Destined Hearts

Chapter 29: Taken

Emileigh quietly walked into the woods outside the town as she had Fatal Crest out in her hands, and still had her hood over her eyes. People walked outside at night in town, so she tried to make it so she wouldn't get recognized. Despite the fact she was in the woods, she wanted to make sure nothing could see her.

However, a voice spoke through the darkness. A voice she recognized.

"Going out alone will only get yourself killed." She quickly turned around, and she saw the person leaning against one of the trees with their arms crossed.

"T-Takeo.." She said as he stood up and walked over to her.

"I get you want to go after Xehanort, but doing this sort of thing will only make things worse." He said. "We need to do this together. Going at it alone will only make it harder for the both of us."

"..." Emileigh stayed silent as she looked away for a moment. "...He needs the both of us."

"Huh?"

"Xelhmigei said that Xehanort needs both our lives for his plans. Not even she, and I'm guessing Kuro, know why either. She said she doesn't know why he needs you..but she said she had an idea about why he needs me. Something about my...heritage."

"Something that you carry?" He said.

"Yeah, but...I don't know what it could be.." She said as she bowed her head down. Takeo put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look back up at him.

"Who knows what the old coot is planning? But what I do know...is going out to find and face him will get yourself killed. I'm not saying your weak. I'm saying that you just recovered, and now you want to track him down."

"But you faced Otekax alone! You were able to beat him!"

"True. But I wasn't unconscious before the fight. I learned a lot from that fight. Bad things. It was what gave my memories back, but at the same time...those memories hurt me.

So...please, Em." He held her prosthetic hand as he had a sympathetic look on his face. "Let's go back to the others. You don't need to do this. We can work together and find Xehanort."

"..." Emileigh thought about her answer for a moment...before smiling a little and nodded her head.

"Alright. I guess...I don't like sitting out of things." She said as she chuckled a little.

"Believe me, I know." He remarked as Emileigh let out a soft pout as Takeo chuckled.

"Isn't this heartwarming?" The two both looked behind themselves and they saw Kuro appear as he was smirking underneath his mask.

"Kuro!" Takeo exclaimed as he and Emileigh both brought out their keyblades.

"You really think you stand a chance against the old man?" Kuro said. "You have no idea how much power he has."

"Who cares how powerful he is? I don't!" Emileigh smirked. "Just because he has power, that doesn't mean he's strong. He only uses people until they're not useful anymore."

"Just like how you're only using your friends for strength?" He remarked. "You say your friends are your power...is that all they are to you?"

"Wrong!" Takeo said as he took a step forward. "They're not just power. They're family! And family always support you to keep you going no matter what happens!"

"Hmph...no matter what you say, everything will always end up the same way." He said. "I don't have time for this anyway. So, I better get what I came here for."

He disappeared in darkness as the two looked around. However, Kuro was standing in a tree branch in the darkness as he had his blades pointed directly at Emileigh's chest. He smirked as he swung his blade and a wave of darkness headed straight for her. Takeo was the first to notice and he gasped.

"EM!!" Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion as Takeo quickly pushed Emileigh out of the way and he screamed in pain as he disappeared. Emileigh's eyes couldn't go any wider as she was tried to recollect what happened. However, Kuro came down from the branch, and he had Takeo hanging on his shoulder as he was unconscious.

"Not what I wanted, but Xehanort did say he needed the both of you. So, I guess it doesn't matter who he gets first." He said.

"LET HIM GO!!!" Emileigh yelled as she ran at him as she tried to attack him, but a faint barrier appeared around him as it pushed her back as she grunted in pain and fell to the ground.

"Don't worry about Takeo here. We'll take good care of him." He said.

"NO!! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME!!!" She ran at him again, and she tried to break the barrier around him, but it was too strong for her.

"*sigh* Xelhmigei's right. You are more determined than I thought." He pushed the barrier back at her as she fell to the ground again, but before she could get up, she felt a dark portal under her and she screamed as she was dropped into it as it disappeared. The barrier disappeared around him and he sighed as he looked at Takeo on his shoulder.

"Now, let's see what use Xehanort has for you." He said as he disappeared in darkness, and silence filled the area, as if nothing had ever happened.