I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. Atlantica. Pridelands. One? Both? Neither? I'm pretty sure you know where I'm going with this. Aside from those two, though, I'm hearing several people wanting me to bring back Monstro. I just might. I'm still sorting out which few worlds will make an appearance. One of them is already set in stone…mostly.
Quick note: Someone asked me about Zarxilt's name, and since I can't PM anonymous people I'll say it here (Skip this paragraph if you aren't interested or whatever!). I can't reveal it right away, but his name is an anagram of what he is rather than who he is. His actual name was too hard to scramble and stick an 'X' into. Remember Minamimoto? Yeah, it was kinda like that, only this guy has one name instead of a first and last. (Useless trivia: I considered scrambling 'Pi-face' for Minamimoto's nobody name, but that didn't work either XD)
Anyway. On to the chapter. I'm totally spoiling you all with these niftily fast updates...
In which you do not touch Neku's phones.
Chasing The Truth
By FlikFreak
Chapter Nine: Of Deserts and Monkeys
"Cid just called," Hanekoma said as Joshua entered the shop. "He said that Neku and the others are safe."
"But we already knew that," Joshua replied, heading behind the counter and fixing himself his usual cappuccino. "I assume Rhyme is still on the recovery?"
The graffiti artist nodded. "Yep, seems like it. She's doing better though, according to them."
Joshua gave his trademark smirk and headed to a table. "But you can never be certain," he said. "After all, that resonance was quite powerful, wasn't it? I heard it all the way from the river. It'd take a strong heart to get past it with only a short coma like she is."
"Rhyme is a special girl," Hanekoma stated. "When I bound her soul to the noise pin, I could tell that she had a pretty huge Imagination."
"Oh, really?"
"Yep. Not quite as powerful as Neku's, of course, but still worth recognizing."
The composer leaned back in his chair. "Is that why her noise was so powerful?"
"Probably."
"But powerful noise normally come in the form of great beasts," Joshua calmly protested. "Rams, lions, dragons…but she was just a squirrel. Why is that?"
Hanekoma shrugged. "Can't know for sure. I think it may have something to do with her heart…"
Neku had expected a desert. He really did. After all, that was what he had been told what the place was. What he didn't expect, however, was to be dropped in a desert city.
There were several buildings and structures as well as some food stalls. Several people walked about freely, minding their business and paying no heed to them. Shiki had taken much interest in the peoples' clothes, as expected. "Looks like the place is safe to me," Neku commented, watching as his friend began browsing some turbans.
"You can never be sure," Sora replied. "Although, I'm sure there's one person who would know better than anyone."
"Who?" Neku asked.
Sora just grinned. "I'll take you to him. Kairi, Shiki, you guys ready to go?"
Kairi nodded, stepping forward, while Shiki reluctantly placed the turban she had been trying on back on the shelf where it had been before. Neku silently wondered how there could be a "high concentration of Nobodies" in a place like this unless the citizens he wove his way around were nobodies themselves. Maybe they're all in hiding or something. Or they're just not in the city.
Neku felt a sudden breeze go by his neck. He blinked a bit, lifting his hand to grab his headphones, only to find that they weren't there. Spinning around, he looked just in time to see…
"Why are there monkeys in the desert?" Shiki asked.
He paid no attention to her. "Hey! Get back here with my phones!"
And a chase ensued. If the citizens noticed, they hid it well. By the time the group finally caught up with the monkey, it had scampered up a long staircase into an old, abandoned building. Neku, his agility honed from the many times he had to run in the UG, kept up the pace without even breaking a sweat (though he was beginning to feel the heat of the place…thank heavens he had worn a sleeveless shirt). Inside he found the monkey offering the pair of headphones to someone whom had to be at least a few years older than Sora: black hair, a simple violet vest and old, patched white pants, and a red fez hat. He also had a tanned complexion…not surprising, considering that he lived in a desert town.
"What do you have there, Abu?" the boy asked, taking the headphones and examining them carefully. "I've never seen this kind of thing before…you weren't stealing again, were you?"
Neku climbed in, not bothering to hide his presence, and crossed his arms. "Those belong to me," he said sternly. "Mind giving them back?"
The young man nodded. "Sure," he said, standing and handing them over before immediately scolding the monkey. "Abu, what do you have to say for yourself?"
The monkey sulked, his shoulders drooping. It was then that Neku noticed that it was wearing its own cap and vest. This certainly is a strange place, he commented.
Behind him, Sora, Kairi and Shiki were climbing in right behind him. The stranger's face lit up. "Sora! I haven't seen you in ages!"
Sora nodded. "Good to see you too, Aladdin. Abu still giving everyone trouble?"
Aladdin, as the man was apparently named, sighed. "Yeah. He stole this kid's…um…" he scratched his head. "What are they called, anyway?"
"Headphones," Neku replied, securing them around his neck again. "And I'm not a kid. My name's Neku." He cast a glance back at Shiki, whom was giving Aladdin a disapproving look. He could understand why; for a fashion designer, to see someone wearing clothes like that had to give her some kind of irk.
Sora stepped forward. "He's with me," he said, beginning to gesture to the girls. "That's Kairi, and that's Shiki. Guys, this is Aladdin. He's an old friend of mine."
"It's nice to finally meet you," Kairi said, giving a slight curtsey. "Jasmine told me about you."
Aladdin grinned sheepishly and rubbed his head. "She did, huh…"
"You haven't seen anyone suspicious around here, have you?" Sora asked. "We're looking for some guys in black, or maybe some monsters."
"I've seen a few weird white things wandering around near the ruins," Aladdin said. "I don't know if I've seen anyone in black, but I know Jasmine mentioned something."
"Who's Jasmine?" Shiki asked.
"A princess," Kairi said, smiling.
Neku did a double-take, staring wide-eyed at Aladdin. "How could someone like…like you know a princess?! I mean, no offense, but…"
"He sure does get around," Shiki added, grinning.
Aladdin's face turned red. "W-Well, we kinda…I had to…"
Sora waved Aladdin down, smiling. "A long time ago, an evil sorcerer named Jafar kidnapped Jasmine. Long story short, Aladdin got rid of Jafar, and, well…"
"I see where this is going," Neku replied, smugly smirking.
"At any rate," Aladdin said with a nervous chuckle, "We should at least go and see her if she knows something."
Sora nodded. "Sounds good to me. Let's go."
Beat woke up with sleep in his eyes. He had slept next to Rhyme's bed that night with his seat in a chair and his head resting on the bed on top of his folded arms. Not that it was really night or anything, but he was just exhausted. Every so often, Aerith would have to leave and help with something other than his sister, so he'd be alone in that strange room.
Sometimes, usually while Aerith was tending to her, Rhyme would wake up for a good five seconds, give or take. She'd manage to mumble incoherently and then fall right back to her sleep…coma…trance…whatever the hell had happened to her. Yuffie was beginning to get concerned, so to humor her he went outside for a fresh breath of air every so often.
It was during one of those times that Beat finally had a chance to talk to Yuffie.
"Aerith's the best healer that Radiant Garden has ever, ever known," she assured him. "Your sister's going to be fine."
"You call that fine?" He asked lowly. Normally he'd be in a shouting fit, screaming and throwing some form of violent tantrum, but he knew that this time there was nothing that would accomplish. These people were helping him, and even they didn't know what was going on. He barely had the energy to throw himself into a rage this time; he had spent it all watching over his sister intently, hoping for a sign that she would wake up soon.
The ninja placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She says that Rhyme is making progress, though. No more fevers or anything, and she's not as pale anymore. She may be starting to wake up."
The statement didn't offer him much comfort, but Beat nodded anyway, staring at the ground. "Anything I can help with? I can't stand just sitting around and watching anymore, yo."
Yuffie rubbed her head curiously. "Actually, Aerith really insists that you should stay close to Rhyme. She's starting to think that being close to someone that she cares about will probably make things easier for her."
For the first time in his life, Beat didn't question what someone older than him was saying. He quietly went back inside and made a beeline for Rhyme's bed. She had a bit of sweat on her forehead. Beat wiped it off with his hand, which he subsequently wiped off on his pants. He could wash it out later.
Unknown to Beat, the ghostly image of a woman floated behind him, caring eyes locked onto the pair.
Sora winced a bit when he saw the locals giving Aladdin dirty looks, but the thief ignored them quite easily. He's probably used it, he sighed to himself. Of course, he knew that being used to something didn't make it easier to bear; it only meant that you could see it coming and could prepare to deal with it better.
The guards were even less friendly than the citizens. They pointed their swords at the group, sneering. "No one is allowed near the palace grounds!" the bulkiest of them stated. "Sultan's orders!"
"But we're here to see Jasmine!" Shiki insisted.
Sora shoved his face into his hand. No one had ever told him that the seamstress had a thing for being…straightforward.
The guard laughed. "You think you can just waltz in and see the princess just like-"
"Razul! Stand down!"
His expression changed very quickly and the swords were lowered. "M-My apologies, princess…"
Jasmine, garbed in her usual jade attire, walked forward stiffly. "Do you not recognize the saviors of our city?"
"But princess, the boy is a street rat-"
"A street rat that you have to thank that you still live," Jasmine retorted. "And have you forgotten the face of the other already?"
It didn't take much negotiating to allow the five of them past the guards and into a more secluded area. It was highly different from the rest of the town: a paved ground, even a few plants growing. The palace was no different from before, although Sora did catch Neku and Shiki gawking at it.
Jasmine let out a breath of relief. "I'm sorry. We've been on alert ever since those white creatures begun attacking."
"That's actually what we're here about," Neku began, taking the words right from Sora's mouth.
"Oh?" Jasmine inquired. "You're a new face. Who is this, Sora?"
Sora smiled, gesturing to everyone in turn. "This is Neku, Shiki, and Kairi."
There was a spark of recognition in Jasmine's eyes. "Kairi, it's been ages."
Kairi nodded shyly. "It has, huh? Good to see you're doing alright."
"I should say the same," Jasmine replied, turning to the other visitors. "Neku, Shiki, are you friends of Sora's?"
"You could say that," Neku began, grinning sheepishly.
Shiki's eyes were still rather wide as she examined the princess from head to toe. Amused, Sora quirked an eyebrow at her. What's she staring at?
Neku said she's a seamstress. She probably wants to know about Jasmine's clothes.
She does look kind of nice in them.
Oh really? Are you thinking of what I think you're thinking of?
Shut up, you. It's not a crime to compliment someone.
Sora was snapped out of his mental conversation with Roxas when Aladdin tapped him on the shoulder. "You awake in there, Sora?"
"Y-Yeah," Sora stuttered, clearing his throat. "We're actually here to ask if you've seen anything suspicious. White monsters, men in black cloaks. That's what we're looking for."
Jasmine's happy expression faded quickly. "The ruins have been haunted by strange white creatures lately," she replied. "There has also been a cloaked black man wandering about causing trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" Neku asked. Sora could see his hands clenched into fists, and knew what was going through the former proxy's mind.
"Nothing life-threatening, thankfully," Jasmine said. "He's been causing lots of confusion, though, asking to know where someone is and making threats, but nothing's happened. He manages to disappear whenever the guards close in, though, so we can't catch him."
"Is there anything special about the ruins, Aladdin?" Sora asked. "Last time we were there we were kinda in a hurry, so I couldn't see…"
"Not that I know of," the street rat replied. "Now that I think about it, though, the place did seem pretty suspicious."
Of course it had. When Sora had last gone there, that pesky bird Iago had been wrested into Jafar's control again and tricked them into going there. The place had been infested with heartless and only by riding on the magic carpet was it even navigable. To even get into where the supposed treasure once was, there had been a myriad of switches to press, and the place fell apart thanks to Iago letting a switch go. Perhaps there was still something there…something worth finding in the Zoner's minds, at least.
"Why not go see for ourselves?" Neku suggested. "You can never know for sure until you've seen it firsthand."
"Neku has a point," Jasmine said. "But it isn't entirely safe there. Maybe it'd be best if you-"
"Ah, this place does so remind me of Dalmasca…"
Jasmine stood her ground as a man in black strode his way in. Sora grit his teeth, summoning the keyblade. Kairi did the same while Neku drew his sword.
This guy kinda reminds me of Xaldin for some reason.
What makes you say that, Roxas?
The way he looks, a bit of how he sounds…he just does.
The man continued. "The architecture isn't quite to my liking, but this is a lovely place, wouldn't you agree?"
"Naxeyv," Jasmine began, her voice trembling with anger. "I thought I told you to leave this place!"
"Why must you exhibit such antagonism?" the hooded man replied. "I'm only here for the boy."
Sora, Kairi and Shiki turned to Neku, whom tightened his grip on his sword. "Yeah, right. Like I'd go with you."
"Then perhaps you require some persuasion?" Naxeyv asked.
"Scram!" Sora shouted, whipping the keyblade into an offensive stance.
Naxeyv gave a mocking sigh of disdain. "I'll take that as a 'no.' Pity. It's not much to ask for someone to simply come with you for a moment."
"Yeah, right," Neku sneered. "I'm not about to go with anyone who's only ganna use me for what they want and then toss me away like some piece of garbage when they're done."
"So be it, then," Naxeyv replied with a sneer, snapping his fingers. On cue, in a swirl of empty white, appeared a group of five very familiar nobodies.
Berserkers, Sora thought, recognizing the giant hammers anywhere. Just great…
The cloaked man crossed his arms. "I'll leave you to your fun. I have other matters to attend to anyway." And he vanished in a swirl of black, leaving them to deal with the Nobodies.
Okay. So. Another quick note, people. I'm in the midst of backing up my hard drive so we can like, WIPE THE COMPUTER SUPER CLEAN LIKE SO IT RUNS FASTER. That means I'm also backing up my fanfics and such. Once I finally head off to school - which should be in the summer or fall - I'll have my own computer, but school of course means slower updates. Fear not, I will finish this. Anyway...time for your regularly scheduled (sort of) character update!
Characters Met:
Abu (Kingdom Hearts/Aladdin)
Aladdin (Kingdom Hearts/Aladdin)
Jasmine (Kingdom Hearts/Aladdin)
Zoners:
The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (Chasing The Truth/???)
The Elegant Reaper (Chasing The Truth/???)
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (Chasing The Truth/???)
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (Chasing The Truth/???)
