I HOLD NO CLAIM TO ANY OF THE ORIGINAL KINGDOOM HEARTS CHARACTERS! NOTHING! :(

Chapter Seven

Aqua

Deep Space

"Are you sure we should be here?"

"What are you afraid of, Lucient?"

"Aqua, we just landed on what I am assuming to be an alien Spaceship; without authorization. These things are going to be pissed."

"Oh, don't worry. We'll be-" An alarm began to blare as a red light blinked and Lucient shot Aqua a look.

"Don't say a word," She told him. Unversed ran past an open door and she wasted no time in running after them, summoning her weapon. "Is there any world they haven't found?"

"Apparently not," Lucient growled, following her into the room with his lance.

As the two of them struck down the Unversed, Aqua kept feeling her eyes travel to Lucient. She didn't know why but something that he had said in the Coliseum stayed fresh in her mind, making questions travel through her brain; questions that she shouldn't be worrying about at a time like this.

"You're sweet, Lucient, but I don't need you to protect me. I can take care of myself." Aqua told him.

"I know you can, but whether or not you want me to, I'm still going to. I'll always protect those important to me, no matter what. That's just how I am." He glanced at her again. "You should be honored."

She found herself thinking about what was going to happen when all of this finally came to an end. What would happen to Lucient? She knew, that when she started, she was going to go right back to Eraqus but now…she found that she didn't want to. She liked traveling between the worlds. She liked traveling with Lucient. He was a fierce warrior, no doubt in that, but there was also another side of him that she had seen; especially in Radiant Garden with the children that they had met. A kindness, a caring that she found herself longing to see more, to get to know more. She knew that this journey was coming closer and closer to an end, she could feel it, but she found herself not wanting it to do so.

It was the first time in her life that she found herself feeling this way. It was different from how she felt about Terra and Ventus; it was more personal. She didn't understand it at all but she did know that she wanted to stay close to Lucient. He was…important to her now, no matter how long they had known one another. This was the man that had saved her from the dragon that the witch had turned into. This was the one that wanted her to stay out of serious battles so she wouldn't get hurt. This is the one that felt she was important to him. She didn't know what to think but hearing those words…it made her feel…

"Hey, Aqua," Lucient's voice made the young woman turn. All the Unversed were defeated. In his hand was something that looked like a star. She grabbed it with a frown. She brushed Lucient's hand and for some reason a warming feeling passed over her arm. She mentally waved it away.

"This looks like the Wayfinders…" She commented. "But how did it get here?"

Lucient had seen the Wayfinder that Aqua had and knew that she had made one for Terra and Ventus. "Could it be possible that it just looks similar," He asked her. "Or do you think that one of the others have been here?"

Before Aqua could reply a blue creature ran in and grabbed the star from her hand. Lucient readied his lance, in case the creature attacked, but he didn't have to worry about that. The creature growled at Aqua, yes, but it didn't attack.

"Tell me," Aqua began. "Where did you get that?"

It was then that Lucient saw it. The bracelet on the creature's arm. The black strap held together by a Keyblade Keychain. It was Bailey's bracelet. He had seen that on her wrist since he had met her. For this little guy to have it, it only meant one thing.

"You know Bailey, don't you?" He had leaned down to level his face with the creature. "She and Terra have been here, haven't they?"

At the mention of their names the creature stopped growling and a look of shock appeared. "You know…Baley?"

"Come out you little trog!" A deep voice joined them and the little creature took off without another word. Aqua called after it but Lucient stood up, facing the large alien that had decided to join them in the room.

~This is gonna be bad~

"You there," He glared at the two of them. "Has Experiment 626 passed through this area?"

"I don't understand," Aqua shook her head. "Experiment what?"

He glared even harder. "Don't be dense. Dr. Jumba Jookiba's genetic abomination-626! Small? Blue? Vicious?"

"Do we look like aliens to you, big guy?" Lucient crossed his arms before Aqua could reply. "We're not from around here. What makes you think that we would know what you're looking for?" He had a good feeling that the little blue guy was what this one was looking for.

"That's true…" He frowned, looking at them. "Just what-" His voice was cut off by a sound in the ceiling above them. "Ha! He's in the ventilation system! Blast! He got away again." He turned to leave but then glanced back at the duo. He had pulled a large gun out on them. "The two of you are trying to stow away, are you?"

"If that were so, then we wouldn't be taking part in this wonderful conversation with you, now would we?" Lucient grunted.

Aqua tried to hide her smile. The big guy didn't like that answer too much and ended up ordering the two of them to follow him to the captain. They didn't have to go very far to meet the leader.

"What is this?" The blue woman moved towards them with a frown. "Captain Gantu, did I not order you to apprehend the fugitives immediately?"

"Yes," Gantu nodded. "And I will have them in custody soon. They'd be locked up already if those wretched monsters would just-I mean, if I hadn't uncovered these potential stowaways."

"We weren't trying to sneak on board," Aqua moved forward instantly. "My name is Aqua and this is Lucient and we followed those monsters here into the ship. We're trying to stop them. Please, we can handle this threat. Just give us a chance."

"Why bother?" Lucient crossed his arms. "This guy was about to throw us in jail."

Aqua ignored him. "Let me show you. The weapon I carry is the only one that can stop them.

The woman pulled a surprised look. "Our weapons are of no use against them?" She glared at the big guy. "Is this true?"

Gantu looked like he was about to piss himself. "Well, we haven't explored all our options-"

"Nor do we have time to." She looked back at Aqua. "We are fortunate that you and your friend are here. Your assistance would be most welcome."

"But Grand Council woman, you can't honestly believe what this stowaway says?"

"I think you'll find I can." She replied. "We have a crisis. Jumba and 626 remain at large and these monsters are obstructing attempts to apprehend them. Or did I mishear your latest excuse as to why you've again failed to carry out your duties, Captain?"

"Oh, ouch." Lucient shook his head.

The alien looked back at Aqua. "Will you help us?"

"Of course," Aqua nodded. "Defeating them is my job. It's what I do best, ma'am."

She nodded. "Then might I make one other request?" She turned to the screen behind her and a picture of 626 and Jumba appeared. "Should you happen upon our fugitives please do whatever you can to apprehend them intact."

Lucient recognized the blue creature on the screen and took a step forward. "You want us to capture them?"

Gantu took a step forward himself. "But you can't just-that's my job!"

"You had your chance, Captain Gantu," The woman waved him away. "Now you will stand down and await orders." Gantu gave a growl but didn't respond. "We will monitor the location of the monsters and keep you apprised. Thank you for your help. Both of you."

"Of course," Aqua relied but Lucient crossed his arms with a snort. He didn't say a word until the two of them were in the halls alone again.

"Why agree to help them? This had nothing to do with us."

"Because I'm a nice person and that's what nice people do." Aqua told him. "And despite what you say, you're a nice person too, Lucient, so just go along with it, hmm?"

He blinked, shocked that she would say that to him. It made him grin. "All right, Miss Nice, where do we start first?"

Aqua led the way through the Alien ship, cutting down the Unversed as they searched along the corridors, searching for Jumba and 626. As they struck down a large group of the strange creatures, a question popped up in his head.

"If only the Keyblades are supposed to kill these creatures, then why have I never had a problem with them?" Lucient asked. "Or Selia?"

Aqua came to a stop with a frown. "I…never really thought about it. Master Eraqus said that only we had the power to defeat them."

"This Eraqus being the same uncle that shunned Bailey, right?"

"She wasn't shunned." Aqua argued.

"Then what do you call it?"

She hung her head, not sure what the answer was. "I don't know, but Eraqus loves his niece. I know that much. What happened…it was all just a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding or not," Lucient growled. "He let her go. I wouldn't have." He moved past. "I never will."

Aqua heard that last mumble and she felt a strange feeling in her heart. A sadness. Did…did Lucient like Bailey? As she followed him, she wore a frown thinking this over. The thought of Lucient having a thing for Bailey made her sad; but why? She didn't understand any of this. Ever since the final test she found herself more and more confused about everything. Maybe…maybe she wasn't ready to be a master after all.

"Hey, it's that thing again."

Lucient's voice dragged her from her thoughts again. 626 was before them in the hallway, searching for…something it seemed. He was so focused on that, he didn't even see the creatures getting ready to attack him from behind.

"Look out!" Aqua shot forward just in time to knock the Unversed away from the little blue guy. She turned to face him, her Keyblade fading away again. "You must be Experiment 626. I have orders to take you in."

Lucient opened his mouth to reply but the blue guy beat him too it. "Terra! Belay!"

"I knew it." He leaned down in front of the blue guy. 626 had lowered onto all of his arms and began to scurry towards him. "Come here, little guy. We need to talk."

626 went to say something but more Unversed showed up. Aqua sighed. "First things first."

It was easy to kill the Unversed with their attention stuck on the blue alien that was trying to crawl away from their attack range. Lucient smirked as it smacked its butt at the creatures, teasing them for being slow. He wasn't sure if they understood what it mean but it was still funny. After the fight, 626 returned to his search.

"What is it you're looking for?" Aqua asked, watching him.

626 turned to look at her. "Ter…ra…Bal…ey."

"Huh? What do you-" 626 jumped to the ceiling and fled again. Aqua tried to call after him. "Wait! I just have to ask you-" But he was gone.

"He's worse to keep ahold of than Yuffie is," Lucient sighed, shaking his head. "When that little squirt realizes she wants something, nothing can take her mind off of it. I remember her even breaking into Cid's shop one time instead of waiting for the next morning to get some supplies for her radio. Funniest damn thing I ever saw. If she wasn't Renee's niece, I don't know what Cid would have done."

"And Renee is?"

"Cid's wife. She takes care of Yuffie after her parents died. In fact she takes care of a lot of the orphans, or helps, anyway. With the three of us gone, she's probably got her eye on all of them right this very moment. Cid complains a lot, but you know he's a good guy on the inside. He had to be to get Renee to fall for him."

"You care a lot for them," Aqua commented. "All of them in that world, don't you?"

"Of course I do. They're my family." Lucient nodded. "I wouldn't change them for anything. Though I do admit that I would like to get Kieran to stop being a brat."

Aqua giggled. "He sounds like you."

"That's the point. Who do you think taught him? Having one of me is bad enough, let alone two. And if I can admit that, you know it's the truth."

They were sent to the launch deck not long after and Aqua urged Lucient to continue talking about the people in Radiant Garden. She liked listening to him talk about his friends and the others there. He liked listening to him talk period and she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

But then Lucient stopped talking, pulling a frown. "Lucient?"

"Shh," He silenced her softly and pointed down below them. 626 was there, this time with Jumba.

"It's time to give up. Then I will fix abnormality and ridiculous behavior stops."

626growled something at Jumba. Lucient wanted to wait and see what happened but Aqua didn't like what Jumba was saying.

"Hold it right there!" She jumped down behind them. "Dr. Jumba, Experiment 626…We've been authorized to take you into custody."

"Terra!" 626 moved fast before any of them could move. Lucient watched as the creature ripped the star Aqua had found from her hand and then began to rub his face on it.

Aqua pulled a soft smile. "So it really does belong to you. But…where have you seen that shape?"

"Use your brain, Aqua," Lucient told her, watching 626 with his own smile. "It's clear that he's met Terra and Bailey."

"Tall one speaks truth," Jumba moved forward. "It's a copy of good luck charm that boy Terra showed him. Terra said friend gave him charm, was very protective of it. Girl Bailey had to trade bracelet of hers to get it." Lucient gave a soft frown at that but continued to watch in silence.

"And now because of Terra and Bailey and their little baubles my genius creation is hesitation in his genetically programmed destructive instincts. Just look at him!"

Lucient went to speak but a blast from a ray gun grabbed all their attentions to see that Gantu had arrived and had been trying to hit 626.

"What are you doing?" Aqua growled. "Our orders are to capture them alive!"

"I've decided to take a new approach," Gantu replied. "All right, you two, any last words before I blast you into a million pieces?" 626 roared something and it pissed the big guy off. "I'm just big-boned!" He began to chase after the little blue guy, almost had him cornered too if Lucient hadn't jumped in his way. "I warned you. Stay out of it!"

"I refuse." He smirked. "You'll have to get through me to get to him."

Gantu was tough, that was for sure, or maybe it just felt that way because Aqua had been helping him in the previous hard fights. This time she stayed out of it, making sure that 626 stayed safe. If he had grown so used to her helping him in all of this then maybe it was a good idea to get this mission over with; why did that give him a bad feeling?"

"I'm not done with you yet!" Gantu, refusing to accept defeat, went to give another strike but the voice of the Grand Council Woman put a stop to that.

"Enough!" They turned to see that the female alien had joined them. "I observed everything on the monitor."

"I…I can explain," The big guy tried to speak but she walked right past him.

"The two of you have been of great service, Aqua, Lucient. Thank you. Captain Gantu, escort 626 to the asteroid to which he's been banished. When you return, you're back on patrol."

He hung his head. "Not patrol."

Aqua watched as they began to leave but had to have a final say. "Please, your Highness, would you consider sparing Experiment 626?"

She turned. "Spare him? He's an extremely dangerous creature. I cannot release such a menace."

"But it seems to me that he's at least trying to make friends. And dangerous or not, I really believe that he can succeed."

She sighed. "Very well, Aqua. If he behaves himself, I will consider shortening his exile."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"See, not so bad," Lucient crossed his arms and watched as the young woman talked to the blue creation.

"Acuwaa…fren…Terra…Ven…Baley…Sela…" He glanced at the tall teen. "Lucy-ent."

Aqua chuckled at the look on her friends face. "I'll let this slide…but only once." He watched as 626 and Jumba walked off with the Council Woman. "Let's go, Aqua."

We're right there at the end, guys. Are you ready for it?

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