Being so far away from their power base of Xemas' man made Kingdom Hearts and equally man made "World That Never Was" (an insulting nickname for so grand an ambition) the Sailor Soldier's world was declared non-cost effect to unleash heartless into and lure Sora there or have Roxas himself dispose of them once they had devoured enough hearts.
But now everything had changed. Things had changed so greatly that The Superior had even ordered the recall of all agents back to Never Was for reassignment. Marluxia in particular cursed this since he had had everything set up to lure Roxas' other half to Castle Oblivion and turn Sora into his puppet with Namine's help. But now he and Larxene would have to bide their time again to wrench control away from Xenas.
Namine didn't know weather to be angry or happy, if she could feel those emotions to begin with! She had missed her chance to claim Sora, the one the echoes of Kairi's heart drove Namine to be attracted to. But she didn't have to be alone with Marluxia as often now...she shivered with revolution thinking of his touch. She couldn't feel fear, but she could still feel violated.
She was kept away from Roxas of course, the Superior saying that the meeting between Kairi and Sora's Nobodies might have unwanted side effects. She had no desire to be the slave to this group, but she was nobody, she had no identity, no life, no family, these were the only beings who would take her in. Empty shells, like her.
A dark skinned but white haired and imposing figure, The Superior began in order of rank of who would be sent after who. To brings these women who held the very hearts of -worlds- inside them to their sides, these warriors who no longer had a world to return to, being dropped ignorantly by the tides of chance (fate?) onto random worlds: Much as Sora had been dropped into Traverse Town that fateful night.
An eye patched man named Xigbar though no small effect, through his mastery of the element of Space, managed to figure out what world each of the Sailors had landed, though not precisely where on those worlds. It would be cat and mouse. The women had to be picked off now, before they could regroup and become a front less likely to fall for the Organization's traps and promises.
Thou they didn't have World Terminus like the heartless once had, they still had Betwixt and Between to carry them between worlds. This would prove very much needed if they were to move in time.
"Vexen." The Superior said to a forty year old man with shoulder length brown hair and aged features. "The scholar of the Sailors has entered 'Space Paranoids', the old virtual network that the old man and my other half both once used. She is as dedicated to knowledge as you, thou she has a much weaker stomach."
"Shall I approach the MCP or the Senshi directly to appropriating her for the Organization?" The Chilly Academic asked.
"Whichever proves the more efficient at the time. The MCP was very hard to bargain with, if you can make yourself appear as a surprise ally to her, do so. Lexaeus!"
"Yes Mi'Lord." Answered a large man with a squarish jaw and short but pointy brick colored hair.
"The Senshi of Uranus shall be your quarry, the world she had entered is...odd. You infiltration may be tedious."
"I shall do as is needed for the greater good of the Organization!" The Silent Hero proclaimed.
"The Sailor of Uranus has no interest in males, thus that option is not open."
"It would be dishonorable anyway Mi'lord."
Everyone else sweat dropped at this. Elaeus' sense of honor had remained even after losing his emotions and light/dark. "Yes,er, but, she is also the most proud of the Senshi easily, and her current position could be seen as humiliation incarnate. Use that to your advantage, she is likely to be eager to leave such a 'bright and cheerful world.' "
"I shall do as you say Mi'lord. She shall see the higher cause she will serve by aiding in the creation of a true new world for all those lost to darkness."
"If not. Return with her by force."
"If that is my duty Mi'lord."
"IT IS! Zexion-" The Superior continued.
"Give me a -break-!" A man with hedgehog wild red hair exasperated. "You're sending -this- pansy!? He spends more time playing with puzzle cubes than fighting!"
A silver haired lad, the second youngest of the inner circle of thirteen in appearance said. "Maybe because I know there are ways to win that don't require mindless force."
"Silence Axel." The Superior warned. "The target Zexion seeks could never be overpowered in battle, thus an alternate method, which Zexion is lord of, is called for.
"And here I thought you were just lord of cowardice."
"AXEL!" The Superior said in a non-uncertain tone.
".... I'll be indifferent."
"...As I was saying. Zexion. The girl of Saturn has landed in Hades' world of the dead. Enhanced abilities will not function there, mortal, heartless, or nobodies alike. She is a lass of hard resolves... but she is emotional vulnerable in many spots. Give her a way out... lead her back to us."
"I won't fail." Zexion promised. A blond lad with a buzz cut looked relieved, looked like he wouldn't have to be the one to rub shoulders with zombies after all!
"Saïx." This one, number seven, had long bluish locks. His face was marked with an x-shaped scar. Despite not having emotions, his yellow eyes held something unsettling. "You have a particular honor, one even more important than Zexion's... bring me the Moon Princess... her heart is easily the strongest of them... -break her.- And bring the pieces back here. The light of her heart is powerful, and dangerous, it is a factor that must be removed. The world she has landed in, is nicknamed Sherwood. It is an off shot of Disney Castle."
"I've seen it." Saïx's otherwise empty eyes showed a hint of blood lust. "Finally, a world that I can show my inner side to. I'll lay what's left of her at your feet as a prize."
"Do not get carried away."
"Of course." Saïx grinned.
"Axel-"
"Yeah, yeah, who am I going after? Me and the guys -were- kinda in the middle of things when you drafted us all for this stupid chick hunt."
"These 'chicks' hold more power than you could care to imagine number eight... Your target is the Senshi of Mars. Her abilities could aid us greatly, she had landed on one of the borderline worlds between reality clusters, in an area nicknamed 'Port Royal' the place is currently suffering harassment by the hands of the crew of the Black Pearl."
"I thought that area was -my- assignment!" A thirtieth man with blond, almost white hair and a Caribbean accent muttered.
"Yeah! Why not have Bore Beard the Pirate handle things?"
"Luxord will be going after a much more dangerous target and his particular style of operating will prove irreplaceable in this instance...Axel, this lass will no take kindly to your games, but it is the back stabbing, cut throat kind of area that suits you greatly. Befriend her if possibly, she has minimum love for her 'leader,' be sure to use that. And remember she sees things other can not, beware what you think and do around her. This task will require all of your sweet talk."
"He's doomed!" A twenty something woman with slick back blond hair and a pair of antennae like bangs taunted.
"You just can't enjoy a guy like me!" Axel returned.
"You'd have to exhaust the entire population of males in all the universes for anyone to enjoy you!"
"I'll get right on it!"
"Enough childish squabbling." The Superior said bringing order again. "Demyx."
"Yea boss?" The buzz cut blond replied.
"Atlantica."
"No!" Demyx cried in a pretty good emulation of despair, he knew what this meant, and he preferred the zombies!
"Yes! The Neptune woman has an ability with music, much like the world itself, and is already being assimilated quickly into their culture. You 'talent' and natural ability makes you the most logical choice."
"But I always end up with a pink tail!"
"Ask me if I care number nine."
"Do you?" Only Demyx wouldn't realize that rhetorical.
"NO!" The Superior snarled. "You are too much of an idiot for her to register you as a threat. Bring her back to us. Under the light of our Kingdom Hearts, Namine should have enough power to rewrite her heart despite her lack of a link to a keyblade master. That goes for all of them. Except for Saturn, Zexion should be able to bring the darkness in her heart out to it's fullest without Namine's aid."
Demyx said nothing more, he wasn't looking foreword to this, maybe the Neptune girl would hate the fish tail too and they could share in each other's misery.
"Luxord ... Pluto, belong to you..."
"An interesting gamble, but I'll be sure to roll high."
"The rules of the world she is in will not allow you to summon any other Nobodies, nor shall it's rules allow you to harm her directly -or- force her to come with you. However, the rules for games there is enforced several fold, your have always loved games Luxord, this innocent pure world is based around them. You faster you act the better, the nature of the world will heal her heart almost as fast as being exposed to the original Kingdom Hearts' light would. Bleeding off and dissolving the darkness, the longer she stays, the more the darkness won't be able to touch her heart. She might even revert to a child give enough time. Beware."
"I won't squander my time."
"Just see that you don't... Marluxia." This man's hair was like a light brown mop, though it was finely combed, his eyes were naturally narrow.
"What? Oh -great- leader?" Marluxia said laying it on as thick as he dared without raising the Superior's ire. "What woman am I to try and charm to our side?"
"Not a woman. A child."
"A child?" Now Marluxia was actually interested, this might even starve off his frustration on putting his plans to brainwash Sora on hold.
"A child. The timeline she existed in no longer exists itself, yet she existed at several points in the past before her future became impossible, thus, she was drawn to the point in time where her timeline died. She has yet to land on a world, her heart and body still wander the stars for now... bring her back here... and I'll let you have her like you have Namine."
From Marluxia eyes, came a feeling that was anything but emotional. "With -pleasure.- I'll bring the daughter before Saïx can bring home the mother."
The Superior said, "That might actually prove useful. This child was once turned into a thing of the dark...and as we all known, once in a heart, darkness always leaves it mark."
Saïx showed no reaction to Marluxia's boost.
"Larxene..." He said to the only woman there. "Jupiter is yours to claim. The man of the island she has landed on loves to cause suffering to his enemies... much like you pretend to. She is impossibly stubborn thou. If she does not agree to come with you at first, she never will. Aid the revenge minded Villain who controls the island if it comes to it. Do not get carried away while -playing- with her, kill as many other people as it pleases you."
"Piece of cake!" She arrogantly sneered, wanting this business over with so hers and Marluxia's plans could get back on track.
"Roxas. Key of Destiny."
Easily the youngest there in appearance of fourteen years, with a wild mane of blond hair. "Yes sir?" Roxas asked calmly.
"Venus unlike the others, though unknown factors, have been gifted a vessel to travel between worlds....she is instinctually seeking out the locations of the other Sailors... delay her at all costs... charm her, attack her, whatever it takes! She can not be allowed to join up with -any- of them. Remember that Roxas. Eliminate her if need be, lure her back to our Castle if possible. The Heartless, and the Nobodies of the Senshi will prove a great boom to us if we can claim them."
Roxas replied matter of fact. "Don't worry, I'll take care of my part."
"You will have to chase her in the void between worlds... Take one of the Nobody vessels built for speed, you will need it. If you can not prevent her from locating a path to a world where one of the others are... at least knock her off course to another world to keep her busy. Her immortal heart was removed from her once before and her shell remained animated... she already has the makings of a Nobody. But she could prove to be our ultimate undoing also. Do not fail me Roxas."
Roxas didn't so much as twitch. "I don't fail."
+++++
Elsewhere, the mysterious being named DiZ, had proceeded to put Riku through an ordeal in the now abandoned Castle Oblivion, forcing the darkness in Riku's heart to the surface where the boy had to face it, and become its master, rather than the other way around as it had been in the past when Riku arrogantly thought his heart impossible to be touched by the dark. An ordeal which lured King Mickey himself into the fray... and had led Riku on the path to dawn.... what factor would he play in things?
And what of the Kingdom keyblade master Sora? Now having no reason to be lured to Castle Oblivion? Awake and with his memories whole, how would he effect things as well?
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(Posted Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:26)
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