Atlantica part 5

Rattle the stars

Kairi woke up to Riku asleep on her floor. He was laying on his side at the foot of her bed, head pillowed on his arm, not even a blanket tucked over him. That was worrisome enough, but she had woken up, gotten out of bed and started walking towards the bathroom when she'd noticed him — and he was still asleep. Riku was a light sleeper, possibly the lightest sleeper. He woke up at a sharp breeze, at the cry of a bird miles away. Kairi couldn't actively recall a morning the three of them were together where she hadn't woken up to him staring at the ceiling. The boy missed nothing. Yet here she was, walking over and standing by his side, and he hadn't stirred.

Maybe he's just hungover, she thought, trying to find a reason that didn't mean something was horribly wrong. There had to be a reason - a normal, not troubling reason.

But Sora wasn't with him. Maybe it was the heaviness of sleep still hanging around her, or maybe the lingering headache that throbbed through her skull was putting her on edge, but Sora's absence chased fear into her stomach and down to the soles of her feet. She inhaled sharply, hissing more than she meant to. Riku didn't stir. She found herself staring at his side, watching for breath billowing slowly in and out. He was breathing, thank goodness, but that didn't settle her nerves much.

Even this worried, though, she wasn't waking Riku up in her pajamas if she could help it. The long, billowy white nightgown she'd stumbled into last night was ever so slightly sheer, and he was shirtless, and she really needed to use the bathroom. So she might as well get dressed and brush her teeth before she dealt with whatever this was.

The routine of getting ready soothed her nerves a little bit. By the time she stepped out of the bathroom, she felt much more like herself. Riku still hadn't awoken, but he had moved a little, curling to hide his eyes in his arm against the sunlight streaming into the room. Kairi padded over and crouched down next to him. She gave his shoulder a gentle shake.

"Riku," she murmured. He shot upright, Keyblade out and at her throat before he'd actually opened his eyes, weight held up on his other hand. Kairi started back a little, but it wasn't the sword itself that she was spooked by. Something had definitely happened if drawing his weapon was his first instinct.

In all of a second, he opened his eyes, squinting against the brightness of the room. It took him another heartbeat to realize where he was and who he was looking at. Braveheart vanished in a flash of light that made them both wince.

"Sorry," he said, voice thick with sleep.

Kairi shook her head. "It's okay. What happened? Where's Sora?"

Riku shifted, sitting with his back against the foot of her bed, both legs sprawled out in front of him. He took his time, trying to find words to describe what happened last night. It almost felt like he'd dreamed it. He answered the part of her questions that was safe.

"He's in his room."

Of all the times for him to go monosyllabic on her, this was not a good one. She felt her pulse along her temples, each beat an annoying throb of mild pain. Her jaw hurt too, and she realized she was clenching it tightly. Relaxing that, she took a slow breath.

"What happened?" she repeated.

"What makes you think anything happened?" he asked, sullen, frowning. His head hurt and his mouth was dry. He tasted stale booze and sleep and the smell of whatever products Kairi had used getting ready - florals and mint. He wanted to get up and run straight to Sora's room, but he couldn't make either of them more worried than they already were. He wanted to get up and shut her stupid curtains against the sun, but he didn't want her to know he had a hangover in the first place.

Kairi sighed, trying to mask her frustration. Her fake smile was so thin and small, it did nothing to hide that her eyebrows were set low and irritated. "You wouldn't wake up," she explained. Then, voice teasing, struggling to be normal, "Are you hungover?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "Don't act so smug. If I am, you've got it worse."

"Riku," she admonished, hands clenched atop her legs. "You need to tell me what's going on."

The tone of her voice sobered him, making him finally meet her violet eyes. The worry in them made his stomach clench. What could he say to her? How the hell was he supposed to explain this?

"Sora's alright," he began, quietly, "But something did happen last night." He rose to his feet, wondering when his limbs got so heavy. He kept talking as she stood up beside him, "You should just come see."

Kairi woke Sora up. Not on purpose - she was yelling at Riku. The words were hazy through his growing awareness. His head was splitting.

"-get tattoos?! Here?! They don't even know about GERMS or BACTERIA. He could have blood poisoning or WORSE. What were you -" she cut herself off as Sora groaned, sitting up.

"Why are you so loud?" he demanded, rubbing his eyes. Lifting his arms hurt. Actually, everything hurt. He blinked groggily. Riku was standing at the end of his bed, fully dressed, arms folded. God, it was infuriating how put together he always was. He didn't even look tired. Kairi wasn't any better - she was perfect as per usual, in one of her simpler dresses with a skirt that flowed over her hips like water. It was completely unfair of them to ambush him like this when he hadn't even had a chance to fully wake up. He frowned at both of them through narrowed eyes.

"Sorry," Kairi mumbled, at least looking the faintest bit guilty.

"No you're not," Riku pointed out uncharitably. He didn't appreciate getting lectured. "And we didn't go and get them," he added, chin lifting slightly as he stared her down. Kairi frowned, confusion on her face. She glanced between the boys, then opted to sit down on the edge of Sora's bed.

"What happened?" she asked them, gaze finally landing on Sora. If anyone was going to explain, it would probably all come spilling out of him first.

He sighed, looking down and leaning away from her. "That blue thing came back and-"

"Blue thing?" Riku interrupted, eyebrows furrowed. "What blue thing?"

Sora lifted his head, equally confused and frowning. "What do you mean? It was there again, but this time it was a bird. You had to have seen it - it's been getting closer every night."

"Sora, what are you talking about?" Kairi asked, laying a hand on his knee.

"You didn't notice?" he asked.

"I've never seen a blue bird, at night or otherwise."

Sora shook his head. "It wasn't a bird until last night. It was just a… like a light, far away." Riku and Kairi exchanged a look.

"You're saying that's what did this to you?" Riku asked.

Sora shrugged a shoulder. "I think so. I was looking at it when this happened," he gestured vaguely to his chest and shoulders. "Then it was gone afterwards."

Kairi followed his hand, taking in the blurring black marks. Riku was doing the same. Though they were streaky today, the black tattoos still had a readily identifiable shape.

"They look like talons," he murmured, jaw tight, fists clenched. The others looked up at him, startled.

"They do?" Sora asked, voice jumping up an octave and almost cracking. Normally Kairi would have teased him, but there was nothing funny about it now.

She was still missing something. "So something Riku didn't see gave you those tattoos? What were you doing while it happened?"

"It's not like I just sat there," Sora protested. "It was really fast. Riku and I were just talking and then…" he trailed off, embarrassed. Some Keyblade wielder he was, getting knocked on his ass by a weird glowy bird that shouldn't have even been close enough to touch him. His fists clenched in the sheet tangled around his legs.

Riku filled in for him, "He just fell over. They must have happened all at once," he added, shaking his head. "I never saw anything touch him."

Kairi felt her throat close. She wasn't sure what was worse - that Riku hadn't been able to see or sense anything, or that they hadn't even bothered to wake her up and tell her.

"What if it's still here?" she asked, clutching her hand around the white stone on her necklace. The feeling of its familiar magic usually calmed her, but not this time. Riku didn't answer, just set his mouth in a grim line.

"I think it's gone," Sora replied, not looking at either of them. Still, he felt the pressure of their gazes as they waited for him to continue. "You really never saw it?" he asked, lifting plaintive eyes in Riku's direction.

"No, I didn't," he confirmed, once again shaking his head.

"But it was huge…" Sora asserted, voice trailing off as he hung his head. Kairi reached over and gently rubbed his back between his shoulder blades, mindful of his marks. He flinched away from her hands. "Don't do that," he whispered, head still low. Kairi dropped her hand back into her lap, hating the way his shoulders curled in and away from her.

"I think we should leave today," Riku said bluntly. The other two looked up at him, surprised.

Sora nodded. "I don't want to give Ariel any trouble."

"And we don't know if that thing will come back here," Kairi added, clutching her necklace again.

Sora shook his head, glancing down. "It's after me. I'm the only one that could see it."

"You don't think… This isn't…" Kairi trailed off, covering her mouth with one hand. Riku's fists clenched as they both looked at Sora.

"Yeah…" he said slowly, looking back at Kairi. "We knew something was coming," he added.

Riku shook his head and turned abruptly away. "We didn't," he growled, back ridged. Then, over his shoulder, "You did?"

"Hades doesn't just let things go," Sora mumbled, looking away. Riku whirled around.

"Who's Hades?" Kairi asked.

"What did you do?" Riku demanded, speaking over her question. He'd met the Lord of the Dead only briefly while working for Maleficent, but that was enough.

Sora glared back at him, and he'd never seen such a stubborn look in those familiar blue eyes. It made him shift his weight backwards. And then he remembered he had seen that look before, one other time.

There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!

Riku lifted his chin, sizing up his best friend. Neither of them answered Kairi.

"Who is Hades?" she repeated, more forcefully this time.

"He's the God of the Dead," Riku answered, not breaking his stare-down with Sora.

"Oh…" Kairi murmured, looking down. Her shoulders drooped, hands hovering by her heart. Sora quickly put a hand on her shoulder, trying to catch her eye.

"It's fine. I'll be okay - I promise," he said, smiling.

"I'm not stupid," she grumbled, but she didn't pull away. Still, the comment made Sora drop his hand.

"I don't know what'll happen," the brown haired boy admitted, hanging his head.

"You said it was blue?" Riku asked, voice more gentle now.

Sora nodded. His eyes widened with a realization. "Kinda like his weird flame hair," he explained, gesturing above his head.

"Then we'll just have to be ready," Riku said, straightening up. The other two looked at him, and Sora grinned.

"I've beaten Hades loads of times," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "He's a push-over - we'll be fine, you'll see," he added, smiling at Kairi.

It was only after his friends left that Sora was truly allowed to get up and ready himself for the day. Washing his hands and face in a porcelain basin, he studied his reflection in a nearby mirror. He traced his fingertips over the three long marks crossing his left collar bone. The excess ink blooming around them reminded him of darkness, thick and pungent, sliding from his fingers and dripping from his hair. For half a second, he thought he caught his eyes flash red. Setting his jaw, he straightened up, shoulders rolling back.

Whatever these marks mean, it doesn't matter. I won't let anyone separate me from Kairi and Riku ever again. No matter what.

Fists clenched, he threw on the clothes the Good Fairies had given him. It was time to go.

Compared to Zootopia, their good-byes were brief. Riku had gathered Ariel and Eric into a small drawing room away from the other gala guests. When Sora entered the room, Ariel was hurriedly talking Kairi through a few spells they didn't get to. Riku and Eric were shaking hands.

"Be careful out there," the prince urged.

"We will," Riku assured him with a steady nod.

"Don't worry," Sora added, striding up. "We'll be back before you know it!" Eric smiled, shaking his hand good-bye as well. As they spoke, Ariel and Kairi embraced.

"I promise we'll be back," Kairi reassured her.

"I know you will," Ariel said. "But it's hard not to worry."

"I'll keep them in line," Kairi promised, smiling. Taking both of the other girl's hands, she added, "We can handle this."

Ariel nodded. "I'd feel better if I know what 'this' was," she grumbled, "But I know you three can tackle anything life throws at you."

"Sorry to leave so soon," Sora said, turning to the girls now.

"Oh, Sora… It's all right," Ariel reassured him even though her eyebrows were still furrowed. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Since when am I not careful?" he asked, spreading his hands in mock disbelief.

Ariel laughed and elbowed him. "Since ever!" Throwing her arms around his neck, she closed her eyes tight. "We'll miss you, all three of you."

Hesitating a moment, he patted her back once or twice. "We'll miss you too," he said, surprised to find his throat felt thick, clogged with feelings he'd rather ignore. Ariel pulled back, quickly moving to give Riku a hug as well. Kairi and Eric embraced, and then that was it. It was time to go. They gathered up their things from their rooms, stuffing bags and hangers full of clothes into the little lockers along the back of the gummi ship. Ariel and Kairi hugged one more time.

"Don't forget to plant a tree for me," Kairi asked the erstwhile mermaid.

"Alright! I will! Right here," she asserted.

"Thank you!"

"Thanks for everything!" Sora added, waving. They scrambled back into the ship, waving through the glass as Riku readied them for take-off.

"Hey, I thought I was driving?" Sora asked.

"Too slow," was all Riku said in response. Pouting, Sora flopped himself in a passenger seat. Kairi shook her head and belted herself in, turning to wave at Ariel and Eric still watching from the beach.

After a brief discussion, they decided to head to the Land of Departure. The marks needed to be examined in person, and it wouldn't hurt to have extra muscle if Hades caught up to them soon. It would also serve as a reminder of what they were really working for - something Riku thought they desperately needed after the gala. Wonderful as it had been, that night wasn't their reality. It was time to wake up.

Short of accurate star maps or a true course, he had to resort to more unusual navigation methods.

"Just follow your heart," Sora had offered, like it was obvious. That didn't exactly explain anything, but Riku was able to infer something from it, at least. He pointed them in the direction that felt "right", thinking about Aqua and her training. Her recent mentorship made a strong enough connection that he was soon certain they were heading the right way. Still, the journey felt agonizingly slow. All he could think about was the devious literal deity chasing at their heels, every heartbeat urging away away away.

It was a clear day?— night? — whatever for sailing. The gummi ship cut through the thin atmosphere of space, engines humming quietly. Behind him, Sora had fallen asleep, still upright in his chair, head lolling sideways. Kairi was watching the stars, legs tucked up beside her.

When his eyes started drifting closed hours later, Riku set the ship on autopilot and rose from his seat. With a gentle shake, he roused Sora.

"Your turn, slacker," he murmured, a smirk in the words and the corner of his mouth.

Sora grumbled, stretching without opening his eyes. "That's 'Captain Slacker' to you," he groused, the final word getting swallowed up in a yawn.

They traded spots. "Where are we?" Sora asked as he fastened his seatbelt. He scanned the ship's readouts, flying an old habit to him now.

"Follow your heart," was all Riku replied.

Hours later, the gummi ship continued soaring easily through space's indigo expanse. An incessant beeping filled the quiet cabin, pulling Riku and Kairi from their thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Riku asked as Sora frowned, studying the alert that had come up on screen.

"I don't know. It's saying something about a-" His sentence was cut off as the whole ship rocked sharply to one side, throwing the teenagers against their armrests. Looking out the cabin's glass dome, they caught sight of a massive explosion. What had once been a nearby star was now a wall of flame hurtling towards them. Gritting his teeth, Sora wrestled the spacecraft around. He opened the thrusters wide, trying to get them clear of the blast.

Fiery hail whirled around them, pinging off the ship's defenses. They scorched the wings, clipping off one of the cannons in their wake. Each small impact rang out loudly in the enclosed space. Larger hits had the teenagers gritting their teeth, holding on as the ship jerked and rolled. Sora was dodging what he could, but between waves of heat and the sheer number of projectiles there was only so much he could do.

The cabin echoed with the screeching of several alarms, including the proximity alert. A massive meteor was close on their tail, approaching quickly on the crest of another magilla wave. Sora leaned forward, bearing down on the yoke. "C'mon, c'mon c'mon," he hissed, urging them forward. The meteor loomed closer, filling Riku and Kairi's vision as they turned in their seats. The alarms blared louder as Sora spun the remaining cannons around and began firing on the chunk of rock. They hardly seemed to make a dent in it.

Kairi clutched her necklace as the molten fissures on the meteor's surface came into sharp relief. The hiss-crack of flames undercut the Highwind's noises as heat filled the cabin. Riku drew his Keyblade, and Kairi followed suit. But before they could cast any protective spells, the meteor began rolling backwards. The thousands of flaming star fragments surrounding the ship did too, whizzing back towards where they came. With a sharp creak, the gummi ship strained against the pull, thrusters still at their limits. Riku and Kairi stared at where the star once was as the meteor was yanked out of view. Two disks of pure flame were coalescing into an s-shaped curve. At the center of these tongues of fire, something was swirling, sucking everything nearby into its black heart.

"Sora!" Riku barked, trying to both get his friend's attention and urge him onward. Sora's head snapped up, blue eyes wide as he took in the scene. The black hole's draw increased, sucking the little ship towards itself, having already absorbed most of its self-created space debris.

In the distance, Kairi spotted something else caught in the pull. Its trajectory brought it closer quite quickly. "Another ship!" she called out, pointing for the benefit of both boys. It was a much larger vessel, and looked strangely like a frigate, despite its current use as a spacecraft.

"Can we get to it in time?" Sora asked, knuckles white as he fought to keep the gummi ship steady.

"What are you thinking?" Riku demanded.

"We can pull it out with us," Sora said, grunting as a wave of heat slammed against the ship. It rocked them back the other direction, pushing them away from the black hole as it crested over them.

"If we make it out ourselves," Kairi brought up, face pale in the red light of the dying star.

Not bothering to respond, Sora took the second of reprieve to hit a few buttons on the ship's control panel, opening up a greater reserve of power. He glanced back at the other ship. It was hurtling close enough now that he could make out fragile silhouettes of the crew members in the rigging. They scuttled along the beams and ropes, unfurling glowing golden sails.

Another wave of heat and flame rippled out from the center of the black hole, buffeting both ships. The teenagers winced as they were thrown about in their seats. They were safe in their closed cockpit, secure in their harnesses. The crew of the other craft wasn't so lucky. One hulking shape of a man dangled in the abyss of space, precariously attached. His red coat gleamed in the blackness behind him.

Watching as he fell, Sora was already turning the ship. He leaned over the yoke, pushing the spacecraft to its limits as he raced with the gravitational pull to help. They were mere feet away when the rope tying the man to the ship snapped. Flailing, he hurtled through the dark, sucked almost instantly into the black hole. As he passed, the three teenagers caught a glimpse of his face, eyes wide, mouth opened in a startled yell.

"No!" The word ripped from Sora's throat, loud and raw. He yanked the ship up short, teeth bared. His knuckles were white around the steering mechanism.

Riku undid his harness, swaying with the rolling waves of heat that continued to pound against them. He put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "We need to get out of here now."

All three sets of eyes took in the rapidly approaching black hole. Its dark expanse filled the entire horizon, ringed in terrible flame.

Sora snapped his eyes to Riku's, brows set low, jaw clenched. "We're not leaving the other ship."

"How are we going to save them?"

"I have a plan. Hold us steady," Sora ordered, shifting his grip so that Riku could take the left side of the yoke from him. "Kairi, you too. I need both your help."

She was already on her feet, hurrying to Sora's other side. She took the right handle, bracing herself with an arm around the back of Sora's seat. Riku did the same. As they settled into position, they passed the imperiled frigate. Sora crouched in his chair, facing the back of the cockpit as he summoned his keyblade.

"Give me strength!" He roared, clasping the hilt with both hands as he pointed it at the other spaceship. Kairi and Riku clutched the steering wheel, eyes blazing as magic welled up within them. The cabin began to glow as a complex spell circle etched itself beneath their feet. Columns of light shone from each person before angling into the Kingdom Key, coalescing as they shot through the tip of the blade. The beam passed through the glass unhindered and enveloped the other ship. Connecting them like a rope, it drew the crafts together even as a large, final wave of energy crashed into them from the dying star.

That last wave, coupled with all the power of the ships' thrusters, bore the two vessels to safety, clearing the black hole's gravitational pull in a roar of intensity of it cracked the cabin glass, ripping chunks of gummi blocks off the underside of the little craft.

They were thrust out into the blue of normal space again. Both ships slowed. Riku and Kairi released their death grips on the yoke as Sora slumped back in his seat. He tipped his head back, eyes closed. Beside him, Riku straightened, shoving silver bangs out of his face. Kairi curled forward, resting her forehead on Sora's shoulder.

"We made it," she breathed, hand to her heart. She stood on wobbly legs, clutching the seat's armrest for leverage.

Riku rose after her. "We did," he agreed. He looked unruffled, but the waver in his voice gave him away. He was pale as a ghost and hadn't moved a inch from Sora's side.

Sora opened his eyes, taking in the slew of alerts on the gummi ship's screen. "Uh, guys?" he said, drawing their attention. "Our ship's busted."

As he spoke, the other ship pulled up beside them. A woman in a smart blue uniform leaned over the side rail, white-gloved hand by her mouth to help project her voice. "Ahoy there!" she bellowed, words carrying through the crack in the cabin's glass. "Do you require assistance?" All three teens had the strange impression that she looked like a cat from this distance.

I hope you're all excited for where we're going next! :D

Thank you as always for your patience and loyalty. About a month ago we passed the year mark and I'm kind of in shock. So much has happened in my personal life and then just... like ALL of 2020. It's been a wild ride, but I appreciate all of you who have hung out with me through this fic. I probably did start posting too soon, but at the same time I'm glad I did. This has brought me so much joy and healing and purpose. So thank you for being a part of that! 333

I hope you all are well and safe! The chapter after this is written and I'm nearly done with the one following that, so expect something sooner rather than later. See you all then!