Book II, Part II: Outbreak - Convergence

Chapter VII: Shrouded

[July 17, 2152 | Esthar, Streets | 7:56 AM]

The early morning streets of Esthar were relatively quiet as Ben and Connor walked along, the occasional vehicle passing them both on the ground and above it in the technological city. It was actually a rather pleasant morning as far as the weather went, something for which Ben was grateful. After a brief strategy session early that morning, Ben had finally decided on the workings of a plan with which to enact their mission. As he'd considered before, he'd decided to go out on the streets and take a cursory look at the grounds from the outside with Connor to get an initial overview of the area. It was almost certain that they would have to pursue their targets before springing their trap, likely for some distance if they wanted to do it without any real collateral damage, and he wanted to have a better idea of the immediate surroundings to scout out any potential hazards or advantageous places. While they were doing that, Tetsuya and Naoki would head to the mansion later on in order to meet with the client regarding the actual security, giving them a perfect opportunity to get information on the interior that they could then share.

The pair of them were dressed inconspicuously, in civilian clothing with weapons hidden. Connor kept a small sidearm tucked away under the gray shirt he was wearing and a gunblade that rested at his hip, while Ben simply had his own Diviner, both larger weapons hidden under the cloak of Vanish magic that Ben was passively maintaining. He could feel the nearly-imperceptible drain on his mana as he maintained the enchantment to keep their weapons hidden, a small price to pay for keeping his favored weapon on his person. He could've left it behind, but...it didn't feel right to him, almost as if he was leaving one of his arms behind. Alchemized weaponry was fine and all, but he almost felt naked without a blade after carrying one for practically his entire time away from Earth. If it wasn't for that, he'd have sworn he was out for nothing more than a walk back home, dressed as he was in a short-sleeved shirt and athletic shorts.

They'd only been walking for a few minutes, but they still had quite a way to go - the mansion was easily a few miles away from where their safehouse was. Neither one was in any particular hurry, though. Tetsuya and Naoki weren't going to leave for the mansion until around nine, and if Ben was being perfectly honest with himself, he was enjoying the opportunity to more or less relax given everything that had happened in the past few days. Plus, Ben wanted to get to know Connor a bit better, and it seemed as if Connor was going to have some questions of his own...no better time than the present to get to know the teammate he knew the least about. The sidewalks in the early morning were barren and devoid of travelers as none of the major outlets or shops were open yet - it was quiet and isolated enough to talk more openly about SeeD details, at least for now.

"What's your GF?" Ben asked, glancing over to Connor as the two of them walked. Connor had faltered in his step for a moment, raising an eyebrow.

"My…GF? She's…human? What kind of question is that?"

This time it was Ben's turn to falter in his step, but he quickly recognized where the confusion came from. "Your - no, your Guardian Force, your GF. Who are you junctioned to?"

Clarity crossed Connor's expression and he nodded, rather relieved at not having to answer a seemingly out-of-nowhere personal question. "Oh, Ifrit."

Ben simply nodded in response - awkward moment aside, he was comforted knowing that he already worked with people who used that particular GF, so it should be easy to plan around it. There was a short beat before Ben continued attempting conversation, something that was proving to be a bit more painful than he thought it would.

"So, how long have you been at Balamb?"

Connor shrugged. It might have potentially been a disrespectful thing to do for a superior officer, but they were disguised and protocol and decorum hadn't really seemed to mesh with Ben's way of doing things fully from what Connor could see. "A little over a year, give or take. I joined after Galbadia had taken Dollet's radio station."

Ben felt a small chill pass through him; he had no idea that the person next to him had been way closer to the reality of events that he had merely played through on a television screen. Even if he wasn't directly a part of the events, he was there to see them - witness them. Ben kept his sudden revelation to himself and kept his tone conversational.

"You're from Dollet, then?" Ben continued, earning a nod from Connor. "Looks like a nice place, though I haven't gotten to visit it yet myself."

"It's...quiet. Cozy, in a way. There's not a large population, but it doesn't need one. The duchy carries the memory of the Holy Dollet Empire and its last living breath of the Centrans. Lots of pride in the nation."

Ben nodded lightly in reply, making a mental note to actually take the time to visit the coastal city one day soon. Someone stepped out of an apartment building near them, turning and passing them by with barely a nod of acknowledgment as they appeared to be in quite a hurry. Their conversation cut off until they were sure they were out of earshot again, giving Ben a few seconds to muse on what Connor had said.

"So…you joined Balamb right after, yes?" Connor nodded again and Ben continued, "That would mean you…that would mean you were there, when Galbadia and Balamb Garden battled."

Connor was silent for a moment, his head lowering a little as he spoke. "Yeah…I was there. Me and my friends."

There was history there, he could tell. Thoughts and emotions warred within Ben as he considered the statement - he'd gotten to see what was likely considered a major part of recent history, potentially world-shaping developments coming out of the near-collapse of one of the three Gardens under Seifer and Edea's - no, Ultimecia's - heel. For a moment, he was almost jealous at the idea of getting to experience such events firsthand, a longing there inside him to be part of this world as he had done in Spira...before he caught himself. Looking from the outside would have been entirely different than looking from within, something he knew well himself. To Connor, the Garden battle wasn't some grandiose part of history to be revered. It would have been traumatic and painful, a horrifying stain on the organization and a tragedy to never be repeated. He shook his head briefly at the realization, deciding not to dwell on it for either of their sakes.

"Sorry, forget I brought it up. Do you enjoy your work with SeeD?"

"It's a living," Connor said, neither agreeing or disagreeing with the question. "Every day is a little different. My girlfriend still thinks it's boring, but compared to her work, everything is boring."

"Oh, really?" Ben chuckled, pausing to navigate around some kids running outside and onto the sidewalk. "What does she do?"

"She's… an archaeologist for monetary reward. Or as she calls it, the 'more interesting' career."

Ben blinked - he had never heard a treasure hunter's life explained like that. It was a fitting description, he conceded, remembering the brief adventures he'd had with the Gullwings doing much the same back in Spira. It was mildly disconcerting to realize that he and Connor seemed to have so many things in common - not directly, but similar circumstances.

"Interesting..." Ben said, giving a short laugh as he tried not to show his mental discomfort. "That's certainly one way of putting it. Speaking of interesting...you seemed to know Angel. Did you have classes with him at Balamb?"

"Yeah, a few," Connor said with a nod. The tone and demeanor of the young man suddenly shifted from neutral to a bit more animated as he kept talking. "Combat classes and some tactics training, mostly. Honestly, he's underrated as an instructor. A lot of people had a hard time getting used to his teaching style, but he's a man with a particular set of skills and some just aren't equipped to learn them."

Ben was mildly surprised to hear the praise coming from Connor, given that he hadn't actually seen or participated in any classes Angel had taught in the past. "Lucky you. I only met him when he transferred over to Trabia, and I haven't been lucky enough to sit in on any classes with him. If he's even taught any while he's been at Trabia, that is. I think he's mostly been doing missions here."

"Like the things you mentioned last night?" Connor asked, seizing the opportunity to shift gears to the topic Ben had inadvertently broached the previous night. Ben tensed a little, not saying anything, and Connor decided to continue. "I read your public file this morning before we left. For someone who has only been in SeeD for around four months, you have a surprising record. A large chunk of your file is redacted, and part of that from when you were a cadet, no less? It makes a man wonder."

A part of Ben hadn't actually considered what would have been written on his public file - he knew he had one, of course, but he'd tried to ignore what people thought of him and his skills for so long that he'd never given any thought as to what people might be writing about him. Suddenly, his confidence of not caring what others thought started to wane a bit, and it wasn't a feeling he particularly enjoyed. For the first time in the conversation Ben actually stopped walking, halting on the sidewalk and folding his arms as he watched Connor. Connor caught on after a couple of steps and stopped as well, turning to look at him.

"You looked me up," Ben summarized.

"Of course." Connor nodded, as if they were discussing an obvious eventuality. "I know my superiors in Balamb. But I do not know you; therefore, I had to learn who you are."

Ben's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but his tone was sharp. "You could have just asked me."

Connor gave a particularly deliberate and pointed look at the streets around them before turning his attention back to Ben.

"Isn't that what I'm doing?"

"Fair enough," Ben said with a shrug. "It's not like I'm one of the Deltas or anything, but I guess it makes sense that they redacted a lot of that." His tone was conversational again, but it almost seemed like he was talking more to himself than to Connor.

"So, I'm assuming that just like everyone else's file that I've seen, it shows the basics - combat information, brief bio, mission history, things like that, right?" Ben asked, starting to walk again as Connor fell into step beside him once more. His companion nodded curtly, and he took that as a sign to continue. "Well, one of my more unusual skills, so to speak, isn't strictly a secret...but it's not something that we like to broadcast. I don't mind sharing it, but keep it under wraps if you can."

Connor quirked an eyebrow at the mention of 'we' - that was a very deliberate word choice, he noticed. "Alright, then. What's this 'not strictly a secret' of yours?"

"Ever hear of the outer planes?" Ben asked, causing Connor to silently shake his head. "There's a lot I could unpack, but the short version is that this isn't the only world in our realm of existence - there's actually four, including this one. The three besides the mortal plane - or Gaia - are the Ethereal and Nether Planes, as well as Soul Society. Each of them is headed by an incredibly powerful being called an Ancient, basically what you could think of as a god. Those beings have servants that they choose to do their bidding, called Planeswalkers."

"And you're saying that you're..." Connor started, noticing absently that Ben wasn't making any real attempt to keep his voice quiet. Though, what he was saying was a bit outlandish in all honesty...

"Exactly. I'm a Planeswalker for the Ethereal Plane, and because of that...let's just say that I got involved in a whole mess that I don't really want to go much into. That's why most of my record up to now probably just looks like a mess of black bars."

Connor didn't say anything for a few seconds before finally sighing. "You know, if you didn't want to tell me about yourself, you could've just said so instead of making up stories."

"I'm not making anything up," Ben said, a bit more hotly than he'd intended.

"Then prove it to me."

"They don't exactly hand out ID cards for interdimensional diplomats, you know," Ben snarked. "When we get somewhere that we have a bit more privacy than open streets, I can show you some things to prove it." Connor gave a noncommittal grunt that sounded like approval enough to Ben's ears, and the team leader shook his head before starting to walk again, gesturing to Connor to follow as he did.

It took a few more minutes of walking and some more small talk before they finally reached their destination, but they soon found themselves approaching a mansion that dwarfed everything around it, taking up what seemed like multiple city blocks' worth of space. Enclosed with an ornate metal fence decorated with various soldiers, monsters, and other animals, the mansion - or palace, really - reminded Ben strongly of places like the Presidential Palace of Esthar or Buckingham Palace in England. It was a grand estate with a massive front yard and entranceway, and the style seemed to have both a deep sense of the ancient and historic with just a touch of modern flair.

"Would you look at that," Ben said, shading his eyes from the morning sun to take a better look. "That place is huge..."

"Looks like the duke's mansion back home," Connor said with a nod. "Old money loves to show off."

"No kidding...place looks like you could house a thousand people in there comfortably - and more for parties," Ben commented, taking a quick look around him as he started to cross the street. He could see what looked like a gate at each of the two sides of the fence he could see from his position, each leading to a central roundabout with four exits - one towards a third side of the fence and the last towards the palace itself, which ended in an oval-shaped segment directly in front of the house lined with beautifully-sculpted hedges and immaculately maintained trees. The driveway forked at the edges of the oval to go around both sides of the house, and Ben guessed that it probably had a similar oval in the rear connecting to the last gate at the back. As he reached the sidewalk adjacent to the fence, his eyes drifted to what looked like some kind of sign board posted close to the nearest gate. Curious, he walked over to find that it was a sort of bulletin board, detailing basic information about the mansion, its owners, and their history, as well as containing a holder with a stack of pamphlets of some kind. He reached out and took two of them, passing one over to Connor as he flipped it open. The guards didn't seem to pay them much mind at all, apparently rather used to tourists doing the same.

"This place dates back how far?" Ben said in surprise as he read, glancing back up at the building. It was over two hundred years old from what he was reading, and had been completely renovated and restored a few decades before to modernize it, and more recently to update it again with more of Esthar's technological improvements and modern conveniences.

"That probably makes it one of the oldest buildings in the world," Connor commented, following as Ben slowly started to walk down the sidewalk with his nose still buried in the brochure. "I don't know exactly how old the duke's mansion is in Dollet, but I'd wager it's comparable."

"Wonder how old the Gardens actually are," Ben said more quietly as they turned the corner, heading down the side of the building's grounds. He gave a polite nod to the guards at the gate as they walked by, earning a respectful nod in return as they headed down the street. They looked over at the back side of the house as they walked, pausing for a moment to take in the sights - Ben's suspicion was correct as to the driveway mirroring the front, and he could see the connection to the back gate from where they stood.

"Pretty much what I expected," he said, nodding to himself. "Lots of trees, but no real cover - we'll be able to see just fine. Biggest thing we'll need to know is the vehicle they leave in."

"The others should be able to tell us that," Connor said, nodding.

"Did you take driving courses at Balamb?" Ben asked suddenly.

"Some," Connor replied. "You're going to have me pursuing?"

"We'll both be, but I want you driving. We can tail them until they get out of residential streets, then make our move. If something happens, I can split off if need be."

"I can see a lot of things going wrong with this," Connor remarked, not feeling too confident about the idea. Ben simply shrugged.

"It's not a terribly solid plan just yet," Ben admitted. "We'll have to wait for Tetsuya and Naoki to get back to see what other info we can use. Right now, we don't have any idea about what route these guys might be taking to leave - they could get in a helicopter for all we know."

"A what?"

"Airship, basically," Ben amended. "Point is, we're probably making most of this up on the fly once we know their exfil plan."

"And what if they don't leave, or have a way out that we can't see?"

"Then we might be screwed, but I've got thoughts for that too," Ben said. "I'm betting I'll be able to sense that thing once they start to move it, if it's got as much power in it as Katanas thinks. So if they try to get out some other way, I'll be able to sniff that out."

"Let's hope so," Connor stated, "because this isn't making me feel all that good about our chances."

"Oh, ye of little faith," Ben said, giving an exaggerated eye roll and shaking his head. "Let's just get back to the house and wait for the others." Connor just sighed, still unconvinced by his commander's confidence.

"You're the boss."

[Nether Plane, Chateau du Suzerain]

A groan escaped Yuki's lips as she came back to consciousness on the smooth floor of Aizen's throne room. She felt as if she'd been thrown from the top of a building, muscles throbbing and bones aching with every shallow breath she took. The hard material was cool against her skin, helping to soothe some of the once-overwhelming warmth her body had felt as she had...

What had she done?

She remembered a beam of raw power large enough to swallow her whole, and then...nothing. She hadn't died - the dead didn't find themselves in such pain as she was in - but she had no clear memory from then to now. Whatever had happened, her body still ached and burned from it as she slowly and gingerly pulled herself back to her feet and gave her body a once over. Physically, she was a mess, clothes and skin burned and cut from her fight with the Espada, and she realized that her mana was all but completely drained. It was strange to her to feel so magically weak, the well of power she'd grown accustomed to having within her now nothing more than a barren lake - temporarily, she hoped.

"It seems you've finally awoken."

She turned to face the one who had spoken and found herself freezing as if she were a chocobo caught in the gaze of some fierce predator. The man in front of her exuded power and authority, showing clearly his status without any need for the large throne he stood in front of. His face held a smile, but one that seemed to never reach his eyes, as if he was simply putting on an act with no real feeling behind it all. His immaculate clothes signified his status without being gaudy, simple white and black colors that yet held a majesty all their own. For all her frazzled memory, she knew without a doubt that this was the master that Xeria had spoken of before. Almost reflexively - or simply out of fear - she bowed deeply to the man as she introduced herself.

"M-My name is Yuki Kurabasa," she said, struggling to keep the quaver out of her voice that tried to sneak in with every syllable. "It's nice to meet you."

"Welcome to the Nether Plane, miss Kurabasa," Aizen said, sweeping his arms out wide as if to draw attention to the grandeur of his throne room. "I am Aizen Sosuke, the Overlord of this plane. I must apologize for my Espada's actions - she has a tendency to be...overzealous at times." He gestured towards a chair at the end of a long table within the room before making his way towards the other end. "Please, have a seat."

Wordlessly, Yuki nodded and moved towards the offered seat, facing Aizen at the other end. She suddenly felt terribly self-conscious of her ragged appearance - a silly thought, but she seemed to be in an audience with someone akin to a king, so she could forgive herself for the thought.

"You don't seem particularly surprised to be here. Am I to assume you know the reason why I asked Xeria to bring you here?" Aizen asked, clasping his hands in front of him.

"I think she said that you wanted me to be your newest Planeswalker..." Yuki said hesitantly.

"That would be correct," Aizen affirmed, still with the same calm and pleasant tone. "It seems that you are somewhat familiar with the outer planes." Aizen already knew, of course, how familiar she was with such knowledge. He was interested to see, however, if the girl would inform him of something he didn't know.

"I've done some research, but it's hard to find any real information on them," Yuki admitted, some of her SeeD training making its way to the front of her mind. She didn't want to let slip too much of what Ben had told her regarding the outer planes yet, just in case. She still knew nothing of the man in front of her, or his motives for wanting to choose her.

"What would you like to know?"

To someone like Yuki, that was almost too tempting of a question to ignore. She had a chance to learn everything that she wanted about the outer planes within reason...so now, she just had to play the game.

"Well..."

With little hesitation, she began asking Aizen about the outer planes, Planeswalkers, and anything else related that she could think of. She learned of how their world had been created by the very patron that Ben served, how the three outer planes complimented and balanced one another, the role of Planeswalkers in mediating between the planes and the ten Realms...a wealth of information that she eagerly absorbed after subsisting on the equivalent of crumbs for so long. Aizen tolerated her questions patiently, which she was silently thankful for - she had feared annoying the man, which seemed irrational given his seeming desire for her service.

"This is a lot to take in," Yuki finally said a few minutes later, still trying to work through the wealth of information she'd been given. On the surface, it seemed almost perfect. She would not have to give up her SeeD duties or her normal life, and in return she would be able to travel to a myriad collection of worlds and dimensions, learning and observing all she wished in the course of her duties to Aizen.

She had been rather surprised to learn just how many Planeswalkers she already knew, as well. She was aware of Ben and Andréa - the latter thanks to her brother - but to find out that not only Instructor Bayloh, but Darius, Katanas, and the Headmaster himself were also Planeswalkers had stunned her at first.

"You seem as if you've already made your decision," Aizen observed, watching her carefully as she thought things over. Yuki didn't reply immediately, but it wasn't an incorrect observation, she knew. The offer was incredibly tempting, and she had wanted to try and find new ways to improve her skills for some time now. Maybe this was the best way to do that, she mused to herself.

"Maybe," she said, still seeming a bit unsure. The offer seemed almost too perfect, and she was sure that there was some kind of figurative fine print buried within all the promises and intentions. "Would it be okay if I took some time to think about it, Sosuke-dono? This is a big decision, and I want to make sure that I've thought about it carefully before I step into something of such importance."

Aizen raised an eyebrow slightly. "Have I not answered your questions sufficiently already?"

"It's not that at all, Sosuke-dono. I just want to make sure that I don't rush into something that I don't fully understand the implications of. You mentioned that Planeswalkers are of vital importance to their patrons, and I would like to be sure that I'm capable of living up to that."

For a brief moment, Aizen was silent, and then the look on his face grew decidedly more sinister than Yuki was comfortable with. He stood from the table and slowly began to pace towards Yuki, looking much like a predator that had cornered its prey.

"You don't seem to understand, my dear miss Kurabasa. This was not simply a request. I have spent valuable time observing you as well as the use of my Espada to bring you here. Such an investment requires...repayment in kind."

Yuki wanted to stand up, but she was rooted in her seat by a feeling she couldn't place - a primal fear that left her heart racing and her breath shallow and quick, a feeling that made her want to slink further into her chair and hide to get away from it.

"You will become my Planeswalker, Yuki Kurabasa. This matter is not for you to decide."

Yuki's eyes widened as Aizen seemed to tower over where she sat, and all at once she felt as if she'd made a horrible mistake...or would have, had she had any choice in coming here in the first place. Now, she merely felt as if she was just along for the ride in her own life, a path she was about to be forced onto with no end in sight or chance for deviation.

Yuki watched in paralyzed fear as Aizen held a hand out in which a mote of energy began to gather. It was unlike anything Yuki had ever felt, no kind of magic that she could recognize or place. The glimmering bit of magic grew until it was a small orb flickering with streamers of energy in his hand, and he extended it towards Yuki in a gentle motion. The orb lifted from his hand seemingly at his command, floating up and out towards the girl before melting into her chest in an instant. Yuki gasped as she suddenly felt more alive, senses that she'd never had before flooding into her mind all at once like a blind man suddenly gaining sight. She could feel the magic around her more strongly than she ever could with just her junctions, and she almost flinched visibly as she realized how powerful the man in front of her truly was with her newfound magical sense.

There was something just beneath the surface of her newfound power that she couldn't figure out, however...an attachment to something she couldn't see or touch, something both out of reach and instantly accessible to her. It felt as if her body understood more than her mind, an instinct that had grown there as if it had always existed, and a yearning to see what it meant. Aizen smiled as he watched her, seeming to understand what she was coming to terms with, and she looked at her hands numbly despite her fear as her body finally finished accepting the gift of power she'd been given.

"What...did you do to me...?" she croaked out, watching as Aizen began to retreat towards his throne.

"I have given you a gift that is unlike any other," Aizen replied, taking his seat once again without regard for Yuki's present state. "A gift that is to be used to benefit my plane when the time comes." He gestured sharply towards the door with a hand, leaning his head lazily on the other as Yuki shakily got to her feet. "Leave me - I have much to consider."

No response came from Yuki, but the strange paralyzing fear seemed to fade from her body in an instant as Aizen finished speaking. Her mind came back to itself then, and she turned on a heel and fled from the room in a panic, wanting nothing more than to be away from the man in front of her. She felt lost now, alone in a strange place - a strange world - that she had no sense of how to navigate either physically or intellectually. As tears started to blur her vision, she ran through the halls of the castle seeking escape, a part of her mind wondering if she was ever going to see her brother again...or if she'd just been irrevocably changed by the hands of fate.