Hey lovelies here's a new post and I apologize it took so long but with college graduation, work and life in general being a pain its been hard to stay focused solely on one idea but I've managed it seems for my fifth one shot for this genre. In accordance with this I've shared and posted on my google+ and youtube account under the same pen name pictures and a playlist of the music I used and was inspired by for this fic so enjoy ~Evil Irish Pixie
Darkness' Heart
When Ventus and Vanitas clashed for the last time, the former having seemed to have triumphed over his dark counter part had been unaware of the fact that all Vanitas had done in the later part of the blonde's journey had been done so he could protect the light that had come into his life in the form of Terra's four year old niece, Harriet Rose Potter. He just called her Lin though since the little girl's eyes were the color of a forest.
Vanitas in a last ditch effort to protect the only good thing to come into his life since Master Xehanort had torn and created him from the darkness in Ventus' heart had left a good chunk of what was his heart and soul in the little girl. He did it in hopes of driving out the darkness that had always seemed to surround the raven haired girl and leaving something of himself to protect Lin since the old man had threatened to hurt her and return her to the world she and Terra originally came from if he didn't comply to the old man's orders.
Return her to the pain and suffering she had endured for a year before Terra had retrieved her on one of his rare visits home to see his little sister, Lily Potter nee Evans and had learned of his sister's death, leaving Lin alone in the world and at the mercy of her magic hating relatives.
When Vanitas woke he looked around him and realized that the part of himself he'd left behind in Lin had called out and pulled him into her heart for safe keeping and that the darkness that used to reside in her soul and heart and had been driven out by his power, leaving behind a peaceful place to rest. He would later recognize it as Destiny Islands and one of the few worlds Terra had taken his niece to in his journey to prove himself.
Lin would cry in delight and joy that Vanitas had come back for her when she went to sleep that night, beaten and tired from a long day of chores. She'd woken up back on what her Uncle Terra had called their home world, The World of Magic after Radiant Gardens had fallen to the darkness, getting separated from Lea in the process since the red head had taken her in when Ven, Uncle Terra and Aunt Aqua hadn't come back for her.
"Van" Lin cried throwing herself at the raven haired boy and hugging his legs, still tiny for someone her age and would hold on tighter when she felt his awkward hands try and comfort her.
"I'm back brat" Vanitas offered quietly, noting he wasn't wearing his body suit anymore and what he had worn the one time when he had opted to ignore Xehanort's orders and had taken Lin to one of the forgotten worlds and explore with her. The world had been similar to her home world in the modern setting of it but the difference was the conflict between souls, Lin dubbing the world the Land of Souls for the constant fighting between Hollows and Soul Reapers.
He had sat and watched her play with an orange haired boy in a simple long sleeved black shirt, dark red jeans and black boots to keep with the color scheme of his body suit. The boy's mother had been wary of him at first but had eventually relaxed for the oddest of reasons.
Lin had later told him that it was because he loved her and he wouldn't hurt her and Ichigo's mother had seen that and knew that Ichigo was safe regardless of the darkness inside Vanitas.
"I got separated from Lea and Radiant Gardens fell and when I woke up I was back with Aunt Tuney, Uncle Vernon and Dudley…Aunt Tuney was a little nicer than I last saw her but that was without Vernon and Dudley around otherwise they were all the same as last time" Lin sniffled as Vanitas ran his hand through her much shorter black hair, her relatives likely hacking off most of it upon her return since Terra had let her grow it out with him.
"I'm sorry I didn't come to sooner brat" Vanitas sighed as Lin shook her head no and loosened her grip to lean back, tearful green eyes filled with sad understanding.
"No you needed to heal, the part of you that needed to return to Ven did so but the rest of you needed to find me and it made you tired so you needed to rest and heal since what you left me had to fight for its place and get rid of the evil snake man…maybe when I'm stronger we could go see Uncle Kisuke. He'd know how to fix this since you can't stay here forever" Lin says as Vanitas snorted and smiled his first true smile for her in amusement.
"Kisuke is a mad scientist brat. I doubt he couldn't help us. Its avoiding the crazy idiot that your friend calls dad that will be the issue" Vanitas deadpanned as Lin giggled and let Vanitas lift her up and hold her to his chest.
"Isshin is funny though and it'd be weird to see him all serious…I can hear your heartbeat. You didn't have one the last time you held me" Lin mumbled tiredly and snuggled into the older boy's chest with a small content smile at the steady heartbeat she heard. She would miss the incredulous smile and hysterical laughter at what she had pointed out as she drifted off to sleep feeling safe for the first time since her Uncle and his friends had disappeared, left her behind for Lea to take care of.
"Your incredible I hope you know that brat" Vanitas sighed into the peaceful silence after he'd finally stopped laughing at what she had subconsciously done to save him and keep him in her lonely world.
A decade would go by before Vanitas felt Lin was safe enough to travel through the darkness and off world and it had been a challenging decade of sitting, watching and flaring up when her relatives behavior towards Lin became too hard to ignore. He'd sworn to never again sit back and let Lin handle it much as she promised she could when Vernon had taken a belt to her back for a small slight in burning dinner but it had all changed when her Hogwarts letter arrived.
Things changed again with the letter and Lin began going to the school her mom, dad and Terra had gone to though he had left most of the knowledge behind when he had shown the potential for a Keyblade and went off world to learn how to use it and the magics that had come with it. It wasn't any better than Privet Drive in Vanitas' eyes as Lin struggled to make friends like she'd had off world who saw her and not the fame and money she had at her finger tips. By the end of third year in which Lin had to deal with reliving the darkest moments in her life every time a dementor came near her, Vanitas had enough and vowed to take her off world.
He definitely looked old enough and felt strong enough to take care of her and through the years Lin had amassed a small treasure trove of things she wouldn't leave behind in the pouch Aqua had given her for her third birthday and began showing a strong inclination towards being able to perform the kind of magic the others could use. She also had gained a familiar in the form of the monster from the Chamber of Secrets, a male Greek Basilisk she had named Manda for his size reminded her of the large summon himself if Vanitas wasn't enough of a deterrent in scaring off enemies from hurting his light.
"I'm sad to be leaving Sirius but he wouldn't understand if I took the time to explain myself since mum never mentioned Uncle Terra to anyone outside my dad though Snape might know where we went but he likes me well enough to not rat me out to anyone" Lin said quietly as she walked through the dark portal and left the World of Magic behind, unaware that she had just missed the Order of the Phoenix arriving to stop her when Dumbledore's instruments had all exploded on him in his office. The World of Magic had never been her home and deciding to leave had been the final nail in the coffin for said instruments that had monitored her since Dumbledore had placed her with the Dursleys.
"It'll be fine brat now lets see if you can open the portal to the Land of Souls since that's our first stop" Vanitas stated from just behind her as he floated along as nothing more than a ghost, his gold eyes glowing in the darkness much like her green eyes were.
"Ichigo and Uncle Kisuke will be so surprised to see us" Lin giggled finally stepping out of the darkness and into the familiar streets of Karakura town, though she could sense immediately that something was off and would quickly make her way to Urahara's Shop where Tessai was waiting for them.
"Hey Tessai, is Uncle Kisuke in?" Lin asks, looking unsure as Tessai nods and motions for her and Vanitas to follow him down to the basement.
"My sensors picked you up the moment you stepped out of the portal Vani-Lin?" Kisuke says in shock taking in the thirteen nearly fourteen year old girl in front of him when he remembered during the last visit a tiny four year old eager to learn and be a part of the fight her Uncle was a part of and the grumpy teenager who had shot her down, now an adult and ghost standing behind her.
"Hey Uncle Kisuke, as you can see Van and I got into some trouble while we were away" Lin says with a sheepish smile before squeaking in surprise as the blonde pulled her into a tight hug, returning it gratefully glad that Kisuke was happy to see her.
"Understatement brat now go see if Tessai has a change of clothes that will FIT you while the adults talk" Vanitas stated as Lin sulked but did as asked after sticking her tongue out at him.
"You're stuck" Kisuke stated, grey eyes gleaming at the challenge presented to him as Vanitas nodded with an aggravated look on his face.
"I left a large chunk of myself to start with in her soul after the old fart threatened to use Lin against me to follow orders and when my other half defeated me and assimilated the parts of me he needed the rest of me was drawn back to what Lin held in her heart. I've been stuck for nearly a decade you mad scientist so whatever help you can give we would appreciate because I DON'T want to have to channel myself through her anymore to defend her" Vanitas explained, passing over the notes he'd had Lin make explaining what he had done and how it had worked.
"It'll take me a few days but I should have something for you to test at least by then. The Kurosaki's are still living where they were last time you visited but Masaki was killed by a hollow so Ichigo and his family has changed quite a bit because of it" Kisuke admitted as Vanitas nodded with a small frown.
"Lin isn't the same either but that's to be expected…her uncle, my blonde counterpart and Aqua have been missing for nearly a decade and we ended up back on her home world for most of that time and the hag and her whale of a husband were not very welcoming so she's a little quieter and not quick in placing her trust in strangers like she used to do. It'll do them both some good to see each other though since besides seeing you, Ichigo has been one of the few friends she made on that journey when she was four that she's wanted to see more than anyone else" Vanitas explained as they watched Lin come bouncing back in better fitting clothing with Yoruichi in her arms, smiling as she cuddled with the changeling woman.
"Tessai says he got the guest room ready so we can stay awhile" Lin says cheerfully as Vanitas gave a look to Kisuke seeing the gleeful smile.
"No early wake up calls or anything that can be pinned on me and I will look the other way if you two decide to prank someone" the raven haired male deadpanned as Lin nodded with a bright smile before settling to tell Kisuke and Yoruichi all about their adventures in Hogwarts and show off Manda, who has only gotten bigger since she began feeding him properly and caring for him.
Ichigo would get no warning as a black blur tackled him to the ground at the park, glad it was Saturday and that the old man wasn't there to chastise him or add insult to injury by joining in on the tackle. He would quickly realize the black blur was a face he hadn't seen in a long time as bright green eyes looked up with a smile that had only changed slightly with age and experience.
"Lin? When did you get back?" Ichigo asks wondering why it had taken her so long to come back and the smile would dim as if she could sense the underlying question.
"Van and I got back late last night, Uncle Kisuke is helping Van with something so they let me loose on my own…we didn't come back sooner because I got left behind in another place with a friend of Ven's but that place fell and I ended up back with my relatives. Been stuck there till Van felt I was strong enough to use his mode of transportation to get out. We'll be around for a while so I came out to see you first" Lin explains quietly, her smile small and it spoke volumes as to how life had gone for her and it would get Ichigo to soften up for her.
"I got nothing better to do" Ichigo admits, no longer scowling as Lin brightened up and let Ichigo up.
"Can you show me what's changed since I've been gone? I'd say maybe checking in with Tatsuki but I bet she's busy with her karate training" Lin mused as Ichigo snorted at how right Lin was with that statement.
"Sure I can introduce you to Chad as well" Ichigo offers leading Lin off, arm in arm much like they'd done when they were younger. He noted that Lin was still very much tiny compared to others their age and that she had a few more scares and was a little more wary to the ball of kind and excited sunshine she used to be.
A few days later with Ichigo in tow, a brief explanation given as to what had happened to Vanitas saw all of them in Kisuke's basement trying out Kisuke's idea to separate the pair, a gigai laying nearby that he'd had Lin help him tweak since it would need to grow with Vanitas and age properly much like Isshin's did though Ichigo didn't know that part.
"We're ready Uncle Kisuke" Lin says, having changed into some clothes that she wasn't afraid to ruin if things got explosive as they tended to do with her luck.
The blonde made the blow swift and painless as he hit Lin in the chest with the butt end of his cane and only Vanitas fell out of Lin much to his surprise since the mad shop keeper had explained the original purpose of what he had done for when Reapers got stuck in their gigai.
"It worked" Vanitas stated with a vicious grin as Lin whooped in joy and tackled her guardian in a hug after he climbed into and settled in his new body, pleased with the strength he felt in his hands and his power flowing through his veins all his own once more.
"What now?" Ichigo asked as Vanitas grinned widely as Lin pouted knowing the look for what it was.
"Weapon training and magic practice till I drop. Now that Van is free we need to get our acts together and begin looking into the state of things in my family's absence. See if we can find where Aunt Aqua stashed Ven and look into finding any of the friends that got lost or left behind in the chaos of the worlds falling. This world and the worlds Van took me too will be fine since they're part of a chain of worlds I like to call the Lost Realm. Not literally lost but kind of forgotten since their hearts are so well protected from threats like the Unversed and the Heartless. The worlds outside this chain though aren't safe and have likely one by one falling to the darkness that Kisuke's monitors have been picking up and it needs to be stopped at the source" Lin explained patiently for her friend as he nodded.
"Its what your Uncle did then or was training to do" Ichigo mentioned remembering that long ago conversation they had on in the sandbox as two four year olds without a care in the world but for their important people.
"Mhm but I don't really have that kind of potential to do what Uncle Terra could do, but I do have the strength to help and make things easier for his successor and the successors of Ven and Aqua by finding the source and securing the worlds that I can without a Keyblade. But really I want to find my friends across the worlds, find Lea who took such good care of me and find my family who have suffered enough in the darkness" Lin stated sounding much older than her nearly 14 years of age in that one moment and the smirk of pride of Vanitas' face said it all that it was his influence that had encouraged this decision.
Ichigo would nod and settle in to watch the show as Kisuke handed over a keychain to the girl with a black thistle hanging from it.
"Modified it to work for you after last time. I can do the same for the other chains you may have been given if you want Lin hime" Kisuke offers mischief clear on his face as she nodded eagerly, handing over three other chains for the man to modify and tinker with while she trained with the manifestation of Benihime.
Days would turn into weeks as the young witch trained with Vanitas, the now very much human and whole Keyblade wielder facing off against her with Wayward Wind much to his annoyance. With the gaining of his heart he had lost the ability to call on Void Gear so he had been stuck with Wayward Wind which Ventus had left to Lin in hopes it would protect her.
When her birthday rolled around Vanitas would halt the training so Lin could celebrate it with Tatsuki, Ichigo, Chad and Ichigo's family knowing the next day they would need to move on.
Tatsuki would give her first best friend a new set of clothes to wear on her travels while the boys had pitched in and gotten an album together of pictures that had been taken when Tatsuki, Ichigo and Lin had been four and the pictures that had been taken since she had gotten back with everyone Lin knew on the Land of Souls.
"I love the gifts guys" Lin says with a wet smile trying not cry at some of the pictures, Masaki having been in a few and would place the album with the first one she had of her parents and their years at Hogwarts and a few of life afterwards.
"Oi no tears, today is supposed to be happy" Tatsuki chastised as Lin laughed and wiped her eyes before hugging her friends and dragging them along to head outside and wander since she could hear Vanitas and Isshin getting hyper in the other room.
"I swear your guardian and Ichigo's dad get along like cats and dogs Lin" Tatsuki muttered as Lin laughed brightly.
"Yeah well for the longest time after Uncle Terra disappeared with his friends its just been me and Van against the world and he had to give up some of his more vicious tendencies to take care of me and be the adult since the adults in my life wouldn't step up and do it. He finds Isshin's behavior aggravating and grating on what little patience he has for idiots" Lin admitted with a small grin as Ichigo nodded and Tatsuki grunted in amusement.
"Who wants to bet Vanitas beat the shit out of Ichigo's dad by the time we go back?" Tatsuki asks as they all place their bets, heading into an arcade to play some games (Lin would win the bet in the end, stating that Van would smack Isshin around a bit but would leave the room and sit with Karin and Yuzu in the end since they were more tolerable in the irritable man's eyes).
Lin would say her good byes and with Vanitas walk into the portal of darkness and head on their way to check on the other worlds out there, stopping in on Remnant to see Taiyang, Qrow, Ruby and Yang on their way to see Xanxus and his guardians, being given a new chain in the process that turned into the Wrath flame users gun. They would also stop in to see Kakashi and would mourn with him the loss of Rin, Minato and Obito though the silver haired Jounin was pleased with Lin's progress after she left in her magic and in her kenjutsu. He was a little wary of her familiar though in Manda and would briefly explain what had happened with Orochimaru.
"Did you even bother asking who put him up to those experiments? Oro loved Sarutobi Jiji and Tsunade enough to have not done anything along those lines right up until that point. Someone must have pushed him across that line, threatened him enough to make him feel cornered. He loved this village and was loyal to it regardless of the whispers and I know Minato sensei didn't like it but I reminded Oro of that, reminded him that the whispers didn't matter. It was as long as those that truly did matter believed and remained loyal to him he should worry about" Lin stated seriously dressed in the clothes Tatsuki had given her in the form of black leggings, black shinobi sandals, glasses gone and a black form fitted hoodie with the symbol for the Leaf on the back in bright green.
"There aren't many that could make the Snake Sannin feel threatened Lin chan" Kakashi reminded as Lin scowled, rubbing underneath Manda's chin when the snake hissed warningly with her agitation.
"Yes well I only know a couple who would push Oro over the edge and one of them has been on my shit list since I first arrived when I was four Kashi. You should have the Hokage poke around Danzo some and you may just be surprised" Lin stated before walking off to find Naruto knowing the little blonde was due out of the Academy and that Itachi was likely there as well waiting for Sasuke.
Itachi was likely to listen to her more than Kakashi anyways since the silver haired male still saw the child she was and not the sharp eyed and wary teenager she was.
"You know ignoring the brat when her instincts have never led you wrong is going to bite you and the rest of this place in the ass right and that she'll bring it up with the only other person that's alive to listen to her just to protect the runt" Vanitas stated stepping out of the shadows having heard the whole conversation and knew his brat was right. The slippery snake of a bastard that had sat and listened to Lin's ideas when she was four and had taken her seriously about what she could and shared the chakra equivalents with her when she showed no fear in his presence was hard to threaten but not impossible if you crossed into his territory and chose the right place to make said threats or propositions.
Naruto would smile in joy at the older girl who had known his tou san and kaa san waiting for him when classes was over and would tackle her in a hug as he marveled over her large summon animal.
"Lin nee why does Manda stick around?" Naruto asks as he spots Sasuke nearby with his older brother.
"Manda isn't an actual summons animal Naru chan. He's my partner yes but he's also my familiar which is an animal who binds themselves to a person with a special type of chakra like myself and as long as I live so does Manda. When I finally pass on so will Manda unless he binds himself to my children. Now why don't we go with Itachi and Sasuke since I need to talk with Itachi for a bit and if your nice enough Manda might let you and Sasuke ride him for a bit" Lin offers as both younger boys grin at the idea and scramble after the Basilisk in question, his eyes abilities having been sealed by Sarutobi so the large snake could wander without killing anyone.
Like Vanitas predicted Itachi would take Lin's words and both would leave Naruto and Sasuke in the care of Genma, Raido and Manda to go investigate, using Lin's abilities to slip in and out of shadows like Vanitas to find what she was looking for and what they did find made her angry and furious since it seemed Danzo was accountable for a lot of the misfortune and death that happened before and after Lin had stepped foot on the Elemental Nations.
Sarutobi would pale and look a lot older than Lin was used to when she and Itachi brought this information forward, some of it connected to the group he had Jiraya investigating with his spy network and would send both teenagers on their way, Itachi inviting Naruto to stay the night in the Uchiha compound with Vanitas and Lin since it wouldn't be safe for the blonde now that the Hokage knew what his counsel elders had been up to in the name of their village.
"You really can't help but kick up a hornet's nest wherever we go brat" Vanitas sighed as Lin shrugged, looking unashamed of what she had done.
"Naru wasn't safe and I wouldn't leave this world till it was. Minato and Kushina took care of us when we were here last, showed you ways to use your powers over the darkness more constructively. We owed them at least that much but no one messes with Oro and gets away with it…Danzo pushed him into a corner and with no way out and made him into a traitor, pushed Sakumo Hatake into killing himself and assisted in the downfall of what should have been Naru chan's birth right. Now Naru can be the best shinobi he was born to be and the Uchiha can be a part of the village again without having to look over their shoulders" Lin admitted as she held a sleeping Naruto, who had passed out against her after an evening of training and playing with Itachi, Sasuke, Shisui and Lin.
"And we love you all the more for it Lin chan" Shisui teases as he and Itachi settle on the porch with the girl that could have passed for a green eyed Uchiha.
"Tou san was all but willing to name you a part of the clan for what you did but the elders stopped him" Itachi admitted as Lin grinned savagely.
"Lin Uchiha has a nice ring to it doesn't it Van?" Lin asks as the older male barks out a laugh in amusement.
"You don't have the eyes but just as deadly and powerful brat and with the kicking of the nest you've created a momentum of progress this place likely hasn't seen since its founding. Naruto and all the other runts likely don't realize it but you likely changed their fates and that of the people around them for the better if the dark feeling we had felt upon arrival is nearly gone" Vanitas admitted as the Uchiha's grinned in amusement.
Vanitas would continue on ahead, leaving Lin behind to continue her visit on the Elemental Nations and would run into King Mickey in the process when the mouse king heard whispers of Vanitas' power and survival in Traverse Town.
"I see the old fart you were training under made you a master" Vanitas noted, trying to keep his tone civil as Lin had suggested in case he ever ran into anyone who recognized him.
"How are you still alive, Ventus defeated you" Mickey asked as Vanitas scowled at the mention of that battle and what had lead up to it.
"You know rat for being a king you aren't very smart. I did what I did back then because HE threatened her, threatened the one thing Ventus, Terra and Aqua held dear above their friendship. HE threatened to hurt and take away the light that taught me to feel something beyond pain and self loathing, showed me what life could be regardless of my darkness" Vanitas hissed as Mickey caught on remembering the little girl Aqua and Ventus both talked about.
A little girl that seemed to be so full of light yet so full of darkness at the same time that they never left her alone with their master out of fear of their master taking her away because of that darkness.
"Lin, Master Xehanort threatened Lin to get you to do all the things you did. When did you even get the chance to meet Lin" Mickey asked as Vanitas snorted in a mixture of amusement and annoyance at the mouse's tone.
"Her guardian left her unguarded long enough that Master Xehanort tried to take advantage but in a fit of boredom and spite I whisked her away to a world of her choosing where I waited for one of them to arrive and take her. It just helped that the satyr was willing to play babysitter with a magic prodigy who was willing to learn how to fight. I kept running into them long enough I just took her with me when I noticed that only Ventus was seemingly taking his job as caregiver seriously" Vanitas stated as he sat down on the bench, the pair having been walking around as they talked.
"Lin saved you" Mickey said as Vanitas gave the mouse a look that just screamed his annoyance at the very obvious statement of what had happened.
"If you want to be blunt about it, yeah the four year old saved me and in return I saved her from the darkness that Eraqus would have killed her for harboring by leaving a large chunk of what was my part of our heart and my soul with her to protect and care for her should she have ever gotten separated from the boy I left her with to care for her, Lea. When Ventus finally beat me and assimilated what he needed of me, the rest returned to Lin when it called out for me in her time of need and I've been with her ever since, protecting and caring for her in the absence of her family" Vanitas stated quietly, gold colored eyes serious and wanting the mouse to understand what he had done and how he had changed for one little girl.
"Where is Lin now?" Mickey asks seeing what Vanitas wanted him to see and understand and could see the laugh lines and the overall happier demeanor he hid behind the short tempered facade he showed to the world.
"I left her on a world that's part of a chain of worlds she dubbed the Lost Realm. None of my Unversed could take a foot hold in them when I still held the ability to produce them and the Heartless can't get into them long enough to gain any kind of hold of them because of the powers and people on them. There's light and darkness in equal measure on these worlds that they've found a balance and its maintained. Lin is currently on the world called the Elemental Nations visiting with some old friends and taking care of a mess of her creation and taking care of the son of a couple who had taken care of her during her first visit to the world. Lin is safe and doing what Eraqus should have let Terra do instead of stifling his potential as a Keyblade wielder" Vanitas stated as Mickey smiled in relief that at least the one person that his three friends cherished was safe.
"Will she help with finding the key?" Mickey asks as Vanitas just grinned smugly that he knew something the mouse didn't as he stood up.
"Don't worry rat, Lin will step forward when the time is right. She's just making sure the worlds she and I visited when she was a child are safe first and we have a place to retreat to relax and heal should the need rise. Lin may not be able to wield a Keyblade but she will always give her support and power when needed and I will go where she goes to protect her" Vanitas stated before walking away.
Vanitas would return to find that Lin had finally managed to get things cleaned up and the news of what had happened in Konohana had spread and in that they learned of what Akatsuki was up to and by extension that Obito was alive though playing the part of the villain.
"Brat I left for a couple months" Vanitas hissed as he fussed over the 14 year old who laughed brightly hugging a resigned but content looking Obito who had been taken done by a combination of Shisui, Kakashi and Lin and brought home to take care of Naruto after the defeat of Zetsu and the other more stubborn members of the organization he and Nagato Uzumaki created.
"Yes but two months to make this place better for Naruto to grow and be the best shinobi he can be and so we have a place to come to should we need it. To change fate as you put it before you left" Lin pointed out brightly as Obito softened.
"Still freaks me out that you get along with Orochimaru" Shisui stated from up in the tree with Kakashi as Lin accepted the tackle hugs of Sasuke, Naruto and the lazy hug of Shikamaru who had attached himself to the group after rumors had spread of a female Uchiha who used shadow jutsus better than most Nara clan members did.
"I'm just glad he came home without a fight" Lin deadpanned as Itachi nodded in agreement still amazed Lin could still listen to the younger boys speak and hold another conversation at the same time.
"Oro is a grumpy person but he likes to share jutsus when Lin nee is around" Naruto adds as all the older ninja choke on their spit and try not to glare at the sole female in the group as Lin snickered at their shock and the other two boys nodded their agreement.
"I ran into the rat on my travels" Vanitas admitted once Lin was calm again and she looked at him expectantly. "We just talked brat, no fighting like you asked…it seems like your family didn't inform him of who their successors were and where they lived" he also added on as Lin sighed.
"And you left it a mystery since Mickey obviously asked us to help look" Lin deadpanned as Vanitas shrugged unrepentant.
"He wasn't exactly happy to see me brat and it took admitting I had you with me before he even listened to what I had to say so sue me if I was a bit of a bastard in providing help…none of you runts repeat that word or Lin will likely wash your mouths out with soap" Vanitas grunted as he fell onto his back, aware that Manda was out hunting in the Forest of Death.
"Yeah I kind of figured and its okay. Uncle Terra's successor hasn't tapped into his potential yet and neither has Ven's so we're okay to stay out of it for awhile yet. I kind of want to get more practice in with Zack's and Uncle Kisuke's chains while we're still here at least" Lin admitted as Vanitas nodded at the wisdom in that choice.
"You'll come back right Lin nee?" Naruto and Sasuke both ask turning on the dreaded puppy dog eyes as they did so as Lin smiled slightly.
"Its just like a mission and its one only Van and I can do so yeah it might take a while but we always will come back. Your tou san, Naruto was the first to teach me what family truly was and gave me a home here as Kashi can confirm and the Uchiha have given me a last name I can be proud to tell anyone about to go with the name Van gave me since my old name is only a reminder of what I'm not and will never be as a person" Lin promises as all three boys hugged their teacher outside the Academy.
"You're an enabler as well to the pranking demons" Shisui added as he climbed down, Lin laughing brightly in agreement.
"That's because I am a pranking demon as you so aptly put it Shisui" Lin admitted as Naruto grinned brightly at his willing helper and hugged her a little tighter, glad she had come into his life and shown him what his Hokage Jiji was always talking about in concern to the Will of Fire and protecting your precious people.
Time would pass again and the time for Lin to head out would come two months later when she felt Sora tap into his potential as a Keyblade wielder and it only meant one thing in her mind. That Destiny Islands had fallen to the darkness and that Sora had a big journey ahead of him in saving the worlds now that the key had chosen him.
"Who is she?" Sora asked confused when they arrived on Olympus Coliseum, Phil having agreed to put Sora through some training.
"A student who's shown more promise than most even from a young age" Phil says proudly as he watched Lin go through the course using Benihime since it was the keychain she was most comfortable using and the most fitting of her fast hit and run style of fighting when magic wasn't an option.
"She's really good, better than Riku" Sora said in awe thinking of his best friend as Lin finally came to a stop and looked over to Phil and seeing her audience, all of them taking in her green eyes, black hair (think Haku's hair while in uniform) and all black clothing and weird looking sandals. The only color in the outfit was the blue hair bun older and even then it was the dark blue of the Uchiha though Sora and the others wouldn't know this.
"I see you brought fresh meat for the course Phil" Lin says lightly in amusement as she stepped off the course to let Sora on and talk with Phil and see if she could go look for Zack. She knew he was alive somewhere on this world since he couldn't get off world without a gummi ship or the darkness.
"They think they're heroes" Phil offers up with a snort as Lin nodded sagely in amused agreement.
"Yeah they're not quite there yet, got the potential but they need more than potential to be true heroes" Lin agreed quietly, thinking of her family who were true heroes, willing to do and sacrifice anything for others. It had been a blow to her heart when she was younger and didn't understand what Terra, Aqua and Ventus had done but a decade was long time to put things in perspective for her and with help from Vanitas she slowly accepted and understood that her family had done what they did to protect the worlds, protect her and stop Xehanort from taking away her future by taking over the worlds through Kingdom Hearts.
"See she understands" Phil shouted as Lin giggled and wandered off, waving a hand over her shoulder as she did so to look for Hercules and begin looking for Zack.
"Cloud?" Lin asked softly getting the blonde's attention as he looked to Lin in surprise before recognition filled blue eyes and he crouched to get eye level with what was once a little girl Zack wouldn't shut up about in his letters home.
"Zack mentioned me then" Cloud stated as Lin nodded, digging around in her pouch till she pulled out the keychain Zack had given her and a yellow flower clip.
"Yeah and he wasn't lying about the Chocobo hair…I'm looking for him" Lin admitted with a giggle at the deadpan face as Cloud gently tugged on her hair to make a point.
"Good luck and avoid Hades" Cloud stated as Lin nodded and kept walking, her back straight and looking very much the fighter she was on the inside in that moment.
Vanitas would track Lin back down to Traverse Town, having discreetly been following Sora and a little disturbed by the resemblance between them though Vanitas was a decade older, black haired and gold eyed to Sora's brunette and blue eyes. Sora had traveled to quite a few worlds in his journey, a couple both males had glimpsed Lin on but never approached.
"He's seen you brat" Vanitas stated as Lin nodded, sitting on the ledge of where the clock tower bell was found, looking unrepentant of the fact.
"Yeah he's seen me and not approached because I scare him on a subconscious level. Sora senses the darkness we're shrouded with and because of the teachings of his companions fears that darkness even if he doesn't realize it yet. He'll grow out of it sure but right now he's going to keep his distance" Lin pointed out as she cuddled into Vanitas' side as he took a seat beside her to take in the Second District.
"Ven was the same way for the longest time brat" Vanitas reminded as Lin nodded, eyes closed.
"I know and it took Terra explaining to him a few times why the darkness seemed to like me before he warmed up to me and actually took the time to play sword fight with me" Lin mused with a small grin as Vanitas snorted seeing it.
"The brat is getting close to finding the source, the old man's Heartless" Vanitas explained as Lin nodded, frowning in thought as she considered their options. She knew they needed to tread carefully because even as a Heartless Xehanort would recognize them regardless of their age.
"Also that hag witch too that he's been using to push things along" Lin added, thinking of Maleficent and her influence over her Uncle's chosen successor, how she was pushing Riku down the same path Terra had gone. It worried and scared her honestly but she had promised herself to sit and watch while she did her searching for Lea, Zack and her family now that she had checked in with her friends in the Lost Realm.
"Maleficent is the hag bitch, brat get it right" Vanitas deadpanned as Lin giggled into his shoulder, having been pulled fully into his lap as they watched Sora and the others race through the Second District towards the Third to see Leon and the others.
"Do you want to get involved if they head to what's left of Radiant Garden?" Lin asks curiously leaning back to look up at him and seeing the determined glint in Vanitas' gold eyes she would nod and go back to cuddling much to his silent amusement.
Like agreed the pair would follow Sora, Donald and Goofy to Hollow Bastion though Lin would shift into her hard won Animagus form, letting Vanitas shrink her till needed as he slunk through the shadows of the castle till they came upon Maleficent standing alone in the Castle Chapel after being soundly beaten by Sora.
"Hey guess whose back hag bitch" Vanitas taunted with a vicious grin, the witch turning around in surprise to see Vanitas as he placed Lin on the ground and ran backwards, grin turning into an evil smile as the shrink spell wore off a large black dragon stood in the hall in the small dragons place.
"How dare you" Maleficent hissed as Vanitas cackled, both drowned out by the angry roar of Lin as she lashed out at the evil witch. It was this that Sora and friends arrived to, Vanitas standing and watching Lin and Maleficent duking it out as angry dragons.
"You're a little late runt" Vanitas stated in amusement as a jet of blue flames shot over their heads from Lin as she tried to pin Maleficent in a unsuccessful attempt, the older witch taking a bite out of Lin's right front leg for the effort.
"That's Lin?!" Sora demands as Donald muttered about old complicated magic in disbelief as Vanitas nodded with a grin that wasn't nice.
"Yup, that's Lin. Brat just put her out of her misery already and stop drawing it out" Vanitas shouted as Lin growled and blasted Maleficent with another jet of flames before pinning and killing the witch with a loud, deafening roar of triumph.
"That hurt" Lin mumbled tiredly as she stumbled back towards Vanitas and the others, aware of the mess she looked with her right arm bleeding and hair all over the place from its usual updo having changed back.
"No shit brat, the hag bitch had the upper hand and you let her take a chunk out of you for a couple cheap shots in. She's dead now so lets get you patched up and follow the runt forward" Vanitas stated as he scooped up the tired witch and followed Sora from a distance.
"We can't follow them if we still want the freedom to roam" Lin muttered after watching Sora fight with Riku-Ansem and then the brunette stab himself to free Kairi's heart, the witch recognizing the red head for who she was when they were children.
"I know brat and your tired so its best to fall back for now and regroup. We'll follow the silver runt when the time comes" Vanitas stated as he shadowed them away, having sensed Mickey waiting within the darkness that was the world of Kingdom Hearts.
Naruto, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Orochimaru and the Uchiha's were glad to see them back and would settle in for the latest mission debrief as Vanitas tended to Lin from her fight with Maleficent and the Heartless as they had made their way deeper into the castle on Hollow Bastion.
"We'll stick around a for little while but silver runt and the rat likely got themselves stuck in the darkness when Sora locked the door to darkness, effectively sealing Kingdom Hearts for the time being" Vanitas admitted as Lin snored away, Naruto and Sasuke curled up on top of her while he talked with Kakashi, Obito and Itachi of what they were going to do next. Shisui was out of the village on a mission with Yamato in Suna.
"He put off the inevitable for the time being but what about the long term, the old man as you've stated won't stop and likely has a Nobody wandering around still carrying out the original plan" Obito stated as Vanitas nodded looking very much annoyed.
"The runt hasn't had anyone other than battle support to show him how to use his weapon, running on pure instinct and with how the rat feels about me I can't get close. I make the runt wary as well with my alignment being darkness anyways so Sora is on his own in figuring out how to wield the key" Vanitas grumbled as Kakashi frowned at the implications.
"Can't Lin show him? Same with the other boy" Kakashi asks as Vanitas shook his head no.
"She could likely teach the silver runt because of the darkness in him but Sora would be wary of her as well due to how much darkness is in her. She's balanced but she uses the darkness more often than not in combat since most of the chains she's earned in the worlds need it to work properly" Vanitas explained as Obito grimaced.
"So Sora is just going to wander around and learn by doing and likely get himself and his team in trouble while he looks for the rat and the silver runt as you've so aptly named their friends" Obito stated as Vanitas nodded looking resigned to the whole idea.
"Yes but we might have a little more luck in finding the runt's Nobody since he spent a bit of time as a Heartless…makes me a little wary though since the Nobody could either look like a clone of the runt or a copy of my blonde counterpart" Vanitas sighed as Kakashi snickered at the picture that made but let the matter drop as they discussed what had been going on in Lin's absence and what Naruto and Sasuke had been up to in the Academy.
Lin would go on her own to what once was the Land of Departure, now Castle Oblivion unaware that Sora and Riku were both inside facing their own trials as she stepped forward to find Ventus and face her own, unaware of the Organization members inside till it was a little too late.
She would run right into Axel quite literally as she slipped into a room after running up a set of stairs and be caught by the elbow to stop her from falling over and knocking the hood of her sweater back.
"Lin" Axel says in shock as Lin looked up into his face surprised and would only just hold herself back from tackling the red head in a hug as she realized what had happened to her only other family and care giver.
"You're Lea's Nobody" Lin said softly, green eyes understanding as she tentatively ran her fingers along the purple marks under his green eyes so much like her own.
"And your safe and whole" Axel noted as Lin laughed wetly in agreement with the statement.
"Yeah, I didn't lose my heart in the darkness but the darkness has always been my element more than the light anyways" Lin said as Axel pulled them behind a pillar to talk, aware they needed to be careful since Xemnas wouldn't hesitate to hurt Lin like his Somebody had tried on occasion in an attempt to draw her into his experiments.
"Why are you here" Axel asked as he hugged Lin to him, glad she was safe after all these years unsure if she had survived the fall of Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden.
"Ven is here somewhere in the castle and I came to get him. What's going on" Lin asked warily as Axel looked around unsure before relenting to big green eyes and explaining what he himself had been tasked to do in the castle and that Ienzo, Even and Aeleus' Nobodies were here in the castle with him along with a couple other people she didn't know. He also told her about Naminé and her powers.
"I won't get in the way, but I need to get Ven out okay and I'll try to find you again but if not look for me in the Lost Realm. I'm usually there with my guardian if I'm not traveling amongst the worlds looking for Zack, Uncle Terra and Aqua" Lin promised quietly as Axel nodded and kissed the top her head and let her go as she slipped away in a shadow much like he remembered Vanitas doing.
"Aqua made it so only family could come get you, so no one could take advantage of you in this state" Lin sighed relieved an hour later, her magic keeping tabs on all the fighting going on above and below her now that she knew to look for it. She had unlocked the door with her magic after gathering Aqua's armor, having to fight it first before it would come quietly and within the room on small throne sat a sleeping Ven.
Shifting shape she would gently pick Ventus up and slip into the shadows outside the room only to reappear in Konohana where Vanitas was waiting for her with a futon and willing babysitters for Ventus in Orochimaru, Obito and the youngest members of the group (Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru with Choji in tow).
"He looks as old as you do Lin nee" Naruto stated as Lin nodded, letting Vanitas handle the changing and getting Ven comfortable in his new resting place till they could find his heart.
"Yeah well he's as old as Van, Naru chan so be nice and make sure no one moves him" Lin stated seriously as the blonde nodded with a grin.
"Don't worry Lin nee, Sasuke and I won't let anything happen to Ventus while your away fighting the bad guys" Naruto promises as Lin snickers in amusement but nods, ruffling the blonde's hair.
"I know you will now I have to head to the market to pick up a change of clothes then go check in with a couple friends else where before my friends from the outside come to track me down. Behave for Oro and no fighting with Sasuke in the house okay" Lin explains as the blonde nods, hugging the older girl before she walked off with some ryo in hand.
Axel would track her down to Twilight Town much to his surprise, finding her wandering around in a different set of clothes, a navy blue, thigh length sun dress, black bike shorts underneath and black shinobi sandals. Her long black hair pulled back into a loose braid pulled over her left shoulder and pouch attached to a black belt around her waist and making the loose looking dress look form fitted from the waist up. It seemed Lin was a bit of an early bloomer if her bust size was anything to go by in comparison to Naminé's.
"Axel" Lin calls out happily as she hugs the fire oriented Nobody tightly as Axel smoothed her bangs back in amusement.
"Happy to see you to Lin, what brings you here" Axel asks as Lin shrugged and looked around.
"Don't know but felt your magic all over the place so I thought if I stuck around long enough I would catch you between missions if what Van has managed to gleam from his snooping around is anything to go by" Lin explained with an easy grin as Axel shook his head. It seemed some things hadn't changed in that aspect. Nothing could keep Lin away or out when she wanted to know something.
"Did you want to meet a friend of mine" Axel offers as Lin nodded brightly, always eager to meet people even if she didn't place her immediate trust in them.
Roxas would look up confused when Axel brought a girl up with him his age and dressed like a normal person from around the town to have ice cream with them only for that confusion to fade as Axel admitted to knowing the girl when he was whole.
"I'm Lin and this is Manda" Lin introduces herself, pulling Manda up from around her waist. The basilisk had shrunk himself down to travel with her when it became apparent she was going to continue traveling alone while Vanitas continued following leads in regards to Xehanort.
"What kind of snake is he?" Roxas asks curiously as he pet the snake's head carefully, noting the leather collar around its neck with weird markings on it.
"Manda is a 1000 year old Greek Basilisk. He used to be a protector of a magic school on my home world before I bonded to him" Lin admitted fondly as Axel asked how they could look the thing in the eye then as Roxas tapped the collar seeing now what it was for.
"The collar contains his eyes right?" Roxas asks curiously as Lin perked up and nodded with a bright smile since no one had caught on that fast before without her explaining first.
"Mhm the symbols are a mixture of magical runes and seals from a world I like to stay on when I'm not traveling and exploring. They let Manda see the world around him without hurting anyone since he was born to protect…his last master forced him to hurt people so I wanted to give him the chance to be more than just a school guardian, to be a friend instead" Lin explained as Manda hissed and rubbed his head against her chin in affection.
"What world do you stay on?" Axel asks, wanting to file the information away for later in case he needs to divert the Organizations attentions from it.
"The Elemental Nations, its part of a chain of worlds that have remained untouched by any kind of outside darkness like the Heartless or Unversed when they were still around. It was one of the worlds I visited as a kid and learned and was shown something I hadn't known before I was taken in by you and Van. My Uncle tried but he was busy with his training when I lived with him so I kind of took care of myself for the longest time. Don't get me wrong my uncle and his friends loved me but they had dreams and their master wasn't very approving of my presence so I went world hopping when I got the chance" Lin explained with a sad smile as she thought of Minato and Kushina before letting the sadness fade as she thought of Naruto, Kakashi, Itachi, Sasuke, Shisui, Obito, Orochimaru, Genma and Shikamaru.
"What's the world like?" Roxas asks, biting into his melting ice cream as Lin went on to babble and talk about the world of ninjas, chakra and tailed beasts known as bijus and the constant fighting that goes on in that world and the darkness she helped reveal and vanquish in the past months, Axel very much aware what she had done had happened the same time Sora had been traveling if the reports were to be believed. She would talk about the little blonde boy that was the legacy of a pair of people who had loved and cared for her during her first visit and of the makeshift family she had surrounded him and herself with and of Van who was always there for her.
The three would got their separate ways for the day with the promise to meet again soon, either at the Usual spot or on Lin's home base (Orochimaru had moved Ventus into his lab in the couple days following the introduction after it was revealed the blonde was growing and trying to make up for last time in his sleep which if not monitored could be very dangerous to the blonde's health).
Lin would spend her evenings with the pair, always coming and going though and never seemingly there at the same time as Xion but a constant fixture even when things got difficult or weird for Roxas when he needed the stability to help keep calm and think straight. She was his partner on solo missions with her chains and magic and friend when they explored a world when she happened to run into him and share pictures and stories of her travels and of the friends in the Lost Realm who like her had destinies of their own but unlike her still had to complete.
Axel saw what she was doing though and would silently thank her for it because Lin was teaching Roxas what it meant to be whole, to have a heart and to be someone like them. To be a Keyblade wielder while still being the teenager he physically was even though mentally he was a seemingly short tempered mini adult from all the missions they did and all the fighting they did for the Organization.
In return though between the missions and responsibilities Roxas was giving back just as much by being her best friend and partner, giving Lin the much needed friend to understand and travel with her between worlds when her friends from the Lost Realm couldn't. Giving a calm presence to lean on and bounce ideas off of in a tight situation and to share her feelings with even though Roxas seemingly didn't have a heart.
Vanitas' first meeting with the blonde Nobody would be a mixture of amusement and guilt since Vanitas knew that his brat was going to get hurt if Roxas' status wasn't handled right. He knew someone had taken away and stashed Sora and Naminé some where for the tiny blonde to do her work in restoring Sora. He also knew that someone was a vengeful old man who'd had everything taken from him by those he once called students so Vanitas knew there would be no room in the man's heart to look or consider another way without hurting those connected to Roxas.
"So this is who you've been running off to see when your not helping train the chibis, brat" Vanitas stated in amusement coming up behind Roxas and Lin, the later nearly choking on the bite of ice cream she had taken in surprise.
Swallowing hard, Lin stood up and tackled Van in a hug as Roxas stood as well, wary because he could sense the darkness radiating off the person that Lin had told him was her second guardian next to Axel's Somebody.
"Don't scare me like that...and for your information there was no running involved when I come to hangout with Roxas" Lin stated with a grin as Vanitas ruffled her hair.
Roxas would smile slightly seeing the dynamic for what it was and the obvious question about how it came to be in his eyes reached Vanitas as he let them both sit back down as he joined them.
"I met the brat when I was in a very dark place runt. Only a toddler the brat brought me back from the brink of some very bad decisions and gave me a purpose when the worlds started to fall to the Heartless in taking care of her because her first family had been the first to fall to that darkness…so you better be taking care of her while she's with you otherwise we'll be having more than just a civil conversation" Vanitas threatened as Lin flushed in embarrassment hiding her face behind her bangs since most of her hair was still back in the navy blue bun holder, the pair having come back to relax from Roxas' solo mission on Agrabah.
"Van!" Lin squeaks out, face flushed as Vanitas gave her a look that said volumes about his feelings in regards to her closeness with the blonde and this was his way of making sure Roxas took care of her.
Roxas would nod, sharply vaguely understanding that this was Lin's big brother giving him the 'shovel talk' as she had explained it once to him when they had spotted on one of the Lost Realm world's a random stranger doing the same for their daughter.
"I promise though Lin doesn't always need protecting" Roxas said quietly as Vanitas snorted and shook his head mumbled something neither Lin or Roxas caught about hopeless blondes and Lin's weakness for them before standing.
"Alright runt I'll hold you to that, now you both need to be careful. I had a run in with the silver runt and lets just say he's running with an old man currently that's out for vengeance and NOTHING will stop him from getting it" Vanitas warned before walking away as Lin swallowed heavily in a mixture of apprehension and fear.
Lin would be at Roxas' side when he faces off against Xion, things having gone out of control in their time apart but the witch had been there when Xion had initially defected from the Organization and been informed by Axel that Roxas had done the same.
With Lin's help Roxas would win the battle but at the cost of Xion's life, the female Nobody apologizing that they had met like this, that she wanted Lin to promise to take care of Roxas, to help him free all the hearts they had collected for Kingdom Hearts and revealing to the witch that Xemnas had indeed continued the work his Somebody and Heartless had started but a little more covertly.
"Don't worry Xion I will, for both of us. Just rest and think of something you like" Lin stated quietly, sensing what Roxas couldn't as the girl began to fade. The witch would begin to sing quietly a song she had heard back home and had sung out loud once on a mission for Roxas to comfort him as she tried to ignore him begging Xion to stay.
"You had your maps drawn
You had other plans
To hang your hopes on
Every road they let you down felt so wrong
So you found another way
You've got a big heart
The way you see the world
It got you this far
You might have some bruises
And a few scars
But you know you're gonna be okay
Even though you're scared
You're stronger than you know
If you're lost out where the lights are blinding
Caught in all, the stars are hiding
That's when something wild calls you home, home
If you face the fear that keeps you frozen
Chase the sky into the ocean
That's when something wild calls you home, home
Sometimes the past can
Make the ground beneath you feel like quicksand
You don't have to worry
You reach for my hand
And I know you're gonna be okay
You're gonna be okay
Even though you're scared
You're stronger than you know
If you're lost out where the lights are blinding
Caught in all, the stars are hiding
That's when something wild calls you home, home
If you face the fear that keeps you frozen
Chase the sky into the ocean
That's when something wild calls you home, home
Calls you home
Calls you home
Calls you home
Calls you home
If you're lost out where the lights are blinding
Caught in all, the stars are hiding
That's when something wild calls you home...
If you're lost out where the lights are blinding
Caught in all, the stars are hiding
That's when something wild calls you home, home
If you face the fear that keeps you frozen
Chase the sky into the ocean
That's when something wild calls you home, home"
Xion heard the song being sung just for her and thought of Destiny Islands, of Axel and Roxas and knew they would be okay, that someday she would get to see them again and come home and maybe get to know the human that had managed to get Roxas' attention regardless of his lack of a heart. She would fade in peace and leave behind a seashell and Lin would hold Roxas to her as they both cried for Xion, for the loss of life and both angry for how it had come to all this.
Roxas on his part would hug Lin back, hurt and angry at what he had been forced to do, what the Organization had done to Xion. Mostly sad though that he had lost one of his best friends and willing to inherit Xion's will so he could never forget her, unaware that Lin with her magic would preserve those memories for him so he could never forget one of his first friends.
Riku would get the shock of his life as a second figure stepped out of the darkness with Roxas as they faced off against all the Neoshadows and at the power the hooded figure displayed with the sword in their hands and with the very strong spells used to back up the physical attacks.
"Roxas there's too many" Lin whispered softly, only just loud enough for the blonde to hear as Riku came to their rescue. Roxas tossing him Oblivion to use as they took out what remained of the Neoshadows.
"Get behind me" Roxas stated as Lin opened her mouth to argue, knowing who Riku was and the threat he posed to her friend and why the silver haired boy was there. She would listen though seeing the look in his eyes and switch Benihime out for Zack's Buster Sword to jump in when he needed her.
"Who are you?" Roxas demanded as Lin shifted restlessly, green eyes glowing slightly from under her hood, her magic simmering under the surface and ready to be used.
"What does it matter? I'm here for you" Riku stated as both heard a warning hiss, Manda having slipped out from under Lin's sweater and grown into his normal size sensing his mistress' anger at the comment.
"Why are you trying to stop me?" Roxas demanded incredulously.
"Because I want back the rest of Sora's memories" Riku said seriously as Lin growled in warning just about had enough of her uncle's successor.
"Sora, Sora, Sora! Enough about Sora!" Roxas shouted in a rage at the fact everything kept coming back to the boy named Sora.
"Do you have some kind of plan?" Riku asked, taking in the very large snake behind the mysterious figure backing Roxas up. The person's magic felt familiar to him though he couldn't remember why.
"I'm going to set Kingdom Hearts free! Then everything can go back to the way it was! Me, and Axel, Lin, and...and her can go on having ice cream together" Roxas stated as he gave away Lin's name, not that she minded much as she pushed her hood back to reveal her face and give Riku the push he needed to remember who she was, remember it was she who had killed Maleficent and helped Sora defeat him when he was consumed by his inner darkness.
"Her? You mean Xion? It's a struggle just to remember the name now, isn't it? Either way, I can't let you go doing anything crazy" Riku said, looking down to Oblivion in his hand as Lin tightened her grip on her weapon and loosened her stance slightly. Not enough for Riku to catch but for Manda and Roxas to know she considered the older boy a threat.
"I have to find this Sora person, and freeing Kingdom Hearts is the only way! I want Xion back. I want my life back!" Roxas cried out, his grief and pain obvious in that moment as Lin placed a delicate looking hand on his back in reassurance.
"If you try and make contact with Kingdom Hearts, the last thing you'll get is your life back. The Organization will destroy you" Riku pointed out bluntly to what Roxas and Lin both knew would happen.
"Shut up!" Roxas shouts as he attacks Riku. After a powerful and emotional battle, Roxas stands over Riku, who is sitting on the ground. Memories of Roxas, Axel, and Xion having ice cream fill Roxas' head as Lin kept her blade at Riku's neck, her green eyes hard in silent warning about what would happen should he try to get up.
"Why!? Why do you have the Keyblade?" Riku demanded as Roxas looks at the Oathkeeper, but shakes it off.
"Shut up!" Roxas says trying to shake off his confusion as he attacks Riku again, the silverette having knocked Lin backwards but Riku knocks him away, the Keyblade tossed from his hand. Riku walks up to the body of Roxas and slams his Keyblade into the ground. He stands there for a moment. He gasps as Roxas struggles to get up, using the Oblivion for support. He stands and pulls it out of the ground, running at Riku, who shoots a Dark Firaga spell at him. Roxas blasts through the spell and lunges at Riku, who jumps away. Lin would stand up and rush forward with the Buster Sword and an attack of her own as Roxas backed up.
"Why don't you quit?" Roxas demanded while Lin backed up to stand at Roxas' side.
"Come on, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that" Riku taunted as Lin closed her eyes and willed her hurt to go away and focus on the matter at hand, that Roxas needed her.
"Huh? Get real! Look which one of us is winning" Roxas says but stops and is surprised at this outburst.
"So it's true. You really are his Nobody. Guess DiZ was right after all" Riku says as Lin growled, her eyes flashing the red of her dragon form for a moment in her rage at the trick and at the mention of DiZ.
"What are you talking about? I am me! Nobody else!" Roxas shouted in confused anger as Lin took his hand in her eyes, pushing her magic through the blonde, quickly healing him and calming him down slightly before he summons both Keyblades and runs to strike Riku again. Riku dodges the first attack, but misses to block the second one and gets hit in the arm.
"How many times do I have to beat you?" Roxas demands as Riku struggles to stand, holding his arm weakly, Lin stiffens and switches out the Buster sword for Qrow's scythe quickly sensing the build up of darkness.
"All right. You've left me with no other choice" Riku said quietly as Lin anxiously put herself just slightly between Roxas and Riku.
"What?" Roxas asked confused and wary, seeing his friend's anxious behavior and twitching.
"I have to release the power in my heart-The dark power that I've been holding back. Even...if it changes me forever" Riku says as he stands and takes off his blindfold, letting it fall to the ground.
Riku lets out a scream as pillars of dark energy surrounds him. Roxas readies his Keyblades once again. The energy clears to reveal the body of a white-haired man and his Guardian counterpart, hovering in the air. Riku teleports in front of Roxas and the Guardian grabs him by the torso and arms, forcing him to drop his Keyblades. They clatter to the ground and vanish as Lin dashed forward with a war cry.
"I have accepted it" Riku says as he dodges the attack, unprepared for the powerful darkness he could feel coming off the girl as she jumped in and out of the darkness to attack him with the large scythe and stunned by the ferocity she showed in defending the Nobody.
DiZ enters through a corridor of darkness to this scene as quickly Riku puts his hood up, dodging a ball of blue fire and a bite from the large basilisk.
"I won't let you or the old man have him, not when you've taken enough from him" Lin hissed as she stood between Riku and Roxas.
"Stand aside foolish girl" DiZ stated, unknowingly revealing who he was to the girl having forgotten Lin over the years as Lin stiffened and only just blocked a counter attack from Riku as she continued to put herself between him and Roxas.
"No! None of you have the right to decide Roxas' fate, only he has the right and I won't let you take it from him. I won't let you take my best friend from me. Not like Xion" Lin shouted, darkness swirling around her in her hurt and grief.
"Take care of her" DiZ ordered as Riku nodded and led another drawn out battle, Lin ending up sedated and on top of Roxas by the end of it with her familiar chained down nearby. She hadn't gone down quietly though much to Riku's grudging respect and DiZ's annoyance.
"DiZ...he could feel Sora" Riku admitted quietly, feeling torn over what he'd had to do to the girl who looked no older than Kairi yet had fought so hard for Sora's Nobody.
"Oh, he told you how he "felt," did he? Ridiculous. A Nobody cannot feel anything" DiZ stated bluntly as he looked over the large snake curiously, wondering where the foolish girl had gotten it and how she had managed to transport it across the worlds.
"If he had met Sora, things might have been different" Riku sighed and would lift up both Lin and Roxas, the snake shrinking down to a smaller size as he did so, DiZ picking it up for further examination in hopes he could figure out what world it was from.
DiZ would keep Lin sedated in a pod as he digitized Roxas into the virtual Twilight Town unaware Vanitas and Axel both would go looking for her, the later on the sly due to his orders to bring Roxas back.
Naminé though would find as she continued to work in restoring Sora Lin's fail safe in Roxas, to protect her friend and help him from forgetting things and it was this tricky bit of magic that worked behind the scenes as Roxas went about his days in the virtual town, dreaming of Sora and Lin both. Dreaming of the days he spent with her on other worlds and having ice cream and the feelings that had grown between them in those days and of the easy serenity those memories brought to him of the normalcy she had given him in an easy friendship that had only grown in the months since their first meeting.
The blonde would mention it to Riku when DiZ was out of the mansion, worried about what the old man would say or do if he knew of what their captive had done. It was with this visit though that Riku remembered Vanitas and his connection to Lin, the pair having helped on Hollow Bastion.
"He'll come for her Riku and when he does, nothing will stop him from retrieving her and from hurting those that hurt Lin" Naminé explained quietly, eyes worried as Riku frowned under his hood after he mentioned Vanitas' absence.
"He looks like an older Sora, just with black hair and gold eyes" Riku admitted as Naminé nodded, knowing the connection better than anyone else due to Ventus' heart resting within Sora's.
"Vanitas raised Lin and has been traveling with her since they left her world behind. They only reason he wasn't with her when you retrieved Roxas is because he made Roxas promise to take care of her. He placed his trust in Roxas to not hurt her as Lin traveled with Roxas" Naminé sighed, blue eyes filled with worry of what the older boy would do to Riku for hurting Lin.
In the end though it would be Axel who gets Lin and Manda out days after the conversation between Riku and Naminé, Roxas having returned to Sora, sad and hurt he didn't get to see Lin awake at least one last time. Also angry for what DiZ had done to her and answering the silent question as to why she hadn't come for him in the digital town like Axel.
"Lin wake up" Axel urged quietly having lifted Lin up and climbed down from the pod she had been held in, away from the other pods.
"Axel? Where's Roxas?" Lin asked weakly, still tired and drained from the sedatives and magic suppressors in her system and would fight to sit up when the resigned look on the pyro's face gave away what had happened to Roxas. What DiZ had forced Roxas to do in returning to Sora.
"Sorry Lin" Axel muttered as he carried her out, ignoring the wetness in his shoulder where her head rested as she began to tremble and cry in his arms. He would retrieve Manda before he left the mansion and head to where he sensed Vanitas frantically searching for Lin.
"Where's the runt" Vanitas demanded upon seeing Axel and the passed out Lin an hour later on the outskirts of Sunset Terrace.
"He returned to Sora, to be whole" Axel stated as Vanitas took Lin into his arms, feeling Manda slither up and wrap himself around his waist. "The old man was keeping her sedated and magic suppressed in a pod away from where he was holding Sora and his friends and was keeping Manda in a lab. My guess is he knew she would fight him every step of the way and likely would succeed to get Roxas back" the red headed added on as Vanitas growled, securing his hold on Lin protectively.
"The old man will get his punishment soon enough for hurting her and so will the silver runt for his hands in it. If not by my hands then by Lin's when she recovers…you know where to find us if you need anything" Vanitas stated as Axel asked where he had been since Lin had been traveling and partnering up with Roxas for awhile before things had gone sour.
"I found Fair and was helping get him healthy again to travel back to Hollow Bastion. Also following leads on her Uncle and Aqua" Vanitas grunted as Axel nodded and let them go, knowing the image of a pale and grief stricken Lin would haunt him in the months to come.
Lin would wake up next back on the Elemental Nations, all the drugs out of her system with Obito, Kakashi, Itachi, Shisui and Zack at her bed side. Vanitas had taken the children out to play so Lin could be comforted in peace knowing the loss of Roxas had hit her hard, that DiZ's imprisonment of her had made it even harder since he had basically left her weak and powerless to save the blonde, to try and come up with another way to wake Sora without losing her best friend and partner.
"What do you remember" Itachi asked as Lin recounted what had happened in the World that Never was, the fighting she and Roxas had both done after Xion had faded and returned to Roxas and returned the memories inside her to Sora. How Riku had beaten Roxas by giving into the darkness in his heart and how she had fought to keep Roxas out of DiZ's hands with Manda and it had been the chaining down of her familiar that had distracted her for a split second for Riku to pin her down, the struggle she had put up before everything had gone dark. How she had woken up feeling weak and cut off from her magic and Axel's concerned eyes looking down on her.
It was when she got to the part about what happened to Roxas that she curled in on herself and began to cry, trembling as she avoided sobbing as she forced out what DiZ had done to back Roxas into a corner and leaving the blonde no other option other than to return to Sora and ending his existence so Sora would wake up.
Obito would be the first to react to the end of the story by climbing onto the bed behind the young witch and let her curl into him, understanding very well the grief and pain she felt at her loss and the anger she was likely to feel once the grief went away. Zack would place a comforting hand on Lin's knee as Itachi asked if there had been another way.
"Yes, a ritual of sorts that I found in the books I brought with me from THAT place and Manda confirmed it for me that it could be done and that it wouldn't kill me in trying it. Uncle Kisuke also likely had a few things that could have been tried as well since Nobodies are literally just souls since they can still feel and express emotions" Lin explained, wiping her face with the sleeve of her black sleeping yukata as Shisui frowned.
"How come that old fart didn't know about it then" Shisui asked as Kakashi sighed, sharing a look with Obito as they both knew the answer to that.
"When you want any kind of vengeance you lose yourself and the ability to think clearly and consider alternatives. This man, DiZ is so far down that path it likely didn't occur to him to consider another option when no one else but the pawns in getting that revenge matter. He needs Sora to be mobile and at full strength for whatever both sides have planned" Obito stated as Lin nodded.
"Xemnas is seeking the power of Kingdom Hearts and he was one of the apprentices of Ansem the Wise, an apprentice that led the forbidden experiments that created the Heartless and started this mess. DiZ wants to derail his obtaining of that power and free all the hearts within Kingdom Hearts" Lin hiccupped, accepting a tissue from Zack as she blew her nose.
"How do you plan on getting Roxas back since its possible for him to be whole if that ritual you found was going to give him that while he still existed on this plane of living" Zack asks, surprising Lin a little bit with the question before her face turned thoughtful, green eyes sad.
"I'd need Sora to give me permission to do a dive into his heart to find him first and with how wary he is of me I don't know if he'd agree to it let alone Riku letting me even get close to ASK to perform the ritual" Lin explained tiredly before perking up as the sounds of Naruto and Sasuke running up the stairs with Shikamaru bringing up the rear at his own pace. She only had a moment before she and Obito went tumbling off the bed as Naruto and Sasuke both tackled Lin in a hug.
"You're okay" Naruto shouts in relief as he hugged her tightly around the middle only squirming slightly to make room for Sasuke as she hugged them back, a small smile on her face as she buried her face in the blonde's hair.
"Not fully there yet Naru chan but I will be eventually" Lin promises as Obito wiggled out from under the pile, lifting Lin up as he got up while Shikamaru stood unsure since he had been the first to see Vanitas walking into the village towards their home with an unconscious Lin and sickly looking Manda around his waist.
"Orochimaru sensei says Manda is resting in his lab when you're ready to see him….says that nothing was done other than a little poking and prodding, whatever that means" Shikamaru said quietly as Naruto pulled him into the group hug.
"DiZ was trying to find out where Manda came from likely to send him back" Lin sighed as she forced herself to stay calm.
"Rest and let us take care of you for awhile brat, Manda will be brought back up tomorrow and when your ready to travel again Obito will go with you while Zack and I head to Hollow Bastion to track down Strife" Vanitas stated, leaving Lin no room to argue as she nodded and let the others force her back on the bed to rest.
Lin and Obito both would head to the Coliseum once Lin was well enough, the later wanting to see if the satyr could give him a run for his money as Lin stated the satyr could for any ninja and it was there that they would run into Sora and friends.
"Lin" Sora calls out happily, getting the girl's attention having noted she had changed her clothes into something more open, a long sleeved black one piece with a red and white fan on the back similar to the symbol on the older male's uniform that was form fitted from the waist up but loose at the bottom with form fitted shorts underneath and the same black shinobi sandals but a silver necklace around her neck with a charm he didn't recognize (Think the charm on Roxas' zipper from his casual clothing). Her hair was still the same though even if the rest of her had matured and grown from the petite and shy girl he knew a year ago to the girl in front of him now that radiated power and serenity.
"Sora its good to see you" Lin said quietly, green eyes not as bright or happy as Sora remembered them being as the older male put a supportive hand on her shoulder and guided them inside.
"You here to see Hercules?" Sora asks as Lin hums and doesn't answer him much to his surprise.
Phil would let Lin and Obito both onto the course and silently marvel and wonder where they had learned such team work and where Obito had been trained since he likely could give Hercules a good fight with how much power they were displaying on the course and against the Heartless. He also noted though that Lin was a lot more vicious with her attacks and more refined in how she used her magic attacks.
"Gawrsh Lin sure has gotten stronger since we were asleep" Goofy says out loud as Sora nodded with a small frown seeing that Lin wasn't happy even on the course when last time she had been all laughs and smiles as she destroyed Phil's training courses.
"Yeah but she's not happy" Sora pointed out ignoring the twinge he felt in his chest, Roxas surfacing briefly at the comment before settling again.
"You were right about the goat being able to give a shinobi a good work out" Obito stated with an easy grin and making his scars stand out a little more as Sora asked where he had gotten them.
"Cave collapse and saving a friend" Obito stated bluntly as Lin gave Sora dirty look while Donald turned a little green at the implications, taking in the scared right side of the man's body and the navy blue eye patch over where the right eye should have been.
Lin and Obito both would take on the Hydra when Hercules lost the will and confidence to fight, the former warding the others out to show them just how strong they really were before leaving to look for another world, away from the path of Sora.
Sora would ask Vanitas about what was wrong with Lin on his second visit to Hollow Bastion, Merlin having called them there about Pooh's storybook and wouldn't like the answer he was given.
"Runt while you were asleep life moved on, Lin continued to travel as she always does and in those travels she made a friend and the connection they shared was one even to rival the bonds you share with the silver runt and the princess. That friend though was taken away from her by an old man seeking vengeance and what you have to understand is that like you and the princess, Lin had feelings for her friend even if she didn't quite understand them before the blonde runt was taken from her. Now that she does she's hurting on the inside and its why she's no longer traveling alone" Vanitas explained as he leaned against the wall next to the Moogle in the market place. Zack had wandered off with Cloud to catch up and left him to explain things to Sora.
Sora would frown in concern, feeling awful for Lin and would squawk in surprise when Vanitas flicked him in the nose with a glare on his face.
"Don't pity her runt, Lin doesn't need nor want pity from anyone over her loss. she'll bounce back eventually and when she does you will help her with whatever she asks of you because your her friend regardless of how you feel about the darkness inside her she will need your help eventually" Vanitas growled as Sora nodded quickly knowing he would do anything to help one of his friends.
Lin would drop Obito off back in Konohana before traveling to Atlantica to visit with Ariel and get some time in for herself aware that Vanitas would likely throw a fit but not really caring since she wanted some time to grieve alone.
She hadn't expected to run into Sora and the others though in this visit as she sang a piece for Ariel, and for herself to express the feelings she felt inside unaware Sora and the others would hear her.
"Tell me why
Every time I look for you I cry?
Every time
I must hear the truth that hurts my heart
Who will know
The feelings that I have for you right now?
Every heart
Knows I can't forget the way I feel for you
Even though I know that I'm afraid to be alone again
I will pray I won't be to the distant stars
Swirling in the night sky, I'm searching throughout time
For a love that transcends among the heavens and the stars
Always and forever I'll try to remember
The strength I need to stand tall when you're no longer by my side
Looking to the night sky, I learn to live my life
Little things that hurt me become a memory of the past
(Ooh, oh)
There are times we'll laugh, or have days where we are sad
The pain just makes us stronger, we'll keep on fighting till the end"
Lin sang softly, fully aware of her tears as she swayed back and forth with her arms wrapped around herself as the other took in her sad appearance, her dark green mermaid tail and black bikini top and long black hair that was loose for once from its bun holder and braid, necklace still around her neck shining under what little sunlight broke through the water around them.
"That was beautiful Lin" Ariel praised gently as Lin smiled slightly, opening her green eyes to meet Ariel's blue her grief obvious to see.
"Thank you Ariel, its how I've been feeling lately and I wanted to share that with you because I understand how you feel even if the person who holds my heart isn't around anymore" Lin says as Ariel hugged the younger girl, sad for her friend but grateful all the same for the song.
Sora on his part would wipe his face unsure why he had cried as well but knowing her words had struck him somewhere in his heart and he knew that Vanitas was right about needing to do his part in helping his friend when the time came.
Lin would return to Radiant Garden on her own while Vanitas was off world to see if there was anything she could do to help, heading to Ansem's study once Yuffie had revealed they had found the computer the man had used to keep all of his research notes and knowledge.
"Mickey, its good to see you" Lin said with a smile as she kneeled down to hug the mouse, aware Leon was watching her as the mouse hugged back really happy to see her but sad because Riku had told him what had happened to the witch, what DiZ had done in completing his goals of restoring Sora.
"You've grown up quite a bit since I last saw you Lin" Mickey marvels as Lin shrugs, twirling a piece of her bangs around her finger.
"Yeah Van took care of me, made sure I was safe for the longest time and still does when I let him anyways. Sora and the others in the computer?" Lin asks looking to Leon who nods while Mickey asks where she had been lately.
"Traveling amongst the worlds, mainly the Lost Realm if you want a location but I've been staying out of the way of Sora really since I'd rather not deal with their watcher" Lin explained as Mickey frowned in concern while Leon saw the logic in that choice. The girl in front of him was considerably stronger than Sora and could fight the Nobodies and Heartless but she couldn't seal keyholes or open pathways.
"You're always welcome to stay and help here" Leon points out as Lin nodded with a faint smile.
"I know and that's why you see Van and Zack around more often than not. They're helping here and letting me travel without a babysitter so I can get my head on straight and be ready for the storm that's coming, be ready to face the faker" Lin admitted as Mickey nodded.
"So you know" Mickey said as Lin raised an eyebrow at the mouse king and crossed her arms looking very unimpressed.
"I've always known Mickey, Van wouldn't have done half the shit he did ten years ago if his master hadn't threatened me so yeah I recognized the fake for what he was and recognized the real thing when I was looking at it. Didn't help the real thing took advantage of your friend and used him like a tool" Lin stated, green eyes hard as she stared down the mouse king, reminding him of what DiZ had done to her, what he had done to Roxas and Riku in forcing the silverette in not considering other options in getting his friend back.
"Don't apologize for him either Mickey, I won't accept it coming from you and will only accept it from him when I get what I want from him first…I've had enough taken from me to last me this life time so I won't let the old men on both sides take anymore and nothing you say or do will stop me from getting vengeance at least out of the old man whose fault we can lay this whole mess at the feet of" Lin stated before leaving the study again. Not before using her magic to tidy it up and repair whatever was broken first though much to the surprise of Mickey and Leon.
"She's no longer the happy little girl who used to help prank the castle so I'm not surprised she has that outlook on life. Not from what Zack and Cloud have told me about her" Leon admits in the following silence as Mickey slumped tiredly. He knew in all the fighting Lin had been the one that everyone had failed most of all. She had been a bright and strong little girl just looking to find her place in her uncle's world, a place amongst the Keyblade wielders and had only been shoved around and denied till she had settled into what her role was now as a support to the one Keyblade wielder that wouldn't be pushed around by Yen Sid after the loss of her uncle and her uncle's friends.
"Lin knows pain and loss better than most but she also knows joy and gain. She's that middle ground between the light and darkness, incorruptible by the darkness yet not fully a being of light. A perfect balance between Sora and his friends" Mickey admitted fondly as Leon nodded and both looked up as they heard Sora and the others returning.
"Sora focus" Lin states as the brunette joins her in her section of the valley leading to the castle that was once Maleficent's hide out, swinging Benihime around and shooting a beam of red light into the Heartless around her before charging forward to cut the ones that didn't fade with the first attack as Sora joins her, watching her back as they fight. He would keep going on ahead when her section of the valley is clear and leave her to join anyone else that needed help.
Axel would grab Lin when he left Hollow Bastion much to Lin's surprise since she hadn't seen the pyro since he had saved her from the Old Mansion and would drop her off in the Land of Dragons.
"Riku is here if you want to have a word or lead him elsewhere" Axel explained as Lin hugged him in thanks.
"I'll try and lure him to Konohana to give him the ass kicking, and get in a couple good hits for you then" Lin promises with a small smile as he pat her head in thanks before portalling away again.
Riku on his part would do what he came to the Land of Dragons to do when the Heartless corrupted one of the world's dragons but would follow Lin when he left after catching her skulking around, helping Sora when he arrived with the Storm Rider. He wasn't ready for the group effort as Lin, Kakashi and Obito dragged the silverette to a training ground to deal with the interloper.
"You are either really naïve or really stupid to follow me to my home turf Riku because you knew at some point that I'd try and attack you for what you and the old man did to me" Lin hissed, Manda large and angry behind her as Riku swallowed hard and tried to keep the two older males in his sights as well.
"Vanitas was right to call him a runt" Obito noted as Kakashi hummed, nose in his Icha Icha and unphased by the black coat as he wrapped an arm around Obito's shoulders.
"There was no other choice, Sora needed to wake up and Roxas held what was needed" Riku stated, standing behind his decision and would be knocked onto his back faster than he could block the blast of magic for his efforts in getting her to understand.
"There was another choice, plenty of choices but you chose to place your trust and faith into the easiest and fastest plan, the plan of an old man who used you and Naminé like a tool to gain what he wanted on his path for revenge. You didn't consider at all those you were hurting when you cornered Roxas into making his choice, taking his memories and forcing him to live a lie. You didn't think those that were close with him might have had a plan to wake Sora up without sacrificing Roxas" Lin snarled, her eyes bright with her pain and rage as Riku flinched under that gaze.
"Obito let him up and let Manda have him" Lin stated as she braced for impact as Naruto and Sasuke came out of the bushes in flying tackles to hug their favorite person next to the rest of their make shift family. The large snake would pick Riku up by the scruff of his jacket and knock back the hood for all to see his face and for him to get a good look at the faces of everyone around him.
"Lin nee when did you get back? Is that guy bothering you? Do you want me to prank him?" Naruto asks as Lin just grins in vicious amusement, looking up at Riku who glares down at her.
"I got back half an hour ago and no Riku isn't bothering me, but you can use him as kunai target practice for his part in what happened to Roxas. Sasuke can even practice the Grand Fire Ball technique on him if Itachi is willing to supervise" Lin explains as both boys now glare at Riku while Riku visibly paled. Obito and Kakashi just snickered while Itachi raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you wanted a go at him, per your words last time you were home?" Itachi asks as Lin shrugs and runs her fingers through Sasuke's hair to gather her thoughts.
"This will do more damage and he didn't take Roxas away from just me so Naruto and Sasuke can have a go for now. Ansem the Wise is who I truly want a go at and Van is still looking for him" Lin explained as Itachi nodded, Roxas had gotten to know them all and had made a small place for himself amongst the shinobi as a bit of a kenjutsu genius.
"I like it, cruel and informative" Obito grins as Riku sighed tiredly, resigned to a session of sharp knives and fire balls being chucked at him, with scary levels of accuracy as he would later marvel at. He would be let go eventually but not without a word of warning from Lin.
"We will get Roxas back, don't doubt that and don't get in the way since it won't hurt your friend. But also know that when the time comes you will have my help and the help of Van to deal with the coming storms" Lin stated, green eyes serious as Riku nodded and limped through the portal of darkness.
Vanitas would follow the others into the portal towards the World that Never Was, fully aware Axel was there waiting for them and would partner up with the pyro to take out the Dusks around them. He would accept the chain Axel had made for Lin as the red head faded before them.
"I'm sorry I didn't take better care of her" Axel apologizes as Vanitas snorted and shook his head.
"You did what you could and made sure my brat was happy. She'll be sad for awhile but Lin will be waiting for you when you come home" Vanitas said cryptically, getting a small smile for his efforts as the shadows finally swallowed Axel whole.
"Keep moving forward runt, your friends are waiting for you and so is my brat and our back up. You can grieve and cry all you want later, after the mission is completed" Vanitas stated seriously as he walked ahead, giving Sora no chance to argue.
Lin and Obito with Kakashi and Naminé would be the ones to break Kairi out of her prison in the Castle that Never Was, the younger face a welcome one in the eyes of the red head as she accepted Naminé's helping hand as the blonde returned to Kairi.
"Okay Lin, I've seen some really weird things but that takes the cake" Obito stated as Lin shrugged, not comfortable talking about the topic as she handed over the keychain Riku had passed along for her to give to Kairi.
"Yeah well that isn't the weirdest thing you'll see yet Obito. Anyways your friend is waiting for you at the end of the corridor Kairi so get moving and don't be afraid to fight back with that key...Kakashi put the porn book away otherwise I will burn it" Lin deadpanned as Kakashi quickly stashed his book away and the trio moved on, leaving Kairi with Riku.
Down below in the city before the castle Roxas would make his move from within Sora's heart and pull the Keyblade wielder to within their shared heart, having woken up to bare witness to the fading of Axel.
Sora tries to run to Donald and Goofy who have been cut off by Samurai Nobodies, but his vision gets hazy. He turns around and sees a figure in a black cloak appear. The Oblivion Keyblade appears in his hand.
"A Keyblade?" Sora asks confused as the hooded figure runs at Sora, who blocks with his Keyblade. There is a flash and they end up on the Station of Awakening. Roxas is now holding the Oblivion and the Oathkeeper. Sora fights Roxas. They run at each other and block attacks.
"Wh-who are you?" Sora demands confused.
"Someone from the dark" The hooded figure says as Sora knocks him back.
"You can't be Riku?" Sora asks hoping its his friend.
"Riku? ...I defeated a Riku once…with her too" the hooded figure admits.
"You what!?" Sora says in worried outrage for his friend.
"Tell me... Tell me why he picked you!" the hooded demanded as he runs at Sora, scraping the Keyblades on the ground with a screech, sending up sparks. He attacks Sora, but Sora dodges. Sora blocks the Oblivion with his Keyblade, and knocks it away. The Oathkeeper strikes upward, but is also parried. Downward again, more blocking from Sora. The figure jumps into the air, spins and lands on his feet. He jumps at Sora, who leaps to dodge. Sora is hit by the Oblivion and thrown up in the air. The cloaked man jumps up towards him. Sora flips upside down and blocks both Keyblades, then flies to his feet on the floor. The figure hovers above and notices the tiles on the floor of Riku, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy.
"I see. That's why" the figure says, sounding resigned as he falls to the floor and tries to strike Sora with the Oblivion. Sora jumps away and continues to dodge his attacks. Sora deflects one strike, opening the way for the man to pound continuously on his blocking Keyblade. Sora falls on one knee and his Keyblade is knocked away from him. Sora runs to it, but the man stops him, slamming the Oathkeeper into the floor between Sora and his Keyblade. Sora slides to a stop. The man points at him with the Oblivion. Sora struggles against his anger. He holds his hand out toward the Keyblade, and it disappears from the Oathkeeper's hold.
"What!?" the figure says startled as the Keyblade flashes into Sora's hands and he strikes the man down. The two Keyblades drop and vanish.
The man begins to walk past Sora. His mind flashes back to previous events.
In front of the Old Mansion in Twilight Town, Roxas stands upright. He faces downward and seems lifeless. A hooded figure appears and walks toward him.
"You seek answers" the hooded figure states as Roxas nods, still facing the ground. The figure waves a hand in front of him. The name 'SORA' appears in sharp, smoky letters, floating in the air in front of his face. Roxas looks up at it, then back towards the ground.
"You feel nothing. Nothing is real. I can give you purpose" the figure states as Roxas nods again. The man waves his arm again and the letters swirl around Roxas, gaining momentum until they're barely visible as letters. The man slams his fist into them and four points of golden light shoot out, forcing Roxas to flinch. He opens his eyes and sees a new golden letter X hovering before him. The silver letters rejoin with the X in their center forming a new word, turning fully golden. Roxas looks up at them.
" Roxas" Roxas says out loud, stating his name for the world to hear, for Xemnas to confirm as his hood is pushed back.
" That is right-the new you" Xemnas states out loud sinisterly.
The world switches to the Twilight Town clock tower, where Roxas it sitting with his head in his lap. He looks up partly when he hears a familiar voice speak aloud.
"Look who's finally awake" Axel says out loud, Roxas gasping as he turns to see Axel standing beside him.
"Axel" Roxas says stunned and relieved to see his friend.
Or...maybe I have it wrong. Might be time to sleep. Soon we won't be able to talk like this anymore" Axel admits as Roxas looks down.
"Does that mean it's time for me to go back to where I belong?" Roxas asks as Axel sits down next to him.
"You know, I've been thinking about something Naminé said. Roxas...are you really sure that you don't have a heart? Is it possible that we all have one? You, me, her... Or is that just wishful thinking?" Axel asks as Roxas listens intently
"I don't know…Maybe Lin was right about us? Right about souls being able to feel and exist?" Roxas points out as he looks down again. "I can't...just look inside" he admits quietly.
"Y-yeah, I guess not..." Axel says unsure.
"But I figure...if there is something in there-inside us-then we'd feel it, wouldn't we? And if so...No... Never mind" Roxas cuts off unsure about his theory and thoughts, remembering sharing those thoughts with Lin once.
"C'mon. Don't leave me hangin'" Axel says wanting to hear his friend's thoughts.
"Sora will find the answer we're looking for. I know he will. Because, he's me" Roxas admitted as Axel smiled.
"True enough. Lin won't let him not find an answer all things considered. She won't lose us" Axel points out as he hands Roxas a sea-salt ice cream bar. Roxas is a bit taken aback, but accepts it.
Roxas stares a bit, while Axel nibbles on his.
"Man, I miss the old times. Still got it memorized? The day we met, when you got your new name, you and I sat right here and watched the sunset" Axel asks as Roxas nods.
"Yeah. This place is home. Me... Hayner, Pence, Olette...Lin. We've shared a lot of adventures" Roxas admits quietly.
"You'll see them again. I know you will" Axel reassures as Roxas nods.
"Yeah, you're right. Well, I should go" Roxas says quietly, getting up.
"Sora's waiting for me" Roxas points out as Axel looks sad.
"Yeah, I suppose he is" Axel says as he looks away and takes a bite out of his ice cream. "Man, this is some good ice cream, huh?" he asks breaking the silence as they sit, gazing at the view for a few moments. They start to glow.
"Take care, okay?" Roxas asks quietly.
"Right back at ya...buddy" Axel agrees asking the same, a single tear falls onto the tower roof.
The scene flashes back to the Station of Awakening. The hooded man walks past Sora and stumbles, his hood flying off, revealing his golden hair. He stands up and turns to Sora.
"You make a good other…take care of Lin for me?" Roxas asks quietly as a flash of a smiling Lin with her hair down blowing in the wind around them as the pair sat on a porch of a Japanese style home eating sea-salt ice cream, both sitting in normal clothing as children's laughter rang out in the background appears in the brunette's head.
The world fades to white and Sora is back in the city. It has stopped raining and the group moved on to go rescue Kairi and finish off the Organization unaware of Lin's presence in the castle, stealing all of the data on the castle computers, all of Xemnas' plans and research while Kakashi and Obito took out all that got in their way as they watched events unfold, watched Sora, Kairi and Riku fight their way through the Organization.
As this goes on the moon shines brightly in the sky as King Mickey runs through the castle, knocking out Heartless and Nobodies. He finds DiZ on the floor, surrounded by Nobodies, and takes them out. Mickey helps DiZ to stand. There is an odd-looking device next to him. DiZ reaches to his face and a long red sash falls to the floor.
"It's been too long, my friend" Ansem admits quietly looking to Mickey.
"Ansem the Wise. Why didn't you come to me before things got so bad? Why didn't you seek out the light they left behind?" Mickey asks, referring to Lin in his second question knowing the young witch had been preparing for all this with Vanitas since the day Aqua, Terra and Ventus all disappeared.
"Xemnas, the Organization's Superior, is the Nobody of Xehanort, my foremost apprentice. The burden was mine to bear" Ansem states, not revealing everything in regards to his plans.
"Is that all?" Mickey asks, seeing through the old man as Ansem turns to look at the moon.
"I won't deny there was more. I was...obsessed with thoughts of revenge. My apprentices stole everything precious to me-my research, and my pride" Ansem admits finally as Mickey shook his head knowing Vanitas wouldn't like this excuse.
"I can't help you with revenge…I can't help you when Vanitas comes for you for hurting her" Mickey admits quietly.
"I know. Riku's told me a thousand times" Ansem admitted, remembering the boy's and Naminé's warnings about Vanitas and Lin.
"Where is he?" Mickey asks.
"He must be with his friends by now. Riku was a great help to me. I found him wandering the darkness, after you and he lost track of each other" Ansem explains, knowing Riku had likely reunited with his friends by now.
"Gosh, we didn't lose each other exactly. Riku left...well, 'cause Xehanort's Heartless was still inside his heart, troubling him. And he sure must've been suffering. But what I don't understand is why he looks like that now, when he's still Riku at heart..." Mickey says sounding confused by the end.
"I am to blame. When I met Riku the first time he still had the appearance of a boy. Probably because he had such a strong heart. I asked him to find a young man named Roxas from Organization XIII, and bring him to me. When I told him it would help Sora awaken from his slumber, Riku left without a word. He fought Roxas. And I can only surmise Riku lost that fight. Riku must have realized then: to fight in the realm of darkness, he would have to immerse himself in that same darkness. And when he did...you saw what became of him. When Riku brought Roxas back to me, he was introducing himself...as Ansem. If that was what it took to awaken his friend, he was ready to live in darkness. Riku was the victim of my revenge. ...Oh, how my heart ached. I could only laugh to hide my shame. And to further my shame I hurt the young lady who was only defending what was hers, defending her ideals and research when Riku and I wouldn't listen or see reason" Ansem admits to both what he had forced Riku to do and admits to being wrong and ignoring what Lin Uchiha had to say.
"I guess it musta been after that when I saw Riku again. He said he wanted to help Sora...but he made me promise- Promise that Sora wouldn't ever find out about what happened to him while he was out in the darkness" Mickey admits quietly.
"My friend, the time has come. I must make amends to these young people" Ansem admits as he picks up the strange device, and he and Mickey walk inside.
"Runt keep moving and stop asking stupid questions, all your questions will be answered in time" Vanitas scowls as Donald points out Kairi fighting up on the ledge above them all, the group having taken out Xigbar. Vanitas had been particularly vicious in his fighting when the Nobody had demanded to know why the ravenette was fighting for the light.
Mickey and Ansem the Wise arrive and look over the ledge at Kairi and Ansem fighting the Heartless.
"Uh-oh, they need our help" Mickey says worriedly unaware of Kakashi and Obito behind them in the shadows with Lin.
"Sora and Riku are together. We have no part to play here" Ansem states unworried.
"Gee, I wonder if Riku will ever change back..." Mickey wonders concerned as Lin frowns unseen.
"Riku chose that form so he could use the power of darkness. It won't be easy" Ansem admits as the two kings leave the Hall of Empty Melodies with their three shadows.
"Kairi, we're on our way!" Sora calls out as they pass through Naught's Skyway and enter the upper tier of the Hall of Empty Melodies. Millions of hearts float and merge with the heart-shaped moon.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy find Kairi and Ansem on the ledge all the fighting done for the time being as Vanitas brought up the rear.
"Kairi, you were great!" Donald praises catching Kairi by surprise.
"Oh?" Kairi says she turns around and sees them, bashfully flipping her hair. Sora walks up to her.
"You are different, Kairi, but I'm just glad you're here!" Sora says relieved.
"You and Riku never came home, so I came looking for you" Kairi admits as Sora looks away from her.
"I'm sorry" Sora apologizes looking guilty as Kairi rushes up and hugs him, much to Sora's surprise and Vanitas' amusement.
"This is real..." Kairi says happily as he hugs her back. A portal appears behind Ansem, and he begins to walk into it only for the portal to be forced closed by Vanitas.
"Yeah no escaping the music now silver runt" Vanitas deadpanned, arms crossed and gold colored eyes filled with annoyance at all the sappiness going on around him. Mentally he swore Roxas and Lin were never this bad.
"Wait, Ansem! I mean, Xehanort's Heartless..." Sora calls out as he stops slightly annoyed the oldest of the group had cut off his escape.
"I never thought for a second that I'd ever see YOU again. Just thinking about all the things you did makes me really mad. But... But you saved Kairi, right? I have to be grateful for that... Thanks" Sora thanks as Vanitas grabbed Riku by the back of his head before he could even start to leave, but Kairi runs over and stops him as Vanitas lets go.
"Riku, don't go!" Kairi pleads to Sora, Donald, and Goofy's surprise.
"Huh?" Donald & Goofy say in unified confusion as Vanitas glared at Sora as the brunette asked what the princess of heart meant.
"The princess is right runt-and don't even think of trying to deny it silver runt when I let Lin use you as target practice just so I could get a feel for your magic" Vanitas growled.
"Sora, come here. Say something to him" Kairi says holding her free hand out to her friend as Sora walks over. Kairi takes his hand. "Here. You'll understand" she says as she places his hands together with hers.
"Close your eyes" Kairi states as Sora does so, as Ansem looks at him. Sora sees Riku in a black cloak. He is holding the hands of Sora and Kairi. Sora opens his eyes and realizes the truth as Vanitas let his magic loose to feel out Lin and see where she was at in the castle.
"Riku... It's Riku. Riku's here..." Sora says as he falls to his knees, holding Ansem's hand, tears rolling down his face. "I looked for you!" he stated in anguish, Vanitas moving forward and smacking Sora with the soft side of his fist.
"C'mon, Sora. You've got to pull it together. I didn't want you to find me" Riku pleads and explains when Sora tries to cut the silverette with the point that he'd looked for Riku everywhere.
"But it was him that was helpin' us, wasn't it? Those clues we kept finding. That musta been Riku" Goofy finally realizes to Donald's confusion.
"I was starting to worry you guys weren't ever gonna catch on. Sora never did pick the brightest friends" Riku points out as Vanitas snickers in agreement.
"What do you mean by that!?" Donald demands insulted.
"Why didn't you let me know you were okay?" Sora demands as Vanitas spoke up and cut to the heart of the matter, wanting to get a move on.
"He told you. He didn't want to be found. Not like as he is at the moment and likely to keep my brat away till she got her head on straight" Vanitas deadpanned as Riku looked down at himself.
"I couldn't. I fought with Ansem. With...Xehanort's Heartless-when it invaded my heart, and I won. But to use the power of darkness, I had to become Ansem myself" Riku admitted quietly.
"Does that mean...you can't change back?" Kairi asks wondering who Vanitas' brat was.
"This battle isn't over. And until it is, I still need the power of darkness" Riku admits as Vanitas snorted and leads the way onwards, the others quick to follow once they had all come to the agreement to continue onwards together.
Ansem the Wise and Mickey find the closest ledge to Kingdom Hearts as Obito and Kakashi find better vantage points while Lin stepped out of the shadows behind the pair.
"This spot should do" Ansem says as he sets the device down.
"What's this gadget for?" Mickey asks curiously.
"It's a device to reclaim Kingdom Hearts and encode it as data" Ansem explains as he set up the device.
"Not sure I get it" Mickey admits as Lin snorts quietly.
"I do not claim to know the outcome of this venture, either. After all...Hearts are unpredictable" Ansem admits as he starts up the device, which shoots a steady beam at the moon.
"Too true old man and you never did or took into account my interference" Lin stated startling the pair as she stood in the open, Xanxus' gun in hand.
"Lin? When did you get here?" Mickey asks as Lin looked down to the mouse in amusement.
"I've been here the whole time Mickey. You didn't think Vanitas would come here with Sora and the others alone? Not when he knew Ansem would be here trying to finally get his revenge, to make things right. He knew his tagging along would lead me here so he provided the distraction so my friends and I could get into the computers here and steal all the data before you brought this place crashing down around the faker's feet" Lin stated, green eyes hard as they meet the orange of Ansem.
"I was warned you would come and I apologize for not listening when I should have" Ansem admitted quietly as Lin snorted wetly, trying to reign in her emotions.
"You should have, Merlin defected from my original world for a reason and expanded upon his magic and knowledge, left notes to his students to follow in his footsteps and for any future keys to get off world. Roxas deserved the chance to decide his fate just as much as you and I deserve that chance and you ripped it from him, ripped a possible future from us like it didn't matter. Just like your apprentices did once upon a time" Lin pointed out green eyes bright with her tears unaware Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, and Riku have entered the Proof of Existence. That the room is like a graveyard, and all but three of the gravestones are damaged.
They enter one of them and end up in Havoc's Divide. They look up to Kingdom Hearts and see a beam connected to it.
"What's that?" Sora asks confused.
"It's the King and DiZ-I mean, Ansem the Wise. They must be higher up. We better hurry" Riku explains as Sora faces off against Luxord alone, beating him in a timed battle.
Vanitas would step up with Wayward Wind to fight Saïx, feeling particularly angry and vindictive to this particular Nobody since he had known the male when he was whole and knew it was Saïx's fault Lea and Lin had gotten separated when Radiant Garden fell to the darkness.
"This is your end Isa, you will pay for my brat's suffering and for the suffering you put your friend through and all for a power that wasn't even yours to take" Vanitas growled, stepping hard onto the downed male's chest before bringing his Keyblade down and killing him before Saïx could say another word.
"I don't get it. Why's everybody been calling me Roxas?" Sora asks, Saïx having called out to the brunette at the start of the fight, when Vanitas had knocked Sora backwards and through the barrier before he could say a word of complaint.
"Because, Sora. Roxas is your Nobody" Riku admitted as Vanitas let Wayward Wind return to its chain.
"My...Nobody? But that's crazy, I never turned into a Heart... Oh, right" Sora denies but remembers the brief time he spent as a Heartless.
"It was when you came to rescue me, remember?" Kairi points out as Sora nodded.
"Xemnas was the one who found Roxas. He could use the Keyblade because he was your Nobody. That's why Xemnas brought him into the Organization- But Roxas betrayed them with Lin and Manda's help. After that I fought him because I thought it would help you wake up. I lost, but the next time we met I made sure I was the stronger one and even then Lin proved to be the stronger of the three of us and only went down was because I pinned Manda down" Riku explained as Vanitas glared, tapping his foot in annoyance.
"You still need to apologize to Lin for your part in her detainment silver runt, Ansem did a little more than just sedate her, he poked and prodded Manda in an attempt to send the overgrown serpent back to her home world, where I may add he would have been killed for armor, wand and potion ingredients" Vanitas stated bluntly as Riku flinched and nodded knowing the ravenette was right even if Lin had let him be used as target practice.
"Maybe I didn't need to fight him after all. I think he left the Organization because...he really wanted to meet you. To see if he had a chance at being whole with HER" Riku admitted quietly
"Roxas...I wish I could meet him, too" Sora admitted wistfully as Vanitas snorted in amusement as Riku walks closer to Sora and points to his heart. Sora points also and looks at Riku, who nods.
"All right. Let's go" Riku says as they follow him back to the Proof of Existence, and notice that the path ahead is open. They walk up the stairs to Naught's Approach. The beam from Ansem's device is starting to weaken, and it shakes in his hands.
"Ansem?" Mickey and Lin ask concerned as Ansem laughs.
"I'm a fool. I've spent years studying the workings of the heart. Yet it seems I still haven't learned a thing!" Ansem admits as realization dawns on Lin.
"What d'ya mean?" Mickey asks as Lin put her gun chain away in her pouch, knowing Ansem's end was nearing regardless of whatever she did, Kakashi and Obito slipping out of their spots to join her to the surprise of the old man and Mickey.
"The process of encoding hearts is incalculable. The inhabitants of my Twilight Town were data created from real hearts. I was convinced that they would think and behave the way I had envisioned-but I couldn't have been more wrong. A heart is so much more than any system. I saw it when Roxas and Kairi crossed paths. I knew. But I was too stubborn to accept it. It's always the same. I try to wrap my mind around things my heart already knows, only to fail. While I was trying to bring Sora back, I had so many plans in store. But once Sora was an acting force, they fell apart. All my research amounted to nothing, compared with that one boy's heart" Ansem explains as the device starts to short out.
"Ansem! The machine!" Mickey cries out worriedly as Obito and Kakashi both wrap a protective arm around the youngest of the group.
"All the more proof that hearts cannot be contained by data. Run, my friend! It's going to self-destruct, and anything could happen!" Ansem urges the others on to run.
"But..." Mickey says unsure as Sora's group runs to them.
"Your Majesty!" Sora calls out as the ninjas and Lin look behind them to see the others and Vanitas.
"Sora, the rest is up to you... And Roxas- I doubt you can hear me-but...I am sorry" Ansem apologizes, meaning everything he'd down to the blonde in that one apology.
"Ansem!" Mickey calls out in denial.
"My heart is telling me what I must do. Please allow me to do what it says!" Ansem pleads with the mouse king.
"No!" Mickey denies as Riku grabs the King's arm. "Riku!" the mouse pleads as Riku shook his head no.
"His heart's decided. We can't change that" Riku states gently as Xemnas appears much to Lin's hatred, mindful of Kakashi and Obito's arms restraining her.
"I was wondering who would dare interfere with my Kingdom Hearts. And look-here you all are. How convenient for me. Ansem the Wise... You look pathetic" Xemnas stated as Lin hissed in annoyance.
"Have your laugh. I deserve as much for failing to see you for the fool you are" Ansem points out in amusement of the girl's angry mumblings of how pathetic Xemnas was and how she would show him.
"Students do take after their teachers. Only a fool would be your apprentice. After all, none of this would have happened without you. YOU are the source of all Heartless. It was your research that inspired me to go further than you ever dared" Xemnas points out, not having heard Lin's mutterings.
"I admit...my disregard brought chaos to more worlds than one. But what were YOU seeking? You erased me from the world, only to take my name and continue research better left forgotten... Is this the answer you've been looking for?" Ansem asks in hopes the others would get answers as Lin stiffens, the ninjas doing the same since they like Vanitas knew what the Nobody wanted.
"All that and more. I'm carrying on what you yourself began, and I'm creating a brand new world, one heart at a time. I thought you'd praise me, but all you ever do is hold me back. I understand, though. Unlike me, you have a heart. And you're powerless to control it. Consumed, by the jealousy you feel toward the student who surpassed you" Xemnas stated arrogantly as Vanitas spoke up to speak his point.
"At least the old fart knew when to stop, knew when to draw the line and not make himself the experiment" Vanitas deadpanned loudly as Ansem looked to the male ravenette in surprise before it changed into a silent gratitude.
"Xehanort. Foolish apprentice of a foolish man. You have surpassed nothing-only proved how little we both know. We may profess to know the heart, but its essence is beyond our reach. We're both ignorant-as oblivious as when we began. I'm afraid that any world you try to create... Any world of yours...would be an empire of ignorance. That is why you and your creation are destined to fall!" Ansem stated as electricity surges through and around the device in his hands.
"We've said enough! Riku, you know what to do! King Mickey, my friend, forgive me! Farewell!" Ansem apologizes and says goodbye to the mouse king as the machine sparks and explodes. Sora tries to run for Ansem, but is stopped by Riku. Kairi holds on to Mickey. Donald trips as he tries to run in front of Goofy as Kakashi and Obito shielded Lin with Vanitas. Light flashes and pushes them backwards in a giant swirling tunnel.
Millions of hearts fall around the Castle That Never Was. Nobodies dance in the streets. The hearts disappear and Heartless arrive. A heart for every Heartless. A gigantic horde race up the ramp toward the castle.
The group wakes up on the floor. Sora sees Riku and his flowing silver hair. He is blindfolded and back to normal as Vanitas helped Lin and the ninjas up.
"Riku?" Sora calls out in concern as Riku gets himself up.
"Riku!" Sora says relieved as Lin staggered slightly before steadying herself against Obito while Vanitas checked over Kakashi.
"Wow!" Donald & Goofy say in awe of the transformation.
"Riku!" Kairi calls out just as relieved as Sora for their friend.
"Ansem did say "anything could happen"..." Mickey admits as he looked over Lin and still sensed the unchanged balance of light and darkness within her as Riku looks ahead.
"Riku, you gonna take that off?" Sora asks motioning to the blindfold.
"Oh..." Riku says as Vanitas grabs his blindfold and pulls it from his face. Riku's eyes are finally opened and reveal the bright blue they were all used to.
"What was that?" Sora asks confused.
"His eyes couldn't lie" Mickey explains as Vanitas snorted and gave the mouse a deadpan look at the vague explanation.
"Lie? And just who were you trying to fool? Huh? Huhhh?" Sora asks Riku as Lin rolled her eyes at the brunette's antics.
"Myself" Riku states seriously as Vanitas ruffled the silverette's hair unconcerned with the dirty look he was given.
"Riku... C'mon, man! Why did you try to do so much on your own?" Sora asks as he runs to Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Lin, her friends, Vanitas and Kairi. "You got friends...like us!" he points out as Riku looks at each of them in turn.
"Have you forgotten? I'll tell you why. 'Cause I'm not a total sap like you" Riku deadpans with a smirk on his face.
"Say that again!" Sora says with a laugh only lightly offended only to stop as tons of hearts start flying to Kingdom Hearts, which has taken on a darker look, as if infected. They look down below and see millions of Heartless storming the castle, Donald crying out his alarm.
"What should we do, Riku?" Sora asks as Lin and the others begin moving forward, the end of the mission all too clear to them.
"We must defeat Xemnas. He's the Organization's last survivor" Riku states as Sora agrees with him.
"C'mon!" Riku urges them onwards as he whips off his cloak.
Sora nods and they continue. The cloak flies through the air. They enter Ruin and Creation's Passage and battle through the floating platforms. They start to run to the next area when Kairi cries out in alarm.
"Sora! Riku!" Kairi calls out as she points up at the oddly shaped windows where Heartless are literally pouring inside. They crawl up the hexagonal pathways between the platforms.
"There's gonna be no end to this" Riku says taking in all the Heartless as Lin digs through her pouch for Benihime.
"Together we can stop 'em!" Sora says confidently only to be cut off by Maleficent and Pete as they appear in front of them and urge the group onwards.
"Oi, runts listen to the hag bitch and get on with it, she's no slouch and if she wants the castle when this is all over let her have it. We have bigger problems and people to take out then her" Vanitas stated seriously jerking his thumb in the direction Lin and her friends had gone, the trio having gone ahead and ignore the argument.
The group continues into The Altar of Naught, and find Xemnas raising his arms to the moon.
"Ohh...my Kingdom Hearts...ruined. Now I'll have to start all over again. Warriors of the Keyblade!" Xemnas calls out as he turns around and faces them.
"Go forth, and bring me more hearts!" the Nobody commands as Vanitas hissed in annoyance.
"No!" Vanitas, Mickey, Sora, & Riku shout in unison as they each point at him with their appearing Keyblades, Lin doing the same with Benihime as she stood with her guardian.
"Denizens of light, answer this: Why do you hate the darkness?" Xemnas asks of the group.
"Aw, we don't hate it. It's just kinda...scary. But the world's made of light AND darkness. You can't have one without the other, 'cause darkness is half of everything. Sorta makes ya wonder why we are scared of the dark" Mickey explains, taking Lin's living lesson to heart finally.
"It's because of who's lurking inside it" Riku admits as Lin nodded.
"Then allow me another question. You accept darkness, yet choose to live in the light. So why is it that you loathe us who teeter on the edge of nothing? We who were turned away by both light and dark-never given a choice?" Xemnas asks as Lin fought to keep her feelings on the matter to herself right up.
"That's simple. It's because you mess up our worlds" Riku states as Lin bit her lip, Vanitas sighing tiredly seeing her annoyance and anger.
"That may be... However, what other choice might we have had?" Xemnas asks making the point.
"Just give it a rest! You're Nobodies! You don't even exist! You're not sad about anything" Sora shouted as Vanitas pinched the bridge of his nose as Kakashi and Obito both took a step away from Lin as her killing intent was just barely contained from flooding the room.
"Very good. You don't miss a thing. I cannot feel-sorrow... No matter what misery befalls the worlds. No matter what you think, what you feel, or how you exist" Xemnas says chuckling and before anyone could stop him, make Sora vanish with a wave of his arms.
"Can you get him back?" Mickey asks turning to Lin who shook her head, green eyes hard and tired looking.
"I'd need a visual and if I did it on magic sensory alone we'd both come back losing bits. Have faith in him Mickey. Sora isn't so weak that he'd lose to a faker, not when he's come this far on instincts and hard won battlefield experience in using his key" Lin stated bluntly before turning away from the mouse king to let Vanitas hold her as she let her anger fade away.
"You know the runt didn't know any better, that he's been running on the assumptions of the rat's former teacher right? That the mad scientist was able to prove your theory right" Vanitas stated quietly as Lin nodded into his chest, not saying anything as Kairi nearby listened curiously.
"What theory?" Kairi asks curiously hoping it would ease her worries about Sora.
"That Nobodies are just the human soul getting left behind when the heart is taken by a Heartless. That the stronger the soul the more human like the Nobody looks when the heart is taken. That regardless of the lack of a 'heart' the soul continues on living and feeling anyways" Lin says quietly, fiddling with the necklace around her neck only to stop as Sora finally reappeared only looking a little battered from wherever Xemnas had taken them to fight.
"Where's Xemnas?" Sora asks as Lin closes her eyes and lets her magic wander to feel for Xemnas only to squeak in shock when Donald quacks as they both spot the man in the center of Kingdom Hearts calling on its power.
"Xemnas, don't" Lin shouts with Mickey in horror of what the Nobody is doing having done her research with her friends about Kingdom Hearts, Keyblade Wars and its connection to Kingdom Hearts and the mysterious X-Blade that Vanitas and Ventus had been forced to make a decade ago unsuccessfully. 'We are so in shite' she thinks to herself eyes closed in misery.
Snapping her eyes open and puts her gun forward with Vanitas, Sora, Riku, and Mickey.
"Let's go it's do or die time boys" Lin cries out and races forward with Vanitas, hopping on the back of his glider to make the first strike on Xemnas, dodging the buildings and knocking back anything in her way using her magic as she clung to the older male's back with one arm and shooting Heartless and Nobodies with the other.
"How are they doing that?" Sora calls out to Riku behind him as Riku watches on concerned as Sora joins the pair in the fight.
"Sora careful" Lin calls out in concern flying alongside him as he dodges the laser fire.
Vanitas and Lin lands with a flash of light blinds them all to reveal a second form of Xemnas as they appear on the dragon Nobodies back.
"I need...more rage. I need...more hearts" Xemnas says as they all step back when a flash of light reveals his original form after being beaten again as Sora tries to remind him there was more to a heart and emotions than hate and anger.
"Unfortunately...I don't" Xemnas explains before fading. Lin stands straight and lets Xanxus' gun fade away for the moment.
"Gosh, you all did great" Mickey praises as Lin smiles, feeling exhaustion bare down on her finally from all the fighting.
"You're coming back with us, right?" Sora asks as Riku moves away from the others as Lin leaned tiredly into Obito as the ninja ran a hand through her hair, the hair bun having gotten destroyed in all the fighting.
"I had given in to the darkness. How am I going to face everyone" Riku demands as Vanitas scowls and smacks Sora for not being serious for a moment as he makes a funny face as a way to face those back home.
"You'll go home runt because its home, the people there will either forgive you or won't care because you weren't in control of your own actions, now stop whining and focus on the matter at hand" Vanitas grunted in annoyance as Sora rubbed his head where the older ravenette had smacked him.
"I'll open a path!" Riku states going to call on the darkness as he holds out a hand and nothing happens.
"You don't belong in the dark realm anymore, Riku" Mickey explains at the silverette's confused look as Kakashi pulled out his book and began to read with not a seemingly care in the world as Lin and Obito sigh at their friend and partner's antics.
"How do we get out of here, Your Majesty?" Donald asks and just as they turn around they see an image of Naminé. She opens a portal. Mickey and Donald run right through her to the portal.
"Who did this?" Donald asks as Obito removed his arm from around Lin so she could move if needed.
"Well, I'm not sure. But we'd better hurry and get through" Mickey says as Pluto barks in, runs around Mickey and Donald, and into the portal.
"Wait for me!" Goofy calls out as he runs into the portal followed by Mickey.
"C'mon!" Donald shout as he enters and Naminé appears.
"Thank you, Naminé" Kairi thanks softly as Lin stepped up to her side, green eyes soft in understanding.
"Sure. See? We meet again, like we promised and Lin's here too" Naminé says with a small smile as Lin laughs, running a hand through her hair, trying to smooth it down and get out any debris from all the fighting.
"Huh?" Sora says confused only to gawk in surprise at Roxas' voice.
"You said we'd meet again, but when we did, we might not recognize each other. You were right about Lin though" Roxas says as he walks out of Sora to stand in front of Lin, noting in silent joy she'd kept his gift to her.
"I did, didn't I?" Naminé agrees looking between Roxas and Lin knowingly, Kairi smiling as she caught on to what her blonde Nobody knew.
"But I knew you" Roxas points out as Lin took a hesitant step closer, aware of Riku's eyes on her.
"Mmm...it's strange" Naminé admits.
"I think I understand. I see myself the way you remember me. And you see yourself the way I remember you. That Lin sees us the way she met us" Roxas says as he reaches a hand out to Lin, both sad when their hands just faze through the other.
"I always though Nobodies were doomed to fade back into darkness...Lin was right though" Naminé admits with a smile looking to Lin as she shook her head in sad amusement.
"Yeah, but you and I didn't. We got to meet our original selves. That Lin got to meet our original selves" Roxas says cheerfully as Lin snorts and looks away, arms crossed knowing it wasn't the same and wouldn't be the same till she sat Sora down and asked him her favor.
"So, we can be together again!" Naminé agrees as she and Roxas stand on either side of Lin, giving Sora, Kairi and Riku a glimpse of what could have been and what they looked like to outsiders.
"Right. Anytime Sora, Lin and Kairi are together" Roxas says as Lin stuck her hands in the pockets of her one piece.
"We'll be together every day. Right, Sora? Lin?" Kairi asks looking between the two.
"Uh...yeah!" Sora agrees while Lin just smiles sadly as Kairi takes Naminé's hand, and they both glow. Naminé is transferred into Kairi.
Lin would whisper something in Roxas' ear that no one but Vanitas and the ninjas would catch knowing what he needed to do before he did so and would step back to Vanitas' side where all three were ready to comfort her, missing the delighted surprise on her blonde's face.
"Look sharp!" Roxas says to Sora he closes his eyes, and fades away. Sora glows, having taken Roxas back into himself.
"Huh?" Sora says confused, checking himself over.
"Don't worry. You're all still you" Riku reassures as Vanitas rolled his eyes.
"Getting going runts, the portal won't stay open forever" Vanitas deadpanned as Kairi went on through only for the portal to close and dissipate.
"What?" Sora says in shocked surprise as Vanitas portals both Kakashi and Obito away, to where the others had gone before the ninjas could argue otherwise.
There's a flash of light and the two see a nesting core. The giant flying mecha bursts out of the core and flies toward them. It knocks into the castle tower and roars. The tower breaks and starts to collapse. Vanitas, Lin, Sora and Riku slide toward the ground. Riku sees a hovercraft and runs toward it with Lin close behind him.
"Riku! Lin!" Sora calls out as they both jump off the falling tower and onto the hovercraft. He flies it up to the tower with Lin clinging to his back, her gun chain in hand.
"Sora!" Riku calls back as Vanitas grabs Sora, from on top of his glider and the mecha flies up alongside them. They attack several parts of the mecha with lasers from the hovercraft and Vanitas' glider. They watch as it crashes to the ground. Energy swirls around it and the area is filled with smoke. The smoke clears to show a larger mecha equipped with even more guns. Xemnas, in his kingly armor sits at the head. Vanitas and Riku fly to the head of the mecha and jump off. The hovercraft is lost in the huge swirling abyss. They ready their Keyblades and gun in the case of Lin.
"Hey, Riku?" Sora says getting his friend's attention as Lin and Vanitas stand back to back, no words needing to be said between them.
"Yeah?" Riku says looking to Sora.
"I wanted to thank Naminé, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. Not until everything was back to the way it was before" Sora explains quietly.
"Don't worry. We'll make that happen. Once this is over, you can thank her all you want. Lin likely has an idea how too" Riku reassures, pointing out the obvious much to Vanitas' vicious amusement.
"Yeah!" Sora agrees as the armored Xemnas lifts his head. They start to fight him, when he shoots them into the abyss.
"Nothingness is eternal! Riku...are you sure you're not jealous of Sora?" Xemnas asks only to dodge as a large ball of purple flames are shot at him.
Sora glides with Lin to a discarded building and smashes it with his Keyblade. Riku and Vanitas rides the building as it crashes into the mecha. He slams his Keyblade into it and splits the building in half, breaking the mecha's shield.
"Embrace nothing! Hearts are power!" Xemnas shouts as Vanitas, Lin, Sora and Riku glide back to the head of the mecha and start beating up Xemnas again. At the final strike, there is a flash of light and the team of four appear in a gray area. Xemnas stands before him in a black and white outfit.
"Heroes from the realm of light... I will not allow it to end this way-not yet. If light and darkness are eternal, then surely we nothings must be the same... Eternal!" Xemnas shouts as Lin switches out her gun for Benihime.
"You're right, light and darkness are eternal. Nothing probably goes on forever, too. But guess what, Xemnas?" Riku says, the last part a question.
"That doesn't mean YOU'RE eternal!" Sora shouts as Vanitas points Wayward Wind at Xemnas when the Nobody begins to laugh.
"No more eternal than that radiance of yours..." Xemnas says chuckling sinisterly as his hands spark with blue energy. "Anger and hate are supreme" he states with finality as they attack Xemnas, dodging his thorned vines and red lasers. Xemnas blocks Sora in a sphere of blue energy.
"Can you spare...a heart?" Xemnas asks out loud as Lin and Riku jumps up to stop it, but is hit by the energy and knocked away, both concerned at the barrier.
"Runt, brat focus on your opponent" Vanitas shouts as Xemnas sends out an image of himself against Riku, while he continues to hold Sora, the older ravenette looking for an opening into the barrier as he continued to fight against Xemnas.
"Guard!" Xemnas shouts as Lin and Riku blasts through the clone and keep running. When they reach Vanitas, Sora and Xemnas, Riku punches in and grabs Xemnas' hand. The barrier blocking Sora vanishes and he falls to the ground. Riku takes the hilt of his blade and smacks Xemnas in the face. Lin with Vanitas grabs Xemnas horizontally and spins him around, throwing him.
"Is that all you got faker?" Lin demands viciously shooting a blast of red light upwards and hitting its target straight on.
"There is no such thing as light!" Xemnas snarls as he forms two spheres of energy in each hand and melds them together. He lifts them over his head and black thorns pierce outwards. Everything around them turns black.
"Sora!" Riku calls out worriedly only to be smacked lightly by Lin.
"Focus Riku, Van is with him" Lin states seriously as in the darkness around them, a thousand points of light appear. Xemnas laughs as he sends each of those thousand lasers directly at Vanitas, Lin, Sora and Riku. They deflect them with spinning Keyblades and a sword.
There's a flash of light and Lin, Vanitas, Sora and Riku are staring down Xemnas. Xemnas knocks Riku and Vanitas both back.
"Riku!" Sora calls out as Xemnas holds a beam sword to Sora's head. Riku looks up. Xemnas swings his arms back to hit Sora, but Riku gets up in a flash and blocks with his Keyblade as Xemnas swings around. Riku and Lin both push Sora out of the way and Lin takes the brunt of the strong hit with the beam sword in her left side as the rest of the attack hits Riku. Riku and Lin both fall as Sora catches himself and leaps forward. He grabs Riku's Keyblade and slams it into Xemnas' chest, Vanitas backing up the hit. Sora smashes Xemnas with his and Riku's blades, spinning him back. Sora crosses the Keyblades and knocks Xemnas high into the air. They both spin around and Sora lands next to Riku as Vanitas lands and helps Lin up.
"Riku!" Sora says relieved as he offers his, Riku nodding and takes Sora's Keyblade and hand. They both send a beam through Xemnas.
"Cursed...Keyblade..." Xemnas curses weakly as he angrily reaches out to them as he fades away in wisps and smoke.
"We did it!" Sora cheers as Vanitas smacked him with his free hand, the other arm being used to hold Lin to him as she wrapped her arms and legs around his front.
"I wouldn't be too sure of that" Riku says as Nobodies appear Lin nodding miserably into Vanitas' neck.
"You spoke too soon Sora" Lin deadpanned as they ready themselves for the battle. The hundreds of Nobodies are eventually defeated. Riku falls to his knees and Vanitas adjusts his hold on Lin, both tired from the fighting much like Riku.
"Sora... I can't..." Riku says tiredly as Sora shook his head and moves towards his best friend, making sure Vanitas was okay with Lin out of the corner of his eye.
"Don't say another word! It's not over. It's just not" Sora denies as he puts Riku's arm over his shoulder and helps him up.
"How can you say that? Even if we could go on...look where we are" Riku points out as Vanitas grunted tiredly and smacked the silverette.
"Its not over until we stop breathing silver runt, we all have people waiting for us and I for one am not about to disappoint, not when Lin would resurrect us all just to kill us herself" Vanitas deadpanned, motioning to a passed out Lin, who had used up the last of her magic to heal Sora and Vanitas at least.
"Aw, c'mon, Riku. You've been hanging out in darkness too long. You gotta try and think positive!" Sora says cheerfully as Vanitas mentally wished Lin hadn't passed out with how cheerful is younger brunette doppelganger was being.
Vanitas would ignore the pair as they start walking, anywhere, just walking while making sure to keep his grip on Lin firm so she didn't fall or get jostled around as he moved, knowing she needed the rest for the time being.
Sora looks ahead and sees a light in front of them, drawing both Riku and Vanitas' attention to it.
"Riku, Vanitas-look. What's that light?" Sora asks as they walk into the light and end up on a dark beach.
"End of the road?" Riku asks as Vanitas shook his head in negative.
"Yep" Sora says completely missing Vanitas' head shake much to the oldest male's annoyance.
"Put me down. I can walk" Riku says as Vanitas stood behind him, keeping an eye on the silverette, knowing like Lin was prone to do he was putting up a strong front to hide how weak he really was as Sora helps him stand and walks to the water.
"You know...maybe the darkness has gotten to me, too" Sora muses as he turns around and sees Vanitas easing Riku to lie on the ground with a little difficulty.
"Riku!" Sora calls out running back as Vanitas gave up with the brunette close enough to help.
"This world is perfect for me. If this is what the world really is...just this, then maybe I should fade back into darkness" Riku says kneeling as Vanitas snorts, catching both boys attention, both taking in the sleeping yet ragged looking Lin, finally realizing how tiny she was.
"Runt if anyone deserves to be here its me, you and Sora are anything but dark. Sure you may have lost your way and done things you likely aren't proud of but who doesn't? I was the villain's tool in Lin's tale, a little over a decade ago I was nothing more than a being of darkness with no heart to call my own just trying to find my purpose in the world outside what I'd been created to do by my master. The only reason I'm here now and mostly redeemed is because Lin, a being of balanced light and darkness showed me the way and sure I still may have done some horrible things, things that cost Lin her family but they weren't done willingly like before she came into my life. She saved me and showed me a lesson you and Sora are only just learning. That light and darkness coexist together and need each other to survive and nothing we do will change that so its best to work with that balance to maintain a semblance of peace" Vanitas explained with a scowl on his face, the group having moved close to the water.
"Is that why Lin is so strong, even with how fragile she looks?" Sora asks as Vanitas eased himself down to the ground, mindful of a lightly snoring Lin.
"Lin is strong because she's suffered a lot and needs to be to keep hold of what she has and to regain what was lost. She's strong because she cares about me, her friends and the worlds she guards viciously. The worlds in the Lost Realm call her the Fate Changer in some places because she is strong enough to change the fates of the people on them, strong enough to stand against the status quo and make people see what they're doing wrong. She changed my fate, yours, silver runt's and some of the friends you have if you want examples" Vanitas sighed, running a gentle hand through Lin's long black hair, gold eyes soft for a change much to Sora's surprise.
"I'm sorry for my part" Riku said quietly as Vanitas nodded, saying nothing more as they sit on the waterside for a time.
"What I said back there...about thinking I was better at stuff than you...To tell you the truth, Sora... I was jealous of you" Riku admits breaking the silence some time later.
"What for?" Sora asks curiously.
"I wished I could live life the way you do. Just following my heart" Riku admits softly as Vanitas snorted in amusement.
"Yeah, well, I've got my share of problems, too" Sora admitted, smiling slightly as Vanitas shook his head at the sappiness of the two teenagers next to him.
"Like what?" Riku asks confused.
"Like...wanting to be like you" Sora explains, smile still on his face as Lin snuffled slightly and burrowed her face further into Vanitas' shoulder.
"Well, there is one advantage to being me... Something you could never imitate" Riku states knowingly.
"Really? What's that?" Sora asks curiously.
"Having you for a friend" Riku admits with a small smile.
"Then I guess...I'm okay the way I am. I've got something you could never imitate too" Sora says in agreement with Riku's statement.
They look up at the starless sky and close their eyes, feeling the breeze on their skin and hearing the sound of the waves. A bottle washes up between Riku's legs and he picks it up and opens it. There is a note inside. He reads the letter.
"Sora? I think it's for you" Riku says handing the letter to Sora, who reads it.
"Thinking of you, wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows: Starting a new journey may not be so hard or maybe it has already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky-one sky, one destiny" Sora reads aloud realizing the letter is from Kairi as a light appears over the water before Vanitas, Lin, Sora and Riku.
"Light" Riku says in awe as Vanitas stands up, eager to leave the darkness.
"The door to light..." Sora says in awe as he stands up and offers his hand to Riku. "We'll go together" hr he says getting a nod from both Riku and Vanitas.
"Yeah" Riku agrees as they stands up and enter the light. The waves at the Destiny Islands are relatively calm as three falling stars grace the sky. Vanitas with Lin, Sora and Riku land in the water, and surface.
"Sora! Riku!" Kairi calls out as at the same time Obito shouts out Vanitas' and Lin's names, he and Kakashi racing out into the water towards their friends as Sora and Riku both look and see Kairi waving to them on the shore.
Sora and Riku swim to shore. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy run past Kairi to the water, much to Sora's surprise. Goofy and Donald jump on Sora and knock him back into the water. Sora sits up as Goofy hugs him and Donald wipes his eye. Mickey runs to Riku, who picks him up and spins him around. Donald and Goofy hug Sora and look at Mickey and Riku. Obito and Kakashi both were hugging Vanitas with a wide awake and wet Lin between them as she looked around in awe of Destiny Islands and realized they had managed to get home, or part way in the case of Vanitas, Lin, Kakashi and Obito.
Kairi giggles, smiling. Sora takes out the Oathkeeper keychain. He looks up and takes the form of Roxas. Naminé smiles back at him
"W-We're back" Sora says with a wide smile.
"You're home" Kairi agrees holding out her hand and taking the hand with the Oathkeeper keychain in it.
Lin sneezing would draw the attention of Riku, Sora and Kairi as they called out her name in relief, much to the witch's surprise as Vanitas put her down to be tackled by Sora, Riku and Mickey in a hug while Kairi stood beside the two ninjas.
"We're glad your okay Lin" Mickey says relieved as Lin hugged the mouse back tightly.
"Just some magical exhaustion is all Mickey…I just wore myself out making sure Van and Sora could defend Riku and I when our guards were down is all. We'll be around a little while till I can take Van, Obito, Kakashi and I home" Lin admitted as she dug around in her pouch for her dress and bike shorts which were the only set of dry clothing she had and would slink off to change, her boys keeping guard.
"Did you mean what you told Roxas before he rejoined Sora?" Obito asks curiously as Lin nodded with a small smile, pale face flushed as she tried to hide behind her black hair, letting Vanitas brush it out and leave it down for a change.
"That I loved him and that I'd seem him later with Axel? Yeah I meant it. Axel may not go by that name when we see him again but I can bring back Roxas, it'll just take a little time and full magic reserves before I can pull it off. Also have to convince those three to come visit the Lost Realm since I don't want to do it anywhere out here if you know what I mean" Lin explained shyly as Kakashi just eye smiled in amusement.
"Look Obito our little Lin chan is all grown up" Kakashi teases lightly as Lin scowled before turning her head away and crossing her arms in a huff.
"Mhm and you've only degraded to Obito's old excuses and reading Jiraiya's third rate smut" Vanitas deadpans, getting loud raucous laughter out of Lin and Obito for the jab as Kakashi pouted and clutched the little orange book to his chest.
A few days later Lin would take herself and her friends home with the promise from Sora and friends that after whatever Mickey wanted with them was completed he would come visit the Lost Realm with Riku and Kairi in tow to see what Lin wanted from them and to show them.
What she hadn't banked on was Vanitas losing his temper over a letter he had received from Mickey before she'd see the Destiny Island trio again and it would lead to a trip to see Yen Sid.
Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru would go for the ride, Itachi supervising as they watched their friend and big sister cuss out an old man just as old as their Hokage once Lin had gotten a hold of the letter.
"You sent them out into the sleeping worlds to do the Mark of Mastery Exam, an exam I may add has killed participants in the past and with Master Xehanort still on the bloody fucking loose? Are you mad? Riku I could understand sending since he isn't weak nor susceptible to the darkness but to send them both when Sora doesn't have the same protections or defenses? Its just painting a sign on him and saying easy target" Lin ranted as Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru got a look at Sora and Riku.
"Lin nee, he looks kinda like Roxas nii" Naruto points out, pulling on the skirt of Lin's dress, the girl not having changed out of the dress in awhile, necklace still around her neck, joined by a Konohana leaf symbol as her metaphorical headband. Her hair was pulled back into the hair bun and bangs left hanging loose around her face as usual.
"Remember how Roxas told you he was a Nobody? Well Sora is the person he was whole so they of course share some facial traits" Lin explained patiently, having been cut off mid rant.
"Their predecessors didn't come back after the last exams old man so what made you think it was a good idea to hold the exams now?" Vanitas asks, glaring Yen Sid down only to stop as Itachi asked for clarification.
"The Mark of Mastery is to a Keyblade wielder what the Jounin exams are to a Chunnin. Less deadly too in most cases but the last time the exams were held the runt, silver runt and princess' predecessors never came back from it. One sleeps eternally back home till we can find his heart, the other wanders the darkness lost to the light and the last slumbers in the heart of the old fart that I was forced to call master" Vanitas stated bluntly as Yen Sid sat up at the mention of Ventus.
"You found Ventus" Yen Sid asks as Lin nodded, running her fingers through Sasuke's hair, having noted the usually chatty Uchiha was being very quiet.
"The Land of Departure became what is known as Castle Oblivion and during Sora and Riku's little adventure in there I got him out and he's been safe in the Lost Realm ever since. He's aged since then and physically and hopefully mentally has caught up with the decade he's been asleep" Lin explains patiently.
While Lin and the others were planning and discussing what to do next in the Mysterious Tower, Lea, Ienzo, Aeleus, Dilan and Even were waking up in the cleaned up computer room and study, noticing that some of the others weren't with them as they came to terms with being whole and it would be Ienzo who recognized the handy work of the cleanliness of the room.
"Lin was here and recently with how strong some of the magic in the room is" Ienzo would note out loud as it hit Lea like a ton of bricks that as Axel he had finally found Lin after they had gotten separated in the darkness.
"How long ago?" Lea asks out loud after deciding to head out into the worlds to find the missing members of their group as Aeleus comes into the room.
"Six hours ago with how strong it is, though that may be the wards she put up to protect the contents of the room" Aeleus explains as Lea nodded and made his way out into town to track down one of a few people who knew where she would go, only to find Cloud in the home Lin, Lea and Isa used to call their own with Zack.
"She's gone to see Yen Sid if you're looking for her and if not there the Elemental Nations" Cloud states quietly, not looking up from his book as Lea opened his mouth to ask only to shut it and nod before leaving again.
Yen Sid would try and not buckle under the power of the other Keyblade master besides himself and Mickey still in play as Vanitas continued to chew out the old wizard out for not considering the consequences of not verifying of whether or not it was safe to hold the exam or not and to not have supervision for the exam with what had happened last time.
"Vanitas has a right to be as upset as he is considering the old man behind all this crap is the one that hurt him and threatened me when I was younger than you three" Lin mutters with a grimace as the tirade finally wore down only for the door to open, Mickey, Donald and Goofy coming into the room, coming from Disney Castle to save Minnie.
It was the fourth member of their group that got Itachi's attention as he grinned, noticing Lin was too busy watching Vanitas still chewing out the wizard to notice the arrival of Lea as the red head took in her appearance for the first time since he was a teenager and Lin a child. Noting her long black hair pulled back, the slight tan she still bore from his memories of Axel and dressed much like much she had in Axel's memories too but with the necklace Roxas had given her around her neck and her makeshift Konohana head band around her neck, the Uchiha red and white fan stitched onto the back of her navy blue dress. He could also see a pouch on her hip where she was obviously keeping her key chains and other items, expanding the thing with her first branch of magic.
"You better fucking hope I'm wrong Yen Sid otherwise it's your hide I'll be after if there is one hair out of place on both their heads in the dream realm…They weren't ready for this and you pushed them without asking me, the only survivor from the last exam and fight support if they were" Vanitas growled before turning around with a huff to address Lin only to grin and motion behind her having heard her comment only to freeze in happy surprise.
Lea would have his arms full of upset witch a moment later much to the amusement of Itachi as Vanitas kept his little brother and the other two boys back next to Mickey as the mouse took in the scene before turning to Yen Sid and explaining what had happened at Disney Castle with Maleficent and Pete and how they had been seeking the World Data to conquer worlds, the hag admitting the source of all her information in the plans she had put into action, the one to tell her of the existence of other worlds had been Master Xehanort.
"I bloody told you" Lin hissed, emerald eyes bright in her anger at being ignored as Lea kept a grip of her, so he could make his request of Yen Sid and when the shocked silence met his ears at the request to be trained to use a Keyblade, Lin relaxed and gave her response, countering Donald's negative answer.
"Sure I don't see why not, you do have the potential for it plus it gives Van a sparring partner" Lin says as Lea grinned down at her for her support while Donald huffed his annoyance as Yen Sid continued only for Lea and Lin to cackle at the fact that Xehanort could predict their every move.
"You're forgetting he can't predict Lin or Vanitas so let's jump in" Lea stated as they all nodded their agreement.
Lin would block Xehanort's attack with Benihime, Vanitas riding in on Wayward Wind when Mickey attempted to use time magic and freeze time so Riku could grab Sora who was still trapped in the dream to be used as the thirteenth vessel and would lash out right back with Benihime, her presence a wrench in Xehanort's plans much to the old man's ire at having his attack blocked.
"You've done and taken enough old man" Lin growled, her voice sounding much like the dragon she was as an animagus as she kept a firm grip on Benihime the sword spirit eager for the chance to get vengeance for the souls this man had hurt and the lives ruined for this plan to achieve Kingdom Hearts, to obtain the X-Blade. She would be too quick to be pinned as she attacked the old man using Lea's attacks as a distraction as the red head saved Sora.
"You've done enough now, give me back my friend and join your comrades in hell" Vanitas hisses as he used his magic to force the original Xehanort to remain and forced the man's soul from Terra's body as the second apprentice of Eraquas collapsed where Xehanort once stood, having taken advantage of the chaos Lin was causing.
They would take both Sora and Terra back to the tower, Sora still trapped in the dream to report the death of Xehanort, Vanitas putting his journal of research down on the desk for Yen Sid to read of what he'd gathered of Xehanort's plans over the last couple years on and off traveling alone with little bits Lin had added here and there from what she'd remembered.
"Burn it once you've read it Yen Sid…Xehanort can no longer bother us, not after what I did to him in Where Nothing Gathers" Vanitas sighs tiredly as Yen Sid stared down the tired Keyblade wielder as they waited for Riku to come back from waking Sora up, the silver haired teen having been the one to go wake Sora up while Lea cuddled the witch close, finally able to relax and hold her close.
"So that was what you were looking into" Itachi noted quietly as Lin nodded with her eyes closed as she took in the warmth that Lea usually exuded and would wait patiently for her friends to wake up, Vanitas having taken Naruto and Shikamaru home with Terra in their care. Sasuke had decided to stay behind with Lin and Itachi to see what would happen next.
"Yeah Van and I wanted to make sure the old man could never come back and to do that we needed to know what his plans were…Yen Sid just gave Xehanort the opening he needed to collect a thirteenth vessel. Doesn't matter any more though. When Riku wakes up we'll go home and hope Jiraiya hasn't driven Oro up the wall and that Obito finally made a move on Kakashi" Lin explained as Itachi snickered at that last point knowing Shisui and Lin would win the betting pool if Obito finally made a move.
When Riku finally woke it was to Sora and the others partying while Yen Sid, Mickey, and Lea with Lin in his lap leaning over him Itachi and Sasuke, obviously waiting for him to wake up and it would be a proud Lin who would hug him tightly after Yen Sid named him a Keyblade master for passing the exam.
"What will you do now?" Riku asks curiously as Lin smiled slightly looking to Lea before looking back to Riku with bright and happy green eyes as they watched Sora go on his way to train and prepare to take the exam again now that the worlds were finally at peace.
"Well besides waiting for Terra to wake up, I still have to look for Aqua and when Sora comes back finally wake Ventus and Roxas…Lea and I have been waiting a decade to see our friend again and we have our lives ahead of us now and a place is always open for you in Konohana with the other two when you're ready" Lin explained with a smile as Lea brightened up at the last bit, glad that they were finally going home or coming home as the case maybe for Lea since he didn't want to return to Radiant Garden without Lin.
"You've waited long enough I guess" Riku says in quiet amusement as Lin and Sasuke both nodded, getting a laugh out of Lea as the red head asked the young boy why he nodded.
"Roxas nii liked to train with us when Itachi nii and Lin nee or Shisui were out of the village. Obito and Kakashi are okay but no where as helpful as Roxas nii or Lin nee. Obito just likes to watch or help Naruto pulls pranks" Sasuke admitted shyly as Riku blinked in surprise before asking when she'd had time to take Roxas to the Lost Realm.
"He had a lot of solo missions with that group so we'd slip away then and enjoy ice cream in Konohana after spending time with my friends and with Sasuke, Naru chan and Shika chan. Oro joined us once in a while to keep me posted on Ven but usually it was just Roxas, myself, Itachi, Obito, Kakashi, Shisui or Genma on the porch of the house I call home with Van and Naru chan in the Uchiha compound" Lin admitted with a distant yet fond smile, remembering the happier times.
A month after the dramatic end of the Mark of Mastery, Vanitas would return to Konohana with Aqua in tow, Lin sparring with Obito in Team Seven's old training ground while Terra with Naruto, Sasuke, Genma and Shisui watched on, Kakashi out of the village on a mission with Itachi.
"Go Lin nee kick his ass" Naruto cheered loudly much to Shisui's amusement while Sasuke cheered Obito on.
"She's really good" Terra muses watching his niece dodge another kunai, using the momentum to get in close and get in a couple punches before Obito forced her back with Moukton abilities.
"Mhm Lin's the best of all of us in one tiny yet vicious package...I think she was working towards being able to use the Flying Thunder God technique with you right Genma?" Shisui says looking to older male as Genma nodded with a satisfied smirk.
"Yup, Minato even gave her a set of the kunai during her first stay in Konohana. Mostly so he could get to her if needed since he and Kushina were busy a lot of the time and Obito really was the only one willing to baby-sit besides Orochimaru...and in those days no one really wanted to leave a child with him no matter how smart Lin was" Genma explained for Terra's benefit, having been the first to see the family resemblance.
"She going to teach Naruto if she's got it down?" Shisui asks as Genma nods, glad Naruto and Sasuke both were to preoccupied watching the spar to listen in since Lin had wanted to make it a surprise for after the little blonde graduated in a few years time.
"It's his heritage, Lin wouldn't deny him that right just like she's been teaching him about seals when she's not out on a mission or traveling as she likes to tell team Chibi. Just like she takes the time with you, Obito and Itachi to train with Sasuke and time with Shikamaru and Vanitas to improve on their shadow jutsus" Genma states seriously as Shisui whistled impressed.
"She's not having to travel as much and the Hokage likes to keep her in the village more than outside it since she helps tame the paperwork demons and keeps the civilians in check from harassing Naruto...I saw Vanitas on my way here with a blue haired woman" Orochimaru stated having come up behind the group with Manda the basilisk just as Obito pinned Lin down.
"Ha, cough up dobe" Sasuke laughs as Naruto grumbled and handed over a few ryo from the allowance Lin had given him for the week with a pout.
"He found Aqua" Terra says surprised as Lin perked up and then bolted in the direction she sensed the pair, the resulting squawk of surprise from Aqua herself the only indication that Lin had tackled the woman in a hug much like she had when Terra had woken up.
"Now we just need the runts and princess to show up" Vanitas sighed as he flopped out onto his back next to the rest of the adults, letting Terra, Aqua and Lin have their reunion much to Shisui's amusement seeing the behavior for what it was.
"I wouldn't sulk or pout Van, you know you're Lin's favorite next to the rest of us" Shisui teases only to dodge with a cackle as the grumpy ravenette swiped at the cheeky Uchiha with his shadows in annoyance, glad Obito hadn't said anything since next to him what remained of Team Seven, Kisuke and Ichigo were her go to people besides Genma and the Uchiha she was close with.
Riku with Sora and Kairi would show a week later late in the night for Konohana near the Uchiha compound with Mickey, Donald and Goofy in tow.
Vanitas would be waiting for them at the compound entrance with Shisui in tow, hand out to the younger of the two expectantly as the Uchiha handed over the money owed in the small bet they'd made in how long it would take for Sora to show up.
"Took your time runt" Vanitas stated before turning around and leading the way into the compound.
"Don't mind Van, he's just sulking because Lin decided to spend the night with Team Chibi in the living room" Shisui said with a snicker, only to duck at the kunai tossed backwards at him by Vanitas, only just missing his mark.
"Team Chibi?" Kairi asks amused as Shisui nodded with a grin.
"My little cousin Sasuke, Naruto and the Nara heir are what we Team Chibi since they're only Academy students and Lin's little students when she's not out doing missions for the village or traveling. Took to her like ducks to water really and no one is willing to tell them no so Genma dubbed them Team Chibi and it stuck" Shisui explains with a snicker only to fall quiet when they heard Lin singing softly, Riku spotting her pacing back and forth slowly along the porch of what was obviously her home with a small blonde boy in her arms.
"I can see it
We'll book it to the goal line
Still you and me we don't know
We don't know enough about it
We've gone passed it
To the point of no return, no looking back
We don't know
We don't know enough about it
We got this, we got this, we got this now
Getting all fired up we'll let
Sweat drip from every pore now
There's so many things we don't know
We'll remember our journey home
Everyone, even him, become silhouettes
You and I we're now growing old
There's some things we can't protect and hold
Don't let go
We both know
We'll never give it up
So many things we don't know
We'll remember our journey home
Everyone, even him, become silhouettes
And one last time our shadows dance within the wind
Like a leaf we'll all just float away"
Lin sang softly, hoping it would ease Naruto back into sleep from the nightmare that had woken him, a memory from the festival mobs that used to attack him on his birthday. He'd woken her up with his tossing and turning, quietly whimpering his sleep while Shikamaru and Sasuke had slept on, the later having taken most of the blankets he'd been sharing with Naruto with him as he slept.
Naruto's soft snuffling and curling further into her let her know he was sound asleep again and only then would she notice her company.
"Uh welcome to Konohana?" Lin mumbles out, face red in embarrassment of how they'd caught her in only her black sleeping yukata and hair down.
"Sorry for being so late" Sora apologizes sheepishly as Lin led the way into the house, silently relieved she'd set up silencing seals for Kakashi and Obito's room.
"Its okay, Van Shisui and I were up anyways" Lin says with a small yawn as Kairi asked if Naruto was okay.
"Yeah he's okay, just a nightmare. Naruto is to this place what Sora is to the worlds if you want a simple explanation but he isn't very well liked unlike Sora since the civilians won't see the difference between the cage and the prisoner and before I came back the village tended and still do a lot of the time to pick on and are cruel to him. They behave themselves well enough if I or one of the older shinobi of the house are around but otherwise Naruto is a bit of a pariah" Lin explains quietly, adjusting her hold on the small blonde when he squirmed to make himself more comfortable in his sleep.
"That's not right" Riku points out as Lin grumbled and managed to unlock the last two rooms, the guest rooms after a small trip up the stairs.
"We know that, but until Naruto graduates and starts doing missions and proving himself not what he holds inside no one else but those who care about him will see that. Doesn't help things that he and I prank the shit out of the really blind assholes" Lin mumbles as Shisui snickers remembering the prank from two days before on the Hyuga compound. "Anyways its kinda late to do anything in regards to what I wanted to ask you about so these two rooms are yours for as long as you visit, just beware of the doors with glowing kanji on them and you'll be okay" she continues as Kairi asked why.
"Shisui don't even think about answering that…the kanji on the doors are silence seals for privacy since besides myself and Team Chibi and Itachi, the rest of the house members are adults that sometimes act like horny teenagers, Shisui among them" Lin explains as Kairi flushed lightly at what the other girl was implying with a straight face.
"Aww I'm so proud of you, you don't flush anymore" Shisui teases as Lin zapped him with a low level lightning spell before heading back downstairs to sleep.
The next morning would find Terra and Aqua at the table bright and early as Lin moved around the kitchen on auto pilot preparing breakfast, the snores of Team Chibi music to her ears. Itachi would walk in with Riku, Mickey, Obito and Kakashi on his heels to sit and have breakfast while Donald, Goofy, Sora and Kairi slept on upstairs.
Vanitas had gotten up and headed straight for Orochimaru's lab with Shisui and Genma to help get what Lin needed organized and ready so when she arrived with Sora she wouldn't need to get things ready herself.
"Smells good" Riku notes quietly as Itachi nodded, sipping on his tea quietly as he watched Lin move around still in her sleeping yukata, but hair pulled back so none of it got into the food.
"Lin has always been good in the kitchen, saves us some money on take out really" Obito admitted as Itachi nodded while Kakashi snickered.
"You both are just horrible at cooking anything that can't be roasted over a fire" Kakashi pointed out amused as Obito gave the silver haired male a dirty look only to squawk when a kunai lodged itself in the table in front of him from the direction of the kitchen.
"No fighting" Lin hissed, Manda copying the action as he stuck his head out from inside her yukata collar.
"You brought that on yourself cousin" Itachi says quietly amused as Obito nodded and put the kunai in the holster on his leg.
"Lin never was a morning person" Terra points out as Mickey and Aqua hugged, their reunion having gone on quietly in the background.
"So what do you need Sora to do?" Riku asks once Lin sat down with the food served, leaning against Obito and trying not to fall back asleep. Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru were sitting beside and across from her eating their portions in peaceful silence for a change.
"Everything I need will be at Oro's lab and set up since Van isn't here but basically with magic like you and Sora did for the exam we'll be doing a dive but instead of into the dream realm it'll be into his heart where Ventus' is still sleeping and Roxas is waiting. I could do the same for Naminé if she wanted to be her own person with her own heart. The magic itself is basically what I did instinctively to keep Vanitas on this plane of existence but on purpose this time" Lin explained patiently as Riku nodded.
"It won't hurt Sora if that's what your concerned about, all magic used will be on my part so all he has to do is go in with me and relax because if he resists it'll hurt us both" Lin admitted as Terra frowned in concern, only letting it go when Obito shook his head at him in negative.
Once everyone was up, dressed and fed Lin would lead the way to Orochimaru's lab with Naruto on her back and Sasuke walking beside her, Shikamaru having gone home and would walk straight on in and past Anko to where Orochimaru kept Ventus, hooked up to an I.V. drip and looking very peaceful in his sleep even if he looked to be Vanitas' age.
"He looks just as peaceful as he did when I left him in the castle" Aqua sighs as Terra rubbed her back, silent in his agreement of the statement as Lin put Naruto down.
"Okay Naruto, Sasuke I need you and everyone but Sora to move away from the circle drawn on the floor. I also need you to make sure no one steps into the circle once its activated, no matter what happens okay because it could really hurt Sora, Ventus and I if you do" Lin explains quietly as the blonde nods and with some urging from Orochimaru everyone would move to outer room of the lab where the Snake Sannin kept his research notes.
"Alright now, Sora take my hand, don't let go and focus on where you want us to be" Lin says quietly as Sora nodded and Lin let her magic flood the circle and light up the room as the world around them faded and changed, leaving behind the waking world for the world that that was home to Sora's heart of hearts.
"This look exactly how Riku described it" Lin mutters to herself, looking down to realize she was no longer in her black long sleeved one piece and Chunnin vest and knee high shinobi sandals but in her summer dress and ankle high shinobi sandals, her necklaces still in place and hair down.
"What now?" Sora asks looking around the play island curiously.
"Now we go looking for Ventus" Lin stated, knowing Roxas would show himself on his own whereas Ventus would need some reassurance that it was okay to wake up, that Terra and Aqua were waiting for him. She would let Sora take the lead and would find Ventus sitting on the railing of the tree house near the Secret Spot.
"You've gotten so big since I last saw you" Ventus says softly, knowing Lin regardless of her age from her emerald green eyes as she smiled slightly in pride.
"Yes well you have Lea and Vanitas to thank for that…Terra and Aqua are waiting for you to wake up you know" Lin says gently as Ventus' eyes widen looking around for Vanitas obviously only to look back as both Lin and Sora snicker, the brunette remembering Vanitas' explanation about his origins.
"Vanitas as you knew him Ven no longer exists. The reason why he did the things he did near the end was because Xehanort threatened to return me to the World of Magic after hurting me and in a last ditch effort to protect me he left a large chunk of his heart and soul within me in hopes it would flush out the darkness Eraquas wanted to kill me for having. He raised me when Radiant Garden fell to the darkness and protected me from Terra's sister and brother in law when no one else would. Sure he's surly and short tempered but he cares about people" Lin explained as Ventus smiled in pleased relief, glad Vanitas got the chance that he would have otherwise been denied to be his own person.
"So time to go home?" Ventus asks as Sora nods with a bright smile.
"We have to find Roxas but yeah time to go home" Sora agrees as Lin turned and knew immediately where to go, running off towards the small islet where she knew Sora, Riku and Kairi watched the sunset together, leaving Sora behind with Ventus.
"She sure seems to be in a hurry" Ventus says confused as Sora shrugged and kept the knowing smile off his face, Riku having had to explain to him about the flashes he'd had about Lin when confronted by Roxas in Memory Skyscraper. It had confused him a little at first how Lin could have feelings for his Nobody but hold none of those feelings for Sora himself but Kairi and Naminé both had cleared it up for him, the blonde especially.
Roxas had a year to be his own person and in that year he'd made his own connections and own memories and thanks to Lin and her magic he had retained them and the feelings connected to them once he had returned to Sora. In that year Lin had gotten to know the person Roxas was and feelings develop much like Sora had developed feelings for Kairi though Roxas and Lin only had the year together.
"Yeah Lin's been waiting a year to have her partner back and has been very giving and patient with Riku and I in keeping our promise" Sora explained as Ventus nodded and the pair would walk back to where Sora and Lin had arrived at the start of the dive.
In the distance the pair could see a figure sitting on the palm tree watching the sunset and Lin's arrival on the islet.
"Roxas" Lin calls out and gives the blonde only a moment to prepare himself as she tackles him in a hug, burying her face into his chest and ignoring the fact she was five inches shorter than him at five foot exactly to his five foot five inches.
"You were right" Roxas mumbled into her hair as her hugged her back tightly in relief as Lin snorted wetly.
"I'm always right, even when I'm partially wrong remember?" Lin says as Roxas nodded, running a slow hand through her black hair.
"Yeah, does that mean Axel's waiting? That I can come back and be with you?" Roxas asks as Lin leaned back and nodded her head, letting Roxas wipe away her relieved and happy tears, smiling when he kissed her forehead much like she had done once after a mission for the village and he'd scared her badly.
"Mhm Axel woke up on Radiant Garden whole and going by Lea again. Doesn't have the purple tear marks anymore but still the same person you call best friend" Lin promises as Roxas smiled and hoped down and took her hand in his as he spotted Sora and Ventus waiting for them.
"Time to go home" Roxas says as Lin nodded and let Roxas lead and once all four were together again the world around them went up in light and they all woke up in Orochimaru's lab, much like Roxas remembered it being when he was last here if not slightly different with the older looking Ventus wide awake and being hugged by Terra and Aqua.
Sora would reach a hand out and help steady a wobbly Lin as Naruto and Sasuke tackled Roxas in a group hug, the blonde babbling about how glad he was to have the older blonde back and how Lin nee had been made Chunnin while he was gone and helped them train more.
"You did good brat, chibis let the runt breathe and help Lin sit down" Vanitas deadpanned as Orochimaru led the group out and leave Terra and Aqua to help Ventus adjust.
"Sorry Vanitas" Naruto and Sasuke apologizes and lets go to help Lin home, Roxas close behind them and would lift Lin up when she stumbled and nearly fell.
"I'm okay, just used a little too much magic in the ritual is all" Lin waves off most of everyone's concerns as Roxas put her down on her cushion on the porch.
"You should have been a little more careful brat but since you won't be using that kind of magic again I'll let it go" Vanitas scowled before heading into the house to take a nap leaving Roxas and Lin to sit in comfortable silence that was only broken by Sora, Kairi and Riku an hour later as they cuddled and basked in the peaceful summer weather.
"What will you guys do now?" Sora asks as Roxas shrugged and looked down to Lin who was leaning against him and resisting the nap she likely wanted to take after using the large amount of magic she did.
"Continue living, I'm a registered Chunnin and resident here and I know Vanitas wants to settle and stop traveling. My uncle, Aqua and Ventus are likely to follow you when you all go home but Lea is staying since Roxas and I are here and he's managed to make some friends amongst the Uchiha clan because of his fire" Lin explained tiredly amused as Roxas nodded.
"We might come visit but I kind of want to catch up with life here, maybe visit Twilight Town? Continue to train" Roxas said quietly with a shrug as Sora smiled easily and nodded, Lin having finally fallen asleep and looking even smaller than she did when awake but more relaxed than most had seen her in a long time.
Likely reassured that her journey off world was finally done and that all she held dear alive and well, cuddling into Roxas' side and since everyone wasn't looking he shyly kissed her forehead in relief that the large magic usage hadn't caused any pain or hurt the darkness to his light to bring him and Ventus home.