- Kairi
Riku found her in Twilight Town, a powerful rune that doubled up as a portal of some kind is what she emerged from, full-fledged ready for a fight. Dark hair in a ponytail with braids across the crown, wind-swept bangs on her left side. A white flowy tank with a blue halter tank underneath with one undone button. An intricate gem necklace hanging loosely from her chain, dark gray cuffed shorts with a buckled pouched strapped to her thigh and a navy-blue anorak jacket tied at her hip almost like a cape to her left side. She took her black fingerless gloves off and did everything she could to not look at us. But her gaze didn't waver away from Yen Sid when he started asking all these questions.
"What is your name, child?" He asked, eyes completely puzzled. Her jaw clenched she stared down King Mickey and his Master in the eyes. A hazy mix of bright blue and grey like a storm brewing on the horizon.
"Aria." She said, her voice light like a breeze not at all like the demeanor she was putting up front. "We are usually aware of other wielders walking around in the realm of light."
She shrugged, "I guess I've been traveling a lot." She bowed her head a little in respect. She twisted her ankles a bit trying to get into a comfortable standing position with worn out black boots folded and buckled with calf-high socks that still looked white and pristine. She gently tucked her hair behind her ear, waiting for more questions but looking a bit...anxious?
"You're a Guardian, aren't you?" Mickey said, not like a question but rather a statement. Aria's eye grew wide, suddenly getting defensive. "How did you-?"
"It's the way you carry yourself. I thought Guardian's didn't exist anymore, I thought they all disappeared." He said. She stuttered a bit, "I don't really have an answer for you. All I know is, I was bequeathed when I was really young and have been doing this since then." Her tone sounded final, confident.
"But what have you been doing all this time by yourself?" Yen Sid asked.
"Balancing the light and dark between the outer worlds." She exhaled, fumbling with her necklace.
"Wait a minute, what exactly is a Guardian Keyblade wielder?" Sora asked out loud, breaking the interview staring intently at Aria.
"Guardians are a special class that focuses on protecting the balance between the light and darkness in people's hearts and the hearts of worlds. But the last time one has been present was during the War." Yen Sid, closing his eyes and thought, opening them again looking at Aria. "Which makes you very interesting. Why of all roles did you choose that one?" He asked.
"I lost a lot in my life. So, I figured that if I was someone whose strength was just protecting others, maybe I wouldn't...lose so much from now on." She said quietly. My chest stung a little with sympathy. She wasn't used to being interrogated like this, I almost felt irritated that Sora and Riku brought her here to Yen Sid.
"And that light of yours-" Yen Sid began before she clasped her necklace tightly. "That's something for another day." She stared him dead in the eye, tone defensive almost hostile. "Look, this is all I can answer right now. The fact of the matter is I don't know a lot of the answers myself. So, if you will excuse me, I need to leave." She said almost pleading.
"I know you're responsible for the world gates being closer together." Yen Sid said in almost a growl. Aria froze in her tracks suddenly intimidated. "Just what are you trying to do?"
Aria took a deep breath, looking at all of us. "I'm trying to bring the world's together again." She said.
"What?!" A collective gasp came from everyone in the room.
"Two realities cannot exist, it destroys the world order," Mickey exclaimed, almost scolding her.
"I don't believe that for a second. The world's used to be together in one giant planet instead of fractured parts. The hearts know it, and you know it too." Her arms crossed in defiance.
"We don't know how that might affect the people in those fragments." Yen Sid added.
"Ease them into the idea, let them trust me and the process, that's what I'm here for." Aria insisted.
"What about the World Libraries? There are enemies out there who would do anything for that information-"
"A majority of the books are with me." She started sounding a little agitated her arms crossed tightly. I noticed her nails digging into her forearm a bit.
"How did you manage to do that? Those were protected with Wards." Yen Sid almost got up from his chair, which was something I haven't seen him do since Lea finally summoned his Keyblade for the first time.
"I deciphered them and kept the books safe and created better Wards. Better with me than in the Libraries. Especially nowadays."
"How many books have you read from that collection?" Yen Sid pried for more answers. And thank goodness her defensive demeanor vanished, I would hate to see him angry.
"The Arcanes, Elementals, Guardian Archives. The rest...I can't read, the pages are too old." She tucked her hand underneath her chin in thought.
"You didn't happen to enter into-"
"Oh no, I don't want to try, nothing good will come from it." She waved her hand in dismissal.
"So, there's more spell books than what you have Master Yen Sid?" I spoke up, piquing my interest.
"Hundreds of books, about the history of the Keyblade, how being a wielder used to be. There's even picture books for kids about them." She said giving me a small smile, the first time ever. There were no dimples, but her cheekbones were raised higher, almost wrinkling at the edge of her eyes. I clapped my hands together. "You should definitely group up with us!" Aria tilted her head in confusion then.
"Kairi-" Sora started off with a warning. But I wouldn't have it, we needed someone like her and we needed her yesterday.
"We could help each other out, do you see any other wielders that are Guardians?" I quipped back. My hands were on my hips looking both at Riku and Sora, who were stumbling on their words.
"I'm sorry, but I have to say no," Aria said sheepishly. Hands by her chest, "I prefer to work alone, nothing against you all, really." She reassured.
"I think we could lean on each other! I chose Mystic, Riku over there is a Master and he's a Warrior, same with Sora." I motioned toward them trying to sweeten the deal. It was also the fact that the only girl wielders there were.
Aria.
Aqua.
and I.
"...Riku's a Master?" Her words drifted off, looking intently at him to the point he started to stare at her too. Her eyes moved rapidly around his stance, searching for something. The air distorted around her, was that magic she was using? I saw a twitch of a smirk on her lips.
"Maybe it wouldn't be so bad being in a group." She said a little more lighthearted than before.
"But before you go, I'd like to ask who your Master was," Mickey said, her face completely dropped.
"I didn't have one." She said simply looking at the ground then at the King. "I mostly taught myself when I was older, the books helped a lot." She shrugged.
"Then let's see how good those books were," Sora said stretching his arms. She tilted her head a bit at that comment.
"You want to spar with me?" She asked dully, good to know she is nothing like Sora when it comes to testing strength, he seemed overly excited for some odd reason.
"I don't see why not, we both didn't have Master's, I want to see how you fight." She flashed me a look, 'is this guy serious?' Aria's arms crossed, she studied Sora's classic determined goofy smirk. She rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Fine, outside the tower, bring whatever tricks you got." She waved her hand, casually walking out the door and down the spiral staircase.
"If this is one of your ego trips-" I began.
"It's just a little practice fight, nothing serious." He chuckled, running down the stairs. I sighed and pinched the bridge between my nose. I grabbed medical supplies from the desk and arranged them in my pocket.
Someone was going to get hurt, and more than likely it would be him. I saw Riku about to start talking, "grab me more bandages." I sighed closing the door behind me. I get that she is interesting and all, being someone we don't know, but a sparring match? If she was self-taught like them and have been doing it for years compared to all of us, I can only imagine how good she is. I used the heel of my boot to open the main doors outside to see them both standing there, yards apart. Sora's stance was wide to cover any angle. But Aria's was relaxed, open and not the least bit intimidated. His hand went behind him, summoning his Keyblade with a flurry of light purple and yellow swirls mimicking the coattails of a comet. The hilt was a large five-pointed star within another.
She slid her left foot behind her, hands coming together to Summon her Keyblade in silver waves, the sound it made reminded me of wind chimes. The hilt itself was gorgeous, almost looking like the necklace she wore. A half-open circle with wide tooth points, in the middle it was hollowed out to show three small stars in the middle evenly spaced. The stem of it wasn't smooth but rather having jagged points in small layers, one underneath the hilt almost supporting it. There was another set right down the middle. The base of the handle was a triangular shape with hollowed out diamonds across from one another. The handle itself was curved almost like a bow and arrow being pulled back with a roughly cut gem in the base. Colors were a bright blue and silver, polished, stunning to the point it was hard to look at it for so long, it reminded me of a sapphire. She brought herself up to an end-guard stance like in fencing, Keyblade in front, hilt down a steady hand behind her for the second line of defense. Feet shoulder width apart. It reminded me a lot of Master Aqua's stance but more refined, her whole body turned to the side rather than in a slant.
"What's your Keyblade called?" Sora asked staring at it and all its details.
"Resonance, yours?" She motioned her head to his. The colors contrasted and the energy coming off them was enough for the air to distort.
"Shooting Star." He said wearing the same confident grin he always had. She stifled a laugh and his face twisted into a frown. "Why are you laughing?" He asked his complexion turning red.
"Cute name, what are your rules, Sora?" Aria asked straightening her posture.
"Whoever drops their Keyblade or gets it taken from them, deal?" He offered to get back into position. She nodded curtly before lunging at him with a speed I have never seen, the air burst alive around her as she tried tripping him to get an upper hand, but he was a second quicker as he rolled backward avoiding her and her Key's hilt. He tried keeping his Key hilt straight towards her, but her hand moved in a rapid motion building a transparent shield of shimmering hexagonal shapes around her. Sora tried to find an opening, yet he couldn't Aria started to chuckle.
"Guardians are good at defense kid, this is my specialty." She raised Resonance upward to have the shields shatter and used a gust of wind to blow it in his direction his arms getting tiny cuts on them. He cast Firaga, she easily twirled her Keyblade to construct another shield blocking the intense blast. She destroyed it again sending the bits and fragments towards Sora. He guarded his face and eyes while she pulled something out of the pocket of her jacket now swung low at her side. A small pair of silver bells on a string, she looked back to me quickly.
"Kairi, it's best if you cover your ears." She said politely raising the bell to where it's by her chest. I dropped the medical supplies and did as she said. The bell rang once, and its sound waves reverberated the air, shaking my insides. Sora was staggering to find balance head down trying to find his footing and cover his ears at the same time. She took her chance and tripped him once again the high pitch vibration fading. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud. She swiped Shooting Star with an elegant spin Resonance and his Keyblade crossed hugging his neck. His eyes paralyzed in fear propping himself up, she handed him Shooting Star as she let go of the handle of her Keyblade as it disappeared in a ripple of sound waves.
That was a quick fight she always moved in circular motions, never straight lines. Constant spins using the balls of her feet to navigate the ground beneath her. It was mesmerizing, almost dance-like or the pattern wind follows.
"What was that thing with the bell?" I asked mimicking how she rang it. She tossed it loosely in her hand.
"Sound magic." She said with a wink. My jaw dropped, "that exists?!" I exclaimed.
"Say what now? Sound magic?" Sora repeated, groaning trying to pick himself off the ground.
"That's so cool, how does it work?" I held my hand out for the bells and she smiled and put them in my palm.
"It's not the bells that are the magic but using the air to amplify the sound they make, it took me years to manage it." She explained sitting down on the steps next to me. Her hand developed a green glow with tree leaf patterns floating around them, she blew them across her hand to Sora. They started to adhere to his little cuts and scratches, sinking them into the normal skin as always. He mumbled his gratitude before laying back down on the grass.
"Did I miss anything?" Riku asked opening the door outside, looking to see Sora grumbling to himself on the grass and Aria and I on the steps talking.
"Not a thing." I laughed.