So, I'm back. And for those of you who missed E3 this year, I have news.
Roxas: "Kingdom Hearts 3! Kingdom Hearts 3! Kingdom Hearts 3!"
We're quite excited about it. Got another chapter here, tell me what you think!
Roxas: "Kingdom Hearts 3!"
I own nothing.
!
Chapter 132: WASP
The Keyhole had been closed for about an hour. In that time, a few things of importance had occurred.
The first of these was that the town defenses had been restored to their original status by Tron. The surviving Tron 2.0s had returned to their normal duties, and were currently in the process of cleaning up the damages with the aid of the Radiant Garden Police Department and Roy's unofficial militia. Since the majority of the damage had only been sustained at the castle and its immediate surroundings, the process was going along quickly.
The second was that the virtual Heartless that had been released into the castle's maintenance area while the virus had been corrupting the systems had been destroyed. Tron had merely started cranking out huge numbers of new Tron 2.0s to combat them alongside Assassin and Gambler Nobodies, plus Sora, Kairi, and their allies that had been in the castle at the time. There had been no friendly casualties.
The third was that the unconscious Shego, Syndrome, and Randall had been stripped of their weapons and equipment, and placed into high security transport ships. Each of them was now en route back to their respective home worlds for trial. Their heavily damaged ship, the Assailant, had been found in space and confiscated by the RGPD.
The fourth was that Pete had been placed back into his inter-dimensional prison. King Mickey, Yen Sid, Merlin, and Aerith were making new preparations to ensure a third escape from him would not be possible. PJ hadn't seemed particularly sad to see him go.
"I was pretty much raised by my mom, anyway." He had explained.
So now, everybody was gathered back at the castle. They were assembled in the meeting room, which Sora had last been in about four months previous. He sat near the head of the table, with those who he had been journeying with and fighting alongside for that whole time. Spirit and Rain stood nearby, as well.
Mickey and Yen Sid walked to the front of the room. "Great work out there today, everyone!" The King congratulated.
"Yes, very well fought." Yen Sid agreed. "You're either the bravest or most foolish group of people I've ever encountered."
"Why can't we be both?" Sora asked, getting a few laughs.
"Now that we have the opportunity, we need to start planning. We have access to the necessary equipment to enter Pax Pacis. We have many allies across the worlds. The time is right to take the fight to the Brotherhood of the Dark, and put an end to this madness."
"What do we do next?" Roxas asked.
"Pax Pacis'll be crawling with Heartless and Nobodies." Mickey said. "We'll be needing all the support we can get. Which is why we're assembling a new force to deal with the problem."
"We're calling it WASP." Leon said, stepping forward. "The World Alliance of Safety and Protection. It will be a task force composed of warriors from all across the worlds to combat Darkness."(1)
"We'll be involved, naturally?" Sora said. "I'd hate to think we've been going through all of this just to get shoved to the side when the final battle comes."
"No, we just figured we'd leave the Keyblade wielders out of this." Leon replied.
"Hey, you just used sarcasm!"
"Anyway," Mickey interrupted, "We'll be spending the next few days gathering our allies on the worlds we've visited; anybody who'll be willing to help us. Also during this time, Cid, Tron, and the others will be reverse-engineering the dark matter warp engine attachments to make sure our ships can actually get to Pax Pacis when the time for battle comes."
"Where do we start?" Axel asked.
"AVALANCHE is already on their way here from Midgar." Leon said. "They're making a quick stop at the Land of Dragons before they get here. They should touch down sometime tonight. Chip, Dale, and Jiminy are with them, as well."
Yen Sid made a gesture, snuffing out all of the lights in the room. Sora was struck by déjà vu when the curtains at the far end of the room slid aside seemingly of their own accord, revealing the backdrop of space behind it. Those who hadn't seen it before made surprised noises, and Sora chuckled quietly.
But then he was the one to act surprised, when space seemed to spill out from the opening, and filled up the room. Within seconds, they all stood in the middle of the starry infinity, gazing upon numerous worlds in their natural appearance.
"I love magic." Sora grinned.
Space seemed to grow, to the point where the center of the room was dominated by key objects.
"What you see now, are the key worlds of our alliance." Yen Sid said, his voice echoing through space. "Radiant Garden is in the center. If you'll look over here..." He pointed at a specific world, which flashed bright gold for a moment. "You will see Pax Pacis."
Ironically, Nehrut was standing right under this world. His eyes locked onto it, and he grimaced.
"We will need to divide our numbers for a brief time, to assemble our forces quickly."
"If I can make a suggestion?" Nehrut said, raising his hand. When Yen Sid nodded to him, Nehrut pointed to a pair of worlds on either side of Pax Pacis. "These worlds are Furon and the Holy Land. They used to have strong ties to my world, and two of their people are still in the Pax Pacis Resistance movement. I think we should request their help."
"Good thinking." Leon said. "I can go to Furon, and-"
"Uh, mind if I come along?" Max said. "The Furons are crazy, and I've been around one for a few weeks. You could use me."
"Alright. It'd be a pleasure to have you along." Leon looked back at Nehrut. "You should probably go to the Holy Land."
"I know a bit about the Assassins. I think they might be willing to help us."
"Just make sure they don't kill you first."
There's another who can help us.
All eyes turned to Spirit. It was difficult for any of them to understand how the stallion made itself understood. Later, they theorized that he was capable of speaking directly into their hearts.
Our daughter, Midnight. She is on our home world: The Cimarron.
"Will she be ready or willing to help us?" Mickey asked.
She's dealt with off-worlders before. She'll jump at the chance to defend the worlds. She's got a fire in her heart… Takes after her old man.
"I'll get her." Axel offered. "Where's the Cimarron?"
"This is it." Yen Sid gestured, briefly illuminating another world. "It is barely a day away."
"There are some others who can help us." Mickey lifted his hand, and showed them an interesting new area. It wasn't a world, but a space station. Sora had a nagging feeling that it looked very familiar to him.
"This is Star Command." Mickey said. "They're an elite group of space rangers who fight to preserve peace in the universe in any way they can. They're pretty far out of our way, so we don't usually bump into each other. But I've been keeping in touch with Commander Nebula, and he says they've been keeping tabs on Heartless activity. If we send an emissary or two, I'm sure they'll agree to help us."
"I'll go." Sora said, his eyes locked onto the station. "I think I've seen this place."
"Yes, Sora." Mickey smiled. "You've met one of their top agents: Buzz Lightyear."
"Sweet!" Sora exclaimed.
"I'll come with you." Kairi was also staring at the station. "I want to see this place. It looks cool."
"That it is." Leon agreed. "There are still a few more worlds we need to go to. Barret and Zell will be doing the majority of the travelling, though. Zell's going to get the Princesses of Heart."
"Why?" Yuffie asked.
"As a precaution." Yen Sid answered. "The Darkness surrounding Pax Pacis is quite strong. Even if the engine parts allow us to get through it to the world, it could still have adverse effects on anybody who enters. With their Light, we will all be safer."
"We could go to Agrabah, Master." Mickey offered. "I'll take Donald and Goofy with me. It'll save Zell a trip, and it's closer than the other Princess's worlds, anyway."
"Alright."
"If he gets Agrabah, I call Twilight Town." Roxas said. "It'll be good to see home again, and I'll pick up Hayner, Pence, and Olette."
"What of the world's other warriors? Seifer Almasy, Raijin, Fujin, and Vivi?" Yen Sid asked.
"I'll take Vivi."
"And I'll go with him to make sure he picks up the other three." Namine grinned.
"Another two worlds require attention, if anybody would volunteer to pursue them." Yen Sid said. "On Hawaii, a handful of Jumba Jookiba's experiments have been set free since you last left, and are making quite a mess of things. The local populace may want a bit of help."
"I'll go." Riku said.
"And on Olympus, the Underworld's hordes of creatures are now masterless. Since Hades' downfall, they've risen up, and are causing the inhabitants trouble. Hercules and the Olympian gods have the situation contained, but they could use support."
"That's about up our alley." Bariss said. "I'll go to Olympus."
"Then the rest can probably be handled by Zell and Barret." Leon finished. "Things are all coming together. In a few days, we attack Pax Pacis."
"Looking forward to that." Sora said.
"In the meantime, you should prepare yourselves." Mickey looked pointedly at Sora and his party.
"How?" Kairi asked.
!
"Hold still now, dear." Flora said to Namine.
The three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather hovered around Namine, looking over every detail of her, particularly of her plain white dress, and blue sandals.
They were in a round room that looked as though it had been made for the three fairies. Several racks of clothing and material were gathered around the room, and there were several lights and mirrors arranged in strategic locations. Sora, Kairi, Riku, Roxas, Axel, Nehrut, and Bariss were standing on one side of the room, watching the fairies working on Namine in the center of the room, under a chandelier. Yen Sid and Mickey stood by the door.
"Oh, you're a cute one, dearie." Merryweather cooed, pinching the blonde girl's cheek. "This is going to be a fun project!"
She twirled her wand in her hand for a moment, and tapped the top of Namine's head. She let off a soft flash of light, and her dress turned a light blue.
"Oh, no!" Flora scolded, flicking her wand, and turning the dress pink.
"Are you sure about that?" Fauna asked, turning the dress green.
"It's clearly better blue!" Merryweather turned it back to blue.
"Pink!"
"Green!"
Meanwhile, the rest of the party was writhing in silent laughter. Namine was starting to look irritated as her dress rapidly changed color and length, and the fairies continued arguing.
"Excuse me!" She exclaimed over their loud argument. "But could you please make up your minds?"
Now the sisters seemed to catch themselves, and looked slightly embarrassed.
"Alright girls, no more bickering." Flora said. "All together now!"
They flicked their wands in unison, and Namine's green dress flashed brightly.
"That's better!"
Namine's outfit had completely changed. She wore a white tube top under a slender, royal blue jacket that went just past her waist level. The jacket was adorned with a white heart on each of her sleeves, and one larger one on her back. She wore a loose white skirt that went a little past her knees, and white pants. Her sandals had been replaced by more practical, royal blue shoes.
"Ooh, she's beautiful!" Fauna said in satisfaction.
"No kidding..." Roxas gaped, his eyes locked onto his girlfriend.
"How do you like it, dear?" Merryweather asked.
"I love it!" Namine admired the new outfit in the mirror. "I was worried I was going to have to fight in that dress, but this is much better! Thank you!"
"Oh, no worries dear, it was our pleasure." Flora hugged her. "Just you take care of yourself. Now, who's next?"
"If you promise not to switch my outfit rapidly back and forth between pink, green, and blue, I'll go." Roxas said, stepping forward. He pecked Namine on the cheek as he passed her up, and she blushed.
The fairies looked him over for a few moments, tugging slightly on his existing clothing, and then talking amongst themselves. This time, they skipped the arguments about color, and flicked their wands as one on the first time.
He wore a jacket of the same design as his old one, though it had mostly inverted colors. It was mostly jet black, with a thin white checkered pattern on the shoulders and chest. Under it was a long-sleeved white shirt, with a zipper on the front, with his old four-pronged symbol on it. He kept his checkered bracelet on his left wrist, and wore jeans with black on the shins, and dark grey upward from that.
It bore a resemblance to his old outfit, and that suited him just fine. He looked at himself in the nearest mirror, and liked what he saw. "I like it. Thanks!"
"Next victim!" Merryweather called.
Axel stepped up. "Something red, please?"
So, he got red armor.
He wore a thick, jet black leather suit underneath armor plates. The plates themselves were a bright, vivid scarlet. Swirling, deeper red patterns were set into the armor near the edges. The plates were positioned on his chest, stomach, shoulders, outer arms, the back of his hands, and the front of his legs. He wore thick boots on his feet.
"Nice." Axel looked himself over with admiring eyes. "It looks pretty heavy, but it doesn't feel like it."
"Magic armor, dearie. It does wonders." Fauna patted him on the shoulders. "And it's flame retardant."
"It's like you've known me my whole life..."
Bariss stepped forward, and Flora floated over to her. "Any preferences, dearie?"
"I need to keep this necklace." She said, indicating the emerald heart around her neck. "And if it's no trouble, I'd like green."
"Of course sweetheart!" Fauna rushed to her side. "Green is perfect on you! It really brings out the color of those pretty eyes!"
"That's what I thought." Nehrut murmured to himself.
Bariss smiled slyly over at him, while Fauna looked her over. She then briefly consulted with her sisters, who agreed with whatever it was she said.
When the light faded for the fourth time, Bariss was wearing baggy khaki pants, with an array of pockets and pouches on them. She wore a dark green tank top with a V-neck, with black on the shoulder blades. On her arms were pauldrons and spaulders of hardened leather, each engraved with a thin heart pattern. She had fingerless gloves on, with two black stripes on the backs of her hands. A dark green headband was wrapped around her forehead. True to the fairies' word, her necklace was still in place.
"Cool." She said, looking at her reflection in a mirror.
"And that headband is imbibed with a special kind of magic." Fauna said. "It grants the wearer great concentration, focus, and clarity even in the most stressful situations."
"Handy." She touched her fingers to the center of it. "Thank you."
Nehrut was next. And when he said, "Blue, please." Merryweather charged at him, and pulled him into a surprisingly tight hug.
The end result was a midnight blue leather jacket, with his golden family crest emblazoned on the left shoulder. Under the jacket was a charcoal grey chest plate composed of parallel strips of flexible, but durable, armor plates. He had black fingerless gloves on his hands. He also wore a pair of black jeans. Presul and its sheath were still on his belt.
"Cool!" He said, rapping against the armor plates. They didn't even feel like metal, but more like a very thick layer of leather. "And comfortable."
"We pride ourselves on comfort and style." Flora said, patting his head. "Just don't push it, that armor can only take so much."
Riku stepped forward after him. The fairies looked him over very closely.
"Oh, you must be beating the girls off of you with a stick!" Merryweather said.
Riku looked a bit uncomfortable. "Uhh, no. I'm in a committed relationship with a ninja, and if I even considered another girl, I'd be dead before I could say 'it's over.'"
The sisters laughed, and eventually settled on an outfit, flicking their wands.
Riku now wore a long, sleeveless vest with a hood over an orange muscle shirt. The vest was black, with spiked orange patterns on it, which looked similar to the pattern on Xemnas' old garb. A free sleeve with a similar pattern was on his right forearm. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans. A chain hung around his neck, with an emblem that resembled that of the Heartless, save for the fact that the heart was red-orange and violet, and the cross in the center was vertical.
"Wow, I look good." Riku laughed, looking at his reflection. "And I like the pendant. Did you come up with it?"
"We certainly did." Flora confirmed, smiling.
"My turn!" Kairi all but skipped to the center of the room, and stopped right in front of the three fairies.
Sora chuckled. Kairi wasn't a 'girly girl' by anybody's standards, but she did have a weakness for new clothing. Personally, he thought that she already looked perfect in the magic clothing the fairies had made for her a few months previous, but they had requested she try on something new they had made for her.
There was no debate this time, the fairies flicked their wands. Sora revised his opinion on her old clothing. This was much better.
Kairi was wearing a sleek, long-sleeved, deep red jacket with a hood. The sleeves, and lower trim were a bright purple, and it stopped at her upper thighs. The back of the jacket bore a crown pattern like Sora's, though in purple. Under the jacket, she wore a pure white tank top. She wore a loose, deep red skirt that stopped just short of her knees, and white pants underneath it. The Oathkeeper necklace still hung about her neck.
"Oooh!" She squealed, staring at her reflection. "Thank you!"
"Oh, it's always nice to design clothes for you, dearie!" Flora hugged her. "You get so enthusiastic!"
"And you should know that your drive forms will be unaffected by the clothing." Merryweather added.
As if to drive the point home that she was enthusiastic, Kairi spun toward Sora. "How do I look?" She asked enthusiastically.
"You look wonderful." Sora smiled, pecking her on the lips. "Absolutely beautiful."
"That's the perfect answer." Kairi kissed him back.
"Sora, dear!" Merryweather beckoned to him. "Come over here a moment."
Reluctantly, he parted from Kairi, and stood in front of the fairies. They twirled their wands in unison, already having something in mind for the Keyblade master.
Sora's clothing bore a few small similarities to his former adventuring outfit, but it was still quite different. His jacket was similar, though it went down to his waist, and the sleeves actually went down to his elbows. The jacket was a deep, dark, ultramarine blue. It was trimmed with the silver and gold pattern of flames along the shoulders and lower area. The shirt he wore beneath it was black, with red pockets in the front, like his old one. His pants were now actual 'pants' rather than long shorts, and had the same flame pattern at the ankles. He wore black, fingerless gloves on his hands, with a red X across each of them. His crown pendant was still present around his neck, and the emblem was repeated on his back in red.
"Woah." Sora looked at himself. "I feel... Cool."
There was laughter around the room. "Don't mention it dearie." Flora patted him on the shoulder. "Just survive long enough to enjoy the clothes."
"Alright!" Mickey said. "Everybody happy with their clothes? Good? Follow me, then."
The King and Yen Sid led the newly-clothed party from the room, and into a smaller one across the hall. Sora recognized it immediately as the study he had talked with King Mickey in the night before they had left the last time. The fireplace was crackling with a merry little fire as though it had been burning for an hour.
Mickey gestured to Sora, Kairi, and Riku, but addressed the others. "This is for these three. You guys can leave if you like."
"We'll be outside." Roxas said, indicating himself and Namine. "We were-"
"Hoping to get some answers." Yen Sid finished for him, half-smiling. "If you would wait for a few moments, I'll give you a once-over."
Sora, Kairi, and Riku stayed in the room. Yen Sid and Mickey surveyed them closely. Finally, the old wizard spoke. "This conflict is bound to be decided by the wielders of the Keyblade. And you three are the best at what you do. You'll need to realize your full potential."
Mickey reached inside of an inside pocket, and emerged holding three small, grey chains. He held them in his open palm, and held his hand out. "Take these."
Each of the teenagers reached out, and took one of the chains. They looked at them curiously, and Yen Sid snapped his bony fingers.
The chains, and the teenagers holding them suddenly gave off bright flashes of blue, orange, and gold light. When it faded, the Keybearers were shocked to see that they now held keychains, like those of a Keyblade.
"These keychains are yours, and yours alone." Mickey explained. "They are birthed from your own hearts and souls, and resonate with your very beings. You will be able to use your abilities to their fullest with these on your blades."
"Why didn't Roxas or Namine get them?" Kairi asked curiously.
"They did." Yen Sid said. "The blades they wielded in battle today were created with their rebirth. They are in tune with their weapons as much as you will be with these."
"Try 'em out." Mickey urged.
Riku went first. His keychain matched the emblem on his pendant. He summoned Way to Dawn, and quickly swapped out the chains. It let off a flash of light, and was revealed to have taken on a new form.
The oval-shaped guard resembled a pair of orange and gold angel wings. On the pommel was a bright red, four-pronged star. The shaft of the blade was a sunset-colored red-orange, and narrowed slightly in the middle, before returning to its original length at the end. The set of 'teeth' of the Keyblade was a majestic-looking red-orange angel wing, which brightened into gold at the very end.
Breaking Dawn.(2)
Kairi went next. Her keychain was a pure white star, with bright blue in the center. She summoned Destiny's Light, and replaced the chains.
The resulting Keyblade was much less girly, and reminded her of the Oathkeeper. The guard was heart-shaped and bright white. A thin, blue line ran through the center of it. On the pommel was a light blue crown shape that matched Sora's pendant. The pure white shaft was curved just slightly, and had three blue lines running along its center to the very end. There, they thickened, ended in points, and curved away from the shaft to form the teeth of the blade.
Pure of Heart.
Sora's keychain was identical to his crown emblem, though with gold edges. He replaced the chain on Oblivion with this one, and decided immediately that he really liked the new Keyblade.
The octagonal guard was a deep, mesmerizing blue. The sides were streaked lightly with gold and silver flame patterns. On the pommel was a blue, teardrop-shaped gem set in gold. The long, blue shaft bore the same gold and silver fire pattern along one side of it, which stopped at the very end. The teeth of the blade matched the points of his crown, though slightly thinner. Each of the points had a gold arrow-shape inside of them.
Chosen One.
"Use them well." Yen Sid advised.
!
Roxas leaned against the wall beside the doorway, watching Namine as she looked over the Keyblade in her hands.
"I like yours." He said suddenly.
"Really?" Namine held it up at a new angle, letting the light shine off of its gleaming white surface. "You know, it is really nice…"
She smirked a little bit, though. "So when are you going to stop overcompensating with the two different blades?"
He frowned at her, making her laugh.
The door opened up, and Sora, Kairi, and Riku exited the room. Mickey was right behind them, and Yen Sid walked out last. His ancient eyes fixed on Roxas and Namine instantly, in a manner that Roxas found rather intimidating.
But, then he smiled, and gestured for them to follow him. He walked off in the opposite direction from the other Keybearers, the former Nobodies following in his wake.
"I suppose that you wanted to know how it was that you acquired new bodies today?"
"Do you know then, Master Yen Sid?" Namine asked.
"I have theories, nothing more just yet. Fortunately, all theories are testable." They ascended a flight of stairs. "But describe to me exactly what transpired in the operating room today."
They did, moving up a few more floors as they did so. They reached their destination just as the story ended.
Yen Sid pushed open a large oak door, and ushered them through. Beyond was a large, dome-like room. The walls and ceiling were smooth and jet black. Nothing was in this room that either Roxas or Namine could see and no windows were there to allow any natural light in.
They walked inside, Yen Sid reaching into his robes. He withdrew a small egg-shaped object, which looked as though it was made of a glowing blue gel. He closed the door, and without warning pressed the object down onto the top of Namine's head.
She shivered, and suddenly flinched as light burst forth from the strange item. Images formed on the walls around them, gradually resolving into images of a female silhouette, with her arms held away from her sides.
Feeling a little dizzied by the lights, Roxas and Namine sat down. Yen Sid stared at the image, which continued to form. A glowing ball of gold light appeared at the girl's chest. Around the orb, a nebulous gas cloud of purple and white appeared. The silhouette of her body remained blue.
Suddenly a red haze appeared inside the body. While Roxas and Namine were quite confused with everything that they were seeing, Yen Sid merely remained where he was, nodding his head silently, as though in silent confirmation.
The red haze abruptly left the body, with an unusual sparkling substance in its midst. The image of a second girl quickly formed next to the first one, with the red slowly disappearing, and the sparkling objects forming the new body.
The golden orb positioned in place in the first girl's chest pulsed brightly, releasing an identical orb which floated over to the other body.
The cloud of purple and white also began to change. White separated from purple and floated over to fill up the new body.
Yen Sid smiled. "Yes, I thought as much."
"I don't get it." Roxas said, voicing the confusion that he and Namine shared.
"When Syndrome injected Darkness into Sora and Kairi, throwing them into the state of illness from which they've only just recovered, he had no idea what he was truly doing."
"When he returned to try and abduct them, he encountered you with your astral forms. The composition of those makeshift forms disrupted the integrity of his shot with that unstable energy he used."
"The result was that the energy solidified, using the excess Darkness within Sora and Kairi as something of a building material which it later discarded, and your own images as a blueprint. Your souls recognized the familiar bodies, and immediately flickered over to the new dwelling place. Your hearts followed suit."
Roxas and Namine looked at him, and then at each other, eyebrows raised in surprise.
Yen Sid turned, smiling. "Don't ask me how I knew."(3)
!
"Yikes." Nehrut said.
He, Bariss, and a few others were sitting in one of the castle's courtyards. It was merely a simple, round, walled area with an array of benches, and well-kept plants around the walls. In the center was a stone-tiled area.
Not far away on the stone, Sora, Kairi, and Riku were sparring with their new Keyblades. They didn't seem too interested in holding back. Kairi had nearly taken Riku's head off with her last strike. Only the Guardian had saved him.
"They're incredible." Max commented, joining them, and sitting down beside Nehrut. "I've never seen anything like them."
"No kidding." Nehrut looked at Max. "Hey, now that we have some time, how is the old gang doing on Pax Pacis?"
Max smiled. "Not bad, all things considered. Essej and Liz are still going strong, and so are Takuya and Mina. Crypto's still irritating and homicidal, and Altair's still overly serious."
Nehrut chuckled. "Crypto hasn't tried to kill them, has he?"
"Actually, check yourself." Max said. "Did you ever open that bag I gave you? I'd imagine they left a note in there for you."
"You know, I forgot about it." Nehrut got up. "It's up in my room. I'll go ahead and check it out. I'll see you guys at dinner."
He pecked Bariss on the cheek, and walked out of the courtyard.
He entered the castle from a side entrance, and passed up a pair of Tron 2.0s almost instantly. They had finished their work outside in the town not too long ago, and were now tasked with combing the castle for any sort of surveillance devices that Shego, Syndrome, or Randall might have planted.
"Those things creep me out."
Nehrut turned, and saw a tall teenager with black hair emerging from a nearby doorway. A blonde girl was with him.
"Roy and Crystal, right?" Nehrut asked, remembering them from the brief moment where Leon had introduced them.
"The one and only." Roy extended his hand, and he shook it. "You're the telepath, right? Nehrut?"
"Salus Pax Pacis." He nodded. "I saw you two fighting out there today. Not too shabby."
Roy smirked. "You're not so bad yourself. When you're free, I wouldn't mind kicking your butt."
"Roy..." Crystal raised her eyebrow.
"Is that a challenge?" Nehrut returned his smirk. "Anytime, anyplace... after I get back from the Holy Land."
"How about the second you land?"
"I'll be busy then, but how about an hour later?"
"Deal!" Roy shook his hand with a grip of iron that would have crushed Nehrut's hand if he hadn't been prepared for it. "Get ready to go down!"
"We'll see about that."
"Men." Crystal muttered, rolling her eyes.
!
A few minutes later saw Nehrut at the door to the room he had been given, on one of the higher floors of the castle. He opened it, and took his first good look at it.
It was a bit small, but quite luxurious. A queen-sized bed sat at one side of the room. Across from it sat a television set. A large dresser –he didn't need so much space- sat on the other end with a pair of arm chairs. A doorway between them led to a bathroom. On the opposite end of the room from the door, next to the bed, was a wide window. From there, one could look out across the north half of the castle, and see part of the gardens, and a wide lake within the castle walls.
Nehrut shut the door behind him, and walked over to the dresser. He withdrew the duffel bag Max had given him from the bottom drawer, and sat down on the bed with it. He unzipped it, and his eyes immediately fell upon a note sitting on the top.
He picked it up, and immediately recognized Essej's slanted handwriting:
Salus Pax Pacis, Nehrut,
We all started cheering when Max told us you were still alive! Dude, we miss you so much. Liz, Takuya, Mina, and I are all doing alright, and we managed to save about eight-hundred civilians. We're keeping them in the emergency tunnel system based from the old town meeting center.
With Cryptosporidium 137, and Altair Ibn La'Ahad, we've become a thorn in the Brotherhood's side. We've been using hit-and-run tactics against them and their forces, and I'm proud to say that I think we're getting on their nerves, if nothing else. We're organizing a raid on the dungeons today, and if all goes well, we'll have another dozen or so members for our Resistance, and will have Max out of Pax Pacis with a dark matter warp engine attachment.
Of course, if the plan goes south, this message will never get to you anyway...
But I digress.
Since you're probably reading this, I hope that you and your Keybearer friends can use the part to get here. If we have enough support, then the Brotherhood could finally be defeated. We can hold out as long as we need to, but could you please hurry?
Anyway, there are a few new developments. Do you remember the legend of Infinity?
We've been looking into the old legend and the inscriptions on the door (when we've been able to get into the palace unnoticed). We think we finally have the symbol! The one that will mark the Wielder of Infinity. I know that there are long odds of any of us actually finding them, but if the prophecy is accurate, that person could make themselves known very soon. 'Time of great Darkness' remember?
I drew what we think to be the symbol on the back of this paper.
But hey, don't bust your butt looking for this mark; it's probably not important anyway. Just something to chew over. I know how you love that.
Whatever happens, I hope we can see you soon (with or without support). We all miss you, man. Once this is all over, let's hope we can get back to our lives as they were before any of this crap happened.
Safety and Peace,
Essej, Liz, Takuya, Mina
P.S. You win the bet. Your brother did snap before he hit puberty. I'll pay you the fifty munny when I see you.
Nehrut chuckled at the last statement. He reread the letter three more times, his eyes lingering on the last significant section: The legend of Infinity.
He hadn't heard about that for a long time. In a nutshell, it said that some strong-hearted person would be marked by a magical force to save the universe from Darkness. There was supposed to be an artifact on Pax Pacis that would help that person unlock their true potential, and allow them to use the power directly.
Curious, he turned the paper over to see what symbol Essej believed would mark the person.
His jaw fell open, and the paper fell from his hand.
He was still for a moment, and then practically tore the paper in half in his haste to pick it up from the floor. He looked very closely at the symbol on the back, recognizing it in a heartbeat.
Nehrut suddenly felt a bit dizzy, and fell backwards onto the bed. Something clunked beneath him, and he realized that there was still something else in the duffel bag.
Setting Essej's note aside for the moment on the nightstand by the bed, he reached inside. He emerged holding a black leather scabbard in both hands. The handle of a sword protruded from the end. A second note was tied to the hilt.
We found it in the armory. We thought you should have it.
Wondering how many bombshells he was supposed to deal with in two minutes, he grasped the handle, and pulled.
A sword with two blades running parallel to each other had been inside. It was not unlike the double-bladed katana Kadaj had used to wield. The blades were crystalline, like that of his own blade, Presul. But, these crystals glowed with an emerald green light, which seemed to intensify in his grip.
Nehrut's hand began to tremble. This was his parents' sword.
It had been a tradition for two married nobles on Pax Pacis to construct a crystalline blade together. It was a cerimonial act which birthed a powerful weapon. This particular one had never before been used in battle.
That was about to change. Nehrut slowly placed the weapon back into its scabbard, and slung it over his back. He tucked Essej's note into his jacket pocket, and left the room.
!
Another sort of set-up chapter, but I thought it was necessary. Hope you liked it, and I'll catch you guys later!
1) Thoughts on the name?
2) Please save the Twilight jokes…
3) Any questions? Sorry if it's a tad confusing.
Review, please!