Chapter three: Flying and Landing
Kairi was piloting the ship hoping she was doing everything right. Normally the ship did most of the flying itself but with the lanes between closed off traveling was more difficult. They were able to summon a keyblade portal for most of the distance but they still had another hour to go. They would be arriving already but unfortunately, Lea made a slight impute mistake that sent the ship slightly off course for a half hour until either of them noticed. Kairi was watching out the main window at the star slowly coming to view as a world. It was odd to think that was her home world. It was a lot different than Destiny Islands. She then heard Lea walk up with two bowls of chip-like snacks.
Lea handed Kairi one of the bowls and sat in his own chair leaning back as far as the chair would let him. "This is a lot nicer than the corridors. Even if it's slow," he commented.
"Well, we would have been there already if some lazy head would have checked what they were doing," She pointed out.
"Got me there, But you got to admit the controls are confusing."
"Well considering Sora can fly it…" she said back.
"Now you are just out for blood," he said feigning a wounded expression. They both laughed.
"So that's what it looks like," she said as she could see more details. She then turned away from the window and asked, "Do you miss it?"
Lea thought about it for a second. "I have some good memories there but now home is where I am."
She nodded and just said, "That must be nice." She was glad to be out here, but at the same time, she was a bit homesick for Destiny Islands. She wondered if she would get used to being away like Lea seems to have.
"We should put on the cloaks," Lea said seeing that they were about ready to land.
Kairi nodded in agreement thinking it was a good precaution. She went to the back of the ship to retrieve it. While she slipped the black coat over her normal clothing she asked: "Do you think there will be trouble?"
Lea looked back at her to answer but the second he turned he saw someone else. Another girl that looked a bit like Kairi except with a more serious face and her hair was shorter and the color black. He felt a tug on his heartstrings that confused him. Then he heard Kairi say his name and she looked like herself again but he still felt the same emotion in his heart.
Kairi looked at him concerned. He was staring at her strangely and now looked disoriented. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine, sorry." he said.
"What happen?"
Lea paused. They had enough to worry about right now and he didn't want to distract her from the task at hand. "It's just been a long day and I was a bit surprised by how different you look in an organization uniform... Anyways we have a world to get to," he said as he put the experience to the back of his mind for now.
She gave him a long look. Lea was too good at hiding what he was really thinking but she never saw him distracted at something before. She didn't buy it, but decided he was right now was not the time for whatever this was. "Alright let's go," she said. She checked her cloak it was in its normal plain form which she decided to keep until they knew what was happening. She then took her seat and piloted into the strange barrier.
At first, the ship started shaking from the turbulence but then the barrier opened up around them allowing them to pass. As they went further in the barrier closed behind them. When they were close enough the ship transported them to the surface.
Lea felt a bit disorientated for a few seconds but imminently noticed something was wrong. Some sort of electrical looking bars were forming around them. Making a cage that was about seven feet high and nine feet long. Seeing it was some sort of trap he put his hood over his head. He saw Kairi follow his lead. He slowly touched one of the electrical looking bars, and pulled back as it shocked him lightly. It hurt but it wasn't as bad as he thought. He was debating on forcing his way through.
Kairi was thinking of destroying it with magic but was worried the cage could reflect the spell back at them. She tried a small blizzard it hit and didn't seem to reflect. She then saw two figures approach from a distance. The taller one had a fairly large weapon she could see. Getting more frantic Kairi cast Blizzaga.
Lea saw Kairi freeze one of the walls solid the edges were rapidly repairing themselves. He reacted quickly, summoned his keyblade, and attacked the middle of the wall. It shattered giving them a way through and they both managed to escape.
Kairi saw Lea brandishing his weapon ready for a fight and saw the two figures running up to them. She recognized them from years ago. "Wait! Leon, Yuffie it's me." Kairi called out removing her hood.
Leon lowered his weapon imminently, "Kairi? Is that really you?"
Kairi was about to respond but Yuffie interrupted, "Of course that's her! What are you doing all the way out here?"
"We came to check on you. What's happening here with the barrier and that cage?" she asked.
Yuffie looked towards the ground and Leon answered, "They are defense systems to protect this world from the outside."
"You closed your own world away on purpose?" She asked.
Leon nodded, "Many of the people here thought this would be a good after we lost Radiant Garden to the darkness and then had the war with the heartless, at least for a while."
"But… now you're cut off from your other friends like Sora who help you through all that. You can't just abandon them."
Yuffie spoke up again. "We know, but ultimately it wasn't just us deciding. Finally, we settled on using it until Radiant Garden was fully restored to its old self. Then things could return to their natural state."
Lea could see Kairi was getting upset hearing this and intervened. "So who made the barrier and how does it work," he asked.
"We call the barrier the 'Planetary Light Shield.' It was made by the researchers at the castle; you would have to ask them how it works." Leon said.
"Thought so, Come on Kairi let's have a little conversation with them," Lea said.
"We can show you where," Yuffie offered trying to be helpful.
Lea looked at Kairi. She looked calmer but still, it was probably best if they could talk about this new information alone. "Nah I know the way. Besides it's hard to miss." He said pointing to the big structure in the distance that you could even see from the Plaza.
"Yeah, I guess so. Well if you want to meet with us before you leave feel free to," Yuffie said.
"If we have time," Kairi said politely. She was still a bit mad at this but decided to let it go. It wasn't really their fault either.
Lea and Kairi walked off together. When Lea was sure they were out of earshot from anyone he asked, "So, what do you think?"
"Well at least everyone is okay, but I don't like it. With Xehanort on the move, we should all be working together. Instead of preparing with us they are hiding. You?"
"Like it or not they are involved. No shield is going to change that. If the New Organization wants in they will find a way to bring it down. Even, Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo should know that though," he said.
"What do you think we should do," she asked.
Lea thought for a second, "Not much we can do. We can try to talk them out of it and when that fails we get all the information we can and report back."
"When that fails," Kairi repeated with a giggle over exaggerating his defeatist tone.
"We'll see but if anything was as simple as asking we would be out of the job." Lea joked.
