Kingdom Hearts: Echoplex II

EP10 - Season 2 (Last Respise)

Why had he dreamed of that particular meeting room with the Foretellers and the Master of Masters after all this time? His dreams were often blurry and devoid of any logic, yet it felt so vivid, It made no sense to him. 

Unbeknownst to Asukazen, a silent drama was unfolding on the roof of his dwelling. Two Chirithy's, their forms silhouetted against the moonlit sky, engaged in a heated exchange.

The first swiveled its head towards the unfamiliar Chirithy with irritation.

[A] Chirithy: Why did you interfere with the dream?! I was attempting to convey something crucial to him!

Strange Chirithy: Oh, boo-hoo! I guess that makes us enemies now, huh? He's a lost cause, that one. Too consumed by his own self-pity to even bother picking up his Keyblade. What's the point of revealing anything to someone who's too pathetic to even try?

[A] Chirithy bristled at the other Chirithy's dismissive words as its drawn eyes blazing with anger.

[A] Chirithy: He's struggling! He's been manipulated, possibly his entire life, and now by the Unions itself! I was trying to reveal the truth to him, to offer some guidance!

Strange Chirithy: Truth? You're clinging to a naive delusion. He doesn't care about truth, not really. He's too absorbed in his own misery, lost in a maze of self-inflicted guilt. He's not a wielder, not anymore. He's just a scared child, hiding from the worlds, afraid to confront the consequences of his own actions.

[A] Chirithy: You don't understand! (it shot back with indignation) He needs to know the truth, about the Keyblade... (it paused) about our creator, about the true purpose of Daybreak Town! It's our duty as Chirithies to guide and protect our wielders, to help them navigate the darkness!

The other Chirithy rolled its eyes.

Strange Chirithy: Guide and protect? (it scoffed) Please. We're just Chirithies. Guides at best, not saviors. Accept it. He's a pawn in a larger game, an easy target for manipulation. Your efforts to awaken him are futile. He's destined to remain trapped in his self-made prison, a prisoner of his own guilt and fear.

The unfamiliar Chirithy turned away, its tail flicking dismissively, and vanished into the night, leaving [A] Chirithy alone on the rooftop. The encounter left it troubled, its previous certainty replaced by a growing unease. It had always trusted the Foretellers, believing in their mission to safeguard the Light.

But recent events, coupled with Foreteller Ava's cryptic words, had sown seeds of doubt within its mind. Were the Unions truly the force they presented themselves to be, or was there a darker truth lurking beneath the surface, a truth that Asukazen, for all his flaws, was uniquely positioned to uncover?

1 Week Later.

Asukazen moved through the motions of his daily mission, a familiar numbness settling over him as he struck Heartless with fire magic as their forms were sucessfully dissolved by the swings of his partner. A boisterous young boy named Ren, chattered excitedly about trivial matters, his enthusiasm grating on Asukazen's nerves.

He barely registered Ren's words, his focus locked on the task at hand, the Lux they collected swirled around them, a shimmering beacon in the encroaching twilight, a constant visual reminder of the Union's purported goal - to gather light, to stave off the encroaching darkness.

Yet Asukazen felt no sense of accomplishment, no surge of righteous purpose. Ren then clapped Asukazen on the shoulder.

Ren: Well done, partner! (he exclaimed with a boisterous tone) We collected a ton of Lux today. Master Ira will be pleased.