Out of the Darkness [Emi/Open]

[Fate]

And Into the Night
Hollow Bastion

As it almost always was, the Radiant Garden alleyways were vacant. The Heartless were usually the only ones that stayed in the alleyways in the past, making the citizens hesitant about traveling through them. Even though the Heartless were no longer a large threat, people still avoided them. They didn't want to know what lurked in the dark.

Perfect.

A Corridor of Darkness sounded in the middle of a dead-end alleyway, no one seemingly in sight. Two people stepped out of it at once, the Corridor then closing. The shorter of the two walked forward faster, gazing around quickly for some reason or another. The look on his face was serious, though he seemed satisfied after a minute or so of looking around. The sky was filled with stars, showing the beautiful evening sky the people of Radiant Garden often forgot about; he had almost forgotten what time of day it was with all that occurred.

"We are here," he told the other that had come out of the Corridor of Darkness, "It has changed since I last saw it. I wonder how... We cannot stay here for too long. If I am correct, there is an inn this way." He beckoned her to follow him as he started walking, rubbing his arms after he did so; they felt oddly bare without his cloak.

He then looked back to her to see if she was going to follow. She was taller than he was by about half a foot with an Organization cloak on to match her black hair; his cloak to be exact. He waited a moment for her to gather her bearings, as traveling through Corridors of Darkness was something one had to get used to. Tomorrow, when the both of them had rested, she would get to use them for herself and see exactly what they could do.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Well, Toto, looks like we made it back to Kansas okay."
--

Emi stepped out of the corridor behind Zexion and then she stopped dead in her tracks. The portal closed behind them. She heard Zexion speaking to her but she didn't really hear him until he mentioned an inn.

She was finally here. Finally back home. She had to try hard to resist the urge to run though the streets like she did as a child. She also found it hard to not run full force at Zexion and hug him, a response that was uncharacteristically cheerful for her. Instead, she followed behind him completely silent, taking it all in. He was right, it had changed. She was, understandably, a little disappointed. But logically she knew there was nothing to be upset about. The world from her past was gone and it would never return.

But still, it was difficult to not hope that things would be the same way.

They came to the inn and lingered outside for a moment. Emi reached past the zipper of the cloak into the inside pocket of her own jacket and withdrew a little munny. "I'll cover my half," she said. "But that's all I can afford. Sorry.[/color]"

[Fate]

Bon Soir

The two reached the inn and stayed outside for a moment. It was an average inn, nothing too grand about it. Zexion continued to glance around, his senses alert. Even though it was evening, he did not doubt that people could still be wandering around the town. If they found him, it could possibly get dangerous very quickly. Though, most of the scents he could sense seemed dormant for now. Nothing was going to come after them.

He looked back to Emi when she started speaking, though he did hear fully what she said. She showed a small amount of munny, which looked only enough to pay for herself. Zexion shook his head to this, reaching inside his own pocket; it wasn't like he had things to spend munny on, after all. "I will cover this," he told her, bringing out a little more than enough for the two of them. "There is no telling when you will need something. It would be wise to save."

He stepped into the inn shortly afterward, the innkeeper looking a bit exhausted. It was late in the evening, but he couldn't close shop for at least another hour or so. His eyes widened a tad as the two travelers wandered in. They were an odd pair, one with bluish hair and the other with hair down to her waist and a very familiar looking cloak. It was no matter though; he didn't turn customers away based on looks.

"Welcome to the Radiant Garden Inn," he greeted politely, "How may I serve you tonight?"

"Good evening to you as well," the Schemer said with equal politeness, "Two rooms please." Zexion put the munny down on the counter. The innkeeper quickly nodded to him, putting the munny away and then beckoning the two to follow him.

"Right this way," he said, bringing them down the hallway a bit. There were a few others sleeping in rooms, though the inn was not that crowded at all. "You may have the last two rooms at the end of the hall. Will you be needing anything else?"

"Nothing else, no," Zexion replied, trying to keep his tone from sounding completely empty. "Thank you." The innkeeper nodded in acknowledgement and walked back to his front desk, leaving the two travelers alone. Zexion looked to Emi now and then at the two rooms. He walked toward the last room at the very end, standing in front of it for a moment to speak. "We will begin tomorrow. Make sure to get plenty of rest; you need it. Good night." He walked into his room and shut the door quietly. The bed was gently collapsed onto in mere seconds, the Nobody getting under the covers and wrapping the blankets around himself before he shut his eyes.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"How can I sleep at a time like this!?"
--

Emi made her way into the room, dragging a hand through her hair. Who knows how long it had been since she'd brushed the mess. She sat down on the narrow bed and took off her shoes and coat. She fell backwards, suddenly exhausted with all that had gone on in the past days.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting indeed. She hoped Zexion could put off whatever he'd planned long enough to go sight seeing. There were lots of things and places she wanted to see, like the orphanage and the creek they used to play in.

There was so much she wanted to do now that she was home and her mind was reeling. She curled up on the bed knowing she needed to wind down and sleep. But she was like a kid on Christmas Eve: completely wired.There was more than just sight seeing to be done however. Emi knew she couldn't stay in an inn forever. She had to find a place to live, a way to support herself... this was her home now, again. She didn't plan on leaving.

Plans change though, she thought. Naturally, she didn't want to stay in one place for too long. She got bored. If she didn't plan on travelling more, she wouldn't have gotten Zexion to follow her and teach her how to use the corridors.

But now she knew the way back. She could always get back home if she needed to.

Right before she fell asleep she remembered something. Arc. She had to repay her debt to Arc. She fell asleep trying to figure out how she would go about doing that...

[Fate]

The Next Day

Dawn Approaches

[/size]
Zexion did not sleep much. Nobodies did not truly need to sleep much at all, only ever resting if they used their powers. He slept for a few hours and awoke quickly, his mind taking in his surroundings again. He was not in his normal bed inside of the Castle that Never Was; he was in Radiant Garden now. The sky was still dark since it was very early morning. He would have to wait until later to wake up Emi, which meant he had to find a way to occupy himself for the time being.

He pulled out his Lexicon for the time being and started writing for a moment, which lasted a fair amount of time until he decided to simply read it. A reminder was needed for what was in this world and who was in it now. The Restoration Committee, keen on bringing back the Garden in its full Radiance, was here now and working diligently. Everyone around knew what the Organization cloaks looked like and that the members could not be trusted. The security system Ansem set up for the Heartless was also working as it should. Heartless numbers in this world were low.

Zexion lounged on his bed and read until the sun rose and people were walking around in town. Their day was starting, which meant his needed to as well. The Lexicon disappeared as he stood and made the bed, then quickly leaving his room. He knocked a few times on Emi's door and waited outside, leaning on the wall outside after he did. She wanted him to teach her how to use the Corridors of Darkness, though he did not doubt she had her own plans as well. He couldn't guess how she felt; Nobodies didn't really have a 'home'.[/blockquote][/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Wakey wakey..."
--

Emi grunted at the door. Then, she threw a pillow at it.

She was by no means a morning person. But then everything hit her and she sat up in bed. She was still in Radiant Garden. It was a dream, or an hallucination, or another of Zexion's illusions. It was really, really really real. What a great thing to wake up to. For once, she actually smiled before 11 am.

There were things to be attended to. Breakfast was in order and then there were some places Emi wanted to visit. There was a mirror in the room and she grimaced at herself in it. Sleeping hadn't done anything for her hair. She tried to smooth it with her hands but it just poofed back out. That would have to be taken care of, too. She dressed quickly and stepped into her shoes.

She emerged from the room. The cloak was thrown over her shoulder.

"Morning,[/color]" she muttered. "I'm hungry. Oh...[/color]"

She offered Zexion's cloak back to him. She was unsure what to do with it. "I didn't know if you wanted this back or not.[/color]"

[Fate]

Disorganized Morning

Something hit the door after he knocked, which Zexion only assumed to be a pillow. Emi was not a morning person then. He waited patiently until she came to the door and opened it, her hair poofy and somewhat disorganized. Zexion thought it would be better for his general health if he did not comment. Instead, he merely glanced at her and listened to her. Breakfast was going to have to be in order; whether it be him or someone else cooking it would be a different story.

He shook his head to her offer. "This is for you to keep," he told her, "You will need it if you wish to use the Corridors of Darkness as a form of travel. However, you will need to make sure no one else of this world sees it; most will recognize it as belonging to the Organization immediately." He looked away for a moment and down the hall. Being around this many people that could possibly recognize him made him slightly uneasy. He looked back at her afterward, his arms crossed momentarily.

"I do believe breakfast is in order..." He started making his way to the to the outside world after he said these words. He wasn't sure he could remember where breakfast was served in the town center; things had changed far too much for his liking and Ienzo never really ate outside the castle except for ice cream. There seemed to be a small diner of sorts relatively close to the inn though. He made his way to it rather quickly, looking inside to see how crowded it was; many tables were filled inside. Either way, he could conceal the both them; large crowds were often easier to deal with.

"I suppose we can start here," he said, "This will also serve the purpose to go over plans. I assume there are certain things you want to do while here, correct?"

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"I'm finding my way back to sanity, again. Though, I don't really know what I'm gonna do when I get there."
-Breathing by Lifehouse
--

Emi studied the small restaurant, trying to remember if she remembered it. But then she realized how hungry she was and abandoned any other thoughts. She wanted coffee first... and pancakes. When had been the last time she had eaten? She thought back and couldn't remember.

Before they went in, she stared through the window and answered Zexion's questions.

"Yeah, I wanna go see if the old lady's house is still standing. Maybe even see if the old lady herself is still there, or one of the other kids.[/color]"

She ran a hand through her hair. It snagged and she yelped.

"Then, I don't know.. I thought maybe I'd go see the creek. Or maybe...[/color]"

Her voice got quiet and she averted her eyes. "Or maybe the castle.[/color]" But that's so silly. What am I, eight years old? Why am I still obsessed with the stupid castle?

She shook her head and said "We'll talk more when I've had some coffee and about twenty pancakes. Let's go.[/color]"

She walked into the restaurant and looked back, with an expectant look on her face that said Hurry up, or are you just going to stand there all day?

[Fate]

Inconspicuous

Zexion decided to wait until both of them had gone inside the diner before responding. They both sat down at a small booth a bit away from the more crowded area, the Schemer sitting across from Emi. He waited until the waiter took their orders, Emi getting her pancakes while he got some tea, before he spoke.

"I believe all of that can be arranged," he told her, his tone serious for the most part, "Though, I wonder what will happen if you meet this woman. I do not doubt she will remember you, and I do not doubt she will attempt to tame your hair. However, remembering me might be an entirely different story..." He put a hand to his chin in a thinking position. "We cannot linger for long in any place. We will go to the castle afterward. It is currently unused and it is there that I can teach youf to use the Corridors of Darkness."

He was not sure what he was going to do today. People would most likely recognize him at some point and that could cause quite a stir. What might need to be done is for him to be someone else today; someone inconspicuous so he would not get noticed. The old woman would recognize him for sure and if that news spread, things could get ugly...

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"I can hear the old lady screaming at me now..."
--

Self-consciously, Emi again put her hand to her hair in an attempt to tame it. No such luck. She sighed.

"Abandoned? Why, what happened t-[/color]"

She was cut off by an unusually speedy waiter carrying her pancakes and coffee and Zexion's tea. All other trains of thought went out the window. She took a bite and melted. "Soooo good,[/color]" she groaned. After she got some food into her system, her mood greatly increased. She gazed out the window, almost smiling.

It was almost like old times again. They finished their breakfast and left. Immediately, Emi started towards the house she had grown up in. Zexion could follow if he wanted, if not... well, he was a big boy, he could do what he wanted. She was filled with a kind of giddy nervousness. She almost expected to be scolded for having not returned after being away for so long.

Absently, she wondered what had become of the other orphans. It was foolish of her to think they had all stayed children when she had grown up but she couldn't imagine anything else. She just wanted to run into the house and flop down on her bed like she used to, and make a lot of noise and cheat at checkers. But she wasn't a child anymore.

She started to walk away from the restaurant and waited for Zexion to make his decision.

[Fate]

A Little Lying Never Hurts...

Breakfast came quickly, not letting Emi finish her question about the castle. It was something that he had neglected to tell her, though that could be said for just about everything that happened to this world after it fell. Zexion had not told her how Maleficent and Xehanort's Heartless ruled the place and renamed it Hollow Bastion, making everyone forget about Radiant Garden ever existing until recently; he was still not sure how that happened, but he knew it did.

After he had his tea and she had her pancakes, the two of them quickly left the diner with a a fair amount of munny left on the table. Emi had her own agenda that she wanted to accomplish today and that mainly involved visiting places from her memories. Zexion did not have much of one at all aside from checking the progress of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee, which could be done from simple observation of the town, and training Emi to properly use the Corridors of Darkness. He supposed he could go with her for the time being, though he couldn't look as he currently did.

He quickly glanced around him to make sure no one was coming, then stepping back and a bit out of sight. The Lexicon was out in the next minute, flipping rapidly and glowing as it created an illusion. After he finished, he stepped out of the shadows looking like a different person. Instead of the long bluish-silver bangs he was recognized for, he now had short dirty-blond hair with short bangs resting on the same side his original ones did. His clothes were changed to be simple blue jeans and a navy blue tee-shirt, similar to what Ienzo liked to wear. His eye color stayed the same and his age looked to be about twenty, Zexion deciding not to make it too much of a heavy illusion.

"My name is Noize," he said, not thinking of something too terribly original at the moment (pronounced Nwah-zay). "My parents were killed by Heartless when I was fourteen and I have been staying in the town center since. I chose to escort you around out of the kindness of my heart and nothing more. Understand?" One could consider it bad that he could come up with a lie that quickly, though he had experience; Ienzo did it for years. "Let us go then."

He started walking in the direction of the orphanage with Emi, wondering if this was all going to work.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Here goes nothing..."
--

Emi shrugged at Zexion's illusion. It would do. She could never get used to him changing his appearance like that. It was so weird. She walked the familiar path from the town center to the orphanage, a journey she had taken hundreds of times before.

She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but when she turned the corner and saw the house, she stopped. It was still there. She wasn't sure if it was empty or not, but it still stood. She stood there for a moment, just taking it in. She couldn't find the courage to knock.

Was it shock from seeing her childhood home? No... she was still afraid of Old Lady Kagabu. Emi started straightening her clothes, trying to pull out the wrinkles in her shirt. She had to make herself presentable or Kagabu would beat her half to death. Emi laughed... the old lady might not even still be alive and yet here she was, trying to tidy herself up. She contemplated taking out the piercings in her ear. The old lady would probably have a heart attack if she saw them, and a stroke if she saw the tattoo on her back.

When she had done all she could do make herself look halfway decent, she turned to Zexion with a hopeful look and walked up the front stairs to knock on the door.

[allacar]

With Ragnarok docked, Hyou began his long trek down memory lane wondering if it was going to be worth the effort. He made it to the town center and hesitated, the realization of just how close he was hit him full force. He was no more than two blocks away from the place where he started his life and where his parents ended theirs. Finally after working up the nerve and after calming his emotions he headed to his house ready to face just a fraction of the demons that haunted him. To his amazement the house or better put the rubble of the house still stood where he remembered it to be. This was a good and bad thing, bad because he would actually have to face the pain and go in, and good because it was a possibility to find something out about that horrible night.

As soon as he took one step into the foyer he instantly felt the spiritual presence of his family, thanks to his pulse aura he had grew sensitive to other spiritual energies and powers. Memories of that night began to flash through his mind like an old outdated movie, even the heat from the fire felt real again. Finally snapping back to reality, Hyou checks out the rest of the house and didn’t really find anything. Seeing how most of the house was too damage to walk through he really couldn’t he search like he wanted to, finally getting the point that it was a waste of time he heads out toward his second destination the old lady’s orphanage.

Retracing the same steps he took that horrible night that placed him at the orphanage Hyou ends up at the path leading up to the house. Finding this to be even more nerve racking than going back to his own house, he hesitates once more. Maybe because of crazy Old Lady Kagabu, she liked to fight even more than him plus she beat up the kids when they pissed her off just to keep them in line and well behaved not so fun back then. Hyou starts toward the house and rounds the corner and sees two people standing on the front porch in front of the door. He didn’t think other people would be here let alone another ex-orphan. He recognized Emi almost immediately and almost only because of her wild hair, he couldn’t really see much until she turned around. Her face wore an expression of surprise while the dirty blonde guy didn’t seem all too surprised maybe he could sense him coming and wasn’t as weak as he looked can’t always judge a book by its cover he guessed. He walked up the steps under eyes of them both and figure he would just start out with a simple introduction no matter how much it pained him to talk first “ Hey the name’s Hyou…”

[Fate]

An Act of Politeness

It did not take too long to take the somewhat familiar trek to the orphanage. Zexion felt a twinge of familiarity walking up this way, though he ignored it after they stopped in front of the house. Emi seemed to want to make herself somewhat presentable, which would have amused the Nobody if he had the ability to laugh. He let her do so and stayed silent, instead glancing around. There seemed to be another scent heading this way as well, though it was not familiar to him. It wasn't a particularly weak one either, which could mean anything. Zexion only hoped that the scent was not after him.

Emi gave him a hopeful look before knocking on the door of the orphanage, though the scent reached them almost immediately afterward. Zexion stared him down for a moment with a somewhat blank stare, studying him. The other had two different color eyes, which could explain the odd scent that the man had. He introduced himself as Hyou, a name that the Schemer did not recognize. Being polite, Zexion offered a short bow in return.

"Noize, at your service," he said politely, "It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. Have you come to visit this old orphanage as well?" It was an obvious question to ask, though the Nobody had to make conversation to make himself seem like the persona he was acting as. He was going to have to keep up this act for a while too as long as he was in this world. He had to make sure that no matter what, he did not attract attention; though, that was easy enough to do.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"The party's before it even started..."
--

Before she could even knock on the door, she heard a voice. Startled, she stared at the screen door and then realized it was coming from behind her, not from inside the building. She turned around, and then a surprised look flashed across her face for a moment before returning to her usual dispassionate scowl. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Hyou Lionheart. Well, I never thought I'd see you again."

On the outside, she built up her usual defense but on the inside she was reeling. Someone from the orphanage besides her had actually lived. Were there others? Emi clomped down the steps to stand next to Zexion. She still towered over Hyou, just like when they were kids. Her lips twitched into a smirk when she realized that although she was the baby of this group, she could probably stomp on either one of them.

"Are you here to see the old lady too?"

She hadn't gotten to knock on the door and secretly she was a bit annoyed that Hyou had shown up and kind of crashed her party. Any thoughts or fantasies she had about returning home were kind of screwed up if that was indeed his reason for coming here. She could have left Zexion outside, what did he care, but she couldn't deny Hyou the same privelege of returning to his childhood home.