Chapter Eight: Shadow Play
The whole family had gathered in the living room, staring expectantly at Riku as he told them what had happened to him; why he had disappeared, what the Heartless were, everything. Well, he left a few details out when it came to joining up with Maleficent and being controlled by Xehanort's Heartless but other then that Riku told them the whole story. After hearing about the fight he had gotten into earlier his father had decided enough was enough and said that the agreement they had made in the hospital was no longer valid. Too much had happened and Riku was acting too strangely to just let this incident slide.
So Riku had been forced to explain his whole journey to his parents and siblings. Of course their reaction was pretty much what he had been expecting all along.
Vince shook his head, a mixture of irritation and resentment on his face, "You really expect us to believe a…a wild tale like that? I expected better of you son," the man demanded, his voice low and angry; frowning slightly his mother Simone kept quiet, a troubled look on her features as she stared out of the window. Alexa looked highly suspicious while Serenity was caught between believing her twin brother and trying to grasp such a farfetched tale.
His youngest sister Claret, though, quickly made it clear where she stood on the matter. She was sitting on the couch next to Riku and her eye's flashed with defiance at her father's words, "Big brother wouldn't lie! It must be true, he has no reason to make up something like that!" she said in his defense as Riku clenched his teeth and looked away.
With a shake of his head Vince added, "Then why doesn't anybody else remember this…Heartless attack? And what about…Mickey, Donald, and Goofy? You said they ended up here with you, so what happened to them?" he questioned coldly and Riku sighed heavily at that, "They left right away, they had family and friends waiting for them back on their home world," he muttered unhappily, and as expected his father didn't believe him.
Disgusted Vince stood up from his chair, "Why can't you just tell us the truth instead of lying to us like this?" he asked bitterly and Simone turned back with frown on her face as she gave her husband a sharp look, "Why don't we take some time to piece this together instead of just firing off accusations? You know he would never lie to us…" the woman began but was cut off when he brushed passed her angrily.
Vince shook his head and stalked off, "I thought I knew my son but I guess I was wrong," he fired back as he left the room. Moments later they could hear the sound of a door violently slamming shut. Tense silence fell upon the room; nobody knew what to say. Simone opened her mouth so declare something and then sighed and looked away, still processing the information.
"You sure you, Sora, and Kairi didn't just get tired of us and decide to run away for a while?" Alexa quipped suddenly and Serenity straightened in her chair and glared at their oldest sibling, "Alexa don't say things like that!" she blurted her voice brimming with several sharp comebacks. Riku too gave her a cold look and was about to make a retort when Claret grabbed his arm.
Looking down he could see tears forming in his little sisters eyes as she stared up at him, "That's not true is it? You wouldn't really leave us like that would you? You would never run away and leave us behind right?" Claret questioned anxiously and Alexa fidgeted uncomfortably, now looking guilty for what she had said. Simone gave her eldest daughter a reproving look and Serenity sniffed and gave her sister an "I told you so" look.
Riku shook his head and put his arm around Claret's shoulders to reassure her, "Of course I wouldn't. Wild horses couldn't drag me away from you," he teased trying to comfort her. He looked up with a smirk on his face as he added, "Alexa maybe…but I would never leave behind a sister as sweet as you," he said and Claret's worry eased and she gave a small giggle at that as Alexa glared back at her brother. With a small huff she crossed her arms, "Yeah, yeah, very funny," she muttered to herself.
Clearing her throat Simone caught everyone's attention again; turning back to Riku she questioned, "So what about now? What about these dreams you've been having? Not to mention your restless legs always up in the middle of the night wandering around…" his mother hinted with a raised eyebrow. Surprised Riku started to say something but she held up her hand to stop him, "I'm not saying I believe all of this just yet…" Simone warned him sternly, "But I want to know as much as you can tell me," she clarified firmly as she leaned back in her chair.
Alexa, apparently finished with her sulking, glanced at where Vince had been sitting, "But dad…" she paused and let her sentence hang. Simone pursed her lips, "Is worried and I can't blame him for not being able to…accept all of this information right away," she replied looking back at Riku who resisted the urge to shift his gaze away from his mother. "You disappear into thin air for over a year and then you come back just as mysteriously…he just wants more concrete answers. I'll talk to him about this later," she explained waving the matter off.
Nodding at that Riku gave them a shortened more basic version of what the Dark Shade known as Shinkiro had told him. When he finished Claret wrinkled her nose, "So Destiny Islands here and all those other worlds you and Sora went to are in the realm of light…but there are similar places in the dark too?" she asked curiously, fully believing everything her big brother had told them.
Riku shrugged, "After all of the different places I've been to, I don't see why it wouldn't be possible," was the best answer he could give her. Claret scowled slightly at that as the wheels continued to turn in her head. She frowned for a moment before adding, "So Polaris and Xavath protect Kingdom Hearts and Shadow's Veil, which in turn are…are…what ARE they anyway?" Claret asked after a moment of fumbling for the right words.
Thinking for a moment Riku paused long enough to grab two pieces of paper and a pencil. Slowly he drew a circle that ran around the very edge of the paper. Then he did the same thing to the other piece and put the two next to each other. "I've been thinking about this ever since I first learned about Kingdom Hearts, and I finally came up with a theory that makes sense," he commented as he leaned back so everyone else could see his drawing.
"In the middle here…" he paused and made a black dot with his pencil in the middle of each sheet, "…is Kingdom Hearts," Riku explained pointing to the center mark on the paper to his right. Looking up the teenager added, "This circle represents all the worlds that exist in the realm of light. Destiny Islands is closest to Kingdom Hearts, which is right in the middle. All of the other worlds are stationed elsewhere inside the circle," Riku continued as he randomly made dots in different areas of the paper; some closer to the middle others on the very edge.
Serenity nodded slowly as she examined her brother's crude sketch, "So those on the edge are closer to the realm of darkness? And if you were over there in the other realm then being in the center would make you closer to the dark, and on the edge closer to the light…" pausing to digest this for a moment she then asked, "What does that mean for us then?" Serenity questioned, looking up at him.
Riku nodded his head towards the window, "That the light coming from Kingdom Hearts is stronger here and protects us from the Heartless. Sora, Kairi, and I managed to make it off, but everyone else vanished along with the rest of Destiny Islands. So we three remember what happened but the protection from Kingdom Hearts must have wiped out everyone else's memory. That's why very few remember that night at all; I've spoken to Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka and the only thing they remember is a bad storm hitting the island," leaning back the teen crossed his arms as he waited for his family to say something in response.
That seemed to strike a nerve with Simone and Riku could see his mother's eyes grow distant as she thought back to the day before her son and his friends had disappeared. Finally the woman shook her head, "I remember a strange storm suddenly coming up out of nowhere and then waking up the next day to find you and Sora gone, but Kairi safe and sound," Simone commented her tone of voice uneasy.
Claret nodded enthusiastically and looked back up at her big brother with obvious hero worship in her eyes, "So what now? That Dark Shade thing named Shinkiro said you were the Twilight Dragon right? So that means you have really cool superpowers right?" she questioned and Riku could see the wheels turning slowly in her head as her eyes lit up with interest.
Frowning at her Riku replied, "Shinkiro mentioned it but he didn't go into any really detail about what that meant or would involve so don't go getting any bright ideas," he warned and Simone crossed her arms in suspicion. Catching her look the teenager quickly held his hands up in defense, "Really mom that's all I know. As far as the dreams are concerned…I think when Shinkiro and the others like him meet together to talk in the secret spot here on the islands my mind automatically…I don't know picks up the conversation if I'm sleeping. Now that I know what's causing these dreams they shouldn't bother me as much," he explained trying to reassure his concerned mother.
The woman frowned and looked away, "All of this information…it's just hard to accept…but I know that you wouldn't lie…not about something like this," Simone stated softly as she turned and stared down at her hands. The silence stretched on for over a minute before she looked up and smiled faintly at her children, "I think we have all heard enough for tonight. It's getting late so let's all get ready for tomorrow," their mother reminded as she glanced back over at Riku, "Beside's…fight or no fight you still have school in the morning young man," Simone sternly warned as she waved her children out of the living room.
Claret gave a pout as she got up off of the couch, pausing for a moment to lean closer to her brother, "You'll show my some of those cool fighting moves won't you?" she whispered but not quietly enough to escape their mom's notice.
"Claret!" Simone exclaimed as she placed her hands on her hips. The little girl winced at that tone of voice and bowed her head, "Okay, okay, I'm going, I'm going…" the youngest sibling muttered to herself as she grabbed her crutches and limped off to her room, taking one more glance back at Riku before leaving the room, the click of her crutches fading into the kitchen and then down the hallway.
Standing up Serenity gave her brother a reassuring wink as she brushed her braided hair back off her shoulder, "Awww, my twin brother is out protecting the worlds from evil. You've grown up so much!" she teased, leaning over to pinch his cheeks. Riku growled at that and slapped her hand away, "Buzz off already," he snapped as she chuckled and slid off to the kitchen to get something to eat.
On the other hand Alexa still wore a look of silent suspicion and she slid a hand through her hair as her eyes narrowed with doubt. The eldest sibling nodded to her family and glanced distrustfully at Riku before giving a small grunt and heading out. It was clear that she didn't quite believe him and Riku doubted that would change anytime soon.
But dad still doesn't believe me either; not that I blame him, Riku considered as he stared down at his hands; it was true he had been expecting that response…but hearing it still hurt. It hurt to think that his own father thought he was lying, and hearing the disappointment in his dad's voice had sent Riku's already low spirits sinking even further. Sure Claret had unwavering faith in him, Serenity would most likely accept what he had said, and his mother Simone would stand by her son no matter what happened, but Vince and Alexa were a different matter.
Dad will never accept my story unless I can give him some sort of proof, and I can't just whip out Way To The Dawn and slice up a few trees or start throwing fireballs around, that would just lead to more questions and accusations, Riku thought with a heavy sigh as he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Startled out of his thoughts the teenager looked up at his mother who smiled warmly at him.
Simone squeezed his shoulder comfortingly, "I'll talk to your dad about this matter okay? I know things have been difficult for all of us right now but just be patient and let's see if we can ride this matter out all right? We'll figure this out one way or another," she stated comfortingly but he could tell that even she wasn't fully convinced and he could hear the doubt in her voice.
Riku gave a noncommittal grunt before standing up; even now it was surprising to see that he was actually taller then his mother, somehow that fact never failed to make him a little uncomfortable even though it had been a couple months since he, Sora, and Kairi had come back.
The silver-haired teen nodded slowly, "Thanks anyway mom," Riku said forcing a smile onto his face. Simone's eyes shimmered with worry and she leaned up and gave her son a tight hug, holding him close before pulling back and brushing a tear away from her eyes. "No matter what happens I just want you to know that I do trust you…no mater how farfetched your story may sound," his mother stated firmly and he nodded as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "All right, off to bed with you," Simone said letting him go.
Riku had brushed past her when his mother asked, "Just what was that fight about anyway? The teacher said that a kid named Neal was making fun of you but I know that you wouldn't lose your self control over something like that…" Simone asked as her voice trailed off at the end, her eyebrow quirked up as she gave her son a questioning look.
Immediately Riku's face flushed pink at that question; he had been more then willing to walk away until Neal insulted Kairi. Rubbing his neck in embarrassment the teen looked away, "Oh…um well…I uh…" he began hesitantly when Serenity poked her head back around the corner, a hot dog in her hand.
A mischievous smirk crawled across his twin sister's lips as she chimed in, "I'll bet my entire savings account that he nailed that stupid jock Neal in the nose because he insulted Kaaaaiiiirrriiii," Serenity chirped, dragging the Princess of Heart's name out before taking another bite out of her dinner.
Simone tilted her head as Riku cast a glare at his sister, "I don't remember asking for your opinion smart-aleck," he snapped in irritation as he crossed his arms, turning away as his already pink cheeks turned a slightly darker shade of red.
Serenity gave a 'tsk' and shook her finger, "No need to be embarrassed. Everyone knows you and Sora both have a major crush on her; nothing wrong with defending a girl's honor. Besides I know plenty of females who would love for a guy to stand up for them," she stated oh-so-calmly through her mouthful before swallowing and taking another bite, her smirk still firmly in place.
Narrowing his eyes at her Riku fired off a quick retort, "I think your missing the whole 'don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong' vibe I'm sending you here," he stated flatly as Simone's worried look melted into one of amusement at her children's banter. Raising her hands she interceded, "Okay you two, I think that's enough," their mother interrupted as Riku continued glaring at his twin sister. Turning to her son she asked, "Well? You still didn't answer my question," she reminded him and the young man growled at that.
Looking away he finally muttered his reply, "He insulted Kairi…" Riku grudgingly admitted as he shoved his hands into his pockets and upon hearing that admission Serenity smirked in triumph, "Told you so; I'll collect my money in the morning," she said with a dramatic sigh before disappearing around the corner and back into the kitchen.
Riku grunted despondently at that as Simone rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Of all the…." she mumbled to herself before eyeing her son, "I've always been so proud of how mature you and even Sora can be…but when it comes to Kairi you two are nothing more then a bunch of love-struck fools," his mother commented and he just shrugged nonchalantly at his mother's deduction. There was no point in denying it.
With another sigh Simone sat back down on the couch, "I'll see if I can convince your father to let you off this one time, but don't get into any more trouble understand?" she warned and Riku nodded even though he knew that would be easier said then done.
Usually Athane had no problem with the missions his Master Xavath sent him on. Defeat a few Heartless, save some innocent people, and walk away knowing that said innocent people, and yet another world, were safe and sound. Even the most dangerous missions the Keyblade Master of Darkness would take on with the same enthusiasm and charm that he was known throughout the Palace for; he was always ready and willing to lend a helping hand, it was his greatest quality and biggest weakness. And it was that very quality that Xavath had exploited in order to get his servant to willingly come to this world.
The Twili shivered in disgust as he walked through the giant library, his body covered by a black coat and his face shielded by its hood. Athane scowled as his eyes scanned the spines of the books lined on the shelf in front of him.
His lips thinned as he crossed his arms, Stupid reptile… talking about how all of the worlds out there in the darkness are in trouble...says that me coming here could provide a vital clue to figuring out who that light dweller who attacked Nazairah was and what he wants. "Do you want to live knowing that someone died because you were too squeamish to go to the realm of light?" he says to me. Fah! I thought the Dragon of Darkness was supposed to help people! Not send them on a guilt trip!! the Keyblade Master thought bitterly as he nervously fingered the new band that was looped around his throat.
It was a silver collar, studded with blackish-purple stones that had been carved into ragged spikes, much like the other spiked leather band that Athane always wore. It was made from Dark Crystals, the physical embodiment of the darkness. It was similar to the Light Crystal that light dweller Zanier had left behind after attacking Nazairah; the skin on her burned hand was just now starting to heal from when she had picked the thing up to examine it.
Such precautions probably weren't necessary because the light coming from Kingdom Hearts wasn't as powerful here in Radiant Garden, a world on the fringes of the light realm. But even so the Dark Crystals he was wearing constantly emitted power, shielding Athane in an obscure 'aura' of dark energy that would protect him from the harmful effects of the power of light; just like the way sunscreen protected a person from sunburn.
And that STILL doesn't make me feel any more comfortable here, Athane considered as he picked up a book and then frowned when he saw that it wasn't what he was looking for. With a sigh he placed it back on the shelf and craned his neck back so he could get a look at the top of the massive bookcase. The realm of light is just plain creepy no matter how you look at it, the blue skinned Twili thought as he winced and rubbed his neck.
Supposedly this collection of rare and valuable books had been housed in the now rundown castle overlooking the town at one time, but after the world was declared safe for citizen habitation again they had remodeled an ancient building and opened a much larger library closer to the center of town so the civilians and researchers could have easier access to them.
"And it STILL goes on forever!" Athane blurted as he threw his hands up in the air. "I thought the purpose of building this stupid place was to make it easier for the people to find things, not next to impossible!" he shouted in frustration as he lashed out and kicked the bookshelf with his boot. There was a chuckle from behind him and the Keyblade Master turned and glared at his companions.
Over the past couple of years two Dark Shades, a Bandit and Luna Bandit by the names of Taen and Sunaha, had become some of Athane's closest companions and friends. They always came along when the dark Keyblade wielder went on a mission and, despite their constant bickering and sword fighting, were a perfect team and had never failed to come through for their friend and Master.
At this point in time, though, it was clear that both Dark Shades were greatly enjoying Athane's obvious discomfort. Dark Shades, whether they had been Heartless or Nobodies, weren't nearly as bothered by the constant emission of light that Kingdom Hearts gave off; thus meaning that they could walk around all day without a problem, while Athane on the other hand hid under his coat and hood like a bat in a cave. If they were actually attacked with the power of light, the way Zanier had attacked Princess Nazairah then that would be a different story; kind of like the difference between sitting really close to a fire as opposed to sticking your hand in it.
Sunaha tilted his head, his eyes narrowed in amusement, 'What's wrong? One might go so far as to think that you were…uncomfortable here in the light realm,' he questioned in the Shadow language that Dark Shade's, and even the Heartless, always used when talking amongst each other. If any light dweller came along they wouldn't hear a word, but because Athane was from the dark, that meant he could hear them talking. In fact while the Shadow tongue was considered a foreign language by researchers, it was actually just a slight variation on the way the Twili spoke, meaning that Athane understood them perfectly, unlike some other races he had run across.
Contrary to popular belief all those in the darkness did NOT speak the same language the way they did here in the light realm, in fact Athane kept a personal translator on him at all times just for that reason. There was nothing worse then going to a world to try and help someone only to end up being shot at because he couldn't understand what they were saying and vice versa; it had happened several times before and finally Nazairah had given it to him more out of exasperation then as a gift.
Taen's yellow eyes glittered with amusement as he tilted his head slightly to the right, 'Oh, that can't possibly be the case Sunaha; everyone knows that the Keyblade Master isn't afraid of anything…much less something as simple as going to a world on the Outer Rim,' the Bandit chimed in calmly, punctuating his statement with a firm nod. Since Radiant Garden was on the fringes of the area governed by Kingdom Hearts it was referred to as being on the "Outer Rim" a term that most races used when referring to a world, or worlds, that lay on the outermost regions of their respective realm.
Meanwhile Athane bristled at their comments and narrowed his red eyes, "Shut up and get back to work already! The sooner we find the books on that list the sooner we can get out of here!" he snapped taking out Oblivion and waving it ominously at them. The two Dark Shades merely ignored his threats and Taen put his hands on his hips and made clucking sounds.
Growling angrily Athane raised his Keyblade, ready to fire off a Blizzard attack at the both of his supposed 'friends' but the dark creatures hurried out of the way and around the corner before their Master could retaliate. Lowering his weapon the Twili huffed and recalled the blade; being here on a light world was making the dark dweller jumpy and far more irritable the usual. Plus there was the fact that somebody had been following him from the moment he had first entered the building, which had been several hours ago.
Athane could easily have sent Taen and Sunaha to flush out and subdue the stalker, but ultimately had decided not to bother unless whoever was following along made an aggressive move toward him first. Still the feeling of having a person hovering over his shoulder was doing nothing to soothe the Twili's already edgy nerves and as a result he was jumping at every little sound he heard.
Novice or experienced warrior aside, I'll feel safe again when I'm back in the darkness…ANYWHERE in the darkness, Athane thought twitching uncomfortably as he reached into his pocket and pulled out slip of paper with the titles of five book titles written in Xavath's precise handwriting. Alright we've been here for hours and still nothing. This is the section of the library reserved for historical volumes so they must be around here somewhere, he considered glancing back over his shoulder just in time to catch a glimpse of a figure moving back into shadows on the second floor.
With a slight roll of his eyes Athane shook his head and shoved the paper back into his pocket. It was definitely a light dweller that was following him and they were actually pretty good when it came to stealth, but not quite good enough to evade detection by the Keyblade Master of Darkness. He had spent far too much time skulking about in large cities, small towns, enchanted forests, dense jungles, towering mountains, remote islands, and other such places to be caught off guard that easily.
His lips pulled up in tight smile as he evaluated the situation once again, Probably knows better then to jump into a fight alone with a person they know nothing about. I don't know who this person is but they definitely seem to know what their doing, Athane considered as he scoured the book titles in front of him and nearly shouted in triumph when he saw what he was looking for. Pulling it off the shelf the Twili cracked it open and examined the words. His expression quickly faded to a scowl when realized that he couldn't read the light dwellers language; it was all just a bunch of gibberish to him.
Sighing heavily Athane snapped the book shut and with a snap of his fingers it vanished in a swirl of darkness. There was a shuffle as Taen poked his head around the corner curiously, 'Master…tell me again what we're doing here? I've been staring at this language for so many hours I'm actually starting to recognize some of the words,' he complained waving his hand scimitar for emphasis.
Looking over at him Athane responded, "Because if Xavath wants them then there must be a good reason for it and looking through all of these by myself would have taken forever…" he paused and frowned at his friend, "And put that thing away before you break something. There is no way I'm going to stick around to negotiate with the people here because you got excited and accidentally sliced up some priceless material," Athane added sternly, knowing full well jow quickly and easily the Bandit could get worked up.
Taen though merely snorted in disregard, 'Me? Break something? Please, I'm as gentle as a mother dragon caring for her hatchlings,' the Dark Shade stated moving his arm in a wide arc that would have sent his blade perilously close to a very expensive looking vase if Sunaha didn't jump in and grab his companions arm stopping it just in time.
Glaring at his companion the Luna Bandit interrupted, '…as gentle as a mother dragon defending her eggs maybe,' he stated dryly as Taen jerked his arm away and glowered right back, 'Who asked for your opinion?!' the Bandit hissed threateningly as Sunaha muttered something to himself and walked past the other Dark Shade and onto the next row of books. Puffing up with resentment Taen put his scimitar away and followed after his friend, knowing that they still had work to do.
Athane shook his head at their antics; sometimes he couldn't help but wonder how those two former sword masters had managed to stay friends for so long, all they ever did was argue with each other.
Guess that doesn't say much about me…I'm the one who keeps them around all the time after all, the Keyblade Master considered as he noticed an elaborate solid wood bookcase near the back wall. Athane took a few steps closer so he could examine it and then paused to look over at Taen and Sunaha who were once again diligently scouring the rows upon rows of manuscripts.
Satisfied Athane walked over to the closed case and noticed that it was chained and padlocked so that the doors couldn't be opened. Raising an eyebrow at that the Twili smirked triumphantly at his discovery, "Well what do we have here now? Must have some pretty important volumes in order for them to be locked up like this," he declared smugly as he cracked his knuckles.
Grabbing the padlock with his fingerless gloves Athane focused his power and immediately frost shimmered around his hand and the metal creaked as it began to ice over. A thin layer of ice quickly covered the chain and then with a swift movement of his arm Athane jerked his arm to the right, breaking the lock and shattering the chain, the rest of which slid uselessly down to the floor. Frozen pieces of metal crunched under his boots as the Twili opened the wooden doors and examined the contents.
The Keyblade Master couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the musty smell that wafted over him; surprisingly there were only a few books being kept inside. Ten to be exact, four of which were the very books Xavath had ordered Athane to find. With a grin on his face he shouted over his shoulder, "Hey you guys! I found them over here!" the warrior called out to the two Dark Shades. Turning back he reached in to grab one of the ancient volumes when he felt another presence suddenly appear behind him.
Body tensing Athane called Oblivion to his hand and whipped around in a fighting stance ready to defend himself if the person attacked. He had just enough time to see a young human female dressed in a black flowered tank top along with a black vest and shorts standing there before she gave a startled cry and lifted a red tube that was in her hand, blasting the Twili's eyes with light.
Yuffie entered the new library in town humming happily as she walked along scanning the shelves. Ever since she was a little kid the ninja had always loved coming to the library to read, usually with Squall, excuse me, Leon, in tow bugging him incessantly to read her favorite fairy tales to her, much to his annoyance. Of course in the end Squall would always give in with a heavy sigh and an irritated mutter. They may have moved all of the books here from the castle but that didn't stop her from coming by to pick up a new novel whenever she had the time.
Now, though, she was retrieving a book for Merlin. The old man had given her a special key and told her that it would be all the way in the darkest part of the library, padlocked inside of a large wooden case. Yuffie paused for a moment at the empty receptionist desk and opened a small cabinet that was stocked with flashlights. This building was pretty old and though great lengths had been taken to remodel the place, the wiring still needed a major overhaul. The deepest of the library didn't have proper lighting yet so flashlights were needed. Of course the most rare and valuable books were kept back there and most people didn't go to those parts very often anyway.
With a quick check of the batteries Yuffie clicked the light on and then off again before walking back to the farthest part of the building. She passed countless rows of books before coming to a small space cut out from the surrounding area. As she drew closer though she could hear the sound of someone moving around; curious she lifted her flashlight, thumb on the button to turn it on when the black coated figure tensed suddenly and turned around, their arm raised to attack, a black looking Keyblade in their hand.
With a startled yelp Yuffie instantly flicked the light on and raised it to the strangers face to see who it was. She caught a brief flash of eerie red eyes with orange instead of the usual white color around the iris along with strange blue skin before he, at least it seemed to be a he, cried out in obvious pain and stumbled away from here before falling backwards over a chair that had been pulled back from the table in the center of the room. Unable to see his hand snapped around to knock her away and the Keyblade would have slammed straight into Yuffie's gut if not for her quick reflexes.
Reacting instantly the ninja did a quick back flip to dodge his attack while at the same time summoning her giant shuriken to her left hand. She heard scuffling behind here and looked around to see a couple of Heartless run from around the corner of one of the bookshelves; they took one glance at the stranger still on the floor behind her and took out their blades.
Yuffie scowled at that, Just great! Why do these things always happen with me? Why can't Squall get in trouble every once in a while? She thought as another figure suddenly dropped down from the second floor of the library. Both Heartless jumped out of the way as the warrior landed and then leapt towards them swinging his blade more as a warning then anything.
With a roll of her eyes she tilted her head slightly as she addressed him, "How DO you manage to do that all the time? Show up just in the nick of time I mean?" Yuffie questioned with a teasing smile as Squall straightened up, glancing over his shoulder to make sure she was okay. The man thought that over for a moment before a smirk crawled across his face, "Call it a sixth sense," he stated with that same silent confidence he always exuded.
Humming at that Yuffie turned back to the stranger in the black coat; Squall could handle those Heartless on his own with no problem. Raising her flashlight again she carefully looked the guy over before speaking, "What are you doing here? Are you from Organization XII like the others were?" she demanded as the guy staggered to his feet, his fingers still rubbing at his eyes. He didn't answer her question and instead put his Keyblade down, using it to steady him as he massaged his eyes one more time.
Finally the outsider shook his head and looked up, his hood had fallen back and allowing her to once again see his strange red and orange eyes. Right away he flinched holding his hand in front of his face to ward off the powerful LED light, "Alta! Ney jhou taliz makeh!" he blurted in a foreign language before striking out with his Keyblade and knocking the flashlight right out of her hand. It dropped to the floor and rolled under the table, its light still bright enough to illuminate the room.
"Hey! No fair!" Yuffie exclaimed jerking back before throwing her shuriken at him in retaliation. Behind her she could hear Squall move as well and scuffling sounds as the two Heartless took action. The stranger sniffed at that and with a swift slash from his Keyblade easily knocked the shuriken aside before reaching out with his left arm catching it and then spinning around to throw it back at her.
Yuffie's jaw dropped open and she just barely managed to catch it just in time, earning her a dark look from Squall in the process as she stumbled backwards into him, throwing off his aim and nearly sending his fireball into a shelf of books. "Watch it Yuffie! This is no place to start a fire," the man warned pushing her off as the Bandit Heartless danced forward, skillfully whipping its scimitar back and forth through the air.
"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya," Yuffie responded as she took up a fighting stance once again and stared at the stranger cautiously. Sure people and Heartless had knocked her attacks away before but no one had ever actually reached out and caught her shuriken like that before. There was a grunt from behind her and the sound of metal clashing as Squall knocked back both Heartless.
Both creatures dodged as the warrior slashed at them and the Luna Bandit ducked and rolled as the metal hissed overhead, coming to its feet the Heartless arm flowed smoothly with the flow of its body one of the dual blades heading uninterrupted towards Squall's neck. At that angle there was no way he would be able to retaliate in time and even if he did that would leave him wide open to attack from the Bandit that was already crouched with its arm cocked back, ready to throw its scimitar when it saw the chance.
Yuffie gasped and without hesitation turned her back to the outsider behind her, preparing to attack the Luna Bandit before it could finish its maneuver; but she was distracted by a sudden interruption.
"Taen! Sunaha! Aus ruz!" the black coated stranger called out sharply and both Heartless suddenly froze, the Bandit tensed and blinked a few times before lowering its weapon. Squall's body too was tense, his gunblade raised over his head as the Luna Bandit stood there immobile. Yuffie could see a thin line of blood slide down from where the Heartless' blade was pressed against her friend's neck.
Both human and Heartless stared at each other for long moments before the Luna Bandit straightened up and took several steps back. Staring evenly at Squall it carefully pressed the twin blades together and they vanished in a swirl of darkness before the creature let its arms drop down. The Bandit narrowed its solid yellow eyes in clear suspicion and instead of recalling its weapon unhurriedly reached back and slipped it through the belt around its waist before crossing its arms.
The stranger scowled and rubbed his eyes one more time before lifting his arm and resting his Keyblade on his shoulder. Using his left hand he reached into his coat, clearly rummaging around for something, meanwhile he glared at them with accusing eyes. Finally he pulled out a silver and black metal ring with a small dial and several buttons on the sides. With a flick of his wrist the collar snapped open and, despite the other things already on his neck, put it around his throat.
A few red lights flashed and Yuffie frowned at his actions, "Uh…excuse me but are you going to attack us or not?" she asked curiously and Squall flashed her a look of mild irritation at that question but didn't say anything. As soon as the words were out of her mouth the red lights on the strange device flashed green and the stranger started speaking again.
Dropping his hand the black coated figure said, "Kava gin sue muni ear lien raiden…glad I have this translator on me. Try asking questions BEFORE attacking next time warrior woman," he stated dryly nudging the flashlight away with his foot.
Yuffie opened her mouth to ask something else but Squall's hand on her shoulder stopped her, "My name is Squall and this is Yuffie, we help protect this town and if you're here to cause trouble then you'll have to go through us first," he warned still clutching his gunblade.
The stranger raised an eyebrow at that and his mouth twitched slightly, she could see several replies dance across his expression before he shook his head, "My name is Athane and I assure you I'm not trying to cause trouble. I would have just grabbed the books I needed and left but you miss just had to sneak up on me and burn my eyeballs out with that flashlight of yours," he replied recalling his Keyblade as he nodded to Squall. "Not to mention you've been following me since I first showed up here. Though I must say, I'm surprised you didn't jump in sooner," Athane added with a hint of curiosity in his voice as he trailed off and awaited an answer.
Surprised at that information Yuffie looked back at Squall who stared back at the stranger for a moment before recalling his gunblade. "We've had too many Heartless attacks to get complacent. I'm not going to let anyone here get hurt again," he responded evenly, glancing back at the two creatures behind him.
Athane nodded in acceptance of that statement as he fiddled with the device around his neck once again, "Hmm, can't blame you there I guess. Just so you know my two friends over there are both expert sword masters and far more skilled with a blade then you might think at first. So long as you don't try and attack me again they'll be just fine," Athane added in warning as he recalled his Keyblade.
Once again Squall stared at the two Heartless, but this time his gaze seemed slightly confused and his eyes lingered on them for a moment before turning back to Athane. Yuffie looked back as well and was surprised to see the stranger leaning inside the chest that he had broken into. Startled she pointed her shuriken at him, "Hey! Get out of there! Those books are extremely valuable not to mention private property!" she blurted and once again Squall rolled his eyes at her statement.
The gunblade wielder shook his head slightly, "After breaking in here I doubt he cares much about stealing a few ancient relics," he stated with slight disbelief in his voice. Upon hearing that Athane jerked his head back out, "Stealing? Oh please an honorable Keyblade Master such as myself would never do such a thing. I'm just…borrowing it without permission. If you have any objection's you can take it up with my Master Xavath," he replied with a charming grin as he took a step back, four books tucked under his arm.
Bowing deeply to them Athane gave a short wave, "I have what I need, so I think we all will be going home now. Sorry to interrupt; have a nice day," he concluded before disappearing in a swirl of darkness. Yuffie jerked her arm back away from the darkness and turned around to find the Bandit and Luna Bandit vanish in the way Heartless always did.
"What in the…? So he WAS from the dark after all!" the ninja exclaimed in surprise as she turned back to Squall who had his arms crossed. He was staring at the spot where the strangers had just been standing. She waited for him to say something but several long seconds passed in silence before Yuffie tilted her head slightly ready to speak up again when he spoke up, cutting her off before she could begin.
Turning to face her Squall dropped his arms to his sides, "Those two…they looked the same…but they couldn't have been Heartless, I didn't see any kind of Heartless symbol on them. Just an emblem of a jet black dragon on their left arms," he finally commented and Yuffie frowned as she thought about that, "I didn't even notice. But they had to be Heartless…right?" she finally replied and he shot her a 'that figures' look.
Squall took a few steps forward and crouched down, examining the broken chain and links that were lying across the floor, "Its solid ice now. Athane must have frozen it and then just shattered the metal to get it off. But what books was he after do you think?" the warrior questioned speaking the last part mostly to himself.
Yuffie shrugged as she stepped around him and pulled out the book Merlin had asked her to retrieve for him, "Beats me. He's gone now and that's what matters most. Let's get this back to Merlin's house and then we can just ask him. Seems that he knows everything that's going on anyway," she stated with her usual good cheer as she spun on her heel and strode back off towards the exit.
Squall for his part couldn't help but stare after his friend in disbelief; a stranger from the dark shows up in town along with two supposed Heartless and takes some of the rarest books on this entire world with him and yet she just shrugs it off and walks away like nothing ever happened. With a small sigh he carefully reached down and picked up a length of chain that was frozen stiff and still had a cloud of frost shimmering around it.
Either way Yuffie was right about one thing, there wasn't much more they could learn at the moment, it would be best to find Merlin and soon as possible and tell him about what had just happened here. Standing up with the chain still in hand Squall looked up and examined the area carefully with his eyes before walking over to the table and picking up the neglected flashlight. He flicked the light off and turned to head out, he paused for a moment and looked back over his shoulder for a moment before shaking his head and leaving.
"Ugh…sanctuary...sweet, pure, sanctuary," Nazairah groaned stretching her arms over her head before collapsing into a chair sitting in front of the bureau where she did her hair and makeup every morning. Of course since her former living quarters were still damaged from the fight she'd had with that light dweller Zanier the Princess and what remained of her belongings had been moved down one floor to a room not far from Athane's. Privately she was positive that Xavath himself had something to do with that arrangement but she had decided not to bring it up; there were more important things to worry about.
Night had fallen and, while Athane still had yet to show up from his impromptu mission from his master Xavath, the jet-black Drakan had shown up here at her door to talk about what was going on. Of course after a day of dealing with the stuffy bureaucrats on the Royal Council Nazairah had been in dire need of a relaxing bath, so despite the fact that her friend was the most powerful creature in the entire dark realm she had made him wait out in the main chamber until she was finished cleaning up. Now, though, the Princess had freshened up and changed into a tank top and sweat pants in preparation for bed. So after dismissing her servants so that she could speak to Xavath privately she was far more relaxed and in the right frame of mind for whatever her friend was going to tell her.
Swiveling the seat around Nazairah turned to face Xavath himself, he was currently sitting on the edge of her bed, a serious but thoughtful look on his face. Twisting her flowing reddish-gold hair around her index finger the Princess crossed her legs and examined her friend curiously, "Okay, I've seen enough," she stated suddenly and the reptile looked up at her and tilted his head slightly in question.
The Princess clarified her statement by saying, "You've had that worried look on your face ever since the night I was attacked and if anything you look more worried now then you did before. Seeing as I'm the future ruler of the Twili race, not to mention the countless worlds my ancestors have subjugated thus far, I have connections and friends in places that you could only get access to by using your considerably high status as the Dragon of Darkness. So as much as I would love to use said associations to help you out…I must admit there's not much I can do with you being so secretive over there," Nazairah commented casually as she began weaving her hair into braids.
Upon hearing that Xavath's mouth twitched up into a slight smile, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, we have been friends for a long time haven't we?" he observed uncrossing his arms and resting his elbows on his knees as he clasped his hands together. Nazairah hummed at that and motioned for him to continue. Narrowing his eyes the reptile sighed heavily, "I'm sure you figured out by now that I had a dream…a vision of what's happening and what will happen soon…" he asked and she nodded slowly in acknowledgement.
Xavath hesitated for a moment and lifted his head as a portal of darkness suddenly opened up and Athane stumbled out and collapsed to the floor his arms spread wide as he hugged the ground beneath him. The Keyblade Master sighed heavily in relief, "Darkness! Blessed darkness! Oh, I've missed you so!!" the male Twili cried out dramatically as Taen and Sunaha burst in behind him their arms filled with books.
Rolling her eyes at his dramatics Nazairah shook her head as she finished one braid and started on another, "Oh, please the light realm couldn't have been all that bad…" she began but Athane interrupted her as he climbed to his feet, "Not that BAD?! Please, those light walking weirdoes nearly blinded me! All that light can't be good for their health...much less mine I'm telling you. If I end up hurt then one of you guys is footing the doctor bill. I just might sue for emotional damage" the dark warrior sniffed, rubbing his eyes as Taen and Sunaha walked over and handed over their cargo to Xavath who nodded to them in thanks before examining the ancient volumes.
There was snort from Xavath at that as he continued to peruse the books, "Those Dark Crystals were more then enough protection from the light so stop whining already," he grunted unsympathetically as he flipped a few pages. Sunaha for some reason had pulled out the drawers on Nazairah's dresser and had used them to climb up to the top where he was currently reaching for something laying on the top of the dresser.
Athane crossed his arms and turned to Nazairah for support, but she was suddenly very focused on fixing her hair and pointedly ignored his look. Huffing with indignation the Keyblade Master stuck his hands in his pockets, "Some friends you people are. I nearly lose my eyesight and get not one ounce of sympathy in return," Athane mumbled as Sunaha jumped down from the dresser with a flash light in hand.
The two Twili and single Drakan watched as the Luna Bandit flicked it on, shining it in Taen's eyes. Immediately the Bandit let out an overly theatrical wail and clutched at his eyes as his free arm waved his scimitar around in wild swoops, the blunt end harmlessly knocking over several potted plants before the Dark Shade collapsed on the ground twitching uncontrollably as he made choking sounds. Meanwhile the normally serious Sunaha was rolling on the floor with laughter as Taen finished 'gasping' for air and his foot twitched a few times before going still.
Clearly amused Nazairah grinned wickedly at the display both Dark Shades had just put on, "My, my Athane and here I thought you were so strong and powerful. This just shatters all of my romantic fantasies about you…" she teased mercilessly, adding in a mock sigh of disappointment as Xavath himself snorted with laughter. Of course she didn't actually have any romantic interest in her long-time friend and Athane had a love interest on another world anyway, but at times like this she just couldn't resist taking a jab at him.
His face burning purple with embarrassment Athane tried to defend himself, "They caught me off guard! I wasn't expecting a light that strong to show up right in my face okay?!" he objected still blushing as he walked closer and took a seat on the floor his legs crossed. "And YOU…" he added pointing at Nazairah who smirked in satisfaction, "…have a twisted sense of humor you know that?" the dark warrior added and the Princess flipped another braid over her shoulder. "I'll take that as a compliment thank you," was her smug response. Grumbling to himself Athane looked away, his blue skin still flushed.
Clearing his throat Xavath brought their focus back to the matter at hand. Athane and Nazairah turned their attention to him and upon seeing that he had their attention spoke up, "As I was telling Nazairah I'm sure you both realize that I did have another vision just before the Princess was attacked," he began and both nodded in recognition as he continued, "What I saw however was…most disturbing. It shows a future where the realms of light and dark are engaged in all out war, with someone, possibly an organized group, enslaving what dark dwellers they can capture and exterminating the rest," Xavath explained and Athane shook his head fiercely.
Crossing his arms the warrior objected, "There's no way! I mean I admit being in a world of light isn't high on my things-to-do list but the two humans I talked to seemed to really care about protecting their world and the people in it. I did scuffle with them but they were just defending themselves," Athane brought up a slight frown on his face.
Xavath nodded slowly, "From my dream I also gathered that most of those dwelling in the realm of light have nothing to do with the coming attacks. They weren't involved in it and didn't condone it in the slightest. That's why I believe a separate group is responsible for the reports and attacks that we're starting to hear about. Zanier most likely is a part of this faction and was ordered to come here and…," the Drakan paused for a moment and Nazairah could see a flicker of apprehension dart through his eyes before he continued, "…and capture you Princess," Xavath finished inclining his head towards his friend who pursed her lips at that information.
She hesitated before continuing to braid her hair, There is more to the story then that…I know him by now and he's definitely hiding something. That look in his eyes…it's the same one from when I was attacked. That night… Xavath was most definitely scared of something and he has that same expression now no matter how he tries to hide it. His vision must have included something about me, Nazairah considered as her body tensed abruptly at this idea.
She knew how much Xavath cared for…no loved her. Everyone in the Palace could see it, despite the fact that relationships between Twili and Drakan were by government law forbidden and punishable by exile or even death.
Xavath told her everything that was going on in his life and how he was feeling. The Drakan had never hesitated to confide in her and while Nazairah was honored that he trusted her so much, the Princess also realized that doing so put her in a very dangerous and precarious position. As the Dragon of Darkness his dark powers were limitless and only Polaris herself, the Dragon of Light, would be able to fight him on equal ground. Which meant…
Athane's thoughts must have been on the same track because he said, "You think someone is going to capture Nazairah…because she you and her are so close?" he questioned and Xavath grimaced slightly before nodding.
Frowning at that the Princess scowled at her friend's reluctance, "Not just that…whoever this organization is they're going to capture me and use me against you aren't they?" Nazairah questioned decisively and Xavath looked away, not meeting her gaze. "They know about our…" at this the young woman hesitated slightly her face slipping into one of slight confusion before her expression hardened with determination, "…about our relationship and their going to exploit it in an attempt to force you into obeying them," the female Twili figured out as she finished with her hair and flipped it over her shoulder.
Finally Xavath sighed and let his clawed hands drop, "They will capture Nazairah and torture her. They'll do everything possible to extract every ounce of information about me from her and then…" he stopped again and the frill on the side of his head flared out as Athane realized what he meant.
The Keyblade wielder face twisted in disgust, "Then they'll force you to choose between saving her…or protecting the other worlds out in the darkness," he guessed and his Master nodded at that. Silence stretched on for several long moments before Xavath spoke up again, "If that time should come…I don't know if…if that's a decision I'll be able to make," he whispered quietly and Nazairah's eyes softened with pity. She opened her mouth to say something in an attempt to reassure him but nothing she could think of seemed adequate.
Finally Athane broke the silence, "Can you defeat these guys on your own?" he asked softly and Xavath shook his head in denial, "Somehow they have Polaris on their side. I've met her before and I know that she would rather die then condone such ruthless behavior. They must have captured her or someone she cares about," he paused for a moment and sighed heavily.
Leaning back the Drakan added, "In either case the matter of defeating her is out of the question. No matter how long we fight it would just continue a stalemate on both sides with innocent people on worlds in both realms being the ones who suffer the most. Our powers are on opposite sides of the same coin if you will. Our powers are different, but technically they are equal in strength. If a battle between us didn't end up in a tie then it would only be because both of us…were dead," Xavath stated with cold calculation as he stood up and crossed his arms.
Looking over at his friends he continued, "From the moment I found out that the Twilight Dragon had been chosen and was beginning to awaken, I have been searching for them. Now I have found him on a world that is closest to Kingdom Hearts; the teenager has a heart of pure darkness and normally would be easy to detect. However, the light coming from that massive heart is currently shielding him somewhat which is why it took so long for Shinkiro to find him. Whoever these trouble makers are they too have yet to discover his current position and we can only pray that situation will continue for as long as possible," Xavath explained as Sunaha and Taen listened closely to their Master's words.
Athane clenched his fist, "So the new Twilight Dragon…he's the key to winning or losing this battle. Neither side is strong enough to defeat the other…but with HIM on their side…well whoever he joins will without question come out victorious in the end," he pieced together and Nazairah smirked at that as she too stood up, "Then we'll just have to get this guy on our side before those traitorous light dwellers can seduce him away. If it's war they want then its war they'll get. I'll speak to my father and rally support from species on other worlds," she decided a thoughtful look on her face as she began making plans.
Xavath still looked unsure, "Nazairah…" he started his voice tinged with concern but she held up her hand and shook her head, "Being the Princess of Shadow's Luminance already makes me a target…and I've known for a long time that our relationship makes me an even bigger target for countless criminals. If I were really that worried about being used, captured, or tortured because of our friendship then I wouldn't have hesitated to let you know before this whole mess started up. I'm not exactly a…quiet person you know," Nazairah said in a slightly patronizing tone as she ran a hand through her hair.
Standing tall she added, "Let those traitors come. So what if they capture me? Try and get rid of this royal and I guarantee I'll be dragging at least one down to the grave with me," she finished with a confident smirk on her lips.
Grinning at that Athane held up his hands in mock fear, "It's true, you should see how many Heartless duck and cover when she comes around in a good mood," he teased ducking as she grabbed a pillow from the end of her bed and threw it at him. Xavath's sullen expression eased and he chuckled at that, "Hmm, I must admit you have a good point there," he added with a toothy grin, earning a glare of his own from the Princess as she narrowed her eyes at him.
Taen and Sunaha jumped to their feet and waved their weapons enthusiastically to show their support. A pool of darkness swirled around on the floor and Selenius slowly rose up out of the ground, the Phantom had evidently been listening this whole time. From beneath his hood he nodded to Nazairah, 'The Princess is a friend not only to the inhabitants on the many other worlds laying in the darkness…but also to Dark Shades such as myself,' he confided, his usual coldly smooth voice warming just a hair as he addressed them.
Slowly the Phantom bowed to her, 'Do not worry Lord Xavath…should Nazairah ever be in danger then you can be sure that we will not hesitate to bring her back by whatever means are deemed necessary. She has earned our respect as well,' Selenius assured them as he idly swung his pocket watch back and forth. Taen raised his scimitar to her, 'I'll second that! Anyone who comes after you will have to deal with me!' he shouted boldly and Sunaha snorted at that, 'Might as well wish us all goodbye right now Princess,' he grunted scornfully and the Bandit squawked in protest at that.
That finally loosened the built up tension and Nazairah could see Xavath relax at those words as the female Twili bowed respectfully back to the Dark Shades, "I am honored to know that you all think so highly of me, but its not going to come to that because the Twilight Dragon WILL help us," Nazairah declared confidently as Athane climbed to his feet with a smile of his own.
Summoning his Keyblade he propped it back on his shoulder, "That's right, once this teenager learns the truth about what's happening then he will have no choice but to help out those here in the dark. So don't worry, we'll contact this teenager, get him on our side, find out who these light dwelling traitors are, and then with his help we'll send them packing back to where they came from with their tails between their legs," Athane boldly described not at all lacking in confidence or bravado.
Xavath stood up and crossed his arms, "Your both right…dwelling on my vision will not change things…only action will. We must do everything possible to ensure that this teenager, Riku, the new Twilight Dragon, joins us in our fight; there just isn't any other option, we won't win this war without him," he accepted calmly as Nazairah rubbed her hands together, "Oh this is going to be good. Of course the Royal Council and even my parents will probably all have heart attacks when they see they type of allies I'll be bringing in but I can live with that," she stated with sinister pleasure.
Athane raised an eyebrow at that, "Just how is it that you have all these connections when your father, the King, doesn't?" he questioned curiously and the Princess smirked even as she walked over and guided him to the door, "That my friend is for me to know and you to find out. Just wait and see what develops," she told him and he opened his mouth to ask something else but was cut off when Nazairah shoved him through the door and slammed it in his face. Meanwhile Taen, Sunaha, and Selenius all nodded to her before disappearing.
Walking back across the room Nazairah slid a finger under Xavath's chin as she slid past him, "Try not to be so depressing will you? If you're not feeling confident then the least you could do is act like it…its not like anyone else will be able to tell the difference anyway," she commented with a coy wink before waving him off. "Now as much as I like you a Princess needs her beauty sleep, and I'm in bad need of a massage before bed," Nazairah added motioning one of her Drakan servants over as she peeked her head in to see if it was time to come back in to the living chambers.
Xavath rolled his eyes at her comment, "Troublesome woman…I swear sometimes I wonder why I keep you around," he grumbled in mock irritation before bowing to her and vanishing in a swirl of darkness. Nazairah turned away and went off for her massage, Riku…the Twilight Dragon. If he doesn't join us…then this war will be over before it's even begun, she considered as she stared out of the window and into the moonlit night.
AN: Sorry for taking so long everyone, really I am. I never expected things to take this long. But now this chapter is up and things are getting more interesting. To those who may have found it boring I apologize, but I assure you that Riku will be getting almost all of the spotlight next chapter.
Now I would like to answer a few questions before you ask: I figure that for those stuck on Destiny Islands, the time between the world disappearing and then reappearing again wouldn't seem very long at all. Probably just one day or even just overnight; makes sense to me that they would just remember a storm the previous night and then wake up to have everything as it had been. So since Kairi was returned to the islands after the first Kingdom Hearts incident, to her parents it would seem as if she had never left. Get it?
And doesn't it seem strange that Sora could go to Agrabah, Olympus Coliseum , The Land of Dragons, and so forth and still be able to understand everyone? Of course that's a rather necessary plot hole seeing as doing anything else would take a lot of time and money. So for Athane I decided to 'invent' the personal translator, a small powerful linguistic computer that is loaded with the 'known and researched' language in the dark and translate them for the user and listener in real time. Convenient no? To bad we don't have that now….
Once again I'm sorry for taking so long but I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I don't have time to write anything else interesting for you, I need to get on with the next chapter!!! Please review!
