Thanks for the reviews and being nice! I don't feel this chapter has progressed much from last chapter, sorry, but I've written quite a lot. Thanks for reading and the follows and favorites I've gotten. I never expected anyone to like my ramblings. Even though there aren't many I hope I don't disappoint you! Please enjoy and review if you have time! Thank you!
CHAPTER 6
"Bring you Kairi?" Isa repeated Xehanort's words in confusion.
"Yes, that is what I said," Xehanort spoke, making Isa jump a little. "Hmm, I may have something to do first actually," Xehanort continued, "I'll call you back when I need you to go. I'll give you some time off for now."
"Uh… Okay," Isa stammered. That had changed subject so quickly. He left the room slowly as Xehanort started rummaging around his lab. Isa decided he would look for Lea. He felt that he needed to talk to him because he saw a change in him. He felt as if it was a good change, but that only made him feel worse about himself. Whenever he was around him he sensed that light that radiated from Kairi, but that made him feel worse.
Isa entered the cafeteria and found that Lea was not there. He thought that maybe he was with Dilan and Aeleus working. He was wrong. We walked past Braig in the corridor who smiled and waved at him with a goofy grin. Well, that told him that Lea wasn't with Braig.
"Braig, have you seen Lea?" Isa asked the cheerful man. Braig turned and threw his arm around the boy's shoulder and began walking almost drunkenly with him in the direction Isa was heading.
"Usually its Lea askin' where you are, little bluebird," Braig laughed, leading an uncomfortable Isa down the hallway towards where Isa and Lea's bedrooms were. "I bet you've looked everywhere you think Lea might be working, and you've never thought that he would have the heart to go looking for you, eh?" They stopped in front of Isa's bedroom door. Isa wiped Braig's hand off his shoulder and glared at the mischievous looking man. "Oh! That glare! It's just like his!"
"Like whose?" Isa asked. Braig burst out laughing. "Braig, nothing I am doing is amusing." Braig laughed even harder, almost rolling on the floor in tears. "I am serious!"
"I know, that's exactly it!" Braig continued his obnoxious laughing until Isa could not take it anymore. Isa reached for the older man's throat and started lifting him off his feet. Braig still let out little laughs which only forced Isa to crush his throat more. 'How, how could he even do this? How much strength had he gained from simply having more darkness in his heart? And I don't even think Xehanort has added his heart yet. He surely did pick the right candidate here. Braig, don't let the little brat know he's hurting you just keep laughing. He'll tire out soon…I hope. But that look in his eyes, it's as if he wants to kill me. It's Xehanort. His darkness must be a similar level to Xehanort's, and then the old guy's gonna add his own heart, giving him more? This better work out for us or I'm gonna kill Xeh, well if Little Miss Blue doesn't kill me off first that is. As if! He could never kill me!'
"You need to stop looking down on me," Isa whispered coldly, "And look at you now."
"I'm literally looking down on you," Braig choked out, still snickering. This caused Isa to tighten his grip. 'This is going too far. This kid's a psychopath!'
"ISA!" screamed a voice next to them. Isa immediately let go of Braig who fell to the ground spluttering but still laughing it off. Isa turned to see that the source of the voice was Lea. He had an astonished look on his face and he seemed to be frozen to the spot as he looked from Isa to Braig and back to Isa. "WHAT WERE YOU DOING?!" Lea helped Braig to his feet.
"This one here," Braig started, pointing at Isa, "decided that he was going to try to kill me!"
Isa remained quiet. Lea shook his head in disbelief. "Why, Isa? What is going on with you?"
"I'll leave you two ladies privacy to talk," Braig added. Isa glared at the man as he sauntered off. Isa pushed past Lea and entered his bedroom. Lea stormed in after him and slammed the door. Isa lay on his bed and didn't even seem to realise the situation he was in. Lea was fuming.
"Isa, what was that all about?" he tried to ask calmly. Isa ignored him. "Isa, don't ignore me!"
"Why are you taking his side?!" Isa finally replied, sitting up in his bed. "Shouldn't you just trust me that I was doing it for the right reasons!?"
"Usually I would, but lately you've… changed."
"Yes and so have you. We expected those from the experiments remember?"
"NO! I dunno about me, but you… you've become a completely different person. And it's definitely not a good person."
"What are you talking about? I haven't changed that much!"
"Isa, all I want is for you to go back to being my best friend. Cos right now he's gone. Sure you still look the same but…"
"That's enough. I never noticed I've changed at all. Can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"I haven't slept peacefully since we started these experiments. I keep having these dreams…"
"What are they about?"
"Well, they're always about those shadowy things attacking, but they don't go after me. I can just stand and watch as everyone around me that I care about is taken by the darkness. I can do nothing. The only other people who are unaffected by the darkness are Braig and Xehanort. Each time I dream they are closer to me, and last night they were on either side of me, their hands on my head, forcing me to watch as y… the person I care most about was swallowed by the darkness. I don't know if it's some sort of warning… but now I just don't trust that guy."
"That sounds terrible. But how can you trust Xehanort when you don't trust Braig?"
"I…I don't know. I mean I feel I don't trust him but there's something that tells me to trust him and I don't know why. I just cannot… not trust him."
"I definitely do not trust him and I'm begging you not to trust him either! I've told you from the start not to trust him. I know I'm not always right, but if I do anything in this life it is to save you from any darkness that might be threatening you. I'm pretty sure he is a major threat to your light."
Lea sat on the bed next to Isa who was deep in thought. 'But Xehanort's been doing my experiments. Surely he can't be a threat to my light…wait, he wouldn't.'
"Even hasn't been doing my experiments," Isa admitted to Lea, who looked furious again.
"Xehanort has been doing them hasn't he?" Lea gritted his teeth. Isa hesitantly nodded.
"I never suspected anything of him though. He kept telling me how having a heart full of light could save this world. I thought that he was helping me! He gave me no reason not to trust him!"
"I can't believe him. I don't know what he's done to you but it's not good anyway. At least you know now that I was right! We shouldn't trust him!"
"You're always so happy when you're right, but when you're wrong it's as if it never happened."
"Well, I did tell you and I was right so now you must worship at my feet!"
"Oh, really? So how about all the times I've been right yet all you did was sulk. Don't you owe me? Like that time with those repulsive jelly beans…"
"Oh my goodness you actually remember that!? I thought I would've given you a concussion after the way you hit the floor after eating them! I told you I wanted to eat them but you ate them all!"
"I couldn't let you eat them! They almost looked radioactive! But you were going to eat them even if I told you not to so I ate them all. Still regret that decision…"
"Wow, you never told me that before! You've always acted as if you were fed up of me or something! And all this time I thought you were just being greedy. I know how you like candy."
"Do you really think I'd be hanging around with you all this time if I was fed up with you? Sure you are more annoying than anyone I've ever met, EVER. But, to me you're like the little brother I never had so I feel I need to protect you every chance I get…"
"Why you getting all mushy? This isn't like the Isa I know at all. Are you sure this isn't Xehanort up to something? Has he replaced you with an emotional puppy?" Lea joked and Isa hit him in the back of the head playfully. "But seriously how can you go from that, no offence, emotional wreck to a calm and cold jerk then back to Isa again while talking to me? It makes no sense!"
"Well Xehanort said that the added light may have a larger impact on my emotions since my heart was darker than yours. I don't know whether to believe him or not considering…"
"Ansem did say something about your heart being darker than mine… But we can't trust Xehanort."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Again you just admitted I'm right!" Lea mused which awarded him with another slap to the back of the head. Lea rubbed his head and continued, "But anyway, what do you think is making you act so differently if it isn't what Xehanort says?"
"Hmm, I really don't know. All I know is that that last time when I lashed out at you, I saw you with the others and I couldn't rid my heart of what I could only call jealousy. What happened outside was… my anger just filled my heart when he wouldn't stop winding me up. I sort of just blanked out. Both times I hardly felt in control. Especially when Xehanort was around. Yet here I am talking to you normally and I feel relaxed and… happy. I feel in control since it's just us with nothing interfering."
At that moment, a speaker went off in Isa's room. Xehanort's voice rang out through the room. "Isa, come to the basement laboratory and I'll give you the details of your mission."
Lea grinded his teeth again, "Except him." Isa stood and pressed the reply button and told him he'd be right there. Lea lay back on the bed and sighed, "What mission?"
"Oh it's nothing. I'm going to tell him it's not for me." Isa sat down next to him again.
"Just tell me."
"No I can't just now. I'll tell you later when I've rejected it."
"Fair enough, but promise me that you won't do anything stupid."
"I won't, Lea. If I did something stupid, it would be both of us who would need to pay the price. And I just want to protect you."
"And if something ever bad does happen to you, I'll be sure to bring you back." Lea started hunting through his pockets and brought out a weirdly shaped red coloured stone. He placed it in Isa's hand.
"Why the stone?"
"Since you said you're happy around me, whenever you're not around me, just think of me being in this stone. If you ever feel 'out of control' just think of this moment when you were with me having one of our awesome conversations about important things. Maybe it'll save you one day."
"So the important conversation you were talking about was about the poorly made jelly beans?"
"Exactly! It represents the day that we both made pledges to protect and save each other. Yes, poorly made jelly beans made by the awesome Lea represents our friendship!"
"I thought ice-cream and bad decisions represented our friendship…"
"Stop saying things that are unfortunately true!"
They laughed and then when everything became quiet again, the two decided to hug sweetly. Seconds passed and they still hugged.
"Okay this isn't exactly manly," Lea interrupted.
"You're right!" Isa yelled, breaking off the hug. "I'll go reject Xehanort you know, all manly like!"
Lea rubbed the back of his head and spoke, "Yeah and I'll go pick a fight with… Dilan."
Isa left the room to Xehanort's lab while Lea stared into space and spoke to the empty room.
"Well, at least you haven't completely changed."
Isa burst into Xehannort's laboratory, feeling as if he should be frightened, but he wasn't. Xehanort's face lit up when he saw Isa and he started explaining what he wanted Isa to do.
"…So you have to be sure not to scare her. And…"
"I'm sorry sir but I just can't do it."
"Sorry?" Xehanort replied, his expression darkening instantly.
"I don't believe Kairi is who you are looking for," Isa lied, "she's just a kid who does things that make us laugh, like force us to play doll houses with her. Just a typical kid."
"Isa you can stop lying to me now," Xehanort breathed dangerously, "I know that Kairi is a princess of light. I guess you just don't trust me enough. Perhaps I'll need to tell you the truth…"
'It seems that last slither of light in Isa's heart is strong. Maybe it has even grown again? And I think I know who would be to blame for that…that infernal red-head.'
"T-t-truth about what, sir?" Isa lowered his head.
"But if you can't trust me, how can I trust you to keep this a secret?"
"I swear I trust you."
"Even so as to allow me to do your final experiment?"
"Y-yes," Isa whispered. 'Even if the experiments are what is causing me to act strangely, I can at least relay Xehanort's plans to Lea.'
"Do you trust me enough just to go bring me Kairi without me explaining?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but you have intrigued me with your true intentions. I do trust you; it's just that I want to know the full reason why I've to bring Kairi here."
"Well, I cannot refuse a request like that! Now Isa what I need to tell you is top secret and it must not reach anyone else's ears. Not even Ansem. Or Lea! It will only cause panic."
"I swear my lips are sealed." Until I bump into Lea that is…
Xehanort closed and locked the lab door and made sure no one was in the nearby rooms. He sat across from Isa on a table and looked very serious. Isa paid close attention to his face to see if Xehanort was lying as he would try to tell from his body language.
"Okay, well the truth is that… by the end of the week at the very latest, Radiant Garden will be completely taken over by the darkness…"
"What!?" Isa shouted but Xehanort put his hand over Isa's mouth and mimed to him to be quiet.
"It is true. It will wipe out everything we know here. Your parents, your friends, me, your colleagues, yourself, and even Lea. All will be lost to oblivion." Isa remained silent in thought. "This, Isa, is why we need Kairi to amplify her light and save our world from our doom. Her light is our only hope."
"There's no other way?"
"No. We don't have time to plan another way to end up in failure. I am 100% sure this will work."
"Why don't you warn everyone and get them all to use the transporter thing? I'm sure if we start now everyone can be saved!"
"Don't be foolish, Isa. We don't have the time. Plus, even if everyone leaves here, the darkness will just move on and conquer another world. We must target it now it's on our doorsteps! Look I know you don't actually trust me, but right now do you have any other choice? If we don't act we won't even be around to brag about who was right and wrong!"
Isa was silent again, lost in thought.
"You had those dreams, right?" Xehanort whispered. This caught Isa's attention.
"Were…were you in my mind… controlling my dreams?"
"I was only giving you a glimpse into the future. A future if you refuse to bring me Kairi. You will be forced to watch as your friends are torn apart. Your heart of light can do nothing as darkness seeks the darkness of everyone else's hearts. This doesn't mean they'll leave Lea alone, they can still attack a heart of light although it doesn't draw them to it. They'll destroy Lea in front of your eyes. I'd make sure they'd leave you alone at first just so you can see your beloved home fall apart. Didn't you promise that you were going to protect Lea forever…"
"JUST STOP!" Isa screamed, collapsing to his knees. Tears ran down his face. 'Wait, is he influencing me again?' Isa gripped the stone Lea had given him and hoped it would give him strength. "Are you sure you can't use me for the experiment? Can't we at least try!?"
"No. It cannot be a superficial heart of light."
"Will it bring harm to her? And DO NOT lie to me!"
"I will not lie, she will be unharmed."
"You better be telling the truth… or else I will not hesitate to kill you."
"Understood, but in case you change your mind, I feel it is for the best to continue with your experiment so we can get that last bit of light into you."
There seemed to be a familiar voice in Isa's head telling him not to do this incredibly stupid thing. However Isa saw no other option if the world really was going to end. He had to protect Lea.
Braig and Lea were walking around the castle again, ensuring the safety of the castle. He didn't see the point in it. Only Isa and he seemed to want to break in here and now they were in here. There was no need to guard anything, especially with Dil and Ael outside. Lea stopped in his tracks. Braig turned around to face the boy who seemed to have randomly stopped.
"What's up with you, carrot-top?" Braig snickered.
"How come I still have to do these boring guard duties?" Lea complained. "I haven't once worked in the labs. Do you guys think I'm dumb or something?"
"Why, you not happy working with your ol' buddy Braig?" he responded, placing an arm around Lea.
"Well that is true," Lea joked. Braig feigned offense. "Nah, I just don't see what I could do if someone even did wanna sneak in here! Like you said I can't do much saving people with throwing my Frisbees around. I just think I'd be of more use in the lab. I'm actually really smart!"
"As if!" Braig retorted. It was Lea's turn to feign offense. "I see, you wanna be closer to your friend. I get that. But sometimes life aint fair, kid, and you just gotta let go for now."
"What do you mean? I'm not losing Isa because of this! We still talk! He hasn't forgotten me! Less than an hour ago in fact we were talking just like we used to before we came here!"
"Yeah yeah, believe what you want kid."
"I do believe it! Isa will always be my best friend. I don't care what you think about it. Like I've said before, we promised we would," Lea explained, removing Braig's arm from around him.
"And like I've said before," Braig retorted, "you won't be able to save Isa from the darkness with your toy Frisbees!" Braig walked to the end of the corridor smugly. Lea stormed after him.
"What is it with you and assuming that Isa will end up in the darkness?!" Lea's voice cracked. He stood in front of Braig to make sure he didn't walk any further. Isa's a good person with a strong heart! He would never fall to the darkness! No matter what you might think!"
"Oh?" Braig smirked. "Are we talking about the same person who was screaming at you in the middle of the canteen the other day there? The same kid who has hardly given time to you since he's been working non-stop with Xehanort, Even and Ienzo? The same person who almost strangled me to death a few hours ago for saying his glare looked like someone I know!?"
Lea stared at the ground. "Xehanort's been up to something, hasn't he?"
"What? That's what you got from that!?" Braig laughed cautiously. "My throat's still killing me because of that little Weasel!"
"Just answer my question, Braig!"
'Finally Isa's heart is complete. It now bears part of my own. After I have brought darkness to this world I can remove his heart and he will become what I call a "Nobody". If my predictions are correct, and nobodies can regrow their hearts, since his is dark with a little of my own heart, it shall be easier for him to grow back my heart. A full version of my heart. It should be easier for it to grow in a nobody's body who once had a dark heart than while he is in a human form. Braig's grew fast since he was in on my plans. Isa however needed to be indoctrinated by filling his heart with darkness. That once darkened heart should convince his mind that he has no heart while in fact he does have one: mine. He would be a great vessel. His future power is associated with the darkness. The moon.'
Xehanort was interrupted from his thoughts when Isa woke up. He looked hazy and not all there. Xehanort helped him sit up and looked deep into his eyes. His eyes were a deeper, more striking blue-green than usual. And there it was. A small fleck of gold.
"Xehanort's done nothing!" Braig tried to convince Lea. "Seriously kid, you've got some issues. You keep blaming old Xeh for everything when all he's done is good things for Isa."
"Don't lie to me!" Lea whispered. "I don't trust that guy and since you're being quiet about this I don't trust you either! Just tell me!"
"Look kid, Xehanort knows what's best. Just trust in what he does. It'll all work out in the end."
"So…he has done something to Isa," Lea whispered sadly.
"I said nothing. Anyway it won't matter soon. The worlds will fall to darkness, and I'll tell you one thing, it'll be because of that little friend of yours." Braig pushed by an astonished Lea and walked off laughing. Lea snapped out of his shock and followed after him again.
"Wait! The worlds are going to the darkness!? And what do you mean it's Isa's fault!? Please Braig tell me more! Maybe I can do something to…"
"As if! You're little Frisbees aren't gonna save anyone…" he scoffed. His head turned again towards Lea so Lea could see his evil smirk and his eyes seemed to glow more golden, "…from the darkness!"
Xehanort had left Isa in the lab to rest. Ienzo entered the room, his lab-coat drowning his body. Isa was still awake but just lying down.
"Hey Isa," Ienzo sweetly spoke. Isa didn't answer. "You okay?" Isa silently nodded. "Are you sure? I heard that your heart is full of light now so I thought you'd be happier." Isa still remained silent. "But you don't seem happy at all. Has something happened with Lea again?"
"Why are you here?" Isa croaked. "Do you want something or did you just come to annoy me?"
"I just came to check up on you," Ienzo spoke.
"Why? And you have the right to assume that Lea has caused me problems!?"
"No! Isa, I never meant to… I just thought we were friends so I wanted to check on you after your operation. I'm sorry if I…I just don't get much friends and I was happy to make one."
Something in the word 'friends' struck Isa and he realised he was being a jerk.
"I…I'm sorry Ienzo. I guess I'm just shocked from the operation or something…sorry for being a jerk. I'm glad you're my friend. Thanks for visiting."
"It's okay. Are you really okay?"
"Yeah I guess. I feel a little… down though for some reason."
"That is weird. Maybe it's just the fact you've been experimented on?"
"I guess that's it. Ienzo, I've never heard you speak so much. You're usually silent."
"I know, I only come out of my shell when I'm around people kind of like me. People I'm comfortable around. Like you and Aeleus, and Xehanort."
"So… you trust Xehanort?"
"Yeah, at first I was suspicious of him but when he started talking to me I realised he was someone I aspired to be. I used to see Ansem as this but now I see Xehanort like that."
"What about, if you don't mind me asking, your real parents?"
"They… died a while ago. I was left alone. Then Even found me on the streets and brought me to the castle. I've thought of them as family since I came here. Even is funnily enough like a mother to me. Dilan is like an uncle that is quite scary but a good guy and wants to protect everyone. I see either Ansem or Xehanort as like a dad. Braig is another uncle who is really funny but you'd rather not have him around much. Aeleus is my best friend. And now I have a big brother…"
This made Isa feel really warm inside. He never felt he had an influence on anyone before. "Thanks Ienzo, that's really sweet. I think of you as a mature, intelligent, little brother too. We can't forget Lea though. He's like a little bro to me too. A very annoying one at that."
"Yeah… I even feel more mature than him," Ienzo laughed. Isa followed less enthusiastically.
Xehanort stormed in the room at that moment to witness the two laughing. 'Isa should not be meaningfully laughing right now."
"Ienzo, Even would like to see you in the library. Go," Xehanort demanded. Ienzo smiled at Isa and complied with Xehanort's orders. Xehanort sat on the bed next to Isa. "So, how are you feeling?"
"Fine I guess," Isa replied. "I was feeling quite…sad for some reason but Ienzo made me feel a lot better. I don't really feel like that just now though." Xehanort grabbed Isa's chin so he could look deep into his eyes again. 'That fleck is still there. But how could he be feeling happy with so much darkness? His eyes are more faded though than earlier. Less striking. What could this mean?'
"Uh… Xehanort, what are you doing?" Isa asked, evidently frightened. Xehanort let go of his face and stood again. He looked out the window as if expecting something. All of a sudden there was a huge bang and the ground began to shake. Isa clung to the bed. "What's going on?!"
"It has begun!" Xehanort announced. "The darkness has arrived!"
"Already?!" Isa screamed. Xehanort nodded.
'Is that fear I see in his eyes? Impossible." "That is why I need you to hurry and bring Kairi to me. To protect everyone. Become the hero of Radiant Garden!" Isa ran to the window and saw some of those dark creatures were walking around the streets in the moonlight. He gulped. He had a flashback to when he and Lea faced those things. "Are you scared of the Heartless?" Xehanort scoffed. Isa's body was trembling as he nodded. "Then I shall give you a power to defeat them momentarily." Xehanort reached for Isa's chest and pressed his palm against the position of the heart. The fleck of gold in Isa's eyes flickered and a key-blade materialised in his hand. Isa looked astounded by what he seemed to have summoned. "This power will only be temporary for now. I hope you'll be able to use one fully in the future. It will disappear soon, so hasten to bring Kairi to me. Go save us. Go save Lea."
"And she won't be harmed?"
"You have my word. Go!" Xehanort ordered and Isa complied, key-blade in hand.
Braig and Lea were still in the corridors after the bang and the rumbling. Something had ripped a huge hole in the roof of the part of the castle they were in. The moon in the darkened sky shone down on them.
"What's going on!?" Lea panicked.
Braig cackled and looked out the huge hole in the ceiling at the moon. "He actually did it!" That Xehanort has set up the Heartless attack early. He must've finished Isa's experiment."
"Did what!?" Lea worried.
"Don't cha think the moon looks so much better surrounded in darkness?"
Lea looked up at the moon. "…Yeah I guess, but that wasn't what I…"
"See, even you agree!"
Thanks for reading!