I HOLD NO CLAIM TO ANY OF THE ORIGINAL KINGDOOM HEARTS CHARACTERS! NOTHING! :(
Chapter Three
Terra
Dwarf Woodlands
"Why are you following me?"
"I just got you back, Bailey. I can't let you just run off and disappear again. Aqua and Ventus will want to see you, and so will Master Eraqus."
Bailey paused in her steps and turned to glare at the teen behind her. "Get it out of your head, Terra. This is no reunion or a return. I'm not going back to the Land of Departure, I have no desire to see Eraqus or Aqua or Ventus; I didn't even have one to see you. I am going to complete this mission and return to my duties on Radiant Garden. I'm not the same person three years ago; I'm not going back."
"You say that," Terra began, refusing to look away from her. "But I can see it; the old you. Scared and hiding, but you're still in there, hiding behind a shield you've built around yourself. I will try my hardest to change you back to the girl you once were."
"I don't want you too," She grunted, moving down the path again.
They had arrived to the next world; a castle that seemed to have no one in it. Moving around the castle in search of someone, Bailey was starting to get annoyed that nothing, no one, was here. Giving a growl she came to a pause in the hall of the castle and snapped the book in her hands shut. "How far do we have to go to find someone?!"
"Let's just take a break for a moment," Terra paused beside her and leaned against a wall. He took another look at the book in her hands. It was large, black, and leather bound and he could see the pen that was shut inside of its pages as the woman gripped the book in her hands. "What are you writing?"
Bailey was silent for a moment before glancing off to the side. "It's something for a child back at Radiant Garden. She…she would enjoy knowing what is going on out here."
"A diary?" He asked her.
"No, more like a story."
Terra stared at her for a moment. "She must mean a lot to you." He commented. "How old is she?"
"She's four. Keira is…"
Keira and her sister Kairi were a little over a year old when Bailey met the Princesses of Radiant Garden. Kairi didn't want to leave her father's arms but Keira had stumbled straight to the new woman in the palace and had been at her side ever since. While Kairi played with their grandmother and in the castle, Keira snuck out and joined Bailey, Lucient, and Selia; in turn that led her to the introductions of Squall, Cloud, and the others.
Opening her mouth to speak again, footsteps made her stay silent and she slipped around a corner, dragging Terra with her. Soon after, a woman in a gown and a black cape and a crown moved down the hall, a large look of displeasure on her face.
"She didn't look happy," Terra commented when she disappeared around another corner.
"No, but she's also the only person we've come into contact with since getting here. I say we follow her." Without waiting for a reply, Bailey moved, leaving Terra to follow her.
They quietly moved after the woman, careful not to be seen. The woman moved up to a large mirror hanging on the wall and began to speak, waving her hands.
"Spirit of the Mirror come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness I summon thee…speak! Show me thy face!"
A greenish face appeared on the glass, a frown stretched across it. "What wouldst thou know, my Queen?"
~A Queen?~ Bailey narrowed her eyes as she listened to them talk.
"Magic Mirror on the wall who is the fairest one of all?"
"Famed is thy beauty, Majesty, but hold-a lovely maid I see. Alas, she is more fair than thee."
Oh, the Queen didn't like that.
"Alas for her! Reveal her name."
"Lips red as the rose, hair black as ebony, skin white as snow-"
Apparently the Queen knew her, too.
"Snow White!"
"A mirror that knows and sees everything…how about that." Terra chuckled.
"Hush," Bailey told him, still listening to the Queen and her mirror.
"The heart of Snow White doth shine bright. Beware, my Queen, a heart of light."
~Like Aurora?~ Bailey thought to herself.
"Wait, what if Master Xehanort is here?" Terra commented. Bailey tried to keep him quite again, but he had already been heard.
"Who goes there?" The Queen demanded.
Bailey, giving Terra a glare, gave him a shove from behind the pillar, staying hidden for a surprise if the Queen tried anything funny on Terra. Terra walked further into the light to show himself to the Queen and the Mirror.
"My name is Terra. I'm looking for a man named Xehanort. Master Xehanort. I thought maybe you might have seen him."
"That name is of no consequence to me," Was the Queen's reply. Giving a sigh, Terra went to leave but the Queen called after him. "Wait." He turned back to her. "Ah yes. I have a task for you. If you succeed, I will ask the mirror where you might find this Master Xehanort."
"And the mirror will know?" Terra asked her.
"Do you dare to question me?"
~Sounds like he did,~ Bailey silently snorted as Terra asked what the task was.
"There is a young maid who resides in this castle. Her name is Snow White. Kill her. And to make sure you do not fail, bring back her heart…in this." The Queen held out a box.
"Her heart?" Terra repeated her as he took the box. "I don't understand. You're after the hearts of light, too?"
"What I demand is her life. I have had more than enough of her light."
"What did this maiden do to you?"
"That is no concern of yours. Now, heed my words. My radiance is all the light this kingdom needs."
Terra was silent for a moment. "Where can I find her?"
"Outside the castle, there is a glade of wildflowers. You are dismissed. Go now and seek her there."
"What are we? Her servants?" Bailey grunted, crossing her arms. "Let's just get out of here."
"We should use the mirror," Terra told her, leading the way outside the castle.
She gave a sigh and then decided to change the subject; sort of. "You know, she's quite a fool to give a job like this to someone she's never seen before and is traveling around in her castle." Bailey commented, taking a better look at the box Terra had received. As they exited the gates, they were placed right in the field of flowers. Bailey let a smile spread across her face at all the colors.
"I wonder if that's her." Terra commented.
Pulling her eyes from the flowers around them she took in sight of the young woman with black hair picking flowers. From the gown and cape she was in…
"The queen said that we were looking for a maid, not a princess,"
"True," Terra nodded, moving closer. "But only one way to find out." He moved closer to her and her humming came to a stop when she noticed him.
"Oh, hello. Who are you?"
"Aren't you startled?" He asked her.
She set her flowers down and stood to face him. "Should I be?"
"Yes," Bailey told her as she moved closer herself. "Considering that you don't know us."
"But you seem sweet," She smiled at her. "I feel no ill will from either of you."
Bailey gave a frown. "Is something the matter?"
Terra answered her. "Does the name Xehanort mean anything to you?"
"Why…why no. I don't think I've ever heard that name."
"Now what?" Terra sighed, grabbing his chin.
"How about Lucient or Selia?" Bailey asked her.
"Hmm. No, I don't think I've heard those, either," The Princess replied. She went to make another comment when the creatures decided to make their appearance.
"Get behind me!" Bailey whipped out her Keyblade and placed herself firmly between the princess and the Unversed as they appeared around them. The Princess screamed, though, and took off for the forest.
"Wait! Don't go in there alone!" Terra called after her. He tried to follow but the Unversed blocked the path. There were many of them and they just kept appearing for a while. When Terra sliced through the final one, both of them gave sighs of relief.
"She's long gone by now." Bailey sighed, staring into the trees. "We'd never find her."
"She said she doesn't know anything about Master Xehanort," Terra sighed. "That leaves us with just one other option."
"Back to the castle," Bailey commented, folding her hands behind her head.
"Yeah," Terra nodded. "The mirror."
It didn't take them too long to return to the Queen and her lair and they couldn't definitely tell that the woman was NOT happy.
The Queen, still talking to the mirror, didn't even turn to face them. "How dare you return here, you blundering fool?"
"What are you talking about?" Terra asked her.
She turned to glare at them. "I ordered you to bring me Snow White's heart!"
"You didn't think he was really going to do it, did you?" Bailey asked, placing a hand on her hip.
"You know, you claim to be radiant, but all I see are shadows of jealousy, hanging thick on your heart." Terra told her.
That pissed the woman off. "You will pay for such insolence! Magic Mirror on the wall, consume this fool, once and for all!" Terra whipped out his Keyblade, both he and Bailey ready for anything, but the queen turned to the mirror when nothing happened.
"Alas my liege, that I cannot do. I have no powers save answers true."
That pissed her off even more. "You dare defy your Queen?"
"If he can't do it, he can't do it, lady," Bailey glared at the other woman.
"How dare you speak to me that way! I am your Queen!"
"You're not my queen, old hag," The teen replied, gripping the handle of her Keyblade. "So there's really nothing that you or your little mirror can do to me."
With a growl, the woman grabbed a green bottle and tossed. The bottle smashed against the face in the mirror. Bailey gave a growl as she could see the mirror vibrate before a bright light shot off of it. The light dispersed after a few moments, revealing Terra had been sucked into the mirror.
"Terra!"
"Fool! Why did you not take her as well!" The Queen roared at the mirror but there was no reply.
"Well well, what can you do now?" Bailey asked, glaring at the woman. "Your mirror is caught up, hag."
"Don't you dare come near me! I will have you executed!"
"Your petty tricks won't work on us." Bailey gave a grin and lunged, slicing at the woman with her Keyblade. She stumbled backwards, tripping over the chair and table there, ad fell to the floor. Bailey pounced and placed a foot on the other woman, pinning her to the ground. "Now, tell me, just what is it about that woman in the field that you don't like?"
The Evil Queen glared up at Bailey but still she continued to answer her question.
"That's it?" Bailey asked her. "What is wrong with you?" She then shook her head. "You know what, never mind. I won't be here for long so it doesn't matter to me." Moments later, her foot still on the woman's back, Bailey watched as Terra was returned to the floor with another bright light. "You all right?"
"Yeah," He took in the view of the queen pinned to the floor. She stared up at him in shock.
"How did you escape?"
"I told you," Bailey growled as she grabbed her arm and picked her up. "Your petty tricks won't work on us."
"Now you will ask the mirror." Terra told her, moving towards the two of them. "Where can we find Master Xehanort?"
Bailey shoved the other woman towards the mirror. "Magic Mirror, instruct this knave! Give him the answers he doth crave."
The face blinked. "Beyond both light and dark he dwells, where war was waged upon the fells."
Terra waited a moment but nothing else was given. "Is that all?" The room was silent and he sighed. "Thanks. You've been a big help." He turned and left.
"Are there not answers that you, as well, seek?"
The Mirror's voice grabbed Bailey as she moved to follow Terra. She glanced back. "I don't need help from anyone. I can find all my answers on my own." She stalked off.
The Mirror couldn't help but give a smirk. "Strong and swift down the path she goes but what she finds, will she like? That would be an interesting answer to know."
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