Chapter 5- Betrayal
A few days passed since the night of the birth of the Lord's son and death of his beloved wife, and the castle was put on a state of alertness, everyone accompanying the other to ensure their guard was kept at all times. True to their orders, the guards were posted at the entrance to the office and personal quarters of Getsuryu, and during these few days, Eraqus had Sairu with him at all times, even during meal times and maintaining a solitary vigil as the boy slept at night. Thankfully, none of these days were ripe with activity, the state of alertness having delayed or even halted any potential catastrophes. Yet, when Eraqus eventually succumbed to sleep, a shadowy figure stood over the sleeping infant, wielding an odd shaped silver weapon in his right hand. A small light emerged from the tip of this weapon and gently entered the body of the sleeping baby.
However, on the fourth day, the funeral of Lady Siaren was to take place, which left Getsuryu worse for wear once more. Though he attempted to remain strong in front of his people, when he was alone, he released all his pent up sadness and despair, letting it wash over him like the tide on the shore. At the ceremony, many people, friends and subordinates alike were gathered to bid their final farewells to Lady Siaren, and give Getsuryu their deepest condolences. Eraqus stood near the door with the baby Sairu in his arms, who simply refused to cease his crying, which only served to break the hearts of almost everyone in that room. (A/N: I wasn't sure how to drag out a funeral scene, so I'm only giving a summary of the events) By the time of the evening, when the ceremony had long since concluded, Getsuryu stood alone, in his mourning attire, in his office, gazing blankly at the town in the night below. This sadly, did nothing to ease his suffering, the only source of comfort being the gentle breeze that blew in the open window. He stood solitary, like a statue, for around half an hour, when he heard something behind him: a shuffling sound.
As he turned around, a man stood at the centre of the room, which alarmed Getsuryu, as he had locked these quarters to be left in solitude. For a man to be standing here in the centre of the locked room, was a chilling prospect. "Who are you, and how did you even get in here?!" he demanded, attempting to sound scathing but only barely managing it. At this, the elderly tan skinned man with unusual golden yellow eyes locked with his emerald eyes and simply responded "To answer your first question, I am simply a man seeking certain knowledge, knowledge that you will provide me. As for the next question, my method of entry is irrelevant. Now that I am here, you will tell me what I need to know" "And why would I do that?" Getsuryu retorted, anger evident in his voice. The other man before him simply gave an evil smirk as black smoke billowed forth behind him, revealing the Captain, Drahcir, standing there as the black smoke faded, holding a bundle of blankets.
If he had been frightened before, Getsuryu was now mortified as the Captain eyed him with malicious intent. "Drahcir! What is the meaning of this?!" he exclaimed in rage and fright. At this, Drahcir simply smirked while his accomplice simply answered "You were right to watch this man. He and I may have different objectives, but you are the centrepiece of both of these. Naturally, we formed an alliance so he could become what he rightfully deserves, just as I will acquire knowledge that will shape the fate of this world" "What are you talking about?" Getsuryu demanded. "From what your former Captain informed me, you are a prodigy in the sorcery of time travel, a feat that none other has successfully accomplished. I have an objective to fulfil, but my current efforts will likely end in failure, so to acquire the secret of time travel will serve as a backup for me to truly reach my objective"
Getsuryu sadly, comprehended all that this mysterious visitor was trying to do, yet was unsure of this objective he spoke of, but he knew one thing: "I will never aid you" Getsuryu retorted through gritted teeth. "Guards! Intruders!" he then exclaimed, but none came. Drahcir and the mysterious visitor simply smirked again, and the former spoke for the first time "Yell all you want. The guards are preoccupied with a serious matter in the atrium. Besides, you should keep a calmer voice in mind" At this, the bundle in Drahcir's arms wriggled, which earned Getsuryu's attention. At this, Drahcir opened the bundle, revealing a struggling Sairu in his blankets. Getsuryu could not believe it and called frightfully "Sairu! What have you done with Eraqus?! Tell me NOW!" "Ah ah ah, I hold the trump card. Give my ally the secret to time travel and myself my greatest desire, and your brat will be spared" Drahcir responded. Getsuryu was shocked and enraged beyond all sense of rationality, but knew while his son was in their arms, he could not refuse their demands.
At this, Getsuryu's posture slumped as he calmly replied "Very well, tell me what you want. It is yours, but promise me my son will not be hurt" "Agreed. What I desire... is your position" at this, Getsuryu was alarmed. "You are not fit to lead this country back into the stability it longs for. You know not how to lead and treat your people. If you treat others as your equals, then they will always take advantage of that trust, and act against your wishes to fulfil their own desires. As long as people are allowed to listen to themselves, then conflicts, feuds and wars within and without will continue. However, if you restrict their movements, then you suppress the instincts and desires to fight for what others believe is right. When they are constantly surveyed, they will never dare question the leadership of their rightful leader. Do you not see where you are unworthy, Getsuryu? Unless you demonstrate your authority with an iron fist and cold, detached ruthlessness, everyone will be forced to obey to your every whim, and this nation will finally be the way that it longs for: peaceful. These are the qualities of a true leader, an objective stance that benefits the state of the country as a whole"
At hearing this speech, Getsuryu simply stood dumbfounded at Drahcir's ideology, knowing all that he said may be true in theory but that did not mean his ideals were reality. Nevertheless, despite his wholehearted opposition, Getsuryu simply walked over to the framed armistice to his left, revealing a safe built into the wall. Once he touched it, it immediately responded and opened, revealing an old and battered book, bound with aged brown leather, and bound by a hexagram symbol. At this, he approached the tan skinned man and reluctantly handed the book over to him, avoiding eye contact. At this, the man gleefully accepted and turned to Drahcir, and with a single nod of his head, Drahcir approached Getsuryu and handed the bundle in his arms back to his father.
"So you sacrificed your leadership for the sake of a puny infant? A leader thinks of the masses and never of one single individual, regardless of any ties" Drahcir spoke condescendingly, which earned him a growl from the now deposed Getsuryu. "Now that you have your position, one individual means more than an entire nation to me now. If you attempt to kill me or my son, you will suffer" Getsuryu responded with pure venom in his voice. At this Drahcir lost his composure and struck him in the back of his head, causing Getsuryu to fall on one knee, only for him and Sairu to suddenly disappear before them. "He has escaped" Drahcir stated. "It matters not. My pawns will take care of them. They are both likely to disappear, though the boy may prove useful in future should he survive" "What do you mean?" Drahcir asked quizzically. "You will know soon enough... as both you and the boy will fulfil the same purpose" he said menacingly, as he summoned a menacing silver weapon in his right hand, and struck Drahcir in the chest who collapsed and fell to the floor.
The figure stood over him, glee evident in his golden eyes, at the fallen Drahcir before him. "Why... we both got what we want... and you betray... me?!" Drahcir struggled to say as his body became immersed in darkness, and began fading away. At this, the figure dispelled his weapon and spoke to himself "No, this is no betrayal. All the pieces will unite as expected in due time. Now I have what I came here for, I will bid you adieu, Drahcir" And with that, black smoke appeared and the figure walked into it, disappearing into its depths.
Meanwhile, Getsuryu and Sairu re-emerged in the young boy's room, where Getsuryu held him, breathing a sigh of relief that he was unharmed. Then, suddenly, strange dark creatures appeared from the shadows. These monsters were unlike anything Getsuryu encountered before: they were all black with small bodies, round spherical heads with twisted antennae protruding from their, three clawed fingers for hands, and large feet, and their eyes were a sinister yellow colour. The sight of them alone was pure terror, but what frightened Getsuryu was his son's safety. Quickly as he could, he raised his free hand, and the creature was surrounded by a purple aura that produced an image of a clock face, and then, it vanished. Despite this, with only one hand, he could not rid himself of all of them.
Then, to his surprise, a streak of white light sliced through all the creatures, vanquishing them once and for all. In their place stood Eraqus, with his Keyblade in hand, who looked on, confused. "Getsuryu, what is going on here? It's sheer chaos! A massive Heartless has appeared in the atrium, but the guards are falling against it" "Eraqus..." Getsuryu responded, which prompted the man in question to fall silent. "We have been betrayed. Drahcir and this other man united to plot my downfall. Sairu was in harm's way, so I had to give the men what they wanted... my position and my secrets" Hearing this, Eraqus was alarmed, but composed himself and replied "I understand. None of that accounts for anything right now, especially when your son was in danger" At this, Getsuryu himself fell silent, as he closed his eyes in contemplation, and after a long moment, he opened them again.
He rose to his two feet, and approached Eraqus, and handed Sairu over to him. "What are you doing, Getsuryu? We need to fl-" Eraqus attempted to argue, but was interrupted by Getsuryu, who retorted "There is nowhere to flee. And I will not let my home fall at the hands of these creatures. There is a strong likelihood I will not survive, so I beg you... while I hold back the darkness, take Sairu and flee yourself" Eraqus became even more alarmed at this who exclaimed "Have you lost your sense of reason, Getsuryu?! Without a Keyblade, you can't hope to defeat that creature!" "Have you forgotten your duties, Eraqus?" Getsuryu responded, as he turned to face him, his eyes swimming with unshed tears, which earned him a worried look from Eraqus. "As a wielder of the Keyblade, you must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds, nor must the existence of other worlds ever be revealed. I am a denizen of this world, and as such, I am the one who will try to save this world. Even if I fail..." the first tears began to leak from his eyes, streaming his face "As long as my son is out of harm's way, that is all I can do for him. I may not be there for him when he grows up, but you can. I am sorry to have to burden you, Eraqus, but..." he sobbed uncontrollably, struggling to speak clearly, but Eraqus knew that he had made up his mind. "My friend... I give you my word that Sairu will survive. You may have been so for only a short time, but... you have proven yourself a wonderful father"
Inside the young Sairu's mind, the elder Sairu was crestfallen: his world and his father were to all disappear, never seeing any of them again. Inside he sobbed uncontrollably, but he knew this was how events played out. "Father... you may not be the one that raised me, but I know... you have to do what is right for myself as your son. I know I can't speak to you now, but... thank you for being my father" he said to his cavernous subconscious. In the outside world, Getsuryu approached his son, tears still falling as he affectionately rubbed his son's head one last time. "Goodbye... my son. And know that I will be watching you with your mother" he said hoarsely, as he planted a kiss on his son's forehead, which caused the young boy to relax, and with that, Getsuryu teleported away. After his departure, an object appeared in his place: a white sword with a crescent moon hand guard. Eraqus carefully picked up the weapon and mounted it on his back.
Eraqus gave a crestfallen look of his own at the spot his dear friend once stood. Then, he struck his midriff with a free hand and became enveloped in a bright light. Eraqus now stood, adorned in a suit of bronze and silver armour, while his midriff and boots remained the same. A helmet with three long, prominent spikes adorned the crown, with the same symbol as his pendant and midriff adorning the centre of the head with the sword still hung from his back.
At this, he summoned his Keyblade, held it out in front of him, and a beam of light shot forth, before expanding as a portal. With the infant in his hands, Eraqus proceeded through the portal, and as soon as he entered, Sairu felt an immediate lurching sensation which meant that this was it: he had witnessed his past until Eraqus walked away from his world with him in his arms. The lurching sensation only increased as he felt he was being launched into the air. This time, Sairu was now his original self, looking down upon his younger self and Eraqus walking through the light until they faded from sight altogether.