Shadows of the Past

*Binah momentarily widens her eyes, then furrows her brows. She does her best to keep her tone even.*

Binah<I see...which one?>

T"I believe her name was Dawn."

Binah<Dawn ceased communication with me some time ago, but I didn't suspect that it was anything suspicious. She had quit the Order before this, citing personal reasons.>

R"Well, someone definitely tried to cover it up. Bought new furniture for her apartment, so the old stuff was probably broken in a struggle."

Binah<I don't want to prod you for too much information, lest I affect the outcome of the test, but I have a very important question: Did you discover any signs of Heartless research?>

R"Uh--yeah...how did you know...?"

Binah<When we inducted Senthose into the Order, we did so because he was researching Heartless in a world known as Radiant Garden. We spent the next few years destroying Heartless, which we presumed merely escaped confinement. However, I now see that it's possible that Senthose has continued his research in secret.>

R"Then he might have created that one super-heartless that attacked us. It looked as if it was wearing Keyblade Armor.>

Binah<Can you describe the design?>

T"It was fairly standard, but the hands & feet were clawed. The face was blank, with small horns, & a cape covered most of it. It was all black. On its chest, it had the emblem that we've seen on the Heartless."

*Lilith looks at her, shocked.*

Binah<They are most certainly connected. That was the design of Senthose's armor, when he was with us. With the exception of the emblem.>

E"...Who's Senthose?"

"The man who stabbed you," Mortal said.

Safian:<And I fought.>

Azuma: "Sounds like a bad bad man. Wait...didn't you say you're from Radiant Garden, Hitomi?"

Hitomi: "Yes."

Binah<At the time, we felt that his energies could be redirected to less destructive ends. For a while, it seemed to have worked. His instructor, Ansem the Wise, had the project shut down when we told him how dangerous it was, & the materials that Senthose had turned over to the Order were incredibly helpful. Senthose himself was a very capable fighter, a talented Keyblade user who quickly learned both techniques & magic. In the time that he spent with us, he'd mentioned off-hand about someone who may have the potential to wield a Keyblade. I later went to Radiant Garden myself, fearing that, if he were still alive, he would recruit Hitomi into the Forces of Darkness. But, it wasn't to last. Senthose wanted power, & he did not want to choose between Light & Darkness, antithetical forces that are difficult to use in conjuction with one another. He wanted to see if he could use the Keyblade to break down the limiters in his own Heart, which I of course forbid. That's when he left.>

E"That's stupid, why would he turn against you for such a petty reason?"

Binah<Unfortunately, the desire to rid oneself of weakness has a dark side. Many have been punished for using the Keyblade to steal large sums of Munny to help complete their missions. With rare exceptions, there is light & darkness within us all. Senthose had stopped fearing the darkness, but neither did he want to lose the light. I don't believe it started out as a desire to destroy us.>

*Roatha points at Binah.*

R"Hey, that makes sense! The Organization members that we encountered acted like they wanted to swoop in to save the day, just with the catch that they should be allowed to do it however they wanted."

Binah<Very observant. Senthose doesn't teach about the responsibility of using the Keyblade, or the need to preserve the separation of the worlds. That makes it easy for him to gather large amounts of followers, quickly.>

R"Like giving a kid a thing of gasoline & a lighter, & telling him to just have fun with it."

Binah<Precisely.>

Azuma: "Was he the one who provided Xanatos with the mea s to create Heartless?"

*Monu crosses his arms*

<He's definitely got power now.>

"If he is giving people the means to create heartless on their own worlds then he has to be stopped," Mortal said, "That is incredibly dangerous, no matter the intention."

Binah<I believe that he has moved on from his original goals. His connections to the Heartless may indicate that he plans to eliminate us, & replace the Order with the Organization. Or it may need something else. Determining this will be your task, for the morning.>

*Lilith, leaning against the wall, throws up her hands.*

L"That's easier said than done. We haven't even finished scouting out the nearby worlds yet. And with all due respect, what will you be doing?"

Binah<Paying more attention to the outcomes of your trials. I've tried to find Senthose before, & it didn't work. I could waste months, years searching for him through the Sea of Stars. I need to see where the trouble is occurring, where the darkness is so great that it requires my attention. Then I will strike.>

*Monu turns to Lilith*

<I will help you find him, if you think that's the best course.>

Mortal frowned at Lilith, "I'm sure Master Psyche will do what is best."

L"I don't know what to do."

Binah<You'll figure it out. I trust you. Now, if that's all that you need, as I said, I'll need some time alone with Euryale.>

E"Uh...should I be concerned?"

Binah<Well, I suppose they don't have to leave, if you don't mind them listening to me explain to you how to discharge your wastes.>

E"Oh...right...point taken."

"It is alright," Mortal said, "I'll be close by, and Taiyo too, and we'll come see you as soon as we can. Right, Taiyo?" She looks to Taiyo for confirmation.

*Safian exits the room, Monu waits beside Lilith*

Taiyo: "Right."

Azuma and Hitomi leave the room.

E"Okay. Thanks. That really does make me feel better."

L"You're in good hands...& have fun, Mom."

Binah<You should remember who decides whether you pass or fail, Young Lady.>

L"Yeah, whatever."

*Binah lets out an annoyed sigh as Lilith leaves the room, Thiera following.*

*Monu follows Lilith and Thiera*

"Well then, uh... see you soon," Mortal said with a smile. Feeling like she was lingering, Mortal waves, and turns to leave the room.

Taiyo: "I hope you find it comfortable here. Bye, for now."

And Taiyo leaves.

T"Good night. See you in the morning."

*Thiera bows, then jogs after her sister.*

*Monu bows as well, then heads to his room. Safian slinks away*

Mortal chases down Safian, then pushes her a bit, "Just going to leave without saying good night?"

The three go off to do whatever it is they're supposed to do.

OOC: No one's got time for this shit, timeskip to the next day.

*When they emerge from the various rooms, they find Binah walking behind Euryale, holding her arms up. Euryale takes tentative steps, her legs shaking.*

E"Well...this is embarrassing."

Binah<Hey, now, there's no shame in needing physical therapy.>

E"Meh."

Binah<At least you've stopped trying to breathe your drinks.>
===========================
*Once again, the Organization trio gathers in the Gray Area.*

N"So, Team Nero, what's the plan?"

"Voting on a new team name," Noctis said, "I suggest the Flying Lesbians. Has a nice ring to it."

--

Mortal didn't even realize she was staring at Euryale until she was distracted by something about breathing drinks. "I see your legs," Mortal said, "I mean, I see you're getting used to your new legs. How do you like them so far?"