Elijah swiftly prowled through the halls of Hallow Bastion. Joshua was always close by, practically at his back. A few Heartless Soldiers attempted to scare them, only to be dissipated nearly instantly by Elijah's swift fists. He hissed as he swiped the lingering shadows from his knuckles.
"Lily really should make you something to protect your skin." Joshua huffed, summoning a staff to cast a small fireball at an oncoming Soldier. "You really don't want that stuff lingering on you for long."
Elijah cleared his throat, "No joke. I hope we're close to those Replica bodies. This place is like a maze…"
Joshua squinted, staring down each hall. "I charred a wall of each area we went down. We've already explored those two…"
"Of all the times we could use a map." He relaxed a tad once the last enemy had been felled by his little partner. Scanning around, he stopped the note a door halfway open. A bright, almost unnatural light was beaming from within. He arrived to its threshold, nervously pushing through.
Inside was a white, blank room. Everything here was the same color. Sterile almost. He almost did not notice the outlines of the bodies upon the tables, blending in so effortlessly with the floors and walls. Joshua shuddered as he entered soon after, "You really are a stark contrast to this place."
"I'll say." He grinned, lifting up the arm of one of the doll-like, life-sized bodies. It had a strange texture…like flesh but not quite. "These are seriously the Replicas? I wonder how it works…"
"Don't ask Lily." Joshua giggled, "She'll keep you with her all afternoon. I made the mistake of asking her about weather patterns in the Realm of Darkness. She was still trying to chat as we were making dinner!"
Elijah grunted as he threw one of the bodies across his shoulders. "I hope one's gonna be enough. Although, now we know where this is. I can try to input the closest coordinates so Lily can make a portal here at some point. There's a few to work from."
"I would have loved to known what anything you just said meant." Joshua smirked.
Elijah unrolled a free hand and summoned a Corridor, adjusting his cargo. "Alright kiddo. Let's roll on back."
They had finally located a piece. Twilight Town was where it had finally reared its presence. Emerald had noted a strange aura around Karen at the party. It led her to investigate with a drone, and to her surprise there was strong evidence. Coming especially from around the train station's vicinity.
Emerald swiftly curved her letters on the parchment, patiently reviewing her works as she sat at her sturdy desk. She cocked her head and dotted a few of the letters, pausing once more.
Damien whistled gently, slinking around in his armor
"Hey honey I know you're worrier but put that thing down it's dangerous!"
She glanced at her feathery fountain pen and only gave him a brief smile. "It took us many years to even locate another…I have the right to be worried."
"Things will be ok." He promised, reaching over. "Come on, let's send it together." They shared a brief kiss, stepping outside hand in hand. At the edge of the lake, he ensured the ink was dry, folding it and setting the Star Shard upon its envelope. They grasped it together, closing their eyes after gazing deep into the night sky. With a prayer, they let it go, watching as it zipped up and out into the atmosphere.
Kosei yawned as he made way for the mailbox, stretching out in a fresh set of clothes. Yesterday had been a strange day. Accosted frequently by men and women in black coats, he had decided to ask the local wizard and one of his idols Yen Sid for some guidance. He was assured that this "Organization" would be taken care of soon by someone of great importance…whatever that meant. The man was hardly clear.
Today was one of his rare days off. He was still unsure of what he was going to do with himself other than watch his back. Casey Jones was keeping him busy with mail and deliveries, emphasizing the desperate need to always be on time, and always arrive with cargo. The hustle and bustle of it all was shockingly extreme in this unassuming town.
Without warning, just as he unhooked the mailbox door, a crash exploded from within. It bounced, finally stopping. A heated envelope with a glowing piece of something landed between his feet. Trepidatiously, he plucked it up and adjusted his glasses. It was worrying at best…there was no return address. Feeling that he had no choice, he glanced about. No black coats this time at least. Perhaps they had stopped attempting to join their "organization?".
Even if it was from the strange recruitment team, at least a letter was cordial. He flopped onto a nearby bench, shrugging as he wiggled the letter from the envelope. The letters were fancy and a bit hard to depiher, but it read:
"Stranger to us…we are Damien and Emerald of the former Betwixt organization. We have come to understand you own something of importance to us and wish to discuss things in civil terms. Please confirm through the star shard attached and we shall arrive within the end lf the day. If perhaps there is something you wish to exchange we can always make a deal.
Dearly, Damien and Emerald Hallow."
He frowned. Dammit. Another organization…really? He parsed through his thoughts. Morning swept him by as he found himself in a book. He strolled out to town, still burdened in considerations. As he began to sip at his afternoon coffee, he tapped a pen onto parchment and wrote back:
"Hello D. and E. Hallow,
I apologize in advance if there is a misunderstanding. I do not believe I have ever encountered someone from your organization, and I do not believe I have an item in my possession that was not lawfully, or fairly, acquired. Could you please specify what you are looking for?
If you wish to meet, there are many restaurants on the Twilight Town main strip where we could have dinner.
Signed,
Kosei Treger"
He attached the star shard for return, and the letter was gone without a trace, hovering up and through the atmosphere. Out of his hands. Maybe they'd at least pay for dinner.
Evening came. But as he was walking, he noted a pair of strangers arriving. Being part of the mail system had graced him with the knowledge of the faces around town, these were two he was not familiar with. They wore regal looking uniforms, dark blue with gold tassels and buttons. The woman had a soft, aging face with long purple spiked hair that flowed down her back. The man was graying in spots, his long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail.
He clutched the first letter still in hand. For a long time, they stared each other down.
"Hello…Are you Kosei?" Emerald stated curtly, but politely. She adjusted her uniform. Damien simply gave a friendly wave from behind her.
"Yes." He said. More blankly than he intended. These two had an intimidating aura. "You…are Damien and Emerald Hallow I assume?"
"Yes…we are."
"You're not from this world, are you?"
Emerald looked to her husband with a deep frown. He shrugged, stepping forward. "No, son. We aren't. We're not here to scare you, I promise. You're not in trouble. We just…have some questions. And a possible offer for you if circumstances allow. Why don't we find somewhere to eat and talk?"
Emerald gave a small sigh of relief. She was never quite one for introducing herself or dealing with younger people. She checked her compass and watch subconsciously.
Kosei gave them a tilted eyebrow, humming, "Okaaay, sure. Dinner and a chat. Any place down on Main Street is good." Subconsciously, he led them to one of his favorite places. Tony's, a quaint pasta house with signature red and white checkered tablecloths on huge, rounded tables. It wasn't as fancy or expensive as Remy's but it always hit the spot. The patio was charming, a tad romantic. "How's this? You like pasta, right?"
"You'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't." Emerald told in her attempt to be light hearted. It always came off stuffy.
Damien smiled, "Don't mind her. Kosei right? I'm sorry this all seems sudden. We are even struggling to word things in a way to be honest…" He quietly ordered his and her drinks when the waiter stopped by
Emerald thought and hummed, once a long time ago, we worked alongside someone named Charles. Do you know him?"
Kosei listened carefully. They seemed… agreeable. "I haven't met a Charles, either here or my home world, Radiant Garden." He glanced at the waiter, who returned with a basket of bread and butter alongside the array of drinks.
The couple had ordered wines and crisp glasses of water.
"Radiant Garden…we were actually from there ourselves." Emerald took a chunk of bread, spreading a wad of butter onto its crunchy surface.
"Charles was a researcher. He worked closely with someone named Ansem to help learn more about how hearts work. He helped create a machine that could…study it better." Damien glanced down briefly before returning to a neutral stance, "It's a shame that that attack happened. His lab was destroyed…and I'm sure your hometown was affected as well."
He leaned against the table. They had his attention now. "Yeah, Ansem the Wise. We all knew of him. I didn't realize he had other workers besides the six apprentices who fell."
"I must've been around nine when the heartless attack happened. After the attacks, I ended up here." He hesitated to go into much more detail.
Emerald and Damien gave each other a quick glance. She took a deep sip and sighed, "I guess I can just tell you before this gets too awkward. If that's alright…"
Damien smiled and gave a slight nod.
She adjusted herself and opened her book. He glanced quickly within. There was a picture of a girl inside, with dark skin and locks that ended in beads. She had blazing orange eyes and a large grin as she held a frog to the camera.
"This is Kin-Kin Takehanta…She's a girl who is about your age. Many, many years ago she was subjected to a terrible experiment, and it…tore her heart into different pieces. Damien and I were in possession of two of these. While the shards gave us incredible power, we weren't aware of their origin. We decided, many years ago, that we would return her shards. We were mistaken…I suppose…In that you might also have one. It has taken us a very long time to locate the other pieces…they have a strange effect. They draw each other, but some also repel. They've built walls around themselves to keep from getting hurt it seems. But the one we thought you had, it had opened just for a moment…we apologize if this seems odd. But there was no getting around it. It's why we were here."
Things were beginning to make sense. With a newfound air of understanding, he allowed himself to let out a breath and pulled out his staff. Decorating the top of the staff like a gem was a tiny pink shard. It rotated slowly and glowed faintly with glanced at it, cocking her head. Strange…it wasn't quite the shape she had pictured it.
"Are you talking about this? I found it when I was little…"
he reflection of its glow mirroring in their eyes. Emerald glanced to her husband, and he held her hand. Their faces were a myriad of emotions, struggling amongst each other.
"Very well. Then it's settled. Son, are you any good at fighting?" Damien offered just as their food began to set out.
Kosei was taken aback, rapidly blinking, Kosei blinked. "What's settled?" he said. "The only fight I've ever been in was against those Heartless monsters in Radiant Garden. This shard has power, you said -" he stopped himself abruptly as the waiter set the plates down. It was probably unwise to go blabbing around about that, especially since it'd been his lucky charm for over 10 years.
Once the waiter left, he pushed the steaming hot plate away and continued in a whisper. "You said this shard has power. I believe it, I was able to hold my own against these lanky, silvery monsters that invaded Twilight Town not long ago. They called them Nobodies. I can only attest my safety to this little piece. As much as I hate to say it, I don't have a clue how its power works, or how to control it…" He winced, trying to shut his own mouth.
Damien gave a soft, reassuring laugh, "Well, that's what my offer was going to be… We know how to fight those monsters…and effectively. It sounds like you're not up to snuff on some training."
"Damien knows more about physical prowess than I do. Magic has always been my strong suit."
"You don't have to decide right now. You're not going to be punished if you say no. But we'd like to train you, to help fight back against the monsters."
"Are the monsters growing into more of a threat? What is your goal? And what of the girl?" he rapidly asked, trying to talk between bites of his food.
"Relax…" Damien pat his shoulder softly with a warm smile. "Breathe." He took a few bites then sipped his wine again, "Monsters, things we call heartless, nobodies and possibly unversed are all strange creatures. Heartless are what take the hearts of people, literal shadows made physical. Nobodies are what is left of a body that has a strong will if its heart is taken. Unversed are the physical manifestations of negative energy that stemmed from a single source at one point, but have now grown."
Emerald offered him a piece of paper, a symbol of each faction on its surface with small details scribbled below the three. Kosei watched as her finger lingered over each as she explained,
"The shard of heart you have on your wand is basically a giant target for those who want to abuse its potential. Each shard had a strong part of humanity itself attached to it: Determination, Integrity, Perseverance, Patience, Kindness, Justice and Bravery."
Emerald set her cup down gently, staring him with her intense green eyes, "Kin-Kin now has Kindness and Justice back, the shards we held. And while it may not be the right time for you to return yours, we would ask that you protect her and help bring her back the pieces. Yours will be the last to add. As long as she is near you, it will suffice as replaced until the moment is right."
"There are four remaining beyond yours. And we have a vague idea on where they might be…" Damien pouted, "I'm sorry. I know this is a lot. But that's why we wanted to give you the offer. It's not something you have to do…but it would make our mission, to bring Kin-Kin back together, a lot easier."
He had a calculating look in his eye, taking in every detail of the story. Finally, he said, "Protecting this piece was never not a goal of mine. I always knew it was something special. I just wasn't aware it belonged to someone."
His eyes darted back and forth across the table, thoughts racing. If there was a target on him, he could be in danger. So would the piece, if it fell into the wrong hands. Training to fight would be good. What kind of people would want to take this? Had the people in black hooded cloaks from years ago known he had this? "You're not affiliated with those men in black coats, are you?" he asked, bluntly.
"Not in the slightest." Emerald sneered. "We've never quite had the pleasure of meeting them either but if it ever came to it they'd answer to my pen." She gripped it tightly.
Damien swooned, "That's my girl…" He cleared his throat sheepishly and turned to Kosei again, "Sounds like we're on the same page now."
Kosei frowned with intense focus, "So, what would you need from me? You mentioned on the job training, and the work type almost sounds like a… personal bodyguard, if I'm correct. Would I need to relocate?"
"Yes, temporarily. Kin-Kin is stationed at a place where her adoptive parents live: Daybreak Mountains…" Emerald pulled out a map, showing off a vast area of space with dotted planets in between. "We are here, Twilight Town. This is alllll…" She slid her finger to a distant spot, "The way here. But we'd fashion you with a gummi ship as well. Unless you have your own transportation."
Damien gave him a hospitable gaze, "Regardless, this is all your decision. I know this is very sudden. You don't have to decide today. If you have parents, a guardian, anyone you need to speak with, that is fine. We have accommodations here. We can meet up again when you are ready. And we will begin your training then."
Kosei pondered the offer, tapping his fingers against Rook. He felt like he should be more overwhelmed with this earth-shattering information than he currently was. Honestly, it was a little exciting. This was the break he'd been looking for.
"I'll have to talk with my master about this. I have a job here I would need to step away from. Oh, and no need for a gummi ship. I have one, and I'm rather attached to it. But I wouldn't be opposed to a tune-up and some new features." He raised his eyebrows.
"Perfect…what time frame are we thinking?"
"A week?" He shrugged, "I'll stay in contact. Promise. I'm definitely doing this. I just need to get some things in order."
"We understand." They said together accidently, before chuckling together. Emerald was the first to stand, helping Damien from his seat. "We are looking forward to it. Thank you, Kosei. You don't know how much this means to us."
He watched them bow and walk off. He simply waved them off, piling his half-eaten food into a to-go box.
Lily cooed at the Replica body in her office. Elijah had been far too nervous to enter it without help. But her living quarters dashed a bit of the magic in his eyes. Papers were haphazardly stacked. Journals were open and ripped apart. But it wasn't unbearable. Just…messy. Lived-in. Her desk was full of books, cups, bottles, figurines, medications…nothing made sense. Her closet was open, exposing her limited wardrobe. He blushed hard seeing her undergarments strewn about among the doorways and floors. Rugs were underfoot in the shapes of snails and bugs. Any attempts of organization within the shelves on the walls were soon thwarted by a lingering plush animal or pillow. Comfy blankets were strewn about. Her bed was way too big for her alone, covered in squishy paraphernalia. Cats and bugs seemed to be a running theme inside. Especially tigers. Framed photos of rare creatures and plants from exotic worlds littered her walls. Everything here seemed so colorful…so feminine. Fairy lights gently lit up corners, switching between warm colors. There was a strangely pleasant smell lingering about, a candle was lit in the safety of a mostly blank-topped side table.
Joshua giggled at his baffled expression.
"Sh." He demanded quietly, "I've just…never been in a girl's room before."
"If my calculations are correct, the shard should only take a few hours to meld to the Replica! Soon, we will have our very own heart shard companion! I just am unsure of what to name her."
"Let her decide." Elijah offered, "Poetic, no?"
"That's brilliant! It will be an excellent study in how the nature of the heart works. Oh, Charles will be so pleased! I'll stay to monitor its input tonight. I've come prepared!" She kicked open a mini fridge, exposing a plethora of energy drinks and coffees within.
"Somehow, I doubt you need that…" Elijah shook his head with a grin, before lightly gasping. Lily had rushed over to him, wrapping his hands around his chest in a tight embrace. He barely had the chance to return it before she parted ways, squealing, "Thank you, thank you! I owe you!"
"No…! It's fine! Really!"
"No, I insist. I'll think of a proper return at a later point in time! Now, shoo! Both of you!"
Before they knew it, they were shoved out and the door shut behind him. The lingering feeling of her embrace was tattooed on his skin. He swallowed hard, cheeks heating up. "Wow…"
"I think someone's in love." Joshua teased.
Elijah only cast him a glare, causing the boy to giggle as he ran off. Elijah chased him fiercely in fiery determination.
Before he could process that it was even morning, Elijah felt a tug as he was practically dragged out of bed. "She's here! She's about to wake up!"
"Humph…wug…." He responded, rubbing his eyes, "Joshua…?"
"He can rest! I want you to see first anyway!" She yelped, using the edge of a cloth to wipe off his drool. Still in his pajamas, he was hustled down the hallway and back to her room.
The Replica had dramatically changed. A girl with dark skin and a strange, padded suit with blue lines now lay on the table. Her hair was braided into thick, white coils with golden clasps between the strands. Dramatically toned, ready for action. It was almost frightening.
Lily sided Elijah, taking his hand in hers. He barely felt it, busying himself with watching as the girl's bright yellow eyes fluttered open. She groaned, holding her head and adjusted herself to the living world. Staring, blinking, squinted, then her brows knit. "Who are you…?"
"Hello! I'm Lily."
"Who am I?"
"Well…" Lily paused, unsure. "It's a long explanation. But what matters is you're here now! Welcome!"
The Replica recoiled away as Lily approached. Hurt, the scientist stopped, "What's wrong?"
"I don't know you!" She panicked. "I don't know where I am! Leave me alone!" She begged. To both their surprise, a large glowing sword emerged at her hands, and she grasped it tightly. It melted away at the table she sat on. The Replica hyperventilated, crying out as she unveiled a Corridor inside the wall.
Lily was left baffled. Tears welled up in her eyes. She fell to her knees, holding her arms across her chest in a pathetic attempt to self-soothe. "Why…this is the second time…"
Elijah had barely any time to react, still stunned. He leaned down, pressing his hand to her shoulder. Her hands shot up and reached for him, tightening him into an embrace. He frowned as she shoved her head into his clavicle, sniffling.
Second time…?
