Takeo: A Fractured Heart (Wattys 2019)

Chapter 20: The Promise

"Takeo!" Emileigh yelled as she ran to his side. Leon and Cid followed close behind her.

"E-Emileigh...? What are... are you doing here?" said Takeo, struggling to get through the question.

"What's happening to you? Are you okay?" Emileigh asked with panic in her voice. There was Dark Essence leaking off of Takeo's body, and he was slowly fading away from the legs up.

"I... I'm okay." He smiled. He looked over to Leon and Cid. "Oh... H-hey guys. It's been a while" Takeo said. He groaned in pain, and Emileigh held his head in her lap.

"What happened? Did Otekax do this to you?" Emileigh asked, looking around for any sign that might indicate Otekax being around.

Takeo shook his head slowly, "No... Otekax didn't do this. I beat him. I g-guess this is just my time now..." Takeo said.

Cid's eyes widened, and he ran over to Takeo's side. "Kid... You said you beat Otekax?"

Takeo nodded his head slowly, trying to save his energy to speak more important words.

Cid looked down to the ground, then back up to Takeo. "Then what Yen Sid said was true then... It was too much."

Emileigh looked up with a look of horror on her face. "What? What do you mean what he said was true?! What did he say?!" she yelled. Takeo grabbed her arm. She looked down at him and he shook his head, signaling her not to be mad.

"After Takeo left Yen Sids tower... He told Leon something..." said Cid. Emileigh looked to Leon, who had a slight look of sorrow on his face.

"He said that... there was a chance Takeo wouldn't make it through the battle either way... He only had half a heart after all... When the two halves of his Heart came back together, too much time had already passed since they were originally separated. Right now, he technically still only has half a Heart." said Leon, who kept looking away from the three on the ground.

Emileigh looked back to Takeo, tears filling her eyes. A smile came across Takeo's face.

"Hey... D-dont be upset, alright? This is better for me..." said Takeo, looking up at the ceiling.

"All of the work you did, just for you to end up like this? It isn't fair!" Emileigh said, tears now falling from her eyes, falling through Takeo's now half-vanished body.

Takeo managed to raise his arm up and wipe a tear from Emileigh's face. "H-hey. It wasn't all bad. I got to meet some great people... Jane and T-tarzan, Jasmine, even Leon. But most importantly, I met you at Olympus Coliseum."

A smile came over Emileigh's face as she remembered the day they had met at the Coliseum.

"I gained... a great friend that day... one that I got to go on a great ad..adventure with. I would do it all again, if I could..." said Takeo. The Dark Essensce had made its way up to his chest now. His time was almost up.

Cid stood up and walked over to Leon, and put his hand on his shoulder as he motioned for the door. Leon nodded his head, and they left the room, leaving Takeo and Emileigh by themselves.

"I don't want you to go..." said Emileigh as she looked at his much of Takeo faded away.

"I won't be completely gone... I'll always be a part of your Heart now... But don't worry. If it's ever possible, I... I will find you again. I promise, E-Emileigh..." Takeo said, using the last of his energy.

Emileigh tightened her grip around him, giving him a hug. Soon, Takeo completely vanished, as if he was never there. Emileigh fell down the rest of the way onto the ground, and cried.

She opened her eyes, and saw something glisten in a singular ray of light. It was the necklace that Takeo wore around his neck. It was in the shape of a Heart, but half of it was the Heartless symbol, and the other half was the normal Heart symbol. Emileigh slowly reached over, picked it up, and held it in her hands. As she stared at it, it felt as though Takeo was right there in the room with her again. A smile came over her face once again, and she out the necklace on.

"There. Now you'll always be with me, Takeo." she said, wiping the last of her tears from her face. Cid and Leon walked back in, their heads hung low, staring at the ground. Emileigh ran up to them and gave each of them a hug.

"Come on missy. Let's get you back to Traverse Town. We shouldn't stay here." said Cid, who guided Emileigh towards the exit of the throne room.

As they got to the door, Emileigh stopped, turned around, and looked back to where she had found Takeo laying. A gust of wind blew, and moved around some dust that was in that spot. Emileigh frowned, and left the throne room with Cid and Leon.

End of Music

------------------------------------------------------------

Darkness. That was the only thing in sight. There was no light, no happiness, no hope. But yet, there was also an absence of anger, sorrow, and fear. There were no feelings thats Takeo could feel as he floated endlessly in a Dark abyss, going who-knows-where. All Takeo felt, was contentment. He was content with what he had done. He regained most of his memory, defeated Otekax, and reunited with Emileigh, Cid, and Leon at the very end. He couldn't have asked for a better send off.

Still, there was this feeling inside of him. Like there was still something else that he needed to do. He decided to shake this feeling, as he saw no way out of this situation.

While floating endlessly to wherever it is he is floating to, Takeo felt strangely at peace, and calm.

"I did it. I beat Otekax, and restored my Heart. Finally, I can sleep. Finally, I can rest. Finally...

... I am Free..."

End of Music