"Zero, are you in here?"
Alicia entered one of the many rooms of the Castle. The sheer size of the place still made her a tad bit uneasy. This room however, was the one Zero frequented the most over the past three days. Surprisingly the room had a window with a nice view of the town. The room, like every other room in the castle was entirely white and sterile looking, or at least it was until Hurricane Zero came in. Papers, books, disks, all sorts of random objects littered the floor and tables. The past few days he had done non-stop research to try to find out what these creatures he spoke of were, but she didn't know if he was successful or not.
"Some of these do look rather promising…"
The young woman shifted through the papers with a sigh, knowing what he'd been doing. He pushes himself too hard…as if he has the weight of the universe on his shoulders…a feeling I know all too well…
She looked out the window and saw something that sparked her ire.
"Oh that little…no he didn't…"
Outside the castle, standing in an alleyway was the black blob that was Zero, along with three other blobs of color. She remembered him mentioning that they were going to have invited but potentially hostile guests…and knew that he was now facing them.
"Oooh he makes me SO mad sometimes!" Funny…around now would be when Silmeria accused me of having feelings for someone…I can't help but wonder if she'd be right on this account…
"So, you finally showed up."
"You're the one that destroyed our home."
"It was an unforeseen consequence. I'd apologize, but we all know that would do nothing." I make such an awesome bad guy…
"Zero…why? What's happening to me, with us?! What is the connection we have?!"
"Hell if I know. It goes beyond normal limits is all I can say."
"Well maybe if we beat you it'll go away!"
Zero drew his keyblade. "You're welcome to try."
Riku rushed him…when a glowing light appeared from the sky and crashed in between the two of them. Zero blinked as Riku jumped back out of the way.
"Alicia…?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Oi, this is my fight-
"Fight?! You haven't slept or eaten for days! You plan on fighting in that condition?!"
"I'm fine. I can take care of-
The blonde walked over to him, placed two fingers on his forehead and gathered a small amount of light energy.
"What are you-
A small flash of light later, and Zero was laid out on his back unconscious. Alicia sighed and crouched next to him, gently brushing a lock of hair out of his face.
"Honestly…you're strong but you're not all powerful…you've been working non-stop for days on end…not a minute's rest. Especially since that fight against that sorceress…you should have at least rested…"
She stood up and snapped her fingers. A pair of Dancer Nobodies appeared, surprising the three remaining Keybearers.
"Please, take him to my room to sleep this off."
The Dancers nodded, grabbed Zero's arms and vanished in a white portal. Alicia sighed again.
"I don't know who you are, or why you're here, but your fight with him will have to wait."
"You're…Princess Alicia…aren't you?"
She turned to face the three. "How do you know who I am?"
"Silmeria told us."
Alicia's eyes widened. "You know Silmeria?"
Kairi continued. "We've met her…we were there when Zero took your spirit from the black haired Valkyrie's body."
"Hrist…so Hrist was the one in control this time…"
Riku had to ask. "Why are you helping him?! He-
"Destroyed your world, yes, I know. He told me. He told me what he'd done, and the remorse he felt for his lack of attention."
"Lack of attention? What are you talking about?"
"…he didn't know we were fighting at the core."
Sora and Riku whirled to Kairi. "What?"
"I've spoken with him…many times while I was sleeping. I've seen things through his eyes…he didn't know that doing what he did would cause such a backlash…"
"It's true. I myself even tried putting the pieces together in any other way, but he didn't know how much power that man actually had, and when it suddenly ended…"
"It created a void. A void that engulfed everything around it, including the core of our world. Riku…Sora…he didn't do it on purpose…"
"He wont back down from a fight though, so if you still wish to challenge him, you can. He'll win however."
"We can take him."
"No…we can't."
"Kairi? What are you-
"I've seen things through his eyes remember? I know how powerful he is…that Behemoth…three days ago…I never told you…but I wasn't in control of myself. That was all him. Everything I did…he was doing at the exact same second…whatever this link between us is, he holds the keys to it. And because of that, he has a link to my existence that not even Naminé can break."
"Dammit…so…what happens if he dies…before we break the link between you two?"
"I…don't know."
"Logically she would die as well…but…with him, it seems logic likes to take a vacation…anyway, I think I know the real reason you're here."
"Real reason? What 'real reason?'"
"He told me to expect some, and I quote; 'Invited but potentially hostile guests.' I think I can assume that you are they, and that he intended to show you what he found."
"Yeah. That's right."
Again, Sora and Riku whirled over to Kairi.
"What? When he last contacted me and told me to bring you guys here, he said: 'So I can kick their asses and then send you off on your mission. By then, I should have the information I'm looking for.'"
"I think he does. Come, I'll bring you to his room. It's a mess, but in there lies the information we're looking for."
Kairi nodded and began walking with Alicia. Sora and Riku just looked at each other for a moment.
"Why is it that I get the feeling that this time Kairi's going to be leading us around?"
"That Zero guy better not hurt her."
"Well we wont be able to stop him hanging around here."
The Thirteenth Order
Chapter VIII: Discovery
(BGM: .hack GU – Riddle of the Creator)
Long has it been since I first began my quest to reclaim my lost heart. Much has been seen, much has been learned. And now, I write, to inform all who would follow in my footsteps.
This, is the Report of Xemnas, leader of the Organization.
Many creatures have I seen over the years that I searched for a method to reclaim my lost heart. Some benign, some malicious, and others…just there. I, along with my followers, have encountered beings such as the Heartless, creatures able to steal the very core of the soul from your body, turning you into one of them. The Nobodies, beings like myself, those who's hearts have been taken, yet our minds were strong enough to remain active in forms created from our memories. And another group…
These creatures were the strangest of the lot. The majority looking like skeletal beings wielding weapons and armor of the Far East of the Feudal Era of Japan, a location on a planet called Earth. Some however looked like giant boars wielding clubs or maces, and still others could not be described by words. These creatures seemed to have no intent but sheer destruction, for they maimed and destroyed all they came across, however, they were few compared to the sheer number of Heartless and Nobodies in existence.
Many a time have I myself, along with many of my followers have encountered these beings. As such, I would note that they are notoriously difficult to slay, even for beings of our caliber. The only tactic that seemed to remain constant in reliability was the removal of the head, for their bodies would drop…but the strangest thing was that they bled like living beings, as if at one point they were…normal. After seeing their patterns of wonton desolation, I have dubbed them the Mindless, for they have no focus but to kill and destroy as many as possible before someone does the same to them.
Normal however they are no longer. After one too many an encounter, I endeavored to research these creatures. It would seem that they originated from this Lost Planet known as Earth. A strange curse befallen the world, a curse leading to its destruction, a curse known as Fate's Decree. I know not what this curse is, I am reluctant to admit, but it raises the memory of fear that my missing heart once felt.
Upon further research, I found that with the destruction of Earth, set free to the worlds were these creatures. Not long after, Chasers, much like the ones in my memories, did slay a vast majority of these beasts, before creating a seal against them, based in the location that Earth once was…made by Keyblades no less. However there was a catch.
The seal involved siphoning a small fragment of energy from all the worlds that were once connected to the Lost Planet, which were a vast many. As such, if any of those worlds were to be ended, like Earth, then the seal would weaken to the point of near rupture, and release the creatures upon this universe once again. Indeed I have endeavored not to destroy any of the worlds, for I found that smothering a world in the darkness of which the Heartless spawn does not destroy it, merely displace it. I have commanded my followers not to allow any world be ended in its entirety, even if it means slaying fellow Nobodies to do so. As it stands, these beings pose a dire threat to my plans…
Perhaps at a later time…when we have reclaimed our lost hearts…we can focus our eyes on erasing this threat forever…
"Wow…so Xemnas DID run into these things."
"That world…"
They all whirled around to see Zero leaning against the door frame, looking exhausted.
"Zero, you should-
"Earth…was once my home."
(BGM: .hack SIGN – Key of the Twilight)
"It was destroyed…about five hundred years ago…"
"Impossible…that would mean you…"
"Before it was destroyed…before Fate's Decree…we had discovered the Magic you all use today. Back then…I was weak, pathetic…but upon realization that my dreams were true, my fantasies could be real…I trained. I studied every spell, every use, every ideal that came with the discovery of Magic. In secret, of course. I had no desire to be around those that shunned me before the world realized those who believed in its existence were right. I gained power…power like you'd never believe…the WORLD gained power…and then they came. I wasn't around when they originally showed up. That was about two hundred years before I was born. But they came back, and when they did…that was when Fate's Decree hit."
He slowly hobbled over to his bed, cleared some papers off and sat. Alicia sat next to him…and oddly enough Kairi sat behind him, gently massaging his shoulders. By the look on his face you could tell the story was hard to loose.
"I dreamed about it…I had visions of a powerful force rending the world asunder. I warned people I told them that they had to prepare for something big. We weren't meant to excel so far under this power…we had made leaps in technology and knowledge since we discovered it…and we'd learned more in a short amount of time than we were supposed to. But nobody listened…so I prepared. I gathered a group of friends who at least would hear me out, and warned them. After the first set of attacks by unseen forces began, they started their own preparations…but they were too late."
He stared off into space. His hands glowed faintly, the left white, and the right black.
"So I delved deeper into legends…into my own heart…and found a key. Even before magic became reality, I had a theory that there were three powers responsible for this universe's creation. The power of Creation, the power of Destruction, and the power of Chaos, which was the result of Creation and Destruction becoming one. I sought that power to save my world…to save my arrogant people from becoming victims of their own ignorance…and I found them…I found the two halves, hidden on the opposite sides of the planet."
He chuckled emptily.
"Believe me when I say it was no walk in the park. The very core powers were sealed under layers upon layers of protections under very, VERY thick ice on the two opposing poles of my planet. It took me days to just get the first half, which was Creation…and I was tested. Not physically…but mentally. See, Creation and Destruction are two halves of Chaos, a whole. As such they have a slight bit of sentience…you cant just wield them as you wish. Both halves tested my heart, and saw that I only sought the power because I wished to save my world. I didn't care what happened to the power after, though I was certain I'd probably miss it. I gained the power of Chaos itself…became nearly a god…but it was too late. Just as I returned to release the power into the world, to try to create some sort of protection for those who could not protect themselves…Fate's Decree struck."
He rose, and raised his hand, creating a glowing globe. "This, is what my planet looked like…and this…is what happened."
The globe seemed to vibrate, waves of light coming off of it. A strange black mist covered the insides and then spun in a counter-clockwise motion. Energy seemed to gather around the edge of the globe and then they watched as the globe ripped itself apart, before exploding in a massive wave of light.
Not once did Zero look at what was in his hands, the memory playing in his mind just fine.
"Because I had obtained the power of Chaos…I was excluded from the incalculable amount of death that followed. Thrown into the deepest of darkness, the Dark Corridor…for what felt like an eternity, I was suspended in time, kept from aging because I had no world to call my own, no timeline to follow. Mostly I slept…but the protection was slowly dwindling…and for five hundred years…I remained."
Nobody spoke a word. Suddenly there was a blinking light and a small siren sound. Zero blinked and solemnly waved his hand, creating a small window containing scrolling words.
"Odd…according to this there's an unusual spike of Dark Energy at…Wonderland?"
Sora blinked then yelled. "Alice! She's in danger then!"
"You know that place?"
"It was the first world I traveled to with Donald and Goofy."
"Well then we'd best be going."
"You're coming too?"
"I've still got to train Alicia, not to mention Kairi. You two might learn something from me as well. Besides…I hate remembering those times…makes me wanna kill something, so venting on some Heartless sounds like fun."
"Alright, we'll take my ship, it already has the coordinates."
"To Wonderland we go!"
Wonderland…how strange…it sounds…familiar…
Alright, quick AN before I post this and head to work.
DragonWanabe: In the first chapter, Xemnas took Roxas from Sora. Zero now hold's Roxas' existence with his. So Zero can control all the lesser nobodies, and as you can see, Alicia at least has the ability to command Dancers.
D&S Master: Well the attack itself has no name. Zero was just quoting the song and using it as an incantation to release more of his power. And no, Kairi felt no adverse effects due to it being Zero who was in complete control.
RCRS: Indeed. Well, you have my specs for Zero, and it would seem I've won the randomness contest. So, I'll see you again next chapter!
Alright, learned more about Zero, found the next destination, and now they're heading out. Speaking of which, I have to as well. See you all next chapter!