Who's getting nervous at this point? If you are, I'm on the right track.
But it's gonna get worse later on. Trust me.
Hope you like.
I own nothing except my OCs.
Read, leave a review, but no flames allowed.
Chapter 15: Déjà vu and Warnings
At the same time, just as Mary spotted the eerily familiar visitors from within the study, the other sisters got a surprise when the doorman announced new visitors who their cousins obviously weren't aware of from the beginning. Of course, the moment the three siblings caught sight of the new uninvited guests, there was certainly mixed reception on the familiar faces from days before.
Caroline instantly showed a resentful look on her face as she glared bitterly at the three men who have entered the manor; Jane simply stared dumbstruck at the guests as she held her glass a bit tighter than she normally would due to her shock and unease; Mina, on the other hand, was a mix of surprised because she didn't expect any other people to come and attend (much less without an invitation), but at the same time she had the strange feeling that their unexpected arrival was no coincidence. All the same, seeing the faces of those people they had met back at the castle did bring back rather haunting memories of their short days inside the walls of the long forgotten citadel, where their chance at mercy was tarnished by a nightmare.
An unsettling silence nearly filled the entire room as all of the guests stared in distrustful repulse, with only a select few whispering too quietly amongst one another as to who the strangers were and what business they were doing unannounced. But the new visitors didn't even pay any attention to them whatsoever, especially the leader since his eyes were more focused on searching for particular individuals.
Kairi noticed the strangers and had to ask the sisters, "Do you know those peculiar gentlemen? I don't remember seeing any of them in Twilight Town."
"I don't want anything to do with them. Get them out of here," Caroline hissed angrily.
"We do know them…but…it brings back rather bad memories," Jane answered nervously, "What are they doing here in the first place?"
Mina said nothing, as she was too fixated at the surprise of seeing Xemnas and his right-hand men strolling alongside him. She should be either frightened or repulsed by the master, so why wasn't she?
Xion, unaware of the atmosphere, took the initiative to speak with them personally. "Good evening, gentlemen. We didn't think that more guests would arrive on such short notice, and I do not remember having an invitation sent to you directly."
Xemnas faked surprise a bit at this. "Oh…that is a rather awkward situation. Perhaps it would ease your minds if we left?"
"What a shame. And here our master was hoping he could get more acquainted with the folk of Twilight Town," Marluxia sighed in false disappointment.
"Well…then perhaps we bungled our guest list a little bit. Please, kindly enjoy yourselves while you're here," Xion said in reassurance, buying the words she had picked up. "And please do not mind how everyone is acting. They are merely confused, that is all. Have a wonderful evening, gentlemen."
Needless to say, with that invitation extended out, Xemnas and his men were able to do as they pleased as they moved along the crowd; all the while, the spectators resumed their trivial affairs and began to bring color back into the otherwise out-of-place environment.
From afar, just as all of that was going on, Ventus and Aqua couldn't help listening in on what was going on until they saw the peculiar strangers wandering around the place. Not only was it unsettling that a small group of strangers showed up without any notice or an official invite, but it was vaguely clear to them that there was much more to their reason for coming than everyone else believes there is.
"I don't like this, Ven…" Aqua commented as she watched the leader. "I don't like what I'm seeing right now."
"Did you listen to how the man with the silver hair was speaking to Miss Xion? It was almost as though he was setting up a sympathy ploy in order to do as he wishes," Ventus agreed suspiciously.
"Perhaps there is a truth to Mary's fears and the things that the poor girls went through…" Aqua wondered, sensing that danger is imminent.
"You make it sound as though they are in greater danger at this point," Ventus pointed out.
The blue-haired apprentice watched carefully as each of them walked fluidly through the social circles as though nothing was bothering them in the slightest. At first, one would think that they are just trying to blend in with the rest of society; but Aqua quickly caught on that their forms of movement had implications of predatory searching for whosoever is their prey. It didn't really help that she saw Xemnas moving in towards the sisters as though meaning to speak with them, but his gaze were more focal on the youngest rather than the rest of them.
Realizing that there could be trouble, she leaned in toward Ventus and whispered, "Go get the professor. He'll need to be out here since Terra still hasn't arrived yet. I'll see what I can do about them and keep a vigilant eye on the girls."
Knowing the seriousness of the matter, Ventus gave a tense nod and walked quickly away from the area while Aqua made her approach toward the location of the Chastain sisters as though she had some important business with them. If there was a chance to prevent any trouble from getting out in the open, now is a better opportunity than never.
Shortly after that awkward moment the girls had seen, the three remaining sisters tried to keep a straight face and divert their attention from the unnerving circumstances to something more light-hearted than what had happened just now.
Though, since Jane and Caroline were easily distracted by the other echelons of the town's highest circles, this left Mina to her own devices without a soul she could connect to more (but to be fair, she wasn't much a person for small talk about the pettiest of things). Still, it made her feel rather unsettled that familiar faces had to make an appearance tonight of all nights.
"Mina Chastain, why are you alone in your mind? Are the circles of self-proclaimed echelons not a pleasing sight?"
The instant Mina registered the darkly elegant voice; she looked up from her glass to find Xemnas hovering near her as though he was curious as to her conditions. Seeing him close to her so suddenly brought back the memory of when she last saw him, and how he spoke as though he was intent on lowering her guard in order to sway her into accepting the attempt in befriending. Still, even with the charms he gave off and how harmlessly sophisticated he might've been, she couldn't help thinking back at that night when she and her siblings escaped from the castle to avoid being killed or hunted. So, why did he have to reappear into her life once more? What could he possibly want to come all the way into the civilized world of Twilight Town rather than remain in the ancient castle he treasured so deeply?
"…I wish I could answer that, but I have no answer," Mina answered hesitantly, "But I could ask you why you're here in Twilight Town. What brought you out here, so far from home?"
"When you and your sisters left without a word of warning or reason, I was under the assumption that something persuaded you to do so," Xemnas replied, "If there was something that did cause you enough terror to drive you all out, I sincerely apologize about it."
She didn't know what to say at this point. Should she tell him what went on that evening, or should she try to divert his attention away from such a disturbing topic and think of some other subject to touch upon? Poor girl couldn't even think straight, not with this enigmatic person of interest clearly indicating that there is something he desires out of her…
Then, for some reason or another, a memory of their last meeting came back into her mind as she thought about their conversation regarding the frail beauty who met an untimely demise due to circumstances that her lover couldn't control. Her curiosity on this tragic woman convinced her to look back on it and see if she could learn anything more about the heartbreaking story she had heard before, despite knowing that she had already heard about part of it the last time she had spoken with him.
After a moment of hesitation, Mina carefully shifted the topic to what she had in mind. "No, you needn't apologize for something that frightened us…But, if it's all the same with you, I'd rather not rethink of the dark events we experienced." She paused a moment. "But I cannot help thinking of that woman you once spoke about back in Hollow Bastion…that woman who looks eerily similar to me, in a manner of speaking. Not to mention, when we last spoke, you gave off an expression that indicated a desire that I do not understand. Why is that?"
The moment she asked that question, Mina noticed that Xemnas seemed to be contemplating how best to answer it without making it sound intrusive; it made her curious as to what might be on his mind.
"I honestly wish I could explain such actions, but I have no answer to that. However, I will not lie that your resemblance to Hellene is…uncanny," Xemnas confessed, watching her from the corner of his eyes. "Why do you bear a similar appearance to her…? If my ancestor were still alive and saw you, I am certain he would've believed you a reborn incarnation of his lost love."
"Then that poor soul would've lost his mind," Mina admitted.
"Maybe so…Still, would it not be intriguing if a lost love can be rekindled?" he mused, a mysterious interest secretly flowing in his voice.
From afar, Jane was trying to remind Caroline not to get too careless with her interactions among the peers of Twilight Town when she noticed that there were new uninvited guests that nobody expected. But the instant she recognized a few familiar faces, she quickly paled at the sight of the men they had crossed paths with days before. Granted, it unnerved her that Xemnas was there and was in pursuit of Mina, but it disturbed her more that his own right-hand men have also reentered their lives to haunt them in some way.
It was pretty easy for her to see that her elder sister was far from happy to see them; if anything, she was outraged that these mysterious gentlemen had to make an appearance in Twilight Town of all places.
"This is simply nauseating! Why did they have to come here when they clearly should know that they weren't invited?" Caroline hissed bitterly.
"I wish I knew, Caroline. I do hope that no trouble will be stirred because of this…" Jane answered nervously.
"Caroline, Jane, do you happen to know those men in the room?"
Jane turned to see Aqua coming over whilst keeping her eyes on the strangers, and felt a little relief to know that someone is there to check up on them. Even so, it didn't really rid her mind of the fear that continued to creep through body as though a parasite to a host.
"Yes, I regret to say. That man speaking with Mina…he is the man who invited us to stay at his castle, Hollow Bastion," Jane answered quietly, "Though he may be the master, he is not alone. The men you see now are just a few of the servants we have met back at that dreadful castle." She pointed out each one that was attending as well so that Aqua can identify who they are. "The man with the blond hair and goatee is Luxord, and the man with the pink hair is Marluxia. While I've never seen either Xigbar or Luxord do anything to harass us or anything, I have reason to think that Marluxia, Saix, and Xaldin would want to know whether we are here."
Following Jane's identification, Aqua was able to take in the details that helped her know who is who and deduced that if those two men are who the girls are frightened about, then there's very good reason why a little help would be very welcome at this point.
However, what didn't help the situation was that those very gentlemen Jane pointed out seemed to have taken note that someone is with her and Caroline; because of this, the two of them moved to another corner of the room and seemed to be conversing with another. What the two are talking about, Aqua was not too sure, but whatever it is, it certainly couldn't be any good; it made her wish Terra or the professor were here right about now…
Speaking of which, Ventus had just arrived at the lounge where Mary and Professor Eraqus had gone off to and was about to knock on the door when it already opened wide in a hurry.
But when the two had stepped out, Ventus immediately noticed that Mary had a rather paranoid look on her face and was twiddling her fingers with a fear that he might be able to pick up; on the professor's part, though, he a strong knowing look on his face that indicated he had just learned something that might make their situation more difficult than it already is.
"Professor, is everything alright? Mary doesn't seem too well," Ventus asked out of concern.
"Ventus, did you see something out of place out in the main hall?" Eraqus asked, getting straight to the point.
"I did, as a matter of fact. There are three men in the manse, and judging from the reactions of the other Chastain sisters, it's pretty clear that they know them," the young apprentice replied, "However, it's quite certain that none of them are too thrilled on seeing them again. Aqua is already keeping an eye on them, but I dread to think of the danger they'd get into if Terra doesn't arrive soon."
The instant Mary heard this, she paled in horror. "Is that true? I have to see my sisters, quickly!"
Fueled by protective instincts, Mary immediately hurried through the main hall to make sure her sisters are alright with Eraqus and Ventus following close behind her to make sure she doesn't do anything reckless. Fortunately, when she got there and met up with her siblings, Caroline and Jane were very relieved that their younger sister had returned; also, Mina was distracted when she realized that Mary had arrived to make sure they're not in any danger.
However, the instant she saw the uninvited guests and recognized their features, Mary tensed at the sight of the master and his men as though she wanted to know what they were doing in their lives and wants them to leave the place.
"You…how did you get to Twilight Town?" Mary questioned the leader harshly. "What do you want with us?"
The look in Xemnas's eyes warned that he knows something. "My, always the overly cautious one, are you? I only came to Twilight Town for a change of environment, nothing more. I didn't expect to cross paths with all of you yet again. Do you really believe that you and your family are being hunted…for a mishap from before?"
Caroline was irked by this. "You're one to talk, you creep! I've seen the way you have been eyeing our littlest sister, and your men are making everyone in this room so uncomfortable that it's making us want to –"
"Now, now, Miss Caroline, don't start a fight you cannot handle," Eraqus quickly stopped her on Mary's behalf.
When the professor stepped in to prevent an untimely fight between the wrong people, nobody else noticed that Xemnas quickly took notice of the stern elder's face and showed a sign of enigmatic intrigue on the new face introduced into the picture. Though, Mary took note of it when she remembered what she had told Professor Eraqus previously; it made her uneasy as to how things will play out now that the man who knows of their affairs has finally met the person who brought a dark cloud over their lives.
"Hello, Professor. Is Mary doing alright now?" Mina asked innocently (unaware of the atmosphere of the room).
Jane, trying to keep herself from panicking, did what she knew best. "I'm sorry. The gentleman with us is Professor Eraqus."
Xemnas gave a curt nod. "Professor…I presume you are the one who rescued Miss Mary and her sisters from the forests? I thought I'd heard your name somewhere."
"It seems that my name spreads quite far so quickly. Yes, I am the very same man who found them and brought them here," the professor replied suspiciously, "It is a pity we had to meet under difficult circumstances, considering how these women, unfortunately, are rather uncomfortable at your arrival."
With a glare that faintly sensed a potential challenge, Xemnas showed a small frown of disapproval at the atmosphere around the manse. Then, with what dignity he still had on him, he stood up and began to take his leave, all the while giving his men momentary stares that alerted them to his silent order to begin departing at once. But before he stepped out the door into the night, he took a moment to turn back and have one more word in on the very people whom were so distrustful from the very start.
"Perhaps I came at the most inopportune time. However, I look forward to speaking with all of you under more…proper circumstances," Xemnas said coolly.
One by one, all three of the mysterious guests left the mansion without another word and vanished into the dark of the night, leaving all who had witnessed all of it confused one moment and then forgetting it all like nothing was wrong.
But on the part of the Chastain sisters, all four of them had the shared feeling that they hadn't seen the last of Xemnas after all of that; though he gave the impression of sensing his ill timing on a reunion they didn't ask for, something in his voice indicated that he still wants something out of them. The only thing that had to be questioned is what…
It was already getting late at night, and gradually the guests invited to meet at the fine manse of Twilight Town's lovely ladies began to take their leave to catch up with their comfortable daily lives. Eventually, the only people left within the manor are the four sisters, their cousins, and the professor and his apprentices.
Understandably, the reason everyone chose to remain at the manse was because – at the insistence of Professor Eraqus that they wait until Terra returned from the hospital – they wanted to wait until all four sisters are ready to head back to the Lander home safely while the streets were not overcrowded due to mostly tired civilians retiring from their busy days. But of course, the other reason Eraqus gave this instruction was because he had something to discuss about with each of the sisters before they can go anywhere tonight.
"I had hoped that the investigations could go as carefully as possible, but given that we have finally met some of these individuals personally, I would like to believe that we do have much more to worry about," Eraqus confessed as he stroked his chin, "Still, this Xemnas…something about him makes me very suspicious. It's certainly clear that he knows all of you quite well, and any information he has are very heavily guarded."
"What do we do about this? If we are in danger, then that means anyone who associates with us are in trouble as well," Jane asked, worried about what would happen to them.
"Honestly, I'd rather not delve into that too suddenly. But I am convinced that extra safety should be arranged in advance to ensure the safety of all four of you," Aqua admitted. "The only thing that we have to determine is how we can do so until there is a chance to find more concrete evidence on what is really going on under the nose of the public eye."
"I agree on that. We should think about their safety before we decided what to do to further the investigation," Ventus was in agreement on this.
Caroline grumbled irritably as she rubbed her forehead. "Why should we have to listen to all this nonsense? What'd they know about these damned occult matters? Blind fools…"
Mary frowned at her drunken sibling. "Caroline, they are not fools and they're not blind. I think these good physicians know what they are doing, and they really want to help in any way they can. Show some respect on that."
Before Caroline could snap at her sister, the entrance door was heard opening, making everyone turn to see who it is that arrived this late. To their relief, it was Terra, and apparently –judging from the way he wiped his forehead as though he had overworked – he had been much busier at the hospital than he initially thought. Nonetheless, Mary and her sisters were relieved to see him again after some time.
"I am terribly sorry for being so late. The hospital's been quite hectic due to the conditions of the patients we have," Terra apologized, "Sad to say, we ended up getting more patients than we had before."
This caught the professor's attention. "Have they been experiencing the same unusual blood loss as the previous patients?"
"Yes, they have, as far as I was able to understand," Terra replied.
The instant Mary heard about this, it sent a powerful chill down her spine. How could Twilight Town be receiving more patients just now? There was no way such a thing could be possible unless if something managed to attack the newest batch with the same ailment the previous patients… A thought suddenly crossed her mind, but she dared not to say it out loud since she hasn't seen any of the things their cousin described directly.
Just then, Kairi and Xion had arrived to greet Terra personally, carrying trays with several cups of warm tea.
"Hello, cousin Terra. You were very late, but you've come just in time for tea," Kairi scolded playfully.
"Please, take a seat while we take care of our things," Xion suggested as she led the way to the lounge.
Not long after Terra took a seat and everyone was given a fresh cup of warm tea from Kairi and Xion, the meeting resumed as the professor prepared to make a strong recommendation to the safety of every member of the family.
"If it's all the same to every one of you, it'd be in your best interest to stay close as much as possible," Eraqus recommended, "and to never travel anywhere alone after dark."
"Do you believe that we might be in danger?" Jane asked worriedly.
"I wouldn't want to go to that point, but I would have to insist on staying together for your safety," the professor insisted, "While we still have little leads as to who or what we're dealing with, I want all of you to place your lives as the highest priority. So long as no one goes out while night is at its peak and your home is securely shut tight, then nothing will endanger you during that period."
"Admittedly, I would like to get home right now. I feel rather tired, and I do not want to ask so much of our young cousins who have been gracious enough as it is," Mina requested, her face indicating weariness.
"That shouldn't be a problem, but I'd rather that Caroline takes some time to recover from that wine she drank before going anywhere," Mary commented, "Kairi, I have to ask that you and Xion make sure that she doesn't do anything reckless."
"Not a problem. We'll keep an eye on her until she's come to her senses," Kairi answered eagerly.
"Please, take your time out there and be careful," Xion said with a hint of concern, "If anything happens to at least one of you, we don't know what we'd do."
"Don't worry about it. I'll have Mina ride with me in the coach, and Mary and Jane can follow behind with whoever they wish," Terra reassured them.
"That would the wisest choice at this point," the professor agreed cautiously. He then turned to the female cousins. "Make sure Caroline does not leave without either of you accompanying her, understood?"
"We understand," Xion nodded in agreement.
Under the cover of darkness, however, nobody suspected that the same interlopers who had arrived at the mansion were watching from the shadows as most of the remainder of the visitors moved out and assembled in whichever vehicle one another is taking.
On the part of Xemnas, he quickly noticed that among the rest of the group, the eldest sister was nowhere to be found. That meant only one thing: she had been left behind to recuperate before departing. On the other hand, he could easily spot Mina with Dr. Lander and a young boy close to her age taking their seats in the coach; Mary and Jane took places with Eraqus and the blue-haired woman with him.
For him, this meant that, despite the complication of the situation, there is a brilliant opportunity to take advantage of what they had learned thus far and pinpoint the necessary locations in order to continue making their movements on the family. And he knew just the place to start on the exploitation…
"It seems that the game has become more interesting. Now is the chance to pursue them," he said calmly. He turned to his cohorts. "Update Xaldin on the latest development. Let him know that his target is ripe for the picking, and that his revenge is now open…"
Marluxia gave a sly smile. "Oh, he is certainly going to enjoy this…"
"I couldn't agree more on it. This gamble we are taking has certainly turned to our favor, so why not seize the chance?" Luxord agreed.
"Why not, indeed? There are still other opportunities to pursue the other sisters, after all. Even if one does suspect us, all of them are powerless against us," Xemnas couldn't help agreeing. "Not even that professor can protect them forever. One way or another, each sister will slip right into our hands, and nothing can be done to save them from their own mistakes. All that is needed is a little…incentive, to cast a shadow on their feeling of security."