Chapter 40: The Kingdom Strikes Back
A/N: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company. I do not own The Dresden Files, which is the property of Jim Butcher. This is a creative work than I do not profit off of in any way whatsoever.
Hello everyone! Sorry this one took so long, but I hit a tiny snag of writer's block. And more than a little bit of distraction in terms of fluffy Sea Salt Trio headcanons. But here we are, the newest chapter!
This newest chapter should wrap up the Disney Castle arc. I worked very hard on it, and I hope I've addressed some concerns I've gotten in the comment threads accordingly.
Oh, and thanks to Mimi of AO3 who convinced me to rename the last chapter.
Read on my dearest readers, I hope you enjoy!
Queen Minnie sighed deeply. It had been nearly two hours since King Mickey had gone to get the last few pieces of the Cornerstone. It was nightfall and there was still no word from her husband, or the Keybearer who had gone with him. Queen Minnie was very, very nervous.
This wasn't the first time the Cornerstone had broken. Many years before, when Queen Minnie had been…well, younger than she was now anyway, the Cornerstone had broken. Nobody knew how or why, but the fall-out had been awful. While it had only taken a week to repair the Cornerstone that time, by the time it had been repaired, it had already been too late. Lines had been crossed. War had broken out—her beloved Mickey, Donald and Goofy had all had been drafted into the fighting. And while her husband, and his two closest friends had come home, tens of thousands hadn't. Fifer, Fiddler and Practical Pig had lost dozens of their cousins…
Queen Minnie shook her head. She had a responsibility to every soul in her world, the entire world not just her castle and the surrounding town. Calistoa, Spoonerville, St. Canard, Disneytown…they were all under her domain. And now they were all in danger…
The Cornerstone…it looked wrong. It was supposed to be a perfect sphere. An orb of absolute brightness. But as it was now…it was hobbled together. Mushed together. Even with the valiant efforts of Olette, who was one of the Princesses of Heart, only so much progress could be made. Especially considering that Olette herself barely understood what she was doing, the poor dear. The Cornerstone was broken. And that matched the state of Queen Minnie's own mind.
"Oh dear, oh dear…" Queen Minnie said. "I wish that this hadn't happened. Everything's gotten oh so complicated."
Hearts…Heartless…Nobodies…and now, departed souls? This wasn't the way things were supposed to be. Queen Minnie sighed again. Things hadn't been quite right for over a decade now, if she were truly being honest with herself.
"I wish that as well," Master Yen Sid said. "But we cannot dwell for too long on regret. We must focus on repair."
"Master Yen Sid," Queen Minnie paused. "I know it's not my place, but I do have a question if you don't mind."
"By all means, Minnie," Master Yen Sid said. "I always have time to answer my students' questions."
It had been a very, very long time since Minnie had had any lessons with Master Yen Sid, and even then, her teachings hadn't lasted half as long as Mickey's. But it was a comforting thought, in its own way. Master Yen Sid had known her long before she had even taken the throne.
"I am…let's say confused," Queen Minnie said. "It's about the Keybearer Xion."
"Indeed," Master Yen Sid said. "What is it that concerns you about her?"
"Well…" Queen Minnie said. "I remember before, when Xion summoned that awful mordite sword, you were a lot angrier with her. I guess I'm surprised that you aren't as angry with her now, as you were then. I would think that breaking the Cornerstone is a far greater crime."
Out of the corner of her eye, Queen Minnie thought she saw Olette look up, but she directed her attention to Master Yen Sid. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but it was from her perspective the truth. The mordite sword, while a very dangerous weapon, had not been used. If anything, it had been unfair for Master Yen Sid to have shouted at Xion the way she had. Queen Minnie sighed quietly to herself, she should have said something then. Xion had looked so upset…
Queen Minnie felt a sudden rush of guilt .She'd been hard on Xion too, hadn't she? For breaking the Cornerstone, even if it was by accident. But then again, actions had consequences, after all. And even getting it repaired as quickly as they were, there were sure to be other consequences for their world, even if they didn't realize it yet.
Queen Minnie had known several Keybearers throughout the years. She still smiled when she thought about that one boy, Sora. Oh, Sora. So brave and true and friendly. He fought so hard for the worlds. All the worlds, he protected them and loved them. And he had made such good friends with Donald and Goofy on his travels. And then…it had only been a few weeks ago, but Sora had returned to Disney Castle. One last visit, with his dearest friend Kairi, and that little creature Chirithy. As Minnie had reunited with Mickey, the one she loved most, so Sora had spent the evening with Kairi, the one he loved most.
But Sora wasn't the first Keybearer she'd met. Master Aqua, Terra and Ventus, she had first met some eleven years before. Monsters called Unversed had sprouted up, and Terra and Aqua had fought them off. At the time, Terra had been open about being willing to use powers of darkness, if it got the job done. Queen Minnie had disagreed, rather strongly. She had scolded Terra, she was willing to admit it—but she had to make clear that no matter what, she did not approve of the use of dark powers.
There was no good to come from using the powers of darkness. They corrupted you. Took away your humanity. The Unversed, the Heartless, the Nobodies…all of them were simply awful creatures. They caused chaos and despair wherever they went, even consuming entire worlds. How could anyone ever think that using the powers of those creatures was in any way acceptable?
That was why Queen Minnie was so worried about Xion, and Roxas too. They leaned far too close to the darkness. They'd been part of that awful Organization XIII…who knew what horrible things they'd been forced to do? It was very good that they were given a second chance, and even better that they were so willing to do good, but…
It seemed that the more Xion tried, the worse it got. And while her intentions may have been good, they didn't seem to be producing very good results. That was a problem in itself. What good was it to try and help people when you only ended up making bigger messes? Even Xion's attempts to fix the Cornerstone weren't very safe—a lot of people would have been in grave danger if Willie the Giant had had gotten into the town. And then there was the nature of that Sephiroth…Queen Minnie didn't know who this person was, but if he was somehow connected to Xion…
Queen Minnie shook her head. It wasn't going to do her any good to count her chickens before they hatched. And Sephiroth might not be an issue after all. But then again…he could be.
There were other habits that concerned Queen Minnie. Even though Disney Castle was a monarchy, it was still rather informal, as far as monarchies went. While Queen Minnie's people would salute her, it was not often they bowed. Roxas and Xion bowed frequently, to Mickey, to Master Yen Sid and to Queen Minnie herself. Why did they do that? Was it a habit from their days in the Organization?
"As I said before," Master Yen Sid said. "I will deal with whatever steps I deem necessary. Actions have consequences, but that philosophy applies both ways. Xion is taking actions to fix the damage she has wrought, and with the aid of Olette, and other champions of light, we may be able to alleviate most of the potential damage. If there is to be further punishment, it is to be at my discretion. As it is, with regards to the mordite blade…"
Master Yen Sid's expression grew more severe. Lines in his face grew more pronounced and when he spoke, it seemed he was taking his time, to measure each word.
"I have seen seen those who wield such weapons before. Without exception, those who wielded them were of the darkest sort," Master Yen Sid said. "I will not tolerate any such use among my students, regardless of circumstances, with no exceptions."
Queen Minnie gave a small nod and turned her head back to the Cornerstone. She needed to focus her attention here. There were spells she could cast that would help to sustain it, prevent the damage from spreading any further…
Still no word from her beloved Mickey. Oh, where could he be? And what might be happening to him, and to Xion?
oooo
In the darkest corner of the world where King Mickey and Queen Minnie ruled, two Keybearers were in the darkest corners of a castle housed by a most sinister scientist. One of the Keybeaerers was free, the other captured.
Xion could hardly breathe and it wasn't just because the ropes tied around her arms were tight enough to make her chest ache. She was terrified. Beyond terrified. Below her, Doctor XXX was still scribbling calculations she didn't understand on his chalkboard. And next to him…staring at her, grinning like a maniac…was Seifer. Seifer, the boy from Twilight Town. What on earth was Seifer doing here…and what had happened to his eyes?
"Seifer," Xion said, trying to concentrate. "What are you doing? How did you even get here? Where's Rai and Fuu?"
It didn't make any sense! Seifer lived in Twilight Town and he always had! As far as Xion knew, he didn't even know there were other worlds in the first place! There were some people who knew about other worlds—Granny for example—but Seifer wasn't one of them.
"You're so stupid," Seifer scoffed. "To answer your question, lamer—I'm finally getting what's mine. You think you're so special, with your stupid Key-sword."
"It's a Keyblade. That's not what makes me special," Xion protested. "Everyone's special, Seifer…"
"Heh, you believe that bull?" Seifer said. "You're dumber than I thought."
Xion wasn't sure what Seifer meant by "bull." She'd only met the one bull at Grandma Duck's farm and she was fairly certain that Seifer hadn't. And she wasn't dumb…
Yes, you are. You're an idiot. You don't understand anything at all. All those questions you ask Axel? He hates answering them. He hates having to explain everything to you. But he's stuck with you, because you're too dumb to remember anything.
"Seifer, I'm trying to help people…" Xion said. "Isn't that what you want? With your Disciplinary Committee?"
"Pah!" Seifer said. "I formed the Committee so that people would respect me. Power…before you freaks showed up, I was the strongest there was! And I'm better than you for it, because I didn't take anything, you creepy little thief."
"I'm not a thief…" Xion whispered. "I didn't steal anything…"
"You're pathetic. Thief, copycat, lamer," Seifer scowled. "It's all the same. Nothing you have you got by yourself. Yeah, you're a lamer clone of that loser Sora! And you copied his weapon because you were too lame to get your own! You steal faces, you steal weapons, you steal strength!"
How?! How did he even know anything about any of that?! Xion began to struggle against the ropes tying her arms again, but they seemed tighter than ever. And…and she wasn't crying! She wasn't crying! She wasn't, wasn't, wasn't!
"Hahahaha!" Doctor XXX cackled from his chalkboard. "Talk you may, I have this to say. It's time for me and my friends to play!"
More skeletons began emerging from the shadows of the laboratory. They were all taller than Xion, as tall as the grown-ups in Twilight Town. Xion squirmed but the ropes around her didn't give even the slightest slack.
"Rooooo!" Pluto, King Mickey's dog, howled. He was still in that awful seat, his paws bolted in place. And that strange little X-ray machine showed his heart had fallen into his belly. Oh, poor Pluto!
"Shut up, you stupid dog!" Seifer said. He sneered and yanked on one of Pluto's ears. Pluto howled in pain again. "I said shut up!"
"Roooooooo-ooooooo!"
"Pluto!"
"And now," Doctor XXX said, in that awful little chant of his, "Let us see what we get. Taking the shadows of the Replica and the king's pet!"
Xion's eyes widened when she saw the saw in Doctor XXX's hand. It was almost as long as she was tall.
Xion began to scream.
pooo
Mickey sent out another ball of light, and it exploded against the skeleton spider, blasting it to pieces. He didn't stop to wait to see if the skeleton would piece itself back together. He had to keep going.
Xion….she'd been captured. And she had done it on purpose. They'd both been caught in that glue trap—and wasn't that just like the Phantom Blot, to set a glue trap for Mickey Mouse—but Xion had managed to maintain her senses long enough to get Mickey out of there. But at the cost of using such powerful magic that she had no strength left to defend herself.
Mickey had gotten caught on a ledge by the whirlwinds Xion had cast. That had given him a perfect perch to get his bearings. And a perfect view of Xion being tied up by Pete and the Doctor. And taken away…and then Mickey had climbed back up, found himself in an unfamiliar corridor and started walking again.
Darn it, Pete! Mickey slashed his Keyblade and destroyed another skeleton. Darn it all! He hadn't always been bad! Long ago, he'd been Mickey's steamboat captain! And while he'd been harsh, he'd also been fair. But then things had changed…
Well, there was no time to regret the past. Pete had made his choices and Mickey had made his. He had to find the pieces of the Cornerstone. And rescue Pluto, and Xion too. Oh, he hoped he wasn't too late.
This castle wasn't like any other Mickey had been to. In some ways, it was alive. Every corner…every nook and cranny…there was one of those horrible skeletons. Mickey didn't understand how the Doctor had done, to animate them. Heartless, he understood. People who lost their hearts to darkness…the darkness manifest in their hearts. And Nobodies made a sort of sense too—the leftover shells of those with strong wills who fell to darkness. Even Unversed made sense.
But this? Skeletons…of humans, to boot! Who moved on their own and worked on their own and no matter how many times Mickey knocked them down, they got back up.
"Holy!"
The beams of light emerged from his Keyblade and the three skeletons that were chasing him were blasted apart. And then the bones faded into nothingness.
Light magic then…that was it. Mickey took another step and then…oh no! The floor was falling down from under him! Another trick tunnel!
He was falling! Oh no, oh no, oh no! This was just like what had happened before. Mickey forced himself to keep his eyes open. Forced himself to find something, anything that would allow him to find another way out.
There! An air vent! Mickey shot out a beam of light from the tip of his Keyblade to blast away the vent and then, concentrating with all his might, Mickey bounced himself towards the air vent.
It was small here. Not too small for Mickey, though. He took a deep breath and reached out. The Cornerstone was from his world. He had a connection to it. And he could sense light, sort of like the way Riku could sense darkness. He concentrated more…and felt for the light.
Even in this dark, dark castle, a castle that had no place being in his world, Mickey could sense some light. And if he really, really concentrated he could feel what made it light.
There! He could sense light! Powerful, radiant, fragile light. Light that told him of a castle…of generations of people working to build and thrive…families and friends and teams and crews all working together…the Cornerstone…
But that wasn't the only light he could sense…
Walks in the park…bones to chew on…a warm bed…biscuits…and friends…friends to run with…
Oh…Pluto….Mickey felt his heart ache. Pluto was still here. Somewhere in this awful castle. But he was alive. His good ol' pal was still alive. And he was a good dog…Pluto was such a good dog. And there was other light, different light…light that wasn't as bright as Pluto's…
Two friends…watching the sunset and eating ice cream…laughter and Sora….Kairi…Axel…Roxas…
Xion…
Mickey shook his head. Even now, he didn't know Roxas and Xion half as well as he should. Xion had saved his life twice now—from Willie the Giant and from Doctor XXX. He had to find her….had to help her…
"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
oooo
Xion screamed again as Doctor XXX approached her. He was so tall…why were the bad guys always so tall?
"Scream and cry, shout yourself hoarse," Doctor XXX said. "All I need is a little sample for my scientific course."
If Xion hadn't seen, hadn't felt what happened next, she wasn't sure she'd have believed it. In the dim light of the room, her shadow dangled, tied up just like her. But when he reached up, Doctor XXX didn't grab her…he grabbed her shadow. But it still felt like he was grabbing her…crushing her legs. And then…he began to cut at her shadow with his saw…
"Ow! Ow! Ow ow ow ow ow ow!" Xion shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks. What was happening…how could she feel that?! Her shadow…shadows didn't have feelings! Not these shadows at least! But she could feel it! Her shadow was being sliced off. "Aaaaaahhhhh!"
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Doctor XXX cackled. "Now I'll see your skin torn and bones bent. Don't you fret, your shadow will serve Maleficent!"
"Like it lamer?" Seifer grinned and pumped his fist. "Not so tough now, are you?"
"Roooo!" Pluto howled. "Rooooo-oooo!"
It felt as if her legs were crushed…Xion groaned weakly. She had to get out of here…but a-yi! Doctor XXX cut more of her shadow…and more…and more….and the more he cut, the more it hurt.
She struggled against the ropes binding her and then suddenly…she felt herself falling! Only she didn't hit the floor, she hit…some sort of cot? No…not a cot…one of those rolling stretchers. And then…there were thick straps coming out from the sides, fastening themselves around her, keeping her firmly tied to the stretcher. And then it began to move by itself…
"The boss is gonna like this," Seifer said. He was to the side of her…but he didn't have his hand on the cart. And Doctor XXX was a few steps ahead of them…her shadow chopped to pieces in his hands.
The lights were brighter here. Much, much brighter…and then they were in a new room. Perfect circle…and there…there were so many monsters. Skeletons and Heartless and…
"Hello, morsel! Remember me?"
The Big Bad Wolf…and there was Pete too…and a few that Xion couldn't move her head well enough to see.
"Brought you the lamer," Seifer said. "So, where's my cut? You said that if I helped you, you'd help me. The best for the best!"
"Yes…" A voice that Xion had never heard before spoke out. High and regal and it sent a chill down her spine. "We did have a deal. And you have upheld your side of the bargain."
A figure appeared in Xion's field of vision. Tall and grey-green and…horns. Long horns and black robes and a long staff with a green orb. Maleficent.
"For your services, Seifer," Maleficent said. "I will grant you two gifts. The first…you may claim any weapon the Replica has for your own."
"Even the Key-sword?" Seifer asked. "I like the idea of that…"
Xion's blood turned to ice in her veins and her stomach leapt into her throat. Seifer using one of her weapons? No…no…it was hers. Her Keyblade was hers. It helped connect her to Axel and Roxas and Sora…She felt like she was going to be sick.
"I don't think that one would work," Pete shook his head. "Those Keyblades, they got minds of their own. They can choose who hold 'em. If the runt's Keyblade don't like you, then it ain't gonna work."
"Heh, it's a lamer's weapon anyway," Seifer said. "I want…something that will let me crush and destroy my enemies. Show 'em who's boss."
"Yes…" Maleficent said. "That is just the answer I wanted to hear. Very well…Seifer, you may have something else…"
Maleficent waved her hand and the Phantom Blot raised his as well. There was a flash of blinding light that made Xion's eyes hurt and then…Seifer was being given a sword. It was a long sword…black and purple metal…
Mordite…
Xion began to fight against her bonds again. But the ropes still cut into her wrists and arms and ankles and the straps on the rolling cot didn't budge either. Seifer smirked and pressed his sword to her throat. Xion tried to scream, but no sound came out.
"I could do it lamer…" Seifer said, and he almost sounded awestruck. "I could do it…and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I'm the strongest there is."
He flicked his sword and Xion felt the blade scrape against her cheek and then her neck. There was a tearing of leather…her necklace! The necklace Roxas had made for her! It fell off of his sword and into Seifer's hand. He glanced at it dismissively and flung it over his shoulder. Xion heard it land.
"Dime store piece of junk," Seifer scowled. "Well…I got what I've wanted."
"Not yet, my boy," Maleficent said. "There is one other gift I will bestow upon you…but now is not the time."
"Eh," Seifer shrugged. "I can wait."
"And now…." Maleficent waved her staff. A jet of green fire swept over Xion, but it didn't burn her. It went over her…into Doctor XXX's arms. Where her shadow was. The pieces of her shadow began to glow with the same green fire and then her shadow stood up…and a pair of piercing yellow eyes stared back into Xion's.
"Go to the castle," Maleficent said. "Kill everyone inside and destroy the Cornerstone."
Xion's shadow nodded and then tore out of the corridor, bouncing off of the walls and leaving huge gashes and tears everywhere it stepped.
"What are we gonna do with this one?" The Big Bad Wolf leered. "It's almost dinnertime!"
He opened his jaws wide…close enough that Xion could count his teeth…could smell his awful breath…but then something slammed against the Big Bad Wolf's mouth.
"You can't eat her!" Pete said. "If you eat her, then the shadow is gonna go poof! And then who's gonna smash the pipsqueaks?"
"Patience is nice, so take my advice," Doctor XXX said. "Leave the brat tied up, and let my saws splice."
"Well, if you ask me—oof!"
"Ah ha ha ha ha!"
Xion blinked in surprise. Standing on the snout of the Big Bad Wolf was a little green turtle. He leapt off on the Big Bad Wolf's snout and then landed on Xion's chest. He reached over and yanked on her nose. Xion gasped in pain and shook her head roughly, but the little turtle didn't let go and squeezed and twisted. Tears began forming out of the corners of her eyes..
"I see you went and got yourself captured," A new voice said. Xion strained her neck and saw another turtle, one maybe her height, wearing a blue dress and having a haircut that reminded Xion a bit of Granny. "You always did seem to be the most pathetic person with a Keyblade. I bet my little Shelby would do a much better job!"
"What?" Xion asked quietly. "What are you talking about?"
"My little Shelby is wonderful and oh so smart," The larger turtle said, patting the little turtle on the head. "And he's much better than you!"
"I keep telling you," Pete said. "Them Keyblades have minds of their own…and say, weren't you supposed to get a piece of the Cornerstone."
"It's not my little Shelby's fault!" The older turtle said, scooping him up. "There were five of them and only one of him! If you had helped him, then we'd would have been able to get it!"
What?! What was the turtle saying?! Was she helping Maleficent and Pete and the rest?! But why?!
"We had a deal…" Maleficent said. "You were to help us and I would help your son take the throne for this world."
"Well it was a stupid deal," The turtle shouted. "You're just an ugly old bat. My little Shelby is special.."
"Ezekiel," Maleficent said. "Could you step forward? I have a request."
"Only my momma calls me 'Ezekiel,' but sure," The Big Bad Wolf stood up. Xion could smell his awful breath. "What do you want?"
"I feel the light of the King's presence. The time for us to remain on this world is shorter than I would prefer. We must eliminate the loose ends."
"So I do get to eat 'er?" The Big Bad Wolf licked his lips and Xion trembled. "Of course!"
"No, no," Maleficent said. "There is something else I have planned for you. But first…Phantom!"
The Phantom Blot bowed before Maleficent and then raised himself to his full height. He was much taller than Seifer or the Mad Doctor, as powerfully built as Pete.
"Yes, Mistress?"
"I can sense King Mickey. He's coming here very soon," Maleficent smiled. "I must take leave but I believe there is time to give him a little parting gift."
"Ooh boy," Pete shook his head. "I remember those types of presents. C'mon shorty, we better get out of here."
"Allow me," Seifer said. "I've always wanted to do something like this."
Shimmering darkness appeared out of thin air…a Dark Corridor. What was Seifer thinking?! Those were so dangerous if you weren't wearing a black robe or clothing made from the Good Fairies. What was he thinking?! No…he wasn't thinking. Not if he had joined up with Maleficent. And Xion had a feeling that Seifer hadn't done any real thinking in a very long time.
Seifer turned to Xion, looming over her. His gold eyes shining with savage triumph.
"We're probably not gonna meet again, and I can't say I'm gonna miss you. But let me tell you, I'm gonna love telling Roxas you died crying and he wasn't here to save you."
Xion felt fury bubble up inside her. Seifer spat in her face and walked away—reeking of darkness. She fought against the ropes tying her again, but they didn't yield. She gave a cry of frustration…and despair. The little turtle, Shelby, jumped up on her again and yanked on her ear…really hard!
"Aaaaah!"
"Ah ha ha ha ha ha—-aah!"
Xion shut her eyes. She didn't want to see anymore. She wanted to get away. She strained her fingers but she must have done something wrong. Her Keyblade didn't come. Neither did her copy of Isa's claymore. Not even Goofy's shield.
Find the Cornerstone King Mickey…please, don't let them find you…just find the Cornerstone and get out of here…
Roxas…be safe…
oooo
Roxas wasn't sure he'd ever been so happy to see the Cornerstone in his life. His legs ached, his feet were beginning to hurt and his eyes were sore. But they were back. Him and Hayner and Pence and Donald and his family.
The Cornerstone hall was crowded. Olette was staring at the Cornerstone, surrounded by four ladies in black robes with funny white hoods. Tinkering with a computer were Ansem the Wise and Ienzo—when had they shown up? And Queen Minnie was talking to Master Aqua and Terra—Ven had nodded off in a corner, sleeping against…a giant bull?! If this were anywhere else but Disney Castle…
"Roxas!"
"Axel!"
Roxas felt a rush of relief. It was after dark, but that didn't matter. He was exhausted and ready to sleep for about a month, but it had all worked out in the end. They'd found their piece of the Cornerstone.
Donald nodded at Gladstone, who was still wearing that odd cape and hood, and walked quietly to stand next to Goofy and another duck wearing a purple gown.
Hayner and Pence had the piece of Cornerstone in a small bag. They walked over towards Olette and a moment later, the piece of the Cornerstone they collected merged with the rest of it, light flowing out of Olette's fingers.
"Tough mission?" Axel asked. "You look winded."
"You might say that," Roxas said. "Say…where's Xion?"
"She and King Mickey went out to get the last few pieces…" Axel said. "But that was hours ago…"
"Hours?!" Roxas asked. "Have they called in at all?"
Axel shook his head. For a moment, he looked quite angry but then he ran a hand through his hair and looked cheerful again. Almost. His smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Axel…did something happen?"
"The usual," Axel muttered, his expression darkening. "Queen Minnie said…well, let's just say that she was firm about Xion fixing her mistake."
"Mistake?! This wasn't her fault!" Roxas said, trying to keep his temper. He glanced over Axel's shoulder and lowered his voice to a whisper. "This isn't fair!"
"I know, I know," Axel said. "But now's not the time…once we get this stupid rock fixed, you can—"
"If I were you, Lea, I would refrain from calling the Cornerstone 'stupid.' It would not bode well if King Mickey or Queen Minnie were to overhear."
Master Yen Sid…how long had he been standing there? Tall and formal looking and stroking his beard.
Oh…crud. Busted.
"It isn't fair!" Roxas insisted. He felt a pain of guilt. Xion'd been trying so hard and people still weren't being fair. Everywhere they went, bad things happened and Xion always blamed herself. Bad enough when that happened, but to have others blame her too?
"It so happens," Master Yen Sid said, "I actually agree with you, Roxas. While Xion was the one who broke the Cornerstone, it was the Phantom Blot who cast the spell that allowed it to happen in the first place. It would be just as likely to have been you or even Mickey. Xion merely had the misfortune to be the one who struck first. While she has previously taken horrifically risky and dangerous actions, this boiled down to chance."
"Pardon me, sir," Another voice said. Roxas looked left and right and then took a step back as Jiminy Cricket jumped out of one of Axel's pockets. "But you said before that you were going to punish Xion for this."
"I believe I said it was up to my discretion whether further punishment would be needed. A little disciple and additional training in precision magic are what Xion needs. This type of folly is not that which deserves a particularly harsh rebuke. The efforts she has exerted retrieving the pieces are punishment enough. That said, it should be acknowledged that King Mickey and Queen Minnie are within their rights to be more severe with her."
Roxas bit the inside of his cheek. Was that an apology for his earlier actions? It didn't really sound like one. But at the same time…he wasn't going to make Xion feel any worse than she already did…
Does he realize that she's afraid of him?
"Roxas?" Ienzo called. "If I may have a word? We're nearly finished with the alignment."
Roxas took a few steps towards them, the tension in his shoulders building. He liked Ienzo well enough…but he wasn't sure how he felt about Ansem. Or at least, Ansem around computers.
"Incoming…threat detected…"
"Huh?!"
Roxas was kicked in the chest and flew backwards. He heard several voices cry out and he slid backwards, banging his head against…something.
"Secondary threat detected…melee…engaging defensive measure six."
Roxas felt a sudden zap of electricity. It was weaker than even the smallest Thunder spells, barely more than a bee sting, but it was enough to get him back to his senses. Standing in front of them…bouncing every which way…was a shiny black figure…with glowing yellow eyes…
"Oh my goodness!"
"I don't think…"
"Firaga!" Donald shouted, sending a fireball as big as he was towards the shadow. "Get lost, you stupid Heartless."
There was something familiar about this…Roxas leapt to his feet, summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion. The Heartless was almost human-shaped. Almost…Xion-shaped.
A pirate ship. Riku standing above the deck. Kairi motionless beside him. And Riku cooly declares that the Heartless obey him now and that he has nothing to fear. And he raises his hand…and Sora's shadow lifts up off the ground…
"It's Xion's shadow!" Roxas shouted. "They turned Xion's shadow into a Heartless!"
But how…what had happened to Xion?
"Gwarsh!" Goofy said, running to stand in front of Olette, his shield in hand. "Like what happened to Sora's way back when?"
"Aw phooey! I'd almost forgotten!"
"Never mind that," Master Aqua said, her Keyblade materializing in her hand. "Ven, wake up! Fight!"
oooo
Mickey hurried down another corridor. He could feel the light growing stronger. Yes, he was nearly there! To something at least! He fought another skeleton, knocking it into pieces and blasted open a door.
He was in one of laboratories, where Doctor XXX did his most evil, inhumane experiments. Mickey tightened his hold on his Keyblade He had a good mind to smash every single machine and test tube in here into a million teeny tiny pieces. But that was going to have to wait. He needed to find the Cornerstone, Pluto and Xion…not necessarily in that order. He wasn't sure which was closest to him.
"Rooooo!"
"Pluto!" Mickey shouted. "Oh, Pluto!"
He could hear Pluto but his howls sounded like he was far away. Oh, what to do, what to do…what was that shiny light at the end of the hall? Bright and yellow-y and a bit of greenish white. Could it be?! The Cornerstone! He couldn't believe it! There they were…just lying there…in the middle of the room.
Mickey frowned and he felt a chill down his spine. He looked left and right and this way and that, but he didn't see anything. There were just more pieces of machinery. Hooks and wires and a chalkboard but nothing else. Not skeletons, not Heartless, not Pete or the Big Bad Wolf or anybody. He was completely alone.
"This is…too easy. There's nothing guarding the pieces…not even a Heartless."
Mickey turned his attention back to the Cornerstone pieces and reached for them. But then, something grabbed him from behind. Something huge!
"Caught like a rat in a trap. You fall for this every single time."
"You!" Mickey shouted. "Why, I'll—Ulti-mmmgg!"
The Phantom Blot was as big as Pete was and able to cover Mickey's entire head with his hand, muffling his attempts at magic.
"Ha ha ha!" The Phantom Blot cackled. "I'm almost insulted, Mickey. You make it too easy. This wasn't nearly as fun as I had hoped it'd be. I enjoy it so much more when the heroes do everything right and still lose."
"Mmmmmpph!" Mickey struggled in the Phantom Blot's grip but to no avail. He felt himself being lowered as the Phantom Blot bent down to pick something up—that was probably the rest of the Cornerstone. Oh, now Mickey was being carried somewhere, but he couldn't really see.
"Rooooooo-oooo!"
Pluto! Was he close to Pluto now? Alright, alright, this was still alright. The moment the Phantom Blot let him go, Mickey would blast him away, and then free Pluto and grab the Cornerstone pieces and from there, all he had to do was find Xion. He thought he could still sense her, if he concentrated.
Mickey squirmed but the Phantom Blot's grip was strong. But Mickey had big ears and they were good for hearing. He could tell by the difference in footsteps that the floor had changed. It wasn't stone anymore. It was something else. Something…curved. Maybe wood? But wood wasn't really curved—you could carve it, but it wasn't the most practical building material, especially for an evil laboratory.
Oh, it was a lot lighter here…almost too bright, really. And Mickey could hear…whimpering. But it wasn't a dog's whimper. Could it be…
"Xion?" Mickey asked. He blinked, oh, the Phantom Blot had taken his hand off his head. But then something hit him in the eyes. Ow!
Mickey's head was swimming and he couldn't see anything. Too bright, far too bright…but then his arms were yanked behind his back and the Phantom Blot was tying him to something. His vision began to clear. Mickey was in a room. A small room, but a room. A room with a green floor. Green stones? Across from him was Xion…who looked absolutely terrified. Xion was tied to something large and round. And she'd been beaten…her hair was a mess and it looked like she'd broken her nose and there were tear stains running down her cheeks.
"Ru…run…" Xion whispered. "No…no…no…"
"Yes, yes, yes," The Phantom Blot said. "You've lost this one, Mouse. This is where your story ends."
Mickey didn't think that was true. The Phantom Blot had trapped him before, loads of times actually. But he'd escaped, every time.
Mickey wasn't sure what he'd been tied to this time. Something larger than he was, or maybe a pile of small somethings. Smooth…maybe sticks of dynamite? Nothing he could easily break so that he might untie himself. But he had to wait, as the Phantom Blot set up bombs and saws that began to whirl in place. The saws were huge—every tooth was as big as Mickey's hand. Almost too huge, actually. And the bombs had timers. Two minutes…
"I'll leave this here," The Phantom Blot said, holding up the pieces of the Cornerstone. "We won't need them where we're going."
He tossed them into the center of the room and then the bombs started counting down. The Phantom Blot opened a Dark Corridor and left, with a final salute to Mickey and Xion. He closed the Corridor behind him and it was as if he had never been there in the first place.
Mickey struggled, but the Phantom Blot had gotten a lot better at knot-tying over the decades. But Mickey had gotten stronger too. With his hands tied, he couldn't summon his Keyblade. But he still had access to his magic.
"STOPZA!"
The spell erupted throughout the room and everything in the room froze. The timers on the bombs, the fire on the fuses…even Xion froze in place. She looked absolutely horrified. Mickey wiggled his fingers and found the knots binding his arms together. He was exhausted—time magic was very energy-consuming. But he still needed to get himself free. He rolled around—trying to find something to rub the ropes against. But there was nothing, not even a nail or screw.
"Ruuf?"
Mickey turned his head. Standing in the corner was…Butch? What was Pete's dog doing here? Surely, Pete would have brought his dog with him! Butch was about the only thing Pete treated nicely.
"Butch!" Mickey said. "I know I haven't always been nice to you, but you gotta help me."
Butch stared at him. He blinked once, twice. He pulled his legs together and shook his head.
"Please Butch?" Mickey asked. "If not for me, then for Xion? You remember her, right? She gave you a dog biscuit earlier, remember? Two biscuits actually!"
Butch stared at Mickey and then looked at Xion and then back at Mickey. He waddled over and began biting at the ropes tying Mickey's hands. They fell away a moment later and Mickey summoned his Keyblade. He shot out one beam of light after another out of his Keyblade and blasted each and every bomb and stick of dynamite out of existence.
"Good boy, Butch," Mickey said, patting him on the head. By now the time magic was starting to wear off. "Oh, Xion—hold still, I'll get you."
Pete and Doctor XXX had tied Xion much more tightly than they had Mickey. He grimaced as he undid the knots tying her fingers. They had swollen and there were cuts on her wrists. Xion crumpled to the ground and he could see that whatever the bad guys had tied her up to was more or less a much larger version of the stones that made up the floor.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Xion cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, your Majesty, I'm sorry!"
"Xion…it's alright," Mickey said. "We got the Cornerstone pieces…you're safe now Xion. I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner."
"The others…they're in trouble…" Xion gasped. "It's my fault, all my fault…Maleficent, she took my shadow and turned it into a monster…they cut it up…it hurt…"
Taking a shadow away? Come to think of it, Riku had mentioned something like that, a long time ago. It was one of Riku's guiltiest memories—under Maleficent's influence, he had turned Sora's shadow into a Heartless…somehow. Or maybe had a Heartless take over Sora's shadow.
"I failed, I failed, I failed," Xion croaked. "And they killed them and I did nothing! The Big Bad Wolf—he ate them. I could hear their screams…"
"Whose screams?" Mickey asked, taking Xion's hand. "Xion, what are you talking about?"
"The turtles," Xion whimpered. "The little turtle. He broke my nose but I didn't want him to die, not like that!"
Mickey glanced down at his feet. The green stones…they weren't stones. They were shells. Turtle shells…oh no…
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry…"
"Roooooooo-ooooo!"
"Pluto!" Mickey and Xion cried at the same time. Xion struggled to her feet and limped down the hall. Mickey scooped up the last pieces of the Cornerstone and hurried after her.
Pluto was in an awful little chair, bolted to the wall. Xion summoned her Keyblade and shot a beam of light at it. In a moment, the entire chair was gone and Pluto landed on his paws.
"Ra ra roo!"
"Oh, Pluto," Mickey said. "Who's my pal?"
Pluto ran up to Mickey and nuzzled against him. He barked happily and licked at Mickey's face.
"You got him back," Xion said, in a quavering voice. "You get to go home now, Pluto…I didn't fail you…"
"Xion," Mickey said. "Hold on a sec—"
"I know I ruined everything," Xion said, her hands clasped together. "But the others, they're in trouble. My shadow—it's a Heartless, we need to kill it…"
"No, no, no—" Mickey said. "Listen to me, please, Xion—"
She clutched the sides of her head and, good grief, did she look young. Mickey forgot sometimes, just how young Sora and Riku were—they were barely more than children, and it hadn't even been two full years for them that they'd had all their adventures. Xion and Roxas were even younger. And Xion…she looked so, so scared. She walked over to a corner and picked something small up. It…was a necklace. Her necklace—the same one with the blue orb Mickey had seen her wear. Had it fallen off?
"The Big Bad Wolf…" Xion ducked her head and stared at her boots. She squeezed the necklace tight in her hand. "Maleficent had him eat all the little turtles…I tried to summon my Keyblade but I couldn't…I was tied too tight…I'm sorry…"
Mickey shook his head. He couldn't let Xion blame herself for this. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right…
He really hadn't been a good friend to her, had he? Mickey thought hard about what had happened the last couple weeks. Xion…always apologizing even for the smallest accidents. And Mickey, trying to laugh it off when Master Yen Sid had made her cry. And now…she'd gotten badly hurt protecting him…and she was crying now…
"Ooof! Your Majesty?"
"Shush, just let me hug you…you look like you needed this," Mickey said. He barely came up to Xion's chest, but he could feel her shaking as if she might break. "And…you don't have to call me that anymore, Xion. You're my friend. I'm just Mickey to you from now on, okay?"
oooo
"Together!" Lea shouted, sending one of his chakrams at the Shadow Xion. It exploded with a ball of fire, but the Shadow Xion barely flinched. Lea said a bad word.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that!" Master Aqua said as she pirouetted around sending waves of magic at the Shadow Xion. "This…thing is more powerful than it looks."
That was putting it mildly. The Shadow Xion, for want of a better name, could take a whole lot more punishment than his kiddo. Didn't hit quite as hard, though. But the worst part was that the stupid thing never held still long enough to get more than one or two hits in at once. "Well, keep trying!" Queen Minnie begged, sending out a beam of light from a staff. "We can't let it hurt anybody else."
Lea didn't think the Shadow Xion had actually hurt anybody else, assuming it had come straight here from…wherever it came from, but credit where credit was due, Queen Minnie wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty when it came to fighting Heartless. Or whatever the Shadow Xion was.
"Thundaga!" Ven shouted and bolts of lightning shot out of his Keyblade, Wayward Wind. The Shadow Xion flinched and tried to dodge the attack, but more bolts of lightning kept it penned in.
"Now!" Roxas snarled, gripping Oblivion and Oathkeeper tight in his hands. He twisted his wrist and sent Oblivion spinning. Shadow Xion deflected the blow but it seemed to hurt it at least a little.
"Where are they, where are they, where are they?" Queen Minnie asked, to nobody in particular. It was a question that Lea wanted the answer to himself. He had a feeling that the only Xion would be able to destroy the Shadow version of herself. Or if it was her shadow, then Xion would need to destroy it in order to get it back. He stole a glance at Ansem the Wise and Ienzo, who had dragged Pence to a makeshift shelter of computer parts.
"Clypeus!" Olette shouted, holding a hand out. A shimmering shield of light emerged over her and one of the nuns. Huh, more Princess of Heart powers.
Shadow Xion charged towards Lea and he turned his chakram back into his Keyblade. He pressed more power into Flame Liberator and Lea could feel the heat generating from his blade. The moment that Shadow Xion slammed into his Keyblade, it leapt back as if burned. Excellent, most excellent. Lea still had his awesome fire powers. He summoned a chakram to his free hand and raised it, ready to strike at the Shadow if he needed to.
"Please don't hold back Axel. Promise."
Lea struggled not to stagger. This wasn't the real Xion. This was her shadow…that had somehow been removed and had an icky curse put on it. But it wasn't the real Xion. The real Xion—his unofficial, but awesome little sister—was somewhere far away. Lea wasn't sure where but…she had to be okay. King Mickey was with her. And the King boasted awesome power. And Xion was awesome, even more awesome than King Mickey..
Lea felt a kick to his stomach. Ugh, he'd stayed still for too long. Shadow Xion definitely had that in common with Regular Xion—she kicked a lot. A shield flew out from above his head, hitting Shadow Xion in the head. It was a blow that would have broken the real Xion's jaw. Lea got back to his feet, raising Flame Liberator to defend himself. Shadow Xion stood, with a shadowy Keyblade in its hands, when there was a flash of light from behind it. The Shadow staggered and then slumped over. Standing behind it were Xion and King Mickey.
"Xion!" Lea shouted triumphantly. "You did it!"
"Axel…Roxas…"
Oh man…Xion looked like hell. Her hair was a mess—not that it wasn't always, but never like this. There were burns running up both her arms and her knee was bleeding. Grime and slime and bruises covered her little face. Lea felt a rush of nausea. What had happened?
The Shadow was disintegrating and Xion stared at it as it rejoined her. She was trembling.
King Mickey stepped forward with the final pieces of the Cornerstone clutched in his hands. A moment later, they began to glow bright and rejoin with the rest of the Cornerstone. As the Cornerstone was completed. a wave of light shot out and Lea felt…invigorated, maybe? Xion didn't look so good. Her knees began to shake and she fell to her knees.
Lea's stomach jumped into his throat and he ran over to her. Roxas beat him to it, throwing his arms around Xion's shoulders. Lea was with them a moment later. She was shaking.
"Easy does it, Xion…" Lea said. "You're safe…it's alright…"
Lea wasn't sure what happened. Lea wasn't sure he wanted to know what had happened. But it didn't matter, really. He had his kiddos back.
"You did it!" Queen Minnie said. "Oh, Mickey…"
"Ah, Minnie," King Mickey said. "I couldn't have done it without Xion. She saved my life at least twice today."
"She did…she saved us all from that awful shadow monster too," Queen Minnie said. She pressed her nose against King Mickey's and looked up at Xion. "Thank you."
xxxx
The damage to the Castle and the surrounding town had been relatively minimal. Apparently Xion's shadow, or the Heartless version of her shadow or whatever the heck it'd been, had focused almost entirely on the Cornerstone, but had been too busy fighting everyone to actually do any damage. Which was a very good thing indeed.
Lea ran a hand through his hair. It was late at night, so late that it could fairly be called early morning. But there were still missions that had to be completed. This whole icky business about the lines between life and death was still a real issue. But right now, all he wanted to do was sleep. But first things first, Xion and King Mickey wanted to let everyone else know what had happened.
How they had tracked the pieces to a little castle on an island, how the castle had been filled with sapient skeletons, how Xion had been captured and learned that…
"Seifer…he's working with Maleficent?" Olette asked. "That doesn't make any sense…he's always been a bully…but working with her?"
"And he's loving every moment of it…" Xion rubbed her cheek. A thin cut was there, from when Seifer had cut her face to torment her and take her necklace. Xion had managed to recover it but she hadn't started wearing it again. Lea reached out a hand and smoothed her hair.
"And you weren't able to learn anything else?" Master Yen Sid asked. "They divulged no information about their plans?"
"No…well, sort of?" Xion said. "I think they may be trying to overthrow some worlds…Maleficent made a deal with a turtle family. She said she'd let a little turtle named Shelby be the king here."
"The Turtles?" Queen Minnie asked. "Oh no, there must be some mistake. That doesn't sound like Shelby at all. He's just a baby."
"Oh yes it does!" Donald said, crossing his arms. "That little turtle was always causing trouble! Just to be mean! He wouldn't care who he hurt if he thought it was funny!"
"He broke my nose…" Xion mumbled. "Or maybe it was already broken…"
Xion's nose had indeed been broken. It had taken two Hi-Potions to set it back to its normal shape.
"Four years ago, he broke my arm!" Donald said, counting on his fingers. "And the year before that, he broke both my legs and bent my bill back! And the year before that, he crashed a Gummi ship into the castle! He causes more trouble by himself in a day than my nephews do in a decade!"
"Gwarsh, what happened to 'im?" Goofy asked. "If they didn't leave with Maleficent, then maybe we can get the Musketeers together and arrest 'im."
Xion's face drained of color and she ducked her head down. Her knees began to knock together again.
"The Big Bad Wolf ate him and his brothers and sisters too. He ate them all. The mother turtle and all the babies."
"Wak?!"
"I'm sorry…" Xion said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I wanted to help but…I'm sorry."
"That will do Xion," Ansem the Wise said kindly, holding up a hand. "This is…unfortunate. But we cannot allow this to put us off our course. The turtles died because they put their trust in the wrong person—their fate was a direct consequence of their actions. And what's more, you were unable to help, not unwilling. But there are others who are alive today precisely because you were able to protect them."
Lea nodded at Ansem the Wise and glanced at Master Yen Sid. The old wizard stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"I agree. My students, all of you are dismissed. There are still other worlds that need your attention," Master Yen Sid said. "Be safe, and may your hearts be your guiding key."
xxxx
"I am so tired," Xion moaned as they climbed up into their Gummi ship. Lea had actually missed it. The white walls, the simple furniture, it was comforting in its own way.
"Then you should rest," Jiminy Cricket said, hopping up onto Lea's shoulder. "I'm not sure what time it is in Twilight Town, but I suspect you're up far past your bedtime."
"Oh, Jiminy," Xion said. "I forgot that you were coming with us."
"Yes," Jiminy said. "Though I do wish that this ship ran on something other than ice cream sticks. That just isn't healthy at all."
"Ever the Conscience, huh, Jiminy?"
"But of course," Jiminy said. "Especially since we'll be going to see my boy, Pinocchio."
"Sounds nice," Xion said as Lea led her past the couch she usually slept on and into the small annex that acted as a bedroom. She sat down on one of the beds and gingerly unlaced her boots. "He's a friend of Sora's right?"
"Oh yes, and I suspect that you two will make friends with him as well."
"I like making friends…" Xion trailed off. She lifted her head up slowly. Lea's stomach squirmed as Roxas helped Xion ease herself onto the mattress. Roxas ran a hand through Xion's hair. As he turned to look at Lea, it struck him just how exhausted Roxas looked as well.
"Hold on a sec. Roxas, Xion," Lea said. "I got you both a little something."
He reached into his pocket and handed Xion the stuffed tiger. It was small and soft and it fit perfectly in her hands. He tossed Roxas a stuffed dragon, long and lanky.
"I know you two are a little old for toys like this, but…oof!"
Xion had clambered out of the bed and flung her arms around Lea's stomach. Roxas was there a moment later. If there were any tears from his half-pints this time, Lea wouldn't say anything about it.
"Thank you…"
Thank you kiddos, for surviving…
A/N: And with that, the Cornerstone Arc is completed!
A lot of people have mentioned that Queen Minnie's actions seemed rather mean-spirited. I don't necessarily disagree, however it was my intention to have Minnie be looking at things from a grander perspective, and also acknowledging that she doesn't know Roxas and Xion from Adam.
Writing the scenes where Xion had been taken captive by the bad guys was a fair bit of fun, if something of a genre shift.
Seifer being a scoundrel is something I must confess I enjoyed writing a lot. There's nothing like a bad guy who relishes being bad.
Shadow Xion, as mentioned in-story, is an effective equivalent to Anti-Sora. I referred to it as "Shadow Xion," because I found "Anti-Xion" to be awkward in-universe.
There was initially a plan to have Roxas and Xion meet Aunt Gertie in the aftermath of the battle, but it didn't work out that way.
This was a long arc, my dear, dear readers. Thank you for standing with me through it all. Please leave a comment if you're so inclined.
I appreciate each and every one of you!
