Chapter CCXXXXVI: The Weapon Known As Lachesis Part I
Silently, turning over to her right side, stirring awake. Hari after a few moments opened her green eyes, as she did she sat herself slowly up and removed her head from Pete's left shoulder. She turned and looked to her accomplice. She saw that he was still in the depths of a deep slumber and was snoring loudly, taking quiet note of this as he continued this she then turned her gaze to look towards one of the tall tower windows. Seeing the darkness of the starless night, she continued to say nothing, however after another moment she did notice a subtle difference within herself...
Putting her right hand to her chest, she closed her eyes as she tried to ascertain what this anomaly was. After a small moment of internal analysis, she revealed her green irises again and quietly spoke her findings, "Our Vessel Impulse... so, yours has finally ceased it's connection with mine hasn't it?"
YYYAAAWWWNNN!
As she uttered this to herself, it was then that Pete next to her finally stirred. Sitting himself up he opened his mouth widely, exuding a loud yawn before turning his tired eyes in Hari's direction. Doing so and wiping a sleepy tear away he asked her, "Hari...you're up already?"
Quietly lowering her right hand from her chest, the servant to Maleficent looked to him and responded, "Yes I am," then regarding his tired state, she asked, "I also take it that you are now fully recuperated are you not, Pete?"
Hearing her usual cool analytical voice, Pete replied casually stretching himself a bit, "Yeah I had myself a good nap there!" Then as he clicked a few bones back into place in his shoulders, looking to Hari again he asked her, "How bout yerself? Ya get enough shut eye?"
Hari responded, "Yes, I have regained all the strength and energy now to proceed with any current missions my Lady may ask of me."
"Well that's good then!" Pete told her, then with that said he stood himself up from the sofa. Doing this, he stretched out a little more before going on to say, "Cause we're gonna need every spark of momentum we can get our hands on!"
"Agreed," Hari replied. Then as she quietly looked upon Pete again as he continued his body stretching... she thought quietly to herself for a moment. Doing this, she decided to enquire, "Pete?"
Hearing her ask for him, the overweight villain looked in her direction and answered, "Yeah?"
Seeing she now had his attention, Hari decided to ask him, "You have assisted me many times until this moment in all our endeavours... is there anything you have desired as compensation for this support?"
Quiet as he heard this, Pete then repeated puzzled, "Compensation?"
Hari seeing that he perhaps did not understand what the word meant explained, "Have you ever wished for a reward? Some type of monetary gain perhaps or-?"
"No! No!" Pete told her annoyed stopping her in her tracks, doing so he told her, "Look I know what ya mean by compensation and rewarding whatever, but why are you asking me that question? Ya've never ask me fer anything like this before now?"
Silent as he said this to her, Hari was uncertain of how to respond to him. However after thinking about her words carefully, the winged girl then explained, "...I have just come to this conclusion, that in all the time you have assisted me, you have never been given any substantial rewards for your efforts." As she spoke her words, the green eyes girl saw that Pete still looked at her curiously or perhaps not? Maybe he had become just surprised, regardless Hari continued on, "Also I know that being under the command of my Lady is not entirely a pleasant experience for you, so-"
"That's sweet of ya," Pete couldn't help but say with a smile.
Stilling her words, Hari didn't quite understand what Pete had meant by that as she repeated, "Sweet?"
With a nod, Pete then told her, "Yeah, it's nice yer showin' concern fer me there!"
As he said this, Hari then had to correct him as she went to say, "I do not have that sentiment, I am simply-!"
"Nah you do!" Pete laughed. Then walking over to her, he stroked her head and went on to tell her, "After all, I've known ya all this time... I can tell what yer really all about."
Hari said nothing as Pete ruffled her head gently with his big gloved hand, she simply looked down to the floor as he continued to do this for a few moments...
Then finally feeling he'd done enough, Pete removed his big hand from Hari's head. Then smiling at her slightly disheveled state, which she quietly moved to correct he decided to tell his further thoughts to her as he took a step away from her, "Well I'll tell ya this much, I know workin' with Maleficent's real tough! And I mean really, really tough!" With that he couldn't help but wince as he remembered the times she had zapped him with her fierce and painful electricity, as he did so he continued, "I've nearly had the urge to just hop on out of this lackey work and walk my own path again!"
As he said this, Hari was quiet... then she decided to ask, "Why have you not acted upon that thought?"
Hearing her ask this of him, Pete then responded honestly scratching the left side of his head, "Hmmm... well one reason is, is that she promised me she'd get me my Steamboat back fer me."
Silent hearing this, Hari then repeated curious, "Steamboat?"
Pete hearing her ask, then turned in her direction and explained beaming happily, "That's right my loyal vessel! My queen of the clear blue! The pearl of my eye..." then looking dreamily into the air, he couldn't help but add, "She was the best little steamboat one could ever own, she never had no fault or problem with me at the helm! Her puffs of steam rivalled any white cloud in the sky and the purr of the engine... there weren't anything like it."
As he made this proclamation so admiringly, Hari was quiet. However she decided to ask, "So this Steamboat was that precious to you?"
"You betcha she was!" However as he remembered the good memories, the bad quickly came back too his mind too as he continued on depressed, "But the good old days I had with her came to an end...cause of some misunderstandin's with a certain royal chump... I was banished from my old home, leaving my poor little baby behind."
As this was said to her, Hari was quiet for another moment before she finally said, "I see..."
Pete hearing her, didn't expect much of an emotional response from her. However it didn't bother him that much as he turned away from her again and said, "I know that's what I'd love to have back most...to explore and see the world on the open blue again," briefly dreaming of this, it ended quickly as he had to admit sadly, "But even if I were to somehow get her back again... I know there wouldn't really be a place for me out in the worlds anyway... even if I did set sail with her." Watching him, Hari noticed his ears drooped as he finished saying, "Cause nobody wants a big useless chump like me in their lives."
Silent hearing this, Hari said nothing. However somehow this last statement disturbed her inside, she uttered quietly, "Pete?"
Not hearing her though, the overweight villain then lamented as continued on to say, "So, at the end of the day, I guess I got nowhere else to be then here with the worst of the worst of all witches...for she saved me and at least she needs me, don't she?"
There came no response to this statement, instead all Hari could do was stare on at Pete's depressed back. For in all the time she had known him, she had never known he'd been carrying such a weight of loneliness and that his inadequacy had made his thinking sway in such a manner. However as she was, there was nothing she could do to soothe him, for after all. She was merely-!
FLASH!
"AAAGGGHHH!"
Suddenly spooking Pete out of nowhere, while Hari looked to the window again. She saw what had caused this terrifying display of green light, "Lightning."
RUMBLE...
Pete knew in seconds there was only one person in the entire castle who had the power to create such terrible bolts. He didn't have to wonder why she had created such a spectacle, for he realised with dread one thing that he hadn't thought about. Looking to his accomplice, he asked her, "Hari...? How long have we been up here for?"
As this was put to her, the green eyed girl paused for a moment before she responded, "With all the sleep we indulged and with all the conversations we've had in this room, if I am judging things correctly...Twelve hours."
Pete immediately went as white as a sheet! As he did, quickly he cried out, "She's gonna fry us!"
FLASH!
With that other horrible bolt unleashed, he quickly went to sprint down the stairs! Doing so, he cried out panicked, "Hari! Hurry yer hide down there! If ya don't she'll-!"
"Aagghh!"
TUMBLE!
TUMBLE!
TUMBLE!
RUMBLE...
Hari hearing her accomplice fall down the stairs over and over in a chaotic mess didn't need to imagine the panicked state he was in. For she knew he would practically look like a round bouncing ball going down all those steps.
Releasing a small sigh, she then went to take action. Unfurling her metallic wings, she quickly lifted herself into the air and went to halt his chaotic rolling state. For she knew that she didn't want him to experience any further pain...
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CREAK...
Peering through the gap in the door he made, Riku made his observations as he looked left and right. Seeing that there was no one was around, he felt relief as he said, "Okay, looks like the coast is clear."
Standing behind him, Nozomi quiet for a moment had to ask, "Are you really that worried about anyone seeing us together?"
Hearing her ask this question, Riku froze. Then looking behind himself towards Nozomi who stared back at him oddly, he heard her ask, "Is it really that big of a deal now?"
As this was put to him, Riku was quiet and looking ahead of himself he fully opened the door and told her, "I guess not," then as he walked out the door with Nozomi trailing after him, he couldn't help but add, "It's just that...I?"
"Just what?" Nozomi asked him now out the door herself.
Hearing her ask, Riku then sighed and looking behind himself. He told her with a red blush lighting his cheeks, "I just don't want... to face all the teasing yet."
"Teasing?" Nozomi was quiet. However as she thought, she imagined Sora, Timbre, Zidane and Cait sith along with the rest going at them. She now could understand his thinking, but still she couldn't help but find it surprisingly amusing. She giggled slightly as she admitted, "I never thought this kind of thing would get to you!"
Seeing her laugh like this, Riku immediately complained, "What's that supposed to mean!?"
Trying to recover from her small release of giggles, Nozomi then replied, "Well I mean, nothing ever gets to you usually! Seeing you get so riled up like this over those guys...it just makes you so cute!"
Annoyed in seconds hearing her say this, Riku couldn't think for the life of him how to get that silly grin off her face. But quickly he came up with one solution and so moving his left hand-!
GRAB!
"Uh?" Quickly Nozomi felt her right hand being grabbed! As it was, quickly she saw with surprise Riku hold onto her hand. As he did so, she was quiet as she looked to him puzzled.
With a blush over his cheeks still, he told her, "Now we'll see how you'll last! You're going to have to endure all the teasing with me! I'm not suffering this alone!" Then with those words, he began to walk away with her, holding onto her hand tightly.
Feeling him do this, Nozomi was quiet. She had to admit she could understand more now of what Riku meant, for she dreaded to think of what Cait sith along with Timbre and a few others would do seeing them like this...but feeling his warmth around her hand. She again couldn't help but smile as she gripped his hand a little more with her own red blush appearing upon her cheeks. She then told him, "...Okay, I'll take that punishment with you Snowball."
Hearing her say this, Riku almost felt like freezing in surprise. However feeling her warm hand tightening around his own, he only sighed as he uttered in an almost pouty tone, "You're so stupid..."
Nozomi though could tell he didn't mean that harshly and she was sure as she continued to walk behind him, that his face was surely expressing an embarrassed smile that he didn't want her to see then.
They both continued on in silence this way together, holding hands as they walked with a warm comfortable atmosphere surrounding them, however as they turned a corner-!
"Excuse me?"
Surprised both of them suddenly came to a halt, they saw that there approaching them further down a corridor was a uncertain individual who asked, "Can you both tell me where I am? I'm lost and-?"
Riku and Nozomi looked on though in shock, for they recognised this person in seconds! Looking on, the female keyblader then couldn't help but cry out, "Kagi! You're awake!?"
The green haired young boy, still dressed in his pyjamas looked at Nozomi perplexed. But seeing the surprise that was on her face he was quiet, but as he gazed upon the dark haired girl. His memories began to come back and quickly recognition came to his own face, "You? I've seen you before haven't I?"
With that as this was asked of her, Nozomi and Riku both knew that any discussions they were going to share with the now awakened young man. They needed to do so, with the others with them...
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It was a little time later, after everyone had gathered back together in Yen Sid's room. After all the excitement of discovering Kagi had awoken and various other things... they knew it was now time to decide upon their next course of action. As well as discover about Kagi's past and his relation to the Lachesis reports.
As everyone stood ready with Yen Sid sat upon his chair before his desk, everyone was waiting for him. As they continued to do, though a little restlessly Cait sith who had been with his master Reeve all that time. Had now decided to go back to Nozomi, sitting upon her comfortable head of dark hair once more he decided to ask, "Just how long do you reckon them fairies are gonna be with that lad?"
"I don't know," Nozomi replied, however looking to the door herself where Kagi would be coming through, she couldn't help but add, "I just hope he has an easier time with them then I did."
Kairi next to her hearing this then asked with a small smile on her face, "You had it tough with them, huh?"
Nozomi then looking to the Princess of Heart then told her, "You have no idea..." however looking down to her new fashion, she had to admit, "But at least the results I got at the end were good."
Smiling hearing her say this, Kairi made a small nod and replied, "Yeah I can see that, they do look good on you."
As this was said to her, Nozomi looked to her friend and replied, "Thanks Kairi." To which the princess nodded happily.
Sora smiled too and as he did, he couldn't help but comment himself, "I'll have to agree too! She does look good!" Then looking to Riku he nudged him with his elbow and said, "Right Riku?"
Feeling him do, the white haired young man internally groaned. He knew that he wasn't going to hear the end of this anytime soon from him...
CLICK!
As the door's knob was finally turned, it was then that everyone looked and saw that walking through the door. It was none other than the person they had been waiting for, Kagi.
He was now no longer dressed in his pyjamas, instead his attire now consisted of a light blue long sleeved top, with a purple waistcoat over it that covered his shoulders with gold rings along their lower rims. Also he wore long dark blue pants which had red belts around his knees with gold buckles. Then finally upon his feet there were a pair black trainers with red cross designs on their surface with white laid heels.
Closing the door behind himself, he walked forwards and taking the red beret he'd been wearing on his head off and holding it in his hands, he looked a little awkward as he told everyone, "I'm so sorry it took so long to change."
Hearing him speak these words, Zidane who was completely relaxed standing near to his pal Timbre, then told Kagi, "Oh don't you worry about it! We weren't waiting to long!"
However Timbre couldn't help but say, "Though you were pushing it close to an hour, what did take you?"
As he heard this question asked of him, Kagi looked a little embarrassed as he had to admit, "...I had to argue with Fauna, Flora and Merryweather and make it clear to them that I wasn't a girl and I didn't want a dress."
Hearing him say this, Nozomi then asked, "They put you in a weird dress as well, huh?"
"It was more than one they tried on me..." Kagi replied, it was clear from the uncomfortable and embarrassed look on his face that he really didn't want to talk about that subject anymore.
Everyone decided kindly not to breathe another word about it. So Reeve taking note of this, decided to finally move things along onto the serious matters they had at hand. Stepping forwards he said, "Well, regardless of wardrobe issues... why don't you begin, Kagi?" Then as the green haired young man looked up to him, he told him, "Tell us your story, how did you come to sleep for so long?"
As this was asked of him, Kagi looked to Reeve and then to everyone before settling upon Yen Sid who looked back at him with serious eyes as he continued to sit within his tall chair. Seeing all their eyes were upon him, it was clear the green haired young man was uncertain of what to say as he looked down sadly to the floor shuffling uncomfortably.
Seeing him like this, Yen Sid then asked him, "Do you not wish to tell your tale to us, young Kagi?"
Hearing the wizard ask this, Kagi still looking to the floor replied, "It's not... it's not that I don't want to say anything about myself, but it's just...?"
Seeing him pause like this, Nozomi then decided to ask, "Just what?"
Kagi hearing her question then replied after thinking a little more, "...I just don't know if I can tell you here in this place."
As Mickey heard this, he had to ask curious, "Why would you not be able to tell us here?"
Kagi then answered, "Because there are some things I would have to show you rather than... just say with words...and I won't be able to do that here in this tower." However he knew that everyone wouldn't completely understand at that moment so he decided to do what he could do there, "But, I will tell you what I can here in this castle." With those words, he took a deep breath and said, "Anyway, as you all know my name is Kagi Tomo and I am the Vessel of the Eight Fragment."
As she heard this, she asked, "The Eighth Fragment?" Then quickly she realised, "Your power is to create Doors of Time right?"
As he heard this, Kagi looking to Nozomi was surprised for a moment, but then he smiled and replied, "So you figured it out already, huh?"
"We've already seen displays of your power," Riku told him, then as Kagi's blue eyes looked to him. He continued on to say, "It activated three times for us when someone had a wish or desire, that's how your power works right?"
Hearing him ask this, Kagi then responded after making a small nod, "Yes, that's right...I've never been able to use that power for myself, since I was five because I-"
"Because you made a door for Merlin to use didn't ya?" Mickey asked him, remembering the story that the aged wizard had told them them some time ago.
As he said this name, Kagi asked, "You know Merlin?"
"That we do lad!" Cait sith told his baffled young friend. In a positive mood he continued on to say, "The old proud resident of the Radiant Gardens! He's an old pal of ours!"
"Really?" Kagi asked surprised. Then as he saw Nozomi nod to him along with Mickey, while Riku gave him a silent smile as confirmation. The green haired young man couldn't believe his luck, then smiling himself he couldn't but utter, "To think... the prophetic dream I had did come true."
Curious as to why he muttered this quietly, Timbre didn't say anything to this. However he did decide to say, "Well anyway, so you gave this Door of Time to Merlin when you were a kid... does that mean you came from the Radiant Gardens?"
As this question was posed to him, Kagi looking to the pink haired cat boy was quiet. However as he saw him studying, his smile faded as he had to answer honestly, "No... I originally come from a world called Arcadia, I lived in one of the towns in the green woods near the main city and...after I met Merlin in my world one day, it wasn't probably more than a week later that I was kidnapped."
In seconds everyone released gasps and had looks of shock on their faces, hearing the green haired young man's revelations. As everyone reacted this way, Yen Sid keeping his composure then asked him, "Who abducted you at that time?"
Kagi looking to the floor remembering again his bad memories of his abduction then answered, "...It was a group of men, they were all working for a researcher," then gulping as he remembered the terrible cold smile she had greeted him with when they had thrown him at her feet, he spoke her name, "Her name was Rosso Crimson."
"Rosso Crimson?" Nozomi repeated, then she asked with realisation, "That's the name of the person who wrote the Lachesis Reports isn't it?!"
Turning as she said that, Kagi asked, "The Lachesis Reports?"
Hearing her exclaim, Cait Sith then told her, "Aye lass, that was her name alright! A real nasty piece of work she was! She was-!"
"She was the worst!"
Nozomi quickly turned in Kagi's direction again, as she did so, she saw him clenching his fists tightly. He looked pained as he went on to say with bitter grief, "She was the most despicable human being because she..."
Seeing his reaction, Reeve already could guess what had happened, "She experimented on you didn't she?"
As this was asked of him, Kagi tried to keep himself calm as he replied, "...Not just me, she experimented on my friends and... someone that was dear to me."
Hearing this, Kairi could only utter, "How terrible..."
Sora listening to this himself could only imagine the pain Kagi was feeling and what experiments could possibly could have been done to all those people, but... he couldn't bear to and clearly the others around him felt the same.
Looking on at his suffering form, Yen Sid was silent for he could see that Kagi had been through many tribulations in the past. However he had to know why this had occurred to him, so he asked, "And why did Rosso choose you for experimentation... what results did she hope to gain from you and those who you deemed so precious."
As this was asked of him, Kagi looked to the floor as the memories flooded back. As they did so, he did his best to maintain his composure as he answered the question, "Rosso, she...she wanted to create the ultimate weapon and find a method to mass produce it."
As this was said, Mickey asked him with worry, "Mass produce?"
All Kagi did in response was make a single nod. Seeing him do this, Mickey had to ask further, "What was this weapon she was trying to mass produce?"
Kagi quiet for a moment, continued to clench his right hand tightly and looking to the Mouse King he told him, "The Lachesis Lock... a machine that would stop all all emotion and all sensations of pain." Hearing these words, everyone couldn't help but think of one person who fit this description perfectly. However unaware of this fact, Kagi then continued and revealed, "It would draw out the subject's purest and raw form of power with no limit placed on them, but also... make them subservient with no will to oppose its master."
Yen Sid listening to the description of this terrible weapon then had to ask him, "And how did she hope to gain such results?"
Kagi hearing this question then gave him the truth, "By breaking a person's heart..."
"Breaking someone's heart?" Sora repeated then as he said that, he didn't understand as he asked, "What do you mean by that exactly? I mean breaking someone's heart would-!"
FFFWWWOOOMMM!
RUMBLE!
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"
Suddenly feeling unbalanced from the rumble along with hearing the loud blast of noise, a lot of the group weren't ready for this and Nozomi falling to the floor cried out, "Hey! What's going on!?"
"Yeah what's with all this noise!?" Cait sith cried out mad.
Cringing against this loudness himself Timbre holding his clawed hands over his ears had to say, "A really loud motor!"
"That needs a serious tune up!" Zidane said slightly cringing himself from all this noise, then looking out the window he saw-!
"Donald! Goofy!"
As Sora cried out these two names, everyone saw outside the window it was none other than his loyal friends, flying their famed choice of ride. Their Gummi ship!
Looking on at the big ship, most of everyone had never seen it before and after recovering from the shock, they marvelled at the ship as they all approached the windows. But seeing Goofy and Donald waving from two of the windows from their ship, they all couldn't help but smile.
Seeing these guys in the Gummi ship, Kagi was quiet forgetting his sorrows for a brief moment. However as he looked on at the ship, he couldn't help but turn to Nozomi who was beside him. As he did, he asked her a question, "Are you all leaving on this ship?"
Hearing him ask, Nozomi forgetting her awe for a moment then looked back to Kagi and answered, "Yeah we will be, we're planning to go to the Radiant Gardens to meet up with some friends."
"The Radiant Gardens?" Kagi repeated... then as he did so, he decided on something, "Nozomi?"
Turning back to him, the female keyblader answered, "Yeah?"
"If it's alright with you... I would like to accompany you all to the Radiant Gardens," as he said this he then explained, "While we're there... I think I'll be able to show you my story, so you'll understand the truth about myself and my past with Rosso."
Hearing him say this, Nozomi looking at him for a moment and then to all her friends who waved back to Goofy and Donald, who went to manoeuvre the ship to get to a better landing position. She then made a small smile as she told their new friend, "Okay Kagi, as long as you'll be alright with that..." then she realised, "Oh! Also I know it's kind of late for me to be saying this, we're glad to have you with us, it's great you woke up Kagi."
Seeing her reach her hand out to him with a warm smile, he was quiet. However quickly recovering from his surprise, he made a small smile too and in return, he took her extended hand replying, "Thank you, Nozomi...and sorry for taking so long to get up."
Nozomi only smiled more at tis reply. Then as she did so, looking to everyone around her she knew it was time to depart and to discover more of the dark truths that Kagi had to reveal to them, about the weapon known as Lachesis.
