AN: Big twist coming up soon...! (Okay, these are just Disney world "filler" while Kairi hunts down Sora's memories. I mean, it's Kingdom Hearts, right?)
Alyss Penedo: Sorry it's confusing, but thanks for reviewing! That's the kind of feedback I wanted! :) It's supposed to be a bit "mysterious", but I worked on this for over a year, so sometimes when I came back, I'd forgotten what was going on. -_- Plus, in my author's notes, you can see I found out I'm not too good at mysteries. Oh well. :)
*Kingdom Hearts & Disney: Still not mine!*
-Part 14: Divided Loyalties
"Kairi. Kairi, wake up."
"Go 'way, Riku," she mumbled. "It's too early to go coconut hunting, and anyway, Sora always gets hurt..."
"What? No, Kairi, you have a message."
Kairi turned away from Riku's voice. "If it's Mom, it wasn't my fault my phone got died."
"Wake up. You're still dreaming."
"I got this."
Kairi gasped as cold water was poured on her head. She opened her eyes to see Haruto sitting next to her in the back of the gummi ship, putting away an empty glass. He shrugged and went back to reading his book.
"Why'd you let him wake me up like that, Riku?" she snapped, trying to wring water out of her hair and clothing.
"Like I said earlier, you have a message, from Cid, I think. He's still on."
"Well then, move over." Kairi climbed over into the front, stepping on Wave, who was still dozing.
"I didn't do it!" Wave opened her eyes. "Oh, it's you. You're lucky I didn't hit you."
"Yeah, sorry."
Kairi sat down in Riku's seat, while Riku tried to move out of her way.
He squirmed, trying to climb into the back. "I think I'm stuck."
Haruto pulled on Riku's arms until he fell on his head
"Be quiet and sit still back there," Kairi ordered, still annoyed. "Riku, how does this work?"
Getting up and reaching around Kairi, Riku hit the video button and Cid appeared on screen.
"Hey Kairi. How'zit goin'?"
"We're good. We picked up another passenger."
Haruto leaned over the seat and waved. "Hey!"
Kairi pushed his head back. "Anyway, how are you guys?"
Cid scratched his head. "Well, the Heartless attacks have decreased since you left... But that wasn't the reason I called you. Actually, I wasn't the one who wanted to call ya'll. Merlin found something he wants to give to you." Cid shrugged. "No idea what. Oh, and Aerith wanted to talk to you."
He stood and Aerith walked on screen and sat down.
"Hello Kairi."
"Hey Aerith. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"I wanted to continue your lessons, unless you're on your way back."
"Who said anything about going back?" Riku stood on the seat in the back to be seen in the front. "We're on our way to Beast's Castle; do you know how far it is to get back to Radiant Garden?"
"Well, don't we want to get what ever it is that Merlin found?" Kairi pushed Riku aside, trying to make him sit back down.
"I thought you might say that. Merlin's gift can wait until after Beast's Castle. It is imperative that- w-ke-" Aerith's image flickered as static overcame the channel.
Riku leant over the seats to reach the dashboard. "Interference. Possibly debris related, more likely Heartless." He elbowed Wave, who, true to her word, hit him before she was fully awake.
"Axel- Thirteen- a new plan- - don't trust him." They lost the connection to Aerith just before a wave of Heartless appeared outside the windshield.
"Get out of the front!" Climbing into the driver's seat, Riku lifted Kairi over the seat and into the back. She hit the floor, and as she tried to struggle to her feet, the Highwind turned sharply and she fell again. Haruto took her hand and helped Kairi sit in her seat. She fastened the restraints, remembering the last time.
"Wave, status report!" Riku pulled the steering yoke hard to the side.
"Shields at 90% and holding. The engines are running at maximum safe levels and the cannon is charged and ready for firing."
"What are you waiting for? Fire on the Heartless! Kairi, get that map and find out how close we are to... well, anywhere!"
Cooly, Wave took hold of the joystick and began to systematically decimate the incoming Heartless.
Kairi was struggling with the large inter-space chart that Queen Minnie had given them. "Haruto, move your elbow."
He did so, adjusting his book to continue reading.
Kairi peered over the top of the map to see the cover of the book. Bound in brown leather, it was a hefty volume, worn and even singed slightly. When Haruto shifted, she caught a glimpse of the title: 'Ansem Reports 1-6: A Scientific Study of the Heart.'
"That looks like some heavy reading you got there."
He looked up at her. "Hm? Oh, it's not so bad. I picked it up while we were at the old mansion. It was sitting in a corner like someone had thrown it there. Some of the pages are torn out, but the ones left are very interesting."
The Highwind did a full barrel roll and Riku yelled at them. "Quit talking back there! Kairi, you got the map yet?"
"No," Kairi said, her voice muffled as the map fell on her head. "I'm having a little trouble with it."
The ship stopped rolling and Wave leaned back from the controls. "That's all of them. Kairi, just hand me the map."
Everyone, except Riku, who was driving, peered over Wave's shoulder as she spread out the chart on the dashboard. "I believe we are here." Wave pointed to an empty space next to a sketch of a round world with a castle twined in roses. "Near Beast's Castle. Over here," she pointed to a spot marked with a dot about half way between them and Radiant Garden, "here is Twilight Town. This chart hasn't been updated recently, and it's quite possible King Mickey didn't even know it existed." Several other round worlds were marked on the map, but Wave had put a black check next to their names. One that did not have a check, another with a castle, had been hastily scratched out with blue ink. Its original name was beyond recognition, but a person with the same hand but different ink as the map maker had written "Castle Oblivion" next to it.
Riku looked down out the windshield. "I can see Beast's Castle now. Let's land and see if you or Kairi can find anything."
"No, Belle!" The group was nearly run over as a massive yellow and brown Clydesdale horse galloped out of the gate. On its back was a petite brunette in blue and a winter cloak.
"That's the Princess..." Riku turned to follow her, but stopped. A tall man, garbed in the Nobody's cloak stood next to the castle doors. He looked towards them, and then looked away and pushed open the door. Dusks sprang up in his wake and even larger Nobodies, dragon-shaped grey Dragoons.
"Kairi, Haruto, go after her! She'll be in danger in those woods!" Riku ordered, assuming command. "Wave and I will follow that man!"
"All right!" Kairi grabbed Haruto's hand, summoning her keyblade as she ran.
He seemed to be in a bit of state of shock, and Kairi had to half drag him forward. At the edge of the forest, she stopped to catch her breath, still holding Haruto's hand.
"Okay, clearly, I'm not thinking this through."
-No, you are not.-
"Um, Haruto... Did you say something?"
"No..." he said, fear in his voice. "But I heard it too."
-Liege... Why do you run?- A Samurai shimmered into existence, standing on the bridge. Dusks appeared on either side of it.
"Haruto...What is that?" Kairi stepped backward. It looks like the one I met in Hollow Bastion...
He dropped her hand and the echoing voice dissipated. "I don't know! Just run! I don't wanna fight that thing!"
"I agree completely!" Kairi hastily called her keyblade glider. "Get on!" Crouching, Hauto held onto her feet as she navigated the dense forest.
"Stop right there!" Riku called as he and Wave ran into the main hall.
The man turned. Removing his hood, he sighed. "You are so troublesome. Where's the Princess? Am I not worth the bother?" He had black hair pulled back into long dreadlocks and thick sideburns. Opening one hand, wind swirled around him and a set of massive lances materialized, floating in the wind that continued to surround him.
"Xaldin!" Wave looked at Riku. "We'll take him together, all right?"
"All right." He pulled his katana from the sheath on his back.
Both ran towards Xaldin. Lifting a spear out of the wind, he threw it at Riku, who deflected it, but he was knocked to the ground by the second spear just on the heels of the first. The wind surrounded him, making it impossible to move.
Wave slowed. "Riku?"
He gestured for her to keep going. "I'm fine!"
The wind around Xaldin ceased and he stepped forward to meet Wave. She stopped, unsure what he was doing.
He gestured to her keyblade. "You don't need that. You're one of us. You don't belong with them. You're different, an outcast. They don't know the true you. They don't even like you."
"I..." Wave looked at Riku.
He was struggling to stand in the whirlwind that held him captive. "Don't listen to him! Fight-Ahhh!"
Xaldin waved at Riku and the wind lashed him, knocking him over again.
"Pawns should know when to shut their mouths."
Xaldin turned back to Wave. "You don't need that weakling. You could belong with others like you. Come with me."
When Wave still hesitated, he turned and said over his shoulder, "Think about it."
The winds around Riku vanished as soon as Xaldin went through the door to the West Wing.
"Ungh...Did you get the number of that ship that hit us?" Haruto sat up, rubbing his head.
"I think it was a tree... Oceanlight!" Kairi frantically searched the snow until she came up with the translucent keyblade.
She stood. Haruto stood as well, drawing Sun's Memory. The keyblade gave off a faint glow and warmth, undetectable in its previous environ, but well suited to the snow.
They were standing on the edge of the woods next to a small cottage. The petite brunette woman was trying to reason with a group of angry villagers.
"No, he's not vicious! He's kind and sweet and would never hurt anybody! And that's why I need your help!"
The villagers' leader, a hulking brutish man, took something shining from her hand and held it aloft. "Belle's trying to lure us to our death with her crazy stories, just like her old man! You'd think she actually cared for this beast! I say this is the perfect time to kill the beast!"
The villagers all cheered, causing Belle to sob harder. "No, Gaston, don't!"
"We have to stop them!" Kairi started to run forward, but Haruto caught her arm.
"Kairi, think this through. What are we going to do to stop that mob?"
Kairi peeled his hand off her arm, holding his hand tight in a self defense grip that made him wince. "Well, we can at least rescue Belle! That is what Riku told us to do!"
-We're afraid we can't allow that.- The Samurai and Dusks appeared in front of them.
"How did they find us?" Kairi asked desperately. Was this going to happen everywhere they went? She ran forward to attack, and after a slight hesitation, so did Haruto.
In Kairi's footprints the snow melted and pale forget-me-not's and asters bloomed.
"Wave...?" Riku stood, bleeding from several small cuts on his unprotected arms and face.
She turned away. "We need to keep moving." She ignored the unspoken question between them.
A trio of huge grey Dragoons sprang up in front of them, clearly there to prevent them from following Xaldin.
Gasping, Kairi slid to a stop. The last Samurai toppled over and dissolved. Despite his previous performance, in this battle Haruto had fought slowly, almost reluctantly, and not only had Kairi needed to make up the difference, but the Nobodies had just kept coming. So far though, this seemed to be the last wave.
Kairi looked around. They were back in the forest a bit, farther from the house now than they had been earlier. She could hear chanting as the villagers headed for the castle, but she could no longer make out Belle's protests.
"We need to go find Belle. I doubt the villagers would have taken her with them."
Kairi looked at Haruto. "Hey, are you alright?" He was crouched in the snow, his head down.
He stood slowly, his silver eyes half closed. "I'm fine, I'm just..." He blinked and something in his eyes reset, returning them to grey-blue. "I'm fine. Let's go."
"Help, oh, help!"
"That's Belle. Where is she?" Kairi looked around the clearing by the house. There wasn't anyone there... The cellar! She ran to the cellar door and knelt down, peering through a crack in the thick wood door.
"Belle?"
"Yes...? Who are you?"
Kairi stood, noting the hefty padlock keeping the door closed. "I'm Kairi. We've been sent to rescue you." Remembering how Wave had opened the door at the old mansion, she raised Oceanlight and pointed it at the padlock. It clicked and fell off.
Haruto pulled on the door as Belle pushed, causing him to fall over as it flew open.
Belle climbed out, helping out an older man, presumably her father. She turned to Kairi.
"Thank you for helping me and my father, but the one who really needs it is Beast!" Belle wiped her eyes. "This morning, a strange man came to the castle. Not only did he bring new creatures with him, but his appearance coincided with the that of a huge swarm of Heartless. Beast told me that he was fine, but I could see that he needed help, and that strange man... Beast had previously given me permission to leave to go help my sick father, but... without telling him, I left to get help. I had no idea how much anger Gaston had stirred up in the village. We need to get back to the castle and warn Beast!"
"My friends are at the castle now," Kairi reassured Belle. "They went after the man. They'll be able to help when it's attacked again."
She turned to Haruto. "The horse won't be fast enough. Can you use a glider now from watching me?"
"I can try," he said stiffly.
Kairi looked at him. "You do that." What is wrong with him? This isn't how he acted back in Twilight Town. Maybe it's all the Nobodies we've had to fight off. Maybe he's just tired.
Haruto threw Sun's Memory and it formed a glider under him.
Still watching him, Kairi did likewise. "Belle, get on and hold onto our feet."
Belle did, climbing onto Kairi's after casting an apprehensive glance at Haruto, who shrugged.
They flew above the trees this time, wanting to avoid a repeat performance of the previous tumble.
"Kairi... The name sounds familiar. Have we met?" Belle asked.
"I don't know. I can't seem to remember anything anymore." Kairi kept her gaze focused on the horizon.
Belle snapped her fingers. "You're a Princess too! We met in Hollow Bastion to seal the Keyhole! That boy was looking for you... Oh, what was his name?"
"Sora."
"That's right! Did you ever get back to your world?"
"I did. Sora didn't."
"Oh, Kairi, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."
"It's fine. I don't remember him now, so it's not a big loss," Kairi responded, but as soon as she said it, she knew that it was only a half-truth. She wouldn't have come on this crazy quest if some part of her didn't still care for Sora... and Riku.
Belle and Kairi were silent.
"Do you know how... you know... he passed away?
"Oh, he's not dead. At least, that's what they tell me." Kairi breathed deeply. "No, they tell me he's just asleep, waiting for his memories to return so he can awaken and save the worlds again."
Riku stumbled forward, his eyes glazing over. "Wave, I can't... I can't keep on like this. I need to recharge."
Wave barely cast him a backward glance. "Fine. Sit over there and don't get in my way."
Closing her eyes, she reached inside and tapped the reserves of power she had access to. Frost, then icy fingers spread out from her, leaving snow in their wake. As the ice reached the Dragoons, they slowed down and then froze, turning into perfect glittering ice sculptures.
Kairi, Belle and Haruto ran up the stairs. They had beaten the villagers to the castle, and even now the castle's servants were assembling a spirited defense.
Wave opened her eyes and threw out her hand. The ice sculptures shattered into millions of razor sharp shards.
Kairi cried out and Wave fell to her knees. Haruto took her shoulder as she struggled to her feet.
Riku fingered a rapidly melting shard that had landed next to him.
Belle ran to the door and went in. "Beast? Beast?"
On the edge of exhaustion, they rushed in after her. Xaldin was standing by the window. He held a rose, glowing softly, with only two petals left.
"You are too late. Your Beast is gone, and soon, so will this rose."
"Where is he?" Belle asked, stepping forward.
Xaldin gestured out the window. "Out there. But I'm afraid I can't allow you to interfere with our plans."
They could just see Gaston confronting the Beast. Beast snarled and swiped at the man, but Gaston blocked his strike.
Kairi touched Belle's shoulder. "Go help your Prince. We'll keep this man busy."
Belle nodded, and ran down the stairs.
Wave looked at Kairi. "You are deeply interfering in the affairs of this world."
Kairi matched her gaze. "They started it. I'm just setting things right."
Wave shook her head. "You sound so much like him."
Kairi was puzzled by the comment. "Thanks, I guess?"
"In case you've forgotten, a little help here?" Riku's katana was locked between two of Xaldin's spears.
Wave deflected another three with her keyblade, and for the first time, Kairi got a good look at it.
Wave's keyblade, Hidden Verity, was covered with a thick coating of ice that obscured its true color - it appeared to be an indigo color underneath the silvery blue sheen of the ice. Delicate patterns were cut into the ice on the blade, winding around it, and where the handgrip met the shaft they gathered into a highly stylized pattern that almost looked like half of a broken heart.
Wave also seemed to have more control over the physical properties of her keyblade than Kairi did.
She spread her hand, but though ice materialized, her keyblade didn't transform. "Kairi, I can't do what I did eariler again, not for a while. You're on your own until I regain the strength."
And with that, she stepped back, leaving Kairi to face Xaldin alone.
Ten minutes into the battle, Xaldin was panting. He had not expected this much resistance from the girl. She fought hard, and to rescue a boy she didn't know? He could not understand.
"Why... Why do you fight like this? Sora is long gone."
Kairi's eyes were steady as they locked weapons, her strength of will keeping him from crushing her. "He may be, but I see what you've done here. This is wrong, and I will stop it. If I never find Sora... If he never returns... I will step up to take his place. I can't let you use people like this!"
"Kairi, look out!" Wave called.
Kairi met Xaldin's eyes as a shower of razor ice shards hit his back.
"I don't... don't understand..." He stumbled forward, revealing Wave behind him. "This... should not be..."
He could feel himself slipping away.
"Sleep now," Kairi whispered. "I hope your dreams are more pleasant than this."
Were those tears in her eyes?
The body melted away as Kairi knelt by it. I didn't want to destroy anyone...
"Kairi, we need to keep going."
"Yeah, I know, Wave." Standing, Kairi rubbed her eyes.
"He made his choice a long time ago. It's not your fault."
"I know..."
There was a cry from outside, and, scooping up the wilting rose, Wave gestured for them to follow. "Hurry!"
As they ran, Riku touched Kairi's shoulder. "Did you mean what you said about taking Sora's place?"
"Yes, I did." I don't know when I made that decision, but I meant it with all my heart. It's what you would have wanted, right... Sora?
"This way!" a yellow talking candelabra called, and his companion, a pompous looking clock, gestured for them to follow.
"Oh, do hurry! The master needs help!"
They were too late. Gaston was gone, but Belle was crouched over the body of the Beast.
Breath shallow, his huge paw reached up to gently caress Belle's cheek. "You...you came back."
"Of course I did. I promised, didn't I?" His paw slipped and she caught it.
"Beast? Beast!"
Kairi and Riku looked away, feeling it wrong to watch, and Kairi caught sight of the rose under its glass cover.
You will remain a beast unless, before the last petal falls, you learn to love another and she loves you in return.
"I'm sure Belle's alright. She's probably with Kairi."
The last petal fell...
"Come on, let's go rescue the Princesses!"
"All right."
so...
"I promised to protect you, right?"
"No, I promised! Your memory's a trainwreck!
You always take everything from me!"
"Riku..."
"Only one of us can be right! Which one is it, Na-?"
very...
"I'll find my way back to you, I promise!"
"I know you will!"
slowly...
"I love you," Belle whispered, tears dripping onto the paw she held.
The last petal touched the ground and the clock turned away.
"That's it."
"No... wait. Look!" the candle cried.
Kairi spun, tearing her eyes from the rose petal.
The Beast was glowing. His body lifted off the ground as the magic on him dissolved.
He settled to the ground, a human man with shaggy light brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He looked up at Belle, and she stepped back.
He held out his hand to her. "It's me, Belle."
"Beast? Oh!" She embraced him, tears of joy running down her face.
Next to Kairi, a portly man wearing a brown wig sprung up from the clock, and on her other side, a tall man dressed in gold and black livery from the candelabra.
"Cogsworth! Lumineré!" The newly human prince smiled at his servants.
He looked at Belle. "You broke the spell. Thank you for making us all human again.
"And Kairi?"
"Me?" Kairi pointed to herself.
"I want to thank you and your friends for rescuing Belle and keeping her safe. You don't know what that means to me."
Belle hugged her. "And to me."
"But I didn't do anything!" Kairi protested.
Riku elbowed her. "Just accept the praise."
"What are you talking about? You got me out of the cellar, stopped that man, and destroyed all those strange creatures."
"Yeah, but we didn't stop Gaston."
Belle hugged her again. "You can't do everything. Let someone else save the day sometimes. If you do it all for us, what will we do when you're gone, right?"
"I suppose..."
"As if. Stop sniveling. I woulda thought you'd gotten over that by now."
Kairi spun to see Xigbar standing there. He shrugged. "I came to check on Xaldin, but it looks like I need to change my priorities a little."
"You!" Haruto spoke up for the first time since one the way to the castle.
He ran at Xigbar, who, by holding him at arm's length, easily blocked his wild swing. "Hold on there, tiger. What do you think you're doing?"
"Stop playing with him!" Kairi ordered.
He looked over at her. "Playing? As if. I'm deadly serious. You see, by destroying Xaldin, you've proven yourself far too dangerous to keep around. One Keyblade Wielder is enough; three is just too much.
"So, you see... You just made your little selves some dangerous enemies."
He stared right at Wave and she flinched. "Oh, I know who you are underneath that icy shell. But I won't spoil it for these others. They'll just have to guess, won't they?"
A bolt flew right at Wave, but Riku deflected it with his katana. Haruto used the distraction to slip his keyblade under Xigbar's guard.
Kairi threw out her hand and shouted, "Tidal Wave!"
Haruto struggled to keep his footing, and their enemy stumbled backward under the press of the water. "So that's your answer, huh?"
And with a yell, Xigbar attacked.
Five minutes later, he fell to his knees, Haruto standing over him, keyblade at the ready.
"You... shouldn't be able to do that. Why did you do that?" He laughed. "I guess all my work really paid off..."
Kairi looked on as the second of two bodies faded away. Two already...
Haruto's eyes were confused. "What? What did he mean?"
"He was probably talking to Kairi," was Wave's opinion.
"I wonder..." Riku looked at Haruto.