[center][I]A Few hours earlier [/I][/center]

Crossing the buildings of the afternoon-lit Hollow Bastion, Cerden made little use of the rooftops as the distance he gained from one out of every five buildings he jumped from really made the trip a whole lot easier than if he were to just jump rooftop-to-rooftop. It was by this quickness that Cerden was easily able to the factory as he looked at it from the rooftop of a building approximately five miles away. As he did, Cerden had mixed feelings about seeing it. On one side, he was so close and he probably could take it, but there was no doubt that the factory had soldiers guarding it at all corners. There was just no way that he could do it alone. Taking one more moment to just look at it, Cerden knew he needed some assistance. As he made that decision, Cerden turned his back on the building. In the same moment that he did, he leaped away from the factory and continued to do so until the factory itself became a spec in his rear view. 

By the time that Cerden had gotten away from the view of the factory, he found himself in what some would call the slums of Hollow Bastion. The district he was in looked rather run down and worse for ware. The buildings had wood nailed on them, paint wasn’t even present on some buildings, and the metal in the area was so rusted up that they were beyond repair. Cerden just walked through it, looking on both sides and the people sitting on the ground and on barrels just eyed him as if they wanted to start a fight with him. However, Cerden didn’t stare at a single individual long enough for a fight to be followed him. He just kept on walking. He turned a few corners and came to a house singled out from the rest. It was pretty run down as well. It wasn’t that big. It was probably trailer size, but perhaps a little smaller. The colors of the house seemed to be variant of a singular shade. Parts had brick red and other parts had shit brown. There were black and white bits. 

While Cerden’s view was mainly on the house(if one could call it that), he did bring his crimson eyes to the cellar to the right of the trailer house. It was one that had a wood door concealing it and two metal handles. Cerden smiled as he saw it. He would then walk over to it, and bang the wood part with his right hand that was balled into a fist. He would bang it three times and made sure there was a loud bang. Cerden would just wait for a minute or so for there to be an answer, but there was no such thing. Cerden sighed and would bang the door of the cellar once more, this time a little harder, causing the thing to almost break. He would, once more, step back and wait for an answer, though this time his arms were crossed over his chest as he was slightly annoyed. As it was before, there was no answer. Now Cerden was growing impatient and quite frankly, a bit pissed off.

[b]“Damn it, are you really going to make me wai--”[/b]

Before Cerden could finish, the doors plowed open with great force and out came the person who owned the trailer and all of its surroundings. The person who came out flipped with grace as this person’s long purple hair with salt and pepper tips landed in front of Cerden. The look on his face was one mixed of relief and slight disappointment. As Cerden smiled at the person in front of him, the violet-haired human grabbed their weapons and went at Cerden. This alarmed the white-haired man and he pulled out his Brother’s Requiem and defended himself as the two knives from his attacker went through the hollow holes of his short swords.

[b]“Is that any way to greet your long lost love, [url=https://i.imgur.com/kAbvCMy.jpg]Flora[/url]?” [/b]Cerden said smiling.

[b]“Oh put a sock in it!” [/b] Flora snapped as she tried to force her knives into Cerden’s gut, but his strength was proving too much for her.

[b]“Please, honey, don’t be like this.”[/b] Cerden said pleading with her.

[b]“You have some nerve!” [/b]Flora roared, [b]“Ten years and you don’t even drop a call or anything!?”[/b] Flora’s voice was getting louder and louder by the second.

[b]“Please, you know I would have if I could have.”[/b] Cerden said trying to keep the knives from reaching his gut, 

Flora’s face lit up with even more rage, but as she would try to step forward, Cerden would use her own momentum against her as her backside was to his front and his short swords to her throat. Flora gave a loud groan of defeat and Cerden let her go without hesitation. However, as she and he would put their weapons away, she whacked him in the face with a straight right punch. [b]“That’s for calling me honey!”[/b] Flora said as she smiled down at the laid-out Cerden.

Holding his jaw, Cerden let out a slight moan of pain. [b]“That hurt you know!”[/b] He said complaining.
[b]
“Oh suck it up, you big baby.”[/b] Flora said angrily.

Cerden sat up as he looked at Flora. The two of them exchanged looks. About a half of a minute, Cerden got up, brushing off any dirt that might have gotten on his body. As he stood on his feet, Cerden was going to speak, but before he could, Flora did it first. [b]“Now tell me what you’re doing here? Ten years and you haven’t once came to me for a social visit.”[/b] Flora said.

Sighing, Cerden spoke. [b]“I take it you’re aware of the Empire’s presence here?” [/b]Cerden said.

Flora nodded. [b]“Mmm, yeah. I was in the square near their attacked storehouse and heard it from your beloved brother.”[/b] Flora chuckled slightly.

Cerden’s expression was anything but what Flora’s was. [b]“Yeah, he’s full of shit.”[/b] Cerden said.

[b]“Don’t have to tell me twice.”[/b] Flora said.

Cerden sighed again. The amount of seriousness in the air couldn’t even be dented by a razor-sharp sword cause there was so much of it. [b]“I need your help.”[/b] Cerden said.

Flora looked at Cerden. Sure it’s been a decade since she’s even heard from him, and yet, as she heard him speak, there was a certain sadness to his voice. It resonated with her and she knew that he would only come to her if it were worst-case scenario. [b]“Fine, but let’s talk about this inside.”[/b] Flora said as she guided Cerden into the cellar.

Cerden followed her lead and they went down the stairs. When they did, Flora snapped her fingers and swirls of magic consumed the air. All the swirls had fifty shades of grey, black, white, and purple, each responding to the rough textures of the walls. Even when the two of them arrived to the ground floor of the cellar, at first glance it was nothing to gloat about. However, as the magic would grace the walls, the ceiling, and the ground, something wonderful happened. Each ounce of magical energy revealed a room ten times the amount of its seven-square foot overall size. Revealed from the magic were computer screens that were directly across from the war table in the center of the room that had a projection of multiple worlds around. There were also cabinets behind a fully-transparent glass window that stood as tall as a seven-foot Large Body heartless. The floor was now of metal textiles and the walls had a succulent glass-like texture going about it.

Cerden smirked as he saw the once rundown room transformed into pretty much a war room. [b]“I see someone’s been busy.” Cerden said, looking at the new improvements he remembers seeing in mere blueprints all those years ago.”

“Oh shut up.”[/b] Flora said, walking right on over to the War Table, waving her hand over the center which revealed Hollow Bastion in holographic form.

Cerden looked on and he just was simply amazed at how simple blueprints back in the day could become something so wonderful as the room and the War Table. Regardless of that, he had to focus. [b]“Okay, so the factory is there.” [/b]He said pointing to it. [b]“I need a way to get into it.”[/b] Cerden said.

Flora heard Cerden and she enlarged the Factory hologram. It would be the only thing in view and she would analyze the schematics. There were blueprints of its layout that included the floors initial designs, how many floors there were both above and below ground. It showed where the guards were going to be placed and there was even heat signatures of the soldiers at the very moment. Flora toyed and toyed with the rotations, but she saw no other entrance aside from the front one. [b]“There seems to be no other way in other than the front entrance.”[/b]

“But that’s going to be heavily guarded.” Cerden said as he bit his thumb. [b]“Isn’t there any other way?” [/b]Cerden asked.

[b]“If there was, don’t you think I would have fou--” [/b]Just as she was going to finish that statement, Flora thought of something. [b]“I wonder..” [/b]She would turn the hologram a few times, each different from the last and in seconds a new layout of it — an older version — appeared. [b]“This seems to be an older blueprint of the version that’s here on Hollow Bastion.”[/b] Flora said. She looked and saw one area that could be another way in. [b]“You see that there?”[/b] She asked Cerden.

[b]“You mean that?” [/b]Cerden said as he too pointed to the same spot that Flora was, but as he did, their hands touched, which warranted a rather sexual-filled look from the both of them to each other.

Shaking her head, Flora got back to reality. [b]“Yes, that one. It’s a side entrance that was supposed to be sealed off, but since this is an older blueprint, I doubt the soldiers will be there as much as they will be in other areas. That’s your way in.” [/b]Flora told him.

Cerden was thrilled to hear that from Flora. A rush of excitement took him over and his impulse took over as he gripped Flora by the waist and lifted her up, which garnered him a sound of surprise from her. However, as he lifted and spun around, she looked at him and him at her. For a moment, the once thought dead spark between them lit up for a few seconds and she almost was going to kiss him, but she resisted. Instead she cleared her throat and Cerden came back to planet Hollow Bastion. He set her down as turned away. She smiled as he did.

[b]“Well, then I guess I’ll be seeing you later.”[/b] Cerden said as he prepared to leave.

[b]“Wait!”[/b] She shouted. [b]“You’re not going to go alone, are you?”[/b] She asked worryingly.

Cerden looked back. [b]“That was the plan, yeah.”[/b] He said simplemindedly.

Flora stepped forward a few steps. [b]“But you’ll die…”[/b] She said.

Cerden raised an eyebrow. [b]“Are you actually worried about me?”[/b] He asked smirking.

She gasped and face turned red. [b]“Ah, n-n-no. I just think it’ll be stupid of you to risk your life like that when you can have some help.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m coming with you.”

“YOu really do care.”

“Oh shut it! I’m only coming so you don’t die.” [/b]Flora said, denying that she still cares in that way for Cerden[I]Of course I care, dummy.[/I] It was with that Cerden and Flora spent the hours preparing and he would tell her everything and they just waited until nightfall.

-----

[center][I]Present Time[/I][/center]

Time definitely flew on by in Hollow Bastion. From the almost evening sunlight and blue skies with white clouds to the near black clouds and the glistening moonlight, Hollow Bastion now looks like a radiant, midnight garden from the sky and below. The stars just add to the sceneity that is the nighttime. Even if Hollow Bastion has evil folk such as the Empire among her streets, to those who have lived in it for so long enjoy the night time and all that she brings. To Cerden and Flora, who are stealthily making their way through the streets, they cannot enjoy the nightlife as most could. At least, not until The Empire’s Factory is long gone and out of commission. However, in order for that to happen, they must give their contributions to the cause. 

Through the hours that Cerden and Flora prepared, Cerden told his ex-wife about the group known as the Unbound Hearts, as she already knew. They knew exactly what they were going to do and it was only minutes until they made their way through the side entrance — which was just a little more difficult to get through as the schematics made it out to be, but it mattered not. They were able to get through it and into the factory, which as compared to the hologram, seemed so much more…empty inside. Cerden just looked around and couldn’t believe that he was actually in, knowing that somewhere was Nomis.

Flora looked over at Cerden. [b]“So, where do you think he’s at?”[/b] She asked him.

[b]“My honest thought?”[/b] Cerden said, [b]“The core room.”

“Why there?”

“Nomis loves to experiment and what better way to do that than with the core of the factory. “

“Fine then, let’s get going. Father Time will not wait for us forever.”[/b]

Cerden just nodded as he and Flora would head in the direction that the core room was at and they hoped they would be able to make it before Nomis did whatever he had planned.