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[OOM] Day 250, Part 3.
Five Corridors of Light burst open around the central table of the Foretellers’ study, and the Foretellers stride out, one by one. Ava, Foreteller of the Fox, first; then Aced, Foreteller of the Bear; Invi, Foreteller of the Snake; Gula, Foreteller of the Leopard; and finally, Ira, Foreteller of the Unicorn.
“What happened?” Aced bellows immediately, slamming his hands down on the table. His mask hides his eyes, but it’s obvious to everyone present that he’s glaring at Ira. “My Chirithy told me the town was under attack, and I couldn’t get back …”
“Aced!” Ava said. “It’s not Ira’s fault. I don’t -- none of us could get back.”
“Someone waited until we were all away on other worlds, then locked the Corridors of Light,” Gula mused, stroking his chin. “That way, none of us would be able to get back and shut the Corridor of Darkness.”
“That isn’t possible,” Invi said sharply. “Only a Foreteller has the authority to do either of those things.”
Ira breathed in quietly, folding his arms. “One of us five would have to be responsible.”
Aced scoffs derisively at that, slamming his hand against the table again. “And I suppose you think it was me?!”
“I did not say that, Aced,” Ira replies calmly.
“But you do suspect one of us. We should be united, and you are casting suspicion on -- …”
“Stop!” Ava shouts as loud as she can manage. “We shouldn’t be fighting. We don’t know it was one of us, there could be a bunch of other explanations we just haven’t figured out yet.”
“And we aren’t the only Foretellers anyway,” Gula adds mildly. “There’s seven Foretellers, remember? You’re forgetting the Goat and the Lion.”
“Luxu and the Master are both gone,” Invi says, shaking her head. “And I’d know if they came back.”
Aced snorts. “With your spies, you mean.”
“That is my -- …” Invi starts. She goes quiet abruptly, reaching up to pull her scarf over her mouth.
For a few moments, the room is quiet. Nobody dares speak and disturb the fragile ceasefire.
It’s Ira who breaks the silence first. “We have more immediate priorities. A massive force of Heartless like that had to come from somewhere,” he says. “Gula, Aced, the two of you are to find where that Corridor of Darkness led to. Once we know, your Union members can deal with the source of these Darkballs.”
“You’re giving us orders now, Ira?” Aced growls.
“I am,” Ira returns, softly. “The Master made me the new leader of Daybreak Town. Please follow my instructions in this matter.”
Gula shrugs, ambling towards the door. “Fine by me. I know you’re not much of a scientist, Aced, so I’ll do the trace myself and tell you when I have the results.”
He’s gone before any of them can protest. Aced grunts, following him out.
“You don’t …” Ava starts, watching Ira carefully. “You don’t really think it could be one of us?”
“Of course not,” Ira says, his tone flat as he turns towards the door. “That would be ridiculous.”
For some reason, Ava doesn’t believe him.
---
Clearing the remaining Darkballs takes surprisingly little time. When they’re not being constantly replenished, it’s easy enough for the town’s keybearers to deal with the rest of them, although Eden suspects there will be a few stray Darkballs turning up in alleyways every now and then for at least the next few days.
The town is a little quieter now. Not everyone survived the attack.
More importantly, though, ice cream. After such a long fight, sea salt ice cream was the perfect way to cool down.
Eden knocked his ice cream against Luso’s and Adelle’s in a giddy toast, then immediately tried to stuff the whole thing into his mouth, gnawing on it.
“Looks like Izana, Queenie, Alvis, and Freyra are all doing just fine,” Adelle says, tapping a finger on her Text. “They say they’ll see us back at the Union.”
“Neat,” Eden chirps around his ice cream.
“Cool,” Luso adds.
Eden digs his teeth into his ice cream, biting off a chunk of salty ice. It isn’t even all the way down his throat when pain shoots through his eye again, as another vision slams into his consciousness.
A sandy arena, stands filled with screaming people in rough, colourful tunics, and Eden’s keyblade crashes against Mateus’.
The Foretellers stand atop a ledge in some dark, vast cave, keyblades at their sides.
“Congratulations,” Ira says. “You have our attention.”
Daybreak Town. The sky is dark again, with Heartless peeling off it like raindrops. Luso lunges at the horse Heartless they fought just earlier, yelling something.
A flash of a sword cuts him out of the air. Blood flies and turns to crystal as he lands face down onto the cobblestones.
Eden’s keyblade is raised aloft, burning with white flame. The horse Heartless charges towards him. Someone -- Chirithy? -- yells for him to stop.
“Lion’s -- …”
A hand curls around his, shaking it firmly.
“Hi there! My name’s Ephemera.”
Eden comes to with a start, grabbing the table to keep himself steady. He’s bleeding from his eye, he realises suddenly, but when he reaches up to touch it, the blood has already turned to white crystal.
“Dude, you okay?” Luso asks.
“You’ve got something on your face,” Adelle adds.
Eden shakes his head. He can’t -- he doesn’t want to tell them. What would be the point anyway? There’s no way they could explain whatever is going on with him. “I’m fine. Just brain-freeze. I guess.”
“What happened?” Aced bellows immediately, slamming his hands down on the table. His mask hides his eyes, but it’s obvious to everyone present that he’s glaring at Ira. “My Chirithy told me the town was under attack, and I couldn’t get back …”
“Aced!” Ava said. “It’s not Ira’s fault. I don’t -- none of us could get back.”
“Someone waited until we were all away on other worlds, then locked the Corridors of Light,” Gula mused, stroking his chin. “That way, none of us would be able to get back and shut the Corridor of Darkness.”
“That isn’t possible,” Invi said sharply. “Only a Foreteller has the authority to do either of those things.”
Ira breathed in quietly, folding his arms. “One of us five would have to be responsible.”
Aced scoffs derisively at that, slamming his hand against the table again. “And I suppose you think it was me?!”
“I did not say that, Aced,” Ira replies calmly.
“But you do suspect one of us. We should be united, and you are casting suspicion on -- …”
“Stop!” Ava shouts as loud as she can manage. “We shouldn’t be fighting. We don’t know it was one of us, there could be a bunch of other explanations we just haven’t figured out yet.”
“And we aren’t the only Foretellers anyway,” Gula adds mildly. “There’s seven Foretellers, remember? You’re forgetting the Goat and the Lion.”
“Luxu and the Master are both gone,” Invi says, shaking her head. “And I’d know if they came back.”
Aced snorts. “With your spies, you mean.”
“That is my -- …” Invi starts. She goes quiet abruptly, reaching up to pull her scarf over her mouth.
For a few moments, the room is quiet. Nobody dares speak and disturb the fragile ceasefire.
It’s Ira who breaks the silence first. “We have more immediate priorities. A massive force of Heartless like that had to come from somewhere,” he says. “Gula, Aced, the two of you are to find where that Corridor of Darkness led to. Once we know, your Union members can deal with the source of these Darkballs.”
“You’re giving us orders now, Ira?” Aced growls.
“I am,” Ira returns, softly. “The Master made me the new leader of Daybreak Town. Please follow my instructions in this matter.”
Gula shrugs, ambling towards the door. “Fine by me. I know you’re not much of a scientist, Aced, so I’ll do the trace myself and tell you when I have the results.”
He’s gone before any of them can protest. Aced grunts, following him out.
“You don’t …” Ava starts, watching Ira carefully. “You don’t really think it could be one of us?”
“Of course not,” Ira says, his tone flat as he turns towards the door. “That would be ridiculous.”
For some reason, Ava doesn’t believe him.
Clearing the remaining Darkballs takes surprisingly little time. When they’re not being constantly replenished, it’s easy enough for the town’s keybearers to deal with the rest of them, although Eden suspects there will be a few stray Darkballs turning up in alleyways every now and then for at least the next few days.
The town is a little quieter now. Not everyone survived the attack.
More importantly, though, ice cream. After such a long fight, sea salt ice cream was the perfect way to cool down.
Eden knocked his ice cream against Luso’s and Adelle’s in a giddy toast, then immediately tried to stuff the whole thing into his mouth, gnawing on it.
“Looks like Izana, Queenie, Alvis, and Freyra are all doing just fine,” Adelle says, tapping a finger on her Text. “They say they’ll see us back at the Union.”
“Neat,” Eden chirps around his ice cream.
“Cool,” Luso adds.
Eden digs his teeth into his ice cream, biting off a chunk of salty ice. It isn’t even all the way down his throat when pain shoots through his eye again, as another vision slams into his consciousness.
A sandy arena, stands filled with screaming people in rough, colourful tunics, and Eden’s keyblade crashes against Mateus’.
The Foretellers stand atop a ledge in some dark, vast cave, keyblades at their sides.
“Congratulations,” Ira says. “You have our attention.”
Daybreak Town. The sky is dark again, with Heartless peeling off it like raindrops. Luso lunges at the horse Heartless they fought just earlier, yelling something.
A flash of a sword cuts him out of the air. Blood flies and turns to crystal as he lands face down onto the cobblestones.
Eden’s keyblade is raised aloft, burning with white flame. The horse Heartless charges towards him. Someone -- Chirithy? -- yells for him to stop.
“Lion’s -- …”
A hand curls around his, shaking it firmly.
“Hi there! My name’s Ephemera.”
Eden comes to with a start, grabbing the table to keep himself steady. He’s bleeding from his eye, he realises suddenly, but when he reaches up to touch it, the blood has already turned to white crystal.
“Dude, you okay?” Luso asks.
“You’ve got something on your face,” Adelle adds.
Eden shakes his head. He can’t -- he doesn’t want to tell them. What would be the point anyway? There’s no way they could explain whatever is going on with him. “I’m fine. Just brain-freeze. I guess.”