After passing out, I found myself in the town square again. I looked at the me of hours ago, trembling at the sight of blood.
"Aah!" I shouted, waking up. I found myself in a bed. I could see a stained glass window, and a stone archway that led out onto a balcony. I threw the blanket and comforter aside, and managed to get to my feet before I staggered back onto the bed. My shoulder… it huts like hell… I thought to myself at the throbbing pain on my shoulder.
"Wh-where am I?" I asked myself. I got to my feet again, this time managing to stay on them. I grabbed my sword, putting it in one of my belt loops, then went out the archway. The sky was twilit… it must have been dusk. Some of the clouds in the sky were grey. I felt at peace.
"You finally woke up, huh?" someone asked. I turned around to see Aegle, still carrying her curtain rod. She stamped over to me, clearly frustrated.
"Why did you run off? Do you know how hard it was to find someone that could help us?" she asked furiously.
"Heh… sorry. That man, though…" I muttered to myself.
"Ike?"
"Yeah. He seems familiar," I said to myself. "Like he's a far-off memory."
"Well, we ARE not on earth any more. So it's anyone's guess," Aegle said with a smile. "For all we know, he's Sephiroth."
"No way. Sephiroth doesn't carry that kind of sword," I said, remembering the silver-coated man's sword. "Besides, Sephiroth's evil."
"You've got a point. Well, what now?" she asked me.
"Now, we've got to find someone that can really help us. Considering where we are, I'd say you found Leon and got him to help?" I asked.
"Yeah… but his name's Squall," Aegle said. We argued for a few minutes over his name, and I won.
"Whatever," she said, exasperated. "Well, let's get some advice from him."
"Okay," I said, going out the door Aegle had come in. We went around, through narrow passages, to find Leon sitting at Ansem's Computer.
"Hey, Squall. We need a little help," Aegle said, stamping her curtain rod into the ground to get his attention.
"So, what do you need? I've already helped you get some rest," he said, not turning around.
"We just need a little direction. From what we understand, there's this silver-robed man we need to find. He could tell us some more about what's going on," Aegle told him.
"Sorry, but I don't have anyone to escort you, and only one ruddy Gummi Ship to spare. Everyone else is out trying to find out what's going on, too," Leon said, turning around in his chair.
"That'll manage. So, who should we go see?" I asked him.
"So, you're… who?" he asked.
"Jake. Jake Hartmut."
"Hartmut? Are you… related to Roy?"
"Roy?! How do you know him?" I asked, stupefied. How could Leon know… Roy…
"Well, he's not around anymore, if that's what you wanted to know about him. He disappeared three years ago," Leon said. "He popped up four years ago and fought the darkness alongside us. He had some sort of insane strength."
"That sounds like Roy. Confusing and strong. Well, at least I know he's alive," I said to myself. "So, what can you do us for?"
"I've got a basic Invincible Gummi Ship left, but that's all. So, go see Yen Sid. He's always helpful when you need a little knowledge to light your way," Leon said. He handed us a couple of small communicators. "Press that, and you'll be teleported to your Gummi Ship. You can't do it when there's Heartless or Nobodies around, though, so be careful."
"All right, we understand," Aegle said. She pressed her communicator and disappeared in a flash of light. I stayed a moment, though.
"What do you think of Roy?" I asked Leon.
"He's strong, courageous, selfless, and honorable. A true hero, up with Sora in terms of nobility," Leon told me. "A bit unreliable, though."
"I see. Thanks," I said, pressing my communicator. I found myself on the bridge of our Gummi Ship, where Aegle had already taken up the left wingman's seat. I sat in the captain's chair.
"Let's go! Ike's waiting for us!" I shouted, and then punched the ignition button. We blasted away, and after an unremarkable space battle, found ourselves in Twilight Town. It was odd, though. Completely empty.
"It's a ghost town. If nobody's here, how are we supposed to get to Yen Sid?" Aegle asked herself.
"We just follow the train tracks! Let's go!" I shouted, running off. I wasn't sure where I was going, but I was pretty sure I would find my way. After a little while I found the train station, where Aegle was already waiting.
"What took you so long?" she asked me.
"I couldn't find my way," I said, panting for breath. "This town's bigger than I thought."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going," Aegle said, hopping down onto the train tracks. I followed her, and we silently walked across the train tracks. I felt tense, and the wound Ike had given me a day or so ago still hurt.
"There's the barrier," she said, pointing to where the tracks end. I led her over to the edge of the tracks, and we used them as a balance beam as we crossed through the barrier. We managed to balance across it, then set foot on Yen Sid's island.
"The answers are just ahead. Let's go!" I said, looking up at Yen Sid's tower as I ran over to the doors. I shoved them open and dashed through the confusing hallways as fast as my feet would go. I eventually went bursting through a grand door at the top of a staircase, finding Yen Sid on the other side.
"Who are you? Ah… one cursed by the darkness," Yen Sid said as I walked into the room, panting and out of breath.
"I want answers! Who's Ike? Where's Roy? Answer me!" I shouted through my heavy breathing, barely managing to shout.
"Be patient. Other important matters pertain before your desires," Yen Sid said as Aegle walked into the room.
"What… other 'important matters?' I need to find Ike! He's the one with answers!" I said.
"I have never heard of an Ike," Yen Sid told me. "But you have a mission. You two have been brought into this conflict for a reason, and you must fulfill that purpose."
"And what reason is that?" Aegle asked him.
"You must defeat the light. You, the one cursed by darkness," Yen Sid said, pointing at me. "The brother of the wound in destiny."
"Wound… in destiny?" I asked, perplexed.
"Never mind. You must find Charon, the Divine of Light, and end him. Only then will the answers you seek be yours," Yen Sid told me. "And, first, you will need appropriate traveling garments. See the fairies in the next room for some help."
"Wait. Why should we just go along with this?" Aegle asked him.
"You don't have much of a choice or anything else left. And Jake here wants his answers," Yen Sid said. I went through the door as Aegle continued arguing with Yen Sid. On the other side were the three fairies. I didn't know their names, but they were all over me in moments.
"What would you like, dear?" the red fairy asked me after backing off.
"Hm… a trench coat. Those are badass," I commented to myself. After a flash of light, I found myself standing in a blue trench coat, but still wearing my old clothes under them. This coat was familiar, though…
"We made this coat from your memory," the green fairy informed me.
"So, I've seen this before," I said.
"Yes… somewhere in your memories. I like the blue, as well," the blue fairy chimed in.
I know this! This is from that one game Roy used to play… I thought to myself. Devil May Cry! This is Vergil's coat!
"Thanks," I said, stepping out to Aegle, who was still arguing with Yen Sid. She went to the other room seconds after I exited it.
"So, who's Charon?" I asked him.
"An old bioweapon of the light, made solely for destroying Xehanort. Your brother defeated him. However…" Yen Sid began.
"Wait. Roy defeated the light?" I asked.
"Several years ago. Your brother is far more important than you realize… he has played enough of a role thus far, and I know he will not disappear. Regardless, you must find and defeat Charon," Yen Sid told me.
"How do I find him?" I asked.
"He will find you. Even so, you must be prepared. You will be strong enough in the end, so long as you have not been touched too much by the wound," Yen Sid said as Aegle walked back through the door. She was now wearing a white, unhooded robe, and carried a wooden quarterstaff instead of a curtain rod.
"Let's go," she said instantly, teleporting away. I had something else to take care of, though. I felt a presence again… his presence…