Diamond in the Dust

Chapter Two: Don't Go Chasing Portals


The Day Before

It all started with a blinking blue dot.

The last handful of weeks proved somewhat quiet around the Magic Kingdom, tensely so, and when the radar pinged up activity, and at that for a completely uncharted sector, it was cause for more than a single quirked eyebrow. While the details were unclear, it could be surmised that someone, somewhere within those borders successfully opened a Corridor of Darkness, and when the usual trio geared themselves for adventure the elder of the two masters called an audible and volunteered himself to take point. After all, he knew the enigmatic gateways better than anyone on the Islands or in the Castle, which was about as well he figured they could be known, and perhaps his expertise could reject the possibility of a false positive.

"Besides," He threw a cocky smirk over his shoulder to the sour mop of brown hair sitting at the console as he prepared to disembark. "I can't just sit around and let you have all the fun...Don't wait up!" He took a running start and jumped from the Gummi platform and through the border only to come out the other side flying straight through a wall of stone and snow, tumbling over and sliding face-first across several yards of ice before numbly coming to a stop. When the passerby arrived a few minutes later, it was difficult to notice a person being there through the light dusting of fresh snow powdered on his prone form.

"Can't let you have all the fun," Riku mocked darkly to himself as he tried to huddle as much of his body as possible into contact with the bonfire's revitalizing warmth. "I thought it was supposed to be the middle of summer out here."

His savior belted a hearty laugh, and to the silver-haired man's irritation his steed growled in a low tone that he could swear was imitating him. "My friend, I'm sorry to say we only get one season this far up North." He jerked a thumb behind him where he noticed a path of forest in the far off distance. "You'd need to go back down to civilization to enjoy all that...you're not from around here, are you?"

"What makes you think I'm not?" Riku replied guardedly.

"I don't think anyone from around here would even own a piece of clothing without there being some sleeves on it." The large man scoffed immediately at his bluff. "Where are you from, really? What's all this about?" Despite his questions, he conversed with the Keyblade master with an air of friendliness and genuine curiosity rather than suspicion.

"Uh, I'm with the...Border Patrol." Riku figured a half-truth would be enough to send the picture, and smoothly transitioned to a topic not about himself. "What do you do out here?"

"Me? My job, mostly. I'm an ice farmer...the name's Kristoff, by the way, and this big guy over here is Sven." He reached out with a mitted palm, and the smaller man couldn't help a grin as the reindeer lifted its front hoof to mimic. "Border Patrol, huh? I didn't know they even bothered setting up a border around here."

"I'm Riku...and let's just say there are borders all over the place. Everywhere you could think of." He took out his own hand and exchanged greetings with them both. "By the way, you haven't happened to have seen anything weird around lately, have you? Specifically, of the black and creepy variety?"

"Um, now that you mention it...those things behind you look pretty black and creepy to me." Kristoff and Sven looked over his shoulder eyes wide like saucers.

"What?!" The Way to the Dawn materialized in Riku's hands as he whipped around just in time for it to clash against dark steel. "You guys, stay behind me!"

He leapt to avoid another assault and rolled upon his landing, creating enough space to survey his opponents, some Invisibles and maybe a half-dozen Darkballs. He readied a stance with his Keyblade when a far-off wave of power crashed into his palette. This smell... a Corridor!

He changed gears on a dime, bashing two of the approaching ball-shaped Heartless and taking off running. "Find some shelter!" he cried out to the larger man and his pet. "Just go lay low for a while!"

"Yeah...shelter," Kristoff ran his eyes across the blank white expanse as Riku's form faded into the distance, the black creatures hot in pursuit. "Will do."

Riku pumped his legs as fast as he could, following the powerful trail like a bloodhound even as an Invisible's blade nicked the air centimeters wide from his face. This is no random attack...I'm being targeted. He skidded on his heels to a stop as the pulsating column finally came into view, a figure within it just barely visible.

He turned and regarded the gathered crowd of Heartless for the slightest moment before leaping again, magic energy welling into his arms and shoulders. Have to finish this quickly. He released the pressure in one swing, crashing meteor-shaped bolts below onto the icy surface and leaving just purple smoke in the creatures' wake.

And without hesitating he was at full sprint again, scent growing weak in his nostrils. Don't lose this lead, Riku. Have to make it, have to make it...!

He dived for the corridor, feeling triumph mixed with an acute chill as his fingers dipped into the inky blackness, soon traveling up his arms and then his entire body, vision closing out completely as the portal shut behind him...only to open once more seconds later, ejecting him from oblivion and sending him tumbling over a hard, marble surface.

Riku groaned and rolled over, adjusting his senses to his new surroundings, the shaded sun and warm, enclosed space sending a shock to his bearings. An overturned table wheeled slightly on its side in his periphery; he focused on its wavy, back and forth pattern to help his vertigo.

"AHHH!" That is, until a panicked shriek broke his reverie as he jumped to his feet, Keyblade at the ready. Oh crap...those Invisibles must've survived the hit and followed me here! He narrowed his eyes as the three dark figures loomed over the other person in the room, a blonde female, backing up into her bed as tendrils of darkness swirled about them. The Heartless in the lead raised its sword and Riku tensed his legs to leap and intercept.

"No! Get the hell away from me!" And then Riku's vision grew white and chills impacted his body as the room filled with frost, forcing him to turn away. When he looked again he blinked as huge spikes of ice penetrated from the floor and through the Heartless, eliciting a dull groan before the beats collapsed into plumes of smoke. The air filled with an aura of strong, yet delicate and ephemeral mystique.

Riku numbly stepped out over the table, unable to hide his awe. "Whoa..." he breathed softly, causing the girl to jump back and gasp, throwing up a palm in his direction. "No, wait! I'm not with those things!"

The woman balled her fist, making the ice shards on the ground grow longer and even more wicked. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I guess I got here by accident," Riku stammered. "I was uh...trying to chase after somebody and—"

"Get the hell out of my castle!" She squeezed her eyes shut and a large snowflake pattern formed on the wall behind her.

Castle...I'm in a castle? "Please wait! Uh—" Riku wracked his mind to think quickly, "—I come to you in the service of King Mickey!"

A pause. She lifted her head up, confusion replacing panic upon her soft features. "What? King who?"

Riku gulped, sensing the tension ebb somewhat away from the room. "King...Mickey." So much for having a secret mission. "My colleagues and I are tasked with protecting the outer borders that surround this land along with all others..." He gestured toward the pile of shards across the room, where the smoky remains of the Invisibles were all but dissipated. "...from creatures like those."

"The outer borders...the King who protects the world..." She muttered wondrously, recognition dawning within her. "It's just like my father's stories...how can you know that story...?"

"Because it's not a story, I'm afraid...not in my experience." The Keyblade master shifted uncomfortably as the woman held her head in her hands. "Look...obviously I came at a bad time, and I understand this is a lot to take in for you, so I'm gonna go...but I have to come back and talk to you about all this, because your people could be in danger...and I take it you are the ruler of this land, right?"

She raised her head to him again and brushed a stray blonde lock looming over her face. "...One of them, yes. Elsa. Queen of Arendelle."

"Well then, Queen Elsa..." Riku nodded. "Those creatures, I can tell you there will probably be a lot more where they came from. And I don't know if they'll ever stop coming if I don't help and make them stop." He narrowed his brow as she began to climb out of her bed. "So...please tell me you'll help me out on this."

The ice in the room had just about dissipated, returning the room to its normal temperature, and the woman named Elsa rose on her feet to her full height, leaving Riku for the first time with an enduring impression of regality befitting a ruler. "So be it. You will return to these grounds at noon tomorrow, where I shall receive you...we have much to discuss." He sighed in relief and went to escape through the door. "...And what am I to call you?" she asked as he swung it open.

The silver-haired man looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Riku," he called out and ran across the threshold. She furrowed her brow, making a mental note to add the appointment to her ledger for the first time in her life, and also cancel all her preparations for the day, correctly anticipating herself to spend much of it trying badly not to freak out over the information she had to process.

Still...

She gave a small smirk of her own and slammed the door shut to his retreating back.


"Hellooo?" The seamstress called out to nobody in particular, searching empty hallway after empty hallway. "Has anybody seen either of Her Majesty or Her Highness? Or my glasses?"

She peaked her head into a room at random, finding it vacant as well. "I kinda have to get these dresses done by the coronation...god, where did everybody goooAHH!"

She jumped back and shouted to the man standing right behind her as she turned to face the hallway again. "Lord, don't scare me like that!" she gasped to the tall silver-haired blur, but still managing to give a small, nervous smile afterward. "I d-don't think I've seen you around here before...could I help you find something, maybe?"

He tilted his head down to meet the mousy tradeswoman. "Oh no, I was actually just leaving..." Xemnas smiled to her apologetically. "Sorry to scare you."