To answer a reviewer: No, that's not who Zarxilt is. ;) Zarxilt is the short one who looks like he's 12 years old. Gabranth is what, 40? XD (I kid of course, but no, Zarxilt is not Gabranth.)
Chasing The Truth
By FlikFreak
Chapter Ten: Stolen Treasures
Is this your idea of a "push in the right direction"?!
Don't look at me like that. I'm not the one that did this; he showed up on his own. I'd never do anything that rash.
Well, we should at least hope that he awakens soon if that happens again. It's not like that sword is going to do him very much good.
At least I didn't have to step in.
It would have been safer if you had. Unlike those Nobodies, you're not trying to kill him.
Either way, I'm not intervening. Sora's got it handled if anything happens.
You sound confident.
Yep. I do.
What am I going to do with you…
Neku hadn't a clue what these berserker things were, but he knew already that they were bad news. Shiki barely managed to jump out of the way of a large claymore, and Kairi was having her own problems. Keyblade Mistress she might have been, but her survival relied on her evasion; parrying was something Sora was much more adept at. Ugh, if only I had my psyches…
Aladdin, street rat or not, was a lot more agile than Neku had anticipated. He had no weapon of his own, but managed to outwit every attack thrown at him, turning it against his attacker. Kairi looked more as though she were dancing than fighting, the way she leapt about. Sora, on the other hand, was kicking butt just as he had in the UG, although he had an odd smirk on his face as he finished off one of the berserkers. Neku gulped nervously and tightened his grip on his sword. "One down…four to go."
Keyblade…
The voice hissed in Neku's ears. He clamped his headphones over them, but the sound only got louder. "What's…"
Keyblade… Keyblade…
"Quiet," Neku hissed. "Quiet, quiet, quiet!"
"Neku, look out!"
The boy snapped to his senses just in time to bring his sword up to parry a blow from an enormous claymore. The impact was incredibly strong; it sent him skidding a few feet and continued to press on him. The weight was beginning to crush him toward the ground, and he grit his teeth tightly. No amount of strength would save him…
Keyblade…
With a burst of strength, Neku managed to hurl himself to the side, leaving the claymore to crash into the ground. His sword skidded out of the way just in time. As Neku ran to pick it back up, however, he saw a claymore thundering toward him. He knew he couldn't dodge in time.
The giant gray mass of weapon slammed into him from the right, and then from the left. Neku screamed in pain and fell to his knees, almost certain that his ribs were broken in more than five places. Each. The claymore glowed brightly and lifted into the air, beginning to slam downward, only for its owner to be disposed of by a flash of thunder. The claymore clattered to the ground, masterless.
Relieved that he wasn't struck again, Neku looked up just in time to see Sora approaching and sending a wave of green to him, mending his shattered ribcage and easing the pain. "Thanks!" He shouted.
Sora nodded. "Catch!" He cried, hurling the keyblade his way. Neku barely managed to catch it through the sudden wave of déjà vu he suddenly experienced, and watched as Sora picked up the claymore, struggling with its weight for a moment before holding it at ready. The two nearby Berserkers were suddenly drawn in as by a magnet force, and Sora wasted no time in waving the claymore around as easily as he had waved the keyblade.
Deciding to ponder this later, Neku stood and threw himself into the fray where he saw Kairi having her own trouble with the last remaining enemy. Keyblade in hand, Neku felt its power flowing into him, and he gave a loud battle cry as he leapt into the air and thrust the end of the weapon downward into the berserker's relatively small skull, dragging it down past the neck and chest before the beast disappeared entirely.
The battle now over, Neku approached Sora and handed him the keyblade back again, the flow of power cutting off and nearly shocking him. "There a particular reason you did that?" he asked.
Sora jerked his head toward the sword lying on the ground. "Well, you dropped your weapon, and these things don't exactly go down with a few well-aimed punches."
Jasmine, whom had been hiding nearby, gave a long, relieved sigh. "That man has never gone this far," She said angrily. "Is he the one you're after?"
"Yep," Neku replied, helping a very stunned Shiki back onto her feet and pulling his headphones back down. "Those white things, too."
"But who was that guy?" Aladdin asked, rubbing his head. "I've heard a few rumors, but still…"
"He's Naxeyv, one of the Zoners."
Standing in the corner, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his hood not entirely concealing his young-looking face, was the Traitor. Neku narrowed his eyes, standing on guard and inching toward his fallen sword in case he needed it. "You again?"
"He came to get something from the ruins in the desert," the traitor said, ignoring Neku's demand. "But since he couldn't get you, he left."
"Where is he now?" Jasmine demanded calmly.
The Traitor sighed. "He's probably back with the rest of the Zoners by now, seeing as how he couldn't get everything he wanted here."
"And where would that be?" Shiki asked.
"Why should I tell you? It's way too dangerous there."
I've had enough of this. "Cut the crap!" Neku shouted. "Are you on our side or not?"
The Traitor looked away. "Keep your eyes peeled. Naxeyv might have left but there are probably a few more Nobodies wandering around." And with that he vanished.
Aerith's face was ridden with inner pain. "I think I finally understand… If I had known it was so severe, I would have…"
Beat was biting his lip so hard Yuffie was fairly sure it'd start bleeding soon. "You finally know what's wrong with her?" Leon asked, having entered several minutes ago.
"I think so," Aerith replied. "Her heart encountered an extremely strong resonance of some sort. Any normal person would have suffered tremendous pain before dying or becoming a heartless. Rhyme is extremely lucky to have avoided that; the only symptoms I've managed to diagnose are fatigue and of course her slight coma."
"So Rhyme isn't a normal person," Yuffie stated, rubbing her chin. "Does that mean she's a Princess…?"
Beat stared blankly in spite of the situation. "Whachu been smokin'? Rhyme ain't no princess!"
"Of course not," Leon replied. "There are seven, and we know all of their names. There can't be eight, otherwise…"
Aerith nodded, knowing how Leon was going to finish his sentence. "But Rhyme is special somehow. We know that much. Otherwise she wouldn't have even survived a few seconds."
"So what's going on?" Yuffie asked.
"Her heart is recovering tremendously," Aerith said, "But without help, she may not be able to wake up properly, if at all."
"So what we do?" Beat asked. "I ain't ganna just stand around here, yo."
Aerith's face stiffened. "I may be able to make something to help wake her up," she said. "But I need something first…"
With the threat of Naxeyv and the nobodies out of the city, the group decided to investigate the ruins in the desert. Jasmine, meanwhile, had wished them luck and ordered every single guard in the palace to be on the lookout for the recent threats. Not everyone could fit on the carpet, so Aladdin stayed behind to keep an eye on the city.
Heading to the ruins was the easiest part, although it took Neku a while to grasp the concept that the carpet he was riding on was capable of flying and moving on its own, not because he was denying it but because he was stunned. Once on, the trip was relatively quick, and flying around the ruins was quite simple.
"No wonder they're called ruins," Shiki commented as they approached. "This place is falling apart."
"Actually it already did that," Sora replied with a humorless chuckle. Thanks to Iago and his clumsiness.
"But this place is a pile of rubble," Neku pointed out. "How are we supposed to find anything?"
Sora pointed ahead as the carpet made its way over a crumbling archway. "There's a tower ahead. Anything that might be considered a treasure would probably be in there."
"But the Zoners aren't after treasure," Kairi pointed out.
"Maybe whatever's in there is a power source?" Shiki suggested.
"Could be."
After passing under an enormous gate, the group came upon a large area surrounded by walls of ever-flowing sand. Stationed in the center was a large tower, the bridge crumbling away from age. Sora squinted at it. Can't quite make out the door… "Kairi, can you see the entrance from here?"
"I'm pretty sure it's open," She replied. "Let's have a look."
The carpet sped forward, dropping off the four at the entrance to the tower. The wall opposite of the entrance – as well as another next to it – had crumbled into rubble, blocking off whatever pathway that might have been there. Past the stairs was a large, open chamber, the once decorated walls faded and part of the ceiling having been smashed in, leaving chunks of rock scattered in its wake. The rest of the ceiling looked about ready to fall apart if anyone so much as breathed on it incorrectly. Up ahead was a small gray platform, in front of it a large stone mural that, like the rest of the structure, was crumbling.
"I don't see anything else here," Shiki said, crossing her arms. "Aside from rocks and sand."
Sora sighed. "Then he probably got what he came for."
"I think you're right," Neku replied. "Take a look at this."
Tucked away and nearly buried underneath a pile of sand was a small chest. It had been forced open by breaking the top, and among the dust on the satin interior was a clean, oval shape. "Looks like he got what he came for," Kairi said. "What do you think was in there, though?"
They were answered by a sudden outcry of muffled yelps. Spinning on the spot, Sora noticed a familiar form tucked away in the corner and hurried over. "Guys! Over here!"
There, tied up and with his beak gagged shut, was a very familiar red parrot. Shiki crossed her arms. "Why would someone want to tie up a bird?"
Sora didn't reply, and untied the parrot's beak first. "What happened here, Iago?" He asked.
"You'd hardly believe it!" Iago screeched. "Some guy in black waltzed in here like he owned the place! I was ganna go tell Jasmine when he tied me all up and left me in the corner!"
Neku's jaw dropped. "It talks?!"
"So that Naxeyv guy was here," Kairi said. "Iago, did you see what he did?"
The moment Sora untied Iago's wings, the bird stretched them and hovered in the air. "He found and old chest in the corner. I didn't think it was important or nothin' but he went and smashed it and took some rock from inside it. I don't remember what he called it, but he high-tailed it outta there once he had it. Oh, man, I'm in deep trouble…"
"That guy in black isn't here anymore, though," Sora said. "But why would a rock be so important?"
Iago did the bird equivalent of a shrug. "Well, it was kind of shiny…"
"So it was a gem," Shiki concluded. "But why hide it out here in the ruins?"
"I don't know," Sora said, "But if the Zoners want it, it can't be good news." He turned around. "Iago, do you think you can head back to the palace and tell Jasmine about what happened here?"
"She'll eat me for thanksgiving dinner if she finds out!" Iago cried.
"The sooner she finds out," Neku pointed out, "The less trouble you'll be in. And you'd better hurry; who knows what that thing was that he found."
Something tells me we're better off not knowing.
I couldn't agree with you more.
With nothing more to help with in Agrabah, the four vanished into the portal near the entrance of the chamber.
"The boy refused to come, I see."
"Yes. He was with the keybearer. I sensed something different about him this time…remember what I mentioned when we first met him?"
"Ah, yes…that power is getting stronger, whatever it is. He is undoubtedly much stronger than when he faced Xsoh."
"Who cares? Can't we just rope him in already? I want to see if my guess was right."
"If it wasn't before, it will be now. Those fools have unlocked the power in Sakuraba's heart, which is good news for us."
"Unless he decides to use it against us, right?"
"That won't be happening. After all, we have our backup plan, don't we?"
"Ah, yes. The stone you found in Agrabah. You say it is like the ones on your world?"
"Quite. I believe it may be useful to us should the boy decide to attack, but it will only work on…certain powers, of course. I doubt the boy will be able to use such abilities."
"We can't be careless. That composer picked him for a reason, you know."
"The Organization could outdo that composer by far. That's why we need Neku."
"Of course. Where is he headed to next?"
"He's still in Agrabah, but I doubt his next stop will be far. Sora's trying to clean up our messes, so to speak. From what I gather, he came to Agrabah specifically because he knew there were a high number of Nobodies there."
"Ha! This is ganna be way easier than we thought, isn't it?"
"Indeed…but there's also the matter with the girl."
"What about her? Haven't you managed to get near her?"
"I tried, but there's more than one person - or heart, rather - preventing me…"
Iffy chapter...next one will prolly be better :O
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/???)
