(Ambience Cue: Dearly Beloved – KH2 Remix version)
Back in Disneylahn, Eraqus stood before Yen Sid as he sat upon the center throne. Mickey and Oswald stood off to the side, the three Dandelions laying asleep still in beds nearby. Xehanort sat in a hunch on the throne to Yen Sid's left. Before them were three Keyblades: Master Ory's Two-Pence, Millicent's Abyssal Tide, and Lillian's Daughter of the Sea, all with flowered wreaths hanging from the pommels. Yen Sid took a sad sigh and rose to his feet.
"Ordinarily, the successful completion of a Mark of Mastery exam is a day of celebration and joy. But then as we all know, sometimes fate has other designs for us. Not only do we celebrate Eraqus's ascension to the rank of Keyblade Master, but we also honor and celebrate the lives of three of our comrades. A son, a sister, and a lover. Although they no longer stand beside us, they remain forever with us within our hearts, and within our memories." Yen Sid said as they all bowed their heads in respect, Eraqus allowing a tear to fall from his face. After a moment of silence, Yen Sid cleared his throat, everyone looking up at him.
"Ordinarily, the Keyblades of fallen Wielders would be sent to the Keyblade Graveyard to stand amongst their fellows, but in this case, we're making a special allowance. Eraqus…" Yen Sid said before motioning towards Lillian's Keyblade. Eraqus nodded and approached her Keyblade, respectfully removed the wreath and laid it aside. He then picked up the Keyblade, the weapon reverting to its Keychain form in his hand. He then stepped back as Yen Sid raised his hand towards the two remaining Keyblades which soon glowed with light and slowly faded away until they had vanished, the wreaths falling to the ground beneath them. Yen Sid then took a steady breath.
"Now that the time for tears has passed…" he said, his gaze narrowing and shifting sharply towards Xehanort. Xehanort suddenly found himself catapulted from the throne, sending him tumbling across the ground. Xehanort hissed in pain from his back as he landed on the floor.
"GAH!" he cried out as Yen Sid glared at him angrily.
"Xehanort, you have openly consorted with the forces of Darkness! You provided them with information and have directly led to the pain, suffering, and death of innocent lives! What say you to your defense?" Yen Sid asked as Xehanort staggered to his feet, a defiant scowl on his face but he refused to look at his master.
"I have none." He replied. Yen Sid gave a respectful nod, accepting his answer.
"Very well. As the Guardian of the World of Disneylahn, I sentence you to exile from this world. You may never return here for as long as I maintain guardianship of this world. I expect you to leave as soon as possible." Yen Sid said as Xehanort bowed his head and then turned to Eraqus. Eraqus looked at him with a sad but stern expression. Xehanort took a breath and reached under his coat, pulling out Millicent's tome, handing it to him.
"I promised Lillian that I would return this to her when I was finished. She would want you to have it in her stead." Xehanort said before turning away and starting to walk towards the doors. Eraqus took a breath before turning towards his old friend.
"Xehanort!" he called, the older Master turning back to look towards him curiously. Eraqus merely smiled at him.
"May your Heart be Your Guiding Key." Eraqus said as Xehanort smiled and gave a nod before turning back and towards the doors, walking through them as he summoned his armor and glider, taking for the stars, leaving Disneylahn for the last time. Eraqus watched him depart until he heard Yen Sid approaching him from behind. He then felt Yen Sid's hand around his back.
"Have you given any thought as to what you'll do now, Eraqus?" Yen Sid asked as Eraqus sighed.
"I don't know really. Most of my plans involved…settling down with Lillian. Having kids, raising them to become Keyblade Masters. Now…I don't know what to do." He said sadly. Yen Sid gave a sad smile and took a breath.
"Might I make a suggestion? With Master Ory passing on, his world is empty, alone. The Land of Departure needs a Master to watch over it. I had thought Xehanort would make a good candidate for it until I learned of his treachery. But now, perhaps you would be a better Guardian for it." Yen Sid said as Eraqus smiled a little.
"Perhaps." He replied. Yen Sid then turned him towards the sleeping Dandelions.
"Then there are those three. I won't sugarcoat it, Eraqus. My power is fading. Slowly, but surely. It may take days, it may take decades, but in time, my power will fade. I overexerted myself in trying to keep the gates of the Tempest open. It tore a hole in my Heart. Fairly soon, I won't be able to call myself a Master. And let's face it, I'm no spring chicken. These young ones need someone to take care of them, to show them a love only a father can. You may not be able to start a family with Lillian, but perhaps you can have one just the same to honor her memory." Yen Sid explained as Eraqus smiled at the children and gave a nod.
"Lillian wouldn't want me to mope about alone in an old castle by myself." He said as Yen Sid chuckled and pat him on the back.
"No, and nor would I for that matter. I've already decided to continue training Oswald and soon Mickey will begin his. I don't think taking three on at once so soon would be a good idea. So choose which two of the three your heart would wish to raise." Yen Sid said as Eraqus approached the dandelions. He smiled down at the young Terra and the infant Aqua.
"Terra…Aqua…though the people who brought you life are gone, I hope I can at least bring the both of you the tender love and care they would've shown you." Eraqus said as Yen Sid approached.
"I believe that they are in good hands. When you're ready, I'll open a portal to the Land of Departure. Better to travel that way than through the void." Yen Sid said but Eraqus shook his head.
"I've no preparations to make. I'm ready to go when you are, Master." He said as Yen Sid smiled and picked up the sleeping Aqua.
"Mickey, Oswald, look after Si'Lea until I return, will you?" he asked as Oswald and Mickey both approached them.
"We will Master." Oswald said as Eraqus knelt down to their level.
"I'm going to miss you guys." Eraqus said with a sad smile.
"Don't worry Eraqus, we'll get to see each other again someday." Mickey said as Oswald nodded.
"Yeah, we'll see ya real soon. And if ya ever wanna stop by Disney Town, we'll give you a royal welcome." Oswald said before Eraqus embraced the Brother Kings.
"Thank you, my friends." He said, standing up and smiling at them.
"Forgive me just this once. I know I'm not one of your subjects but…" he said as he summoned his Keyblade and held it in front of him with a bow of his head.
"…Long Live the Kings." He said as the two bowed back to him. Eraqus then dismissed his Keyblade, turned, and picked up the sleeping Terra in his arms, the boy resting his head on his shoulder. Yen Sid then turned and opened a portal to the Land of Departure, the Castle's Forecourt visible through the portal. The two children started to stir as the two Masters passed through the portal into the Land of Departure.
"Where…where am I?" Terra asked sleepily as Aqua cooed.
"We're at our new home." Eraqus replied as the portal closed behind them.
"Home?" Terra asked as Eraqus set him down onto his feet. The spell Yen Sid had placed on his memory had made him forget about his father.
"Mmm-hmm. My name is Eraqus. I'm your Master. Do you know what that is?" Eraqus asked, kneeling down onto one knee. Terra looked at him confused and shook his head.
"Nuh-uh." He replied. Eraqus chuckled.
"It means I'm going to be taking care of you. This is Master Yen Sid and this…" Eraqus said, gently taking Aqua in his arms.
"This is Aqua. She's…kinda gonna be like your sister from now on." Eraqus said as Terra wrinkled his nose at her.
"I don't like her." He said bluntly as Eraqus snorted in amusement. Yen Sid couldn't help but smile and laugh quietly to himself in response.
"Well, give it time. I'm sure you two will grow up to be good friends." Eraqus said as Terra shrugged.
"No we won't." he replied.
"Stubborn as a rock, it would seem." Yen Sid muttered.
"Well his name is Terra." Eraqus said as Yen Sid took Aqua back into his arms.
"Oh, one thing before I leave you Eraqus. Ory mentioned he had something at the old jetty. You should go look into it." Yen Sid said as Eraqus glanced towards a side gate that led down towards a winding mountain path.
"If you're sure." Eraqus said as Yen Sid gave a nod and a smile. Without a word, Eraqus turned and headed for the mountain path, unsure of what he would find. The path bent and curved along the side of the mountain, leading down towards a rocky shoreline where an old and unused jetty sat. But as he got close enough to see the jetty, he saw something that made him pause in surprise and smile widely. He hurried down the steps to the jetty where a certain woman stood waiting for him next to her dory as it sat next to her in the water.
"How was my funeral?" she asked as he smiled and chuckled, reaching into his pocket to pull out the keychain to her Keyblade.
"Quite moving, although, Xehanort's been exiled from Disneylahn for getting your sister killed among other things." Eraqus said as he handed her the keychain back. Lillian frowned a little at this.
"As much as I wish she was, my sister was right about him." She said as Eraqus produced Millicent's Tome from under his haori.
"He's not all bad. There's good in him. At the least, we can always say he does as his heart guides him to." Eraqus said as Lillian took the book and tossed it in an open chest on the front of her dory. There were mostly some old clothes in the chest which she kicked shut.
"Perhaps." She said before they looked at each other with sad smiles, tears forming in their eyes.
"This really is goodbye, isn't it? Why the secrecy?" he asked.
"The worlds need to believe I'm gone. That way I can better carry out my mission. And I'll still drop in every so often. Maybe not every year but…" she said sadly, her sentence dropping off. They then embraced each other, both of them holding back their tears.
"I'll wait for you. Either there, or at World's End." Lillian whispered into his ear.
"And I with you, my Daughter of the Sea." He replied before they embraced in a loving kiss. They kissed for at least a minute before they parted. Lillian smiled at him before picking up a long blue coat with gold edging, pulling it on and pulling up the hood. Without a word she climbed into her dory and loosed her moorings. She summoned her Keyblade and thrust it towards the sail, wind filling it as the dory set sail. Eraqus watched with a sad smile as Lillian sailed off into the horizon, Lillian smiling back at him until they couldn't see each other anymore. Eraqus then sadly turned away and headed for the stairs leading back up the path. The world faded away, leaving only Eraqus and Lillian, traveling away from each other as the older Lillian appeared, watching the scene sadly.
"Now you know what happened all those years ago. You've heard the message meant for you. Even to this day I wish it could have been different. But alas, to weep for the past only takes time away to prepare for the future." Master Lillian said with a smile as Eraqus and the younger Lillian faded away.
"You've gone through a lot, Master." Aqua said as Lillian shrugged.
"Rather an experienced sailor than a green buck who doesn't know his aft from a gun port. But such is fate sometimes. Not even we Foretellers can see all that life will bring us. But when my time comes, I will have no regrets. Eraqus and I would still see each other as the three of you will testify. And although our paths wouldn't cross, our love would never falter." Lillian said, looking at her book on the Arcana Librium.
"Master, with respect, but there are still questions. Like, who was the Traveler? Where did he come from?" Terra asked.
"And most importantly, where have you been all this time?" Ven asked, everyone sitting forward anxiously to hear Lillian's answer. Lillian glanced away in thought but with a frown.
"Alas, I've never learned the identity of the Traveler. I fear that he is someone you will meet or perhaps have already met. I cannot say for sure. All that I know is that I've not been able to see him beyond what has already been shown. And as for my whereabouts…that's something we'll need to discuss in a more…private setting." she said with a coy smile. She suddenly faded away, the chapter concluding. They suddenly heard a distinct click from the book. Aqua quietly got up and noticed the latch had appeared. She attempted to open it but it wouldn't budge.
"I guess that's it then." Ienzo said as he stood up.
"It seems we aren't meant to hear the answer." Even said as he and everyone else took to their feet.
"Thank you for letting us sit in on this, Master Aqua. This has been, most illuminating." Ansem said as Aqua gave him a nod.
"We're glad you could share it with us." She said as Ansem stepped towards them.
"I would like to do something to honor your lost parents, if that's alright." Ansem said to Aqua and Terra.
"Thank you, Lord Ansem, but that won't be necessary." Terra said as Aqua nodded in agreement.
"If you want to do something, you have our blessing. But we've already shed our tears long ago." Aqua said as Ansem nodded understandingly.
"You are always welcome in Radiant Garden." Ansem said before giving a bow which was reciprocated. He and the apprentices then quietly filed out of the room into the halls. Shantotto then stood up with a sigh.
"Alas and a lack. I never quite understood how high the deck was stacked. But perhaps it's for the best, so that we can let the spirits of the dead find rest. It was nice to see the mystery undone. Thank you for the story. I had fun." Shantotto said as she walked towards the door.
"You had as much of a right to know as we did, Professor." Aqua said as Shantotto gave a light shrug.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. But these memories have hit a sweet spot. And so I leave you all without a disparaging word, except to hope your memories of this don't become blurred. Now don't forget all that you have learned, and on that note, class is adjourned." Shantotto said before snapping her fingers and vanishing in a flash of light back to Magician's Bayou. The moment she did though, they heard another click from the book.
"Oh, it looks like the book's unlocked again." Aqua said.
"Well then let's find out what's happened." Axel said as they all sat down again. Aqua then raised her hand towards the Arcana Librium as Donald and Goofy closed the doors to the reading room. Master Lillian reappeared, sitting at her desk again. She then looked up and smiled.
"My final voyage, away from the home I had loved so deep, was among the hardest I'd ever undertaken. But before I could reach my destination, there was one piece of unfinished business to take care of…" Lillian said before she faded away and Radiant Garden appeared in her place.
Sitting on a park bench within Radiant Garden's square, Namine watched from a distance with a quiet smile as Ansem and his four newly minted apprentices walked through town. Braig, Dilan, and Aeleus wore matching grey uniforms with white gloves and black boots while Even followed in a lab coat. Braig was uncomfortably tugging at the collar of his new uniform. Namine couldn't help but smile proudly at the five young men. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Sorry I'm late, ma'am." A familiar voice said. Namine smiled and looked up to see Eraqus standing nearby, the small pink box in his hand. He smiled and handed the box to her.
"As promised." He said as she stood up and smiled at him.
"You didn't have to do that, Eraqus." She said but Eraqus shrugged.
"I made a promise." He replied.
"I hope it didn't come at too much of a cost." She said. Eraqus glanced away with a sad frown.
"There was some difficulty but…in time I'll be fine." He replied as Namine frowned pityingly at him.
"I'm so sorry. All this trouble for a such a small trinket." Namine said as she opened the pink box to reveal a small necklace with a lone white bead on it. It was the same necklace that Kairi wore in the present, the same one Aqua had enchanted to protect her.
"That's pretty." Eraqus said as Namine smiled.
"Thank you. My daughter has said she wants a daughter of her own one day. I thought this might make a nice present one day." Namine said, closing the box. She then looked at Eraqus who looked at her pityingly.
"Are you sure you want to forget?" he asked as she sighed.
"If I don't, curiosity will get the better of me." She replied as Eraqus nodded understandingly.
"Alright, but perhaps there is something I can do to help. You said you like stories, well, there is one story I can share with you, one that you can remember." Eraqus said as she smiled and folded her hands together in front of her, waiting patiently for him to begin. He cleared his throat.
"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of Light. Everyone loved the Light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And Darkness was born in their hearts. The Darkness spread, swallowing the Light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of Light survived...in the Hearts of children. With these fragments of Light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world you live in now. But the True Light sleeps, deep within the Darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a Door to the Innermost Darkness will open. And the True Light will return. So, listen. Even in the Deepest Darkness, there will always be a Light to guide you. Believe in the Light, and the Darkness will never defeat you. Your Heart will shine with its power and push the Darkness away." Eraqus said as Namine smiled and gave a nod.
"What a beautiful story. I'll have to remember that." She said as Eraqus gave a light shrug and a smile.
"You will, but that's all. This is where our paths divert. May the light shine forever upon you, kind mother." Eraqus said before turning and walking away. Namine smiled and sat down on the bench again. After a moment, she blinked in confusion and looked down to see the box in her hand (Music Cue: Sanctuary – Utada Hikaru).
"I thought I'd lost this." She muttered to herself before smiling, sensing that there was something important to it but paid it no mind. Instead she quietly sat back and smiled at the sky as a star streaked across the heavens.
.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I
She smiled at the star curiously, and found the strangely irresistible urge to utter a single word.
"Goodbye."
"In you and I there's a new land.
Angel's in flight.
.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I
My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah,
where fears and lies melt away.
Music inside.
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I
What's left of me what's left of me now."
In Magician's Bayou, Shantotto smiled at her bookshelf in her study at Xehanort's "Scalp" within a trophy case hidden high up on one wall. She then let out one of her haughty laughs in amusement.
"I watch you fast asleep,
all I fear means nothing"
In the Highlands, Merida watched while trying her best to hold her laughter as her father attempted to knock back an arrow into a bow but the arrow slipped from his hand and flew wild. He cringed at where it landed, causing Merida to burst out laughing.
"In you and I there's a new land.
Angels in flight.
.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I
My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah,
where fears and lies melt away.
Music inside.
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I
What's left of me what's left of me now."
In Camelot, young Arthur sat with a large crown on his head that slipped down around his eyes. The crown was suddenly lifted back on his head, allowing him to see Merlin smiling proudly at him. Arthur smiled appreciatively at the wizard.
".snwod dna spu ynam oS (So many ups and downs)
My heart's a battleground.
.snoitome eurt deen I (I need true emotions)
.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I
.snoitome eurt deen I"
In Disney Town, Mickey and Oswald both stood near the Cornerstone of Light as Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and some of the other townsfolk bid them both farewell near a round portal leading to Disneylahn.
"You show me how to see,
that nothing is whole and nothing is broken."
The Brother Kings stepped through the portal in time to find that instead of the majestic castle they were expecting, they were standing on a small island floating on a rainbow sea with only a single grey tower with blue conical roof. Before them they saw Yen Sid with the infant Si'Lea in one arm and Keyblade in hand.
"In you and I there's a new land.
Angels in flight.
.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I
My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah,
where fears and lies melt away.
Music inside.
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I
What's left of me what's left of me now."
Yen Sid then turned towards them with a smile, producing his familiar blue conical hat from his sleeve and placing it on his head.
"My fears and lies,
melt away.
.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I"
In the Land of Departure, Eraqus followed the young Terra to the summit, Aqua in his arms, as the young boy explored. Eraqus smiled at the boy's curiosity before looking sadly towards the ocean, taking breath with a sad smile, quietly wondering if his love had reached her destination safely.
End Chapter 36
The song above was obviously Sanctuary by Utada Hikaru. Also obviously, I do not own the song.
One more chapter to go…