"I found you!" Raya said, sighing. "A lot of people are missing after the attack."
Déon eyed her curiously. "Why are you here?"
"Why do you think?" she said with a bit of sass. "We have to make sure people are safe."
"What do you need me for?"
"Because you have that key-sword-thing!" she explained. "If those monsters come back, you can fight them."
Déon stepped back from the doorway, moving away from Raya. "I fought them once and failed."
He turned to walk back into the house and Raya followed him into the living room where he sat down on the couch. Raya surveyed the interior of the home where Déon lived, picking through various books and pictures. She picked one book from the shelf and opened it to a random page.
"So it was your first time?" Raya asked, while flipping through the book. She looked over at Déon. "That means you can get stronger."
"Or that my true defeat has yet to come," he uttered dryly.
Raya threw the book at Déon. "Stop saying things like that!" she shouted. "My parents told me to always look on the bright side."
Déon took the book in his hand and his gaze drifted over to Raya. "Your parents are among the missing, aren't they?" he said after searching her face.
"Yes, they are," Raya admitted while walking over to the couch where Déon was. "But I have an idea where to find them."
Déon rolled his eyes and moved so Raya could sit beside him. Raya paid his skepticism no mind.
"They were planning on going to the masquerade ball later today," she informed him. "They'll probably still be there."
"And if they aren't?"
"What did I just say?" Raya said, passionate about staying positive. "Even if they aren't there, we'll be able to learn something."
Déon had nothing to say after that. Clearly there was no deterring Raya once her mind was made up. She had sought his help and, although he hadn't explicitly agreed, he had not refused either. Apparently they were a team now. The pair sat in silence for a moment. There was more to be said, however.
Déon looked over at Raya and their eyes caught. Raya smiled but Déon's expression remained blank.
"What will you do until then?" he asked.
"I need something wear to the ball," Raya said while playing with a strand of her reddish hair. "So do you."
"Excuse me?"
"Your outfit is fine but it's missing something," Raya stood up and scanned Déon. "Maybe a mask?"
"I'm not wearing a mask."
"Déon, it's a masquerade!" Raya said. "You have to be mysterious." Déon looked at her plainly and said nothing. "More mysterious than usual," she sighed. "Besides, I need a whole dress."
"Will we need invitations?"
"Maybe? I don't know." Raya shrugged. "Let's find out when we get there," she said, waving for Déon to follow her. "Come on."
Déon put on his longcoat and shoes then walked with Raya. They left his house and walked through through the neighborhood until reaching one of the main roads. Déon looked at Raya as she turned to head for a different street. She was so active and earnest in contrast to his apathy. It was infectious.
He would have likely investigated the attack and the strange dark enemy in his own way without Raya. However she gave him a more immediate purpose and, ultimately, being swept up into her cause was helpful for him as well. The teens approached a clothing and costume shop and Raya ran ahead while Déon maintained a deliberate pace, hands firmly planted in the pockets of his coat.
"Come on, slowpoke!" she called to him before dashing into the store.
Déon entered the store soon after Raya to find a grand emporium of vestments. All manner of garb and garment lined the walls of the store, a row of extravagantly adorned mannequins lined either side of the entrance.
"Isn't this wonderful?" Raya said, clapping her hands and gazing upon the various outfits.
Déon shrugged. "It's just clothes."
"You're a piece of work," Raya sighed.
"Hello?" a voice came from the back of the store. "Who's there?"
Raya looked at Déon. A shape came out from the storage room, a young girl about the same age as Déon and Raya. Her hands were trembling and her pale skin was even paler with fright. She walked up to the counter and brushed away thick brown curls before looking at Déon.
"M- may I help, you?" she said.
"Are you okay?" Raya asked.
She opened her mouth but did not speak. Instead she stared wordlessly at Déon's wicked, golden eyes.
"You're scaring her," Raya said, pushing him away. She looked at the girl."What happened?"
"Those monsters...," the girl began. "I usually help my mother with the store but she's gone."
"We're looking for the missing people," Déon informed.
Raya nodded. "He's right," she said. "But first I need a dress and some masks, can you do that?"
"Yeah, sure," said the girl. "This way."
The girl lead Raya away from the counter and towards the back of the store where the dressing and fitting rooms were. Déon watched them leave then began to roam the store. He looked at various top hats, monocles, gloves, and other such costume accessories before coming to a display of masks. There was variety of colors, shapes, and material of masks to choose from, but one caught is eye in particular. Déon reached to take a heavy silver domino mask from the display case.
He took it in both hands and tied it behind his head before looking over at the mirror beside the case. His corrupted eyes peered through immaculate silver, the polished metal of the mask made glossy by highlights and shadows, light and dark. Déon smirked at himself before scanning the masks again and picking up a gold one this time and thinking of Raya.
For Déon, gold was only a wicked curse but for Raya is was her light and her passion. He returned to the counter with the gold mask in hand. The scared girl came out of the fitting room, her demeanor now more composed than before. She was followed by Raya who stepped out of the fitting room wearing a flowing, onyx and silver ballroom dress. Déon watched Raya pull her fiery hair into a ponytail with a bit of black ribbon then looked up at him with a smile.
"I figured we should match," Raya said while walking over to him. "You're wearing black so..."
"You look nice," Déon said.
"Oh, thank you," Raya laughed."You're not so bad yourself," she said before noticing he had a second mask. "It that for me?"
Déon nodded and handed the mask to her. Raya moved to put it on then stopped.
"I don't have any money," she realized. "Do you?" she asked. Déon shook his head.
"Don't worry about it," the girl said, tears in her eyes. "I don't think my mom will mind."
Raya looked at Déon then turned to the girl. "What's your name?"
"Mishka," she said.
"Thank you, Mishka," Raya said. "We'll find your mom alright?"
Mishka nodded and wiped her face and Raya slowly took a step away from the counter.
"Let's go," Déon said. He walked out of the costume shop and Raya joined soon afterward. "Where is the masquerade?" he asked her.
"The La Bouff house," Raya said. "We can get there on the rail car."
Déon and Raya walked to the rail station about a block down from the costume shop and waited for the car to come by. Even at the waiting area, there were less people than usual in line for the rail car. Those dark creatures had taken people away but why and where were they now? Could the Darkness appear at anytime was it controlled by someone? If anyone was behind the attack, Déon had a good guess as to who.
The rail car arrived shortly and Raya boarded, followed by Déon. There were several seats open when they got on but still Raya chose to stand.
"You don't want to sit down?" Déon asked.
"I do want to sit down," she said. "...but I don't want to ruin my dress."
Déon looked at her. "Why did you tell that girl we'd find her mother?"
"That's what we're doing, right?" Raya said with a tilt of her head. "Looking for the missing people?"
"Yes, but there's no guarantee we will succeed," Déon said.
Raya scoffed. "I don't plan on failing," she said.
"Neither do I," Déon replied. "However I am prepared for such."
"Good for you!" Raya screamed. "I'm looking ahead, Déon, not waiting to die!"
Déon looked at her with a plain expression and she turned away in a huff. He turned slowly to look out of the window of the rail car, watching the buildings roll past until a stinging shock tore into his right hand. His face twisted in pain and he pulled his closed fist to his chest until all feeling vanished.
From darkness, Déon opened his eyes to find himself kneeling on the same stained glass platform from his dream, the Station of Awakening. A colorful and ornate pillar standing in the center of a black void. He stood and looked down to scan the crystalline surface below him.
"I know this place," Déon said.
He now knew the portraits he hadn't recognized his first time here. They were Raya and Mishka.
"You should, it's your Heart," Master Xehanort said. "Well, what's left of it."
Déon spun to see the Keyblade Master. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You will find out eventually," Xehanort said, his keyblade forming in his right hand. "Unless you become a Nobody first."
"What is a Nobody?" Déon asked as his keyblade appeared in unison. "What is this weapon?"
"You're oddly curious for a vessel of dark," the master said as he dashed forward.
Xehanort struck and Déon raised his sword to protect himself. "I am not your vessel!" he shouted over the clang of clashing keyblades.
"The Keyblade seems to think so," Xehanort growled before pushing against Déon.
Déon took a step back then swung at the villain. "What are those creatures that attacked me?"
"They are what I am," Xehanort said, parrying Déon's attack effortlessly. "Heartless."
Master Xehanort vanished in a sphere of darkness and reappeared at the center of the glassy platform. He flipped his keyblade in his hand and Déon looked on as he stabbed downward into the crystalline surface. The impact caused the floor to quake, cracks splitting away from the keyblade in every direction accompanied by a fierce burst of light. The thunderous rumbling threw Déon off his feet and the cracked hole spread until the entire station began to crumble and fall away into the infinite abyss.
"Déon!" Raya called. "Déon can you hear me?"
He returned to reality to find himself on the floor of the train car with Raya kneeling over him, shaking him awake.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you," she apologized "You're just annoying sometimes."
"You're forgiven."
"What happened?" she asked.
"I had a dream," Déon told her as he sat up. "Similar to one I've had before..."
Raya touched his shoulder. "What was it about?"
"My weapon, the Keyblade..." Déon said. "...and the person I got it from."
"Who?"
"I don't know his name," Déon admitted. "But I do know the name of our enemy." He looked at Raya. "They're called Heartless.
Raya stood. "It's more than we knew before," she said, offering her hand. "Come on, we're almost at the party."
When the rail car finally reached their destination, midday had become later afternoon. The sun was setting and the sky had taken on a blend of blue and violet which painted the marble and white home to which they were headed all shades of eerie and cold. Déon and Raya exited the rail car and walked the few yards it took to get from the street to the gate of this illustrious mansion to which they were not invited.
"Care to tie my mask?" Raya asked him just before they entered.
"Don't mind if I do," Déon droned, already in the mindset of the masquerade, where formalities were in order and deceitful politeness was expected if not required.
Raya fanned herself with a gloved hand. "Oh Déon, you spoil me so," she said as Déon tied her mask just beneath her ponytail.
"Shall we?" Déon asked her, his silvery mask mirroring the evening stars. He angled his arm for Raya to hold.
Raya took Déon's arm. "We shall," she said before walking with him into the courtyard.
The polished stone of the courtyard was surrounded by carved marble statues on either side while a table at the far end held finger foods and refreshments. Princes and princesses danced grandly with king and queens but Déon wondered who among them, if any, were truly royal.
Déon and Raya danced, making their best attempt at an unlearned ballroom session to mild success. Déon scanned the crowd for anyone he may recognize and anyone that could possibly be helpful in discovering the truth of all this 'Heartless' nonsense. Raya's parents, Mishka's mother, and his own father were among the missing people from the Heartless attack, not to mention his mother who had been missing years before all of this. Finding nothing for the moment, Déon turned to look at Raya as they danced together. Raya smiled.
"You're on a mission, aren't you?" she asked, smiling at him.
Déon cleared his throat. "We came here with a purpose."
"I know," Raya said. "...but don't you want to dance while we're here?"
"We are dancing," Déon said as he looked away to see someone walking up the path.
Raya rolled her eyes then turned to see what Déon saw. Yet another prince approached the dance floor but this one seemed to be genuine as all of the other party-goers parted so he could enter. Déon glared as a spotlight was shone on the prince and Raya pulled him away from the dance floor to make way as the others had done.
Another spotlight illuminated the balcony of the mansion where a princess in pink stood waiting, her exaggerated gown easily the most extravagant of all the other outfits combined. The newest arrival to the ball crossed the parted sea of masqueraders to reach the foot of the stairs and the pink princess hurriedly descended said stairs to meet him. When they began to dance together, so did the others resume going about the dance floor as well.
"That's Charlotte La Bouff," Raya told Déon. "The brattiest princess ever."
Déon gave a casual glance over to the real princess and prince."Who is with her?"
"Prince Naveen," Raya said. "He's new in town but making a huge scene."
Déon watched the pair dance for a while before Charlotte left the courtyard urgently. She was walking with another woman up the stairs, back towards the balcony. She returned soon after but the other woman stayed. Déon raised a brow, wondering what that was about.
"You're a terrible date, Déon," Raya commented.
"Only because my attention is focused elsewhere," Déon said, looking up at the balcony. He felt something up there.
Raya made a face. "No, I don't think that's the reason."
Déon looked at Raya but before he could say anything he winced and closed his fist. Raya hugged him, her eyes searching his face.
"Are you hurting?" she asked. Déon nodded, eyes tight with pain. "Where?"
"My hand," Déon groaned. "Heartless."
"Aaahh!" A cry from the balcony. "Help!"
Déon and Raya looked at each other. They ran for the stairs leading to the second level of the La Bouff house and reached the bedroom where a black woman was lying on the floor and a frog sat on the desk above her. The frog began to ooze violet-black energy and it hopped down from the desk then out of the room. Raya knelt beside the woman and Déon turned and walked out of the room just as the frog leaped over the railing and down to the courtyard below.
"Déon!" Raya called as he left.
The keyblade came to Déon's waiting hand. "Stay with her!" he said.
He vaulted over the ledge and landed crouched on the polished stone of the dance floor as people scattered, his coat fluttering at the action. The frog sucked in raw darkness and multiplied in size until it stood eight feet tall, its body changing into a more monstrous version of its former self.
Déon looked up slowly and pulled the shimmering silver mask from his face as he stood up to face the frog-like Heartless. He stared with his corrupted golden eyes into the enemy as he let the mask fall from his hand, shards of silver breaking off at his feet.
Raya came out to the balcony to see Déon preparing to fight the frog. Above her, the North Star gleamed brightly in the late sky. She didn't want to be helpless when Déon fought the Darkness. She wanted to help him and also help herself; this was her adventure as well. Sighing, she shut her eyes and clasped her hands.
The frog croaked. Déon took three long steps then jumped high into the air before slashing down at the Heartless's face. It reeled from the blow but managed to smack Déon as he fell back toward the ground. Déon flew back into the far wall, colliding with stone that shook his senses before falling down to the courtyard. The young keyblader picked himself up and called his keyblade. It fell away from during the fall but now it soared back to him under his will alone.
"I wish upon the all stars," Raya whispered to herself.
Déon ran towards the frog again. The Heartless spit out its tongue and Déon narrowly ducked underneath, the slimy appendage striking the ground inside and tearing up stone. The frog slammed down with one of it's front legs and Déon swung the keyblade above his head in a counter-attack. The Heartless sputtered and flailed the damaged leg as Déon kept running.
"Please, give me just a piece of your light..."
Déon stabbed his keyblade into the frog and a flash of lightning shot from the blade. The Heartless lurched then launched its tongue again. This time the tongue hit and knocked Déon back. He tumbled over himself several times before getting up to his hands and knees. Again he called the keyblade and it responded, returning to his hand in a burst of light and dark. Déon felt a new power he had yet to experience until that very moment.
"...so that I may face the Darkness and be strong."
Déon stood and pointed at the frog Heartless with his keyblade and Raya put out her hand toward the creature as well. A bolt of lightning shot from the keyblade while a beam of pure light shot from Raya's hand. Both attacks cut through the Heartless simultaneously and destroyed the being in a blazing flash of shocking light. As the energy dissipated, Déon saw a form within the light. It fell to the dance floor and when the light cleared it turned out to be Prince Naveen.
"Raya!" Déon turned to look up at the balcony. "That was incredible!"
"I know, right?" she agreed. "I don't how that worked, but it did."
Déon walked over to Prince Naveen and looked down at the royal man laying face down on the smooth stone of the courtyard. He poked the man with the keyblade before it vanished from his hand then bent down to try and get the prince to his feet.
"Where- what happened?" the prince mumbled.
Déon stood the man upright. "You were a frog."
"Me? A frog?" the prince laughed weakly. "I think not, my friend."
"It's true," Raya said while walking down the stairs alongside the woman from earlier. She now wore a glittering blue gown and a tiara.
Tiana reached the bottom of the stairs and walked over to Naveen. "So the kiss worked?"
"Not counting the whole Heartless thing." Déon shrugged.
"Oh, of course," Naveen said. "The Frog Prince, I recall now."
"Do you also 'recall' the deal we made?" Tiana sassed. "I need the money for my restaurant."
"Haha, well, you see..." Naveen fumbled. "The truth is-"
"...never what it seems," said Dr. Facilier as he appeared with a puff of smoke and a tip of his top hat.
