Chapter 56: Desperate Times
Jim slammed the ammo clip into the blaster-pistol's magazine chamber. He was long overdue for a reload and ready for the worst.
Because, now that they'd connected the dots about Hans, one big question remained. What next?
In the back of his mind, Jim pictured himself storming out the castle doors, shouting to the heavens and the refugees of Arendelle the truth about the benevolent prince they all worshiped. That the people they trusted―Hans and Dilan―were imposters, swindlers, wolves in sheep's clothing. No doubt the ones who'd destroyed their worlds. He could see the crowds cheering, and yet…
"Allow me to make one thing excruciatingly clear. We cannot act rashly."
The captain was right. Deep down, Jim knew that, and Xion only reaffirmed her words, albeit with a gentler tone.
"The Organization is smart. If there's even a hint that we're onto them, they'll find a way to turn it against us. They've already got the people's trust." Her fingers drummed on the tabletop. "It's…tricky. Now that I know who Nahxs really is, I could kill him at any time, but then what? If I'm not careful, it could cause a huge panic."
Delbert shot her a look. Morph and Amelia did too, Jim noticed, and then he realized he was just as disturbed at how casually this girl his own age discussed murder like she was taking out the recycling.
Xion caught on to their stares. "…What?"
Amelia cleared her throat. "Ms. Xion…if you spend any length of time observing conspirators discussing their plans, you'll find that they don't…blurt out the nitty-gritty quite so flippantly."
"Like murder?"
"Yes, that."
"My friends do it all the time."
Even more disturbed stares.
Xion pouted. "Well, what do you want me to say?"
Delbert offered, "Take care of? Attend to? Retire?"
Amelia sighed. "We're losing our focus, people."
Jim groaned. "Yeah, I get it." He flopped over the tabletop, burying his face in his arms. "I'm not saying we should jump in without a plan." His fantasy was just that. A fantasy. Cathartic only on paper. "Just…I don't want this to end up like Treasure Planet."
A hand grasped his shoulder, and he looked up to find Delbert. "Jim, it's all right. We have the element of surprise on our side, and a competent ally." When he looked to Xion, she blushed and looked the other way.
"Um…thanks. And I'll 'retire' as best as I can."
She used the term wrong, but at least she tried.
"Excellent," said Amelia, "because I do believe I've a way to turn this debacle to our favor."
And so, in no time flat, Jim found himself slinking through the halls alongside Delbert and a giggling Morph. Well, giggling until Jim hushed him with a single look, and the little guy ducked back into his pocket.
Since their talk, the halls had quieted down. Was it getting late already, or had the castle staff just quieted the masses? A spiky-haired dude with headphones still hung by one of the walls, and he could still hear people murmuring from within the castle's different rooms. Comments about talking animals, backwards technology… Boy, he could relate to that, but now wasn't the time for eavesdropping. They needed to act.
"Now, if the guards are to be believed," said Delbert, "we should be getting close now. Just a turn down the rightmost corridor, and—"
Footsteps. Jim slapped a hand over Delbert's mouth. A good thing, too, as a huge, dreadlocked wall of a man turned the corner, his face sharpened into a scowl that was accented further by his thick sideburns. No black coat, though—just a navy-blue uniform.
Jim bristled at the sight of him, back to the wall.
Xaldin's eyes twitched, as if he was just as surprised to see them. But…he couldn't know who they were, could he? He recomposed himself before the second was over and said as he passed them by, "Good day, gentlemen."
"O—oh, yes! Good day, sir!" Delbert said with a titter.
As clumsy as the greeting was, at least Delbert had the guts to speak. Jim's voice was caught in his throat.
If Xaldin suspected anything, he didn't say a word. He simply grunted and pressed on.
Once he left, Jim and Delbert let out a collective sigh. Morph, too, from inside Jim's coat pocket. A close call, but they had work to do.
Soon, they reached a set of elegant doors. The room where Xaldin was reported to spend much of his time in the palace. If they could find anything to sabotage his plans, it'd be in here. Jim grabbed one of the handles; the door didn't budge. Locked, most likely, and Xion was back with the captain, so they couldn't have her whip out her Keyblade and bust 'em in.
Delbert twiddled his thumbs. "I don't suppose you've any experience picking locks?"
Jim fought back a grimace. The implication wasn't lost on him. With all his previous acts of 'delinquency,' of course the doc would think that…
Jim's pocket shook. Morph burst out, giggling and grinning before shifting into a golden key. He slipped right into the keyhole, squirming a little, until an audible click caught Jim's ear.
And when Morph budged from the keyhole, Jim matched his joyful expression. "Morph. You're a genius."
x.x.x
Amelia sat up straight at her desk, chin up, ears perked, breaths slow and steady. She wore her best poker face as she peered out the open door. Xion's head poked out from behind it, and her mittened hands quivered.
"Are you sure this is gonna work?"
"If I have my way, there's no doubt it will. For now, Ms. Xion, you need only wait and observe. This is far from my first sting operation."
And so, Xion ducked behind the open door once more, slipping into silence.
The plan was simple. She'd summoned 'Dilan' to meet her in the office. As he left the royal bedroom, Jim, Delbert, and Morph would sneak inside to search for evidence of an Organization conspiracy. And, after Xaldin was inside Amelia's office—all the way inside—Xion would jump out from behind the door, slamming it shut as she did so that the guards in the hall couldn't see, and the girl would murder Xaldin then and there.
Listening to Xion describe how she'd taken care of the last one, 'Lexaeus'… Amelia couldn't deny the chill that raced down her spine. She'd never seen a man so viscerally 'absorbed' to death.
And it wouldn't be long before she saw it in person.
Amelia waited behind her desk, fingers tapping and ears twitching. Though minute, the heavy cadence of footsteps thundered down the hall. Soon, a towering, broad-shouldered man with distinct sideburns marched toward her office. Unarmed, unsuspecting, but Amelia felt a twinge of fear at the sight of him all the same. Now that she knew the extent of the Organization's powers, she understood the threat of Xaldin far better than she had Xigbar.
An agent of a near-omnipotent Organization just outside the door, and the only child capable of killing him just behind…
Xaldin stopped dead-center in the doorway, and Amelia cracked a smile. All part of the show, really.
"Ah, you must be Dilan!"
The man bowed. "Indeed, I am. And I suppose you are our acting leader. Captain Amelia, I presume?"
"Just 'Captain' or 'Ma'am' will do. Please, come in." She waved a hand, beckoning him inside. x.x.x
It wasn't the first time Jim had seen a room in such a funerary state, and the thought of Xaldin exploiting it for his own purposes sickened him even further. Over his shoulder, Morph whimpered and turned blue. A soft, silent pat on the head was all Jim could offer.
"C'mon. We gotta stay focused."
And so, they pushed ahead. Delbert pried open the wardrobe while Jim rifled through drawers. Morph shifted back into a key, cracking open the nearest trunk. A startled squeak pulled Jim's attention away from a half-opened drawer.
He crept over Morph's opened travelling case, leaned in, and…
"Food? Plates? That's what Xaldin's hiding?" And it had to be Xaldin. The warmth of the meal, the chill of the wine, the succulent smell of freshly cooked fish… Way too recent to belong to this room's former inhabitants.
"Perhaps Xaldin had to take his dinner to-go?" said Delbert, as he pulled apart the hanging robes, gowns, and uniforms.
"There's enough food in here for a small family…" Roasted meats, flatbread arranged in neat little rows, potato dumplings, and red wine. "This just doesn't make sense."
"Or, does it?" Delbert whipped back around, joining him by the mysterious trunk. "It could be poisoned."
"Huh. I hadn't even thought of that." Should've been his first thought, too. "But, wait. The Organization needs Elsa alive, right? Can't make a Heartless with a corpse."
"True! But consider this, Jim: the Organization, for all intents and purposes, doesn't need us. We're loose ends, and if they're tracking Riku, then it's likely that they already know who we are."
The mere suggestion made Jim reel back from the trunk's shady contents. This all put their brief encounter in the hall in a terrifying new light. "…Shoot! So, what? He's gonna invite us to dinner and finish us without making a scene?"
Delbert looked him in the eye, his voice firmer than usual. "Not if the captain's plan works."
Even still, after everything that'd happened, they couldn't afford to underestimate the Organization.
"But, why a trunk? If Xaldin was gonna poison us, you'd think he'd have the cooks arrange everything, not pack for the road."
Delbert opened his mouth, then shut it. "That's…a fair point, actually."
So, they were back at square one, with no clear leads.
Sighing, Jim nudged the trunk shut and returned to the dresser. Another empty drawer, then another. Was it too obvious a hiding place? Across the room, Delbert moved from the wardrobe to a bookshelf, brushing his fingers across the dusty spines.
"Hm. That's odd. These shelves are clearly organized in alphabetical order, yet this book on zoology is stuck right between culinary arts and delegations!" He reached out, plucking the book from its place. Something clicked down below, and Jim rushed toward the source of the sound.
The carpet distorted ever so slightly—sharp, straight edges pressed up from below. So, Jim lifted the carpet and found a small, open compartment in the floor.
And a journal within. x.x.x
Seemingly unfazed, Amelia carried on. "Please, please! You're more than welcome inside. I've got fresh tea and crumpets that I'm happy to share."
But still, Xaldin didn't budge. Judging by the sounds from the other side of the open door between them, he just folded his arms. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?"
"Because, if we're to work together, I'd like to get to know you better. After all, your prince has spoken quite highly of you! Is it true that you saved his life?"
"Indeed. His Radiance and I have quite a history. We have each seen our worlds devastated by the wretched darkness that swarms this very land."
"Well then! From one interplanetary hero to another, it is an honor to finally meet you! And, seeing how the prince has commissioned us both to care for the kingdom in his absence, I feel it's pertinent that we are on the same page. Particularly in light of a certain devious duke."
Why. Wasn't. He. Moving? What was the holdup? Tea! Snacks! Smalltalk! Nothing about this looked even a little suspicious. He couldn't have known already, right? Ugh. And of course Xion couldn't attack now. Not with witnesses in the hallway. It'd expose everything way too easily. She needed him inside the office. Door closed. It needed to be behind his back!
But, as long as Xaldin stood in the doorway, Xion could only listen and pray. x.x.x
Jim, Delbert, and Morph gathered around the journal, flipping furiously through its pages.
One contained illustrations of Shadows, Neoshadows, Dark Balls, and all manner of Heartless. Below, it read, 'These creatures attacked our borders suddenly and without warning. Beings of pure darkness, once thought only to be fairytales—is this our penance for angering the spirits so many years ago? Though their numbers are few, their presence is a wicked omen for Arendelle. We must be cautious.'
"Spirits?" said Delbert. "What in the worlds could they possibly—"
"Doesn't matter. Keep reading."
He turned another page. There, an illustration of a Keyblade appeared. Another caption followed. 'The Key of legend, said to bring great peace to the world…or great destruction. We spoke to the troll elder, and he believes it may be Arendelle's only salvation. Until the day that the Keybearer appears, the trolls stand as sentinels, shielding this land's Keyhole from even the fiercest darkness.'
First spirits, now trolls? But this was…something, at least. A lead to this world's Keyhole.
So, Jim turned the page again. There, an image of a short, stocky, big-nosed creature wearing clothes of grass and leaves caught his eye. 'The trolls are an ancient, respected race who live deep within the forests of Arendelle. They are well-versed in the arts of magic, of light, of darkness, and the legacy of lands far beyond our comprehension.
'Despite their overall crude demeanor, their leader, Grand Pabbie, is a man wise beyond his extensive years. A true mystic, it is his ability to see into the hearts and minds of others that is his greatest asset…and which saved my daughter's life.
'Alas, Elsa's powers have grown far too wild. That Anna nearly died is proof that they must be contained and concealed until she is able to wield them without fear. It was not my choice to erase Anna's memories, but if it will allow her to live a blissful childhood, and if it will prevent further accidents, then the truth, like Elsa's powers, is best left under lock and key.
'Anna, Elsa, should you one day read this, know that I am deeply sorry.'
This was a lot to unpack. And, really, it was none of Jim's business. And yet…Elsa had hurt Anna before? And Anna's memories got wiped… Just what kinda power did these trolls wield?
"It's…simply remarkable," said Delbert, and Jim had to agree. "But, Jim, look at this passage here…" He pressed his finger to the second sentence of the second paragraph of the page. "An ability to see into hearts and minds… Do you think they could detect the lack of a heart as well?"
"Huh. Y'know, you might be onto something, Doc. I mean, the people here wouldn't believe a buncha outsiders, but if we got this weird, omnipotent rock guy to expose Hans in front of everyone…"
At that, Morph transformed into a miniature version of the illustrated troll chieftain.
x.x.xXaldin. Still. Wouldn't. Move.
Just a thin piece of wood divided Xion from the monstrous behemoth of a Nobody who had already nearly seen through her before. So, what now? What could she do? Throw in the towel? Fight, here and now, where the palace guards could see her, assume the worst, and utterly crush all chances of killing him then and there?
Sweat trickled down her cheeks. Her hands, her legs all trembled. Her back pressed against the wall.
Did Xaldin know? Was that it? Was that why he refused to budge? Xion was one thing, but was he already suspicious of Amelia and the others, too? Couldn't Amelia do something? She was so confident before! She had experience. She knew what she was doing! Not like Xion, alone despite the pleasant company across the room and the enemy beside her. Please, please, please…
With a sterner voice than before, Amelia spoke again, "Please, before the tea gets cold. I am trying to be hospitable."
"Captain," Xaldin said, his voice sharp as a knife, "I'm well aware of who you are. You triumphed against the Procyon Armada. You've survived pirates, mutinies, the deaths of countless worlds, and rumor has it that you've discovered the fabled Treasure Planet."
Rumors. Sure. Riku's tracker, more like.
Xaldin chuckled. "But, I must say, it's peculiar seeing you without your first officer. Mr. Arrow, was it?"
Something thudded on Amelia's desk. Xion was too paralyzed to look.
When Amelia next spoke, her voice carried a fire unlike anything Xion had heard from her, subdued as it was. "What would you know of Mr. Arrow?"
"Ah. This may surprise you, but he and I have quite the history. Always hated his guts."
Amelia's shocked silence was palpable.
Xaldin continued, "Mr. Arrow was the lowest form of scum to ever disgrace the vermin that spawned him. A mindless, gutless dreg unfit to live among the most noxious sewage. I always swore we'd settle things. That I'd smite him back to the cesspool he crawled from. So, why don't you summon him? Nothing would bring me more pleasure than to finally skewer the stone-faced fool."
"You…" Now Amelia's voice trembled. It was like she was fighting to avoid raising her voice. "I tried to be polite, but as acting leader, I demand you enter my office at once!"
"Oh. Could it be that Mr. Arrow is no longer with us? That would explain why he's not glued to your hip. A pity, but I suppose it was inevitable. A foolish heart and an empty mind are a death sentence for those in our profession. Just a shame that I couldn't finish him myself."
"You…wretched blackguard…"
"I'll have nothing to do with your lot, Captain Amelia. You may see yourself as a leader, and you may have the Prince's trust, but in my eyes, you're just a child playing pretend."
Two soft thuds—Xaldin turning his back to the captain. Xion poked her head out just enough to see his back. And then, without even a second glance, he marched back into the hallway.
Amelia rose from her desk. "Guards! Seize him!"
But the guards refused. They merely saluted as Xaldin walked by.
Because of course. He was established. Respected. Amelia was just a stranger to them.
In a matter of seconds, Xaldin vanished around the corner, and Xion fell to her knees.
And then it hit her. Xaldin was leaving. Probably back to the old king and queen's chambers. Back to…
x.x.xJim turned the page again, but this time, the journal treated him with a two-page map, marked with simple labels and illustrations. The kingdom itself, the woods beyond, a northern mountain, and the surrounding sea. Past the ocean was a spot marked, 'The Dark Sea,' and further north, text that read 'Ahtohallan?' Whatever that was, it was too far off the beaten path to be the troll village. No, they needed to focus on the—
The doorknob turned. Jim fumbled the journal. Eyes bulging, Delbert took him by the arm and dived for the wardrobe, pulling the doors shut behind them as the doors to the room flew open.
Peeking through a crack in the wardrobe's doors, Jim saw Xaldin enter the royal bedroom, unscathed. Alive. But why? It made no sense! They had everything all laid out. The meeting. The surprise attack. Unless… What did he do to Xion and the captain?
Delbert tensed, though he clamped his mouth shut instead of voicing his thoughts. Did he consider it, too? Were the captain and Xion even okay?
Xaldin strode into the room, stopping just a few yards from the wardrobe. He reached into his pocket and produced a hand mirror, which flashed before Jim's eyes as Xaldin stared into it. Magic, no doubt. But, instead of a simple light show, Jim caught glimpses of Riku in the mirror, smiling, laughing. Happy, despite everything he'd been through.
It was hard to make out all the details through the crack in the wardrobe and past Xaldin's dreadlocked head. But one thing was clear. This was how the Organization spied on Riku.
A woman's voice from the mirror caught Jim's ear. "So, you've been a merman, a leopard, and a mouse?"
Riku replied, "Yep. And I was not prepared for the mouse cabaret club."
Shaking his head, Xaldin pressed the mirror face-down on the nightstand and sauntered over to his trunk. At that exact moment, Morph sprung from Jim's pocket, squeezing out the wardrobe and bouncing over to the nightstand. He scooped up the mirror with his nubby little hands, flew back, and slipped it through the crack. Jim and Delbert fumbled to catch it, completely caught off-guard by Morph's sense of initiative.
Just…what were they supposed to do with this thing? What would happen when Xaldin noticed it was gone?
Speak of the devil, Xaldin froze, then slowly turned to look over his shoulder.
Morph panicked, only now realizing the consequences of his actions, and his entire body stretched and shifted into an identical copy of the mirror, clattering to the floor.
"What in the…?"
Xaldin closed the trunk, marched to the supposed mirror, and scooped it off the ground. He shifted it in his grip, squinting…
Jim could see Morph's worried eyes boggle on the backside of the frame.
But Xaldin saw nothing suspicious on the reflective surface's side, and he ultimately tucked the Morph-mirror into his pocket.
…Oh no.
And with that, he grabbed the picnic trunk and hoisted it off the floor. A dark corridor erupted before the canopied bed, and Xaldin headed its way, stopping just once to peer at the carpet. The same that Jim and Delbert had found the journal beneath. The trapdoor had reset, but the carpet was a slightly wrinkled.
That…wasn't enough to blow their cover, was it?
…No. It wasn't. Xaldin turned back to the corridor, trunk in hand and googly-eyed mirror in pocket.
Then he was gone. And Morph with him.
Jim and Delbert spent the next several seconds staring at the empty space that the dark corridor once occupied.
Then they ran, sprinting down the hall, past the guards and wandering refugees. Jim practically flung himself into the office, half-expecting to find death and disarray.
Instead, he found Xion and the captain, completely unscathed.
At least physically.
Xion's hands were balled up tight. She hung her head, and her breaths were sharp. Panicked.
Amelia's ears folded flat against her head. Her pupils became slits, and she inhaled deeply before looking to Jim and Delbert with a simple, "He knows."
x.x.x
Xemnas needed to know.
Droves of hearts streaking across the clouds, preceded by one mighty, crystalline specimen… It was all too clear. The crackle of a flare across the horizon. Kairi had survived, no doubt, and a faint smirk crossed Hans' face.
Well, Hans to her, at any rate, but the old name had its benefits. Shaking his head, Nahxs turned around, feet crunching in the snow. The aftermath of Sköll's blackened sun left blackened blemishes on the once pristine cliffside. Equally black were many of the toppled trees, and others reduced to piles of ash.
Donald and Goofy lay motionless, save for the subtle rise and fall of their chests. Donald had exhausted himself to unconsciousness from casting the Giga Flare, and Goofy was knocked out cold from a flying stone. If Nahxs killed them here and now, no one would think anything of it: a mere casualty of the great Heartless wolf.
Goofy was closer. Hans strode to his side, reached for his sword…
But the knight stirred. "G—gawrsh… Been a while since a rock hit me like that…"
Nahxs paused, out of the dog's reach, and resolved to leave his sword in its sheath. He quickly affected his friendly smile and helped Goofy to his feet. "I feared you were a goner, there. Not many could survive a blow such as that."
Goofy chuckled, rapping his temple with his knuckles. "Oh, I get hit in the head all the time. My noggin' ain't about to fail me now." Goofy looked past him, and his eyes widened. "Donald!"
Nahxs stepped aside for Goofy to reach the unconscious mage. He offered in feigned sympathy, "He's not seriously injured. I'd wager it was the spell he cast. I've never seen anything like it. It's a miracle his body is still in one piece."
Goofy checked Donald's pulse, confirming he was still alive. He must not have noticed the steady breathing. Nahxs rolled his eyes.
"It's been a long time since Donald tried that spell—way before we ever met Riku. I just hope he wakes up sooner this time."
…Interesting. Donald would remain like that. Goofy would remain by his side. With his back turned. Nahxs' fingers brushed over the pommel of his sword.
But Goofy's head shot up, and he called over his shoulder, "Wait! Where's Kairi?"
Nahxs bristled. Another opportunity lost. And yet… "I'll check the surrounding area. You stay here with Donald."
The knight nodded glumly but resolutely. "Yes, sir, Your Highness, sir."
Nahxs turned and marched for the forest, thinking not of the sword in its sheath, but of the mirror in his pocket. Xemnas needed to know.
Thus, once sufficiently distant from the fool who believed him an ally, Nahxs drew the mirror and commanded it, "I've a message for Lord Xemnas."
Lord. Nahxs suppressed the urge to sneer at the term. To think that even now, he was but one of…well, less than thirteen, but far from the top. But at least Xaldin had promised him Arendelle. That would be enough. For now.
The mirror's surface rippled, but rather than the piercing, yellow-eyed stare and the commanding baritone of his Superior, a more boyish face greeted him, fringed by a mess of silver bangs. Zexion.
"First Xaldin, and now this? You two certainly have your hands full."
Hm. Not quite what Nahxs had expected, but no matter. "I take it that Xemnas is preoccupied?"
"Correct. But, whatever you wish to say, I will field to him as soon as he returns."
"In that case, have a look at this…" Nahxs turned the mirror to the sky, still aglow with the streaks of Sköll's myriad hearts.
"Impressive." As Nahxs turned the mirror back to face himself, Zexion matched his earlier smirk. "Though, I suppose I ought to expect nothing less with three Keybearers present here." At that last detail, Zexion's voice took on a disdainful tone.
"Wait. Three?" That…did not bode well. "I'm afraid I don't understand. I'd heard that Riku was present as well, but what's this about a third?"
Zexion pinched the bridge of his nose. "An…unexpected variable. Xaldin and I have reason to believe that the rogue puppet, Xion, has arrived on this world. It's not entirely confirmed, but stay alert; if Xaldin's suspicions are true, then she is ludicrously dangerous."
"More than the average Keybearer?"
"She murdered Lexaeus. And now his powers are hers."
How interesting. "A dangerous foe suits me quite well. Or, have you forgotten my skills?"
"Overconfidence is a death sentence to even the greatest hunters."
Nahxs nodded. "Understood. And, did Xaldin confirm her location?"
"Within the palace itself. You would have already seen her handiwork."
"The earthquake…"
"Precisely. But, neither Xaldin nor I have any clue why she's graced us with her presence."
"Wonderful." The boy wasn't kidding about this 'unexpected variable.' Nahxs sighed in annoyance. "Well, if it's any consolation, our battle with Sköll separated Kairi from her companions. This should buy Xaldin more time to attend to Queen Elsa."
"A small blessing, but I'll take anything at this rate."
"Oh? Then, you'll be pleased to know that they see me as both friend and ally." He brought his free hand over his chest. "The prince with a heart of gold…ironic, isn't it?"
"Quite so." Zexion chuckled. "I'll admit, I was a bit apprehensive at first, but you're quickly proving yourself to be a breath of fresh air in this Organization. Certainly more competent than some of our members, at any rate."
From behind, a sitar cord twanged in alarm, and a shrill voice shouted, "Hey! I heard that!" What was his name again? Dumyx?
Zexion paid him no mind. "So. Anything else to report?"
Nahxs looked back at the forest's edge. "No, I'd best cut this short."
"Very well. Then, I wish you luck with your mission."
And so, upon tucking the mirror back into his pocket, Nahxs became Hans once more. He clasped his hands behind his back and returned to the cliff with a grave expression. Just in case.
As luck would have it, Donald was stirring. For appearances' sake, Hans hurried to his side, kneeling before him.
"Oh! You're finally awake. Thank goodness."
Goofy nodded and smiled in relief. "Wow, Donald. You were only out cold for a few minutes this time. I think you're gettin' the hang of that spell."
"WAK! Kairi!" Donald jolted to his feet, beak wide open. In seconds, however, his legs gave out, and he collapsed on his belly.
"Whoa!" said Hans. "Take it easy." He and Goofy pulled him back upright. "I know you're worried, but I'm sure that Kairi's all right."
Goofy frowned, scratching his head. "But, didja see any signs of her?"
Hans pointed toward the sky. "Before you woke up, someone set off a signal flare. Magic, by the look of it. And, given the deluge of hearts that preceded it, it must have been Kairi."
The knight was too stupid to question why 'Hans' never said so earlier, and the mage too exhausted.
Grunting, Donald leaned into his staff like a cane. "Then, what're we waiting for? We've gotta help her!"
His legs gave out again almost immediately, and Goofy caught him in his arms. "Hold on, Donald. I wanna find Kairi just as much as you do, but it won't do ya any good if ya strain yourself!"
"Gah! Let go, Goofy! I'm fine."
"No, you're exhausted," said Hans. "Goofy, do you think you can carry him? I'd offer a horse, but given the circumstances…"
"Aw, don't worry 'bout it!" Goofy turned around, patting his back. "C'mon, pal. You really oughta cut yourself some slack."
More grumbles from Donald followed before he finally relented. And, once he'd climbed aboard Goofy's back, Hans gestured to the ruined woods. "We'd better hurry, while there's still daylight."
x.x.xSunrise had transformed the ice palace into a kaleidoscope of gold, and the hours that followed metamorphosed it further into a spectrum considerably more diverse and wildly more spellbinding.
…Hours?
…Yes, it finally hit him.
Riku and Elsa had spoken and indulged each other for so long that they'd lost all sense of time. It didn't feel like it, but if the sky-reflecting glow of the crystalline architecture was anything to go by, their jokes and confessions and magical experiments—which always yielded more jokes and confessions and magical experiments—lasted from sunrise well into the afternoon.
At no point did it ever occur to them that the castle was missing a clock.
There was just…so much to do. New rooms in the castle to explore and create, new views to take in the vistas, new applications of magic that neither Riku nor Elsa had ever imagined before meeting each other, inspiring and daring one another to take new risks and always finding something worthwhile by the end…
It was a friendship straight out of a fairytale. Two runaways running from everything, finding everything they needed in each other.
One new feature of the castle led to another, one heartfelt moment led to several more, and it was only a matter of time before they collapsed onto a couch in a fit of laughter from another magical experiment gone wonderfully wrong.
Heavy laughter gave way to heavy breath, and it was only then that the new friends realized how exhausted they were. It wasn't even awkward how close they were, practically shoulder to shoulder, neither willing to sit fully upright or change positions with how tired they were. After spilling so many secrets and shockingly similar anecdotes of isolation—Riku's darkness and the danger he put his friends in, Elsa's magic and the sister she left behind—it was beyond refreshing to be so close to someone again.
To enjoy a mutual silence and be perfectly comfortable in it. Just…resting. Appreciating each other's company.
Reclined back as he was, Riku allowed his gaze to wander upward to the distant ceiling, passively taking in the splendor of the languid, dancing lights of the magically filtered and refracted sun. An enrapturing symphony of color, seen by no one but them…
And the Organization.
…That was right. They were still watching him. They always were.
And, in all the time he'd been with Elsa, they never once confronted him, never sent a single Heartless or local maniac to torment him. Gazing further into the spectrum of sunlight, it was no wonder why. If Xemnas saw everything, he also saw Elsa.
Xemnas knew to fear her.
But…was it right to use her as a shield?
He felt her place a hand on his vambrace, and those rising fears of Xemnas and the Heartless were banished further away. She spoke just above a whisper, her head resting close to his against the couch's back pillows, "I'm so glad I met you, Riku. I was afraid that…I'd have to face this new chapter of my life alone. I was prepared for that. Or…I thought I was. But, you were right. No one should have to brave the darkness alone."
And he still hadn't been completely honest about why he was alone. He'd spent the whole day baring his heart to this woman as she did the same for him, all while keeping her in the dark about the true nature of the Organization's tracker. Not because he meant to, but because…
Because why?
If she was his friend, she deserved to know.
With the guilt returning all at once, Riku silently shifted in his seat. Where he once reclined by the queen, he now hunched forward, elbows on his knees as he stared miserably past the floor. Elsa withdrew her hand during the motion. Even without looking at her, he could feel the concern.
"Elsa…you know what I said about why I keep running from my friends?"
She stayed composed, but the caution and dread was palpable in her voice. "Because…of this 'Organization,' correct?" Her tone was so clear. She feared that Riku would abandon her, too.
He nodded. "Yeah. They're…tracking me somehow. I don't know the ins and outs of the spell, but…" He grunted and clenched a gloved hand against his forehead. "Elsa, today was…" He laughed hoarsely, only to realize a tear was falling down his cheek. "I…I haven't felt so alive and free since—"
His voice broke. He paused to collect himself. He lowered his hand and looked to her past his hunched shoulder. Another tear broke free when he saw how devastated she looked.
Riku pressed on, "They're always watching me. That means, somehow, they're watching you. They've seen everything from the moment I met you. And that's how it's gonna stay as long as I'm here." He looked away and rose to his feet. "It was so stupid and selfish of me to come here. I'm sorry."
He walked away.
He didn't get far before Elsa bolted from the couch. He almost fought back when she clamped her hand over his pauldron, turned him to face her, held him still by his shoulders…
…and froze his heart with the sheer intensity of her gaze. She'd leaned in close, her forehead almost touching his. And her voice…hushed like the calm before the snowstorm, and cold as ice. "Riku. What would it take to set you free?"
Just…the unflinching, icy determination in her tone… Riku admired and respected her from the moment they met, but now…now he feared her.
He stuttered back, "L—look, I…I really don't know. I have no idea how this tracking spell works or—"
"Do you know where they live?"
That…shocked him to silence. Did Riku's friendship really mean so much to her that she'd seriously suggest…?
No. He had to talk her out of it. "Elsa, my friends tried storming their castle, but it's not that simple. They have this barrier that even the darkness can't penetrate—"
"I'll freeze it."
"You can't—"
"In a glacier. In an ice age if I have to."
Riku's eyes widened. He might've stepped back if Elsa's grip didn't hold him in place, their faces only inches part. "…It's a flying castle."
"Good. I'll tear it out of the sky."
Was it really so easy? Could Elsa actually do all that? …It was possible, Riku realized, but even still, "They can hear everything we're saying."
The intensity in her gaze never wavered, but the cold ferocity was now joined by compassion. Her grip on his pauldrons loosened. Her arms slid forward and wrapped around him as she embraced him in a tender, desperate hug.
"Let them listen," she said mid-embrace. "It doesn't matter. We should never face our darkness alone. I'll be with you every step of the way."
Riku's heart…skipped. His eyes trembled with new tears. After so much time spent running, meeting someone not only willing to stand by him, but capable of saving him…
It took his breath away. His balance as well. With shaking arms, he returned her hug, holding on like she was his only lifeline in all the worlds. "Elsa…thank you."
For someone so inexperienced with human contact, Elsa knew exactly how to embrace him. Perhaps she drew from old memories of comforting her younger sister before they were separated, or perhaps it was because this was how she'd always wanted to be held herself. Whatever the reason, it worked.
But Elsa broke the silence with a question Riku just wasn't ready for. "Riku. What's his name? The leader of the Organization?"
A moment's pause in the hug, caught completely off-guard. Then, Riku answered, "Xe…Xemnas."
Another tense stillness. Then, Elsa drew back just slightly enough to position her lips by Riku's ear. When next she spoke, the compassion was buried again by cold, terrifyingly composed fury. She whispered in Riku's ear, "Xemnas…I'm coming for you."
That…stole Riku's breath away. That shook him to his core, overwhelmed his heart with hope beyond belief. It was all just…everything he needed to hear.
Riku took half a step back, unashamed of the tears of relief trickling freely down his face. Nothing but consoled when Elsa surprised him further by wiping away some of those tears.
For as much as this moment meant to him, Riku was even more amazed at what it meant to Elsa. A slave to fear her whole life, cut off from all but the scarcest human interaction ever since the accident thirteen years ago—and less than a day of liberation later, she was already the wise, kind, and fearless woman she was always meant to be.
Riku wanted more than anything to thank her. For her to put her own life at risk and openly threaten Xemnas himself, all for his sake…
"How sweet," a third voice called. Eloquent yet guttural.
Riku and Elsa broke apart in alarm and turned to face the newcomer, Riku drawing his Keyblade, Elsa sparking vortices of ice magic in her hands.
Riku glared through tear-stained eyes, recognizing the man straight from the pages of Jiminy's journal. Xaldin. Not in his black cloak, but in some regal, navy-blue uniform with a stylized heart insignia over his chest.
Not a levitating lance in sight—just a briefcase he held at his side—but that changed nothing. The Organization was never to be underestimated.
Xaldin grinned haughtily. "You would make a declaration of war against the Organization itself? Queen Elsa, you had our curiosity. But now you have our attention."
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: Sorry about the delayed update, guys! I've spent a lot of time working on getting my other story, Hurricane Heartbeat, ready for posting. But, hey, it's up! So if you want something to read between Antipode updates, check it out! It updates on Wednesdays weekly.
Shorter chapter than usual this time, but the main reason for that was pacing. There was a lot more on the outline, but we decided it would work best as its own chapter. There is a LOT going on in this world and we wanna make sure the various subplots have room to breathe. Hopefully the next update won't take so long, though.
Guest Isa: See, on one hand, I totally get shipping stuff just based on good character interactions. I multiship and I like to consider how different interactions might work as a ship, BUT… that's mostly just me spit balling and enjoying fics that don't just stick to the same popular pairs. Ships when done right can lead to fascinating character development and dynamics. My problem is that a lot of times, people stick to the samey romantic tropes or twist the characters' personalities once they're a couple or make 'em forget the people important to 'em.
That, and like I said—I think it's important for characters to be able to be friends as well. So Riku and Elsa and Jim and Xion? Two healthy platonic friendships, even if we haven't seen as much of the latter yet.
And yeah, I think there's a difference between characfters developing romantic feelings and those romantic feelings overtaking the plot outright. The characters I do ship (or shiptease) in Antipode typically have had close experiences and a lot of time together to establish those feelings just as a natural progression of their arcs.
AND YEAH, I'm glad that the DLC gave Kairi at least some time to shine. There were some things I was a little disappointed with (c'mon, Nomura, at least let Riku and Kairi talkto each other), and some very spoilery things that don't make a lot of sense, but… it's Kingdom Hearts. Comes with the territory. Maybe in the next game, we can finally have Kairi front and center. …and actual Riku and Kairi friendship. Still salty at how little the trio has really felt like a trio in recent years.
Thanks, though! We really wanted Kairi to shine in the Sköll fight. She's been at this Keyblade thing for over a year now, so having her take charge like she did was an important way to show how far she's come since Fragmented Truths. Likewise, I wanted Donald to have a flashy spell to make up for the lack of Marshmallow helping out—just went for something slightly weaker than Zettaflare since, well. That one obviously would be a bit much for our feathered friend.
For Frozen 2, I threw a few nods here in this chapter, but the plot for this arc's been decided for a few months now. Still, thought it'd be worth at least a little acknowledgement.
Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you guys next time!