He saw her, sweating. She had a fever.
She was sick.
She was hurt.
"I'm here." Donald said, and pushed Riku, out of the room.
What Donald did to her, he had no idea.
But he knew something for sure-
He was scared.
Torn
It's been a week now and Kate was getting better. Her wounds were healing, she wasn't hurt anymore.
Well, physically, she wasn't. But that couldn't be said for her emotions, or heart. She had lost her best friend and lover in one day, by the hand of the person she could call mother.
Riku would ask her how she was, if she wanted something. Without luck.
She wouldn't say a word to anyone.
"Riku, Sora?" The King found them in the garden. Sora jumped from the tree he was sitting on, and Riku just stood up.
The King smiled. "I have a little mission for you. I need you to go to master Yen Sid. What happened to Kate and Ben, wasn't planned. But you have to finish your Mark of Mastery exam. I'm sure she'll be better, once you get home." Mickey said, and Riku nodded.
"I'm sorry your Majesty, but... we can't leave her, I mean... Maleficent's probably after her and..." Riku grabbed his shoulder, and Sora stopped. "Kate will be fine under Mickey's watch. You and I need to finish this. Ok?" Riku said, and Sora looked at him. "But..." Sora tried to convince them, but when he realized, he wouldn't convince anyone, he stopped.
"You leave as soon as you are ready." The King said, and continued his morning walk to the town.
When they lost the King from sight, Sora frowned at his best friend.
"Friends come first, I thought you should know this." He said, and walked pass him, hands in pockets, head held down.
Kate heard knocking on her door, but didn't reply. After a moment a small head with big round ears, peeked through the half opened door.
Kate sighted, and looked at her. "This is your castle, no need to knock, Queen Minnie." She said, and returned her gaze directed to the garden.
The Queen smiled weakly, and walked slowly to her. "How are you feeling, Kate?" She asked, and looked too towards the garden.
"Been better." She answered calmly.
"Are you hurt?"
"Depends." She looked at the Queen. "What do you mean buy 'Hurt', your Majesty?"
"Oh, Kate." She whispered, and exited the room. 'If only this child hadn't be found by Maleficent, but us...'"Oh my, when will this evil stop?" Minnie sighted and walked away somewhere in the castle.
Kate continued to look through the window. She had watched the two of them the whole morning. First they were sparring, after that they had a break, and then they fought more, until they collapsed on the floor from exhaustion.
Now only Riku was there, laying on the grass, eyes closed. Sora went in the castle after they talked with the King.
"Weird people." She muttered, and tried to get some sleep.
"Everything ready?" Riku got on the ship, and checked the controls. "I think. Engine's full, the ship is in its best state, we shouldn't have a problem on our way." Sora said, and closed the door.
"Okay, little chipmunks, we're ready." Riku chuckled, and placed his seat belt around his chest. "Don't push your luck pretty boy." Dale hissed, and Sora laughed. "We'll keep in touch, if you need somethin'. Have a great flight!" Chip said, and the ship's engine started.
"Where are they going?" Kate asked the King, causing him to look at her with widen eyes. "Why are you here? You can't get out of bed!" Mickey raised his voice, and Kate just looked at him bored. "I am now, aren't I?" She looked at the empty space, where the ship was.
"They need to finish their exam." The King smiled at her. "The fact, that you are up, means you are feeling better."
"Just got tired of that bed."
"I'm sure you are, Kate." The King chuckled.
Storm was walking around, his breathing louder, gritted teeth. A normal person could say, he was angry or in pain.
He wasn't in pain, that's for sure. For the angry part, he wasn't. Nothing close to this.
He was furious.
Maleficent did nothing and that was, what was bothering him. Wasn't she doing anything to bring her back? Wasn't she thinking of a plan? She was rather calm. Too calm. That annoyed him.
"Maleficent?" He saw her fading away. Where was she going? "I've had enough of those games, damnit!" He yelled and smacked the first thing his eyes saw.
"Riku! Focus!" Sora yelled at him, after a Heatless almost scratched him.
First faze of the exam, fight Heartless without using darkness. The room was crowded with those creatures.
"Sora, duck!" Riku shouted, and killed the little scum, who tried to attack his friend.
"Thanks." Sora said, after killing another one. "When will this end?" He yelled annoyed, killing another, and another. One by one, the vanished.
The two of them collapsed on the floor, exhausted. "You, should, say, those things more..." Riku panted. Sora laughed weakly.
"Well done, boys." Yen Sid smirked when he saw them. "You've completed the first faze." The boys grinned victoriously. "Tomorrow, the two of you will fight each other. Better rest now." The old wizard said, and walked away.
"What? No ice cream, for the well done job?" Sora laughed, and helped Riku, to stand up.
"Hey, Sora?" Riku said quietly at his best friend. Sora turned around showing a large grin. Riku chuckled. "What do you think, will we..." He started, but Sora cut him off. "Yes, we will! We better. I wasn't fighting for how long, for nothing!" He smiled. "Remember, there are no winners. Only us."
"Yeah." Riku smiled.
"King Mickey." Kate opened the doors to the library. "You've asked for me?" She asked, and The King nodded. "Yes, Kate. I need to ask you something. Have a seat." He pointed the chair in front of him.
"What's wrong?" She asked looking around. "Before, Ben told me that you had a keyblade too." Mickey said, and she nodded. "Can I see it?" He asked. "Sure, I guess." She said and reached her arm in the air. Soon a beautiful silver keyblade, with pearl white wings at the top, appeared.
Mickey smiled.
"Did Maleficent asked you to do something with it?" Kate jerked her head as a no. "Not even when Riku was with you?"
"I rarely saw him. He was so obsessed with power, and finding that girl's heart... It was creeping me out. Maleficent rarely put us in missions together. "
"Really?" The King muttered. "I have to tell you our plans." He said, and she nodded again. "I see you are feeling better now, so when Sora and Riku return tomorrow, the day after that I'll send you to Traverse Town, with Leon and the others. There, your journey starts. You know what to do, right?"
"Yep, capture Xehanort and Maleficent." She said and The King nodded.
"If there is anything to talk about, we're all here." He smiled and Kate blinked. "Kate, you have to trust us, ok?" He asked, and Kate looked at him.
Why was he so friendly?
"Fine." She said, and the King grinned.
"Fine, I heard you were a fan of books?" The King stood from his chair and walked around the shelves. "Yes, who told you that?" Kate narrowed eyes.
The King turned around to face her. "Riku did." He smiled and Kate bit her lip.
She remembered, how many times he found her fallen asleep in the library, with book in hand and another two or three placed on the desk, ready for reading.
When he'd ask her, why does she read so much instead of training, she'd say, that she was training up there, in her head.
Her imagination was the only thing that kept her safe, before she met Ben.
"Hn. Good one." He smirked and she arched a brow.
"Wow." She chuckled, and he turned his head, to look at her. "You are a normal person after all." She said, jaw dropped, causing him to chuckle.
"Yeah, It's shocking at times." He smiled softly. "Maleficent sent me to look for your boyfriend." He said and she blushed. "He's not my boyfriend!" She tried to look calm, but Riku laughed more. "Sure he's not." He said and walked away, leaving her alone in the library.
The next day, Ben and Kate became a couple.
"The library is at your disposal. Feel free to come every time."
"Aren't you going to use it?" She asked arching a brow. He smiled. "No, I'm going away with Donald and Goofy this time." He said and Kate remained serious. "Where to?"
The King looked at her, seriousness and a bit of hope in his eyes. "To find someone important." He said and she nodded.
"We'll keep in touch, oh and..." The King scratched his head nervously. "Will you help the Restoration committee for some time. Just a week. " He chuckled and looked at her. "I'm sure Sora and Riku have some interesting memories there." He said and she smiled.
"I'm sure it won't be a problem Your Majesty." She said and he laughed. "It makes me look old. Call me Mickey sometimes." He said and she nodded.
"Remember, there are no winners. This is the last level of the exam. Fight wisely." Yen Sid said and sat on his chair.
Sora and Riku nodded.
"Now, fight." The old wizard said and the two best friends started their duel.
"Focus Riku, it's now or never." Sora said and Riku nodded.
Sora ran to Riku, in attacking position, keyblade held high in the air. Riku blocked the attack and jumped backwards to get some distance.
Sora attacked again and Riku blocked again. This time he didn't step back, but attacked his friend too.
Sora blocked and the two tried to break the block, their weapons crossed, gazes locked with the other one's.
Finally, Riku broke the block and made his friend loose his balance for a second. Sora grinned. "Good one." He whispered and attacked again.
Yen Sid was watching everything. He saw every look, every smirk. He couldn't help, but think of his own students back then. That brought sadness and regret.
"Eraqus!" Yen Sid yelled at his young student. "What did I say about using magic? You could've drown the whole castle. Just look at Xehanort! He cleaned everything with his two hands, why didn't you?" The wizard sighted and his student frowned.
"It's always the perfect Xehanort." He muttered and walked away.
"Nice one, lazy bum." Xehanort chuckled and continued to clean the water pool in the hallway, caused by Eraqus' magic.
He always thought, Eraqus would be in Xehanort's place. He was ashamed as a teacher. He was awful towards the young boy.
He lost his students. One to the darkness and one, killed by the hand of the boy he felt like a son.
'It's up to you boys, to find them.' He thought and continued to watch the battle.
Riku pinned Sora to the nearby wall and applied the keyblade to his throat. Yen Sid smirked. "Great job. You are now, Masters of the Keyblades." He said and Riku helped Sora to stand up.
"That looked gay, just so you know." Sora muttered, causing Riku to look at him. "What?" Riku blinked.
"Pinning someone to a wall. I thought you would rape me or something." Sora said and Riku smacked his head, annoyed. "In denial, huh?" Sora laughed and Riku glared.
"Now, boys. Your new journey is maybe your last with Xehanort, and we have to make it the last one. Watch out, protect yourselves and your friends." Yen Sid said and the boys nodded. "Now, go." He chuckled and the boys blinked. "Oh yeah." Sora muttered and the boys ran to their ship.
"Those boys..." The old man chuckled and watched them fly off. "They will make great masters Eraqus, Terra, Ventus and Aqua hadn't made a mistake at all." He chuckled.
Here it is. Sorry for the wait.