A/N: thank you guys so much for the reads, favs, reviews and follows! It had been a very busy month for me, but I passed! I'm going to college this Spring :D
Thank you all~
Guest 1: here's an update~
Guest 2: yeah it was amazing!
Guest 3: Hmmm, I have actually thought of it…
Pennie: Thank you so much! Ups! Sorry about that. I sometimes do that because of how fast I'm typing and the auto-correct kinda sucks…
Guest 4: true, true.
Stormfall: Thank you!
c-guest: Thank you~
lulu9814: everything will eventually work out! :)
theIrishWriter: Well, there's only one imposter, so he assumed that Hikari was the imposter since she was wearing the cloak. And, true, true…
Gry21: Those are great ideas :) the second one gave me another idea haha
Mysterygirl145: True… the true evil one here is Saix (and Xemnas too). and that's true.
Guest 5: Here's the next update!
Chapter 21
solitude
"I almost had him!"
Roxas was angry.
It came out of nowhere. The feeling.
The redhead kept quiet.
Roxas didn't mean for it to come out so rudely. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, trying to calm down. He couldn't really explain what was happening to him now. Why he felt so frustrated and angry.
Right after he visited Hikari, he returned back to the Castle That Never Was to apologize to Xion, but he didn't have the chance when the Dusks suddenly brought in an unconscious Xion to the Grey Area. He was visibly upset and angered when Saix told him to go on a mission instead being beside his friend.
"…why did you stop me?" the young Nobody asked, lowering his voice.
Axel looked down. "If you defeat that imposter, would it guarantee Xion will wake up?" he questioned and saw Roxas' eyes widen for a second before looking away. The redhead sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Running off like that to catch an imposter by yourself is pretty stupid." He chided, crossing his arms over his chest.
The spiky redhead was a hundred percent sure that the imposter is not really the imposter. He was sure that it was just Hikari wondering around Twilight Town in the Organization coat. She just happens to be in the wrong place and time. The man was glad he made it on time to stop Roxas from finishing Hikari off. He was assigned a mission in Twilight Town and he just happens to be passing by when the two were fighting. Though, it looked one-sided since Hikari never raised anything against him.
"Look, I know you're just trying to help, but let's not rush things, hmm?" Axel continued when Roxas stayed quiet.
Roxas sighed, but he nodded his head in reply. The moment he saw that imposter, he just knew that he should drew out his keyblade and avenge what he did to his friend. It was the imposter's fault that Saix treated Xion more badly than before. Though, he should've take it out on Saix rather than the imposter, but the imposter started it first. And now that he thinks about it, if the imposter wanted to hurt Xion—he would've finished her already.
Anyone in their right mind would've at least fight back.
The imposter didn't fight back.
Roxas glanced over to the alley the imposter escaped through.
Was he really the imposter?
A sigh escaped Axel's lips. "C'mon, squirt, let's just go back. I'm sure the two of us aren't in the mood for some ice cream right now." The redhead summoned a portal, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.
The blond complied, stepping inside the portal without another word.
Before the portal closed, Axel glanced over his shoulder, his eyebrow furrowed in worry.
'Hope you're okay, Lil Red…'
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Is she going to be okay?" Yuffie asked worriedly, staring at Hikari as she slept peacefully.
Aerith nodded her head. "Don't worry, she's fine." She replied, tucking Hikari into bed. The committee wasted no time bringing the youngest member inside. Leon carried her into her shared room and left to leave the rest to the girls. Even with the combined healing magic from Aerith and Merlin, they wouldn't know when the girl would wake up. "She just needs rest now." She continued.
The woman turned to the small lamp beside the bed, adjusting it to a low lighting. It was dark with all of the curtains closed. She didn't want to keep the light on since it was too bright, but she also didn't want to leave the room dark. She was afraid that it might surprised the girl once she woke up.
Yuffie sighed. "This kinda reminds me when I first met her." she placed a hand on her hip and a frown appeared on her lips when she recalled the memory. It was months ago, but the exact same thing happened. Hikari was out cold and lying in bed. Perhaps with the same reason as well. "Let's just hope that this doesn't become her thing." She crossed her arms, glancing over to look at the girl's face.
A thought came across Yuffie's mind. Her eyes widened in realization when everything suddenly made sense. "…you don't think that she somehow met Riku and fought again now, do you?" she unfolded her arms, anger in her eyes.
The brunette sighed softly. "I don't think so… We don't know for sure what really happened." She said. She placed her hand on top of the girl's forehead, checking for a fever. When she didn't felt heat against her hand, she gently stroke the girl's head. "We can ask her when she wakes up, but for now, let's just let her rest." She said, walking towards the door.
Yuffie nodded her head, following the woman out of the room.
The door closed with a soft click.
Tick
Tick
The alarm clock on the nightstand ticks constantly. Minutes passed and it turned to an hour. It was quiet—with the exception of the girl's soft breathing and the ticking clock.
Whoosh
From the corner of the room, a dark portal opened up. A cloaked figure stepped out of it. Judging from the figure—it was a man. He stood in front of the portal as he seemed to examine the room. He stood out from the room's light décor, sticking out with his tall stature and black cloak. The figure's gaze landed on the girl sleeping on the bed. Without making a sound, the cloaked figure made his way to the bed.
The man stood beside the bed, towering over the girl. He turned his attention away to the nightstand. He bends down, pulling the second drawer out.
Inside the drawer were a few small boxes and a black and white hoodie still neatly folded inside a clear plastic bag.
He pulled a small black box out from his pocket—it was similar to the boxes inside the drawer. He placed the box among the others before closing the drawer.
The man stood back up, straightening his posture.
He stared down at Hikari's sleeping face.
His gloved hand moved and brushed Hikari's bangs away from her face.
His lips moved.
You never changed
Hikari snapped her eyes open.
Her eyes stared at the ceiling, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She raised her hand and placed the back of her hand on her forehead, wiping the sweat away. She took a deep breath and exhaled from her nose, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tries to calm down. She had woken up because of another nightmare she couldn't remember.
It was more like she felt something that made her wake up so abruptly. She didn't know what it was, but it made her feel scared and uncomfortable. It felt so real to her and it was suffocating her.
It's almost as if it was right beside her.
"Good to see you up."
A voice startled her, making her shoulders tensed.
The brunette turned to her left and her lips parted open when she saw someone beside her bed. A certain redhead was there, sitting on a chair backwards.
Axel flashed her a grin. "I thought that you might never wake up."
Hikari blinked a few times, processing the information. "What does that supposed to mean? It's gonna take a lot to actually put me down." She huffed, making a face at the man.
The redhead chuckled. "Yeah, I know." he looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. He raised his chin up, his eyes softened and a smile was seen on his lips. "Glad to see you're alright and still your old self, Lil Red." He said in relief.
Hikari stared at the man before averting her gaze. "Thanks… for saving me back there." She thanked, finally remembering the events that happened earlier. "If it wasn't for you, I would've actually died." She turned to look at him, giving a grin.
"Why didn't you fight back? Everyone in their right mind would've fought back." Axel's smile faltered to a frown. "I know you're capable of fighting one of us. What would've happened if I didn't come there on time?" He said seriously.
Hikari sighed, staring down at her hands. "I just… couldn't do it."
It made her heart ache that Roxas actually hurt her—even though he didn't do it on purpose. She knew that Roxas doesn't really mean to hurt her or say those things to her if he knew that it was her and not the imposter, but it just made her somewhat guilty. Perhaps this was what Riku felt when she blamed him for something that he didn't do.
"Is it because he looks like Ven?"
The brunette closed her eyes.
"No."
Axel stood up and turned the chair before sitting back down. "So, you noticed that he is the exact copy of Ven's face."
"Gee, it's kinda hard to miss, Genius." Hikari rolled her eyes, giving a deadpan look. She laid back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "They might have the same face, but they're different. Completely different. Unique in their own way, I suppose." She stated, a smile on her lips.
Axel stared at the girl. "Then Roxas would never hurt his friends on purpose." He suddenly said.
The brunette blinked and pushed herself up to a sitting position. "…you…knew?" she asked, completely dumbfounded at the fact that Axel knew of her friendship with Roxas. She never told him that she's friends with the Nobody and she was sure he didn't tell anything about her to the Organization either. "How? Was it that obvious?" the corner of her lips twitched up in an uneasy smile.
"My guts told me so." Axel smiled, patting his stomach. "You both have that 'destined to meet' vibes around you."
Hikari gave a sheepish grin.
The redhead shook his head, the smile still on his face. "And I suppose you're friends with Xion too?"
If she could've looked more sheepish than she is now, she could.
Axel chuckled. "You're so easy to read, Lil Red." He sniggered behind his hand. He reached his hand out, ruffling the girl's hair. The girl swatter his hand away, laughing a little. The redhead smiled before he stood up, taking the chair with him. "Roxas was just upset. He's just as harmless as a butterfly."
The brunette snorted as she pushed the blanket away, crossing her legs. "Who can also be as fierce as a lion." She retorted, but she said it in a joking way. "I know he didn't mean it. I learned to forgive and forget with Riku—forgiving Roxas is just as easy." She grinned.
"Exactly." Axel turned to face Hikari, snapping his fingers at her. He walked towards the desk and placed the chair back into place before turning to face the girl again. "I bet if he knew that it was you under there, he would've taken you out for ice cream without even asking why you were wearing the Organization coat." He leaned against the desk, his arms crossed.
Hikari laughed but kept her voice down. "Hey, Axel…" she received a hum in reply from the man. She debated whether or not she should ask Axel about Xion. She knew she would heard it from Roxas eventually, but she had a feeling that the Organization hadn't been exactly telling Roxas and Xion everything. "What really happened to Xion? Did Riku really caused her to fell into a deep sleep?" she asked, worried laced in her voice.
Axel's eyes widened for a second before he looked down. He was quiet for a few seconds before answering Hikari's question. "I… don't actually know myself. I was about to go Castle Oblivion to find out, but I had this feeling in my gut to stay at Twilight Town and lucky did I follow my gut." He raised his chin, staring at the girl's eyes.
A grin made its way up to Hikari's lips. "Always trust your gut!"
The redhead pushed himself off the desk. "I have to go now. Hope you'll feel better soon." He raised his hand, summoning a dark portal in the corner of the room. He stepped inside the portal and stopped. "If it makes you feel a lot better, Riku wasn't the one who caused Xion to fall asleep." He said.
Hikari sighed in relief, placing a hand over her chest. "Thanks… that made me feel a lot better." She smiled.
"Oh, one more thing." Axel turned sideways, a smile on his face.
The brunette stared at the redhead, waiting for him to continue.
"Happy birthday, Lil Red." He grinned, giving a two-finger salute.
Hikari laughed.
"Thanks, Lea."
The portal closed.
The brunette sighed, a smile of her face. She jumped out of bed and stretched her arms above her head. She placed her hand over her left shoulder and moved it a few times. The pain was gone and her muscles felt better than ever. Whatever Aerith or Merlin used on her, it definitely worked.
'That feeling I had earlier… it was just Lea.' Hikari turned to face the nightstand right between her bed and Yuffie's. She walked around her bed to reach the nightstand and crouched down to her share of the drawer. She didn't understand why she felt so under pressure when it was just Axel. The man was someone she knew and was pretty much nice to her. It could've been just her feelings or because of a nightmare. 'Everything seemed to be there…' her eyes scanned over her belongings inside the drawer.
The brunette felt bad for suspecting Axel of going through her belongings, but she somehow had a hunch that someone was going through her stuff. Sure, it could've been just Yuffie messing around, but she felt uneasy after she woke up. She picked up the jacket inside the plastic bag and saw that her Scrapbook Diary was still there. She placed the jacket back, sighing in relief. Not that anyone could open it anyway. Only a keyblade wielder could open the book Merlin gave her.
'Huh… never seen this box before… was it even there? Did they gave me this too?' Hikari picked up a black box, examining it. Most of the boxes inside her drawer were black, but she was sure she never seen this one. The box doesn't have a name to say who was it from just like the rest of the box. She opened it and raised an eyebrow when it was just a black leather belt. 'It's kinda like what Ven and Aqua wears over.' She said after she took it out of the box and held it up.
It was actually two black crisscross straps—minus the silver pendant Ventus and Aqua always wore.
'It… could be from Lea.' Hikari hummed, a smile on her face as she placed the straps back into the box and inside the drawer. 'I was worried over nothing.' She sighed, closing the drawer.
The brunette stood up, looking over to the door. "And now for the hard part…" she slumped her shoulders. She hadn't thought up of an excuse to give to the committee. She could've just come up with an excuse that a Heartless attacked her, but it wouldn't make sense if a Heartless attacked her. She could just say that someone attacked her, but the committee would actually try and find the person who did this to her and she doesn't want them to hunt Roxas down. "Maybe I should just come clean…" she scratched the back of her neck, opening the door.
Her nose sniffed the smell lingering in the air.
'Aerith's cooking stew.' The brunette concluded. 'Which means everyone is downstairs.' She stopped at the staircase, debating whether or not she should just sleep again. 'No turning back! No turning back!' she chanted, patting her cheeks a few times.
"Hey, I smell stew!" Hikari said excitedly, walking down the stairs with a grin across her face. "Are we really having stew tonight?" she added.
Yuffie almost fell off from her chair. "You're awake!" she shouted, standing up from the chair.
The brunette gave her a strange look. "Well, duh! I don't want to sleep in while you all eat Aerith's beef stew!" she huffed, pointing her finger accusingly at the black-haired girl. If she could've distract the committee from talking about what happened to her earlier that day for fifteen minutes, she could come up with a great excuse. Though, it would've been better if the committee just let it go, but the chances are so small. "Hey, are we having it with rice or mashed potatoes?" she asked, turning around to look at the committee's expression.
Leon stared at the girl with a raised eyebrow. "First, are you alright?" he asked, changing the topic.
"Wha'cha talking about? I'm great!" Hikari replied, flexing her muscles to prove her point.
"So… you don't remember what happened earlier?" Cid asked from where he sat.
"You were like so beaten up and you had us all worried!" Yuffie exclaimed, moving around the table to stand beside the shorter girl. She wrapped her arm around Hikari's neck, pushing her down a little. "Who's the little punk who dares messed with you? If he messes with one of us, he's messing with all of us!" she raised her fist up, looking down at Hikari with a determined look.
Hikari pushed Yuffie's arm away. "Geez, Yuff! No need to get so worked up about it." She shook her head, her arms crossed over her chest.
"You've been acting strange ever since you went to that Castle Oblivion." Cloud stated, making everyone turned to look at him. The brunette stared at the man with a surprised look, she was amazed that Cloud still remembered that she mentioned Castle Oblivion—which was months ago. No one in the committee seemed to pester her what she did in Castle Oblivion. She just mentioned that she went into a castle and found nothing. "Befriending a mysterious friend. Making up excuses to see a friend. Sometimes running errands for Merlin and sometimes waking up early in the morning." the man listed off.
Hikari exchanged looks with Merlin before looking back at Cloud.
"What really happened in that castle?" Aerith asked, her hands folded in front of her chest in worry.
Leon nodded. "We don't want anymore excuses. Tell us the truth." He said sternly, his hand on his hip.
"Well…" Hikari trailed off, scratching her cheek nervously. Her eyes gazed over to Merlin who smiled and gave her an approving nod. "You see…" she cleared her throat.
"I found Riku and we made up. End of story." She clapped her hands once, ending the story in a sentence. "But… I never saw him again after that…" she lied to protect Riku's whereabouts.
Yuffie blinked. "That's… it?" she leaned back when Hikari gave a nod. "Huh, I expected flying cats with laser eyes and giant fighting robots fighting each other to death." She shrugged.
The brunette's eye twitched. "I'm not that stupid to make such an unbelievable story."
"That's really nice, Hikari." Aerith placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "But it doesn't really explain why you end up so badly wounded. Was there something else that happened?" she asked again.
Hikari looked down at her hand. "You guys remember the mysterious guy who gave me a card, right?"
"You mean that scammer?" Cid tried to confirm and Hikari gave a nod. "You mean that a grown-up man decided that it was fair to beat up a little kid?" he clicked his tongue.
"I'm not a kid—but yeah, well you see, he's a part of this group and they looked like bad guys." Hikari tried to explain the Organization without pointing out that she was friends with three of them. She might as well warn the committee about the rest of the Organization, but she doesn't want them to attack Roxas, Xion and Axel. "But I'm not really sure what they're after… Some of them are nice I suppose? They let me off." she added.
Yuffie gave a confused look. "So, what you're saying that this group of bad guys have some good guys in it?"
"Sorta, yeah, I suppose so." Hikari nodded.
It was hard to come clean when she promised both Roxas and Xion that she would keep them a secret.
Leon sighed, crossing his arms. "So, we have another thing to worry about besides the Heartless and those white creatures…"
"I think… they're called Nobodies..." Hikari added. She had faced the white creatures, but she doesn't know what they were called. "I only fought them twice… once in Castle Oblivion and the second time was earlier today. I guess I kinda pushed his buttons a little too far." She said sheepishly.
The white creatures had been showing up around Hollow Bastion lately. They were harder to beat than the Heartless—which bothered the committee. Though, the white creatures hadn't actually done anything to harm anyone—they had been causing trouble for the committee.
"That doesn't really explain why you're always away." Cloud said, his lips set in a thin line.
Merlin laughed, joining in the conversation to help. "Oh ho ho, perhaps it's time to tell them the truth, my dear!" he smiled, giving the brunette a wink. The committee turned to face the wizard with confused looks and Hikari copied their expression. She didn't know what Merlin was referring to. "You see, Hikari became a keyblade wielder." He announced.
There was a moment of silence among the committee.
"What?" Yuffie was the first to respond. "Come again? I heard something like Hikari became a keyblade wielder." she leaned her head forward, cupping her ear.
"HEY! It's not that surprising, right?!" Hikari punched Yuffie's shoulder, completely offended that her friend didn't think that she has what it takes to be a keyblade wielder. She was glad that this topic was brought up. It was an even bigger topic than what really happened in Castle Oblivion that the committee would probably drop their questions regarding the Organization and Castle Oblivion. "Aw c'mon! You guys don't believe me?! Look!" she raised her hand and a bright light began to emit.
In her hand, the Starseeker appeared.
"Woah—you really are a keyblade wielder, kid." Cid whistled, a grin on his lips. "Looks like we have our bomb!" he laughed.
"Is that thing even real?" Yuffie stared at the giant key and Hikari handed the keyblade into the girl's hands. After a second, the keyblade that was in Yuffie's hands, returned to Hikari in a flash. The black-haired ninja gave a dramatic look. "You really are a keyblade wielder!" she gasped in surprise.
Hikari gave her a deadpan look. "Is it really that unbelievable?" she summoned the keyblade away, crossing her hands behind her neck.
Merlin chuckled, "She has been going back and forth to meet the great Yen Sid! I was told to train her how to use it properly." He explained. Not entirely true, but true. The brunette was glad that Merlin was always there to help. It was wrong lying to the others, but they had to keep Mickey and Riku safe.
"Why keep it a secret?" Leon asked. He looked somehow relieved with the information.
The brunette shrugged. "I just don't want you guys to get swarmed by Heartless every time I used it. So, I just kept quiet about it." She admitted.
Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose. "Was it because of what I told you months ago?"
"Uh… no? Not at all." Hikari thought back and remembered that Cloud did say something among the lines of 'you're lucky you don't wield a keyblade, otherwise we'll be swarmed by Heartless' to her. Suddenly, a dramatic gasp escaped her lips. "Could it be?! Cloud, you're actually feeling guilty over something?" she teased, poking his arm with her elbow.
Yuffie snorted in laughter, soon joining Hikari in teasing the young man.
"Enough." Cloud karate-chopped the both of the girls' head, earning a loud cry of pain from them both.
The two girls rubbed the top of their head, exchanging looks before giggles escaped their lips.
Aerith smiled. "This means that you have to be more careful, Hikari." her smile soon turned to a frown as her eyebrows knitted in worry. The committee turned to face the young woman as Hikari gave her a confused look. "That Organization might be after you because you wield the keyblade." she said, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder.
Leon nodded his head in agreement. "Aerith's right. We don't know for sure what that Organization wants, but a keyblade wielder is most likely a threat to them." He concluded, his arms crossed over his chest. "Do they know you can wield one?" he asked as he turned to face the girl.
Hikari thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"Good… I think it's best if you don't use it outside." Leon said and turned to everyone in the room—who each gave him a nod. This was a sign that everyone agreed to keep Hikari's ability to wield a keyblade to themselves. "I understand why you and Merlin kept it a secret but thank you for sharing it with us." He smiled a little, ruffling Hikari's hair.
Yuffie slung her arm around Hikari's neck. "Yeah! We're family so no secrets between us!" she grinned.
The brunette smiled.
"Yeah…"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Roxas sighed as he walked towards Scrooge's shop.
The blond didn't know what was going on with Axel, but the Nobody has been acting pretty strange lately. He was always in a dazed when they hung out at the Clock Tower. Roxas didn't know if it was his fault that Axel has been acting strange. He apologized to him and he said that it wasn't his fault, but everything had been going off since Xion fell asleep. He wished that everything will go back to the way it was.
"Ah, welcome back, lad!" Scrooge greeted the hooded boy with a smile on his face. "What will it be today?" he asked, opening the door to his fridge.
"2 chocolate please." Roxas held his fingers up and pulled out the exact amount of munny to pay for the ice creams.
"Aye, comin' right up!" Scrooge reached his hand inside the freezer, pulling out the specific ice cream Roxas ordered. He gave placed the two ice creams inside a plastic bag and handed it over to the boy. "By the way, have ye heard?"
Roxas tilted his head. "Heard about what?" he asked, giving the munny to the duck as he took the plastic bag.
Scrooge glanced left and right, "Someone attacked youn' Hikari! Everyone is talkin' 'bout it." He said, his eyebrows furrowed down.
The blond almost dropped the plastic bag. "W—What?!" his eyes widened in surprise. "Is she alright? What exactly happened?" he looked genuinely concern.
The duck sighed. "I heard that she got caught up in a fight and was injured quite badly." He explained and Roxas couldn't help but stiffened. He was shocked to hear that Hikari was injured from a fight. "But don't ya worry lad. She's doin' fine now. Why—she's already wonderin' around to patrol!" He reassured, a smile on his face.
"I have to make sure myself—" Roxas straightened his posture and turned to the direction of the town square. "Thank you for the info, Mr. Scrooge." He thanked before breaking off into a sprint to the Fountain Area.
The Nobody couldn't think of anything else beside his friend's well-being. All that matters to him is to look for Hikari and made sure that she's fine with his very own eyes. He had been friends with Hikari for a while and he knew the length of her abilities. She's a strong and determined girl who wouldn't give up easily, but with all that happened around him, he was afraid.
Roxas reached the Fountain Area in no time. He panted, placing his hand on his knees for support as he tries to catch his breath. His blue eyes looked around the area. It was empty. He walked closer to the fountain they used to sit and looked down at the water, staring at his own expression. He looked around once more for the brunette.
Hikari could just be late, but there was just this voice at the back of his mind saying that she could've been in danger.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
'Roxas?'
Hikari caught the black coat from the corner of her eyes. She stared at the direction where Roxas had ran off too. She glanced over to the clock, it wasn't exactly the time they were supposed to meet and he was running as if he was as late as the White Rabbit from Wonderland. She didn't blame Roxas if he didn't saw her. She was inside a store, helping Mog unpack.
"Is something the matter, kupo?" Mog flew down, staring at the direction where Hikari was staring at.
Hikari turned to face the Moogle, "Nothing, nothing—oh! I finished unpacking the stuff you want me." She grinned, throwing her thumb over her shoulder to point at the shelves filled with accessories.
"That was quick," Mog examined the stack of boxes on the shelves. "Pretty good for someone as messy as you." He turned around with a somewhat smiley face.
The brunette gave him a look. "Was that a compliment?" she leaned back against the counter, her hands crossed behind her neck. "Hey, does this mean I get a special lifetime discount for helping you around the shop?" she asked as a grin appeared.
"Not a chance, kupo!" Mog replied, flying around the small shop to put everything in order. The girl slumped her shoulders in disappointment, but it was worth a try. The Moogle came back to her, holding a potion and an ether in hand. "But I'm willing to give you a potion and an ether for helping me, kupo!" he chirped.
Hikari's eyes gleamed. "Thanks! I'm running low on them!" she took the potion and ether gladly. "By any chance, can you add another two each?" she asked.
"Sure! That'll be 160 munny, kupo!"
"Same ol' Mog." Hikari sighed but pulled out the amount of munny needed to pay for the items she bought. The brunette placed the potions and ethers inside her pouch. She jumped over the counter and leaned against it. "Hey, I have to go now. If you need anything, just give me a call." She said, giving a salute.
Mog nodded his head. "Sure thing, kupo!"
Hikari waved goodbye and turned around, deciding to go to the Fountain Area to see what Roxas was doing.
It didn't take her long to reach the Fountain Area's entrance. From a distance, she could already see Roxas, sitting on the fountain, staring down at his shoes. She didn't need a telescope to see and know that Roxas was feeling down. She would've run towards him if it wasn't for the hand that held her back.
The brunette turned around, following the hand. "Riku!" she whispered in surprise when she saw the silver-haired teen.
Riku glanced over to the Nobody, noticing that the Nobody wasn't aware of their presences. He quickly moved away from the Nobody's line of sight, taking Hikari with him. He pulled her aside, dragging her further away from the Fountain Area. Once they were alone, Riku released his hold of Hikari's hand.
Before Hikari could even say anything, Riku turned around to face her.
"I heard of what happened from Merlin." Riku frowned, his eyebrows furrowed down.
The brunette clamped her mouth shut, the previous words that she was about to say to him gone. She told Merlin the truth because she didn't want to lie to the person who had helped her so much. It wasn't Merlin's fault that Riku or anyone else found out. She never told Merlin to keep it a secret from Riku or Mickey. Without even making a promise with Merlin, Riku would've found out about it one way or another.
"Roxas attacked you." The silver-haired teen stated, his tone serious.
Hikari averted her gaze. "It was an accident." She said under her breath.
"An accident that could be fatal. What if he actually killed you?" Riku raised his voice a little. He didn't want to yell at her again, but he was worried. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I don't want to lose you too." He stated, giving a firm squeeze.
Riku sighed when Hikari didn't look at him. "This time, I want you to listen to me and stop being friends with him. It's for your own good." He felt Hikari's shoulders stiffened.
"It's not Roxas' fault! It was a misunderstanding." Hikari argued.
The silver-haired teen stared down at his friend. "You're right. It was my fault. I'm the real imposter." He sighed, covering his face with his hand and Hikari looked down. "But what I said was true. If you continue to be friends with him and that girl, it will only lead to heartbreak. It's better to cut the bond now before it's too late."
Hikari placed her hand over his hand. "I'm not leaving Roxas or Xion—ever." She raised her chin, looking up to stare at Riku's blindfolded eyes.
"In the end, we'll have to face them." Riku replied.
The brunette looked down. "I know…"
"So why?"
"Not all of Organization XIII are bad… Roxas and Xion, they're really nice and different." Hikari shifted her weight onto her left leg, her hands folded behind her back. She added Axel's name inside her mind, Riku didn't need to know that she and Axel are friends too. "I'm their friend… Is that enough proof?" she smiled a little.
A heavy sigh was heard. "Then look at me in the eyes and say that you're sure."
Hikari looked at Riku in the eyes, "I'm sure."
"…fine."
"Thanks, Riku." The brunette smiled.
The silver-haired teen couldn't help but smile in return. "You're reminding me of someone more and more." He summoned a portal as a chuckle escaped his lips.
Hikari grinned. "Oh, Riku! One more thing—"
"What—!" Riku visible tensed when Hikari kicked his bottom. He turned around with his jaw dropped in surprise. It wasn't exactly hurtful, but he was surprised about the kick. It literally came out of nowhere. "Why did you do that for?!" he shouted in complain.
The brunette crossed her arms, sticking her nose up high. "That—was for Xion." she huffed out childishly. She remembered her promise to the black-haired girl. "I don't back out from a promise." She said proudly.
Riku gave her a deadpan look. "You promised her that you will kick my butt? Or did you just want to do that for yourself?"
Hikari hummed. "The first one, definitely. The second one…" she trailed off, averting her eyes elsewhere before looking at the silver-haired teen.
Before she even knew it, Riku locked her in a headlock, drilling his knuckles into her scalp.
"H—Hey!"
"You deserved this too!" Riku laughed as he opened his hand to ruffle Hikari's hair, turning it into a bird's nest. He released Hikari from his grip, laughing as Hikari struggled to comb her hair back to the way it was.
"Gee, thanks, Riku." Hikari said sarcastically, a pout on her lips as she tries to untangle the knots Riku made from ruffling her hair too wildly.
Riku nodded. "Anytime." He patted Hikari's head gently this time. "I'll see you later, okay? Try to be careful." He said before entering the portal.
The brunette gave a nod.
She wasted no time going back to the Fountain Area.
The blond was still there, staring down at his feet.
Hikari stopped for a moment and continued making her way to reach the boy.
"Roxas?"
The blond looked up, finding the girl he had been looking for by the entrance of the Fountain Area. She raised an eyebrow when she saw him and took a few steps closer.
"Is something wro—?!"
"Are you alright?!" Without giving her time to react, Roxas grabbed her shoulders. He stared at her eyes with concern. He took a step back and looked around for any injuries. When he didn't find any bandages or scratches, he averted his gaze back to look at Hikari in the eyes who looked as equally as concerned. "How are you feeling? I've heard of what happened from Mr. Scrooge."
Hikari blinked. "Roxas, I'm fine. See? There's nothing wrong. Calm down." She spun around once to let Roxas know that there was nothing that he should be worried about. The concerned look never left Roxas' face and she gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Don't worry about me. It's gonna take a lot more to actually put me down!" she showed him her biceps, giving a pose to make him laugh.
Roxas didn't find it funny. "Who was it? Who hurt you? Was it the Imposter?" his hands balled up into fists.
The brunette stiffened. She was unsure if she wanted to tell him the truth. She didn't know if he could actually handle it or not. "Roxas…" she called out to him softly, placing her hand on his shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze. "It was just a fight and I lost… Don't worry about it, okay? I'm fine now." She smiled.
The blond looked away. "…the same thing happened to Xion." he muttered under his breath, but Hikari heard him. She stayed quiet and waited for him to continue. "I'm just… afraid the same thing might happen to you too." he finished.
Hikari smiled. "I'm right here." She guided him to sit on the fountain and sat beside him. "Now, tell me everything from the start."
And he did.
He told her everything that has been bothering his mind.
She listened to what he was saying.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Where… are we?"
After Roxas told Hikari what has been bothering his mind, she just took out her Star Shard and told him to hold her hand without really explaining where they were going. And now here they are.
Hikari glanced back to look at him. "Can't you tell? We're at the beach." She grinned before continuing to walk towards the shore.
Roxas looked around. It was indeed a beach. A small island to be precise. It was surrounded by the clear blue waters and he could feel the warm white sand from the sole of his shoes. The sound of the waves gently hitting the shore reached his ears. He looked out to the vast horizon, admiring how open and wide it was in this world.
"I always come here whenever I feel down or stressed." Hikari said as she stared out at the ocean. She took him to her home, Destiny Islands. Back then, she would always come to the beach whenever something troubled her. She would look out at the horizon—waiting for the sky to darken so the stars would come out. She used to talk to the stars whenever she was lonely. "I figured… the sound of waves could help you relax." She closed her eyes, feeling the warm sunlight.
Roxas joined her. "This… feels familiar…" he trailed off, closing his eyes as the gentle ocean breeze passed by. "It almost feels like I've been here before." He smiled.
The two sat down on the sand. They didn't talk to each other. They just stayed quiet, enjoying the atmosphere around them.
Roxas glanced down to his right hand when he touched something. "A seashell?" he blinked as he picked up the shell.
Hikari turned to look at him. "Oh, that's a Thalassa Shell." She smiled.
"A Thalassa Shell?" Roxas parroted, staring at the sea shell.
"It's one of the legends here. Sailors used them to make lucky charms that would keep them safe." Hikari explained as she picked up a different colored sea shell, placing it on Roxas' palm. "Hey, Xion likes seashells, right? How about we collect some?" she suggested, standing up.
"Great idea! How about we make a lucky charm for her too?" Roxas said excitedly, a big grin was on his face.
Hikari looked a little unsure. "I'm… not that crafty with making charms… but I guess we can try making it with glue and all that." She rubbed the back of her neck, giving a sheepish grin.
"That's alright. Let's pick as much as we can and then we'll see how it goes from there." Roxas laughed. He wasn't crafty with anything either. Out of all the three Xion was the craftier one.
The brunette nodded, a smile on her lips. She was glad that Roxas went back to his normal self. She didn't find it fitting if he was sad and depressed for a long period of time. She preferred him to be happy and energetic and curious, just like when they met.
"C'mon, Hikari—these seashells aren't going to pick up themselves."
Hikari blinked when she already found Roxas looking for the Thalassa shells at the sea. He left his coat, shoes and gloves on the shore. He wore a black top and rolled his pants to his knees so he could walk around the waters without getting soaked. He already picked up a handful of seashells but neither of them was the Thalassa shell.
"Hey, try not to walk too far. Remember, you can't swim!" Hikari teased, taking her jacket along with her shoes and socks off. She quickly rolled her pants up to her knees before joining Roxas in his quest to find more Thalassa shells.
Roxas placed a hand on his hip. "Oh haha, very funny." He laughed dryly, pouting at the girl.
"Don't look so salty, Rox. The sea's already too salty, it doesn't need you to add more salt." Hikari laughed before turning around to look for some shells. She yelped in surprised when she felt water splashed her back, drenching her in salt water. She turned around, a dirty look across her face when she glared at the culprit. "Very funny, Roxas. Very funny." She glared.
Roxas gave a smug look as he held the sea shells he gathered in one arm. "You looked like you needed to cool down—!" the smug look was wiped from his face when water splashed right across his face, making him drop all of the shells back into the waters.
"I was born and raised in an island. This is my domain!" Hikari said dramatically, puffing her chest out in pride. She moved around, making a few funny poses before deciding to stay on one pose. "Fear me, Landlubber!"
Roxas didn't know if he should laugh or face-palm because of Hikari's childish antics. "… I don't know what to say, really." He laughed behind his hand.
The brunette joined in the laughter.
In the end, they managed to collect a bunch of shells.
They went back to Hollow Bastion to make the charm, but to them it was a lot hard than it looks. They spent the next half an hour gluing the five pieces of Thalassa shells together to form the good luck charm.
"Well… at least we found five Thalassa shells." Hikari held the charm, staring at it with a sheepish smile. It didn't turn out like the way she pictured. It held together and didn't fall apart when she held it up, but it wasn't like the one Kairi made. They didn't find the same color, so they picked up and glued together different colors of Thalassa shells to form the charm. Two blues, one red, one green and one pink. "Do… you think Xion will like it?" she sighed, leaning back against the fountain's basin.
Roxas leaned back, glancing to his left to look at the other seashells they collected. "It… might not look the prettiest, but I'm sure she'll like it." He reassured with a smile on his face. "I should get going before Saix finds out where I am." He sighed, summoning a portal.
Hikari handed the charm to Roxas. "Tell me when Xion wakes up, okay? And don't let Saix's words get to you." She shoved her hand into her pocket, waving her other hand goodbye.
The blond nodded his head as he stepped inside the portal. "I'll try. See you later, Hikari." he closed the portal, waving his hand goodbye as well.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
-3 weeks later-
Clang
Hikari's keyblade was knocked away from her hand. It flung across the field, bouncing off the ground a few times before sliding to a stop across where she was sitting.
"Gee, are you okay, Hikari?" Mickey asked as he lowered his keyblade, staring worriedly at the girl sitting on the ground in front of him. The King constantly visited Hikari to talk and train together with his successor, but for the past visits, Hikari seemed to have her mind somewhere else. "Is there something bothering 'ya?" he summoned the keyblade away.
The brunette shook her head. "Nah, everything's good." She answered and stood up, walking towards the stairs. "Sorry if I'm not meeting up your standards." She apologized with a sheepish grin as she sat down on the steps.
"Don't say that! You've done your best!" Mickey smiled reassuringly. He reached his hand out to the Starseeker and it reappeared in his hand. He handed the keyblade back to the wielder. "Why, you're one of the most talented keyblade wielder I have ever seen!" he encouraged as he took a seat beside the girl.
Hikari laughed, holding the Starseeker. "Thanks, Mickey." she leaned against the Starseeker and slouched with a heavy sigh.
The Mysterious Tower was a weird world. It only consists of Yen Sid's tower and nothing else. Besides using a gummi ship and the Star Shard, it could be accessed from Twilight Town by the special train at the station. The dark corridors couldn't be used within the tower's distance. The user can appear right at the doorsteps, but it can't appear inside the tower because of Yen Sid's magic.
Hikari looked up, staring at the sunset sky. "Hey, Mickey… What would you do if your friend suddenly fell asleep and won't wake up?" she suddenly asked.
Mickey's eyes widened.
The brunette cleared her throat, continuing her explanation. "You see… my friend got caught up in an accident and she's been asleep ever since." She wanted to know what Mickey would do in a situation like her. He seemed to always have a good solution to every problem. "And then my other friend whose friends with my friend who got into an accident, hasn't been visiting me for a while… so I don't know how everything's going on… I'm worried. I wanted to visit them, but I don't know where they actually are." She sighed heavily.
Almost three weeks passed since she last heard from Roxas or Axel.
Mickey turned to look at the stars. "I see…"
"What do you think I should do?" Hikari asked.
"Well, one thing to do is to always have faith." Mickey said. "You have to believe that everything will turn out okay."
"Yeah…" Hikari raised her hand up, reaching for the star in the darkening sky. "But just believing is not enough, right?"
"…right."
The brunette turned in her sea, facing the king. "Sorry for talking about something unrelated to training, Mickey." she rubbed the back of her neck, sighing.
"No, no! It's alright! It's good to share things that's bothering your mind with someone." Mickey said, pushing himself up. He turned his head to Hikari, giving her a warm smile. "It's not good to keep those things bottled-up to yourself, you know." He continued.
"I guess… thanks!" Hikari grinned. "By the way… have you seen Riku lately? I haven't seen him in a week or so…" she sighed, her mind wondering off to her silver-haired friend.
Mickey shook his head. "I'm afraid not…"
The keyblade wielder sighed loudly again. "DiZ won't let me see Naminé too. He kept saying that she's super busy and doesn't have time to see me. It's like, everyone doesn't want to see me or something—You don't think that something's wrong with me, now do you?!" she turned to face the mouse, a dramatic look across her face. "I don't smell bad or anything, right?"
A chuckle was heard from the mouse. "I'm sure there's another reason for it." He said and the brunette pursed her lips in a pout.
Since she couldn't see Naminé or Riku, she spends her days with the committee. She loves spending time with the committee, but she wanted to see her two friends as well.
Mickey patted Hikari's shoulder. "Naminé's working really hard to piece Sora's memories together and I'm sure Riku's doing his best to keep all the bad things away from him." he reassured.
Hikari propped her head up with her hand, sighing. "You're right…" she looked up to the stars as silence fell between them. Looking at the stars always reminded her of what Ventus said—that he was among one of those stars if she wanted to talk to him—that he will be listening to her. Even though she became a keyblade wielder, a step closer to finding her friends, she was still so far away. "Is… being a keyblade wielder really worth it?" she mumbled under her breath.
"Hmm?" Mickey turned to look at the brunette.
The keyblade wielder blinked. "Uh… well… What is the keyblade anyway? What made us keyblade wielders so special?" she corrected, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Well—"
"In ancient times, the World was whole and full of light." A voice said from behind the two wielders, making them turn to look at the powerful wizard dressed in a blue robe. The aged man stood in front of the door, his hands behind his back as he glanced over to the two wielders before turning his gaze to look at the stars. "Kingdom Hearts was believed to be the source of all light. Many desired the power of Kingdom Hearts—thus everyone fought over it."
"Woah—wait—does that mean there was a war for Kingdom Hearts?" Hikari asked, completely baffled by the new information. "People fought for what's behind a door?" she glanced over to look at Mickey with her face scrunched up in confusion.
Mickey smiled a little. "That was another form of Kingdom Hearts—the heart of many worlds." He explained.
Hikari's mouth was shaped in an 'O' as she nodded, finally understanding.
Yen Sid nodded his head at Mickey before continuing his explanation. "It is known as a legend by many—the Keyblade War."
A sudden image of the rustic keyblades in a wasteland flashed before the brunette's eyes. She blinked a few times, shaking the image away. She turned her head to look at Yen Sid, waiting for him to continue.
"Kingdom Hearts was protected by its counterpart, the X-blade."
"The X-blade?" Hikari echoed. She somehow heard of that before.
"The X-blade coexist with the true Kingdom Hearts itself, a perfect union of all hearts and worlds. It is the only thing that can summon Kingdom Hearts." Yen Sid explained. He directed his hand to the keyblade in Hikari's hands. She looked down to the Starseeker, tilting her head in thought. "Such as the keyblade you are using now—the keyblades were originally created in the image of the X-blade." He continued.
Hikari's eyes stared at the Starseeker in awe. She never realized that the keyblade she was using was designed after the almighty X-blade.
"Though, the keyblade was created by those who intended to use darkness upon the world. Some choose to use them to protect the worlds of light." Yen Sid spoke, turning his head to look at both Mickey and Hikari—giving them nods.
Mickey placed his hand over Hikari's hand. "That's how special we are! We are chosen by the keyblade to continue their legacy to protect the light." He smiled.
Hikari smiled, raising her keyblade. She turned to look back at Yen Sid. "So… whatever happens to the X-blade?"
"In the aftermath of the battle, the X-blade was split into seven fragments of light and thirteen fragments of darkness."
"Woah…" Hikari exhaled loudly. Now, she has something to tell Roxas and Xion—the origin of keyblades. She had been wondering for awhile and both Roxas and Xion brought the topic up once or twice. She didn't know how to answer them since she doesn't know herself. Now, she could actually explain it to them both. "Were there other wielders besides us?" she asked curiously, perhaps they would told her about Ventus, Terra and Aqua.
Mickey looked down as Yen Sid closed his eyes, making the brunette frown.
"There were." Yen Sid answered. "There was a time when I walked the path of the Keyblade Master alongside Eraqus and…Xehanort. But the three of us have gone our separate ways."
The brunette blinked, a frown on her lips. She noticed the pause when Yen Sid mentioned the second name.
"And then, there were my three friends. Ven, Aqua and Terra." Mickey said, his eyes averted to stare at the ground. "Though, I never actually met Terra face to face, I heard a lot of good things from him! A friend of Ven and Aqua are also a friend of mine too!" he laughed, going back to his normal cheerful and positive self.
Hikari smiled. "They sound really cool." She didn't push on further. She knew what really happened to the them and it must've been painful for Mickey to discuss it. She looked down to the keyblade. 'I'll find them… I'll bring them back… somehow.' Her grip around her keyblade tightened.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
'Looks like they're not going to show up again…'
Hikari sighed, staring at the darkening sky. She laid on one of the benches, waiting for her friends to show up. This wasn't the first time she had been stood-up by her two friends—it had been happening for the past three weeks. She expected it and yet she still waited for them to come.
The brunette closed her eyes when the lights began to flicker on from the low light. Deciding that it was time to call it a day, she opened her eyes only to meet with another pair of blue eyes.
"WHOA!?" the brunette rolled over the bench, falling flat on her front. She pushed herself up as she heard giggles coming from above her. "Wha—"
"Were you always this clumsy?" Roxas laughed, offering his hand for her to take.
"Well, anyone would've fallen over if you do that." Hikari took his hand and he pulled her up to her feet. She patted the dust off her pants before realizing that there wasn't one, but two Nobodies standing in front of her. "HUH?! Xion!" she stared at the black-haired girl with her jaw dropped. "You're awake!" she cried out happily, throwing herself at the girl to give a big hug.
Xion giggled, patting Hikari's back. "Nice to see you too, Hikari!"
"Hey, what about me? Don't I get a hug too?" Roxas laughed, tapping his foot on the ground a few times.
Hikari pulled away from Xion and punched Roxas on his shoulder.
"Aw! What was that for?!" Roxas rubbed the spot where Hikari had punched him, glaring at her with a pout across his lips. "What's with the difference in treatment?"
"You never visited. Not even a word. Nada. Zip!" Hikari crossed her arms, glaring at the blond boy.
Roxas sighed, realizing his mistake. "Sorry… things have been pretty busy." He apologized, looking down to his feet.
The brunette sighed. "At least you two are here now, that's all that matters." She flashed them a smile, pulling them both for a hug.
Roxas and Xion exchanged smiles, returning the hug.
"Hey, Hikari, look!" Xion pulled something out from her pocket, holding it out for the brunette to see. It was the charm Roxas and her made a few weeks ago. "Thank you for the good luck charm… I kept it with me all the time and it actually worked. It brought me back safely every time." she held the charm close to her where her heart is, closing her eyes.
Hikari couldn't be more happier.
"Hey, how about we eat at that grilled cheese place you liked so much?" Xion suggested, pocketing the good luck charm back into her pocket.
"We can't go there dressed like this though…" Roxas looked down to his coat.
Hikari laughed. "There's always take-outs."
"Sounds like a plan!"
"Hey, hey, do you guys wanna know about the story of the keyblade?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"You seemed to be struggling."
Naminé looked down. "A Nobody… is interfering, I think." She said softly, her face showed concern.
DiZ stopped right beside the girl, gazing at her with curiosity. "A Nobody?" he asked before looking back at the boy inside the white pod.
The blonde nodded. "Yes… I keep trying to piece his memory back together, but what if some of the pieces get lost?" she folded her hands in front of her chest. "If that happened—and they found their way into someone else, he'd never get them back." she looked up, staring at the boy's sleeping face.
The bandaged man folded his hands behind his back. "Oh, I think he can do without a memory or two." he said, not glancing to look at the girl standing next to him. "The boy has plenty of memories to keep himself moving."
Naminé frowned, turning to look at the man. "But what—what if he needs those memories in order to wake up?" she asked. "What if they're the key?" her voice softened as she turned to look back at the boy.
Diz sighed. "Naminé, you are a witch who has powers over Sora's memories and those connected to him." he stated as the girl stayed quiet. He turned to the girl, his lips set in a thin line. "Are you seeing something I cannot?"
The Nobody sighed softly. "If his memories become her memories… she'll never survive it." She said in concern.
"She?"
Naminé looked down.
Hikari never told her of her friendship with both Nobodies and it worried her when the time comes to tell her the truth—
—of Roxas and Xion.
A/N: A pretty big time-skip! Sorry about that, if I don't do it then the story won't progress far haha. But we're reaching to the part where everything falls apart for the trio.