Chapter 11: Memories and Reactions
Kairi gave a heavy yawn as she opened her eyes, sat up, and stretched. Wow, she felt a whole hell of a lot better than yesterday... wait what time was it?
The sun was shinning brightly through the window...
"Oh boy, I hope I didn't sleep to lunch again," she muttered.
Kairi was out the door in an instant...
Only to give an 'omph' and barrel right into Sora, both of them tumbling to the ground. "Oww."
"You know, being on the receiving end of a armored tackle kind of hurts," said Sora playfully.
"Well, don't stand outside my door then!" she said, rising to her feet.
"I was about to wake you up and give you some clothes to change into," he offered, holding a set of folded garments, "The wash-rooms are down the hall to your left."
Kairi grudgingly took the clothes and followed his directions. She could admit, it had been a few days since she got to relax in a tub, or even take a bath now that she thought about it. Ugh, she probably stank to high heaven, especially after fighting for the last few days. To her chagrin, she turned out to be correct once she had her armor willed off. However, the thought slipped her mind when she saw a certain bottle label near the tub in the bathroom...
"By the light... is that...? BUBBLE BATH!" she all but squealed in delight.
She was in the tub faster then she could blink, pouring a generous amount of the liquid into the water. She sank down below the growing number of bubbles and started playing with them. She hadn't had a bubble bath in years, such commodities had ran out a long time ago in Traverse Town. The thought saddened her briefly, how such a small thing like this could be so readily missed...
She frowned unhappily as another thought hit her. She ought to be getting ready to go out on a mission, rather than sit here enjoying herself when there were people and worlds out there she could be heading off to help...
She sighed a little miserably before forcing herself to wash-off and forgo the bubble bath, draining it when she was done. "Whatever... I'm not a little girl anymore anyway..."
Kairi looked over the clothes Sora had given here, a simple white cotton tunic and pants. They were fine, she didn't plan to drop her armor anyway once she was out of here. She clothed, activated her armor, and left the bathroom, grudgingly ready for the new day. She made her way to the dinning hall, only to pause when she noticed only Ventus and Sora were there out of the Keybearers.
"Where is Master Eraqus?" asked Kairi.
"Off with Terra and Riku," answered Ventus.
Kairi's face fell a bit. "He left me behind...?"
Ventus raised an eyebrow. "No, were alternating. You're with me and Sora today."
"Oh, whats our mission for today?" she asked.
Ventus pointed at a chair with a filled plate in front of it. "Nothing until you sit and eat, can't go out on an empty stomach can ya?"
Kairi scowled briefly and sat down to eat. She glanced at the clock in the room and resisted the urge to groan. She had slept to lunch again. She really couldn't make a habit of that, tired or not.
"Hey, no worries, our 'mission' isn't a big one anyway, we're on restocking duty," said Ventus.
Kairi grew confused. "Restocking?"
"Well, we don't grow enough food in the gardens to feed everyone here. We go to Disney Castle to pick up supplies every now and then. It's simple, but important if we don't want to starve," explained Ventus.
"Oh," she murmured.
Well... that wasn't exciting, challenging, or very impactful. But... she guessed it had to be done.
"Not to mention, you haven't been to there yet," said Sora, "Its like our second home when we cant make it back here, you ought to get a feel for it."
"Fair enough," she acknowledged.
She thought briefly. "Master Eraqus said it was Mickey's home right? Shouldn't he have been a part of this 'mission'? He could have easily shown me around to."
There was a heavy, awkward, and extremely uncomfortable silence. Ventus opened and closed his mouth a few times before scratching his head.
"Umm... Mickey hasn't been there in years, not since..." he began before stopping uncomfortably.
"Not since Minnie...," he continued before stopping again, a pained look on his face.
"Whose Minnie?" asked Kairi.
"She was Mickey's wife," said Sora softly.
Was.
"Oh...," she murmured, "What... happened to her?"
"Disney Castle used to be an entire world, not just a castle protected by the cornerstone. Minnie... fell to the Heartless while trying to help us defend Disney Town," said Sora with frustration, "We couldn't save her. When she faded, all the light went out of the area, the entirety of the world save for the castle started to fall apart and into the darkness."
Kairi felt it and saw Sora's happy demeanor break and fade into something bleak for the first time, and it left her feeling oddly unsettled, she might have knocked him for it before, but him not being happy did not seem right to her, at all. "It wasn't your fault..."
"She just... had the calmest look on her face as she went," Sora said unhappily.
Ventus stood up and walked over, putting a comforting hand on Sora's shoulder. "Mickey hasn't been back since, it's kind of to painful for him to go. He left the castle in the stewardship of his guard captain Goofy. Kairi, please don't ever mention Minnie to Mickey, or ask him about his home or early life. Not acknowledging it is one of the was he... copes with her loss."
Seeing that look on their faces made her feel awful for asking. "Okay... I won't, sorry..."
Ventus shook his head. "Ain't you're fault for being curious. It's probably better that you're told when Mickey isn't around anyway."
She felt hesitant to ask, but, "Is... there anything else like that I should know about?"
Ventus thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure I'd dig into the Princesses pasts, they all lost loved ones, but, aside from not getting Riku started on Xehanort, I guess not really."
Did... that mean she could ask about Master Aqua then? Ventus had been Master Aqua's friend... if there was anyone to ask about her, it would be him.
Kairi was hesitant to pry, but... she wanted to know, "Master Ventus..."
"Call me Ven, the only ones who call me Master Ventus are in trouble with me, or I'm in trouble with," he said in a teasing tone.
"Ven... what was Master Aqua like?" she asked honestly.
Ven frowned. "..."
"I only knew her for so short a time, she was a hero to me, caring, brave, willing to fight through unbelievable pain, but, I know so little about what she was actually like as a friend, on a day to day basis," said Kairi.
Ven moved back to his seat, looking lost deep in thought. "Aqua... well... I can't say I ever truly knew her."
Kairi stared at him, baffled. "What? But... you were her friend, right?"
Ven nodded, his face growing sad. "I was, but, I've had ten years to think on it Kairi. I think... I've come to realize that I never knew the real Aqua. The Aqua that Terra used to tell me about before Xehanort cracked her heart and messed her up, the Aqua I trained alongside for four years, the Aqua I briefly saw during our attempts to find her, and the Aqua I knew for that brief week after we thought Xehanort was done with, they were like four different people to me. I look back on those times, and I just feel lost."
He grew silent for a moment before smiling softly. "But... if there was one thing common to her no matter what state she was in, it was that she cared for her friends. She'd do anything for us, and always saw to us before herself. So that, beyond anything else Kairi, should be what you should know of her. That her friends were her drive, and her power deep down, regardless of her heart being light or dark. That's what I choose to remember about her."
Kairi wasn't sure she was fully satisfied with that answer, but, that fondness on his face as he remembered Master Aqua set her at ease and sated her for the time being.
"Anyway, let's be off," said Ven, shaking his head.
"Last one there's a rotten egg!" shouted Sora playfully, taking off.
"Oh no you don't!" said Ven, taking off after him with a grin.
Ven had to at least be roughly ten years Sora's senior, yet he was still as much of a kid as Sora was. Kairi slowly shook her head and ran after them, not to race, but to not get lost on her way to Disney Castle. They took off into the Lanes Between once they were out of the castle. Kairi watched, amused, as the two of them horsed around like brothers on their Gliders, bumping into eachother intentionally.
"Boys...," she muttered into her helmet visor.
She was briefly tempted to butt in and barrel through them, joining in on the fun, but, she didn't really know either of them and didn't want to offend. Not to mention, her Keyblade Glider 'raft' didn't look that sturdy in comparison to Sora's. Though, Ven's was just a surfboard of all things. Disney Castle came into view about an hour later. It was a large and majestic white castle with blue roofs and red flags. From what she could see as they approached, it had a large garden surrounding the castle. There was a large white gate surrounding it, and just like the Land of Dragons, there was a barrier of light emanating from it to wrap around the castle completely. Also like the Land of Dragons was the teeming darkness trying to puncture through the barrier. They passed through the barrier unhindered and landed in the courtyard, dismissing their gliders and armor, or at least Sora and Ventus did.
Kairi slowly took off and dismissed her helmet, glancing around, her senses buzzing. "Huh..."
"Something wrong Kairi?" asked Sora.
"I feel... a strange light...," she murmured, "It's all throughout the air. With every breath I'm taking it in, it's almost... overwhelming."
Sora blinked a few times. "Huh?"
"She means the cornerstone, Aurora said something like that when we brought her here from her home after rescuing her, must be a Princess of Heart thing," said Ven, "Though, she didn't seem that concerned with it."
Kairi contemplated his words briefly. "Hmm."
There was a strange sensation with the light. It felt like... a small piece of something much greater, it was hard to put a word around what it was.
"Can we see the Cornerstone while were here?" she asked.
Ven shrugged. "Up to Goofy."
"Who exactly is Goofy?" she asked.
Sora grinned. "My best bud aside from Riku and Ven. Goofy and Donald are awesome friends!"
"I'll take your word for it," she simply said.
"Let's go," said Ven, taking point.
The first thing that Kairi noticed, and stared at, were magical moving brooms and mops, keeping the castle clean and tidy. "Where do I get one of those?"
Sora laughed. "No kidding right?"
"You don't 'get one' because chores are good for you," teased Ven.
"She hasn't even done any chores yet," whined Sora.
Kairi glared at him. "Because no one's asked me to! I'm not dead weight, if the Masters have something for me to do then I'll do it!"
"Does that mean you'll take some of mine?" Sora asked hopefully, ignoring her glare.
Kairi narrowed her eyes. "Sora..."
"Easy there you two," scolded Ven.
Kairi grumbled under her breath and followed Ven and Sora down a red carpeted hall, only to pause as she saw nothing short of a walking duck with a wizards hat and a staff walking down the hall with three smaller ducks following him in similar garbs.
"Donald!" shouted Sora cheerfully, almost flying at the duck and tackle hugging him to the ground.
"Waaaaaaah! Sora!" exclaimed the duck, 'Donald'.
Huh... well... she had seen weirder things she guessed. Who was she to question a walking talking duck?
"Hey Huey, Dewey, and Louie," said Sora cheerfully to the three ducks behind donald.
"Hey Sora," they all answered at once.
Donald pushed Sora off gently and rose to his feet, dusting himself off. "What brings you here?"
"Aww c'mon, can't I have just come to see my friends?" said Sora with a pout.
Donald pointed towards Ven and Kairi. "With company?"
Sora grinned sheepishly. "Okay busted, supply run again."
Donald rolled his eyes and thumbed down the hall. "In the library like usual. Just ask the brooms and they'll take it to the courtyard."
"Thanks Donald, you're the best! So, where's Goofy?" asked Sora.
"On patrol," said Donald, "Where me and the boys should be right now."
"Awww uncle Donald," whined all three ducks at once.
"No butts!" said Donald, scolding them, before turning back to Sora, "Goofy should be back by the time the brooms get everything to the courtyard. See ya later Sora."
"See ya Donald!" said Sora cheerfully.
Donald and the smaller ducks started walking down the hall before Donald paused and glanced at Kairi. "Who are you?"
"I'm Kairi," she offered.
Donald blinked a few times and glanced back at Sora. "You finally found her?"
Sora pouted. "Finally?"
"Only took you ten years," said Donald playfully.
Sora crossed his arms and huffed.
Donald had a wide smile on his face before he turned back and nodded to Kairi. "Nice to meet you Kairi. Sorry I can't stay and talk."
Kairi shook her head. "It's fine, I know all about patrolling. You get yelled at if you loiter and chat with anyone when your supposed to be on duty."
Donald nodded and started down the hall, the smaller ducks following.
"Seems nice enough," said Kairi.
"Only if you don't get him mad," whispered Sora, "Then he flips out and loses his feathers!"
"You say something Sora?" called back Donald.
"Nope! Nothing!" said Sora, immediately coming to attention.
"Dork," said Kairi, starting down the hall towards the library.
"Actually, I'll get things started on the supplies, why don't you two wait here for Goofy," suggested Ven.
Sora shrugged. "Sure."
Sora and Kairi moved to stand near a giant pinkish door with two mouse head symbols on it, waiting quietly. Kairi faced the door and looked slightly down. She could feel it... where that abnormal light, the Cornerstone, was. It felt... below the next room. Being even closer to it made her head feel a bit dizzy. Maybe it was just because it was her first time near it, but, it pulled at her in a strange way. She stepped forward, placing a hand against the door, feeling a strange sense of longing in her heart...
"You okay Kairi? You seem a bit... off," said Sora.
Kairi blinked a few times and shook her head. "I'm, uh, fine."
"If you say so," he said, shrugging and leaning against the wall.
Ven and a number of brooms carrying bags and small crates filtered past a few minutes later. Ven returned and waited with them.
Kairi glanced over at Ven, her thoughts returning to Master Aqua. "Ven... I'm sorry to keep pestering you..."
Ven waved a dismissive hand. "Go ahead, what is it?"
"What... was your happiest memory, of Master Aqua?" she asked.
Ven tilted his head back in thought. "Gosh, that's... a hard one. Hmm, if I really had to just pick one... I'd say when she gave me and Terra our Wayfinders."
He grew pained. "I wish I had told her just how much that actually meant to me..."
"Wayfinders...?" she asked.
She gave a small gasp when Ven pulled a necklace with a green version of Master Aqua's good-luck charm at the end of it. "That's... the thing that was on her mural... that she was holding in her heart..."
Ven smiled a bit at that. "She did say it was enchanted by an unbreakable connection."
Kairi grew sad for a moment. "I remember that... she seemed really sad when she said she had thrown it away. She seemed really lonely..."
Ven closed his eyes and sighed. "I remember when she did that. Terra and I... we really messed up back then. We should have tried to be more understanding, tried to find a different way to help her. She turned to the darkness to protect us, to protect me..."
He clutched the charm, the Wayfinder, closely to his chest. "Sometimes... when I've really needed the strength of my friends, I swear I can still feel her through this..."
Kairi studied him curiously before leaning her head back. "Well, Sora said she was the first to be consumed by the Leader of the Heartless, right?"
There was hesitation from Sora, he scratched the back of his head and averted his eyes. "Y-yeah..."
"Well, unless IT destroyed her heart, which I kind of doubt, it's probably still in there, right along with everyone elses," she murmured, the thought of her Master, her family, and her friends along with countless other people being trapped inside of IT was a very disturbing one.
"Even trapped in that kind of darkness, she'd still try to help you ought Ven," said Kairi softly.
Ven smiled a very sad smile. "Yeah, that would be like her, to worry about me instead of her own troubles."
Kairi frowned deeply, her hate towards IT growing. "If it's the last thing I can ever do for her... I'll kill IT and give my Master a proper rest, not one where's she's fed on as a source of power."
Ven looked at her, a odd, helpless look on his face. "Kairi..."
Ven looked away and sighed, saying nothing.
For a time, nothing more was said.
Kairi grew a bit restless. "Well, we can come back another time, I don't want the food to get spoiled waiting."
Ven waved a hand. "The containers are all enchanted against that kind of thing anyway. They have to be to take into the Lanes Between."
They waited for another few minutes before a loud, "Gawrsh," sounded.
Kairi glance down the hall to see an armored humanoid dog walking towards them, one hand holding a shield with a mouse emblem on it, the other scratching his head. "I hope you all weren't waiting all this time for me."
Sora bounded down the hall. "Goofy!"
Like Donald, Goofy got taken to the ground with a tackle hug. "A'huck! Nice to see you to Sora!"
Sora helped Goofy to his feet. "How have you been?"
Goofy shrugged. "Same as normal."
Sora nodded and motioned to Kairi. "Guess who I finally found?"
Goofy stared at her for a moment, scratching his head. "Red hair."
"Ahuh," said Sora.
"Blue eyes," said Goofy.
"Yep," said Sora.
"Shines with light," said Goofy.
"I'm not right now," interjected Kairi.
"You do if someone looks at you with their senses or their hearts," corrected Ven.
Kairi blinked. "I do?"
Ven gave her a teasing smile. "Yep."
"She must be that there Kairi you've been looking for!" said Goofy.
Sora grinned. "Yep!"
Goofy walked over and held out a hand. "Shucks, nice to meet you Kairi!"
Kairi took the hand and offered a polite, "Good to meet you as well," in return.
"Anyway, Kairi wanted to know if she could see the Cornerstone of Light," said Sora, "That okay with you?"
Goofy shrugged. "I don't see why not."
To Kairi's surprise, rather than open the huge pinkish door, a smaller door opened at the bottom of it that they went through. It lead into a rather obnoxiously long white throne room with a red carpet. Goofy walked to the throne at the end of the room and flicked a hidden switch, causing the platform the throne was on to shift, revealing a hidden staircase. They walked down it into a huge barren white chamber...
At the middle of it on a pedestal...
Was a large orb of swirling light that made Kairi's head spin...
"That there is the Cornerstone of Light, keeps all things evil out of the castle and keeps us safe," said Goofy.
Thump thump
So this was...
Thump thump
The Cornerstone of light?
Thump thump
"Uh, Kairi?" came a distant voice.
Thump thump
A hand gripped her shoulder. "Kairi, what are you doing?"
Kairi blinked and shook her head, coming out of a daze. "I..."
She found herself mere feet from the Cornerstone, her hand extending towards it, and the light of the Cornerstone starting to condense towards her. "What...?"
She glanced behind her to see Ven firmly holding her in place with his hand on her shoulder, a concerned look on his face. "Kairi?"
She took a step backwards, away from the Cornerstone. This was just like when she met the Princesses... this thing had a strange effect on her. She had been lost in it's warmth for a second, it wasn't an unwelcome sensation, but, it was frightening to not understand what was going on. She just... she wanted to touch it... to take in its light...
She found her hand raising towards the Cornerstone again before she shook her head again, forcefully pulled her arm back, taking another step back past Ven and turned away from that light, her body starting to shake. "I... don't think I should be here... I don't feel... feel... feel..."
Ven's concern doubled. "Sora!"
They had her by her arms before her legs could give out and hauled her out of the room, resting her against the throne after the sealed the hidden passage way again.
Kairi groaned and clutched her head, her body shivering. "I don't feel so good..."
"Jeez, she's all kinda pale," murmured Sora, "And sweating like crazy..."
Ven checked her pulse and looked her over, frowning. "If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say this looks kind of like... withdrawal...?"
"You're kidding, right?" said Sora, confounded, "Kairi, you don't do..."
"No!" she hissed out, a tremor in both her voice and hands, "I do NOT do drugs!"
"Yeah, if she did, considering the reaction shes having now, it would have happened before this, but, why would the Cornerstone have that kind of affect on her?" said Ven with confusion, "It didn't do that to Aurora."
"The Cornerstone's light was moving towards Kairi too," said Goofy, scratching his head.
"Kairi, what did you feel?" asked Ven.
Kairi bowed her head. "Can we... get further away from it first, please?"
Ven nodded. "Let's go."
They helped her along and away from the Cornerstone, moving to the courtyard and helping her set down on a box of supplies.
"Well?" asked Ven.
"I... wanted to touch it," she murmured, "I don't really understand the sensation. It's like I wanted to... I don't know... take it in? That much light was... making my head feel all kinds of funny..."
Ven blinked a few times. "I... think I'm going to need to ask Aurora about this, it's way over my head. I don't think you should go near it again though."
"Agreed," she mumbled, "I don't like not being in control of myself. It's why I don't drink."
"Uh... you're like fourteen years old if I had to guess, you're not old enough too," said Ven, eyebrow raised.
Kairi shrugged. "I was a Guardian, rules didn't apply to us. Though Leon would have tanned my hide if he had caught me the one time I tried."
She made a distasteful face. "Rum tastes awful though, don't know why I let Sparrow talk me into it."
Ven made a very disapproving face. "This 'Sparrow' ought to get slapped upside the head for taking an underage girl drinking, or thrown in jail."
Kairi waved her hand. "He was a lazy bum, a greedy bastard, and an alcoholic, but he wasn't a pervert. In his own words, since we could get jumped by the Heartless anytime, he wanted to share what he called 'Life's greatest desire'. He was annoying, but..."
She smiled sadly. "Kind of grew on you overtime. Was fun as heck to scold him. It's sad to say I'm kind of starting to miss him, he never let anything phase him."
Ven gave her a curious look before shaking his head. "Alright, well, let's get the supplies on our gliders and get back home."
They summoned their gliders, loaded up, and were off in an instant. The moment they left Disney Castle, Kairi felt a bit better, before she suddenly started feeling drowsy and drained. She tiredly flew back with them to the Land of Departure. She helped them move the supplies into their storage before she bid them an early good night, to their surprise and concern. She waved them off before going to her room and flopping down on her bed.
"I, am never, going near that thing again," muttered Kairi before her eyes drooped and she passed out.
"So, any idea's Aurora?" asked Ven at the dinner table after explaining to the gathered Princesses and Masters what had happened with Kairi and the Cornerstone
Aurora looked troubled. "I'm... not entirely certain. You have to understand Ventus, there has never been a warrior Princess of Heart before, let alone a Keybearer one. She wasn't turned a fighter after the fact, she was raised as and molded her light to be that of a fighter from a very young age."
"I'm a bit concerned what would have happened had she touched it," said Eraqus warily, "Ventus said she mentioned wanting to 'take it in'? If it's what I suspect, and she instinctively tried to absorb that light..."
"She's far to inexperienced to handle what would have happened," said Terra solemnly, "It could have overwhelmed and harmed her for all we know, if not worse."
"Not to mention, left Disney Castle almost defenseless without the Cornerstone," said Riku, "Without it, that world would be swallowed whole by the darkness."
"Agreed," said Eraqus.
"Why did that even happen?" asked Sora, "I've never really asked, but, what IS the Cornerstone exactly?"
Terra frowned briefly and glanced towards Mickey. "A good question."
Mickey didn't seem happy to be on the current subject, but, he spoke up, "We're not entirely sure ourselves. It's always been on our world, ever since the worlds were swallowed in darkness at the end of the Keyblade War if I had to guess. A few folk tales I can remember said it's a lingering remnant of a great light that fell to darkness at the end of the war."
Terra frowned intently. "If the Xehanort Reports were anything to go by... is there a chance it's a fragment of Kingdom Hearts itself?"
Mickey slowly shook his head. "I don't know Terra. But if even if it is, why would she react to it like that? Is there a connection between Kingdom Hearts and the Princesses of Heart?"
"I don't honestly know, we've never questioned our existence before," admitted Aurora, "We just are what we are, hearts of pure light that naturally repel the darkness. Or at least, the six of us here do, from what I can sense, Kairi doesn't repel the darkness strangely enough. She fights it instead. I'd almost say there's a pull effect rather than a repelling one, but, it's hard to tell, its small and hard to put a finger on."
Aurora tilted her head back in thought. "On the note of differences. When I was before the Cornerstone, I remember feeling warm and... a strange sense of wholeness, but, never what Kairi felt. Be near it? Yes I wanted to be close to it's light, but take it in? No. I'm not a warrior, I don't need to grow stronger."
There was a contemplative silence in the room.
"Question," said Sora, "If... she did take it in, could she beat...?"
Mickey sighed. "Sora, we thought about using the Cornerstone for that a long time ago. It's powerful, no darkness short of Aqua's or Xehanort's Heartlesses could hope to stand up to it. But, it's not strong enough to match up to Aqua's Heartless, it's not even close anymore."
"Oh...," Sora murmured, brief hope dashed.
"Even IF it is a part of the greatest of lights," said Eraqus, "It is but a small fragment of the Heart of all Worlds, and that Heartless has eaten more worlds than what could possibly compose the Cornerstone."
"Regardless, taking Kairi back to Disney Castle is off limits for the immediate future," said Terra before clearing his throat. "Now, Eraqus, I'd like to take Kairi with me and Riku tomorrow, I have a mission in mind and a person I'd like her to meet that could be a rather good influence on her..."
Author's Notes:
Poor Kairi has no idea how close she is to the truth on Aqua/Aqua's Heartless.
So... I tried googling around, and I haven't found a clear definition of WHAT exactly the Cornerstone of Light actually is, or where it came from. So, for the purpose of this story, the Cornerstone is a very small fragment of Kingdom Hearts.
Onto the next topic before anyone says it: The seven Princesses of Heart and the seven Guardians of Light are two things that left me a little baffled. The wiki says that the PoH are fragments of the X-Blade, but also says the same for the GoLs... so... which is it? Are they just stand ins for one another...?
Not to mention, the seven PoH also make the Keyblade of Hearts too? When they're supposed to be part of the X-Blade...?
It seems a whole lot of a confusing mess to me.
I actually had to waste a few hours re-reading wiki pages, following links, reading forums, and eventually go back and re-watch Dream Drop Distance cutscenes again to finally get the ACTUAL answer on this from Yen Sids mouth rather than risk releasing the chapter with potentially incorrect allusions:
Yen Sid said, "...And the light from the broken X-Blade was then divided into seven, to protect the number of pure hearts in the world."
Mickey then confirms that the seven pure hearts are the Princesses of Heart, as does Yen Sid, saying that they 'form the very source of all light in the world."
Which sounds an awful lot like what Kingdom Hearts does. ^_^
So yeah, the wiki is actually wrong (goes to show you can't always trust wikis V_V), and the 7 Guardians of Light/X-Blade fragments protect the 7 Princesses of Heart/Kingdom Hearts fragments(?), or there is a in-game lore conflict somewhere...
Either way, I hope I haven't messed up before in Aqua: HOD or in this book by refreshing my game knowledge with wikis.
So to confirm:
The seven Guardians of Light are the ones connected to the X-Blade, not the Princesses. (If it even gets up to the point where the 7 GoL are summoned in this series, who knows how things will turn out compared to cannon, especially when I don't have things from KH3 to draw from as concepts, :tease:)
The Princesses will be connected to the Keyblade of Hearts (not sure if that's even going to appear in this series) and thus Kingdom Hearts itself.
P.S: In addition to the time it took to research the X-Blade/Princesses of Heart, I had an awful time trying to come up with a name for this chapter. I still don't know if I like the current chapter title. I'm open to renaming ideas ^_^.