star_kingdom_logs | (no subject)

WHO:

blitz_acing.
LOCATION: The Underworld.
TIME: Tonight.
WHAT: It's time to follow up on the deal Tidus previously made with Hades.
RATING: PG-13 at the most.

Maybe doing this right now wasn't the best idea, but Tidus didn't want to waste any time. That, and he was more than a little annoyed with Hades' latest stunt. After everything Hades had done, put him and his friends through, forcing the God to answer the question he had previously meant to ask held a certain appeal. He had the upper hand, and if Hades didn't see it that way it wasn't his problem. This time, Tidus refused to allow Hades to find any loopholes. He'd fight him if he'd have to.

...Again, he thought approaching Hades at this time wasn't the best idea. Hopefully it wouldn't come to fighting. Tidus knew if it did it would be because he was being stupid, but there was no turning back now. He was already there. Hades was in sight. He came to a stop, voice quieter than usual.

"So, our deal."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Just because you couldn't do it doesn't make it impossible."
The whole concept sounded funny to Tidus and he wasn't sure if he'd trust it no matter who said it. He had to try. What other choice did he have?
"Then I'll go to the Keyblade Graveyard and make one connect with me." It sounded so simple, but there was one issue. "Where's the Keyblade Graveyard?"

“Here’s the thing…” Never a good way for a sentence to start, “The keyblade masters are kind of… secretive… about keyblades. How they work, who can use them… how to get to the keyblade graveyard… little things like that they just don’t want normal people like you to know about.”
All very true, Hades had never met a keyblade user who was particularly forthcoming about keyblades. In fact they could be downright annoying about it.
“If you wanted to find the keyblade graveyard you would need to find a keyblade user open enough to tell you all about it. Maybe even take you there...”

"I'm used to people keeping secrets." Tidus snorted cynically. Cryptic answers, secrets, riddles. There was always something. Why couldn't things just be straightforward once in a while? "Okay, I'll find a keyblade user. Do you know who any are?"

“Do I know who any are… Of course I know who they are. Who do you think you are talking to here?”

Oh right, this tabletop illusion is still playing. Hades takes a moment to dissolve the scene. Bye, bye chibi Tidus. The whole event is nothing but a puff of black smoke that rises and dissipates in the chill Underworld air.

"Who are they?!"

Impatient, Tidus slams both hands on the empty tabletop. He has to refrain from wincing due to his injury.

Hades has to smile. Such impatience… sure Tidus might have dented the table a little if it weren’t made of such a sturdy wood, but with passion like that…

“Look kid, even if I told you who they were, its not like they would just tell you all about the keyblades and lead you merrily into the keyblade graveyard.”

"Then I'll make them tell me! I'm good with people." He narrows his eyes, meaning his words. Had his world been restored since he came here? No. He didn't think any were restored. If he had a keyblade, he could do something with it, and he would as soon as he had the weapon.

Considering… considering…

Hades shrugs with an exaggeratedly animated motion, “Oh why not. I mean you did nearly get yourself killed during that whole letter delivery thing… Just remember they are not likely to be friendly about any of this.”

Again an image appears on the table a young boy a bit shorter than Tidus and with him two companions a duck and a dog.

“Now this one probably doesn’t know anything. You would need to get this kind of information from a keyblade master.”

The image changes, a girl with blue hair, and a few other people Tidus may or may not recognize.

“And hey… there is no need to mention who you heard about this from. They won‘t be happy about this.”

"I'm touched by the kindess of your heart," comes Tidus' dry reply, complimented with a roll of his eyes. He gazes at the table, impatient for the answers to appear already. What he sees has him leaning over the table and jumping back, wincing. "Whoa! That's--"

He recognizes the girl too, but he's still shocked. Shocked they've been hiding this, shocked they had the power to restore the worlds, yet nothing has happened.

"Why...would they? Why would they hide that?"

“Hey you know me, I live to please,” Two can play at sarcasm here… even if live might not really be the word Hades would usually use.

Hades watches the little scene play out on the table too but pays extra attention to how Tidus reacts to it. Why would they hide that indeed? Maybe to keep guys like Hades from finding these things out? If that was the case it really wasn’t working out… and besides, that isn’t the answer Hades gives.

“Keyblade welders are pretty pretentious. They think just because they were chosen to use a keyblade that means they can tell everyone else what to do. And worse! They actually look down on people who don’t have keyblades! If they didn’t why not just tell everyone so you could all band together and fight the darkness together like you hero-types always claim to do?”
The images end as Hades waves them away again.
“They just don’t want to share and they don’t trust you non-keyblade welders enough to tell you even half of what they know. If you ask about the keybalde graveyard don’t be surprised if they won’t answer. They want to keep you world-less people in the dark about everything that is happening.”

Tidus' normally bright expression turns guarded and withdrawn. He doesn't want to believe what Hades was saying is true, but it wouldn't be the first time he had seen people in power lead everyone else on. It's what Spira was practically founded on. He feels like an idiot.

"So they've been leading all of us on all this time. Acting like we can't do anything. Is that what you're saying?" He glances at Hades, unaware he was trembling a little in anger. He knows better. Hades' intentions are hardly good. Even so, that doesn't mean he's lying. In fact, so far, he's been the one who seems like he's lied the least. It almost makes the ex-guardian want to scoff and roll his eyes. "I'll make them answer!"

“Leading you on… not the exact words I would use since with out a keyblade you really can’t do more than just be a human shield against the heartless, normal people can’t destroy heartless, you must have noticed.”
Surprisingly Hades was being truthful. Sure the truth was colored a bit by his own perceptions, making the keyblade welders seem more evil than they probably intended to be, but that was just because it was the way Hades saw it not because he was lying about anything.
As Tidus exclaimed he would make them answer Hades couldn’t help disappearing from behind the table to reappear a moment later standing between Tidus and the exit to the Underworld.
“Whoa, hey, what are you going to do? Go and beat the information out of them?” With a smile and a vial of liquid appears in Hade’s hand. “Why not use this instead? Just slip this into some food or a drink and, bada bing bada boom, instant answers! Whoever you give this to will tell you the truth about anything they know.”

"We still are human shields. We just didn't realize it." With his eyes on the table, Tidus doesn't realize Hades had left until he reappeares. He stares at him and nods in determination. "If I have to. If they're the ones standing in the way of everything else, I'll do whatever I have to do." He doesn't want to hurt them, but if it came to that... He hopes it never does. He eyes the vial curiously. "What is it?"

“This,” Gesture at the vial with an appropriate amount of flourish, “Is just a harmless little truth serum. If you can get one of those keyblade losers to drink it then they would be compelled to answer all of your questions.”

Hades floats over to place the vial in Tidus’s hands.

“Much less messy than what you were suggesting.”