Future Tense - [Active / Semi-open]

[optimistickey]

Characters: Most of the KH crew, and possibly others...please ask about joining!
Content: Quite a few of the KH crew get together to exchange information on the future, and make sure everyone is up to speed. Who knows how this information will affect some people, however...
Location: In a surprise room on the media deck
Time of Day: Evening
Warnings: Possible angst and more.


As far as strange happenings on the Satellite went, this one didn't seem too bad, although it seemed like there was a lot more to it than first met the eye. Like there was a lot more magic around here...just not the kind that he knew well enough.

However, there was also the issue of meeting with everyone from their world and discussing all that had gone on...or would go on, for some of the people here. Sora didn't really want to talk about it too much, since from his perspective, it was behind him and he wanted to focus on getting off the Satellite and then working on fixing everything. But, leaving others in the dark wouldn't be good, either. They just needed a place to talk about it.

He'd looked over the media deck, which had the tables and chairs, but something about the place had changed to make it even creepier...it was like some of the books in the library were now alive. So he'd started back towards the stairs, musing over how they needed some place to talk…

When he suddenly noticed another door, close to the stairs. Sora stopped and regarded it…had that door always been there? He really couldn't remember seeing it before. He opened the door, and found a cosy little room set up with a few tables and some comfortable-looking chairs. It didn't seem nearly as foreboding as the rest of the library. Sora smiled to himself...well, he didn't know where this had come from, but at least it served their purposes for now!

Sora found his Cambot and let everyone know to meet him there over the network...no privacy settings, but oh well, he didn't want to take the time to find everyone in person. Once the message was out, he sent his Cambot off, headed inside and found a good chair to sink into.

[There may be multiple threads just for meeting, talking, eavesdroppers or party-crashers...don't worry too much about turn order, so that things can move along. Otherwise, have fun!]

Comments

[thirteenth_brat]

Roxas sat quiet for a time, listening. Hearing the explanation made a lot of things clearer. Seeing Isa's response to the information more or less confirmed that it was a bad idea for him to come to the meeting. Xehanort's tactics for possessing someone included bringing them close to breaking if not outright breaking them, from what Roxas could tell.

He had his own reason to be upset by this information, though. The pain it must have caused Sora when he dumped all those memories on him would have made him vulnerable. Given how thoroughly Xehanort had planned things, he might have been counting on that and it could very well be that a last minute rescue was the sole reason he hadn't claimed Sora.

At Aqua's comment, he looked up. This was something he'd heard about, here on the satellite, "Ven mentioned that, not long after he got here. Something him and Vanitas being the first ones to make it, though he didn't elaborate beyond that. We kind of distracted him with other topics..."

And he wasn't here to share any information now, but Roxas wasn't sure that was a huge issue.

[optimistickey]

"Yeah, Xigbar is there with them," Sora replied to Aeleus and Ienzo with an obvious frown. Xigbar had seemed more than fine with becoming another Xehanort, and trying to torment him in the process...even if things hadn't gone as Xigbar had been expecting. Once that far gone, it didn't seem like Xigbar cared at all about getting his own heart back. "It looked like he was completely on board with Xehanort's plans to me."

Not that Sora didn't believe that Braig could be saved...but that did require Braig to at least try to meet him halfway. How could he not see that it was nuts to just let himself become Xehanort? What would he hope to gain from that?

Anyways, right now it seemed like Isa was the more pressing concern. And right now, it looked like he was having a really hard time processing this. Sora really hated dumping this on him...he couldn't imagine hearing that news about himself, or one of his friends. But if he was here, he had to at least try to encourage him. "Isa, I know you can fight this in the future! You've got friends that are and will be pulling for you...and if you think about them, and rely on them, then you'll come out all right!"

As to Xehanort's first attempt at the X-blade, it was obvious it had fallen through if he had tried this business with thirteen darknesses. "This time, it seems like he's trying to make it work for good. But if it could get broken once, then it can again."

[beforetheflame]

Lea’s back was against the wall, arms folded as he listened to Riku talk. His eyes darted toward Isa when they talked about him. Spilling the news about a man called Xehanort and what he had done. His eyes widen when he mentioned about their friendship, how it so easily crumbled. Lea’s breathe withheld, he gripped his arms closer together. All these questions started to rush in his head, who was this jerk called Xehanort? How could their friendship diminish so easily? What makes them think it can’t ever be fixed?!

Before Lea’s expression could darken with anger, his attention went to Sora then to Aeleus who mentioned what he had done or what his future self has done anyway. Lea could only look at them with wide eyes, when he opened his mouth he couldn’t think of a single word to say. Learning his and Isa’s fate so suddenly only made his heart race. He gripped his fists, trying to think straight. He looked down momentarily, taking this all in. He let out a breathe as he began to take everything in.

Slowly looking back up Lea’s eyes began to glare, his expression suddenly determined. The strength of his heart was beginning to show for him as he stood before everyone in conversation. “So this Xehanort guy… He messed everything up here did he?”

Gritting his teeth his voice began to get a little bit louder, the fire within him beginning to rise, “If he thinks he can just get away with all this, he’s got another thing coming. ‘Course I’m would go after Isa! Why wouldn’t I?! Anyone capturing my friend for their own sick plot and doing anything that’ll hurt them is no where safe near me. You can be sure of that! I’m NOT gonna let this happen to him! I won’t let this happen to him! Not to him, not to anyone who’s friends with me!”

[halfdarkened]

Riku continued to explain, fiddling a little with the pen in his hand. “The Organization was filled with Nobodies since it would be easier to possess someone who didn’t have a heart to fight back with. ...When they found they couldn’t add me to their ranks, they moved to Sora, though if they couldn’t conquer my heart I don’t know how they planned to take on his. The Xehanort from the past had said Roxas was a very good candidate.” He gave Sora’s Nobody a nod. He’d been another of the lucky ones.

Listening carefully to the others, Riku gave a slow but clear nod when Aeleus mentioned Lea discovering the truth about Isa. It was hard not to remember that tone of voice. He raised his brows when Sora confirmed Braig was one of the true Organization. Though not hugely surprised, he, like most of the other members, had their hoods up. However, it was Isa he watched most closely. He didn’t know how to comfort him, let alone know what to do now that Xehanort could potentially have useful information. Aqua and Roxas’s information caught his attention when it arose.

Riku’s eyes widened as he processed what Roxas said as Riku put two and two together. It made perfect sense. “The pure light and darkness Xehanort was talking about... Those were...” And he then looked to Sora briefly. Riku knew he'd have to bring up the fact he saw Ven in Sora's dreams. He turned his attention to Aqua. “If the χ-blade is that powerful, how did you destroy it?”

After Lea’s outburst, however Riku closed his eyes and slowly smiled. Pen still in hand from earlier, he gave it a soft tap on the table. “Isa. We don’t know what’s in store for you later on down the road. But I can tell you this. When I was possessed, it was my best friend that saved me, swinging his Keyblade either to keep darkness at bay or to knock some sense into me.” In gesture, he lightly swung the pen. “It wouldn’t surprise me if your best friend does the exact same thing. Keyblade included.” At that he pointed to Lea with the pen.

[salvagedlight]

"I destroyed the χ-blade because I destroyed my own heart."

With the level of seriousness in that statement, most of the people gathered could be forgiven for thinking that the blond boy already present had been the one who spoke. After all, how often was his not-twin that serious and steady? Not that he was flighty, but he kept things light, enjoyed what he could, tried not to worry about the bad.

Not this time, though. Ven turned around the corner from the door, yellow and black robes seeming almost too big on him and quite possibly the most serious expression any of them (save maybe Aqua) had seen on his face, ever. Yes, Roxas had tried to keep him out - too bad. He had to be there. He'd gotten the message late, though, but he'd walked in just when Riku had asked that question. And oh, the answer... he hated it, hated being part of it. But he was, and he couldn't change that now. He could only try to make it better for the future, and he would.

Ven didn't take a seat, though, standing near the door as he crossed his arms. Some of this would be familiar to some of them, namely his "brothers" and Isa, maybe Naminé, but he'd tell it so the rest would know exactly what they were dealing with. "Me and Vanitas... he was here. We're two parts of the same whole. Master Xehanort ripped my heart in two when I was about ten, Darkness and Light, and I'm the Light while Vanitas was the Darkness. To make the χ-blade he needed an equal Light and equal Darkness to clash and become one. Vanitas was constantly trying to hurt or kill my friends in order to make me stronger, make my Light equal to his Darkness - he let loose the Unversed, he made them, that we were chasing when I met a lot of you on Radiant Garden." His glance moved to Aeleus, Ienzo, Isa, and Lea, but there wasn't a smile on his face this time. "We were constantly fighting and constantly chasing after him, trying to stop his destruction and save the Princesses of Heart. And then when we met for the last time, me and Aqua and Terra against him and Master Xehanort in the Keyblade Graveyard, we all got separated - Terra was fighting Master Xehanort while me and Aqua tried to stop Vanitas. And he surprised Aqua from behind and nearly killed her, nearly ripped out her heart, and I stopped him - but he took me over.

"He went into my body and made it his own. I was just drifting through the Darkness until I landed on my station, and then there he was, and the χ-blade was in his hand. He said it wasn't complete because I resisted our joining - of course I did! He was trying to end everything I cared about!" He had to stop after that minor outburst, breathing a touch more heavily and shaking his head to calm down. "He wanted me to submit, to make it. But the χ-blade... it scared me more than anything I'd ever heard of. It still does. It's not something that should exist. And I wouldn't do it - so I told him I'd destroy it. He just laughed and said that the χ-blade was made of my heart, too, and if I destroyed it I'd be destroying myself. And that... was okay with me. As long as it kept Terra and Aqua safe, I'd do anything. So we fought - I won. And the χ-blade was destroyed, along with both of us."

He paused, glancing down at the ground. "That's the last thing that happened before I showed up here."

[colorbymemory]

Namine had been sitting as calmly as she could during the explanations. While a lot of the information had been implied in Riku's drawings, it was good to have her thoughts confirmed and hear what else had been going on. The implication that, in Sora and Riku's time, Lea had regained his heart as well made her smile slightly.

Then came the news about Isa's fate, and while she wanted to act, to say something, the others found their voices before her. The conversation was moving so quickly, and between so many people, that it was all she could do to follow it. Xion seemed to be dealing with a similar situation. Her gaze shifted from speaker to speaker, and while her expression shifted with each bit of news, except for her attempt to reach out to Isa, someone else spoke before she could. At least she didn't seem perturbed by it, simply thoughtful.

When Ven entered, Namine looked up, glad that he had made it. Some of what he said seemed familiar to her, though not because she'd heard it explicitly stated. Something about what he was saying seemed so familiar...The mention of the Keyblade Graveyard made her eyes widen in realization. Neither wanting to interrupt Ven, nor being good at describing things with words, she quietly reached for the art supplies she'd kept nearby. Taking a few sheets of paper and crayons and paper, she set to work.

Ochre and brown for the land itself. Silver, bronze, and black for the field of Keyblades, each standing as a memorial to its former bearer. On another paper, a picture of Vanitas in black and white (except for his eyes), and Ven in color, back-to-back. Connecting them was...Well, it must have been a Keyblade, but it wasn't like any she'd seen in Sora's memories. Finally, on the third sheet, a picture of Sora as a small child, holding a small sphere of light against his heart.

They weren't very good, detailed sketches. She took the time that was allowed to her by Ven finishing his explanation, then Lea's outburst that filled the stunned silence which followed. Listening to what was said with half attention, she finished just in time to look up in surprise at Riku's implication regarding Lea's future status as a Keyblade bearer.

In the stunned silence that followed that, she swallowed hard, took a (quiet) deep breath to brace herself for what might be coming, and found her voice. "Ummmm...Do any of these seem familiar?"

She gently slid her pictures forward on the table.

[thirteenth_brat]

Just perfect. Part of the reason Roxas hadn't thought it a good idea for Ven to show up was because it seemed likely something he'd only guessed at might be confirmed and, as he'd told Riku, just speculating about it almost got him decked. Hopefully conversation wouldn't steer that way now and Roxas could discuss that privately with the others later. If he was lucky.

When Namine put her sketches forward, it provided a small distraction, though he was just as surprised as she was when Riku implied that Lea might acquire a Keyblade. Frankly, it seemed like a ludicrous idea. Roxas suppressed an urge to scoff and gave his attention to the sketches. He didn't recognize the place depicted. Not directly, anyway. Ven had mentioned a Keyblade Graveyard and the sketch depicted a place that seemed to fit. To answer the question of whether or not he recognized the place, he shook his head.

He did have a question of his own, though, "When did you see this place?"

[colorbymemory]

The first question didn't come from who Namine had expected. That said, it was maybe just as well. Roxas already knew some of what she had to explain, so starting might be a little easier. " It was in some memories I found when I was fixing Sora's."

She turned so she was facing the others, but focused her gaze on the pictures. "Some of you don't know, but I'm...I can manipulate Sora's memories, and those of anyone close to him. About a year-no, two years ago now--a lot of things happened, and I had to take apart the memories chained together in Sora's heart. It took a long time, but I put them back together again." Here she paused for a deep breath. "While I was doing that, I noticed some memories that didn't belong to him. I kept them together, but separated them from his chain." Tapping the picture of the Keyblade Graveyard, she went on. "This was part of those memories. " Then her hand moved toward the picture of Sora. "This was...kind of a link between the two."

[optimistickey]

Even more was coming out here than Sora expected. Riku gave him a look as if he wanted to tell him something, but didn't have the time to go into it now. Was it something else from when they'd been in the Realm of Dreams?

Sora regarded the drawings that Namine presented, thinking hard. It was weird...he got a strange sense of familiarity from the images of the Keyblade Graveyard. At the same time, he knew for certain that he'd never been to a place like that. It didn't look like anything Riku had described of his missing time in Castle Oblivion, either. "I don't remember any place like that," he told her. "But...the one where I'm little, with the light…that one does feel really familiar."

So if these weren't really his memories...was Namine right, and these in fact belonged to Ven? He remembered that strange moment in the World That Never Was, when he'd seen Terra and Aqua, and they'd called him by Ven's name. And then there was the fact that Vanitas looked almost exactly like him, and was supposed to be from the dark part of Ven's heart. Roxas, who came from his heart, looked exactly like Ven. Everything fit together way too well for it to just be a series of coincidences. Ven believed that his heart had been destroyed, but what if instead...

"Then, after Ven beat Vanitas and destroyed the X-blade, his heart didn't get destroyed absolutely," Sora said slowly, thinking over all the implications of this. "It's...been with me, all this time!"

Did Xehanort know this? How would all of this affect his new plan to create the X-blade...or could they use this information to stop him somehow?

[beforethemoon]

Suddenly, without warning, or any real provocation in the current flow of the conversation, Isa slammed his fist down on the table. Slammed it down hard enough to make the whole table rattle.

His head was facedown on the table, burred in the crook of his elbow. "Why!? Why me!? I don't have anything to do with you people!"

Isa stands up, slamming his hands on the table, "Why didn't you want to tell me!? Was I just supposed to find out on my own?"

He sends glares to Riku and Roxas, though they're somewhat mitigated by the fact that his eyes are red and puffy and his face is tearstreaked.

[halfdarkened]

His eyes narrowed as he listened to Ven. He’d heard some of this from Aqua already, but not in such detail. And Riku knew what being posessed was like, but it appeared Ven had dealt with his differently. Had Riku known of a way to face Xehanort’s Heartless so directly and had the ability to do so, he would have. He understood the outburst and the anger that came with the experience, though on some level it seemed strange to have it come from Ven. It seemed, however, that Ven was like Maes. Just as he should have vanished from the world, this strange space station had taken him in. “There’s something that bothers me. If your heart was torn apart, the leftover pieces should have collapsed. How does Xehanort know a way to keep that from happening? We could be in for a lot more trouble...”

Riku looked at the pictures Namine had created, some of them probably based on when she was reading memories a couple weeks ago. He was mildly surprised when Namine said they were from memories amongst Sora’s. While none of them were familiar, each were important. Clearly one had to be the Keyblade Graveyard. It felt like a graveyard. The one with a young Sora... How long had Namine known about that one, he wondered? And was that light... a heart? However, his comment was on the remaining one. “That must be the χ-blade. So that’s what all the hype’s about.” It wasn’t anything he’d ever seen before, but there really was something about it that was bad news. The thought shone in Riku’s face.

To Sora’s later comment, Riku turned to him. “Yeah. When I dove back into the Realm of Sleep, I met three people there.” He began to look at each respective person as he said so. “One was Roxas. No surprise. Ven was also there.” He looked to Xion. “And there was a girl with short black hair that I didn’t even recognize until I got back to the SOL.” Riku turned back to Sora. “Roxas, the reason why Roxas looks the way he does, and a replica of you. They’re all in your heart. Not gone or merged, but still separate in you.”

The somewhat hopeful look of interest in regards to the status of those in Sora’s heart faded at Isa’s outburst. His eyes narrow somewhat, but he doesn’t get up. His tone was firm, but patient. Even if he had to repeat himself, he couldn’t blame Isa for the shock. “Like I said, I didn’t want to tell you because the information we share here could be used against us if Xehanort found out. What he’s done threw worlds and everyone on them into chaos. A lot more than just us in this room. And they didn’t have anything to do with Xehanort or us either.” Riku took a deep breath. “It wasn’t against you.”

[beforetheflame]

Lea’s eyes widen at Isa’s reaction. His heart dropped instantly. If there’s one thing Lea did not like seeing, it was seeing his friend getting upset or hurt. Knowing this fate was painful enough, to see Isa know this, it was just agonizing enough. Lea’s eyes were wide and slightly glistened as if he himself was shot with a sudden downpour of emotions. Lea withheld his breath, as he gripped his sides, and looked away as he tried to compose himself. Then as he almost made his move to walk away from the group, he paused.

There, it happened. An anger, the fire, it was starting to burn in the pit of his stomach. Lea hands began a slight spark before they disappeared he gripped his hands again as he tried to control his anger again. It probably wasn’t good that they all gained magical abilities this week. Though from accidents that happen before when he gained flame powers, he began to learn how to control these abilities. It seemed only fitting that a few sparks were coming from him right now. Which is why Lea glared off in a different direction, breathing under his breath. Not wanting to face anyone or talk to anybody at the moment, for he wasn’t sure what may be the result, but when Riku spoke he couldn’t help it.

“It shouldn’t have been him,” Lea growled, then slowly faced the group. A cold glare came from his eyes, “It shouldn’t have been anyone! What made him think he can do any of this?! What gave him the right?!”

[wefallinsilence]

Neither Lea nor Isa's outburst was particularly surprising, as far as Ienzo was concerned. Honestly, if he hadn't already heard the explanation of the worst of Xehanort's crimes he might have easily been in the same boat, especially with the sudden return of his emotions. It was never easy to hear that everything had been a lie, and certainly not when the details had been kept from the people involved.

"I'd imagine for much the same reason no one told me of my own future," Ienzo commented, turning to Isa. "Even without Xehanort's unusual interests in cloning himself I can assure you that life in the Organization was hardly a picnic at the best of times." Not when it had come along with a distinct loss in ability to feel (lie though that might have been) and a set of colleagues who were often only worthy of mere tolerance.

That said, he turned next to Lea. "I do agree that it shouldn't have been anyone. Regardless, the fact of the matter is that he has seen fit to claim a few people as his own. We'll be better served trying to figure out what to do next than trying to imagine what twisted delusion made him imagine he had the right to do any of this."

[thirteenth_brat]

Roxas hummed thoughtfully. Riku's information about what he saw upon diving back into Sora's dreams to bail him out confirmed something that had been discussed a while ago, "Not long after Ven got here, we ended up talking about a couple things. That included why he and I look alike. It was only a guess at the time, but now we know for sure. It's also possible Xehanort knows this already."

Isa's outburst wasn't entirely unexpected. Neither were his questions. Roxas doubted chiming in with an answer would really help when he'd really just be repeating the same things Riku had said. Lea's reaction was pretty much predicted... except for the magical sparks. Maybe they should have put this off until a week where they were back to being stripped of any powers.

That life was no picnic within the Organization was probably putting it mildly. Then again, for all Roxas knew, he'd gotten some of the worst of it simply for having a Keyblade and being that much more useful to one of the side plots Xehanort had going. For that, he sort of understood Lea's outrage, "Nothing gave him the right, Lea. He just decided for himself that he had it and to Hell with anyone that would get in his way."

[skysmirror]

Really there was something to be said for being considered beneath Xehanort's notice. If he didn't think you were useful, you avoided being used. Not that he cared much about those who were left dealing with the results of his plans, but it seemed somewhat better than being a pawn.

Xion had been listening quietly, trying to take in everything that was said. The idea that she, Roxas, and Ven were all connected in Soras heart wasn't as surprising as it could have been. She had a brief moment of apprehension when Riku hinted at her being a Replica, but the others seemed to have not noticed. Isa's outburst only surprised her in that she'd never seen him get that angry on his own behalf; Lea's was totally expected.

Ienzo and Roxas both had points. "He doesn't really seem to see people as anything but puppets to be used. If he's using them as toys, we'll have to find a way to take the toys away."

[optimistickey]

They had been suspecting for awhile that Roxas, Xion and Ven had all been connected in his heart, but what had happened when they returned home and their conversation here now definitely proved it. Sora just hoped that this wasn't something Xehanort knew...because knowing him, he'd try to find a way to use it against them. And Sora was determined to set everything right once they got back home.

Isa's outburst surprised him just a little, but mostly because he'd been deep in thought and hadn't been paying as much attention to him. Now he really wished that he knew some more of the future, so that he could assure Isa that everything would turn out all right in the end. But for now, he could only encourage Isa to stick by his friend, and hope this did change things for the better.

"Xion's right...peoples' hearts are just tools to Xehanort. He's too obsessed with darkness for us to worry about why he thinks this way. It's up to us to stop him, no matter what!" He looked towards Isa and Lea specifically. "We'll find a way to save everyone. And make sure that he never tries this with anyone again."

[thesilenthero]

Aeleus shifted in his seat. He had participated in this, been both victim and facilitator, and there was no undoing the evil that had been done. Xehanort seemed to have a new plan for every eventuality it seemed; could they even hope at this point that he had actually told the truth and put his true cards on the table? He had lied and lied again, to everyone. It was an unsettling thought, but not one he was inclined to share just at the moment.

There was nothing to say to assure Isa or Lea. The people furthest in the future couldn't even confirm a positive ending for them. Xehanort was still working towards obtaining Kingdom Hearts, even now, and all they could do was hope for the future.

"It seems as though there are two recurring themes in Xehanort's story that we should all keep in mind. The first is that he has always attempted to control Kingdom Hearts. The second is that he has always failed, because of the determination and efforts of people who are here, in this room. He ignores that, despite its superiority in numbers, darkness did not prevail in the long-forgotten Keyblade War because in the deepest darkness there is light that cannot be extinguished. Perhaps the reason that the keyblade weilders to best him are young is because, as the tale goes, the light of Kingdom Hearts was preserved in the hearts of children. At any rate, his failure is assured because of his blindness. All that we must do is make that failure permanent. Saving everyone will just require that we acknowledge the bonds that link us to our lost friends."

[beforetheflame]

Lea grew quiet as he listened to everyone. The sparks subdued and calmed, although the glare in his eyes remained as he looked toward the floor in thought. Many thoughts started rushing in his head. The one that seemed to stand out the most was how could he prevent this from ever happening? And if he can’t how could he save Isa?

Taking a moment, Lea looked back at his best friend. He didn’t want to feel useless in this, he wanted to do something, he wanted to make a difference. He wanted his friend to be safe. Lea breathed in as he folded his arms, then spoke, “Then what must I do now…?”