waited, but…"
"So you get to choose your city over me," Rinoa shoots back, "but I try to…"
"Don't you dare compare us!" Leon stands over her again, an accusatory finger jabbed right in her face. "I didn't want to believe it, not at first. But I couldn't let it go, so I had Cid dig up what he could. And he found enough evidence to convince me. That you used me, and all of us. I care about my city too. I have and will make any sacrifice. But at my own cost, Rinoa. And without lies and dishonesty."
"If that's your position," Rinoa says, after a long minute of silence, "then I suppose I'll have to respect it. And maybe you're right, Leon. And where sacrifices are concerned… Well, I guess I'll just have to account for your respect being another one."
Leon has had enough. He turns and walks quickly back to his jeep, not looking back. "If you can live with it, Rin, then more power to you." Once he's in the seat, he finally deigns to look down on her. His face is a mask. "Radiant Garden's Restoration Ball is coming up in a few weeks. If you manage to get things organized by then, we'll have an invitation sent. It's as good a way to start a relationship between the cities as anything."
"I'll tell Laguna," Rinoa replies with the utmost politeness, entirely devoid of inflection. "Goodbye, Leon."
"Goodbye."
There's nothing else to be send. Even Sora remains silent, only offering a nod to Rinoa and Fang as acknowledgment. Goofy waves too, a little sad at the general situation but intuitive enough not to speak on it. With the sound of rumbling engines and tires on asphalt, the party from Radiant Garden leave the changed Bright Oasis through very different means than they came in. Right out the front gate.
Sora lets it all lie for the first few minutes of the ride, leaving the journey in silence. He even contemplates sleeping for a moment, like Riku sitting behind him. In the end though, he just can't let it go.
"Leon," he begins, carefully. "Are you…?"
"I'm not going to talk about it, Sora," the Restoration Committee leader says, eyes fixated on the road ahead.
Sora sits back, nodding understandingly. He decides to focus on the landscape instead, just in case any Heartless are on the prowl. But all he can see is empty, barren land.
KH-KH-KH
"At least someone had a fun weekend," Telary declares. He leans back against the wall, obviously fighting to keep his eye open. "Probably enough fun for the both of us."
Sora nods, finishing up his signature on the form in front of him. He hands it to the man across the counter, smiling in his usual way. Riku stands beside him, practically glowing with amusement.
"This is going to be great ammo for years to come!" he declares, smiling openly at his friends. "Seriously, the next time she gets bossy with me, Kairi had better be prepared to…"
"Shut up, Riku."
Everyone turns at the sound of Kairi's voice. She stands with the rest of the bachelorette party, all of them looking worse-for-wear in their rumpled party dresses. No one's makeup seems to have survived the night intact either. That combined with the obvious hangovers provide quite the sight.
The silver-haired Keyblade wielder is no deterred. "I guess you did have fun." He turns playfully to Sora. "Man, you should've just gone with the bridal party!"
"Is that Riku?" Azlyn asks, basically moaning the words. She's the hardest hit of the bunch, leaning against LeBlanc for support. Yuffie's on the wealthy woman's other side. "Or does this hangover just make every voice sound as terrible as his in my head?"
"Heroes of Radiant Garden, all!" Quistis declares boisterously, coming out of the back hall with a big smile on her face. "This ought to signal a marked increase in civic pride."
"Screw you, Q!" Yuffie says halfheartedly. She tries to raise her middle finger, instead putting up all three between the thumb and pinky. Riku smiles at the sight. "Ooh that rhymed." The ninja flinches. "Oh, ow, rhyming hurts my head."
"We can take things from here, Quistis," Sora says, friendly and diplomatic as ever. He opens his arms, and Kairi lurches across the floor to fall into them. He pulls her close, ignoring the clear smell of alcohol that can still be found.
Azlyn does the same to Telary, who likewise holds her. He's clearly holding back a lecture, however. With nothing else available, Yuffie slumps over the Riku. He handles the action with considerably more awkwardness, his arms staying loose. LeBlanc regards it all with supreme amusement.
"You seem to be doing fine," Telary points out, eyeing the older woman suspiciously.
She shrugs. "Yes, well, I'm rather more used to nights like last. And I've always had a fairly high tolerance anyway."
"So you've been coherent this whole time?" Riku asks, frowning. "Then why are you making us pay the freaking bail?"
Another shrug from LeBlanc. "Isn't this more romantic?"
Looking around, Riku has to admit that the couples in the room certainly look rather cuddly. Cautiously, he even takes a glance down at Yuffie. There's definite snuggling going on from the ninja, which he's suddenly intensely aware of. After a moment of deliberation, he accepts that, on the whole, it's not that bad.
"I'll start taking photos for the grandchildren," Quistis comments ruefully. "I wonder if we should include the mugshots in the album!"
Sora snorts, looking down at his girlfriend. "Mugshots? Oh man, I have got to see this!"
"Not on your life," Kairi grumbles into his chest.
Telary looks to Azlyn as well. "I assume you're content with this outcome for your bachelorette party?"
She smiles up at him blearily. "Believe me Tel, I am. How's yours?"
The wizard grimaces. "I'll tell you later, hon. For now…"
"Breakfast!" Yuffie declares, pushing off Riku so hard the boy almost falls over backwards. "Eggs, hash browns…. Bacon! Lots of bacon."
"Mmm, pancakes," Kairi chimes in.
"Prefer waffles," Azlyn mumbles.
After just a little more snark from Quistis, the group shambles out of the Defense Force precinct house. The sight of the sun sends most of the girl's heads into the shelter of their escorts' chests, but they continue on nonetheless. A car is waiting outside, courtesy of LeBlanc. She declines to join them.
They find an appropriate restaurant not far away, just a small classical diner with an extensive breakfast menu. The waitress clearly recognizes the crew from their world-saving efforts, but has the grace not to mention anything as she takes orders. Once she's gone back to put everything in, some semblance of conversation returns.
"So, seriously," Kairi starts, leaning a little heavily on her elbow against the table top. "Did you three have fun like, connecting with nature or whatever?"
"I guess," Riku admits. "It was more interesting than I thought it would be, actually."
"Very interesting," Sora adds.
"Not what I had in mind at all," Telary chimes in, frowning.
Luckily, the girls are all too hungover to care about the strange responses. "Good for you," Kairi says, nodding once.
"What is with this place?" Azlyn grumbles, looking around with annoyance. "It's been like an hour since we…"
"Less than a minute, Az," Telary corrects his fiancée. She mumbles something incoherent but nasty, crossing her arms like an impertinent toddler.
Kairi's sleeping, slumped against Sora's shoulder. He doesn't mind one bit, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling the redhead closer. Making sure no one is looking, he places a quick kiss atop her head. Telary rubs Azlyn's shoulder, gradually bringing down her ire like only he can.
Riku, on the other hand, sits completely still. Yuffie has her hand around his wrist. He's not sure why, but considering how out of it she looks he assumes it isn't anything conscious on her part. And thus the paralyzing, some part of him wanting to preserve the small moment as long as he can.
They eat quickly, everyone quite ready to actually get some much needed sleep.. Telary offers to pay, jokingly referring to it as a wedding expense. Everyone but Azlyn leaves, the pair simply sitting alone for a moment.
"We're going to be married in a week," the wizard states after a silent moment. With all that's happened this weekend, he hasn't thought about that for longer than he usually goes without. The feeling fills his chest, full to bursting until he sees Azlyn's eyes looking back at him. Then it somehow fills more.
"You're damn right we are," the knight replies, grinning satisfactorily. Taking her fiance's hand, she leads him out of his chair and to the diner's door. Out the window they can see the other four, Kairi and Sora huddled close while Riku tries to simultaneously hold Yuffie up and keep a respectful distance from her.
"I forgot to ask," Telary says, just as he's reaching for the door handle. Azlyn looks at him with polite interest. "You and Kairi are okay now, right?"
Azlyn shoots a grin at him, though he's a bit worried that it's one of the mischievous variations. "Trust me, Tel. Me and Kairi were closer than ever this weekend."
The wizard smiles, happy to hear it. Until he opens the door, steps outside, and immediately hears Sora shouting, "She did what?"
Okay, alright, it's done now. Uh, this section of the story has been the bane of my writing life for months now, and I have finally put it to bed. It's far from my greatest, but it is at least different, I think. maybe that was what lead to the frustration all along, how different everything was. I confess, there were many times I had no idea how to effectively use and meld the ensemble, how to fit a lot of events that were big in scope into so few chapters. This was poor planning and overconfidence on my part, and I apologize.
Anyway, that shouldn't be a problem. after all, it's Azlyn and Telary's wedding, which I have been thinking of almost since the moment I got them together. There's still a big cast here too, but at it's heart it is an old school Sora, Azlyn, and Telary tale. That team dynamic is one I certainly have down by now.
Shoutouts to Bezerker21, whose reviews are always appreciated by me no matter what the content is. And to goddragonking, a very encouraging fellow. Until next time, then!