Takeo: A Fractured Heart (Wattys 2019)

Chapter 11: A Familiar Presence

          Takeo and Emileigh arrived at the doors of the palace, and asked the guards to have Jasmine come out to meet them. The guard agreed, and disappeared into the large hallway in the palace.

          Takeo kept replaying the events that had just unfolded in his head. He remembered seeing that same Heartless in his vision he had back in Traverse Town. More and more, Takeo questioned how realistic it would be for him to keep thinking that it was nothing but a simple dream.

          The evidence kept lining up. So far, every type of Heartless that appeared in his dream, has appeared in real life. Those Heartless Purebloods, the Heartless Soldiers, and now that large Heartless that they had just fought. There was no doubt, the Heartless have been getting stronger. Takeo could only think of one person that could be responsible for it. It had to be the man that appeared to Takeo in his dream back at Olympus Coliseum. He still wasn't sure who exactly that man was, but he did know one thing for sure, he would never forget the horrifying face that came extremely close to his own.

          Jasmine came to the doors of the palace, and saw the two friends standing and waiting patiently. As always, she had a smile on her face, resonating happiness wherever she went. However, when she saw the look on Emiliegh and Takeo's faces, her smile disappeared. She invited the two into the palace, and they headed for the throne room.

          Once in the throne room, Jasmine asked Emileigh and Takeo whatthey had found on their search for Aladdin. Emileigh looked over to Takeo, who nodded his head at her, then turned back to Jasmine.

          "Well... you see Princess... when we went to Aladdin's home in that tower, we found that it looked like there was a struggle that happened. Takeo also ran into a bigger Heartless, but we believe thats unrelated." Emileigh explained.

          A look of genuine worry came over the face of Jasmine, and she turned away from the two friends. Emileigh and Takeo looked at each other, then back to Jasmine again.

          "What do you think happened to him?" Jasmine asked with worry in her voice.

          "Well, we're not sure. You see--" Emileigh started to explain. Her words were lost to Takeo, and her and Jasmine slowly faded away.

          "What? What's happening?" Takeo said, his voice echoing. His surroundings suddenly had a blue tint like look to it, and everything seemed to be standing still. He had felt this same feeling before, back at Olympus Coliseum.

          "Oh Takeo. Look at you, doing chores for a Princess you've never heard of. How kind of you." A rough voice echoed from down the hall?

          "I know who you are! Show yourself!" Takeo yelled, staring down a now pitch black corridor.

          "As you wish." said the voice. Suddenly, a large, dark tendrils shot out from the hallway, and towards Takeo. He remembered this from back st Olympus Coliseum, and reacted quick enough to cut the tendril in half. The half that fell yo the floor faded away, but another one shot out and hit Takeo in the face, causing him to stagger. Capitalising on this, the tendril came around for another pass and wrapped itself around Takeo.

          "No! Let me go!" Takeo yelled out in pain. He looked up towards the hallway, and saw a cloaked, shadowy figure standing in the middle of the hall. The figure just sat there, staring at the floor. Takeo continued to struggle against the tendril.

          "I wouldn't waste your energy on such a futile task. That tendril won't be going anywhere." the man said. He started to hover towards Takeo, a dark cloud forming under his feet.

          "Who are you?!" Takeo yelled while also trying to kick the shadowy figure.

          The figure hovered up once again to be eye level with Takeo. He got almost uncomfortably close to Takeo, and then removed his hood. There it was, the same pale face with dark, blood red eyes and the cracks in the face that almost leaked Darkness. Takeo got very uncomfortable, and tried to struggle even more,  but all that managed to accomplish was make the tendril tighten more.

          "Oh poor Takeo, always in a state of wonder and confusion." the man said. Takeo struggled to get out again.

          "How do you know who I am?!" Takeo yelled, trying to kick at the man.

          "You really still haven't figured it out have you? You haven't put the pieces together?" said the man, Darkness seemingly seeping out of the cracks in his face.

          Takeo tried to figure out what the man was talking about, but he couldn't put any of the past interactions with him together. To Takeo, the man was talking nonsense, telling lies to try and confuse him.

          "Hollow Bastion. Your answer lies there." said the man, who slowly faded away into nothingness. The tendrils disappeared, and Takeo dropped to the ground, landing on one knee, and coughing.

          Takeo groaned and looked up, and saw Emileigh, Jasmine, and three guards staring at him in wonder. With a confused tone, Takeo asked, "What are you guys looking at me like that for?"

          Emileigh walked over to Takeo and knelt down next to him, "You passed out and started yelling in your sleep. What happened?"

          Takeo looked at the ground, and back up to Emileigh with confusion, "Hollow Bastion, where is it? I need to go there." Takeo said with fear in his eyes.