Chapter 11: Keybearer
"Xion, wake up," came Axel's voice.
Xion blinked a few times. "Gna..."
shake shake shake
"Xion, get up," came Axel's voice again.
Xion glanced up. "A-axel...?"
"Morning sleepyhead," said Axel, a hint of releif on his face.
Xion froze. "N-no! Axel, I told you, I..."
"Xion, you've been sleeping for a week now, you CAN'T keep doing this," said Axel, "I'd let you sleep more if it was up to me, but it's not. The Superior's ordered me to get you up to resume your duties."
"I don't care," said Xion stubbornly.
"You will if he orders you to be destroyed for not doing what's required of you," warned Axel.
Xion froze, looking at him in shock. "He'd... do that?"
Axel nodded. "He would. Or at least he'd demote you or turn you into a dusk."
Xion paled a little.
Axel's face softened and he offered her a hand. "C'mon Xion, up and at em."
Xion sighed, hoping a week had been enough to help the Voice, and took his hand. "Okay..."
He hauled her up and out of bed. Xion gave a yelp when her legs wobbled and she crumpled against him. He caught her and held her steady.
"Woah... my legs feel all stiff and sore," she said.
"Well, you were sleeping in one spot for a week straight, of course they are," he scolded, "If you don't use your body, it gets stiff and weaker, got it memorized?"
Xion nodded. "Yeah."
Axel held her for a moment longer before separating. "Take a quick walk around the room a few times to help your body wake up."
Xion did as instructed...
Gna...
Xion gave a small gasp. "Miss Voice?!"
"Something wrong Xion?" asked Axel.
"Umm... N-no," she stammered out.
Where... what happened...?
"I'm so glad your okay miss Voice," said Xion, trying hard not to sniffle, "I was so scared when you passed out. I did what you said. I did nothing but rest for a week, I would have let you sleep longer, but they wouldn't let me."
You... you let me sleep? I... I don't understand... why? You could have killed me, could have taken everything from me...
Xion narrowed her eyes. "I'm so sick of this. Miss Voice! Why do you always accuse me of such things? I don't want to hurt you, and if I have somehow, then I'm sorry. I just want to help..."
I... X...Xion... t-thank you...
Xion froze, feeling like a bolt of lightning had gone up her spine. A huge, wide smile crossed her face, she swore it was her biggest smile yet. The Voice had thanked her! It felt like a miracle.
Oh shut up...
Aaaand now it was back to normal. Xion couldn't help but giggle.
Her smile faded, and a concerned look crossed her face. "Alright, now out with it. What's wrong? Why do you keep passing out like that?"
I... I... don't know if I can trust you...
Xion rolled her eyes. "Guess I'll just have to prove to you that you can."
Xion returned to Axel, noting her was staring at her peculiarly. "Something wrong?"
He slowly shook his head. "Nothing, just glad your awake. You really had me worried, ya know?"
Xion bowed her head. "Oh... I'm sorry..."
Axel shook his head. "It's fine, c'mon, Saix is going to have a stroke if you miss anymore missions."
Xion giggled a little bit and followed him to the Gray Area.
Saix was waiting there impatiently and glared at her. "It's about time you decided to make yourself useful. The Superior has requested a special mission be made for you, one that Axel will supervise on."
"Eh?" said Axel, "What mission?"
Saix was silent for a moment before closing his eyes and speaking, "The Superior wants one of the newly revived worlds scouted out. You and Xion are to perform recon in Radiant Garden."
Pain.
Horrific pain flared up in Xion's chest at the name of that world, making her lock up, unable to even scream.
R-radiant G-garden... m-my home...
Axel crossed his arms. "Huh, been years since I last saw home."
"Until we have our hearts back, that place is just another world to us," said Saix, opening his eyes, "Treat it as such and don't fool around."
"Yeah yeah yeah," said Axel, "I know. Let's go Xion."
Xion couldn't move, still feeling paralyzed.
"Xion?" asked Axel, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Xion took a ragged breath and shook her head. "F-fine, I'm fine. Let's go."
Axel gave her a cautious look, but didn't question her, forming a Dark Corridor and stepping through. Where they came out took her breath away...
They found themselves in an open plaza, surrounded by trees, water fountains leaking down below the plaza, and olden wooden houses. A gate blocked access to a large and tall castle off in the distance. A huge city surrounded them on all sides. There were flowers and decorations everywhere in the central square, as if for some kind of event. At the center of the square was a plaque of sorts, with flowery and little square objects all around it. At the moment, the square seemed empty.
"This is your home?" Xion asked the Voice.
Yes... it's... just as beautiful as I remember it...
"Huh, wonder what all of this is for," muttered Axel.
He took a cautious peek from behind the tree they were hiding behind, and then walked up to the plaque, Xion following suit.
She glanced down and read it off, "Thinking of you, wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and for one day, for those who are lost to return to us."
Axel stared at the plaque, a soft look on his face. "Nice to know were missed..."
"Huh?" said Xion.
He pointed at the little square objects, it took Xion a second to recognize them as dozens and dozens of pictures. One in particular caught her eye, it was definitely Axel, a lot younger, with Saix standing behind him. She recognized a few pictures, one for Xaldin, Lexaeus, Vexen, Mesaxn, Xigbar, and Zexion. Not only that, there were pictures of Xifta, Nexol, Xithera, Dxic, Dolucx, Xuffiey, and...
Xion froze as one picture caught her eye. All the strength went out of her knees and she fell to them.
That's...
"Woah, Xion? What's wrong?" said Axel, kneeling down next to her.
Xion shakily reached out for the picture and drew it to her. It was of a pretty and smiling little redheaded girl in a white and purple dress holding a flower. She shakily flipped it over, a note on the back: 'My dear sweet granddaughter, I pray that one day the light will bring you back to me'.
G-grandma...
Xion didn't understand it, this deep feeling of longing at the sight of the little girl, the desire to find and be with her. The deep pain she felt at reading those words. She felt something trickle down her cheek, and she reached up to brush at the sensation, coming away with a teardrop. She... was crying...?
"Xion...?" questioned Axel quietly.
Please... please Xion... find my grandma for me... please... I have to see her...
The little girl in the picture... she was the Voice in her head... but who? Who was she?
Xion shook her head viciously and shoved Axel away, pocketing the picture and taking off at top speed.
"What the... XION!" yelled Axel.
She rounded the corner and kept on, shoving passed people. Each face was a flicker of pain through her chest. Some seemed familiar to her, as if she had seen them before. They didn't matter though, she had to find her... she had to find grandma...
Xion staggered a bit, feeling dizzy, and barreled into someone, clutching her head. "Gnn..."
"Woah, hey, you okay?" came a concerned, slightly familiar voice.
"Fine," she murmured.
She briefly caught sight of a boy with silver hair and offered him a quick apology. She found it slightly curious when his mouth dropped at the sight of her face, looking dumbstruck, but she paid him no mind. She kept on going.
Wait... was that...?
Xion didn't pay the Voice any attention this time. She had to find this 'grandma', if she did, she could finally get answers. She wandered aimlessly, desperately, to no avail. She didn't find anyone she deeply recognized. Dammit, where would she be?
She wandered off, and soon found herself in a reactor like area, on a see through platform. "Grr... she's not here either."
"And who, exactly, are you looking for?" came a slightly familiar voice.
She turned and spotted the boy she had accidentally bumped into earlier. Looking at him fully, she felt... like she knew him from somewhere. He bore silver hair down to his neck. His eyes were a serious blue, his face calm but focused. He bore a tight yellow sleeveless shirt with a brown X shape coming down from the collar. He had rather strong arms. His bottom half bore a blue hakama, connecting his two halves was a belt with a symbol that she reflexivly associated with the Keyblade. On his hands he had black gloves, a little below his wrists, brown bands.
He... he was...
"Riku," she whispered in a dual voice, one sounding like her own, one sounding like the girl from her memory flashes.
Riku paused at that, his eyes going slightly wide, before he masked it. The boy took a few steps forward and stopped, looking her over from head to toe.
"Black coat, a Nobody, looks and feels like Kairi," murmured the boy, "You must be Xion."
Xion blinked a few times. "You... know me? And wait, people have said I look like this 'Kairi' person before, but I feel like her too?"
Riku said nothing, a frown on his face, staring at her chest. For a reason Xion couldn't figure out, she started to feel a little awkward and uncomfortable at where he was staring.
Where the heck do you think you're staring at Riku?
Riku narrowed his eyes. "So that's it. That's what Xehanort said when he said that to Sora."
Xion grew confused. "Said what?"
Her eyes went wide when he summoned a Keyblade with a gold handle and a silver blade length. "You're coming with me back to the Masters."
Xion took a step back and summoned her own Keyblade.
Riku's jaw dropped. "What? You can use Kairi's Keyblade?"
Xion blinked a few times and glanced down at Oathkeeper. "Kairi's... Keyblade?"
Riku gripped his Keyblade, holding it down from near his shoulder, pointing it at her. "I might not like Kairi, but Sora is my best friend, and she means the world to him, and regardless of that... I wouldn't leave her to rot. I'm bringing you to the Masters to free her from your prison."
Riku...
Xion glared at him and gripped Oathkeeper tightly. "What the heck are you talking about?!"
There was no time for words. Riku rushed at her and unleashed a move she instinctively knew as Ars Solumn. She could barely manage to block the blows, pain rocketing up her arms each time. He was so strong...
The final one knocked aside her Keyblade, sliced into her chest, and sent her flying and screaming in pain, Oathkeeper sailing from her hands. She landed and rolled along the ground, the picture she had grabbed earlier falling out of her pocket. She laid on the ground, sobbing in pain.
"Hmph, your not even close to being as strong as her though, guess she's struggling to keep the Organization from getting her power," said Riku dismissively.
Riku started towards her before pausing, kneeling down to pick up the picture. "This... why did steal this from the plaque?"
All Xion could do was gasp out in pain.
Riku walked over and held his Keyblade inches from her face. "Well? Haven't you already taken enough from her?"
"I... feel like I... knew her," whispered Xion, "I want... to find her... to be with her... r... r..."
She didn't understand the words that came out of her mouth, nor the longing associated with them, "Return to her..."
Xion... what are you saying...?
Riku stared down at her silently for a moment before moving his Keyblade away from her face. "You don't have a clue, do you Xion?"
She stared up at him through tear stained eyes. "I... who is she? Please?"
Riku was silent for a moment before he sighed and rubbed his eyes. "You really don't know? Her name is..."
Whistle STAB
Riku cried out in pain and staggered forward, tripping over Xion and collapsing, a chakram embedded in his back, losing his grip on his Keyblade.
"Xion!" came a cry.
She weakly turned her head to see Axel rushing towards her. He cast a quick cure spell and hauled her to her feet and shoved her away from Riku. He stepped forward, fury on his face, and ripped his chakram out of Riku's back. The boy cried out in pain, struggling and trying to reach his Keyblade. Axel raised his chakram into the air, and started to bring it back down...
NO! STOP HIM PLEASE!
"Axel! WAIT!" screamed Xion.
Axel froze, his chakram inches from the back of Riku's neck. "Xion?"
"Don't... please don't kill him," she whispered.
Axel frowned, and slowly pulled his weapon back. "The heck not? I don't care if he's a Keybearer, he hurt you Xion!"
"Just... let him go, please?" she begged.
Axel sighed. "Xion... fine."
X-xion... thank you...
She nodded absentmindedly to the Voice.
"X-xion...," said Riku.
She glanced at him.
"Can you... feel Kairi?" he asked.
Xion lost all the breath in her body. Her legs turned to jello and she fell to her knees, clutching her head. "K...Kairi...?"
"Riku!" came a man's voice.
Xion turned her head, briefly catching sight of a powerfully built man with brown hair and a brown Keyblade running towards them.
"Oh hell no, I am NOT fighting THE Keyblade master, we're out of here!" said Axel, forming a Dark Corridor and grabbing Xion's hand, tugging her to her feet and through it, into the Gray Area, and slamming into...
"Watch where you're going!" came Saix's voice after the three of them toppled to the floor.
"Sorry, Keybearer trouble, had to go," said Axel, rising to his feet.
Saix scowled and stood up, dusting himself off. "Hmph, I assume the mission was a failure then."
"Eh... ish? I saw a few things of note and... uh... Xion? You okay?" said Axel.
Xion was shaking, clutching her head. Shivers ran down her spine... words echoed in her mind...
'You can use Kairi's Keyblade?'
'I'm bringing you to the Masters to free her from your prison.'
'Haven't you already taken enough from her?'
'You don't have a clue, do you Xion?'
'Can you... feel Kairi?'
Can you... feel Kairi?
Can you... feel Kairi?
Xion! Block it out! Xion!?
Xion moaned and pitched forward, unconscious...
Author's Notes:
Choo choo, full steam ahead! First encounter with the Keybearers. I had originally contemplated it being Sora she bumped into here, but decided to save him for later and for another purpose... ;tease;
Anyway, Kairi's finally chilled out a bit towards Xion (took her long enough!)