Shorter chapter, dealing with some stress, and it felt like jumping from the Dive to Jaune or something would be beyond jarring. This is also the chapter where the Master kicks the 'Trickster' part of Trickster mentor into high gear
- X Riku X-
Riku landed on the ground with a thud, spinning his arms to stay standing as he looked around. Where was he?
Riku carefully tapped his foot against the ground, hearing a clicking noise like when he bumped two glasses together. Weird…
"Hey, kiddo," Ruby's voice came from all around Riku, causing him to jump and spin in place, looking around the darkness, "uh… don't hurt yourself?"
"Where are you?" Riku asked Ruby, beginning to walk towards the edge.
"DON'T!" Riku jumped back at Ruby's loud yell, before she breathed in, "Sorry. Just, don't go off edge, ok?"
"Ok?" Riku said, looking around, "Where are we?"
"You're in your Dive," Ruby said, "it's a step towards getting your own Keyblade…"
"It is!?" Riku pumped his fist. His own Keyblade? That'd be awesome! He wondered what it would look like? Would it be huge, like Ruby's? Or would it be more like the one she let him practice with?
Why didn't she let him use her Keyblade?
"Alright," Ruby said, voice carefully paced, "So, do you see the pedestals?"
"What's a pedestal?" Riku asked.
Ruby didn't say anything for a few seconds, leaving Riku to look around for the 'pedestals'. Slowly, three weird tables made from stone came up from the ground, and in a flash of light, three objects appeared above them.
Above the one the… Riku raised his hands, making an L with them as he stuck out his tongue… left! The one on the left was a sword shaped like a weird wing, above the one on the right was a shield shaped like a pair of bird wings and in the center was a long stick with one one bird wing and one wing like the sword.
"Ruby?"
"Give me a second," Ruby said, "a pedestal is… is…"
"Are these stone things pedestals?"
"...Yeah," Ruby sighed, "Alright, so, the sword represents physical strength, the staff represents magical strength, and the shield represents… uh… being able to take a hit, I guess? Man, now I see why you used that, Master, it's hard to think of something a kid would understand. Anyways, pick one."
Riku rushed over to the sword, grabbing it and swinging it in an X. Cool!
"You sure you want that?" Ruby said, voice sounding a bit worried.
"Yep!" Riku said, continuing to swing the sword.
"Alright," Ruby said, "now you need to choose one to give up-"
"Staff," Riku said, cutting Ruby off.
"Are you sure?" Ruby said, "Don't you want to be-?"
"No," Riku said, "Magic isn't as cool."
"I feel like I should be offended by that."
"Why? Did you choose the staff?" Riku asked.
"I chose the sword," Ruby said, "but I gave up the shield."
"Ok…" Riku shrugged.
"So, you want to-"
"Give up the staff," Riku said.
"Ok, then," Ruby said, sighing as the staff disappeared, "you can, uh, head up to the next station, when the stairs form-"
Before Riku could ask what that meant, a staircase appeared in a tinkling of glass, letting Riku rush up them, taking a second to look back at the picture of him on the glass before looking back to the next 'station'. What was next-?
At the top of the stairs, staring down at him was a twitching thing looking small shadow with three fingers and a round head with antennas and yellow eyes, "Hi there!"
The thing didn't say anything, twitching at him, before it jumped at him, swinging its sharp fingers at him, "Ah! Ruby!"
Ruby didn't answer.
"Ruby!?"
"She's a bit busy, kid," the voice of the man who gave him Chirithy called, "use your new sword on them, K?"
Riku grabbed the sword, getting ready to fight the things. What was Ruby busy with?
- X Ruby X-
"You can, uh," Ruby started as she stared down at Riku. What was next? "You can head up to the next station, when the stairs for-"
The words died in her throat as it dawned on her. After this, came the Grimm…
No, no, nononono! Ruby leapt to her feet, ready to dive into the water. When the Master's hand closed around her wrist, she whirled on him, "What?"
"It won't help," the Master said, climbing to his feet.
"It will," Ruby snapped, yanked her hand from his grip and turning back to the water. The master planted his hand on Ruby's shoulder, stopping her again, "Let go of me!"
"You can't-" the Master said.
"Yes I can!" Ruby barked, spinning and summoning Master Defender, pointing it at the Master, "Let go of me!"
"Really?" The Master said, wrapping his gloved hand around Master Defender, "We're doin' it that way, then?"
Before Ruby could answer, the Master drove his knee into her gut, sending her flying away from the water's edge and smashing onto the throne. Growling, Ruby pushed herself up, pointing a finger at the Master, "Firaga!"
A blast of flames jumped from Ruby's hand, rolling from across the ship. Reaching up, Ruby hid a whimper as it dawned on her that she didn't have her Wayfinder. No D-Links for this fight.
"Is that the best you've got?" the Master laughed, raising his voice to be heard over the loud hissing as the fire hit the water, "I'm disappointed, Luxu-"
"Firaga! Firaga! FIRAGA!" Ruby snapped, flames jumping from her hand as the ship lit up. The Master just laughed, each blast being deflected with ease. That…
Ruby gripped the throne's armrests, willing the entire ship to tilt and rise up. The Master fell towards the boiling sea as the ship took off, flying around him as he landed on the water. Ruby closed one eye, the cannon on the front of the ship firing a series of blasts at the Master. The water warped as each shot struck it, disrupting the glass like calm that let the Master stand on it.
Perf-
"Whatcha shooting at?" Ruby span in place as the Master breathed in her ear, swinging Master Defender for him, only for it to be blocked by a glowing keyblade. The Master latched his hand around her face, dragging her off the throne, sending the ship plummeting, and to the edge.
A stinging formed around Ruby's back as they smashed into the water, the tension breaking as the Master submerged her entirely, forcing her take an involuntary gasp for air and choke on the water. Reaching up, Ruby struggled against the grip as Riku's voice came from above her.
"Ruby? Ruby!?"
"She's a bit busy, kid," the Master said, voice completely nonchalant, "Use your new sword on them, ok?"
Aqua…
Would come home to find her dead.
Terra…
Would find out she died trying to help the kid he picked to be a Keyblade wielder.
Ven…
Would be all alone in the Land.
Riku…
Riku was in danger! He was fighting Grimm!
Ruby's eyes snapped open as she fought against the hand drowning her, summoning Master Defender to her hand as her armor formed around her. Above her, several chains wrapped around the Master, dragging him away from her so she could climb up onto the ship, coughing up water into her helmet. Dispelling it, Ruby let the water pour out of it, before reforming the helmet and charging at the Master in a Semblance fueled burst.
The glowing Keyblade appeared in between them again, blocking the strike while the Master broke the chains still holding him in place. Grabbing the Keyblade, the Master deflected Ruby's next few attacks, before kicking her away again, "C'mon, Luxu. Don't you get it? You can't win, I'm-"
Before the Master could finish, another chain wrapped around his arm, opening him up. Ruby rushed forward, flowing past him and slashing him with Master Defender in one flowing strike. The Master sank into the throne as the sword vanished, before he stopped moving.
Ruby closed her eyes under the armor, before turning and diving back into the water…
And discovering that there was nothing under it. No Riku, no Grimm.
"Put it together yet?" the Master said from above her. When Ruby surfaced, glancing back into the water so she could see Riku fighting tiny Flood-like creatures, he was sitting on the throne, voice smug, "Well, did ya?"
"You knew this was gonna happen," Ruby accused.
"Yeah."
"Then why didn't you just remind me he wasn't there?"
"Isn't as funny," the Master said.
"You were drowning me!"
"I knew you would get out of it."
Ruby wanted to give a frustrated yell. Stupid, stupid!
"Anyways," the Master stood up, a Corridor opening behind him, "I'm not in the mood to deal with the silent treatment, even though you attacked me, so I'll be going. Good luck with Superbia."
"You son of a gun!" Ruby snapped, throwing Master Defender at him as he vanished into the portal. That absolute JERK! He had let this entire fight happen for no reason!
Love ya too, Lux.
Ruby gave into the desire to shriek, and was about to throw herself onto the throne to brood when something dawned on her. She hadn't put her Keyblade armor before heading for Destiny Islands.
I like to think I give a new meaning to the term sink or swim.
Ruby didn't dignify that with a response. Partially because she wasn't sure how she had done it in the first place.
- X Riku X-
Riku swung his new sword into the shadow thing, watching it disappear in a puff of black smoke. Above him, a few more appeared on the next 'station', twitching as they looked down at him.
What would people in the shows do? What would Ruby do? He needed to beat these things.
Riku took a step back, before running forward, spinning around with a loud yell. Unfortunately, all that did was make him a bit dizzy as the sword flew from his hands.
That wasn't fair...
Riku chased the sword, grabbing it and turning back to the shadows, he jumped at one. The sword slid through it, cutting it in two.
He hoped Ruby was at least kinda paying attention, while dealing whatever was distracting her! Riku kicked over another shadow, stabbing it.
If he had picked the staff, would he be throwing around fire or water right now? Thinking about it, that did seem pretty cool. Could go back and switch the shield with the staff?
"Ruby?" Riku called. Maybe she wasn't busy anymore?
"What's… what's up, kiddo?" Ruby called, sounding like she was gasping for breath.
"Can I go back and switch the shield for the staff?"
"I don't think so, no," Ruby said.
"Why?" Riku complained.
"It's just the way Dives are, I guess," Ruby said.
Riku gave a whimper, cutting the last shadow in two. Dang it.
"Alright," Ruby said, "There should, uh, be a door or something? Do you see it?"
"Uh," Riku looked around, finding the door, "Yeah!"
"Go through it," Ruby said.
"Right!" Riku nodded, rushing through it, and blinked when nothing happened, "Huh?"
"What's-?" Ruby started, "What!? Riku, behind you!"
Riku turned in place in time to see a giant shadow leaning over him, yelping in fear and running away, "Ruby!"
- X Ruby X-
Ruby was on the edge of the boat, tugging at her hair, "What's going on? He doesn't have a Keyblade yet!"
Did ya think all the Dives are the same? They're not. Some people awaken their Keyblade during the Dive, others minutes after, or days, weeks, months or, if you're a particularly unlucky sod, years.
"I need to go down there."
This again, Lux? Didn't you learn anything? It's not possible.
"Yes it is!"
And how do yo-?
"Because you were in my Dive!" Ruby snarled, rapidly growing exhausted with the Master. Riku was in danger, there wasn't time for his stupid games.
...Fine. Yes, there is a way into someone's Dive, but even I don't fuck around with it lightly. That's not its intended purpose, and using it wrong could get you-
"I don't care," Ruby said, "How?"
You don't get i-
"I don't care!" Ruby snapped, fist curling around Eraqus's keyblade, "It's a Master's job to defend their apprentice until they're ready, and Riku isn't! If there's a way to protect him, even if it'd be sure to kill me, I'd still do it!"
Heh… Fine, it doesn't change much. I'll let you use it, just this once. Close your eyes, Lux, Ruby did so, breathing in, Now imagine yourself on the brink of sleep, when you suddenly feel like you're falling. Embrace it, fall with it.
"Ruby!?"
Focus on Riku as you do so, with every fiber of your being, fall towards him. It isn't called a Dive to the Heart for nothing.
Ruby fell, waiting for the feeling of hitting the water that never came. Instead, the heat of Destiny Islands vanished, the noise of water crashing against her glider faded to nothing, leaving just the noise of Riku dodging the attacks from the giant shadow and his calls for her.
Ruby's eyes snapped open, watching the giant shadow bare its hand down on Riku. Activating her Semblance, Ruby landed on its arm, dragged Master Defender as she rushed down it, landing in front of Riku and grabbing him, moving as far away from the shadowy monster as physically possible, and put Riku onto the ground, "Are you alright?"
Riku nodded, eyes wide, "Yeah."
"Good," Ruby smiled down at him, carefully brushing his hair aside before flipping Master Defender around and impaling it into the ground, "Stay here, don't touch that. Reflega!"
The shell formed around Riku, letting Ruby turn towards the shadow and summon Crescent Rose. The shadow roared at her, bringing the arm she had slashed down on her.
Ruby dodged the the side in a flash of petals, swapping Crescent Rose into scythe form and channeling magic into the blade, extending it. Jumping onto the shadow's hand, Ruby charged back up it, slashing through its flesh as she aimed for the head. The shadow opened its mouth, biting for her.
That was the thing about these… things. They weren't smart enough to use strategy, like Vanitas, Braig or the Master. They were one step above wild animals, if that.
Ruby jumped, impaling the shadow through the skull and activated her Semblance, rushing down the shadow and splitting it in two. Swinging Crescent Rose to the side as she landed, Ruby dispersed the energy around her Keyblade.
Turning, Ruby caught Riku's flying hug, feeling him shaking in her arms, "Hey…"
"That was… what was that thing?" Riku asked, tears streaking down his face, "Why'd it attack me?"
"It was just a nightmare," Ruby said, "You were brave, waiting for me to get here. Now, get some rest over the next couple days. Ok?"
Riku nodded, shaking as Ruby hugged him.
-X AN X-
Thoughts? Good? Bad? Meh?
