Chapter XII; Stolen
Many days passed since Yuki's meeting with Marluxia. The keybearer had not progressed much farther in the days following, apparently caught by the memories kept on a floor. But it didn't last long. He advanced and killed Marluxia as well as Larxene and Axel within a week. Afterwards he vanished. The only Nobody left was Zexion who was still dealing with the second intruder on the lower levels.
Yuki sat in the common room on a couch counting her potions. She had to always be sure to bring enough on a mission or she was sure to receive an ear full from Zaya when she woke up in the infirmary.
"Yo, brat, are you ready yet?" Yuki jumped at the voice. Another reason for her delay. Syrine, number three.
In Yuki's short time in the organization she had heard a lot about all the members. Syrine did not have a good reputation going for her. She was known for being violent and cruel to an extreme. It worried Yuki to be paired up with her. It could go badly for Yuki if Syrine got angered.
"Just a second." Yuki said quietly, packing the potions away. She was careful not to look at Syrine.
"Man, you take forever. Everyone else will be done by the time we leave." Syrine complained. Yuki ignored her as she finished packing the small bag she kept at her hip. She stood afterward and looked at Syrine expectantly.
"Ready." Yuki said causing Syrine to jump a little. She glared at Yuki before smirking.
"Let's get a move on then. Hallow Bastion waits for no one." Syrine said with a vicious glint in her eyes. Something about this bothered Yuki. She had a feeling this was not going to end well.
Hollow Bastion was a recovering world. It, like many others, had been swallowed by darkness. It also had recently had a battle of some kind take place in it's castle. The town looked dull and sad. Probably due to it's time in the darkness. There weren't many people around which would be good for the mission. The Heartless were never supposed to be seen. There were an unfortunate amount of twist and turns that made the place seem like one big maze. But all the same, it held an air like it had once been a grand place and with a little bit of work it could return to such a place. Even though it seemed dark there was a certain light to it. A light that was hidden in the dark.
Yuki looked around taking in the city while Syrine stood by watching silently. She had heard Yuki had a tendency to faint in places that triggered memories. Maybe this place was included.
Once it became clear Yuki was not going to faint. Syrine sighed and stepped forward.
"Alright kid, we've got a mission to complete." Syrine said sounding very annoyed. Her sapphire colored eyes narrowed at Yuki. Yuki turned and looked at her.
"What are our goals?" Yuki asked. Her head tilted slightly, curiosity shining in her eyes.
"A rather large Heartless is in town. Figured we should take it down before it caused too much trouble." Syrine answered placing a hand on her hip. "Think you can handle it, brat?"
"Depends on what kind of Heartless it is." Yuki replied honestly. Syrine smirked at her.
"Lucky for you, we don't know. We just know it's here." Syrine said walking a few steps ahead before glancing over her shoulder. "Better keep up."
Yuki sighed heavily and followed Syrine reluctantly. If they could control Heartless how did they not know what type of Heartless this was? Obviously they needed to get a better hold on the little ones. At least the boss level Heartless, as they were called. But Yuki couldn't complain. At least not to the more elites faces. That could very possibly get her killed. Respect was a requirement in the organization. One misstep and you were done for.
Syrine led the way through the town. She spun around every so often as she walked, taking in every detail of the town. The chances of another battle here were very high. Getting a feel for the lay out would be helpful. Even if only a small help. But numbers could make up the rest of the disadvantage.
They ended up in a canyon like area just outside of the city. Ahead they could see a castle of some sort, a Heartless emblem was clear as day on the castle.
"Why is there a Heartless emblem on that castle?" Yuki asked looking at the castle.
"A foolish witch who thought she could control the darkness lived there. She thought herself worthy of being one of us." Syrine said grinning. "Of course, she never would have been able to control the Heartless without us." She added as an after thought.
Yuki nodded as she took a couple steps forward, looking around. Suddenly in front of her bits and pieces of a Heartless fell out of the sky piling together. The pieces were purple and looked like armor. Syrine laughed.
"Looks like our target has been located." She said with a wicked grin. "You know what, why don't you show me you're worthy to be amongst us. Take down the Guard Armor." Syrine jumped back away from the fight.
"Alone?" Yuki asked, sounding distressed. She summoned both of her keyblades. Heartless Keeper was held in front of her, that arm crossing her body. It was held backwards crossing in front of her. Kingdom Keeper was held the normal way behind her covering her back.
"Oh, it won't be that bad. The worst that can happen is you'll die." Syrine said jokingly, though Yuki couldn't see the funny part.
The Guard Armor in front of Yuki had assembled itself. It stood much taller than Yuki. But if Yuki tried hard enough she might be able to jump and hit it's head. That wasn't an option that was out of the question. The Guard Armor seemed to look down at Yuki. As far as Yuki could tell it didn't have eyes. Though that might have been what some of the many holes in it's helmet were. It's arms and legs weren't actually connected, they seemed to hover where the should be, as if connected by magnets. Yuki stared at the guard armor nervously. This was much bigger than any other Heartless she had faced. After a moment her eyes hardened with determination. She was not going to give Syrine an excuse to punish her.
Yuki launched herself at the Guard Armor's head. It's hands swatted at her attempting to knock her out of the air. If Yuki were any slower than the high speed she was using it would have succeeded. She slashed her keyblade across it's face before falling to the ground again. It walked forward swinging it's arm. Yuki was hit and tossed aside. She stood as the guard armor came to hit her again. This time she rolled to the side avoiding the attack. She ran behind the Guard Armor jumping up at it's head again. She landed on the collar of it's armor balancing carefully on the thin piece of metal. She hit it multiple times on the back of it's head. It shuddered before collapsing on to the ground. Yuki fell on the ground beside it a little dazed from the sudden fall. She stood up and jumped back to see what the Guard Armor would do next. The Guard Armor stood, in a way. It's legs and arms detached from it's body and floated around trying to hit Yuki. It succeeded once or twice. Yuki jumped up and slashed at the arms destroying them. She landed on one of the feet. She stabbed one before jumping onto the next one stabbing it as well. Both feet vanished destroyed. The body of the Guard Armor began to spin. It rammed full force into Yuki's back. Yuki fell forward and gasped. She rolled over quickly pushing herself up ignoring the pain. She waited for the Guard Armor to stop spinning before she rushed at it, attacking furiously. With a shriek of some kind the Guard Armor died, releasing a giant heart into the sky.
Yuki stood panting looking up at the sky. The giant captive heart held her attention. It was strangely beautiful.
"It barely hit you. Not bad brat." Syrine said walking up beside Yuki. Yuki didn't react to Syrine's words. "Come on, let's get the hell out of here brat." Syrine said walking towards the castle. Yuki waited a minute before following.
"Why was the Guard Armor's captive heart bigger than all the other Heartless?" Yuki asked as they walked.
"Because it's bigger." Syrine responded like it was a stupid question. Which it might have been. Yuki wouldn't have known.
They walked a little further before Syrine spoke again. "We have one more part to this mission then we can go back to the castle." She said.
"What is it?" Yuki asked curiously.
"We have to see if we can find the lab of Ansem the wise." Syrine explained.
"Who's that?" Yuki asked, remembering the name from her dream.
"He was a human who studied the darkness. A great scientist, treated like a king around here." Syrine explained.
So, that girl from her dream had been lucky enough to meet the one who was like a king to this world. She was from this world. And whoever that boy was, he worked in the lab with him. How did any of that link back to Yuki? What connected her to that memory? Yuki considered asking the silverette woman guiding her but decided against it, not sure of what her reaction would be. She didn't want to take any chances with Syrine.
As they got closer to the castle they could see a figure studying it. The figure looked to be a young girl, 16 at the most. She wore some sort of hat over boy short hair. Her outfit consisted of a ragged t-shirt and torn blue jeans with combat boots. From the looks of her she was just exploring. Maybe looking for something, but she didn't seem to be a threat to the Heartless.
Syrine laughed at the sight of the girl. Her sapphire eyes lit up with a strange light. Yuki had never seen this look before and she didn't like it. It seemed evil in every way imaginable. Like the eyes of a serial killer before they struck.
"Looks like today won't be a total waste after all. Time for another lesson brat." Syrine said. She motioned for Yuki to follow her closer to the castle. Closer to the girl.
Yuki followed warily, unsure of Syrine's motives. It worried her just watching Syrine move. Even her body language said something was happening. And it wasn't good.
"Ok brat, consider this a late tutorial. They never taught you this but it's a huge part of being a Heartless." Syrine whispered stopping only a few paces away from the girl. She leaned against the canyon walls looking at Yuki sternly. Yuki nodded slowly showing she understood.
"I want you to focus on that girl. Think only about her heart, nothing else." Syrine ordered still keeping her voice low. Yuki nodded and looked at the girl.
Even from the distance they were at Yuki could pick out the smallest detail in the girl. It was strange and amazing. Yuki couldn't remember ever being able to do this before. She could see the way the girls chest rose with each breath. She seemed to be panting like she had run here. The pulse in her neck was fast which could mean many things. Yuki's eyes locked on to that pulse slowly going down to where the girls heart would be. Yuki focused, concentrating on that area. After a few minutes Yuki's eyes went from deep blue to yellow, like the eyes of a Shadow. Yuki took in a sharp breath.
There was a light in the girls chest. It wasn't too bright but it was still light. It took the shape of an orb. Around it's edges darkness swirled. It looked like it was a layer of darkness protecting the light.
"See it?" Syrine asked. Yuki nodded, not taking her eyes off for a second. "Good. From her heart we can tell she's a nice girl, but to avoid being hurt she masks it with dark tendencies. She wants to hide her kindness." Syrine explained calmly.
Yuki nodded, still unsure where this was really going. She doubted something like this would excite Syrine so much.
"I want you to take it." Syrine said. Yuki tensed up. "No, if, ands, or buts. Take it." Syrine ordered before Yuki could argue.
Yuki swallowed nervously. She moved forward silently, her eyes still locked onto the the girls heart. She closed the distance between her and the girl quickly, moving like a shadow. Stopping directly behind the girl Yuki took a deep breath and raised her hand. The girl turned around quickly facing Yuki. Before the girl could do anything Yuki plunged her hand into her chest grabbing hold of her heart. Yuki pulled her hand back quickly taking the girls heart. The girls eyes became dull as she fell forward. Before hitting the ground she shifted shapes and became a Shadow. The Shadow looked around quickly then looked to Yuki and bowed before sinking into the ground and running away. The orb of light and dark Yuki had taken faded, as if sinking into Yuki's skin. To Yuki's horror it filled her with a sudden feeling of strength. But the look in that girls eyes was all Yuki could think of. That terrified look.
Yuki fell onto her knees shaking, her stomach turning into knots. She felt sick, ready to throw up. It was unlike anything Yuki had experienced. The way it felt to take a heart was like taking a drug, an under lying happy and high feeling. Yuki suspected that's what all the others felt. Yuki might have felt that too, but was hidden underneath a horrifying guilt that made her feel sick.
All of this mention and thought of feeling that Yuki wasn't even capable of. Was this what stealing a heart did? Did it give you feeling if only for a moment? Yuki's thoughts were cut short by another spasm from her stomach. What little food she had eaten was about to come back up.
Syrine approached Yuki carefully. "You aren't going to puke are you?" She asked cautiously.
Yuki didn't reply. She tried to steady her breathing but it wasn't working well. Her mind was going fuzzy. The world blurred. Yuki fell forward and passed out.
"Oh come on." Syrine complained looking down at Yuki. "So much for being our queen. You can't even steal a heart."
*3*
"Kairi, run!"
"But what about you?"
"I'll be fine, just go!"
"But K-"
"I said run!"
Yuki opened her eyes and found herself looking up at a white ceiling. From what Yuki could remember about the Hallow Bastion mission, she was willing to bet this was the infirmary. She slowly sat up rubbing the back of her head. Outside the room she heard voices speaking.
"My best bet is shock. I can't tell you anymore." Zaya said calmly.
"Shock my ass. What kind of Heartless passes out after taking a heart?" Syrine complained.
"Enough, we will just have to let her rest." Tayressa's calm voice said. Footsteps followed that.
"What kind of Heartless indeed." Zaya muttered, barely audible. The door opened and Yuki's eyes met Zaya's.
Zaya smiled at Yuki. "Well, don't you have a habit of ending up here." She said. Yuki smiled a little in return.
"Do you know why I passed out this time?" Yuki asked.
"Not for sure, possibly shock. Your system doesn't seem to take in hearts as well as others. But it could be something else." Zaya answered going to her desk and flipping through a couple files.
"What else?" Yuki asked curiously. She threw her legs over the side of the bed she had been laying on letting them dangle.
"Do you get any sort of flash back when you black out? Voices, images, random thoughts?" Zaya asked. Yuki nodded, thinking of the two girls voices she had heard this time. She had already forgotten what they had said.
"Then it might be part of the process of you regaining your memories. Can't say for sure though." Zaya said. She looked at a file quickly. "You can go now. Just try to be careful." She said with pleading eyes. Yuki nodded before standing and walking out of the infirmary.
*3*
Day 50- Stolen,
I don't know what to do. I still feel sick though not as bad as earlier. I had to steal a heart today. She was just an innocent kid looking around a castle. I passed out afterwards. I woke up and Zaya said it was shock or my memories are coming back. That doesn't make much sense since I can't remember what I hear or see most the time.
I want to go to the clock tower but I'm too afraid I'll pass out again. That and the thought of eating makes me sick. I hope Roxas doesn't wake up today. I think I would be disappointed not to see him right away. If I had a heart.