Chapter Nineteen: Within the Lanes Between
Isa pursed his lips together as he watched Goofy stumble out of the King's library. He had spent little time with the knight, outside of their encounters from his time in the Organization. Even at the final gathering before Sora's…departure, he hadn't spent much time talking to Goofy. Despite their relative lack of acquaintance, it was quite clear to Isa that Goofy's excuse of "forgettin' to feed my goldfishies" wasn't the truth. And in spite of it not being any of his business, Isa found himself wondering what it was that Goofy truly had in mind.
Curiosity would have to wait however. Most unfortunately, checking in on the well-being of the children would have to wait as well. As much as Isa's heart ached for them, especially for poor Xion, he did not know whether he would be the best to comfort them. Roxas, especially, might take it as confrontation. It would probably be better to let them cool off, before confronting them. What was most expedient was obtaining as much information as possible for their next mission.
"As Lea asked, is there any additional information that you might be able to tell us about the next world we need to visit?" Isa said, with as much formality as possible. "In our years with the Organization, there were several worlds we studied that had…shall we say unorthodox boundaries between living and dead beings."
"Oh, right," King Mickey said. "Well, it's a world originally fell to darkness, back when Xehanort's Heartless was trying to seize Kingdom Hearts."
"That doesn't exactly narrow it down," Lea said crossing his arms. "Look, Olympus was tougher than I thought it'd be. The kids took it like champs, 'cause they're awesome, but I'd like to not walk in blind."
"I don't want that for you either, Axel," King Mickey said, the earnestness in his voice almost tangible. "It's called Land of Dragons, though I'm afraid of
"The Land of Dragons…" Isa murmured. "Yes, I am familiar with it."
"I never went to that one," Lea said. "Sora did his stuff there, of course."
"Oh yeah," Donald Duck, the magician, quacked. "We went there a couple of times. Our old friend Mushu lives there."
"Mushu?" Isa asked. That was a peculiar name, though Isa supposed he was hardly one to judge in that matter.
"Yeah, he's the guardian for the family of another friend, Mulan," Donald explained. For a fleeting moment, Isa thought he saw something of a smirk on the duck's face. Peculiar…Isa wondered whether the magician knew something more of Mushu, or perhaps Mulan, that he was wanting to keep secret.
Regardless, if this were a world that Sora was acquainted with, and had made friends with its denizens, then this would be to their advantage. Roxas and Xion had a connection to Sora, and this connection appeared to make it easier for them to make friends in Olympus. Logic would dictate that this would carry on to other worlds.
"Heh," Lea said. "Well, a friend of Sora's is a friend of mine. We'll get it done, whatever it is."
"That really is great to hear," King Mickey said. He walked over to the Queen, Minnie, Isa believed her name was. King Mickey took the Queen's hands with his own and turned back towards Isa and Lea. "We're really counting on you."
"Rest assured, it will be done."
xxxx
An hour later, Isa and Lea walked through the streets of the town adjacent to the King's castle. Their departure for the Land of Dragons would be very soon, and that necessitated the acquisition of more supplies.
The streets of Disney Town were not particularly different than those in Twilight Town. A wide variety of shops with their assorted shopkeepers, calling out for passerby to sample their wares. In this respect, the two worlds were nearly indistinguishable. But that was not to say there were no differences. Here, the shops were more colorful—vibrant blues and reds and greens were plentiful, and the shops themselves, while more numerous, tended to be considerably lax in terms of their actual stock.
"Is all that you carry…oversized fruits?"
"Yep!" The vendor, a overweight chicken wearing a bonnet, clucked happily. "Absolutely perfect for fruitball, and you can eat it too!"
Isa mulled it over. The apple alone was wider in diameter than Roxas or Xion was tall. Goodness knew that the children were in desperate need of proper nutrients, after an inordinate amount of ice cream. But where on earth could they store this much fruit?
"I don't know," Lea said, scratching his chin. "Do we really need this much? It's not like the Gummi Ship runs on compost."
"Isa. Lea."
Isa and Lea turned around slowly. They had both recognized the voice. Ansem the Wise walked up to Isa, his expression solemn. Lea nodded in greeting and Isa felt his mouth become dry.
"Please…let me assist you. I would be happy to provide funds if it—"
"With due respect sir," Isa interrupted. "As sovereign of Radiant Garden, your first responsibility should be to the denizens of your own world. We can handle our own affairs, well enough."
"Forgive an old man's ramblings, but to my understanding, you are denizens of my world," Ansem the Wise raised an eyebrow in what might have been amusement.
"He's got a point," Lea muttered, turning back to the vendor. "Would it be possible to get this cut into smaller pieces? Whaddya mean, it can't? No, I know what it means!"
"Master Ansem," Isa cleared his throat as Lea argued with the vendor. "I'm sure that Ienzo is looking for you by now."
"Ah, I'll let him linger with Roxas and Xion a while longer. As it is, I do not think Ienzo spends nearly enough time with peers his own age."
"Yes, I suppose that is true."
Isa's conscience irked him for his rudeness. Ansem's experiments had unintentionally led to the ruin of so many lives. And as DiZ, he had intentionally ruined more lives, among them Roxas and Xion's.
How long ago it was, when Isa and Lea had been barely older than the children were now—from a physical standpoint at least. It was then when they had snuck into Ansem's laboratories. And found her. The girl. His friend. The one who could not remember her name, branded with the impersonal "Subject X." Who could remember little of her own life, but could remember the mantra, "May your heart be your guiding key."
Knowing she had been imprisoned by Ansem's apprentices, including the vile Xehanort, Isa and Lea had sought to free her. And it was this that had led them on the path that would cause them to lose their humanity. And Isa had lost her.
"I am sorry, Isa, but I still have found no trace of her," Ansem's voice was very soft. Gentle. Almost paternal. "I've gone through all my files. I've had Tron search the databases. I've searched every inch of my library, and my laboratory."
"I understand," Isa said. He exhaled sharply. He was hardly without sin in regards to matters of the heart. And what Ansem had done to Subject X was a far cry from what the other apprentices had done, even before the Organization had formed.
"You are allowed to ask for help," Ansem said quietly. "After everything I've done, it would be an honor."
"We…thank you sir, but I believe that we have things under control at the moment. If we do get to a point where we need help, then rest assured, I will let you know."
"Very well," Ansem said. "However, if you're ever in the Garden, you have rooms waiting for you In our castle."
"Thank you," Isa said quietly. It had been years since he had walked the streets of Radiant Garden as himself. It would be nice to return…
But first, he better help Lea. Who had forgone the apple in favor of a watermelon that was nearly as large as Aeleus.
oooo
Outside the King's library, Ienzo panted, bent over in exhaustion. He had had to run to keep pace with Roxas and Xion, but physical activity had never been his strongest suit. Neither of the children had even broken a sweat and both looked at him with concern.
"You alright, Ienzo?"
"Of course," Ienzo said, regaining his composure, straightening his tie. "Thank you, Roxas. I assure you, that I am fine…and you?"
Roxas gave a brief nod, but his smile didn't seem entirely sincere. There was lingering tension still. Ienzo sighed, it wasn't entirely surprising. While Goofy's intentions had been pure, they didn't actually undo what the others had said. And Goofy, with his easy-going nature, was more of a peer than he was an authority figure. With Roxas and Xion's upbringing in the Organization, where their authority figures regularly threatened them with destruction…it may take a while yet before the children completely came to terms with the new dynamics. And this was hardly an area with which Ienzo was well-acquainted.
"You never did get a chance to elaborate on your trip to Olympus," Ienzo said. It was a reasonable question. What information they had already divulged was little more than a mission report, but Ienzo recalled that Sora liked talking about his adventures. The same logic would likely apply to Roxas and Xion.
"Oh!" Xion smiled. "You want to hear about it?"
"Yes," Ienzo said firmly, and to his surprise, he found that he truly meant. He was curious to hear what had happened. He wanted to know what had made them happy. Xion's smile stirred something inside him. He felt a desire to protect her, to make sure she was always able to smile.
Roxas and Xion looked at each other and shrugged. Roxas took the initiative and began to explain the full extent of their recent journey. How they had arrived in the streets of a very large city called Thebes, and had gotten lost. How they had eventually found their way to the Coliseum only to immediate be set upon manual labor by the satyr Philoctetes, and then upon Isa's objections, they were set to intense training. How Xion had assisted several passerby with their various needs—including a farmer and his wife who had raised the mortal demigod Hercules.
"I beg your pardon," Ienzo asked. "You say that Hercules was not raised by his parents?"
"He was," Xion said. "He calls Zeus and Hera 'Father and Mother' and he calls Amph..Ampie…the parents who raised him 'Mom' and 'Dad.' He says he has two sets of parents."
"A touching sentiment," Ienzo said. He could see the sentiment. His own parents had passed away in an accident when he was very young. He remembered very little before Ansem the Wise took him into his patronage. The days of research in the laboratories with Even…the daily walks with Ansem as they ate sea-salt ice cream…tending the gardens with Dilan…watching Aeleus cook…
"Ienzo?"
"Forgive me…I was reminiscing."
Roxas smiled at him and Xion patted Ienzo's hand gently before they continued their recounting of their experiences in Olympus. Of Isa's poisoning by the goddess Eris, the attempt to gather reinforcements that had ended in Hercules's capture, the rescue mission that had resulted in Axel obtaining "Keyblade Armor" and Xion befriending a three-headed dog and then another grueling fight where Xion had destroyed Hades's mordite blade—all in total, the adventure had lasted for almost an entire day.
"And then it was morning, and they canceled the Zeus Cup so then we left," Roxas said. "Oh, I almost forgot. Both of Herc's mothers wanted us to eat something before we left, so we had breakfast."
"My my…that was quite the experience," Ienzo said. He looked from Roxas to Xion and back again. "I will take careful notes and add this to the database at home. I will be sure to send word to Pence and the others as well."
"You've talked to them?" Roxas asked, his eyes widening in surprise. "I didn't think that'd be allowed."
"Yes, they've been researching as well. Don't look so surprised, Roxas. Those three, in spite of their mundane upbringings, possess copious courage and compassion. They're worried for you both."
"That's so kind of them," Xion whispered, and for a fleeting moment, her eyes were shiny with tears.
"Yes, as it happens, they have exchanged messages with myself and with Even."
"Oh!" Xion's mouth formed an almost comical 'o.' "Even! That's right…um…could you tell him I say 'Hi,' please?"
Ienzo nodded in affirmation, though why Even, of all people, would be the one that Xion would want to a message relayed to, especially since her friends in Twilight Town were so anxious for news.
"Yes, of course. I will relay messages to Hayner, Pence and Olette as well."
xxxx
It was early evening when Ienzo stood with Master Ansem as they watched the ship Roxas and Xion were using—a repurposed vessel from the Organization of all things. Ienzo felt tension in his shoulders and realized that he was worried for his friends.
"I hope they'll be okay," Ienzo murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. "Please…let them be okay."
"They have more power than you realize," Master Ansem said gently. "I like to think they'll surprise us. I acknowledge your concern though—as powerful as Roxas is, I do believe that Xion inherited Sora's temperament. She's far too nice for her own good."
"Be that as it may, Master…" Ienzo said. "Part of me wonders whether…is it truly necessary for this to be the job of Keybearers? Could not we seek to rectify what is wrong ourselves?"
"I would like nothing better. I did horrific things to those children, and forgot half of them besides," Master Ansem said solemnly, closing his eyes. "But I admit this conflict is outside my area of expertise. The nature of life was among my studies, but I avoided dwelling too far into the realm of death."
Ienzo said nothing. Master Ansem did not generally like speaking about the past, though he was aware that Master Ansem had spoken with Isa and Lea earlier that afternoon.
"May their hearts be their guiding keys."
oooo
As their Gummi Ship soared through the stars in the Lanes Between, Roxas was keenly aware that he was sulking. He knew that he shouldn't be sulking, but he also knew that he didn't want to stop sulking.
It was unfair the way Master Yen Sid had spoken to her. It reminded him far, far too much of those awful times in the Organization when Saix, the jerk, would tear into Xion for the slightest failures. She tried so hard, and she could never live up to his expectations. And now it was just like before—Xion had risked her life in Olympus, a bunch of times, and in Twilight Town too. But now, it was like none of that even mattered.
It matters to me. She's a hero, one of the best. Brave and strong and kind and pretty…
Okay, maybe "pretty" wasn't actually something a hero should be measured by. Riku was a hero and he wasn't pretty at all. Roxas tightened his fingers into his arms, pressing them deeper into the folds of his coat.
Was it bad that Xion had replicated that weird sword that Hades used? Maybe it was. Killing an immortal god seemed to be a pretty bad thing no matter how you looked at it. But it wasn't like she was going to use the sword again! And why single her out like that? It wasn't like she was the only one who'd done bad things! Axel had been the Organization's assassin, and even though he didn't like talking about it, Roxas knew he'd done a bunch of bad stuff—like kidnapping Kairi. Isa had been a jerk to everyone back when he was Saix. And speaking for himself, Roxas knew plenty of ways to hurt Heartless—if he had wanted to, he could hurt people just as easily. Back in Twilight Town, he'd destroyed Seifer and his punks in that Struggle match.
But…that wouldn't be the right thing to do. He was a Keybearer. He had a responsibility to protect others. He was a Guardian of Light. And there were people in trouble now—that was why they were going to…well, Roxas couldn't remember where it was they were going, he'd been distracted when Isa had mentioned their destination to him and Xion.
There was still a hollow feeling in his stomach though. Xion had been hurt, emotionally, and as hard as Roxas had tried, he didn't think he'd done a very good job trying to make her feel better. How could he help others, complete strangers, when he struggled so much to help his best friend? Xion had needed him and he had floundered it—no matter what he said, he couldn't get through to her.
But Goofy had been able to talk to her. Talk to them both, really. Saying they were like chestnuts that weren't ripe enough to eat yet. Goofy's explanation made sense, well mostly—Roxas didn't want to get eaten by anything and he didn't want to eat Xion either. But the talk had definitely made Xion feel better, and Roxas was grateful for that. But they had had to leave so soon after that, and Roxas wasn't sure that Goofy's advice had really had time to set in.
Xion, for her part, seemed to be trying to force the unhappiness away from her. Barefoot, she walked from one end of the Gummi Ship to the other, a bar of ice cream in hand. She had rolled up the sleeves of her coat and set her gloves on one of the uncomfortable couches. Roxas thought she was trying to modify her coat so that she could pretend it was her blouse. As if she were trying to pretend they were back at home.
Roxas could see where she was coming from, but he wasn't sure it was working as much as Xion wanted it to. At home, the couch was comfortable and they had a nice table to eat meals at. Roxas grimaced; he didn't realize just how much he'd wind up missing Isa's cooking. He was starting to get tired of eating so many sea salt ice cream bars. His gloves were getting very sticky with melted bits of ice cream.
There was something else bothering Roxas though, as fatigue from the last few days began to truly overtake him. That had very little to do with Master Yen Sid's rebuke or too much ice cream. And now that there wasn't any danger to fight, and there was still so much time before their next mission, as his mind began to cloud with upcoming sleep, Roxas thought about Sora.
Sora, the Keyblade's chosen one. The boy who had saved the worlds from ruin time and time again. Everybody's favorite.
This divide, throughout the worlds, the breaking of barriers between life and death…Sora had abused the Power of Waking and that had cost him his existence. But from what they'd been told, that was supposed to be different than dying. Roxas bit the inside of his cheek. He had seen Sora twice…and he thought he had seen him a third time, but it had been a trick from those rotten little…he still wasn't sure what those creatures were.
Was it really all in his head? The visions of Sora that never lasted nearly long enough. That never had Sora actually respond with words, just his stupid, goofy smile. The visions that nobody else could see?
No…Roxas couldn't accept that. Just like he couldn't accept people being cruel to Xion. Just like he couldn't accept being told that he didn't have a heart of his own, a right to exist. And even when he had come to agree with that, Sora had been adamant that Roxas did have the right to exist.
"No. Roxas, you're you. We're not the same. I wanted to tell you that. That you deserve as much as I do to be your own person."
Sora wanted him to be his own person. That they could co-exist. But they had barely had that chance.
I don't know if you can hear me…but Sora, I owe you one. You led me home. Owe you two, really, with Xion. You led us both home. I'll find you. Our connection has to mean something! I'll bring you home myself.
oooo
The air is hot and dry. Arid. Lifeless. It is fitting. This is the Keyblade Graveyard, where millennia ago, countless wielders fell in the Keyblade War. They fought one another, over the great light offered by Kingdom Hearts. And now history is to repeat itself. Seven Guardians of Light are to clash against Thirteen Seekers of Darkness.
Your opponent stares you down. She is the youngest of the Guardians, the smallest, the meekest. How foolish, how desperate were they to bring forth a Princess of Heart. Her light shines brighter than a thousand suns, but it is futile to think that she may fight.
She summons her Keyblade and it is laughable, the frivolity of its design. Flowers and sea shells adorn the hilt and teeth of the blade. How childish! A fool's weapon, how fitting a match for a fool's warrior.
You summon your weapon. A Keyblade, copied from the Hero's blade. You charge towards the Guardian, and she blocks a blow that would have cost her her head, had it struck. She grunts with effort, though it is far more a whimper than a battle cry. This pathetic creature will suffer for her insolence.
She runs towards you, swinging her Keyblade in wide arcs. Her technique is weak. You parry and counterattack and the girl ducks away, yelping in distress. She is distracted and you gain the advantage. Again and again, you bring your Keyblade down and she is only just able to Her fear is so great, it is almost as if you can taste it.
The girl runs and you pursue. She darts behind a boulder and shoots out balls of light from her Keyblade. You evade each one in turn and she sends out a ball of fire in desperation. You smirk and from the point of your Keyblade, you send forth a great jet of flame, completely consuming hers.
She runs from her feeble shelter and you continue to follow her. The sheer pathetic nature of what your match has been thus far is not nearly sufficient enough to count as a proper clash to forge the X-blade, to unlock Kingdom Hearts. Darkness shall prevail and light shall expire.
You twist your wrist, sending your Keyblade in a spiral. It spins as if on an axis, and the Guardian darts around. She holds her Keyblade across her chest, and it is only by the slimmest of margins that she is not cut in two. The teeth of your Keyblade imbed themselves into the edge of her own. She desperately scrambles to gain hold of your Keyblade, stealing it, claiming it as her own.
She raises both Keybaldes against you, and for a fleeting moment, she appears triumphant. But appearances can be deceiving. As a Seeker, there are powers you possess that this feeble Guardian can scarcely comprehend. You raise your hand and call back your Keyblade, knocking your opponent off-guard. You raise your other hand and summon a second weapon—a blade of mordite.
You charge forward, both blades ready to strike. The Guardian, the Princess, blocks your Keyblade with her own, but she is off-balance, and you bring down the mordite sword. It destroys the head of the Guardian's flimsy, pathetic, ugly Keyblade and then it shatters. Shards of the Keyblade fly everywhere, cutting into the sleeves of your black robes. But pain is nothing to you.
Your opponent is not so fortunate. She cries out, and there are cuts along her bare arms. And there is nothing between you and her now. You strike out and she has no weapon to defend herself. She falls to the ground, skidding hard. She looks up at you, her blue eyes wide, fearful. She tries to back away as you descend upon her, but it is too late. You strike her again and again. With Keyblade and mordite blade, you knock the girl down.
The Guardian tries to scream, but she makes no sound. You press your boot against her arm. You raise your Keyblade—a true Keyblade, not like the Guardian's sham of a Keyblade—and then you slash it down. The Guardian makes a tiny gasp and then, like her blade before her, she shatters into nothing.
xxxx
Xion jerked awake, cold sweat dripping from her face. She wasn't in the Keyblade Graveyard. She was…somewhere in the Lanes Between, in a Gummi Ship. And she wasn't serving Xehanort—he wasn't her Master. Master Yen Sid was her Master. King Mickey was her Master. Even Master Aqua would be her Master before Xehanort.
A nightmare. Another nightmare. Where she relived the horrible battle. Brought back those awful, terrible days where she was a Seeker of Darkness. Where she helped Xehanort kill Kairi. Which led to Sora's doom. But this was worse. This was new. Never before had she dreamed of using the sword of mordite against Kairi.
Kairi…poor, poor Kairi. How much had it hurt? When Xehanort had put his Keyblade through poor Kairi's spine? Xion wished she could take it back. Take Kairi's place…that would have only been fair.
Xion felt sick, but she didn't want to cry out for anyone. Not this time. Not after everything that had happened in the last few days. They had spent so much time in Olympus and then on the Gummi Ship, that none of them had really gotten a proper night's sleep. She didn't want to take away what little rest Axel or Isa or Roxas—especially Roxas—could be getting.
As it was, Xion wasn't even sure what time it was—the Lanes Between weren't really a world, so it was harder to tell the passage of time looking out the windows. There were stars and funny colored clouds and very large rocks—Isa said they were called "asteroids," and bits and pieces of metal that might be the ruins of other ships.
She figured she should let her friends sleep—or at least get as much sleep as possible. Their Gummi Ship had simple furniture, nothing really like a bed with blankets. Xion lowered herself from the low cushioned couch she'd been resting on to the floor below. She still wore her Organization robes, but she had taken off her boots and gloves earlier in the…evening? Night? Whatever. The floor was cold and hard but there was also a sort of comfort in that it felt sturdy. And quiet. And that helped her remember what had happened back at the castle.
It is a weapon of absolute darkness. A terrible, most evil weapon. It kills magic itself. You must never use it again.
Master Yen Sid's words rang in Xion's mind just as loudly as they had back in King Mickey's library. And it really made her stomach hurt. Part of her wondered if this was strange—she had only met Master Yen Sid a few times, so she really didn't know him that well, but she knew had known him as King Mickey's wise Master. And because she served King Mickey, that made him her Master too. But the fierceness of his rebuke…she had failed his expectations very badly, and now she needed to make up for it.
The solution was simple really, to make up for her failures to Master Yen Sid and King Mickey. Xion would never, ever use the mordite blade again. It's what they wanted, so it's what she would do. Really, it wasn't going to be that hard—she hadn't really intended to replicate it in the first place when she had grabbed Hades's sword, and even when she clashed swords with Hades, she had meant to summon Isa's claymore.
Xion wiggled her fingers. Her Keyblade appeared, its warmth spreading from her fingers all the way up her arm. This was a good weapon. The Keyblade was forged to protect the Light. To shine a light through the darkness and make everyone happy. She had made people in Twilight Town happy—Vivi and Granny and Hayner and Pence and Olette. She had made people in Olympus happy—Hercules and Phil and Zeus and…Hercules's other mom and dad. And now she was going to do more things to make more people happy.
Xion thought about what else had happened at Disney Castle. Goofy had been so kind, treating her and Roxas to lunch. She had never eaten a hot dog before, it was like a sausage but tastier! And Goofy had given that little speech about chestnuts, and how they were ugly at first but then the icky shell fell off, and a yummy nut was all that was left. Xion guessed that Goofy meant she was like a chestnut and that one day her icky stuff would fall off.
The scars on her heart from the Organization, from Xehanort…the horrible things she'd done. Or what she could have stopped but had been too selfish to do so. The darkness in her heart that had attracted Sephiroth to Twilight Town—no matter what her friends said, Xion knew that was true. The darkness that allowed her to wield such horrible weapons as the moridte sword…could that darkness one day go away, and Xion be good? Could she atone of her mistakes?
She concentrated and felt the familiar fuzzy feeling of a replicated weapon being summoned. A flash of light and a copy Goofy's shield was in her hand. It was curious. It felt warmer, more comforting that wielding a replicated claymore did.
A sudden grumbling jolted Xion out of her trance. Axel was awake now, and walking towards her, yawning. She dismissed her shield and got to her feet. The floor of the Gummi Ship suddenly seemed much colder under her bare feet.
"Morning, kiddo," Axel's grouchy expression softened and he ruffled her hair in greeting. It made Xion giggle, and that made Axel smile.
"Hi, Axel."
"Boots on, squirt. Isa's checked the figures. We'll be arriving in the next world…actually, I think we are in their boundaries now."
Axel walked back to the edge of the ship to wake Roxas up and Xion pulled her boots and gloves back on. She summoned her Keyblade again, for assurance. She had her Keyblade. That hadn't changed. This was the key to her atonement. The way to light the darkness and make everyone happy.
Her heart would be her guiding key.
A/N: Well, well, well! It took less than a week for the latest chapter! I actually finished this last night! I haven't written this quickly since our journey began!
Here you are my dear readers—I know this chapter covers some familiar territory, especially with regards to Roxas and Xion, but I felt it was important to get into their minds as we get into the next world they'll be visiting.
Thank you for reading, my friends! Leave a comment if you're so inclined. Or if you like, leave a comment on somebody else's comment.
We're pushing along to the next world. Land of Dragons here we come!
And to you my readers, I appreciate and every one of you!
