Okay, here we go with chapter 2! Things seem pretty peaceful now, but how long will that last? As usual, please read, review and enjoy! ^^
P.S. I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Max, P.J. and Roxanne belong to Disney. Only Sho and Mizuki belong to me.
Riku listened patiently as Sho excitedly explained his dream to him. "… I see. So you've been through your Awakening, then," he said with an approving smile.
"My Awakening?" Sho questioned.
Nodding, the silver-haired man explained, "Your dad went through a similar experience just before he got his Keyblade. Everything you went through wasn't actually a dream; it was real, but it was all in your head, if that makes sense."
"So that's why it felt so real," Sho muttered before asking another question. "Then how come I used Dad's Keyblade?"
"Who knows?" Riku replied with a shrug. "Could be a symbol of your bond, but that's all I can think of."
"Do all Keybearers go through that?" the ever-curious boy inquired.
"Ha ha, well a lot of them do, anyway," Riku chuckled. "In my case, it was more like I had my eyes opened after being in darkness for so long."
"I'm still amazed you can talk about that so easily," Mizuki commented. "You're a Keyblade Master, after all; shouldn't you keep that sort of thing secret?"
Shaking his head, Riku told the older girl, "If there's one thing I've learned kiddo, it's that you realize the mistakes you make and learn from them. I made a mistake, and eventually redeemed myself and grew stronger in the process." That was one thing Sho liked about Riku; he was never afraid to admit when he did something wrong in his past.
That suddenly reminded Sho of his drawing. "Oh yeah, speaking of which…" Pulling out his sketchbook, the boy opened it up to the picture of Riku's stained-glass image. "I saw this in the Awakening… what does that broken heart mean?"
The Keyblade Master's eyes widened for a second before he replied, "I can't really say for sure. But anyway, let's get you two home so you can tell your old man the good news!"
"Sounds good to me," Mizuki said, anxious to change out of her uniform. The fact that Riku seemed to be avoiding Sho's question bugged him, but he let the matter go for the time being.
Once they got home, Sho changed into his usual outfit: a blue tank top, a green vest with a breast pocket on both sides, and khaki cargo pants. Two pairs of small, silver hoop earrings in his ears and his usual gold star necklace completed the ensemble. Mizuki, meanwhile, decided to go with a purple Mandarin-style shirt with short sleeves and tight black pants that stopped just above her ankles.
The two siblings then headed for the living room, where Kairi and Riku were already chatting away. The red-haired woman noticed them and said, "Oh, there you are! So Riku says you had something important to say?"
"Uncle, I wanted to wait until Dad got back!" Sho protested.
"You sound like a little kid, Sho," Mizuki said as she smacked her brother upside the head.
"In my defense, I didn't go into details about it," Riku explained with a smug smile as the teens sat down.
"Crazy old man," Sho grumbled.
"Smart-alec kid," Riku retorted.
"Knock it off, both of you," Kairi scolded, and they quickly shut up. She then smiled at her son. "Don't worry Sho, I think we can wait a little while longer for your father."
"Thanks, Mom," the boy said, and the four of them continued to talk while waiting for Sora.
…
After checking his breath for the third time, Max finally strode onto one of the battlements of Disney Castle. He had removed the light armor he had been wearing earlier in favor of his usual outfit; a red hooded t-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers. He brought a blanket with him in case Roxanne got cold.
It didn't take him long to spot P.J. and Roxanne, who had already picked out a spot right in the middle of the battlement. "Sorry I'm la-AH!" Max cut himself off when he tripped over an uneven stone on the floor, causing him to roll right up to his friends and somehow get tangled up in the blanket. Smooth Max, reeeal smooth, he thought, wishing that his clumsiness hadn't decided to show itself at that moment.
Giggling, Roxanne helped him get untangled. "Are you okay, Max?"
"I'm fine," Max replied as he stood back up. "Someone really oughta check that stone, though."
"Can't help you there, I haven't learned any stone-adjusting spells yet," P.J. joked, causing the other two to laugh. "Kidding, I'll take care of it later." In spite of his size and strength, for the most part P.J. preferred magic to physical combat.
As the three of them got comfortable, the sun set lower and lower into the sky. Roxanne's eyes lit up and she pointed directly at the first star. "Aha, there's the first star!"
"Alright! You get to make a wish, Rox!" P.J. exclaimed.
Cocking an eyebrow, Max remarked, "C'mon Peej, that's a kid thing."
"So? It's fun," Roxanne retorted as she pressed her hands together and closed her eyes, silently making her wish.
After a few seconds, Max asked, "So what did you wish for?"
Shaking her head, she replied, "Uh-uh, it won't come true if I tell you."
"Oh yeah…" he muttered. Then Max turned to P.J. and asked, "Say, which star is that anyway?"
"Let me check," the larger boy said before apparently realizing something. "Oh, wouldn't you know it! I forgot my star maps. Hang on, I'll be right back!" And with that, P.J. took off.
Max was trying his best not to grin. P.J.'s acting skills could've used some work, but his quick exit was really all part of Max's plan: his friend would pretend to forget something and leave to go get it, leaving Max alone with Roxanne. It was foolproof… although he was a little nervous. The young knight-in-training had known Roxanne for quite some time, but up until now he hadn't been able to express his feelings to her. But that night, he was sure that was going to change.
"Huh, it's not like P.J. to forget something," Roxanne remarked before shivering a bit.
Max took this opportunity to move in. "You cold?"
"A bit. It's chillier than I thought it would be," the redhead said, rubbing her bare arms.
The boy then took the blanket he brought and draped it over Roxanne's shoulders. "That should do it."
"Oh, thank you Max," she said gratefully, pulling the blanket around her.
Roxanne went back to gazing up at the stars while Max took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before saying anything else. "Um, Roxanne?"
"Hmm?"
"I, uh…" Max gulped. He didn't realize how nerve-wracking a confession could be! It seemed so easy in theory, but in practice he was practically sweating. "That is, I er… ah-yuk…!"
Eyes widening, Max quickly clapped a hand over his mouth. That nervous chuckle he had just let out sounded exactly like Goofy! Feeling completely embarrassed, Max made a break for the door at the end of the battlement, leaving behind a confused and slightly disappointed Roxanne.
…
As the others chatted with each other, Sho glanced out the window and noticed dark clouds starting to cover the sky, and the wind was starting to pick up. "Looks like a freak storm," he remarked, moving aside so his mom could look.
Her expression suddenly became serious. "Something seems off about it. Riku?"
"Yeah, I feel it too," the silverette agreed.
"What are you talking about?" Mizuki asked. "It's just a storm, right?"
Before the two adults could answer, the door burst open and Sora dashed in, Keyblade in hand. His expression softened once he saw his family. "Thank goodness, you're all okay!"
"Dad, what's going on?" Sho asked, getting worried.
"It's the Heartless," he answered as calmly as he could. "They're back."
"What?!" Sho and Mizuki both cried out at the same time.
Sora led Riku and Kairi outside, where several Heartless known as Shadows were approaching the house. "They must've followed me here, they weren't in this area before," Sora muttered, silently berating himself for being careless.
Kairi and Riku summoned their own Keyblades and joined their friend in combat while Sho and Mizuki watched from the doorway. They had never actually seen their parents fight the Heartless, as this was the first time in years that the creatures had come to the Islands. Sho was in awe as the three Keyblade Masters cut down Heartless after Heartless without even breaking a sweat.
At one point, there was a break in the action and Sora was able to run back to the kids. "Alright, listen to me. Riku's going to take you and your mother to a safe place, I'll stay and hold off the Heartless."
"Dad, we can help!" Mizuki protested.
"No Mizuki, I can't let you push yourself like that," he said firmly. "Just go with Riku, alright? He'll protect you."
"But…!" she started to protest, clenching her fists in frustration. Mizuki hated being considered weak because of her asthma. She wanted desperately to fight with her magic, but she knew that her dad wouldn't allow it no matter what she said.
"I don't want to leave you behind!" Sho told his father.
Sora placed a hand on his boy's shoulder. "I understand Sho, but I don't want to risk losing the family I love so much. Will you do this for me?" Eyes tearing up, Sho reluctantly nodded.
Suddenly Kairi said, "I'm staying with you, Sora."
"What?" Sora exclaimed.
"You're crazy if you think I'm leaving my husband behind," she said, her hands on her hips. That generally meant that she wasn't taking "no" for an answer.
The brown-haired Master just sighed and shook his head. "What am I gonna do with you?"
"There's more coming!" Riku said as he joined them. "C'mon kids, let's go." Looking back at his lifelong friends, he simply said, "Try not to die on me, okay?"
Sora flashed his trademark grin. "We'll do our best!"
"You be careful, Riku," Kairi said. "And kids… be safe." Giving them one last reassuring smile, the redhead turned to face the oncoming Heartless.
"Now go!" Sora shouted as he joined his wife.
For a moment Sho was torn between helping his parents and going with Riku, but he finally reluctantly ran after his sister and the silver-haired Master. Without a weapon of some kind, he would've been virtually worthless anyway. Mom… Dad… you're gonna be okay, right?
As the Heartless closed in on them, Sora glanced at his lovely wife. "Just like old times, huh Kai?"
"Yep, these guys haven't changed a bit," she replied before the two launched into battle.
Further down the beach, Sho, Mizuki and Riku had managed to come to a clear spot by the docks. Riku held up a hand to stop the other two, and he glanced at their surroundings. Sho kept glancing back in the direction of his house. He always knew his parents could handle themselves, but now that there was genuine danger, he couldn't help but worry for their safety.
"Stop that," Mizuki said, lightly smacking her brother's shoulder. "They'll be fine; they are Keyblade Masters, after all. It'll be over soon."
Riku suddenly grimaced when more Shadows started to appear. "You guys don't give up easy, do you? Fine by me." Taking on a battle stance, Riku prepared to launch another attack on the Heartless.
Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light coming from Sho. "What the?!" the boy shouted as the light became concentrated in his hand before forming… He couldn't believe it; it was a Keyblade!
"Whoa…" Sho couldn't help but marvel at the Keyblade. The guard was a deep, pastel blue color while the handle itself was a deep indigo. The "blade" was a light-blue metal bar with a spike and a star at the end of the bar the same color. A gold rainguard was at the bottom of the bar, and a gold star was attached to the hilt with a silver chain. In his mind, Sho somehow knew its name: Starlight.
"I'd say congratulations, but here they come!" Mizuki said, preparing to cast a spell. "Sho, cover me!"
"Got it!" the younger boy said with a nod. As one of the Heartless approached, Sho rushed forward and slashed at it with his Keyblade, instantly destroying it.
Another one came at him, but Mizuki spotted it and held out a hand. "Fire!" A fireball shot out of her hand and hit the Shadow perfectly. The older girl could've used one of her stronger spells, but considering the circumstances, she wanted to preserve her mana for the time being.
"Nice work, you two! Keep it up!" Riku shouted as he kept up his own assault.
The two siblings kept taking out Heartless with Sho's blade and Mizuki's spells, at the same time keeping each other safe. Then without warning, Mizuki's hand went to her throat and she fell to her knees, unable to breath.
"No, not now!" Sho cried as he rushed over to his sister. "Hang on sis, I gotcha," he said as he pulled a spare inhaler out of his pocket and handed it to her. Riku noticed Mizuki's asthma attack and quickly destroyed any Heartless that tried to harm her or her brother.
Once Mizuki's breathing was under control, she gave a small smile to her brother. "Thanks, Sho."
"Always keep a spare handy, right?" Sho replied with a smile of his own.
After taking out the last Heartless, Riku approached the siblings. "That was way too close," he said before picking up Mizuki in his arms.
"Hey! Uncle, what-?" the raven-haired girl cried in surprise.
"Sorry kiddo, no more fighting for you," the older man told her before turning to Sho. "Let's try to get to the other island. I can't fight like this, so you'll have to pick up the slack. Think you can handle it, kid?"
"You bet! Anything to keep you two safe!" Sho answered before he and Riku took off at a fast pace.
As they ran, the occasional Heartless popped up but Sho was able to dispatch it, keeping both his sister and surrogate uncle out of harm's way.
Soon they spotted Riku's boat. "There! Let's hurry!" the Master ordered, but he and Sho skidded to a stop when the giant Heartless from Sho's Awakening appeared before them. "A Darkside…!"
"I-Is that what that is?" Mizuki asked nervously. Looking up at the sky, she could see a dark vortex forming over the island and the wind became even harsher.
The Darkside aimed its fist at the two Keybearers, who jumped in opposite directions to avoid it. Unfortunately, the impact caused a fissure threatening to separate Sho from the other two. "Sis! Uncle!" he cried, reaching out to try to grab at least one of them.
Thinking quickly, Riku placed Mizuki back on her feet and shouted to both kids, "Gotta go. Good luck!" He suddenly pushed the girl to the other side where she stumbled into Sho's arms. The fissure widened and the edge Riku was standing on crumbled, causing him to fall into nothingness.
"NO! Uncle Riku!" Mizuki cried, looking back in horror.
Sho rushed to the edge, but he saw no trace of the silver-haired Master. "No…" Clenching his fist in anger, the boy whirled around and glared at the Darkside through teary eyes. "You'll pay for that!" Rushing in without thinking, Sho slashed at the Darkside's fist with Starlight over and over again.
"Thundara!" Now able to fight once again, Mizuki took it to the next level and rained several bolts of lightning upon the giant Heartless. It was enough to send the Darkside to its knees. "Sho, finish it!"
Racing up the Darkside's arm, Sho held the Keyblade high before bringing it down on the monster's head, effectively destroying it. The boy landed safely on the ground and the Starlight disappeared from his hand.
Mizuki ran to her brother, but before either of them could say anything, their feet started to lift off the ground. The vortex was pulling Destiny Islands into it, and the siblings were going with them!
Desperate, Sho grabbed onto the nearest dock and held on with on hand while holding Mizuki's hand with the other. "Quick, give me your other hand!"
"I can't, the wind's too strong!" Mizuki cried as their hands started sliding.
"Hurry, I'm slipping!" Sho shouted back, trying to hold on.
Unfortunately, his grip slipped and Mizuki was pulled screaming into the darkness. Seconds later, Sho was torn away from the dock. Once again, Destiny Islands had fallen.
Author's note: The Keyblade known as Starlight actually comes from a Japan-only RPG called "Kingdom Hearts X". It is the default Keyblade for the player character, and its design is similar enough to the Kingdom Key that it seemed appropriate to use it as Sho's first Keyblade. Thank you, btw, to Daisuke Haoru for giving me the idea! ^^
