Yo yo everyone! It's Enigma back with another chapter! This time, it's Port Royal! One of my favorites ^^ sorry for the long wait, college has been murder lately. Hopefully I'll have more time to update after my art class is finished in a couple days, but for now it'll be a minute. This chapter is a bit more touchy feely than I'm used to, but hopefully it doesn't show. I may edit this later ^^" I hope you enjoy!

I don't own Kingdom Hearts! If I did, Vincent Valentine would've been included a long time ago! Seriously, I'd fangirl over him the entire time :P huh... I'm running out of these. I should have y'all make some! X3

36. Port Royal

A brisk chill shot up my spine as we gathered together under the cool night air, the dark atmosphere a severe contrast to all the worlds we've visited thus far. The sky was pitch black, rays of white and deep navy blue breaking through the soft clouds obscuring the moon's radiance, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore, to me, felt more foreboding than soothing. Kairi stood by my side, appearing just as cautious and as tense while the boys to my right, though relaxed to an extent, sensed the tension and scanned the area with a sharp look. When our eyes landed on the town below, we each took a collective breath, eyes wide in fright and filled with worry.

"Were we too late!?" My jaw dropped in shock at the destruction, the cacophony of terrified wails chilling my skin. Below lay a town half drowned in flames and a port filled with boats and ships fleeing outward from the fires nearby. Spots of black scurried through the shadows, the familiar white flames of a Follower's eyes lighting the earth in a haunting glow as they trailed after the citizens of Port Royal unable to escape their wrath, and under the roar of flames and cries of the townsfolk came an eerie hiss-like moan followed by the whistle of a sharp blade and the cracking of wood.

"Not yet we're not!" Riku summoned his Way to Dawn, and the rest of us followed suit with our weapons, a determined light in his aquamarines, "Let's go!"

Each of us gave a sharp nod then raced into town, dodging waves of escaping citizens as we rushed into the flames towards the army of Followers waiting just ahead. Once we were in the town streets, we fanned out and started to slice through the Follower horde. One after another, the monsters were reduced to black sludge and our clothes were stained in their ink. More often than not, we found ourselves engulfed in white fire, and sustained burns on our skin, but we continued to fight on until the entire road was clear and moved onto the next. The eerie moaning from before seemed to grow louder as we traveled deeper into town, and I mentally thanked the stars that the town had been cleared of people. I don't think I could handle so many deaths at one time.

Just as I crushed through my current collection of monsters, a cry for help rang from further down.

"Help! Someone!"

I looked behind me; I saw only Kairi for assistance since the boys were further back, and sharing a look we ran ahead and found a tragic sight. A man was crouched in front of a collasped roof, attempting lift it off what sounded like a weeping child underneath it. Though he pushed with all his might, he couldn't build up the strength to free the small child, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the Followers came again.

We ran over to the struggling gent and knelt on either side of him, Kairi stabbing her Keyblade under the roof for leverage while I settled with my gauntlets, and I turned to the man who gave a us a look of thanks.

"Don't worry! We'll have you out in no time!" I said to the child, my voice portraying as much hope as it could, "As soon as this is high enough, I want you to crawl on out, okay!?" I saw the wide eyes of the child juggle in hurried agreement, and readied myself to lift on the man's call.

"Okay! On three!" The man demanded, readying himself for the strain, "One! Two! Three!" On the third count, the three of us lifted with all our strength combined, managing to raise it a foot off the ground before our power failed us. The child gave a startled scream as the roof came crashing down, and Kairi was quick to sooth him.

"It's okay! It's okay, sweetie. We're going to try again, alright?" Kairi cooed the poor child, her gentle smile hoping to raise the kid's spirits.

"C'mon! They're coming!" I ordered, seeing a few Followers escape the boy's wall of defense, "Sora! Riku!"

Turning back, both keybearers jumped at my voice and rushed towards us when the monsters came near. Knowing they could handle themselves just fine, I returned to the task at hand, "Okay! One more time! On three!"

"One!"

"Two!" Kairi grunted, getting a good grip on her keyblade

"Three!" On the man's command, we pulled on the roof's edge in a continuous stride. My arms screamed out for mercy as the metal gauntlets dug deep into the rough shingles, but the man and I succeeded in getting to our feet, leaving just enough room to free the captive boy and send the roof caving in. Sora and Riku finished off the last of the slime riddled creatures just as Kairi and I circled the child and checked for any marks or injuries. I sighed in relief, smiling and wiping away the boy's tears when I found him with only a few cuts and scrapes.

"You're okay, little one. You're safe," I stroked the boy's matted hair as he clung to my legs. I lifted my head once the child was calm and faced the raven haired man with relief in my eyes, "Do you think you could take this kid to the docks or further inland until this all settles out? Maybe find his parents too?"

"Of course," he replies with a grateful smile, "And thank you for your help," he suddenly turns to the spiky brunette, "It's nice to see you again, Sora."

Said boy rotates around and with a bright beam, waves a greeting, "Hey Will!"

"Will?" I pondered curiously.

"You two know each other?" Kairi asked politely, looking between the two.

"We met on my last adventure," Sora grinned, then addressed Will, "Where's Elizabeth and Jack?"

"Elizabeth had already made it to safety when those creatures attacked, and the last I saw Jack, he was making his rounds in all the confusion," Will's voice ended in an exasperated sigh, as if the mere thought of this 'Jack' brought unpleasant thoughts. Riku, Kairi and I looked towards each other and tilted our heads, pondering the hidden meaning behind his words while Sora seemed to be the only one in the know.

"Same old, Jack, huh?"

"The 'greatest' pirate to ever sail the seas," Will loaded the word 'best' with so much sarcasm, one could choke on it, and then wondered, "I see you've brought new friends."

"Oh yeah! Will, this is Riku, Kairi, and Mavis. We have another friend here named Anolani," Sora introduced us, each giving a simple wave, "We came here because of those monsters attacking the town."

"They are nothing like I've ever seen. Certainly nothing like the Heartless," the man explained, "A whole armada of them came into town, led by a much larger beast wielding a scythe, and destroyed the town. Many of us were lucky enough to escape, but those that didn't were consumed by them, and made in their image. I've never seen such horrors since Barbossa. I stayed behind to make sure everyone had made it out alive."

"A wise choice considering," I commended, unconsciously brushing the boy's hair after his shaking settled. The same eerie moan drifted through the streets once more, causing the boy to quake in fear, "You need to go to safety, Mr. Will, it's not safe here. That monster is still lurking around. We'll take care of things for now."

"If you're sure," Will acquiesced to my command, taking the shivering child into his hands, "Before I leave, I should tell you; though Barbossa is gone and buried along with that dreadful curse, there is still an evil lurking on the Isla de Muerta."

"Isla de Muerta?" Riku asked.

"An island not too far from Port Royal. The Island of Death. If I had to guess, that's where those monsters had come from, it only makes sense."

"Right, we'll keep that in mind," I nodded, storing the information away for now and bid the two farewell and a safe trip inland. Once I was sure the two had gone, I faced the keybearers. "We should get going. No doubt that's a hybrid he's talking about."

"We should catch it before it escapes to sea," Riku added, "Otherwise we'll be stuck without a ship."

"I wouldn't say that," Sora said, appearing cheeky with a sly look in his azure eyes.

I laughed at his ridiculous countenance, "Don't tell me you have a ship here?"

"And if I do?"

"Then you'd surpass my expectations," I shrugged, "That's if you can prove it, Spikey."

"I can so prove it!" He fought back, his voice concealed as Riku brought a new topic of discussion.

"I didn't know you had a thing for kids," the silverette said with a warm smile, the feel of his eyes over me causing me to turn my head away in embarrassment.

"Don't you think we're wasting time talking about my affinity for children, Riku?" I crossed my arms and shot him a glare. A reluctant one, but very much needed at the moment, "We should be chasing that hybrid before it reaches the shoreline."

Taken back by the ice in my tone, the boy shot a leer back with twice as much heat, "And you and Sora talking about ships isn't wasting time?"

"It's important to know our possible means of transportation if the hybrid escapes to sea, therefore it's completely relevant. Talking about my ways with kids, unfortunately for you, isn't," once again I thanked the stars for keeping my voice firm while my heart threatened to crack under the pressure of his heated glare.

Riku sighed from his nose and said angrily, "You know what? I don't get you! One minute you kiss me, and now you're spitting venom in my face!? What's wrong with you!?"

I winced at his final sentence, the words piercing through me like a burning knife through flesh and almost cracking my facade. "Everything I do is for a reason, Riku. That's all you need to know."

Silence filled the air, only to be broken by another hiss and whistle of a blade cutting through planks of wood. Kairi joined my side and placed a caring hand on my shoulder, looking to Sora for some kind of guidance. Knowing it was better to let things settle out for a while, the brunette turned towards his friend and said, "C'mon, guys. We have a hybrid to catch and a town to save. We're a team, remember?"

Sora smiled in hopes of lightening the mood, but Riku was quick to rip away from the group, his mind set on finding the monster that seemed keen on destroying everything in its path. Sora's smile fell, and he raced after Riku, Kairi and I taking the rear.

"Mavis, I know what you're trying to do," Kairi said softly, looking ahead to keep an eye on the boys, "Won't it make things worse for yourself?"

"It's the only logical thing to do, we've talked about this," I mumbled, recalling our earlier conversation on the Gummi ship before we landed, "I can't get close to him. Not anymore..."

"Mavis?"

...

"Maaavis...?

Why does this feel so familiar?

"C'mon Mavis, I know you're awake!"

"That's because a certain red-head won't let me sleep in peace," I growled harshly through the arm pillow I had made on the control panel, and curled deeper into the warmth of the sleeves, "Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation, now would we?"

"But we haven't talked about it since we left," Kairi pouted, leaning over the back of the chair so her head was over my hunched shoulders, "It's been two hours, and I have a feeling you're trying to avoid it."

"Oh really? What was your first clue? The bruise on my forehead or that fact I'm trying to catch up on sleep?"

"Both actually."

Lifting myself up, I turned my eyes with a slight scowl to the blurry pinks and reds I knew to be Kairi and said, "Listen, Kairi. I get you're trying to be helpful, but I really rather not talk about it."

"But I said you could tell me anything, Mavis," she replied with sweet sincerity, facing me and placing a gentle hand on my shoulder, "It obviously has you acting down, and it worries me." I could feel the pleasant intent in her eyes and the underlying worry in her voice, and bowed my head to avoid her gaze. Even then, I could still feel the warmth of them and the assuring grip on my shoulders. I couldn't escape them, and I knew I couldn't escape these haunting feelings building within me. Kairi was only trying to coax them out into the open. I couldn't hide this from her, I could hide nothing from her. Though I tried once to speak my mind or tell her it was nothing, my throat wouldn't let the words out. I was trapped.

Seeing my internal struggle flash over my downtrodden features and air slip passed my moving lips, she smiled and knelt down into her usual spot by my feet, grasping my knee and speaking as if to an injured child, "You've found it, didn't you?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words became lodged in my throat. Resigning to defeat, I nodded my head and lay my elbow on the dashboard, resting my head on my palm with a sullen look. "... Yes, I have. But within the wrong person entirely."

"The wrong..., there's no such thing as 'the wrong person', Mavis. Your heart chose him. You chose him," the young princess smiled, already a giddy feeling rising in her eyes, "It's wonderful isn't it?"

Again I found myself lost for words, and looked at the back doors in fear of being overheard. When I was met with silence, I let out a steady stream of air and replied in a small voice, "Now that I've experienced it myself, I... I-I just don't know what to think. I spent all my life rejecting those kind of emotions, but now...," I let a tiny bit of laughter and pressed my hands close to my fluttering chest, "I can't stop myself from thinking of him."

"Aw, Mavis! This is amazing!" Kairi squealed excitedly, practically jumping in place. I was quick to silence her, putting my hands over her grinning mouth.

"Quiet, will you!? Do you want the whole ship to hear!?" I urged her to calm with a fiery glare. Her smiled remained when I pulled away.

"Maybe I do," she stuck her tongue out playfully, and giggled, "Somehow, I always knew."

"How could you have known? It's not that obvious, is it?" I ducked to hide the blush on my cheeks, embarrassment making them flare like a signal fire.

"It's just that you two always go at it! I mean, at first I thought you two were gonna beat each other senseless. Then I guess later on I noticed things mellowed out, and you two became closer. Still at each other's throats, sure, but definitely closer. I always thought when people like each other, they pick at one another."

I gave her a strange look, "Isn't that only applied to children?"

"Like you two are any different," the red-head laughed and pushed my hands away when I moved to give her a quick jab, then continued, "Well it's true! Besides, I see the way you look at him, don't deny it!"

"I'm not! I'm not," I shook my head with a soft smile, then became washed in a deep sense of foreboding and lowered my eyes to my crossed legs, "I've accepted these feelings into my heart. I understand what I'm feeling for him, truly, but I... I-I can't help feeling that this is some huge mistake. I've never felt this way before, it's a bit scary- alien really. I'm not even sure if I'm suppose to feel this way for anyone. To care so much about him."

"Mavis, that's crazy. Of course you're suppose to; everyone is allowed to like, even love someone else. It's natural," she squeezed my knee in reassurance, but it wasn't enough to quell the worry in my mind.

I shook my head slowly, "Kairi, I understand that well enough, but think about it. I don't belong in this world. I'm a god in this dimension, a lot of what I see here is my job. The people, the places, they're all my responsibility. It may be the same to you keybearers, but you belong here. You have more freedom than you can ever imagine, while I..., well," I chuckled darkly, "You can only assume the duties that come with being a god. And many of those duties don't include involvement with the mortal beings you watch over."

"Mavis, why should any of that matter?" Kairi fought, determination alight on her countenance, "You care about him, don't you?"

"More than I can comprehend, Kairi," I replied, becoming frustrated, "You have no idea how much I care about him, and what it's doing to me. Damn it, I can't even think straight, I'm like some hormonal teenage heroin from one of Anolani's soaps caught in the middle of a damn love triangle! It's confusing, but I just can't stop myself from feeling this way."

"Then what's holding you back?"

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, a heavy weight settling on my shoulders as the next few words slipped through my gated lips, "Kairi, what do you think will happen when this adventure of ours is over?"

She dipped her chin thoughtfully, scanning possibilities and scenarios in her mind before her eyes widened in surprised, "You're afraid you'll never see him again once you leave."

"Yes, but it's not just that," I continued, turning slightly to the stars that glimmered beautifully against the swirling blackness of space, "The phrase 'our hearts are connected' is true in its own right, and there are possibilities that you all will see each other again, for the worlds will always be in need of a keybearer so long as there is darkness. But that doesn't apply to gods, Kairi. Chronos Cay is a whole other dimension entirely, and only available now because of Nil's attack on the worlds. When our world is in danger, strangely enough, it becomes accessible to all others in this dimension, and it can be visited through the Lanes Between. However, once that threat is gone," I reached up, eyeing a particular bright light just out of reach, and closed my hand around it, "Chronos will heal, and the gates will close."

"And... we'll never be able to see you guys again," the red head appeared almost horrified, suddenly understanding the deep sadness in my tone as I lowered my arm and slouched over in defeat.

"Not until our world is in danger again. We have communications set up with King Mickey, Yen Sid, and I'm sure there are some distress beacons linked to Radiant Garden in Ansem's study. But even so, such links are hardly used, and there is only a small gap of time during the healing process from which others can visit. Three days at most. Then Chronos Cay will be gone from this dimension.

"Kairi, I'm afraid of caring too much for him," I mentally cursed, hearing my voice crack, "I-I'm afraid I might be... m-might be falling... a-and I...," I took a slow, shaky breath and covered my face to hide the grief, "This wasn't suppose to happen...! I didn't want this to happen, but it did, somehow someway. And now leaving him behind will be that much harder..."

I held back a pained sob, but my shoulders shook with unreleased tears. Never have I felt so vulnerable, so useless in my life. I was at the mercy of my own emotions; I couldn't stop the way my heart soared at the sight of him or the way it jumped whenever I heard his laugh or saw his smile. His face and voice were thoroughly ingrained in my mind, and just the idea of being torn away from him..., It's just too much.

How could this have happened? Why did I let this happened?

"Mavis," Kairi's gentle touch on my shoulders made me flinch, but I didn't make a move to acknowledge her, "Mavis, you shouldn't think about stuff like that. All that matters is that you spend as much with him as you can, right? Make every moment last."

Slowly, I peeled away from my hands and grasped into the princess's careful arms, my blurry vision focused on the pinks of her dress. "No..., I can't. It'll just make things worse for myself. The heartbreak, I believe, will be unbearable. Treasuring the moments I have left with him will only cause me to suffer, Kairi. I don't think I'll last through the pain now that I'm so far gone. He's the first person I've come to care about to this extent, and the fact that I have to leave him when this is over...," my voice cracked and dropped to a whisper, and I found myself wrapped in Kairi's soft embrace, my head coming to rest on her shoulder, "This is the biggest mistake I've ever made..."

"Mavis, if you do this, you'll end up hurting yourself even more," Kairi tried to reason with me, but I shook my head in disagreement.

"I know I'll hurt myself doing this. I've come to care for him too much, and it kills me to say these things," I said numbly, putting a hand over my heart, "But I can't think of any other option. This was a mistake, and I have to fix it before it's too late."

With a sudden huff, Kairi stamped her feet and took hold of my arm. When I met her eyes, I was surprised to see a glare on her gentle features, "You're a scientist, right?"

"Yeah, so what of it?"

"Then you'd agree with me when I say that some mistakes lead to great discoveries, right?" She said determinedly, a fierce glow in her eyes.

"W-Well, yes, but-!"

"No buts, Mavis! No more buts!" The red head urged, seeming fed up, "You keep saying that everything you feel is a mistake! That caring about him is a mistake! Do you know how stupid that sounds!?"

"Kairi-!"

"Goddess or not, you have a right to care! To feel! To love! Who cares if you don't see him!? How many times do we to tell you that nothing is impossible!? Just believe that you'll see each other again and you will!" Kairi continued, "It worked for me, and I'm positive it'll work for you."

"Kairi...," I suddenly felt deflated and worn out, too tired emotionally to fight back against her words.

The young princess of heart smiled softly and took hold of my arm, dragging me towards the boys with a firm grip, "Just think about it, okay? And I'm sorry for yelling."

"Just shut up and pull," I sighed, feeling the rest of my body fail to move, "I just want to get this hybrid slain and delt with before I lose my mind."

Kairi giggled at the jab and continued to pull me through town, "Don't worry. It'll get easier, I promise."

Since when did being girl become so difficult? I inwardly groaned, a weight settling on my back and shoulders. Dear sweet mother above... take me with you!