Home is Where the Heartless Are Chapter 07: Can't Move at the Top of the Ferris Wheel Reeve massaged his forehead, looking tiredly at the reports in front of him. There were two, delivered within a halfhour of each other. Each was in a manila folder with a big red 'CLASSIFIED' stamped on them, and as soon as Lola dropped them on his desk, he knew it was something big. The WEAPONS, massive living machines of destruction created by the Planet to protect itself, were back. A strange reddish tentacle had been spotted poking out of an obscure island off the coast of Fort Condor, which Reeve and the others assumed was Ruby WEAPON. Halfway across the Planet, near Wutai, a Shinra submarine on a routine mission was nearly obliterated by a huge green hulk, otherwise known as Emerald WEAPON. "Is it safe to assume Diamond and Sapphire are back, too?" Tifa had asked only ten minutes ago, when she and the others had been in his office looking over the grainy pictures. Reeve had immediately called them in, and he quietly mulled over the conversation that had taken place. Red XIII delicately used his claw to flip through a folder, nodding faintly. "Most likely. However, I think we should focus on the reason for them to be active, not the WEAPONS themselves. Something is obviously threatening the Planet's survival." Barret muttered under his breath, "Think it's the Heartless?" "The Heartless have been around for a long time, why would the Planet suddenly make the WEAPONS now?" Tifa asked, turning a photo upside down and looking at it closer. "Who knows how long it takes to create something like a WEAPON?" Red asked, looking a the young woman. "Perhaps the Planet began to recreate them as soon as we destroyed them during the battle with Sephiroth, or perhaps as soon as the Heartless appeared. It may have taken the Planet years to gather the energy to reconstruct the WEAPONS." Tifa nodded. "That makes sense. Do you think these are the WEAPONS we fought, or are they new ones?" "Or a different variation," Reeve said as he dug through his computer files, trying to find the original file on the WEAPONS. "Dammit, all the information on the WEAPONS in the computer system was lost when Meteor hacked off the top of the building. If we want anything about the WEAPONS that Shinra has on file, it'll be down in the basement." "But is there really a point to going down there and getting it?" Tifa asked. "I mean, why do we need information about them?" Barret shrugged his huge shoulders. "What the hell else are we supposed to do? There ain't a damn thing we can do right now, 'cept wait for those creeps to tell us what the hells goin' on." "They're called the 'Nobody'," Red said absently. He paused and looked at Tifa. "Does the Keybearer Nobody have anything to do with them?" The young woman shook her head. "I don't think so. I asked him why he called himself that once, and he just told me because it was what people called him." She looked at Reeve. "Have you heard anything from them, by the way?" "There was a fourth Heartless in the Lunatic Pandora, but Riku took care of it," Reeve responded. "Other than that, I don't think they've done anything else." He was lying through his teeth, though nobody seemed to notice it. However, he felt the ruby eyes of Vincent on him and looked at the man, finding the ex-Turk staring at him with a fierce intensity. Vincent broke his stare and went back to picking through the documents, but Reeve knew the vampiric man would want to talk to him in private. Before Reeve could mull over the conversation more in his mind, the doors to his office opened slightly and he was pulled back to the present.. Vincent slipped inside silently and shut them behind him, moving across the room with eerily quiet footsteps. Reeve smiled tiredly at the man. "What can I do for you Vincent?" "What else do you know?" Vincent asked, obviously not fooled by Reeve's smile. The President sighed, flipping closed the folder on Ruby WEAPON. "More than I'm letting on, and yes I will tell you. However, I suggest you keep it to yourself." He steepled his hands. "The leader of the Nobody here, Knight, told me this. He also told me whoever I told had better keep their mouth shut, or the Nobody would deal with them." Vincent quirked an ebony brow. "Deal with them?" Reeve nodded. "I don't like keeping information from you guys, but the last thing we need right now is Tifa or Barret running off howling mad because the Keybearers are about to attack the Black Planet." "I see," Vincent said quietly. "Is it really so pivotal that the Keybearers go alone?" Reeve nodded. "Yes. They aren't going to simply attack the Black Planet, they are going to try and seal it forever. If we were to interfere before we're supposed to whatever delicate plan the Nobody and their mysterious benefactor have will hit the fan." Vincent watched Reeve with his crimson eyes for a few moments, judging the man's sincerity. He nodded finally, black hair tumbling over his shoulder. "I will keep this to myself then." He stood and silently left the room, long red cape billowing behind him slightly. Reeve shook his head after a few moments before calling for his secretary. "Lola!" She peeked into the room, a cup of instant noodles in one hand. Reeve had forgotten it was lunch time. "Yes, sir?" "Get a team together and head into the basement. I want all the WEAPON files you can find on my desk by three." Reeve sounded tired, and more than a bit irritated. Purple rings were under his eyes, while the cuffs of his suit seemed to be a bit looser than they should have been. The President of Shinra habitually forgot to feed himself, or go to sleep before four AM, if he slept at all. Lola nodded and chirped, "Yes sir!" before scurrying off. ----- Riku strode down through the Esthar Palace purposefully, his stride long and brisk across the dark red carpet. He could feel Sora through their Keyblades a few rooms away, pulsing with a powerful golden light in the back of Riku's mind. The black haired man stopped in front of the room Sora was in, hand hovering over the knob as anxiety rolled into his body. However, he shoved it away and opened the door, walking into the small study calmly. The room was medium sized, with a plush dark blue carpet and a large window across from the door. Two book shelves sat across from each other, and next to one was a desk with a computer on it, while across from that were two reading chairs and a lamp. Sora sat at the desk, hunched over the computer as his eyes scanned the glowing monitor. He seemed utterly focused on the computer and Riku wondered how to approach his friend without scaring him. "What's up?" Sora asked suddenly, startling Riku slightly. "Nothing," Riku replied, recovering his cool and sitting in one of the reading chairs. "What are you reading?" "The Translations," Sora responded. He turned around and sat backwards in the chair, a leg on either side of the back. "It's kind of interesting. Have you read them?" Riku shook his head. "I read them a while ago, but a lot more has probably been deciphered since then." Sora nodded vaguely and the two went silent, both mulling things over in their minds. Sora thought of Viggo, the first wielder of Stella's Keyblade. The man, only four years older than Sora himself, had lived before any sort of advanced technology, in a time when kings ruled viciously and there was no middle class. Viggo had been born a nobleman and spoke avidly of the Keyblade as a gift from God. He had thought to use the Keyblade to end the suffering of the poor, however, he was scolded harshly by his tyrant father whenever he brought the subject up. His father, Louis, seemed to think of the Keyblade as a curse, a dark power that haunted his son. He wanted a priest to bless his oldest child, wanted Viggo to go through countless church rituals to 'save his soul from eternal damnation'. Riku, on the other hand, was watching Sora sharply. His friend seemed troubled, wading through the pond of information in his mind, pausing to scoop the liquid up and stare at his reflection in it for a few moments. Then, he'd simply let the scrap of knowledge go to examine another. Though Riku doubted the younger Keybearer knew it, Sora's mind seemed to be built for battle. He assessed his enemy's weak points and exploited them subconsciously, automatically locking on to the best place to attack. He grew stronger, faster, and smarter with every fight. Riku suddenly realized this was a rather frightening thought. Sora was so powerful that he could easily defeat any of the three other Keybearers in battle. What was more frightening was that this sudden surge of strength had began when Sora entered Kingdom Hearts. Sora noticed Riku's sea green eyes focused intently on him and looked at his friend, tilting his head slightly. "What's up?" Riku shook his head and looked away. "Nothing." "Do you know what we're going to do here?" Sora asked, looking out the window towards the Esthar skyline. The city had a neon blue and green glow that lit up the darkness brilliantly, and it was very mesmerizing to look at. "No," Riku replied, before sighing slightly. "We'll be fighting the Heartless forever." Sora's eyes hardened with resolve. "No, we won't." He shook his head, hair waving around him. "If I could fight them away from our universe alone, together we can defeat them forever." Riku seemed to grow distant at Sora's words, eyes unfocusing for a few moments before he slipped back into reality. Doubts and fears grew in his mind, but he pushed them away, refusing to voice them to Sora. It was those emotions that had caused him to turn away from his friend and cover himself in darkness before. He wasn't going to infect Sora with his weakness. Riku spaced out, and Sora spotted it instantly, and tiredly raked a hand through his hair. "Riku, why won't you talk to me?" Riku looked away and replied simply. "It isn't easy for me to talk about things." "Why not?" Sora knew his voice was impatient, and somewhat snappish. His frustration wasn't caused by Riku not trusting him enough to speak freely of his feelings, but by the fact that Sora didn't know why Riku didn't trust him. Sora did know, however, that Riku was ripping himself to shreds inside for reasons he didn't know. Riku was clawing at himself, digging nails between his muscle to stab his sensitive heart, turning himself into a raw, bleeding being of self loathing, and Sora didn't know why. Riku visibly shrunk away from Sora's harsh voice, but quickly regained his composure. "I don't know." His quick move caused his pitch black hair to tumble down in front of his face and he let it stay there, hiding his eyes behind it. Sora looked down, knowing he'd startled Riku. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or something. I just.I know you're hurting inside, and I can't do anything about it, and it frustrates me." "You can always open yourself up so easily. I envy you." Riku was smiling slightly. "I've always wondered why I couldn't do that." Sora smiled back, turning his gaze back to the Esthar city. "We're just different people." "You've grown up a lot," Riku murmured. "So have you." Sora shrugged. He decided to change the subject, away from their present selves. He wanted to talk to Riku, yes, but he wasn't going to force his friend to speak. That would be a horrible mistake, and Sora knew Riku would never forgive him for it. "Tell me about when you first met Nobody and Stella." Riku snorted. "It was violent." Sora's eyebrows shot up. "Violent?" "Stella and I used to get into huge fights over stupid things. We just grated on each other's nerves. Ask Nobody, he had to pull us off each other with bloody noses and black eyes." Riku was smiling fondly. "We had good moments, though." "It's hard to see you in a fight like that," Sora said, laughing slightly. Riku laughed quietly. "I'd like to say I was the mature one, but that's a lie. He pissed me off because he kept asking about where I came from and stuff, and when I didn't tell him, he got pissed off and.well, it just went to hell from there." Sora felt Riku grow withdrawn again. "You don't have to feel guilty about anything, or afraid of anything." "It isn't that simple, though. I can't just make myself stop being scared that you'll hate me," Riku replied quickly, as if the words were slipping from his mouth. He wrapped his arms tightly around his slender torso. "That's what I'm afraid of, Sora, of losing you. I always have been, because without you, I don't have a purpose." "What do you mean, you don't have a purpose?" Sora asked. He could feel Riku beginning to close up, and knew their conversation would loose steam quickly. "Because you're special, and I'm not. I would have ended up as a stupid fisherman on Destiny Islands, and you would have done something special." Riku's voice was quiet, becoming hoarse as his throat began to tighten. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't force the words out. "Don't worry," Sora said, almost rushing over to sit beside him. "You don't have to say anything more than what you want to say." After a few moments Riku sighed shakily and his body relaxed. "Thank you." He seemed oddly content. He felt insecure, though the feeling was quickly waning. He felt as if a shadow lurking behind him, the dark past he tried so desperately to forget, was fragmenting slightly. He was truly feeling better than he had in a very long time. ------ In a dark, secret place in Riku's mind, amber eyes narrowed and fingers clasped into white knuckled fists. There was a growl of frustration, however he quickly regained his smirking, smug composure. He would eventually come into power again, and it would be glorious. ------ Stella hummed absently to himself as he puttered around in Esthar Palace's expansive kitchen. It was ten at night and the staff had gone home hours ago, so he had the room to himself. He kicked the huge, stainless steel fridge's door closed behind him and laid an armful of apples onto a cutting board. He began to cut the apples into slices, working into a routine as he continued to hum the nameless tune. Cooking always relaxed Stella, and he needed to be relaxed. The strain of fighting the Heartless for years was weighing on his shoulders, and he found himself prone to depression if he didn't keep himself busy. When he was finished cutting the apples, he put them into a bowl filled with water to keep them from browning. He started to make the crust, pausing to look up when the doors swung open. A petite Asian woman stood in the doorway, wearing a long baby blue sundress, her dark eyes twinkling happily. "Hullo, Rinoa," he said, smiling to himself. He felt calm, at ease with himself and everything around him for once. He wasn't rushing off to fight, he wasn't pulling himself together to help somebody else, he wasn't throwing his own problems away to deal with someone else's. He was doing something simple that required no thought, since he'd done it so many times before, but still needed attention. It let him space out and unwind. "Hey, Stella," she replied, smiling back. "What're you making?" "Apple pie," the Keybearer responded. "How've you been?" "Good." Rinoa opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, twisting it open as she spoke. "Are you here about the Translations?" "Yeah," he replied, nodding. Rinoa tilted her head, watching him silently for a few moments. "I didn't know you knew how to cook." He laughed quietly. "Cooking is a secret hobby of mine. But don't tell Zell, I'd never hear the end of it." The woman giggled. "He'd probably buy you an apron for Christmas." Stella grinned. "Yeah, one that said 'kiss the keybearer'." "And a chef's hat," Rinoa added. Stella nodded in amusement as he began to push the dough into the pan. When he was done with that, he began to make the filling for the pie, which he finished quickly. He then went to work putting the top crust over it and finished by using a tooth pick to sketch a small, decorative circle around the middle. He grabbed a pair of oven mitts and put the pie into the oven with a snap before hopping up onto the counter. "Geoffrey's going to murder you if he finds out you sat on his counter," Rinoa mused, referring to the head chef. Stella's lips twitched up into a grin as he set a timer. "Yeah, but he won't find out." Before Rinoa could respond, the doors swung open and one of the many Esthar Palace staff walked in. "President Loire would like to see you both in the conference room immediately." He spoke with a long drawl and Stella had to fight to keep a straight face. Rinoa was visibly amused as well, though she tried to hide it. "Thanks, Roger." "Welcome, miss," he drawled, before turning and leaving. "Well, we should go," Stella said in the man's voice, causing Rinoa to start laughing. "I hope my pie doesn't burn." "Just do this!" Rinoa hopped in long steps over to the oven. "How long should it cook for?" "About thirty five minutes," Stella replied, watching as Rinoa tappped a few buttons on a keypad above the oven. "There! In thirty minutes, it'll turn off," Rinoa said, obviously please with herself. "Which leaves it five extra minutes to cool down without burning the pie!" Stella raised an eyebrow at her. "You seem awfully pleased with yourself. I could have just asked somebody to watch it for me." Rinoa huffed. "Way to rain on my parade." "Everybody loves a parade," Stella replied absently as he walked out the door. "What?" Rinoa asked, tilting a dark eyebrow. "It's from a comic," the blond man replied as they headed towards the elevator. ----- Squall stood strong and powerful in the crisp December air, dark brown hair waving in the breeze. His black pea coat shifted slightly around his slender body, wrapping him neck to knees as he stepped out onto a balcony of the Hollow Bastion's palace. Hundreds of faces stared up at him from the ground below, while millions watched him through their television sets. These people were confused, angry, frustrated, but most of all, they were scared. Hollow Bastion was readying itself for all out war, and its people were not ready to again loose loved ones in battle. Squall's job now was to rally them together, build their spirits, and hopefully get them to see the reason behind his decision to enter war with the Heartless again. He had no prepared speech in front of him, no papers to work from. He was pulling his words from his head and fifteen minutes of thought before hand. He stepped up onto a podium, trailing his clear blue eyes across the crowd, before his lips parted and he began to speak. "A dark force once ruled this castle and this world, and probably even stood where I stand now just four years ago. That power destroyed and ravaged the land, murdered countless, and left this place in ruins. It is that force that Hollow Bastion is going to fight, and fight powerfully with the grace and speed this mighty kingdom once had. We, and I say we because I will not stand by idle while others fight, must rise up to counter that threat, and counter the Heartless. "We must not only fight this threat for ourselves; we must also fight it for those who cannot fight for themselves. Children who have yet to be born who can grow and prosper without the Heartless shadow looming behind them is what we must fight for. We, the people of Hollow Bastion, must stand against this threat. If we don't, then countless will suffer. The Heartless will leave none untouched and untainted by their power. I am not trying to scare you, though I know many of us are frightened. I am laying the facts out plainly. "Fear is a normal emotion, which I myself have felt many times. Fear is healthy, but we cannot let fear control us. If we cower in our homes and wait for the Heartless to take over once again, we are not a nation. A nation is a machine of separate entities that think with minds of their own, but fight for one common goal regardless of personal reasons. Some may fight for future generations, some may fight for themselves, some may not fight at all. I am not going to force recruitment on every young man, I am merely going to ask. "I ask you, the people of Hollow Bastion, to help defeat the Heartless for now and forever." Squall paused, letting this sink in, before plunging on. "If nobody should agree, I will not abuse my power and force it. I will not run off on a suicidal one-manned crusade. I will resume my role as your leader and accept your decision. But know this: the Heartless will return very soon, and I urge every person to prepare. Even if you decide to stay out of the fray, the battle will eventually come to you. "I am ready to forfeit my life for any person in this kingdom, I am ready to return to my rank before the Keybearer rid the worlds of darkness and fight beside Hollow Bastion's soldiers. If all of Hollow Bastion, no matter how young or how old, gives time and energy to fight, to build, to aid the wounded, we will defeat the Heartless. We will lead the worlds in a war to end pain and suffering, we will stop the Heartless in their tracks, and we will not back down till the dust has settled and the free are truly free." Squall stopped as a wave of applause seemed to ripple across the faces staring up at him, shouts and cheers echoing against the buildings of Hollow Bastion. His posture was determined and resolved, that of a battle worn man who refused to stand back and let a fight be fought unfairly. He stood strong and graceful, powerful and cool in the chill air. His words and his stance brought a response from the crowd he'd only seen one time before. Once, three and a half years ago, when he stood before a crowd of thousands and spoke brilliant words, not promising instant healing to Hollow Bastion's wounds, nor a sudden fix to the devastation created by Heartless occupation. He had said outright that it would take years to rebuild the mighty nation back to its former glory, but they would do it. With his clear voice ringing out like a beacon in what seemed to be a bleak fall into depression, Squall had pulled the rubble of a fallen empire away from Hollow Bastion. He had eased the pain and set a goal, working tirelessly to reach it. Now, he saw the reaction he'd seen that day. undreds, maybe thousands, ready to rise up against a threat and strike it down. He saw fear, yes, but also determination and strength. The people of Hollow Bastion were worn, but powerful, and were able to quickly unite against a threat. Squall pulsed like a star among them, and channeled that strength, gave them direction and urged them towards it. He raised his leather loved hand and bowed his head slightly, causing the applause to grow louder for a few moments. His lips turned up in a small smile and he stepped backwards, moving inside the palace. "That was wonderful!" Yuffie cried, hugging him tightly. He awkwardly patted her back before she released him. "You look beat. I'll take care of things now." He nodded his thanks and left, moving down the side halls of Hollow Bastion briskly to avoid anyone. He slipped into his small, private study and flopped down into the large, high backed chair. He shrugged out of his coat and threw it onto the desk before he held his head in his hands. The future seemed to loom in front of him like a bleak shadow, and, though he appeared powerful standing on the podium, he felt as if it was too much to face. He looked up when the door opened and Cloud silently walked into the room. The blond man sat down in another chair across from the brunette, watching his friend. The two were both born leaders, however on a different scale. Cloud could forgea group of people into a well-oiled fighting machine that worked together. Squall could thousands out of misery and give them purpose to create a system of individuals allied together. "You look tired," Cloud said finally. "I am tired," Squall responded quietly, looking out the window. Small white flecks were tumbling from the sky, a light snow fall beginning to coat the city. "But you did what you set out to do," Cloud pointed out. "I bet the recruitment offices are overflowing with people." Squall sighed. "But how many of those young and reckless young people know what they're getting into?" Cloud fell silent, remembering his own time as a trooper in the Shinra army. "There's not much you can do, though." "I know," Squall replied, nodding. "I knew what would happen before I started that half-assed speech, but I still did it. We can't do anything about it now. It's a bridge we'll cross when we get there." ----- Guardian stood on the Great Crest of Hollow Bastion, long black coat billowing out behind him in the harsh wind. He had heard every word of Squall's speech, and knew what would happen within the next few weeks was going to be immense. Twelve weeks, three months, in basic training before the young men and women who were no doubt rushing into recruitment offices were ready to fight and give their lives. The shadow and threat building up in his mind were nearly searing with power now, and he knew it wouldn't be long before the darkness fell again. He only hoped that Hollow Bastion would be ready to defend itself when the time came. He looked over his shoulder, hearing footsteps approaching, and found Sephiroth. He stood regally in the rough, chilly wind. "Are you going to help us, or look out for yourself?" Guardian asked, tilting his head at him. "Helping Hollow Bastion would be beneficial to my situation. I can't fight an army on my own, despite what over-blown and exaggerated stories precede me," the ex-General replied calmly. "But, yes, I will help." "I figured that would be your answer," the hooded man replied, folding his arms across his broad chest. The movement caused a flash of déjà vu for Sephiroth, and Guardian's stance seemed far too familiar. The one foot forward set off alarms in Sephiroth's head, while the easy way he spoke only caused more turmoil in the silver haired man's mind. "Who are you?" Sephiroth asked finally. Guardian looked over his shoulder, the sunlight bouncing off his dark brown eyes, changing the amber glow to a searing gold. He turned away, almost jerkily, and replied coldly, "I am a Nobody." Sephiroth's ice green eyes narrowed, and his hand hovered momentarily over the hilt of the Masamune. However, he turned and stalked gracefully down the platform, turning back inside the castle. Guardian sighed, mostly to himself, and after a few moments went back inside as well. ----- Tifa tied her long mahogany hair back at the nape of her neck as she walked outside the Shinra building. There was a small crowd outside the building, a group of people who had lived in an apartment building that had literally fallen apart earlier that day. With no where else to go, they had turned to Shinra. She walked over to them, intending to help the medical workers out with taking care of them. She was surprised to find Donald helping as well, using his magic to heal small cuts and bruises. A few feet away, Goofy was sitting on the curb sewing up a little girl's doll. Tifa cocked her head to the side, watching the two quietly before shaking her head. ----- Sora and Riku were pouring over the Translations together, when someone knocked. The door opened and a maid peeked inside. "President Loire would like to see you in the conference room on the top floor, as soon as possible," she said. "Alright, thanks," Sora replied. She nodded and left. He turned to his friend with a raised brow. "Do you know what this is about?" Riku shook his head. "No, but I bet it has to do with our next course of action. We can't afford to sit around right now." Sora nodded. "Well then, lead the way." ~End of Chapter 07~ -_____- I hate Squall's speech so damn much. That is all.