[Fragments of Memory - CLOSED - U/C]

[phoenixianCrystallist]

{Mizu; Elaine .:. Olympus .:. Temple of Sora .:. Outside Chamber of the Cornerstone}

Mizu's jaw dropped when she learned what had happened to Richard. The shock hit her almost as a physical blow; boss-man, gone? She almost didn't believe it, but Balthazar had no real reason to lie.

Elaine glanced at Mizu in sympathy, but didn't really know what to say. She didn't know Mizu that well, and wasn't even sure if she had met this Richard. All she could really do was stand there as the others spoke; she had nothing to contribute, in any case.  

[Je suis a toi]

[Olympus ~ Temple of Sora ~ Chamber of the Cornerstone]

Alistair nodded to Dave and tried to think of where Darren could have been, "I'll page him, he'll be in charge of keeping after the Keybladers. Having two on one world is too much of a risk without a guard."

"Xaviere can learn a basic muddle charm." Balthazar told him, "It won't be strong enough to fool a Frozen, but at least any Heartless or mages with basic Scan won't be able to tell that they're Keybladers. That can keep them safe enough here."

"Understood," Alistair replied before looking at Zeiq to address his question, "The Legion attempts to register and catalog all Keybladers for their safety. It is not about recruitment, nor is it about keeping tabs on your personal life. All Keybladers are targeted by the Sorceress, dark and light, and a loss of any number of them, especially Elemental Keybladers, can turn the tide in her favor. The only way of knowing when one has fallen or been taken, short of tracking which we avoid to protect your privacy, is to rely on report of the family members listed in the registry. If the contact of a listed Keyblader reports them missing we can be ahead of the curve--instead of wasting time trying to gain information about the missing person we can immediately send out a search. I hope you will both cooperate with us on this, it would help you keep safe and help us keep informed on Keyblader numbers."

Xaviere glanced to Balthazar as if to seek his council about the situation. He merely made eye contact and tilted his head toward her before turning his attention back to Alistair. That told her that she was on her own. She knew his opinions of the Legion (or at least some of them, he would never disclose anything in full), and he likely wanted her to take her own course. This left her a little unsure. Maybe she would talk to Zeiq about it--there were in this together now.

"Captain Ratatosk, if I'm not mistaken the Temple has a hostel somewhere on the grounds. Please lead them there, anyone who needs to rest can do so there, otherwise I encourage all of you to feel free to participate in the tournament while I take care of business here with Master Balthazar. Also, Captain, if you would please register the two Keybladers and have them wait until Lake arrives to guard them. After that they are free to go as well. Tavor, I would like for you to stay with them if you could, please. Your assistance is not needed here and I have a feeling the tournament staff could use another healer on hand. You all are free to go, now."  

[Gentleman Knives]

[ Zeiq and Dave : Olympus : Chamber of the Cornerstone ]

'Right, doling out paperwork and babysitting. I'll take it.' Dave thought. Normally, he loathed this aspect of the job, but considering the past few hours, it was a welcome relief.

"Right" he said walking forward and turning to face the group "You two, with me." He said, pointing towards Zeiq and Xaviere before motioning to the Zidaine and Mizu. "You two come along as well. I need people with me how have some experience with Frozen in case they come back."

Well, that's what he was saying anyway. The reality was that the two needed some time to ingest what had happened to their CO. Better to be close in case something happened.

"The rest of you can do as you like. Anything out of line though, and your answering to me."

Zeiq sighed. "I suppose I don't really have much of a choice in this, do I?" he said, more to himself then anyone else in the room. He really did have no idea what he was getting into

He turned to face his fellow Keyblader, who seemed to be feeling just as unsure as he was about this whole mess.

"I guess we're in this together now. You ready?"

'Because I'm really, really not.'  

[phoenixianCrystallist]

{Mizu, Elaine .:. Olympus .:. Temple of Sora .:. Outside Chamber of the Cornerstone}

Still in shock, Mizu nodded meekly when ordered to follow Dave. Elaine glanced around, looking to see if anyone might be in need of a Healer, but everyone seemed okay, so she hurried over to Mizu's side and stuck by her.

"Um, I don't m-mean to intrude, b-but would it be alright if I stayed with Mizu and Z-Zidane?" she asked Dave timidly. "I'm a Healer, too, so I m-may be of some use. If… if that's alright?"  

[Je suis a toi]

TOURNAMENT ARENA

The tournament continues and has seen its first round of contestants. There is currently an intermission where the next round of contestants are gathering to be assigned their opponents. During the intermission there started a stir in the crowds--rumors of the attendance of a Princess of Heart began to travel through the throngs of contestants and viewers. There wasn't anyone who had yet seen someone of such stature, but many kept their eyes open nonetheless.

TEMPLE OF SORA

The group of fighters at the temple, with the exception of Zeiq and Xaviere, were free to go and do as they pleased. Those going to participate in the tournament would be accompanied by Tavor, the Legion healer, and those who wished to stay behind would be lead to the temple's hostel. There, Captain Ratatosk explained the registration to the two Keybladers. Darren Lake showed up just as Dave asked the two whether they would be joining the Legion on active duty.  

[Je suis a toi]

[Olympus ~ Temple of Sora ~ Hostel]

Xaviere had only offered Zeiq an uncertain shrug when he asked if she was ready. She really didn't know. Her mind went elsewhere as they followed the Captain to the small hostel. It was a short building about fifty feet from the Temple. The windows were large and low, letting plenty of sunlight into the space. A row of beds ran down each wall, each covered in white linens with a pillow. This space was designated to house pilgrims who either could not afford a hotel or wished to stay closer to the Temple during their stay. Xaviere sat down on one of the beds as Dave began explaining the registration process. It was seemingly unobtrusive--provide the Legion with the names and locations of a few contacts to keep on file, become listed in the Legion database, and receive a Legion transmitter that allows the holder to contact the Legion. However, when Dave brought up that they had the option of joining the Legion's active duty if they so desired, Xaviere wrinkled her nose.

"Can we--" Xaviere said in reference to Zeiq and herself, pausing as she noticed Darren appear in the doorway, "Talk alone about this? Before we say anything more?"  

[Gentleman Knives]

[[ Olympus : Temple of Sora : Hostel]]

"Agreed." Zeiq said "If we're going to be dragooned into service, I'd like a chance to collect my thoughts on it."

Zeiq took a good look around the hostel. It reminded him of a hospital room; white, sterile, little to no actual privacy. And he thought he was done with them...

In any case, the idea of military training didn't excite him. Beyond the fact that he had barely any training to speak of, the fact of the matter was that a military a top-down, structured environment of regimented order and constant indoctrination. Things that he didn't agree with on his home world.

Dave simply glanced up, looked around the room and nodded "I'll allow it. Don't take to long though, we're on a time table. Unless you have objections Darren?"  

[phoenixianCrystallist]

{Mizu, Elaine .:. Olympus .:. Temple of Sora .:. Chamber of the Cornerstone >> Tournament grounds}

Mizu had decided to head down to the tournament, and had practically dragged Zidane along with her. Elaine had followed, mostly because she just wanted company that she was familiar with, but also because she figured the tournament could use another healer.

When they got to the grounds, though, Mizu discovered that registration was already over, and the first round had already been completed. She cursed under her breath, but thanked the attendant she had spoken to, and went off to find seats to watch the rest of it. She looked around, hoping against hope to see Richard, that maybe that Balthazar dude was wrong and he hadn't died, but she became so visibly disappointed when she couldn't find him that Elaine stooped to hug the shorter girl.

"It'll be alright," Elaine said, and Mizu bit her lip.

"No," she whispered, and the hand holding Zidane's clenched tighter. "No, I don't think it will. Boss-man, he was... he was practically my dad. And he's dead." She choked on the last word, but stubbornly refused to cry.

{Nathan, Cupcake .:. Olympus .:. Tournament Grounds}

To everyone's surprise but his own, the Behemoth that had walked by earlier was indeed Nathan's first opponent, and Nathan had beaten him soundly. He hadn't even needed to unsheathe Schwer for the fight, which really ticked off the fire-demon. Well, being beaten in hand-to-club combat by "a skinny runt" like Nathan had ticked off his opponent as well, but Nathan didn't have to listen to the giant's belly-aching. He did have to listen to Schwer, though. Thankfully, the demon was starting to wind down.

.:...and furthermore--oh, god, it's back. Run while you can, Nathan.:.

.:What?:.

"That was a lovely match, my friend," said a sweet, lilting voice from behind. Nathan groaned, "Oh, no, not you again," and splashed some cool water on his face, trying to get her to go away. Cupcake tittered. He hated that sound.

"I expected as much from you," Princess Amanita continued, as if she hadn't heard him. She probably hadn't, the twit. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to join me on my noble quest to eliminate the Sorceress? I shouldn't need you that much; after all, I'm more than capable of taking her out myself, but your company would be greatly appreciated. It's not often a fine warrior such as yourself is seen here on Olympus. I would be grateful for your presence."

"No."

She blinked, as if confused, then smiled her most charming smile.

"No? Is that 'no' meaning you're not sure if you'd like to join me or not?"

"No means no. Go away."