"Then I shall make you see...That your hopes are nothing. Nothing but a mere illusion!"
-the "wizard", the Cloaked Schemer
Chapter Eighteen: The World of Endless Seas
Three days later, unknown world…
Walking through a cell block in her castle, Maleficent was pleased to see the imprisoned princesses she captured. The girls and their Animae were separated in their cells and Cinderella asked, "W-What are you going to do with us? We-we've done nothing."
"Yes! I j-just…I just want to go home!" Alice cried.
The last of them, Princess Aurora, kept silent and looked away in pity. She knew that there was no escaping the citadel of Hollow Bastion as Maleficent had placed many traps in the castle. And her hordes of Heartless stalked the corridors, making sure that intruders stayed out and the Princesses in.
Alice's Anima, Dinah, hissed and yelled, "Hey dragon lady!"
Maleficent approached the cell and said, "Do not worry. Your lives will be used for the greater good."
"What do you mean?" Cinderella asked, holding Jacqui, who was in cat form.
With a smirk, the evil fairy told her, "You'll be the seven that shall lead us to the Heart of All Worlds, Kingdom Hearts. Then, I shall open its gates and find the power to rule over all!"
"Kingdom Hearts is forbidden!" Jacqui shouted for Cinderella.
"Yes, and it's knowledge is punishable by death. I know your Worlds' laws. The Sanctum, their counterparts in the other worlds, are foolish and played into our hands nicely," Maleficent said.
She walked away, disappearing into dark flames and reappearing in a lab with a massive machine in the far part of the room. Along the walls were capsules and she saw her loyal minions working on activating them. With the help from Regina and disgruntled dwarves and other humanoid creatures in other worlds, she was able to figure out the previous owner of the castle's writings. The machine in the schematics had the power to contain the Princesses' power and create a keyhole leading to the everlasting darkness.
When that door opened, Maleficent wished to receive untold wisdom and the power to rule over all. After all, that was her right as the Mistress of All Evil. She can lead the world back to its rightful state, one of darkness.
"So, you really think this machina's gonna work?" the flame-haired Hades asked.
He stared at the machine, not getting its use. Maleficent smiled, telling him, "Yes. It'll serve as a keyhole to the darkness. When it opens, we'll receive untold wisdom and power."
"And if it doesn't? What if we all get wiped out like the last time someone opened the door?" Hades asked.
"Don't fret. The darkness holds no power over us. Rather, we'll be able to use its power to rule over all others. And why are you so worried, 'God of Death'?" Maleficent asked.
Hades shrugged, telling her, "Hey, I'm just saying. If we fail, then we got no one to rule over except a whole bunch of dead people. And let me tell you, it's not fun at all."
"I would be more prudent for you to check on the seal in your world. Assure that it doesn't break from our actions," Maleficent told him.
Hades shrugged again, disappearing in blue flames and black smoke.
"Riku, do you know about the 'Mae-bel-moch'?"
"Er, the what?"
"It's ancient Atlantean for 'World's End'. Did they teach you nomads about it?"
"Um, well we know about the Great War. That ended the world and turned into multiple ones."
"Riku! Why are you telling…?"
"You don't have to worry, Kiba. Lord Braska's not with those Yevonites like that."
"But you're still a Yevonite, Mister."
"I am, but…I'm among summoners that want to help bring the Light back into this world. That includes the knowledge your family and I discussed."
"But why talk to me? I'm just a kid."
"Well, you're a bit more than that. Like my daughter and niece…"
"Meaning?"
"You'll learn in time. It was nice talking to you, Riku."
"Tia Dalma? Um, I think he's waking up…"
"Really, Rikku?"
"Yeah, Yunie! Er, I think he's a nomad…He's got a wolf Animus."
Riku opened his eyes, seeing a blonde-haired girl with green eyes standing over him. She was awfully close and was practically hovering over him. Their eyes locked and he yelled, "AAH!"
"Yup, he's alive! You owe me 1,000 gil, Tidus!" the girl said.
Riku looked to his right, as a wall was on his left and saw another blonde, dressed like he was heading to a sporting event and a brunette dressed in a kimono-like outfit. They were standing near a doorway, covered with strings of multicolored beads. The room itself was rather messy, with books and papers on the floor, barrels of who-knew-what in the corners and bottles on small tables near the two windows behind Riku's head and one in a far-right corner.
Above at the wooden ceiling were strands of fabric. Riku guessed it was to make the place look homier, but it seemed to make the place more of a mess. The temperature was also odd as it felt very warm, like they were in the tropics. That and his outfit was far too warm for it, so he was sweating.
Sitting up, the silver-haired one saw Kiba next to him on the floor and he was groggy. Riku sat at the side of the bed and the blonde with green eyes wearing an orange tank top and green shorts stared. She looked to the brunette and said, "So, I guess we can go?"
"Well, Rikku, we need to get Tia Dalma's permission first," the brunette, Yunie apparently, said.
Rikku, oddly named the same as the silver-haired Riku, whined and muttered, "We've been here for two days. We should've been headed north…"
"Well, she did say she needed us for something, Rikku," the other blonde said.
Kiba shook his head, muttering, "Why does she have your name, Riku?"
Riku shrugged and the other said, "Huh? Your name's Rikku, too?"
"How do you spell it?" Riku asked.
"R-I-K-K-U. I'm an Al Bhed and my Anima's around here somewhere. Her name's Miyu," the other Rikku told him.
The second blonde shrugged and said, "We usually just call her 'Monkey'."
"Hey!" Rikku shouted.
The brunette chuckled and told Riku, "I'm Yuna, a summoner from the isle of Besaid. My Anima's outside, looking for Miyu. Her name's Shanoa."
"And I'm Tidus! And mine's in the skies, looking for Miyu. Seriously, why are you separated from her like this?" Tidus said.
Rikku, the one with the two Ks, rolled her eyes and said, "She's looking for that temple. Y'know? The one that Tia Dalma was talking about."
"Why by herself, though?" Yuna asked.
"Well, we're your guardians and…!" Tidus started.
The sound of beads hitting each other was heard and a dark-skinned woman with dreadlocks and wearing a tattered yellow ballgown entered the room. There was a small crab on her left shoulder and Riku could see an odd aura with it. It was her Anima and there was some kind of…power coming from it.
Grinning, the newcomer said in a very thick accent, "Ah, I see the wind done blow ya back my way…"
"Uh…" Kiba started.
Riku stared and asked, "Who're you?"
"This is Tia Dalma, the teacher of all summoners on Kilika!" Tidus said, introducing her.
Tia Dalma looked to the two guardians and told them, "Return Miyu, Shanoa and Soma…We need t' talk."
"Um, yes ma'am…" Yuna said, bowing.
The trio left and Tia Dalma stood before Riku. With a smirk, she said, "Ya don't 'member me?"
"Uh, no…No idea who you are, lady," Riku replied.
"But that Yūgure, him brought ya here?" Tia Dalma asked.
Riku jumped up, surprised that she knew of that man. He was the one he met back in Castle Swabia, the lair of the Evil Queen. And he was certain that he was in another world. So, how did she…?
"The worlds be connected in more ways den one. Ya tribe teach ya dat," Tia Dalma said.
Riku became defensive, asking, "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Tia Dalma, teacher and summoner o' Kilika Island. You in de World o' Endless Seas and we need ya here…" Tia Dalma told him.
Kiba mentally reminded Riku of the request Yūgure had for him. Kilika Temple had to be remained locked, but he didn't know why. And he was to meet up with one of his friends, whoever that was.
"So, Sora or Ventus could be here?" Kiba asked Riku out loud.
Riku was about to shush him when Tia Dalma asked, "So ya friends with dat boy? With de blonde hair?"
"I guess…" Riku said, unsure.
She led him out and into another room, where a surprised Ventus jumped at the sight of Riku. His eyes were wide and he yelled, "Riku? You're here too?"
"Yeah. How'd you get here?" Riku asked him.
Ven explained, telling the silver-haired boy that he was protecting a lady named Cinderella. But he failed as the land she lived in was suddenly consumed by darkness. He didn't know how, but it was and the crystal that protected the land shattered. Darkness took him and he was tossed into the oceans off the coast of Kilika. Rikku and Tidus found him, taking him to Kilika Village and then to see Tia Dalma, where he stayed for a few days until Riku came.
"So, what is today?" Riku asked.
"Menphina 21st, a Monday," Paolo told him.
'So, I've been gone from Traverse Town that long…' Riku thought.
"I guess. Anyway, we got here from a place called Swabia…Met a lady named Snow White and we were separated from her after getting caught by a queen named Regina," Kiba told Ven.
Riku was a bit embarrassed and hoped that Kiba wouldn't repeat that. He would never live it down if everyone he knew found out about that. Kiba rolled his eyes and said, "It's not like your life's over, man. That lady got us by surprise, remember?"
"Yeah, whatever," Riku muttered.
Tia Dalma, patience with the two boys as they chatted, escorted them to the front of the home and it was just as messy as the other places. Cages with live animals hung from the ceiling, along with glass bottles filled with who-knew-what, chains of beads and thin veils. Barrels and chests were along the walls and the corners. The floor was littered with dust, papers and books long forgotten.
The woman didn't seem to mind the mess, only muttered, "Rikku shoulda cleaned by now…"
"Um, so…what did you need from us, Miss Dalma?" Ven asked.
Tia Dalma cleared off the lone table in the room, revealing a map of the world underneath it. Muttering, she flipped it over, revealing a map of Kilika Island. Pointing at the jungle, she said, "We here…in Kilika Jungle. Dis place be a trainin' ground for many summoners, one bein' Lord Ohalland. But de darkness, it came and turned de jungle into one o' de most dangerous places in de world."
Riku and Ven tried to follow, but her heavy accent made it a bit difficult. She continued, ignoring their confused faces and said, "Yūgure sent ya, Riku. And another beast threw ya here, Ventus."
"Wait, how do you know that?" Ven asked.
She pulled out a crystal ball from one of her dress pockets, to which Riku wondered when the dress had them. Sitting down at the desk, she asked, "What'cha know 'bout de Mae-Bel-Mach?"
"Um, what?" Paolo said for Ven.
"The 'end of the world'," Riku said.
Tia Dalma nodded and explained by telling them that the event was the ancient Atlantean term for the Great War. The day the war reached its climax, the darkness appeared, in the form of a gigantic black dragon. It attacked the world, destroying many kingdoms, ending many lives and pulling everything into darkness. Their predecessors tried to save what little they could, but with limited success. When everything returned, everything the survivors knew was lost, as their world had turned into a collection of small islands in one great ocean.
Within that ocean was an island, where an ancient temple previously used for Yevonites, a religious group like the Sanctum in the World of Light, worship. That island was the one they were on now, Kilika Island. Its temple was cursed by darkness, preventing worshippers and summoners from entering the temple. Recently, the darkness had been seeping out, creating more and more Heartless and those Heartless grew closer to town.
Not wanting the townsfolk to get attacked, Tia Dalma asked, "Will ya enter de temple, destroy de darkness and seal it away?"
"Um, we're just amateurs with the Keyblade, Miss," Kiba told her.
She clutched the crystal, saying, "But we need ya now. De Heartless gonna come for e'erybody if ya do nothin'!"
"But you're telling us to destroy a source of darkness. The only ones that can do that are master level Keybearers," Ven said.
Tia Dalma looked saddened and the crystal began glowing in her hands. It floated out of them and shone with a brilliant light. The boys closed their eyes, opening them seconds after the light died and gasping as they saw the temple, covered with dark clouds that looked like rain should've came down. The crystals that dotted the temple had flames in them, purple and black instead of natural colors like red, blue or yellow. A loud roar rattled the temple, causing an earthquake. Cracks appeared in the temple's floor, spewing out black mist, and Ven yelled, "What's going on?!"
The scenery quickly changed back to Tia Dalma's hut and she asked, "Ya saw it? De darkness?"
Shaken up, Riku replied with, "Y-Yeah…Um…you-you want us to fight that thing?"
Tia Dalma said nonchalantly, "Yes…"
"You're sending us to our deaths…" Paolo muttered.
"That's why we're going with ya!"
Tidus and the others returned, with Rikku and Yuna holding bags full of items. Their Animi, a monkey, seagull and small brown dog, followed behind closely. Yuna's Anima, Shanoa, rushed up to Kiba, sniffed him and was a bit confused.
"Um, have we met?" she asked.
"No. Pretty sure Riku's never met a summoner or her Anima," Kiba replied.
"So, this kid really does got your name, Rikku," Miyu asked, climbing onto the Al Bhed girl and hanging on her arm.
"Oib!" Rikku replied in an odd language.
Soma, a seagull Animi, was perched on Tidus' shoulder and he asked, "So, are we going to the temple?"
"Ya three, no. Only to de temple steps. Ventus and Wolf Riku's goin' in," Tia Dalma told them.
"WHAT? But I explored it and it wasn't that dangerous!" Miyu shouted.
"Findin' an Eliminator in de temple isn't dangerous?" Tia Dalma asked.
"Well, I didn't get caught. So, we should be good," Miyu told her.
The sage sighed, muttering something that Riku didn't quite catch. She gave in, telling them, "Get rest first. Den ya can help 'em in de temple…"
"Yay! Yunie, you can finally meet an Ifrit now!" Rikku cheered.
"And we'll protect her along the way. Just like her dad told us to!" Tidus added.
Rikku nodded, but Yuna looked worried. Riku didn't blame her, as he wasn't too happy going into a temple chockfull of Heartless and darkness. Neither was Ventus.
'Man, tomorrow's gonna suck…I am not looking forward to getting nearly killed by Heartless…again,' he thought.
"A summoner are you?"
"I'm Lenne Saiya, a summoner from Zanarkand."
"Mashka…of the Rus…So, you're Lord Bartholmew's daughter. That's quite a name to live up to. But, all these people…your guardians? My, what a rabble. As I recall, your father only had two guardians. Quality over quantity. Whatever were you thinking, my dear?"
"Hey, you don't have to take that."
"Shuyin's right. You don't have to."
"But she knows I'm right. Unlike her, I have only need of one guardian. Right, Cyril?"
"Well, I see that you have trust issues."
"Chao, shh! I'm not trying to start a fight with other summoners."
"He's right, Lenne. A guardian is someone that a summoner can trust with their life. Shuyin, Jackson, Chao, Arya and I, Ryoma, we're all your guardians, people that you trust. And you have those back in Zanarkand that wanted to be, but couldn't."
"Wait, is this a 'power of friendship' speech?"
"I guess…"
And there's the eighteenth chapter. Thanks again to the reviews of this fic. Every constructive one makes this fic a whole lot better. And since there's a bit of confusion between the past and present, the next chapter will give more explanations as to what's going on. But this entire fic is a setup for more fics to come in this series. So, world building is top priority for this first book.
-miano53