WARNING: MENTIONS OF CHARACTER DEATH
The moment I'd crossed the barrier between lands I was ambushed by a wailing Narexk. "I'm so sorry, Mommy!"
"I have half a mind to smack the two of you," I growled and shoved the blonde off, glaring at Xcaiyet, "I thought I told the two of you to stay outta it all!"
"Orders are orders. Even you won't go against Superior on something like this, would you?"
"It just makes no sense," I began to pace, still ignoring Narexk's whimpers, "I thought the two of you had hearts. Why send you on the mission too?"
I caught their exchanged glances. "About that…"
"I wanna see Demmy!"
"And I," a familiar voice boomed through the area, "want to know exactly what three Organization members are doing in my territory."
"UmmmohlookXcaiywe'reupgottagolaterAanyx!" With that Narexk grabbed Xcaiyet and the two disappeared. I rolled my eyes before bowing as Mozenrath appeared, "Forgive the intrusion, milord. I assure you it won't happen again."
"Have you any idea how annoying that little twit is? She's worse than your brother."
"Ah—yeah, well, that's Narexk for you. Though I do have a few somethings that may make up for it," I opened up a hand-sized portal and retrieved a handful of scrolls, "Not in order, yet, but I've managed to track down three of them. As promised, they are yours."
Mozenrath raised an eyebrow as he opened one of the scrolls and scanned through it. The papyrus crinkled as he dropped it back onto the pile in the crook of his arm, "If that is all; Were I not in a rather crutial meeting at the moment…"
Understanding I bowed again, "My apologies for the distraction, milord." And with that I disappeared, hovering in Betwixt and Between as I tracked the Keybearer's LightPath.
"What, you here to beat an answer outta me too?" I turned dumbly to the voice, concentration broken, but grinned at the sight before me. Riku was slumped against one of the invisible surfaces of B&B, familiar torque around his neck. "Ah, so you can be restrained, after all."
"But apparently you can't." The crinkle in his mask hinted at his narrowed eyes, making my grin grow as I decided to torment the boy, "Yes, well, never stop a woman on a mission. I may not be able to bring Roxas back before the others, but that doesn't mean there aren't ways to do so. Can't say Sora will be completely safe…"
"You can't hurt him. I know he's a major factor in whatever you're planning."
"Ah, but what's to stop me from tearing him limb-from-limb when he's no longer useful?" I chuckled darkly when he suddenly was on his feet, struggling against invisible bonds as the torque glowed an angry shade of red. "Oh, did I strike a nerve? I think I may strike a few more…" I stopped just out of the boy's reach, "You are no doubt aware of the plan regarding what we need from the Keybrat; I know you have at the very least tapped into those files before we restrained you. But tell me this; have you any idea the ends behind the means?"
He must have really, really hated me right then, because I could tell he struggled harder despite the burn on his wrists. I tsked, "Well, it really is no secret—But I don't think you've had the time to think on it, so I'll just leave you be."
And with a confidant, deranged smirk I honed in on Sora's LightPath and was gone, feeling much better with myself after the bout of revenge.
"Lookout!" I'd ducked just in time as Sora flew by on the flying carpet, headed straight for a rather pissed looking Jafar in his genie form. I narrowed my eyes; what was that idiot doing risking his neck where it didn't belong…?
"Aanyx!" Donald and Goofy ran up worriedly, "You'll help him—right?"
"Kat and Xcaiyet—did you fight them?"
"Uh—"
"Did they fade? I need to know—Bigfoot can hold his own for a few minutes more."
The two exchanged a glance before Goofy replied, "Well, we got the short one—she died just like every other Organization member."
I withheld the flare of emotions at that, "And Xcaiyet?"
"Gone. Disappeared."
I closed my eyes and channeled the pent-up anger and grief, focusing it into energy as I brought my hands up. I could feel the darkness calling—reacting to my offering of energy. "Give me flight…give me wings!" My back erupted in scalding heat as the Dark Matter formed dragonfly wings on my back—it wouldn't hold long, but long enough to get me up there.
With a shout I jumped, timing my arch perfectly as I landed onto the flying carpet. The wings faded into nothingness as I instead created a protective dome to block Jafar's attack. "Aanyx?"
"You really are an idiot if you think you can take this thing down on your own," I rolled my eyes and called my whips to hand, sparing him a glance as adrenaline shot through my system. I let out the grin just before leaping, embedding one of my whips into Jafar's shoulder. I morphed the other one into a mock Keyblade and turned to Sora, "Oi! Bigfoot! Now or never, idiot!"
When his blizaga spell hit I threw the mock blade at Jafar's wound, "You want power…" I called as much Dark Matter as I could to the blade as it stuck, "I'll give you power!" The Dark Matter imploded, the dark genie's curse lost in the sonar wave that flew through the entire courtyard. I dismissed both weapons, flipping mid-air and allowing Sora to steer the flying carpet into my path. He gripped my shoulder with a proud smirk, "Knew I could count on you."
I rolled my eyes and shrugged his hand off, choosing not to say anything, instead leaping off once I deemed it a safe enough distance. "Go do your shit. I'll be in the gummi."
I smirked at his holler of "You got it, boss" and portaled to the cockpit, starting the engines before fishing my communicator out. "Twilight Morph to all surviving members; Status update. Requesting Radio Silence, as of this moment, in honor of those that have fallen. Communicators will be offline to all use. Repeat; Radio Silence. Do not attempt contact unless absolutely crucial to the mission at hand. Twilight Morph out."
Clicking the device shut I opened the hatch and walked a few paces away from the ship, staring at the communicator. It seemed so long ago—staying in the artificial town, making Naminé promise to stay strong, watching the Struggle Match…
But it was no time to be sentimental. With a scowl I vaulted the device, letting it reach the peak of its arc before firing a bolt of Thundaga at it. I watched the minature firework bitterly before summoning my metamorphosis, carefully forming the sand into a strawberry-shaped hedgestone—the third impromptu memorabilia.
"Who would've thought someone so sweet…could be so evil…" Goofy said from somewhere behind me. I suddenly recalled a line from a book I'd read that seemed to fit almost perfectly for the situation. "There is no good and evil…"
"Huh?"
I turned to the trio, "There is no good and evil. There is only power—and those weak enough to corrupt it."
"Aan—"
"It's fine. There's no point in it." I kept my voice flat and emotionless—I really didn't want to hear his apologies right now, "She's gone, and there's still six more members to fight. You'll have to be on your toes, Bigfoot."
And that was that—I ignored the tears stinging my contacts, leading the way into the Astral Arrowhead without ever looking back. Because this wasn't goodbye. I would be bringing every last one of them back. And somewhere, beyond the shadow of the Light, I knew a half-cat and former merman were together again.
And that would have to be enough.
