1-3
“I see you made it.” Terra's heart still racing, he finally managed to find Tenenbaum's safe house. He looked up when he heard Tenenbaum's voice.
“Yeah, it was touch and go for a bit though.” He knelt down and slid Aqua off of his back. Her feet slapped against the floor and she looked around while Terra walked over to one of the seats and slumped down in exhaustion. Aqua was quickly surrounded by the other girls.
“A Splicer?” Tenenbaum asked, fiddling with her white sticks again.
“I don't... She didn't seem spliced.” Terra groaned and rested his head on the table.
“I'm just glad you're okay!” Ven announced. Terra turned and saw Ven laying on the ground, working on a drawing. From what Terra could see, it was Ven, Aqua, Master Eraqus, and himself at Land of Departure. The ex Little sisters where gathering around Ven and giggling. One was sneaking over with a crayon.
“There are no little boys.” Tenenbaum sighed as she watched. “I never found out why. Little Girls always worked best, but the boys weren't bad, just aggresive.” the girls had tackled Ven and started to draw on his art.
“HEY!” Ven laughed and tried to grab his art away. Aqua's eyes widened a bit when she finished pulling herself together.
“VEN!” She squealed and tackled him after he stole his picture back. Ven collapsed under the weight and the Sister giggled. “I found you!” She sat on him. “I was told to bring your back, RIGHT AWAY. But you're here now!” she giggled. “But I don't wanna go back. I have Angels to help.” She pouted and crossed her arms on Ven's back while he strained to get up.
“Terra?” Ven groaned, he finally gave up, and rested his head on his hands while Aqua kept him lying on the cold ground. Terra started to get up, but Tenenbaum was up first.
“You're name is Aqua, yes?” Aqua turned her pure yellow glowing eyes towards Tenenbaum who crouched by Ven. “Will you come with me?” she held out her hand, which Aqua tentatively took.
“I'm not supposed to go with Strangers.” She muttered.
“I'm not a stranger, I'm your mother... in a manner of speaking.”
“NO!” Aqua shouted. “Mommy is a BAD WORD.” She stood up – she was about Tenenbaum's height. No one that old or as mature as Aqua should act that young... it looked wrong- Tenenbaum's hand started to glow.
“Here. Let me heal you.” Tenenbaum's voice dropped to a low, comforting murmur.
“NO! No!” She started to scream. She looked frightened and ran back towards the back wall. Terra and Ven started to stop Tenenbaum but the Little Sisters kept them back. Tenenbaum grabbed Aqua's hand and pulled her close. She raised her right hand and it began to glow as she extended it towards Aqua. Aqua's eyes started to close, her screams grew fainter, and then she turned back to normal as she collapsed in a faint.
“She's alright.” Tenenbaum whispered as the Sisters retreated from Terra and Ven. “I think it just overtaxed her system.” She turned to look at Terra. “Would you mind helping her into the bed?” Terra nodded and walked over to pick up Aqua as Ven ran to get a blanket. He passed by the sole TV – creepily stuck on “Please Stand By”- and it flicked to the moving picture of -
“THAT'S THE WOMAN I SAW EARLIER!” Terra shouted. Aqua jerked in her sleep and Tenenbaum's expression immediately soured.
“Sofia Lamb” she growled. “We need to get out of here now.”
“Family of Rapture.” Lamb spoke. It was an imperious tone, but somewhat comforting. Terra started to think back about what she had promised him. To help him conquer ambition and therefore the Darkness. “Someone has entered Rapture, but are fighting against the family.” An image of Ven and Terra – with the dead Splicer from when they arrived- appeared on the screen. “They have taken our last hope of Salvation, our last Little Sister, and have allied with Brigid Tenenbaum who not only created the means for our rebirth, but is now taking it away.” Tenenbaum ran over to the door and locked it, then began to pull furniture over to block it. “They are by Apollo Square. Help us save them.” the image of Lamb disappeared. Terra couldn't let Aqua get taken again. He and Ven looked at each other, and nodded.
“Dr. Tenenbaum, do you trust me?” Terra grabbed Tenenbaum by her gun arm, so she would have to notice him. “I have an idea, but I need your trust.” She paused, thinking it over, then nodded. Ven gathered the girls together. They could hear something outside the door. “Great. What is the safest place you know of, outside of Rapture. A place we can just show up and just be protected without being questioned. “
“Jack... He's.” She glanced back towards the door. They could hear pounding now, and some muttered threats.
"The party has started, hurry up!"
"I know you can hear me."
"Ya? Well, you're fired! Ya got that?"
“At least three splicers so far, it's only going to increase.” Tenenbaum muttered, as she gripped her pistol. Indeed, already, some of the wood was splintering.
“Just get Aqua on my back, then we'll go from there.” Terra pleaded. Dr. Tenenbaum pulled Aqua up on his back and helped him adjust the comatose form. The sounds outside were getting louder, BANGS were heard now and again. They must have gotten their hands on something to knock the door down. “Alright” he muttered as he summoned the keyblade. “Hold onto my arm and think of your safe place.” Tenenbaum did so, her eyes closed and her gun pointed at the door. Terra pointed the keyblade, and a teleporting corridor opened. Ven rushed the girls through, then Tenenbaum released Terra's arm and ran through the silver oval herself, then Terra fled through as fast as he could. Right as Terra vanished, the corridor closed and the Splicers smashed their way into the apartment.
“I see you made it.” Terra's heart still racing, he finally managed to find Tenenbaum's safe house. He looked up when he heard Tenenbaum's voice.
“Yeah, it was touch and go for a bit though.” He knelt down and slid Aqua off of his back. Her feet slapped against the floor and she looked around while Terra walked over to one of the seats and slumped down in exhaustion. Aqua was quickly surrounded by the other girls.
“A Splicer?” Tenenbaum asked, fiddling with her white sticks again.
“I don't... She didn't seem spliced.” Terra groaned and rested his head on the table.
“I'm just glad you're okay!” Ven announced. Terra turned and saw Ven laying on the ground, working on a drawing. From what Terra could see, it was Ven, Aqua, Master Eraqus, and himself at Land of Departure. The ex Little sisters where gathering around Ven and giggling. One was sneaking over with a crayon.
“There are no little boys.” Tenenbaum sighed as she watched. “I never found out why. Little Girls always worked best, but the boys weren't bad, just aggresive.” the girls had tackled Ven and started to draw on his art.
“HEY!” Ven laughed and tried to grab his art away. Aqua's eyes widened a bit when she finished pulling herself together.
“VEN!” She squealed and tackled him after he stole his picture back. Ven collapsed under the weight and the Sister giggled. “I found you!” She sat on him. “I was told to bring your back, RIGHT AWAY. But you're here now!” she giggled. “But I don't wanna go back. I have Angels to help.” She pouted and crossed her arms on Ven's back while he strained to get up.
“Terra?” Ven groaned, he finally gave up, and rested his head on his hands while Aqua kept him lying on the cold ground. Terra started to get up, but Tenenbaum was up first.
“You're name is Aqua, yes?” Aqua turned her pure yellow glowing eyes towards Tenenbaum who crouched by Ven. “Will you come with me?” she held out her hand, which Aqua tentatively took.
“I'm not supposed to go with Strangers.” She muttered.
“I'm not a stranger, I'm your mother... in a manner of speaking.”
“NO!” Aqua shouted. “Mommy is a BAD WORD.” She stood up – she was about Tenenbaum's height. No one that old or as mature as Aqua should act that young... it looked wrong- Tenenbaum's hand started to glow.
“Here. Let me heal you.” Tenenbaum's voice dropped to a low, comforting murmur.
“NO! No!” She started to scream. She looked frightened and ran back towards the back wall. Terra and Ven started to stop Tenenbaum but the Little Sisters kept them back. Tenenbaum grabbed Aqua's hand and pulled her close. She raised her right hand and it began to glow as she extended it towards Aqua. Aqua's eyes started to close, her screams grew fainter, and then she turned back to normal as she collapsed in a faint.
“She's alright.” Tenenbaum whispered as the Sisters retreated from Terra and Ven. “I think it just overtaxed her system.” She turned to look at Terra. “Would you mind helping her into the bed?” Terra nodded and walked over to pick up Aqua as Ven ran to get a blanket. He passed by the sole TV – creepily stuck on “Please Stand By”- and it flicked to the moving picture of -
“THAT'S THE WOMAN I SAW EARLIER!” Terra shouted. Aqua jerked in her sleep and Tenenbaum's expression immediately soured.
“Sofia Lamb” she growled. “We need to get out of here now.”
“Family of Rapture.” Lamb spoke. It was an imperious tone, but somewhat comforting. Terra started to think back about what she had promised him. To help him conquer ambition and therefore the Darkness. “Someone has entered Rapture, but are fighting against the family.” An image of Ven and Terra – with the dead Splicer from when they arrived- appeared on the screen. “They have taken our last hope of Salvation, our last Little Sister, and have allied with Brigid Tenenbaum who not only created the means for our rebirth, but is now taking it away.” Tenenbaum ran over to the door and locked it, then began to pull furniture over to block it. “They are by Apollo Square. Help us save them.” the image of Lamb disappeared. Terra couldn't let Aqua get taken again. He and Ven looked at each other, and nodded.
“Dr. Tenenbaum, do you trust me?” Terra grabbed Tenenbaum by her gun arm, so she would have to notice him. “I have an idea, but I need your trust.” She paused, thinking it over, then nodded. Ven gathered the girls together. They could hear something outside the door. “Great. What is the safest place you know of, outside of Rapture. A place we can just show up and just be protected without being questioned. “
“Jack... He's.” She glanced back towards the door. They could hear pounding now, and some muttered threats.
"The party has started, hurry up!"
"I know you can hear me."
"Ya? Well, you're fired! Ya got that?"
“At least three splicers so far, it's only going to increase.” Tenenbaum muttered, as she gripped her pistol. Indeed, already, some of the wood was splintering.
“Just get Aqua on my back, then we'll go from there.” Terra pleaded. Dr. Tenenbaum pulled Aqua up on his back and helped him adjust the comatose form. The sounds outside were getting louder, BANGS were heard now and again. They must have gotten their hands on something to knock the door down. “Alright” he muttered as he summoned the keyblade. “Hold onto my arm and think of your safe place.” Tenenbaum did so, her eyes closed and her gun pointed at the door. Terra pointed the keyblade, and a teleporting corridor opened. Ven rushed the girls through, then Tenenbaum released Terra's arm and ran through the silver oval herself, then Terra fled through as fast as he could. Right as Terra vanished, the corridor closed and the Splicers smashed their way into the apartment.
