Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters or storyline. This story is mine, as are the OCs. The final arc of the story gets some steam behind it in this chapter. Shout out to all you lovelies who have sent me theories about Paradox. Most of your questions should be answered by the end of this story, even if it takes some squinting to see them. Enjoy!
..:-X-:..
116 – Emerging Memories
Leon stood with his arms folded in the front room of Merlin's house. The house was empty except for himself, Sora, and Riku. This was not how he had been expecting his Wednesday to go, he inwardly mused. The three heroes from Destiny Islands had winged their way to Radiant Garden at King Mickey's invite to the annual Allied Council State of Affairs meeting. As two Keybearers and a Princess of Heart, they had more than enough right to attend, though Leon was surprised that they had actually elected to.
The meeting wasn't for another few hours. Sora, and by extension Riku, had almost immediately decided to take the opportunity to have a discussion with Leon about…'stuff' had been their operative word. Given Riku's slight but sincere hint for Kairi to be elsewhere, the Princess of Heart had needed little encouragement to hurry off to Leon and Tifa's house to see Mikayla. Of course they wanted to talk about Project Stasis.
And, two hours after that conversation started, a contemplative silence had settled. The other two both looked lost in their own thoughts, digesting everything. Leon knew that Sora had been slowly remembering pieces of Project Stasis for some time now, and although Riku hadn't been a part of that horrific ordeal, he had become very well acquainted with it in his drive to support both Sora and Kairi—who had had her memories voluntarily modified to erase that experience—after the dust had settled on the matter nearly two years earlier.
"So," Sora had never done well with silence. "Congratulations on becoming a dad."
Leon exhaled at the abrupt shift. He could understand it though. Project Stasis had been horrific for everyone involved; Sora not the least of all. For several months after it ended, he had been blissfully unaware, as his mind had suppressed the traumatic memories of it all. Now, he was suddenly facing it all, remembering it all, and having the truth of it all laid bare and ugly in front of him…Leon would have changed the subject too if it had been him.
Riku seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because he didn't roll his eyes or look exasperated at Sora's apparent lack of attention span. He didn't indulge it either, though.
"But everyone is okay?" Riku asked, looking pointedly at Leon. "There were no long term effects on anybody?"
Leon shook his head, "No negative effects. Though none of us are too fond of virtual reality games anymore."
Riku snorted at that.
"Do you have a picture?" Sora asked bluntly.
Leon and Riku both looked at him.
"Of your daughter." Sora added.
Resisting a frown, Leon tugged his cellphone out of his pocket and wordlessly handed it to Sora. The younger man took it and started thumbing through the shameless number of pictures that Leon had stored in there of Mikayla.
"And the…" Riku awkwardly resumed the conversation. "The guy responsible…Franks? He's been taken care of?"
"He's facing life imprisonment and solitary confinement in the maximum security prison in the deserts of Agrabah." Leon answered. "He's not going anywhere."
"Good." Riku muttered, and then cleared his throat. "Has he ever said what the point of it all was? I mean, at the end of the day, what did he accomplish with Project Stasis?"
"He wanted to see how far a pure heart could be pushed before it broke and what would happen when it broke." Sora said, not looking up from the pictures. "Oh, this is a cute one." He tilted the phone toward Riku to show him the picture.
"Sora." Riku sounded exasperated.
"No." Sora abruptly handed the phone back to Leon. "I get it, okay? I don't…I don't quite remember EVERYTHING yet, but what I do remember really sucks. I don't have to remember all of it to know that I really screwed up in Stasis. I can tell because when I first walked in the room this morning, Tifa flinched. Leon, you could hardly look at me for more than a few seconds at first. And the look on your soldier's face…McLane or McCollock or whatever her name is…She hates me too, and I don't even remember her."
"No one hates you." Leon corrected. "And believe me, the dust has settled on Project Stasis for everybody. Me, Tifa, McCallister, everybody…We've gotten over it. We've moved on."
"Except me." Sora pointed at his chest. "I didn't even know there was anything to 'get over' until I started having nightmares about it. So just…bear with me." He looked imploringly to Riku. "Please? I'm…It's giving me a migraine."
Riku sighed, "Okay." He nodded once, "Right. Of course."
Leon pocketed his phone. "None of it was your fault, you know. It's easy to think that way, but you were manipulated. We all were. We all survived."
"And Kairi will never remember." Sora trailed away, staring at the wall.
They were all quiet for a moment after that. This was definitely not how Leon had imagined his Wednesday to go. It almost began to get awkward, until Sora abruptly clapped his palms together and faced Leon.
"Well, pictures aren't enough. Mikayla is too adorable for words. I gotta see her myself." He gave a small smile, expectantly waiting for Leon to lead the way.
Leon blinked, snorted, and gestured to the door. "Okay. Let's go."
..:-X-:..
117 – A Message at the End of the World
"Maybe it crashed. Satellites have been known to do that."
Cid grunted, "Yeah, but they need something to crash INTO for that to happen."
The computer in Merlin's house was set to split screen. The active screen was a map of the farthest edges of the Alliance's domain, denoting the different worlds that fell under the umbrella of the intergalactic organization. The secondary screen was a live video feed of Beverly, who had logged onto her computer from the office in her bar in Traverse Town.
"Did the batteries run out?" She suggested.
Cid fought and lost the fight against rolling his eyes. "No." He squinted at the map. "It's not as though the satellite isn't working or has been de-activated. It's just…not there."
In the side screen box, Beverly lifted an eyebrow. "Like…destroyed?"
Cid rubbed the back of his neck, pulling up a third screen and scrolling through the log data from the satellite's last transmission. "The transcripts from its last feedback don't indicate any encounters or attacks, no malfunctions, not even a damn glitch. One moment it was working fine, and then the next, poof, gone outta fuckin' space."
"Does that happen often?"
"That NEVER happens." Cid grumbled, clicking on the last video file that the satellite sent to Radiant Garden.
The file opened in a new window, pixelating slightly as it morphed into a recording of the vastness of space outside the Alliance's domain. It wasn't as though the Alliance spanned across the entire galaxy, though some of the higher ups would've liked to think that. There were several undiscovered worlds out there beyond the Alliance's reach. Some were untouched by Heartless, some were ravaged by Heartless, and some Cid had no idea of because they had never made contact with them.
The best the Alliance could do with the resources at its disposal was to monitor the very edges of Allied territory and protect all of the worlds that fell within that perimeter, and try their damnedest to aid any outside worlds that asked for it. Several dozen reconnaissance and monitoring satellites had been stationed across the edges of their system, continuously gathering data and jettisoning it back to Allied Headquarters in Radiant Garden. It was an arduous and painstaking process that Cid saw the value of, but would also never want to be involved in. They had enough damn problems keeping their corner of the galaxy safe, let alone the rest of the fucking universe, but if that was what it took…
The star studded void of space on the video file buzzed slightly with static and abruptly jarred as though being jostled. Cid frowned and re-focused on the feed. The audio sync with the video hummed. The stars remained still, bound to their constellations. Something flickered at the edge of the video.
"Cid—" Beverly started.
Cid hushed her with a raised hand, eyes glued to the screen.
All of the stars on the left hand side of the video abruptly vanished, followed by a deep, guttural groan that flooded out from the speakers on the computer. Then, just as abruptly, the stars from the middle of the video to the right side disappeared also. The groan shot up several octaves into a high-pitched screeching, like claws dragging cross corrugated steel, and the video suddenly cut off, ending with a jolt.
For a beat, Cid stared at the blank window, almost waiting for something else. When nothing else followed, he immediately rewound the footage and re-watched it. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end at the second hearing of the disembodied noise, and he paused the video, sitting back slightly, perplexed.
"Cid, what is it?" Beverly asked. "What's wrong?"
Cid blinked, looking at her live feed. She was frowning and looked worried. He rolled one shoulder and got his bearings back, sitting forward. "Nothing, just this weird ass video the satellite kicked out before it vanished."
"Oh? What was on it?"
"I'm going to have to call you back." He clicked into the satellite video, isolating the fragment of groans and shrieks and dragging them into a separate file.
"Wait, tell me what it was—" She said.
"Maybe later. I gotta show this to somebody." He ended the webchat, copied the file onto a detachable drive, and closed the other windows, snatching up the drive and leaving Merlin's house.
Monitoring and recon fell under his and Yuffie's mutual jurisdiction, though her department tended to focus on a world-by-world basis. Between the two, they had quite a few brainy types bouncing around a room analyzing all of this data. They hadn't gotten wind of this information yet or he would have gotten a phone call. So he would have to take it to them.
Cid stomped purposefully across town to the headquarter building, snapping out a cigarette to calm his nerves. His hands were shaking. He felt rattled, and he cursed as he shook the tremble out of his hands.
He had only ever heard that eerie, ominous groan once before, when he and the others on the original Restoration Committee had fled Radiant Garden nearly 15 years ago. The sound had haunted him for months afterward. He had never heard that screech before. It was new.
New in the unknown chasm of space was rarely good.
..:-X-:..
118 – Last Will and Testament
Tifa smiled, sitting on the floor of the living room and leaning against the front of the sectional couch. Mikayla was lying on her back on the blanket beside Tifa, staring up at her mother with wide, curious eyes and kicking her legs out occasionally.
"Hello." Tifa chimed, reaching down and rubbing her hand over the baby's chest. "Hi there, Mikayla. What are you up to today?"
Mikayla cooed, opening and closing her mouth before casting her eyes up to the rotating ceiling fan. Tifa giggled and poked at the two month old's chubby cheeks lovingly.
"I could just eat you up." She murmured, leaning in and bopping her nose against Mikayla's belly. "Nomnomnomnom."
Mikayla squealed and wiggled on her blanket as Tifa sat up.
"You should really take a break." Tifa addressed Leon, who was sitting on the recliner beside the sectional, poring over a file and scribbling on it every so often.
"I can't." He didn't look up. "What if we get hit by a meteor?"
"Doubtful." Tifa canted her head, letting Mikayla wrap her entire hand around Tifa's index finger, squeezing it.
"There're still car wrecks, Gummi crashes, missions themselves could fill a book on accidental death." Leon rubbed his forehead.
Mikayla hummed in her throat, her eyes flitting over at the sound of Leon's voice. Tifa's heart nearly exploded at the sight, but she kept her composure.
"I thought we agreed," She commented. "That, in the event of our untimely deaths, everything we own would be sent to the Radiant Garden donation center, save for a few sentimental items, which we already went over…" She glanced at the clock on the wall. "…three hours ago."
"I know." Leon exhaled. "That just leaves the house and the munchkin."
"Hwah!" Mikayla cooed.
"Oh no." Tifa gave a dramatic gasp, looking from Mikayla to Leon, "She senses it."
"No." Leon pointed at her. "No, she doesn't."
"She is using her baby powers." Tifa picked Mikayla up under the arms. "She's sensing…she's sensing…" She stood, weaving the baby through the air like a probe before squaring her at Leon. "She's sensing unnecessary stress levels!"
Leon was trying to glare at her, but with Mikayla's giggly self between them, he couldn't manage it.
"Mikayla to the rescue!" Tifa swooped down, depositing the baby in Leon's arms. "Behold, as she makes all those scary thoughts..." She waved her arms like a performing magician. "…vanish!"
Leon held Mikayla, shaking his head at Tifa. "That's a dirty trick."
"But effective." Tifa added, noting that the last will and testament papers had been set aside so he could accommodate the little girl.
Mikayla made a light noise in her throat, staring up at Leon with those big eyes. Leon seemed to deflate, sitting back in the chair and shifting his hold on her. Tifa triumphantly sat down on the couch, glancing at the papers.
"They're not unnecessary worries." Leon prompted. "We have to think about what we want for Mikayla if something happens to both of us."
Tifa sighed. "I know." She pursed her lips and paused for a beat. "How about Aerith and Cloud as godparents?"
Leon glanced across the room in thought. "Maybe."
"Aerith is great with kids, and, let's face it, she and Cloud are going to get married and grow old together even if it takes them another decade to admit it." She said.
Leon tilted his head in passive agreement.
"And Cloud is great with kids too." At Leon's flat look, Tifa lifted a hand. "Don't look at me like that. He is, you've seen it, and he loves Mikayla half to death as it is."
"Mrph." Leon grunted, slumped further in his seat, and looked down at Mikayla.
She stared right back up at him, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. He stuck his tongue out at her. Mikayla formed an O with her mouth, her own tongue pushing at her lips, trying to mirror him. Leon smiled at her attempt, and she waved her arms. Tifa discretely lifted her phone and snapped off a picture of the sight.
"I'm going to label that one 'death by adorableness.' I'm getting a real collection of those." She mused aloud, before standing with a sigh. "All right, gimme, gimme." She held out her arms and wigged her fingers.
"No." Leon whined, "Whatever you need to do with her, I'll do it."
"I need to feed her." Tifa quirked an eyebrow. "Are you currently lactating?"
Leon groaned and surrendered the infant. Tifa snickered as she sat back on the couch, holding Mikayla steady as the baby gurgled at her.
"Did you say death by adorableness?" He asked belatedly. "How is that even possible?"
"Hwah!" Mikayla cooed in Tifa's arms.
Tifa swiveled her head to Leon. He dramatically clutched a hand to his chest, grimaced in mock pain, and abruptly went slack, playing dead. Tifa shook her head and left him to it.
..:-X-:..
A/N: Again with the Project Stasis references. I fully intend to write a short oneshot or two-chapter fic that will serve as a broad overview of the Mercy Trilogy (Ask Mercy Not of Me, Lay Down the Salt Lines, and Silver Bullet to the Heart), so that those who haven't read it don't get confused or irritated, as the events in that trilogy will factor moderately in upcoming stories. Said explanatory short story might take a while though, so please bear with me! Or, if you have time or interest, read the trilogy…or not (shrugs). I'll stop with the rambling now…
Preview for next week: The surveillance and monitoring subsection of the Alliance was nestled in one of the lower levels of the headquarter building, several stories underground and teeming with scientists and analysts who were constantly bustling around, keeping the outer spatial perimeters of the Alliance secure.