Chapter 54: return to radiant garden
I do not own kingdom hearts or the properties shown in this fanfic. They belong to the respective owners and the original story is based on the works of Darius Almighty. Kingdom hearts and trials of the keyblade is owned by square Enix, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura. Please support the official release.
Right. Now time to return to radiant garden! Oh sorry title drop. By the way v the leader of the radiant garden resistance from v for vendetta is owned by alan moore and dc comics.
With that out of the way, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Through an empty region of space suddenly warped the massive star cruiser known as Home One, oddly silent considering its size, and simply floating in place after the jump. They kept their position, because off in the distance, each one equal to the cruiser in size, were three Imperial Star Destroyers. Each one orbited the world they kept guard over, the world known to many as Radiant Garden. The Imperial battleships kept back anything from getting into the world, or out. Keeping back just out of their radar range, the crew of Home One made the careful and necessary preparations.
"The only way to get into Radiant Garden without falling under a firestorm is in this." Princess Leia gestured past the party to the spaceship they would be taking. It was an Imperial shuttle, the same kind they had seen on that dreadful day Darth Vader had arrived on Radiant Garden. The folded-winged craft sat ready in the hanger of Home One, standing out from the other colourful craft that were stationed there.
"I was wondering what that thing was doing here," Sora said.
"We commandeered that thing a couple of months ago," Han Solo explained, looking at the craft disdainfully. "We figured it might come in handy."
"Using this you will be able to pass the Star Destroyer blockade," Admiral Ackbar continued. "Once you've entered their airspace they'll ask for your identification code. We have prepared one for you to use."
"That's not all you'll have to deal with," Leia said regrettably. "According to our spies, the occupying Imperial forces have raised a shield large enough to cover the entire city. It will be lowered temporarily once you approach, but after that, you're your own."
"Any good news?" Sora groaned.
"Yes, as a matter of fact," Han answered smugly. "Seems that some guys down there aren't taking too kindly to the Emperor's rule. A resistance party has been formed, and they've been causing the Empire all kinds of problems. My kind of guys. We've been able to make contact with them, and they said they'd be more than happy to help you out."
"We've arranged a meeting place for you and the resistance," Cid went on, taking his toothpick out of his mouth for this. "According to them, it's in an isolated part of the city where the Empire rarely inspects. You'll be able to land without any trouble. After that, you head to the designated meeting place."
"And once we're there, we'll start making our plans," Leon stated, his expression serious. "One way or another we're getting Radiant Garden back."
"Very well," Leia said. "However, there are some aspects to this I don't approve of. Such as..." Leia briefly glanced to the side. Making her way to the Imperial ship was Shelke, her face devoid of emotion as always. "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring her along?" The Rebel Alliance kept a detailed list of all the major players for the dark side in the known universe, to know what they were up against. And as a former servant of the Horned King, Shelke was also on that list. So when Vincent Valentine discovered her wandering Home One, it caused quite a fuss. Only after Sora vouched for her was she trusted, though not that much.
"Shelke will be fine," Sora assured, not for the first time. "She's from Radiant Garden, too. She deserves to go more than anyone."
"I'm not arguing with that," Leia told him. "But this is a mission of utmost importance. I only want to make sure nothing goes wrong."
It wasn't hard for Sora to maneuver the shuttle out of the hanger, being the experienced and talented pilot that he was. With the team either in the cockpit or in the back, the Imperial craft slowly flew outside of the star cruiser and started its way for the planet in the distance. Home One warped out of the area behind them before they were discovered and the whole plan botched.
"Alright, Sora, get ready," Leon growled as they neared the Star Destroyers.
"Wow, those things are a lot bigger up close," po observed from the window, the Imperial battleships drawing nearer.
"So what happens if this doesn't work?" Mushu asked from Mulan's shoulder.
"We die," Kim said simply.
"Horrible, fiery deaths," Ron added. Rufus made a sound like a plane crashing.
They were entering Imperial airspace now, Radiant Garden so close they could almost taste it, until the Star Destroyers moved to intercept them.
The communications box in the cockpit crackled to life. "Attention shuttle Tydirium," came the accented voice on the other end. "Please transmit your identification code now."
"Oh! A drive through!" Jack Skellington exclaimed excitedly. "I'd like a large cheeseburger and fries, and what's the toy this month?" Beast and Ron slapped their hands over his mouth.
"What was that?" demanded the Imperial officer on the comms box.
"Oh, uh, nothing!" Sora stammered. "Just, uh, picking up some radio frequencies! Nothing's wrong! I'm transmitting the code now." That was the go ahead Quistis need to start the transmitting of their code to the lead Star Destroyer. Then there was a long period of waiting. Like Ackbar had said there was no telling if this code would work or not. Everyone was on edge. Ron had taken to biting his nails, Mushu had taken to biting Mulan's nails, while the rest waited quietly.
"Everything checks out," the voice finally said. Everyone released their pent up breath, though not loud enough to be heard. "What is your business on Radiant Garden today, shuttle Tydirium?" Everyone tensed up again.
"Oh, we're, um," Sora stammered again, trying to come up with something. "We're, uh, just going to sector twelve to bring some...lunch!"
"Sector twelve? There's no one stationed there," the officer stated in confusion.
"Yeah, well,o we're having a surprise barbeque!" For awhile, it was quiet again.
"Very well. Carry on." They released yet another breath of relief. "Proceed to city. The shield will be lowered accordingly." And, with at, communications were switched off, much to everyone's relief. They could see that the Star Destroyers were beginning part the way for them, their engines pushing them clear off the path to Radiant Garden.
"It worked?" Ron asked in disbelief.
"It worked," Sora confirmed, gripping the wheel with a smile on his face. "Radiant Garden, here we come!" The booster rockets engaged and their shuttle took off toward the awaiting world of Radiant Garden.
It wasn't long before they were passing through the pure white clouds after entering the atmosphere. They broke through the clouds and there it was, the city of Radiant Garden, a jewel of a city in the middle of a great and flourished forest. As the Alliance had said, a large shield had been raised over the entire place, from wall to wall, no one getting in or out.
"Finally," Quistis gasped. "I thought I'd never see it again..." Beside her, Shelke stared blankly out the window at the city she once grew up in, memories of a home, a family, a sister...
"It's beautiful," Mulan said.
"I thought this place was called Hollow Bastion," Beast pondered aloud.
"Really?" Jack Skellington said. "I think I prefer Hollow Bastion."
"You think so too?" po asked. "Ever think of changing the name?"
"We're not changing the name!" Leon snapped.
As they got closer to the shield, a small portion of it suddenly opened, big enough for Sora to fly through. Once inside, the shield once again sealed itself shut behind them and they went on unhindered towards Radiant Garden.
They soon discovered it looked a lot better on the outside. The once thriving utopia that was Radiant Garden had become an urban nightmare. The air was thick with smog from the factories that the Empire built to manufacture weapons and, with the shield imprisoning them, the smog was trapped, lingering in the sky. Watch towers had been erected in several key neighborhoods as Stormtrooper lookouts. And the citadel, a once proud and freestanding structure for the people to look up to, was twisted to fulfill the Imperial's needs. Laser cannons had been stationed on its walls, and the heart-shaped symbol that adorned its center was being reconstructed into the insignia of the Galactic Empire.
"What a dump," Beast grumbled.
"No way," Sora gasped in horror as the flew above the buildings and streets. "They've...they've ruined everything."
"Leon," Quistis gasped, and found her formal pupil's hands shaking with rage.
"They'll pay for this," he growled in pure anger. "They'll pay."
But they had to land first. Sector twelve, as it was named by the Empire, was a small, isolated part of the city, one that was rarely patrolled by the Stormtroopers, and it was equipped with its own landing pad for hover cars. There were none there, probably impounded by the Imperials. The wings of their Imperial shuttle folded neatly as the landing gear touched down. Finally, they had returned to Radiant Garden.
One by one they filed out of the ship, making sure to check for any Stormtroopers in the area. "This is the place you lads kept going on and on about?" Jack Sparrow asked, with a distasteful tone. "I guess I can chalk this up as one more world that doesn't compare to mine."
"Oh my...," Aerith whispered.
"Man, I can't wait to kick their butts for this!" Yuffie growled.
"So what's next?" Kairi asked.
"We meet up with the resistance," Sora said. "They'll be able to tell us just what's been going on here."
"Come on. Let's keep moving" Leon said sternly, walking ahead of everyone else. They soon followed suit.
They proceeded down the streets in a group, checking their corners every so often in the now Imperial town. There was no one outside, not a soul on the streets. They were probably all too afraid to leave their homes. Sora hoped that was all it was. Shops were boarded up, posters of Imperial recruitment were posted nearly everywhere, and he couldn't see a single Moogle running around.
But something else was almost as unsettling. Graffiti had been painted over almost all of the Empire's posters, as well as on the walls of some shops. It was all in red paint, and it depicted only the letter V...or the Roman numeral for five, he couldn't be sure what it meant. But in the red paint, it looked like the buildings were bleeding.
"This place reeks only of fear," sonic commented, green eyes darting left and right.
"I kinda like it!" Jack Skellington exclaimed. "No light, no hope...reminds me of home!"
"It's like a ghost town," Aladdin said solemnly.
"I wish you guys could have seen it before the Empire got here," Kairi said, sad and almost lost in this place. "It was breathtaking."
"And will be again," Leon growled. "Where are we supposed to meet up with the resistance?" he asked Sora.
"Well, it should be right around-"
"Halt!" Everyone stopped in their tracks. Slowly turning around, they met the white shine of Stormtrooper armour. Two of the masked soldiers of the Imperial army stood at the ready with their laser rifles pointed at the group.
"Wow, this could not have gone worse," Ron sighed.
"What are you all doing out here?" demanded one of the troopers.
"This is a restricted area," said the other. "Let's see some identification!" Neither of them moved their rifles.
Luckily, the Keybladers were expert liars. "We, uh, forgot our ID's!" po covered.
"At our apartment!" Mushu exclaimed.
"Did that lizard just speak?!" demanded a trooper.
"No!" Mulan said immediately, stuffing Mushu back into her collar.
"The reason we're going through this area," Kairi continued. "Is it's a shortcut to get to...uh...to get to..."
"The blitzball game!" Sora finished quickly. "Yeah, we're going to go see the blitzball game!" The Stormtroopers shared dubious glances.
"Who's playing?" asked one of them.
But the Keybladers imaginations had run dry. "Uh..."
"The Mighty Ducks?" guessed Ron. Rufus slapped his forehead.
"Wrong! You're all under arrest!"
"Attention, Radiant Garden Command," the other soldier spoke into his helmet's earpiece. "Have come across several unidentified suspects. Request transport and reinforcements sent to sector-AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Lightning had struck both Stormtroopers from out of nowhere, and the surprised heroes were the only audience to hear their screams. Suddenly the lightning stopped, and the troopers collapsed into la-la land.
The astonished heroes simply stared at their prone forms, until mischievous giggles reached their ears. "Sorry we're late! Traffic was murder!" Three people floated down from above, girls, no bigger than rodents. One had short brown hair, with one eye blue and the other green. There was a blond one with a tendency to giggle, and the third was wearing black and didn't seem like she wanted to be there at all.
"Yuna, Rikku and Paine!?" Sora spluttered in disbelief.
"What the hell are those things?" sonic asked forcefully.
"Trooper 317, what's going on?" they heard coming from the unconscious Stormtrooper's helmet. The soldier's comm was still connected to his superiors. "Trooper 317, please report now."
The giggling blond sprite named Rikku flew down to the trooper's ear, cleared her throat, and in a dead-on impression of a Stormtrooper said, "Never mind. It was just a couple of alley cats." She switched off the earpiece after that.
"Alley cats? That's the best you can come up with?" the red-eyed Paine asked in a monotone.
"But I like cats!" Rikku chirped.
Mushu popped back out of Mulan's clothes. "Whoa! Hubba hubba! One, two, three, all for me, baby!" Rufus licked his hand and slicked back the hair he didn't have.
"What are you guys doing here?" Sora asked as the three floated up to him.
"We're here to meet you, of course!" Yuna answered cheerfully. "You didn't forget, did you?"
"Meet us?"
"Wait a minute," Leon growled, his eye slightly twitchy. "Are saying that you three are our contacts for the resistance?"
"You were expecting maybe Pinocchio?" Rikku giggled.
"I was expecting someone who was bigger than a pinecone!"
"Now, that's just discrimination," Paine stated. Leon ran a hand across his face.
"That's enough, girls! We gotta get serious now!" Yuna declared, though her serious expression came off cuter than intended. "Come on, Sora! We need to take you to the headquarters! We'll be safe there!" Sora nodded.
"Lead the way," he said. The friendly neighborhood whatchamacallits took off and everyone followed.
"We're following pixies now," Aladdin noted calmly as they walked. "Am I the only one who finds this strange?"
"This is daily stuff for us. You'll get used to it," Beast said simply.
There was no need to hide the bodies. These were Stormtroopers, an unguarded post was more suspicious than two knocked out men. With their tiny trio of guides at the front they navigated the streets with the utmost prudence. It turns out that the three were the perfect choice to be meeting with them, small and unnoticeable as they were. And they certainly knew their way around. They lead them into an alleyway where one of the walls happened to be marked with another red V. They were then guided through a labyrinth of buildings, taking different turns at every corner. Interestingly enough, they seemed to be following a series of graffiti painted on the walls, almost like a trail of breadcrumbs that the sprites were following.
Soon enough, they came upon a steel door at the end of a narrow alleyway, painted with yet another red V. "This is it," Yuna whispered to everyone crammed inside the alley. Yuna, Rikku and Paine flew up to the door and each of them knocked on it once.
A panel on the door slid open. Two large, beady black eyes attached to red scales stared through it, narrowing on the three floating girls. "Password?" the person behind it asked in young voice.
"Jake, let us in," Yuna sighed.
"Gotta hear the password."
"You know it's us, let us in!" Rikku whined.
"I'm waaaiiting." Yuna and Rikku pouted.
"Let's just get it over with," Paine sighed annoyingly. The other two sighed as well. Rikku put her hands together forming a ball, then she started blowing into it, creating a steady sound and tune. The little sprite was beatboxing.
"He's cool, he's hot like a frozen sun!" Yuna sang to the beat.
"He's young and fast, he's the chosen one," Paine sang, in the bluntest voice ever.
"People, we're not bragging."
"He's the American Dragon."
"He's gonna stop his enemies with his dragon power!"
"Dragon teeth, dragon tail, burning dragon fire."
"A real live wire!"
"Word," Paine finished. By the time it was over, there were many mixed reactions. Ron and po hunched over laughing, Jack Skellington applauded the performance, Kairi gushed because the whole thing was just too cute! Leon, meanwhile, just tried to grasp what kind of resistance movement this really was, when the door swung open.
"That's what I like to hear, yo!" Of all things to stand in the doorway, a red-winged, talking dragon was one of the most unexpected. It, he, was tall with a strong looking upper body, sharp claws and teeth, and odd looking green hair on his head.
"Friend of yours?" Mulan asked Mushu. The dragon easily looked past the little ladies to the group they had brought.
"Dude! It's you!" To everyone's surprise the dragon suddenly burst into flames, its entire body engulfed in fire before it subsided. In the dragon's place now stood a short teenage boy of Asian decent, sporting green hair the same style as the dragon had.
"You're Sora!" the boy exclaimed excitedly. "No way, you're actually here! Aw man, they said you were coming but I didn't believe it! You're all that!"
"Whoa, you lost me there with your hip, young language," Jack Sparrow said.
"Jake, put the fanboy moment on hold for a minute," Paine sighed.
"Sora's here for important business," Yuna explained.
"They gotta go see the boss!" Rikku chimed.
Jake blinked. "Oh yeah! They would want to see him, wouldn't they? What are you standing around there for, get in! Come on!" As Jake stepped aside everyone shuffled into the structure one by one. Jake checked the area before he closed the door behind them, the V imprinted passageway sealing shut.
From there the boy named Jake lead them down a flight of stairs into the underground. There was a labyrinth of hallways into different places and rooms. These rooms contained families, people who had lost their homes due to Imperial reconstruction, now taken in by the resistance. Where they finally stopped was a large room where all the hallways conjoined, and where many people milled about. There were even some Moogles running around.
"Alright, dudes," Jake said in all seriousness. "Only a few of you can go see the boss. He said when you came, he wanted to meet the people in charge."
"That's fine," Leon replied. "Aerith, Quistis, Sora. Let's go." Yuffie pouted prematurely. Leon sighed. "Fine. You too." Yuffie squealed and clapped her hands.
"Be right back," Sora said to Kairi, just before he was lead away with everyone else. Kairi waved goodbye until he was out of sight, then sighed.
"Ever feel like you're being left out?" Kairi asked the Keybladers. She didn't get an answer. "Guys?" When she turned around she found everyone else had already gone off to explore the hideout. Kairi huffed and walked off as well.
She had barely gotten two feet when someone appeared before her, hanging upside-down. Kairi shrieked in surprise at the young boy's sudden entrance, shocked to see he was hanging from a light fixture, by a monkey's tail.
"What's up, pretty lady?" the boy said slyly.
KHKHKHKH
They passed through more halls and more doors with Jake leading the way. This place was huge, easy enough to get lost in, like an entire underground city. Luckily, the place Jake lead them wasn't very far. Another steel door awaited them, this one also imprinted with a blood red V. Jake knocked on it.
"Come in, come in," said a suave and sophisticated voice on the other side. Jake opened the door and motioned for them to enter; he wouldn't be going in with them. Giving a thanks for the teen's guidance they entered the room of the resistance leader. Jake closed the door behind them.
Inside was almost completely dark, the lights being dimmed and faded. They could barely make out the outline of a table in the room's center, and someone leaning against it. That someone was tossing something up in down in his hand, long, sharp, gleaming in the small amount of light. A dagger.
"I welcome you, my friends," said the same suave voice. The one with the dagger stepped into the light. The group would never have expected it. The wide smile the man was giving them was just plain creepy until, upon further inspection, they could see it was only a mask. A white mask that almost looked comical. The eyes were hollowed out but the man's real eyes, if he had any, could not be seen. His hair was short and dark but it looked fake, a wig maybe, and on top he wore a conical hat. His clothes consisted of a black tunic, black gloves, black boots, everything he wore was black, completing the ensemble with a long black cloak. He looked more like performer than anything else.
"Hello," Leon said cautiously.
"You may turn on the lights if you like," the masked man said gesturing to the switch by the door. Aerith flicked it on. Instantly the dark room was bathed in light, revealing numerous objects they hadn't been able to see before. A large table sat in the middle of the room, the thing the man had been leaning against. Along the walls hung artifacts of cultures long forgotten, maps of places Sora hadn't even heard of.
"Why were they off?" Aerith asked, referring to the lights.
"Dramatic effect," the man admitted nonchalantly. "Did it work?" No one admitted that it did.
"Who are you?" Sora dared to ask.
"Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask."
"Well, we can see that," Sora said.
"Of course you can," the man replied. "I'm not questioning your powers of observation, I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."
Sora blinked. "Okay..."
"But on this most auspicious of nights permit me then in lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet to suggest the character of this dramatis persona." He started walking around the room, his cloak dragging behind him, the heroes watching his every move.
"Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition." Faster than any of them could see the man carved with his dagger the letter V into a poster of an Imperial recruitment on the wall. "The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you, and you may call me, V."
After the whole complicated introduction, the heroes stared with slack jawed stares. "I think we have a weirdo," Yuffie whispered to Leon.
"Weirdo?" V repeated as Yuffie blushed. "I'm quite sure they will say so. You could say I dress like this merely for the show. The world's a stage, and everything else is vaudeville. So I welcome you to my performance. Mr. Squall Leonhart, I presume."
"It's Leon," the stout man stated firmly.
"Ah, my apologies," V said as he shook Leon's hand. "Identities are a hard thing to keep track of. This can only be the lovely Aerith. Your beauty is matched only by the kindness and love you show to all who have the pleasure of meeting you." Sora made note of that line as Aerith blushed when V took her hand.
He turned to Yuffie next. "Spunky personality combined with child-like demeanor. Radiant Garden's own Great Ninja Yuffie."
"Just don't forget the 'great' part," Yuffie giggled. V nodded good-naturedly. He turned to Quistis now. Whatever eyes hid underneath that mask, when he lay them upon Quistis, he paused. The blond woman made no move either, as her eyes were wide and seemingly shocked.
"I don't believe I know you," V finally said.
"This is Quistis, military strategist of Radiant Garden," Leon introduced on her behalf. Quistis snapped out of it the mention of her name.
"N-Nice to meet you," she stammered. V shook her hand as well.
"The pleasure is all mine." He strayed on her a moment longer, before finally his eyes turned to Sora. "No introductions are in order," he whispered. "It is truly an honour to meet you, Sora. Were that we could meet under less dire circumstances. But you come in a time of war."
"Are you the leader of the resistance?" Sora asked.
"I am no more a leader than I am a man with ideas. Some people choose to follow those ideas. They are the ones truly strong of heart."
"In any case, thank you for meeting with us," Aerith said smiling.
"Nonsense. I am more a guest on this world than even the Empire."
"You're not from Radiant Garden?" Leon asked skeptically.
"No. Though I have lived here for several months. I merely happened upon this world and chose to settle down, as my own world was most unfortunately destroyed."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Aerith said sincerely.
"Was it the Heartless?" Sora asked.
V shook his head and chuckled. "No," he whispered. "It did not take the creatures of darkness to bring my world to its knees. All it took was the capabilities of the very people who lived there. Not every world is so happy as the next one. Wars, famine, senseless, senseless violence. These were but the tip of the inevitable iceberg. So in a way, I suppose the Heartless truly did destroy it. But the darkness didn't have to come to my world. It was already there."
Leon cleared his throat to relieve the tension. "What's the situation here?" he asked, getting right to the point.
"The situation? The situation is you have a city held prisoner by the very government that was supposed to help it. Funny thing, irony. You can't turn a corner without running into a Stormtrooper, with more arriving by the day. The people are afraid to enter their very streets, living in constant oppression and fear. It's not the first time I've seen it. I've had...experiences with the Empire in the past. And when they came here I knew it would lead only to trouble."
"Then why didn't you warn us about them!?" Yuffie exclaimed indignantly.
"They were repairing your city, bringing it back to its former glory. Would you really have believed anything one looking like myself would have to say?" Sora could see on everyone's faces they wouldn't have. At the time, they thought the Empire was the best thing that ever happened to them. "It wouldn't have mattered anyway. The Empire would have taken your world whether you let them in our not. Though to have such a pathetic man as Chief Bast ruling is quite below the belt."
"Chief Bast?" Sora repeated.
"That back stabber is still here?" Leon all but snarled.
"Indeed. Darth Vader has placed him in charge of the entire city. He's made quite a few changes since you've been gone. Named himself governor militant if you can believe it. Everything that's been done in Radiant Garden, he's responsible for. The shield, the taxes, he's made life nearly unbearable. It seems he posts new and more drastic laws every day. However, as of late, things have been quite quiet. Imperial interest seems to have moved away from the city, almost like Bast has found something of great value."
"The Keyblade War files," Sora stated grimly.
"You're well informed," V noted approvingly. "About a week ago while the Empire was reading and stealing all information Radiant Garden had to offer, they came across an old computer folder hidden deep within its mainframe. It was a very old type of file, some might call it ancient, yet it was there all the same. Once Bast reported this to his superiors, namely Lord Vader himself, he was demanded the files be delivered immediately."
"Do they have it yet?" Aerith asked anxiously.
"That's the best part, they can't get to it. Friends and allies come in all different shapes in sizes it seems, I'm proof of that. But the very last thing that Chief Bast expected, was to find one of them in the very system he seeks to bypass."
"Tron!" Yuffie exclaimed.
"That little program has dedicated himself to causing as many problems for the Empire as possible. Power failures in the citadel, equipment malfunctions, he's become our most valued supporter. If it weren't for him the files would have fallen into the Empire's hands long ago." Sora smiled. Good ole' Tron! "Still, even with his help they will get those files eventually. If the Empire's good at one thing, it's getting what they want. "
"What are you proposing?" Leon asked.
"A plan, Mr. Leonhart," V answered. "One that will not only secure the files, but liberate all of Radiant Garden from Imperial tyranny."
"Can it really be done?" Sora asked hopefully.
"Alone? No. But together, with you, I and the Rebel Alliance united under the same cause, anything is possible. Chief Bast thinks he has won already as he hides behind the walls and the firepower of his government, for which fear has become their ultimate weapon. But people should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people. I've seen too many a world fall before their might, fear paving way for Imperial order, but this world...this one is truly special. And I'll be damned if it stays under their control a day longer. Only together will we able to make this a reality." V scrutinized them all from his mask. "Strength through unity. Unity through faith."
Whether he was a leader or not, V's words had successfully fanned the flames of freedom.
KHKHKHKH
Meanwhile in the Imperial occupied citadel of Radiant Garden, where Stormtroopers roamed the halls with rifles in hand, construction workers toiled to complete their changes.
Chief Governor Militant Bast smiled to himself as he stood in what used to be Radiant Garden's Central Control Network. All around him, green uniformed Imperial officers worked diligently at computer terminals, keeping the city running smoothly and up to specifications. Stormtroopers were also present as needed security.
He didn't much care for the Stormtroopers, but found them necessary, especially after all these terrorist attacks that had been happening. This resistance movement was more of a problem than he had originally anticipated. They were smart, organized, and growing. According to eye witness reports, all of it under the leadership of a man in a mask. This mysterious vandal had been the cause of all his troubles here on Radiant Garden, like his sole purpose was just to make his life a living hell.
But not even resistance movements or masked men could bring him down today, because today he had everything under control. He wasn't even nervous about who he was about to contact. Well, maybe a little nervous. Nonetheless he waited, standing with his hands behind his back, until the man in black appeared on the large screen before him.
"Lord Vader," he said with a confident smile to the impassive Sith Lord. "I have excellent news regarding the Keyblade War files. We've come across an old program in this world's network, one that will deal with this other program that keeps the files away from us. After that you can be sure-urk!" Bast suddenly felt his throat close off; his breathing was weak and difficult as an invisible power strangled him.
"I wanted those files days ago, Bast," Darth Vader whispered darkly as Bast struggled to breath against the power of the Force, his helmet's gaze piercing. Officers and Stormtroopers alike watched in fear, or tried and failed to ignore it. "My patience with you is drawing quite thin. Why should I trust you any further?" The invisible noose strangling the man seemed to tighten with each word.
"E-Everything...will be ready...b-by...tomorrow!" Bast managed to gasp out..
Vader considered this, and yet he didn't release him. Blue in the face Bast started sinking to his knees while feebly gripping his throat. "Very well." Bast immediately drew in a sharp intake of air when he was mercifully released, coughing and hacking on all fours. "This is your last chance, Bast. Those files interest more than me," Vader went on. "The Emperor himself is greatly interested. And you do not want disappoint the Emperor. Have I made myself clear?"
"Y-Yes, Lord Vader," Bast whispered. Darth Vader switched off the screen then, but not before giving a glower that sent chills down Bast's spine.
KHKHKHKH
The plans were being formulated even as Sora left the room. Together with the mysterious V, Leon and the others began their preparations to take their city back from the grip of the Empire. Sora was no strategist, so there was no real need for him to be there. V had suggested he take a look around the hideout, familiarize himself with the members of the resistance before the upcoming fight. It was as good a thing as any to do around here.
"Yo! What up, dude!" Sora stopped walking when the same teenage boy that he met at the door walked up to him. "Hey, uh...Jake, right?" Sora said as the boy approached.
"You know it!" Jake exclaimed. "So, you met the boss?"
"Yeah, I met him," Sora replied. "He's...different than I thought he'd be."
"Yeah, he's a bit weird, but a lot smarter than you might think. Dude's done a lot for this city after those jerks took over. Heck, I didn't think anyone here had the guts to stand up to those guys."
"So why'd you join the resistance, Jake?" Sora asked curiously.
"Why? Dude, how can I not? I got a family out there! Those Stormtroopers are making life miserable for them. All I want is to bring things back to the way they were, before those losers ever showed up. And a little of the dragon mojo doesn't hurt things either." His right arm suddenly burst into flame, transforming into a red-scaled and sharp-clawed arm of a dragon. Jake grinned as he flexed it.
A explosion went off close by which made Sora jump. The Keyblade was already in his hand. "What was that!?" he shouted, ready to fight.
Jake only laughed as his arm reverted to normal. "Oh, don't worry about that. That's only Doc Szalinski! Probably working on some new invention."
"Who?" Sora asked.
"Come on, I'll show you." Jake lead the way and Sora's Keyblade vanished as he followed.
The room to which Jake lead him was littered with machinery, a real mess of a place. It looked like some kind of laboratory. A thin, awkward looking man stood in the room's center, wearing a lab coat and working on some kind of cannon that looked like it was built out of materials one might find in an attic. "Well, now I know not to do that again," the man said, laughing weakly.
"I'll say," Kim coughed, also in the room. "You almost sent us flying into the atmosphere!"
"Yeah," po agreed. "Do it again!"
"Hey guys," Sora called as he came in. "What's going on?" The man in the lab coat turned to Sora, revealing the giant pair of glasses he wore.
"Oh wow!" he exclaimed. "You're that boy everyone's talking about. Sora! I'm Dr. Wayne Szalinski. I'm a scientist. Doing all I can to help out our city. You're just in time to witness my greatest invention yet! Come on! Come look!" Deciding it might be interesting, Sora went along with it.
"What are you working on?"
"A shrink ray!" Dr. Szalinski answered proudly, gesturing at the odd looking cannon he had previously been working on.
"A shrink ray?" Sora repeated. "You mean it makes things smaller? Like in comic books and stuff?"
"That's precisely what it does! You see, I've discovered a way to actually compress the molecules in an object, reducing them in size, therefore reducing the object in size. It's been very tiring work, let me tell you, but I've only used the best materials I can to make it work. Lulu, can you get me some more rubber bands?" A girl Sora hadn't noticed before approached carrying the rubber bands. She was about his age, very pale, with black hair and unusual purple lips; she seemed incapable of smiling. "Thank you, dear. Everyone, I'd like you to meet Lulu. She's my lab assistant."
"Hi there," Sora greeted cheerfully. The only response he got was silence.
"Pleased to meet you," Lulu said finally, but her tone didn't exactly suggest it.
"Oh don't worry about her," Dr. Szalinski waved off. "She really is a sweet girl, but so chilly that she'd give Satan himself shivers. No offense."
"None taken," Lulu replied.
"Good thing she's hot," po shrugged. A shiver went down his spine when Lulu glared at him.
"So you actually got this thing working?" Jake asked in disbelief.
"Of course I did! Well, maybe. Sort of. I hope so... Anyway, I was just about to test it on my first living test subject!"
"Hey, Sora!" Sitting on a table directly in the shrink ray's line of fire was Ron, waving excitedly. "Check it out! I'm a lab rat!"
"Ron, are you sure about this?" Kim asked.
"Oh, there's nothing to worry about it," Dr. Szalinski assured waving them off. "I've done extensive research regarding my work, and it's not like this is the first test I've ever done. I've been without a test subject since someone wouldn't volunteer."
"Sorry if I have more brains than that guy," Lulu said sarcastically looking at the excited Ron.
"Like I said, there's nothing to worry about! I've done many tests on apples, and those all turned out fine."
"Hey, guys!" Jack Skellington exclaimed, walking in with a bowl in his hands. "Did you know there's a whole room back there filled with jars of applesauce?" As he spoon-fed himself applesauce, Ron turned really pale.
"Oh don't worry about that!" Dr. Szalinski laughed, albeit uncertainly. "I've made extensive changes since the three hundred twenty-eight apples that turned to mush." If possible, Ron turned paler. "But those were just fruits! With a human, the worst you can get is a mild shock." Ron sighed in relief. "Or get disintegrated." Ron stiffened right back up. "Joking! Only joking! Just a bit of scientific humour! Uh...let's get started shall we?" He went to his shrink ray and turned it on. After pressing buttons and inputting commands the machine started up, humming louder and louder as its energy levels rose to maximum. Ron gulped nervously.
As his finger hovered the button, Dr Szalinski said, "No reason this shouldn't work now."
"What!?" Ron exclaimed.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAP
In a bright beam of energy from the shrink ray, Ron was gone. Well, not exactly gone. Ron was now the size of a golf ball, still sitting on the table and looking around in amazement. "Whoa! Check me out! I could be my own action figure!" Rufus crawled up on the table and, now that he could, gave Ron a high-five.
"It worked?" Dr. Szalinski asked himself. "I mean, of course it worked! It finally worked!" Dr. Szalinski suddenly grabbed Lulu's hands and started dancing and spinning her around with him. "We did it, Lulu! We did it! I knew we could! Brains triumph over all, baby!" Lulu actually managed to crack a smile.
"So what are you gonna do with it?" Sora laughed.
Szalinski looked like he was about to answer, but it turned to a frown. "Well, uh...let's see. It can...uh. Hm..." The inventor put his hand on his head and laughed. "Never really thought about that part. I was just excited at the prospect of building a working shrink ray. Huh! Well, I can figure out its uses later!"
"Uh, you can turn me back, right?" bite-sized Ron asked, still on the table.
"Oh, yes! Of course! All a matter of reversing the polarity. Stand still now." Reactivating the shrink ray Dr. Szalinski made a few adjustments and his hand hit the firing button again. The crackling energy beam hit Ron once more and this time instead of shrinking, he grew...and grew, and grew, he wouldn't stop growing until his head hit the ceiling with him yelping, shaking everything in the lab, including the people in it.
Dr. Szalinski picked himself off the floor, adjusting his glasses and smiling awkwardly. "Guess it still needs some work..."
Luckily Sora had left the lab before he got mixed up in the commotion. Walking through the hideout he saw that his other friends were also making themselves comfortable here. sonic had become the unwilling plaything for several children, Mulan (with Mushu) was tending to some of the sick and elderly while Shelke stood idly by and watched. Everyone else he couldn't see but that was fine. The only one he was worried about was...
There was Captain Jack Sparrow, leaning against a wall, simply minding his own business, which was by far the strangest thing Sora had seen yet today. Jack noticed Sora was looking at him. "What?"
"What are you doing?" Sora asked right out.
Jack shrugged. "Nothing."
"That can't be true. You're always up to something!"
"Excuse me? If I wasn't a better man, I'd be quite offended. Maybe you haven't grasped the seriousness of the situation, Sora, but I certainly have. This is a world caught in the grip of oppression and fear, or something that I, Captain Jack Sparrow, despise above all else!"
"Hey, Jack!" Yuna shouted as she, Rikku and Paine flew up to the pirate. "We managed to get quite a haul!"
"We swiped 5 coin purses!" Rikku cheered.
"And 7 credit cards," Paine informed.
"What?" Jack said as Sora glared at him. "We share a common interest. Nice work, my little lasses," he grinned as the trio handed him over their haul. "I'll make pirates out of you yet. Stick with me and you'll go far in the business."
"So when do we get our cut?" Yuna asked.
"When you're big enough to own wallets," Jack said flatly, counting through his new merchandise. The Gullwings's jaws dropped. Their expressions then grew angry and together they pounced the pirate. "Whoa! Ow! Oh! Mutiny, eh? Well, I've learned a few things from last one! Get out of me pockets!" Sora left the captain to his antics, by now used to this sort of thing.
He wondered where Kairi was now. She couldn't have gotten far without getting lost. It only took a brief look around to find her. She was sitting on a box crate, laughing with some other boy. He was young looking with short blond hair, dressed in blue, and what looked like a monkey tail sprouting from his behind. The boy said something to Kairi and she laughed. For some reason, this ticked Sora off.
Kairi was still laughing when Sora approached. "Oh, hey!" she called. "You're back. That didn't take long. I was just-"
"Pleased to meet you!" the tailed boy exclaimed, jumping up to Sora. "Name's Zidane, and before you ask, no, I don't play soccer. I'm merely loveable. "
"Nice to meet you," Sora said offhandedly. "So, what have you been doing, Kairi?"
"Zidane and I were just talking, that's all," Kairi explained smiling. "He's really funny! I think you and he would really get along."
"That's a great idea!" Zidane cheered. "In fact, he and I are going to get along right now. Right this way, my new friend!"
"What? Hey!" Sora stammered as Zidane dragged him away out of earshot of Kairi.
"You and that girl," Zidane whispered. "There's nothing going on between you, is there?" Sora turned a light shade of red.
"W-Well, not exactly," he answered hesitantly.
"Perfect!" Zidane exclaimed in jubilee. "Then you won't mind if I cozy up to her a little!"
"What!?" Sora shouted.
"Yeah, I can't believe I've never seen her around here," Zidane went on, oblivious to the fuming Sora. "She's quite the looker. I can usually spot those a mile away. Must be new here. Come to think of it, I've never seen you around here either." He raised an eyebrow at Sora. "Though you do look familiar. Have we met? Or did I mistake you as a girl at one point? Cause I can see how that could happen."
"Hey!"
"Yo, dudes!" Jake called as he walked over to them. "Hey, what's up, Zidane?"
"Oh, hey, Jake," Zidane grinned. "I was just talking with my new friend here..." Much to Sora's chagrin, Zidane put his arm around him. "About that girl over there. I think I have a shot with her, don't you?" Jake's eyes widened in horror as he saw Sora shaking with rage.
"Hey, man," he hissed at Zidane. "Don't you know who she is? Who he is?" Zidane blinked in confusion. "Sora? Keyblade wielder? Big hero! Any of this ringing a bell!?" Zidane blinked again, this time in astonishment, and quickly retracted his arm from Sora.
"You're that Kairi?" Zidane stammered at the girl. "The romantic interest of Sora? The guy you'll inevitably hook up with at the end of this story?"
"Huh?" Sora and Kairi asked.
"Dawg, you were messing with Sora's girl!" Jake exclaimed.
"I was?" Zidane whispered.
"..."
"Cool!" he then exclaimed. "I almost scored with Sora's girl!"
"Yeah, man!" Jake laughed and they both high-fived.
"Hey, guys!" Kairi shouted, her face like a tomato. "It's nothing like that! We're only friends! Right, Sora?"
"Uh, yeah! Right! We're-" Sora's would have finished what he was saying, he really would have, if his eyes hadn't landed on someone in the room.
"Sora?" Kairi said when Sora didn't answer, but he just stared ahead. Suddenly, he broke away in a run. "Sora! Where are you going?"
"What's wrong with him?" Jake asked.
"Yeah," Zidane huffed. "I mean, we didn't even get to first base."
Sora kept running. He pushed past the others and ran, since the person he was after was also running, no doubt from him. He knew who he had seen and knew her face, though he had nearly forgotten it. But as soon as he saw it again it all came flooding back. Now he had to face this person. He continued through the corridors until finally he caught up with her.
"Wait!" he yelled. The person, or more specifically, the woman, stopped. He had chased her all the way to an empty hallway, and now faced her. "Please, just wait." He saw her shoulders slump from behind as she sighed. She turned to face him.
Sora gasped. "It is you." As soon as he saw her face, Sora flashed back to many weeks ago. It was when he, Riku and Kairi had come Radiant Garden, when the Empire was still their supposed ally, and he had just received the bad news about Donald and Goofy. The day he bumped into that women in the street.
And the visions began.
That same woman stood before him now. She was in her twenties, with short brown hair, wearing a blue shirt with a white skirt, a little taller than Sora himself. The same way she had looked when he had first seen her. Except that now she looked so...sad.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Sora," she whispered.
Sora's eyes widened slightly. "You know me?" Then again, everyone seemed to know him here.
The woman bit her lip. "Yes. I've come to know you quite well over the past few weeks."
"You're the one causing my dreams, aren't you? No, they're not just dreams. It's like, my mind was actually transported into the past. And whoever's past I was seeing, I was seeing it through their eyes, as surely as I was watching from afar!" Sora narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" The woman closed her eyes, and she smiled.
"My name is Ellone," she said. "For as long as I can remember I've had this power. I don't know how I got it or why, but for some reason, I have the ability to see into the pasts of other people. I reach into their consciousness and dive into their memories, but not only yours. People you've met, people you've come to know, I can see them all. "
"Why did you do this to me?" Sora demanded. "What was it for?"
"I didn't mean for it to happen!" Ellone cried. "I've always tried to keep this power a secret, no good has ever come of it. What happened that day, it was only by chance. I don't know how it happened, but, Sora, when you touched me, my powers reacted in different way; I wasn't able to control them. Without my intention, I had somehow opened a window into your memories, and the memories of everyone you've come to know. It startled me, this had never happened before. But after our encounter, I thought that was the end of it."
"But it wasn't," Sora whispered. He had been having visions during all his travels.
"That's right. Even if you were miles away the visions wouldn't stop. You have some sort of power within you, Sora. Through my abilities you've been able to see the memories of all the people you've met or come to know, your friends and your enemies. I know this because whatever you saw I've been able to see as well. I truly am sorry, Sora. This is exactly why I try to keep my power a secret. It brings nothing but trouble." Sora frowned. He couldn't exactly be upset with her. After all, in some ways her powers had helped him. Without them he never would have learned...
"Hold on," he suddenly said. "You can control this power, right? You can choose which person's past I see?"
"Well, yes," Ellone answered. "Over the weeks I've been able to maintain control. They shouldn't be bothering you anymore. I hope."
"Then that means," Sora said, a grin forming on his face. "You can show me what really happened to my mother and father!"
He didn't notice Ellone's eyes widened in horror.
"Y-Yes. But-"
"You can? Really?" Sora asked excitedly. "That's great! Ever since I learned who my father and mother were, I've wanted to learn more about them! But I can't control when the visions come or what they see, and they only come when I sleep."
"Sora," Ellone tried to say.
"But now that you're here," Sora went on. "You can show me exactly what happened to them! There's so much I want to know! I'd like to know why they had to give me up, or even if they're still alive, and-"
"Sora!" Ellone snapped, effectively stopping the boy from saying anything further. Ellone clearly wasn't used to yelling, but she apparently found it necessary. "Please listen to me, Sora," she said more quietly. "Believe me when I say that there are some things in the past, that should never be seen."
"What are you-?"
"Sora?" Leon came around the corner right then. "There you are, Sora. I've been looking everywhere for-" Leon's words trailed off when he saw not only Sora, but the woman he was with. Ellone held his gaze, her eyes slowly expanding in shock.
"Sora," Leon said , not taking his eyes off her. "We're ready for you. The meeting's about start. Go on ahead, I'll catch up." Sora, more than a little disappointed, nodded sullenly. Much as he hated to admit it, the liberation of Radiant Garden was more important than his own family history. He cast one last look at Ellone before he went off.
That left Leon and her alone in the hallway. It was silent, enough to hear a pin drop, until Ellone smiled.
"Hello, Squall."
And even if it was for a second, Leon smiled back. "How's it going, sis?"
Silently and sullenly Sora made his way through the underground hideout, past the people who all seemed to have something going on, silently fuming. What right did Ellone have to keep the past of his own family from him? If she was the cause of all these visions why couldn't she show him what he really wanted to see?
He sighed. He was never good at being mad at people, and Ellone was a kind person. So what reason could she have for keeping the past of his parents away from him? Unless...she had seen something that she truly didn't want him to see. Sora grimaced. There would be time to think about that later. For now, he was at the door to V's room. He opened it, and stepped inside.
"Sora. I'm glad you could join us," the voice of Princess Leia said. Holographic full body images of Princess Leia and Admiral Ackbar were inside, both of them communicating from the Rebel Fleet some ways away from here. Aerith and Quistis were also there, along with the illustrious masked man known as V. Sora couldn't help but feel out of place in this council of warriors, tacticians and politicians. After all, what was he but a boy?
"Come, Sora," V said gently. "You're as much a part of this as we are." Somehow that statement put Sora more at ease. With new found vigor, he took his spot around the table. Almost immediately after he did, Leon entered.
"Sorry I'm late," he apologized, taking his spot next to Sora. "Had to tie up some loose ends."
"Not at all," V waved off. "Now I believe it is time we get this meeting underway." A small button underneath the table was pressed. From the mini projectors in the ceiling came a miniaturized holographic image of the entire city of Radiant Garden, floating and rotating before all of them. Everything was ready to get their plans underway.
"The majority of Bast's forces are situated in and around the citadel," V explained, pointing to the hologram of Radiant Garden's citadel and the buildings surrounding it. "Stormtroopers numbering in the hundreds, as well as heavy support vehicles. The citadel itself is our main target, the source of this infernal shield that imprisons us." To emphasize, a shield raised itself over the hologram of Radiant Garden, just like the one that encircled the city now.
"A direct assault on the citadel is suicide. The number of soldiers and fortifications will stop anything we have to offer. No, this will have to be a covert mission. A team will have to sneak inside, but the only way to do that is to deal with the soldiers surrounding the citadel."
"To do what you propose we'll have to draw them away somehow," Quistis stated.
"Exactly. And we'll need the cooperation of every man and woman willing to fight. We'll strike in key points of the city," V continued, pointing at different neighborhoods and buildings of the hologram. "Simultaneous attacks at every angle. Bast will have no choice but to send a portion of his troops to each one lest he risk a public uprising. He's becoming afraid, paranoid; this will push him over the edge."
"How will you do that?" Sora asked.
"You just leave that part to me," was all V said.
"But once Bast sees what's going on he'll surely call the Star Destroyer blockade for reinforcements," Leon stated while also looking at the map. "How do you plan to deal with that?"
"That is where we come in," the hologram of Admiral Ackbar announced. "As soon as the attack on the ground begins, we will bring the entire force of the Rebel Fleet upon their blockade. With the element of surprise on our side we will catch them completely off guard. We'll prevent any reinforcements from going planetside."
"With a simultaneous attack from land and air, Bast will be too preoccupied to notice anything else," Leia went on.
"Which is exactly what we need," V said, his mind already calculating quickly. "While the Stormtrooper forces are kept engaged throughout the city, a small team will be able to infiltrate the citadel completely unnoticed. Their target, the shield encompassing the city."
"Once we've dealt with the blockade in orbit we'll be able to fly our own reinforcements in." Ackbar's gills puffed out. "The only thing that's stopping us is that shield."
"Our forces won't be able to last long against the number of Stormtroopers Bast has at his disposal," V said as he put a hand to his chin. "That shield needs to come down as fast as possible, or the casualties on our side will be enormous. The team that enters the citadel will have to be quick and decisive if we are to have any chance of surviving this."
"I'll go," Sora said firmly.
"I was hoping you'd say that. Sora, you and your team will enter the citadel in secret. If your presence is known the whole mission is scrapped, Bast will recall all of his troops back to deal with you. My sources inform me the shield generator mainframe can only be accessed by the Central Control Network, Bast's current headquarters. And I don't think he'll just standby and let us play with his computer. Fortunately, thanks to my new friends I've just been informed of another possible access point."
"According to Cid, the only other computer with direct access to the central network is the one still in Ansem's lab," Aerith explained. "You'll have to make your way there to deactivate the shield."
"But how I will I turn it off?" Sora asked. When it came to computers he didn't knew zilch.
"You'll have help." Leon's eyes narrowed on the hologram citadel. "Shelke will go with you." So that was it. Shelke, the living data bank, would be perfect for the job.
"I'm still not entirely sure about trusting her," Princess Leia admitted with a frown. "Especially with a mission of such importance."
"Speaking of importance," V interrupted, his mask not really conveying the seriousness in his voice. "There is another reason we need the girl. While disabling the shield is an important task, we cannot forget our most vital of tasks." There wasn't one person in the room who didn't know to what he was referring. "The files on the Keyblade War are on the top of Bast's priority list. He's trying everything he can to deliver them to the Emperor's doorstep. Tron won't be able to keep them from him much longer. Shelke will have to download the files herself, something I've heard she's quite good at. They'll be no safer place for them than in her own mind."
"I just hope Shelke will be up to it," Quistis muttered.
"She will be," Sora assured with a smile. "I keep telling you she's changed. She'll help us out."
"If you say so, Sora," Leia relented.
"It's Shelke's technical expertise that will bring down the shield," Aerith explained further. "Therefore, she is the most important part of this mission."
"I'm afraid the situation is much more...complicated than that." Everyone turned their questioning eyes to V, who had suddenly become quite solemn. "The shield cannot be deactivated by any conventional means. We can deactivate it, that is true, but it won't do us any good. Bast can simply reactivate it from the Central Control Network. There is only one way to take it down once and for all. We must destroy it. Blow it up." The true weight of his words didn't hit until a few seconds after he said it.
"Hold on," Leon growled, hands clenching into fists as he leaned across the table from V. "Are you suggesting...that we blow up the citadel?" Sora, Aerith and Quistis looked at Leon with alarm and turned to V so he could say otherwise.
Unfortunately, all V said was, "Yes."
"Out of the question!" Leon snapped, slamming his fists so hard on the table it made Sora jump. V, however, stood undaunted in the face of the fuming man. "The citadel is a symbol of hope and peace in Radiant Garden. It's stood proud for as long as I can remember. You have no right to make that kind of decision on your own!"
"Pretty words, Mr. Leonhart," came the calm voice behind the mask, which only seemed to anger Leon more. "But you seem to be forgetting one important fact. This isn't your Radiant Garden anymore. The city you see is a shadow of its former self, another pawn in the Empire's plans. The building is a symbol, this is true, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. Alone, a symbol is meaningless, but with enough people, blowing up a building can change the world. If we succeed and something happens to that building, the only thing that will change, the only difference that it will make is that tomorrow the Empire will no longer be calling the shots." The tone and way he spoke revealed he was just as regretful about this as anyone else. It was silent then. To save Radiant Garden, they had to sacrifice one of its most beloved treasures.
"Leon," Aerith's gentle voice said to the shaking man. "You know it's the right thing to do." Leon scowled further. It was a difficult moment for Leon. Out of all of them, he had been the one working the hardest to restore Radiant Garden to the way it was. Which was why he had to step down, and relent. He nodded solemnly.
"Then it's agreed," Leia voiced.
"The fate of all occurs not by chance." V's voice was so refined as he spoke that everyone found themselves staring at him. "The fate of all is inevitable. Each of their fates pass through and gather together."
When he was finished not another word was spoken, from him or anyone else. "Who said that?" Quistis asked in wonder. V chuckled and tipped his hat to them all.
"That, my friends, is a mystery worth solving."
KHKHKHKH
It was late at night when she decided to visit his room, when everyone was asleep in preparation for tomorrow's mission, under the cover of darkness where only lanterns lit the underground hallways. Quistis had fought many fights in her life, but being there right now, was the hardest thing she'd yet to do. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she prepared to knock on the door.
"Out for a late night stroll?" Quistis jumped in surprise. From the shadows emerged V, his black clothes blending into the dark so well it was as if only his mask was speaking to her.
Quistis quickly composed herself. "Why do you have to do that?"
"It's fun," V answered truthfully.
Quistis frowned. "Were you...waiting for me?"
"Perceptive as ever, my dear."
She bit her lip. "It's been awhile."
"Undoubtably," V whispered. "You haven't aged a day."
"And you still look exactly the same." Quistis looked down at her feet. "It's nearly ten years since you saved me from those Heartless."
"Come now, you were perfectly capable of handling yourself."
"Maybe. But back then, it seemed I didn't have the strength to do anything. My world was destroyed, everyone I ever knew was gone, I didn't have anything else to live for. The only thing I could do was wander the streets of Traverse Town. And then those Heartless attacked me. I remember it perfectly. I could have fought, but I didn't, I never even tried. What was the point? All was lost. I thought that I might as well end it right then. I was fully prepared to die that day, and I would have, had you not saved me."
"And I arrived on my white horse wielding the sword Excalibur to smite the demons," V drawled. "That's my version of the tale in any case."
"It sure seemed like it," Quistis said with a chuckle. "But you looked more like a crazy person than a knight in shining armour. Nonetheless, I'm glad you helped me."
"You and I were a lot alike. Two souls without a world or a home, lost within a sea of violence and confusion." From within his cloak he pulled out a single red budded flower, and handed it to Quistis.
"Scarlet carson," she whispered. "It was your favourite flower. I remember when you took me in that was all I could smell. Though you did more than give me pretty flowers and a place to stay, you taught me how to hope again, V. You taught me that there was always something to fight for, that within the darkness there is always a light. For that time, I was truly happy. But..." She looked away sadly. "One day, you were gone. You simply took off and left without even a word of warning. Why did you leave, why!?"
"How can I sit idly by while travesties like yours and mine are happening all over the worlds?" V asked rhetorically. "I had to leave. Not just for the sake of us, Quistis, but for the sake of all. If there were not someone to stand up to monsters like the Empire, freedom would have been lost long ago."
"And why are you here now, V? Why do you want to help us?"
"I wasn't aware one needed a reason to help his fellow man. It was that kind of reasoning that brought about the downfall of my world." He bowed his head, and Quistis could see his fist clench. "Though I must admit part of this is rather...personal." It hit Quistis hard. Long ago V had told her his story, and only to this day did she remember it.
"So that's it," she whispered. "Is that why you're doing this? To get back at the Empire for what they did to you?"
"What was done to me created me. It is the basic principle of the universe, that each action will have an equal and opposite reaction."
"So that's how you see it? As an equation?"
"What was done to me was monstrous!" V came close to shouting. Quistis fell silent, her eyes only showing contempt for V.
"And they created a monster," she whispered. Wordlessly she handed the flower in her hands back to V, before she turned round and proceded down the hallway, disappearing into the dark.
That left V alone. Silently he stared down the hallway she had gone down, then at the scarlet carson flower in his hand. He did that for the longest time before he entered his room, the V imprinted door closing quietly behind him.
And that concludes another chapter. Be sure to write nice reviews, adapt the original story (Darius Almighty's work) on DeviantArt, turn it into a webcomic or post the story on TV tropes or follow and favorite it. And remember may your heart be your guiding key!