Kairi watched the woman sitting alone at the table. She took a breath, straightened up, and stalked across the cafe toward her.
"Hi, Elrena."
"Um, excuse you, it's Larxene. Thank you."
"Right - I'm sorry. Larxene."
"Ugh...fine, Elrena..." she muttered, hunching over and putting her face in her hand. "It's hard enough getting Lauriam to remember it. If I'm going to have to deal with a dozen little brats running around having the same problem...soooo not worth it. Whatever! Fine! Okay: I'm going Elrena, full-time! Fuck it."
"Sorry," Kairi repeated, sitting down with her. "I'll remember it-"
Larxene shook her head. "No, no - too late! Just go for it - see if I care. Besides...I am supposed to be being her again, aren't I...? What's the use in fighting the name?" she muttered on to herself.
Kairi sighed, putting her hands on the table. "So, how have you been since Castle Oblivion? It must be nice, not being stuck in that Organization anymore. Being away from all of that...awfulness."
Elrena, then, raised her head, eyeing Kairi a moment. Then she snorted, gave a small smile. "Sure. It's peachy. Sipping margaritas and tanning on the beach, every day."
Kairi held her gaze. "Seriously."
Elrena gave another snort - this one of disbelief. "Still as ballsy as ever, huh, Xiki?" She froze, a pink tinge filling her cheeks. She dropped her head into her hand again. "Sorry," she said quickly. "Look, it's just - I see where she gets it all from. For a Princess, you're waaay more...um...someone I'd rather hang out with than some pretty pink-dress-wearing, high-pitched, frilly...whatever girl. You get what I'm saying?"
Kairi laughed, tossing her head and giving a grin. "Oh, I get it. I'm not the 'princess' everyone seems to keep expecting. And personally, I like that. It sort of...gives me life."
Elrena's arm fell, and she straightened up at last. A small laugh escaped her lips, as she smiled in full now. "You see? That - that is what I like about you. And it's what I liked...about...Xiki..."
"Are you worried about her?"
"How can't I be?! That little fuck was supposed to be here today! She agreed to weekly check-ins, she said it - yet here we are, and where the hell is she?! She blew it off, or she lied, more like! She probably never had a single damn intention of actually checking in with us!" Elrena exploded, her face flushed. "Fuck," she emphasized, breathless. She sat back in her seat, crossing her arms and legs both. She tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling. "Even I wasn't like this when I was her age, you know!" she added furiously. "I was actually a lot nicer..."
Kairi smiled, brushing at her hair. "She wanted a month, right? Well, it seems like she's intent on getting it, no matter what. So-"
"So, I think it's time to do as I promised and storm that castle for her!"
"No, you shouldn't," Kairi said.
"WHAT?! Why the hell not?"
"Because if she's undercover, if she isn't in any danger as long as she's there...wouldn't you be blowing that cover for her by showing up to get her - to talk to her, even?" Kairi said reasonably. "And that would actually put her in danger."
"So, what, you're saying just - sit back and do nothing? Kick back, relax, and put her out of my mind?"
"No. I'm saying to trust her. She knows what she wants, she knows what she's there for - she's a girl on a mission. Give her a month. Give her just three more weeks there. And then, if she doesn't come back, then you can storm the castle for her. But I believe she's smart enough to know when to bail out or not. I trust her."
Elrena blew a breath, ran a hand through her hair. She uncrossed her legs and sat forward, placing her hands on the table. "And if you end up being wrong?" she hissed out.
"I might be," Kairi said. "But I still choose to have faith in her. Can't you do the same for her?"
"No. If you'd been around for her life so far, you'd know why that is a huuuuge mistake," Elrena scoffed. "Sure, sometimes she can be surprisingly thorough and inspired and whatnot, but other times...I told you some of those other times, when we first met, remember? Do you really want to trust that girl to exercise good judgement?"
Kairi flushed, but she held the woman's gaze, all the same. "We all have our moments - I think you're having one right now."
"Ballsy little bitch..." Elrena breathed, sitting back slowly. She turned her head, turned her nose up at Kairi, arms crossed. Then, she sighed, letting her arms fall away. "Alright. I'll trust her. But if anything happens to her, that's on you - worst mom of the fucking year."
"That's fair," Kairi nodded. "I already know I'm responsible for her."
Elrena stared at her in silence.
Kairi stared back.
Elrena shoved her chair back, jumping to her feet. "All right - I'm going to get us some drinks. Alcohol for me, juicebox for you. And when I get back with them...well, um, I would like for you to tell me about this magic flying ship Xiki mentioned to me that you had one time," she spoke hesitantly, flushing.
Kairi beamed. "Sure."
Relief, another little smile, and then Elrena was hurrying off.
"All right - do you trust me?"
Riku stood on the long deck of the great wooden ship.
It was the main way of ocean transport on this world. A world of islands and roaming pirates, in actual pirate ships.
A world with all kinds of legends and stories - magical items and artifacts and curses and whatnot.
The whole thing.
Mysteries and uncharted waters abound.
Terra had purchased this ship for them a few days back. The handy thing about his munny pouch was that it was enchanted to convert munny into local world currencies - if said currency wasn't munny. And after it had converted over to this world's money system...well, Terra and Riku had learned that he had a lot more than ever expected.
So, Terra had gone and bought a ship. Their own ship. It was a larger ship, with vast sails and masts towering high. Now, why had Terra bought them a ship that could have crewed two dozen? Well...he'd told Riku it was for the novelty of it - and because the vast, isolated ocean made the perfect environment to freely train Riku in the powers of observation. Of the physical world, and the more mystical parts of them. To hone and tune his senses, of body, mind, and Heart.
And that was what Riku had pretty much been doing this past week now.
Just...waiting. Listening. Gathering information.
With all his senses. Not just smell, or touch, or any of that - but also by attuning himself to this world's magic. And it had a lot of magic floating around, surprisingly. The ocean itself, and the air. It was like Terra had said.
And today, he was meant to take another big step forward...
"It's alright if you don't," Terra's voice came again.
Riku startled. "Huh? Oh...no, uh - I trust you, all the way! Let's do this. I'm ready for it."
"Were you focusing?" Terra said lightly.
Riku felt his face growing hot. He ducked his head as best he could. "U-uh - yeah. Let's...go with that..." he muttered.
Terra laughed. "When you're really ready, we'll do this."
Riku breathed, drawing himself up and centering himself again. All those techniques Terra had been instructing him in the past few days. Things that honestly did...seem to be helping him a bit in general. Of course, that might just have been the ocean environment, too - it was like being home again. It was calming, even with all the guilt and remorse he had in his Heart. "Alright. I'm ready," he said finally.
He waited, listening, reaching out with his Heart - and with his sense of magic.
He saw the bright glow in the dark of his vision, flaring briefly, even against the sun. He felt the rush of warmth pass over his body, casting out across the ship. Rippling through the air, the world itself. He concentrated, breathing in and out again, and in the dark he saw the vague golden shimmer. Elongated, vertical. And he saw the vague, shimmering shape of...a man. Behind him, a constant rippling of golden motes...
"Hey!" Riku said excitedly. "Your Keyblade, and you - I can actually tell right where you are, I can...sort of 'see' you again. You're there, you're...the Keyblade is way less sharp, less- but you...I thought it would just be a vague- ball or something?"
"I expected this would be the case," Terra's voice came, easy and pleasant. "Keyblades are immensely magical, powerful objects born from Hearts. They'd be just about the easiest thing in the world to get a sense of. And me, as I am now, even more so. Because as I am now, I'm a mind inside a suit of armor forged and woven by pure magic itself. Every inch of this armor isn't just brimming with magic, it's composed of it. I suspected I'd stand out as badly as a bonfire in a field at night, to you. To anyone who can sense the presence of magic."
"Oh..." Riku frowned. "So it's not going to be this way with everyone else? Not this easy to just reach out and...'see?'"
"Unfortunately, no," Terra said quietly. "Though, Heartless, being monsters composed of pure darkness itself given solid form, should be similarly effortless to detect around you - if we encounter them. They're incredibly dense concentrations of that natural element."
Riku felt a relieved at this information; he might actually stand some kind of chance against Heartless, even as he was now! Then, a thought struck him, and he voiced it. "So, uh, would that go for the opposite element, too? For- for Light...?"
"Oh yes, definitely," Terra replied. "Though the worlds themselves were made out of Light, any compact concentrations of Light would still stand out against it all. Like a loud explosion amidst the constant noise of static. It would still draw your attention."
Well, at least I won't have any trouble recognizing Kairi again, if I ever...
He shook his head and pushed his hair back, refocusing. "Right. Makes sense. So how about magic? Compact, concentrated magic."
Riku saw a rippling blur of golden lights, and then something new lit up in the dark.
"What is that? Is that- fire, or- lightning?"
"It's ice, actually," Terra corrected simply.
"Right. I knew that."
"No you didn't. But that's okay. Now I'm going to actually show you fire. And then, lightning."
As Terra swapped between the elements, Riku started to feel a bit of hopelessness again.
"It all just- 'looks' the same to me," Riku said, frustrated. "How am I meant to tell if someone wants to freeze me or blast me across a room?"
"Well, I suppose you could just not get hit and avoid the problem entirely," Terra said lightly.
"Come on," Riku insisted. "How?"
"Reach out with your own magic. Reach across, and feel for it. What does it feel like to you? Hot, cold, solid, electrically charged? Crackling in the air? Scattered or compact? Extend your senses beyond your physical limits. I'm going to change what I have in my hand, but I won't tell you, all right? I want you to see if you can figure it out."
Riku nodded, trying to breathe again. Center himself. He pictured it in his mind's eye, the mental map he had of the ship's deck, of his position and Terra's. That shimmer. He raised a hand and reached out physically...
Breathe, feel, breathe, feel...he closed his fingers around empty air, around that shimmer...
"ARGH!" He jumped back, stumbling and grasping for the ship's railing. "Fire!" he exclaimed, holding his hand, a giddiness coming over him. He let his hand go, flexing his fingers, grinning. "I actually felt it, like I was right in front of you, not just-"
"Good job," Terra said warmly. "Though, you extended yourself a bit too well. You obviously don't want to psychically hurt yourself every time you want to feel out an enemy attack. You don't want it to be that focused. Just a...a ripple, a - a gust of wind. A little breeze that you send out to pass over someone - over their magic. Your magic over theirs. A quick, easy once-over."
"Right," Riku laughed. "That's way more sensible - and easier to pull off in a fight."
"That's right. You don't want to be caught standing around like that in a real battle. So...let's try and pull it back a little, okay? Extend, but...gently. Lightly. Like brushing your hand against the surface of something - a wall, the floor...a concentration of magic. Or, well, don't even try and 'touch it.' Get close, but not that close - you only need to tell if it's hot, cold, or sizzling electricity. You can tell all of that from proximity. Just - caress it a little."
Riku rolled his non-working eyes. "Caress it? Eugh..."
"I'm serious. A warrior is as much about gentleness as fierceness. The greatest fighters can snatch a raindrop out of the air and hold it without breaking it - or cut a specific, single flower petal in two while standing in the middle of a raging cyclone of them."
Okay, that actually sounded pretty cool... "Alright," Riku nodded, setting his jaw. "Yeah - gentle - got it. Gentle brush...light feeling...no sticking my hand right in there..."
"Again, then. I'm changing the element," Terra said quietly.
Riku didn't respond; he concentrated and reached out his hand again...
Gentle, easy...caress it...
Like he had once used to...caress and care for his two best friends in this or any world...
The day Sora's dad hadn't come home from a merchant sail to another island...
The time when Kairi had broken down in his arms after some girls had destroyed her robes and hand fans the night she was meant to perform in a festival dance routine (she'd worked at it for months beforehand)...
Like his parents had used to...
An old memory, a conversation between two young boys, walking home one night...
"Sora, what's wrong?"
Sora turned to Riku. "Huh?"
Riku pointed to him, staring. "You're..."
Sora reached up to touch his face - to wipe away the tear falling. "That's weird. It's like something's squeezing me inside."
Riku gazed at him. "Somebody up there must be sad."
"Up where?" Sora said, clueless.
Riku pointed to the sky. "They say every world is connected by one great big sky. So maybe there's somebody up there in all those worlds who's really hurting, and they're waiting for you to help them."
"Well gee, do you think there's something I could do?"
Riku crossed his arms, thinking deeply. And not so deeply at all. "Hmm... Maybe they just need you to open your heart and listen."
"Hmmm... I dunno Riku, you say some weird stuff sometimes, but I'll try it!" Sora said, determined.
Riku watched his friend, a hand on his hip. Waiting...trusting...feeling...
Riku relaxed his hand, uncurling his fingers, taking another breath in. Long, and deep...and he let it go. And he waited. And he felt. Didn't matter how long it took, didn't matter how far he got, didn't matter...just feel, just know, just...
Smooth, oval, a frigid chill against the tips of his fingers...a cold, radiating mist...
"Ice," he breathed.
"Good," Terra said softly. "I think you have a real talent for this, Riku. Greater than you might believe, yourself."
Riku simply nodded, holding the confidence of success and the pleasure of the praise in his Heart.
"Let's go again," Riku said.
Terra obliged him.
They would continue on for many, long hours together.
Aqua watched Sora and Roxas together in Traverse Town's Second District. She pressed her lips, pondering, wondering...deciding.
She got up from her seat, striding over to them.
"Sora, Roxas - I know that this might be very sudden, and I might even be...overstepping in a sense, but...I'd like to speak to you both for a moment, please," she said clearly.
Both boys turned to her with confused looks on their faces.
"Sure, Aqua. What's up?" Sora said, beaming at her.
She couldn't help but smile back at the boy. "Well, you see..." She looked from one boy to the other. "it struck me that with Ven no longer residing within either of you, neither of you can enjoy the benefits of his Keyblade - right? Roxas, you in particular are rather...defenseless now. And Sora, you've been relying well on that sword, but it's not especially magically powerful. And with the kinds of enemies we'll be fighting now...the likes of Xehanort and these Organization members...I doubt it's going to hold up all too well."
"Haha, I guess?" Sora laughed. "Sooo are you giving us magic swords?"
"I was going to propose the idea of...giving the two of you the ability to wield your own Keyblades."
"Our own Keyblades...?" Roxas said. "You can do that?"
"Yes," Aqua smiled. "It's a very solemn ceremony, the Bequeathing Ceremony - of which only a Keyblade Master is capable of performing. They are able to pass on the power of the Keyblade - or even a specific Keyblade in their possession - onto another. Provided that the other person has a strong Heart, of course, and that the Keyblades find them worthy, themselves."
Sora and Roxas had such identical looks on their faces that Aqua almost laughed, in that moment.
"Alright!" Sora whooped, pumping his fists. "I'm going to get a Keyblade of my own! Yessss!"
"Given that you've already been able to use Ven's, I'm sure you'll have no trouble," Aqua said lightly. "And I'm sure you'll be the same, Roxas," she added.
"Okay...how do we do this - ceremony?" Roxas asked.
"Well...I suppose, given the informal and unusual nature of this entire situation, we can skip past all of the - ahem - pomp and circumstance," Aqua said, flushing. She got down on one knee, raising her hand to summon her Keyblade in a flash of light. She gazed at the boys, and she turned it around in her grasp, offering the handle. "Just grasp my Keyblade, and the Power will be passed to you."
Sora glanced at Roxas. "You want to go first?" he said, putting his hands behind his head, flashing a grin.
Roxas blinked. "Uhhh...alright?" He looked at Aqua's Keyblade warily, as he reached for it. Took it in hand gingerly...
A few moments passed.
"Soooo...is it working?" Sora said hesitantly. "It's not- broken or something, right?"
Aqua nearly snorted, despite feeling completely scandalized. "What?! Of course not - it can't just- it's done, it worked - Roxas, let go now!" she stammered out.
Roxas released it, stepping back.
"Hehe...sorry," Sora said, leaning down to reach for her weapon next. "I don't really get how any of this works."
"Just - take the Keyblade, please..." Aqua murmured, blushing furiously now.
"Oookay...got it. So how long do we-" Sora said casually as he held her weapon hilt.
"Done, done!" Aqua said swiftly, yanking her weapon back and shooting up to her feet again. She cleared her throat and pushed her hair behind an ear. "Okay - now - children! Raise your arms before you, like this, and focus on your Hearts. On calling out to your Keyblade, wherever it may be and whatever form it might take."
Sora nodded, raising an arm up before him, as if holding an invisible weapon. Roxas imitated him, glancing over.
Silence.
A few moments...a minute...
Roxas dropped his arm, frowning deeply. "Right...of course it wouldn't work on me. Nobodies don't have Hearts," he muttered.
Aqua froze. She'd honestly...forgotten that Roxas even was one of these "Nobodies." A different form of being. But...but surely... Crestfallen, she focused all her attention on Sora. The better to avoid the burning lump forming in her throat just then. "Sora-"
"I'm trying, I'm calling out to it," Sora said, scrunching up his face in intense concentration. "But nothing's-"
"No, just relax, just - it will come to you," Aqua assured.
"I dunno...maybe I'm not calling loudly enough? Or something like that..."
"Just - focus," Aqua told him firmly.
"I am! It's not-" Sora started to clench and unclench his fingers. Then he started swinging his arm about, wholesale, as if wielding an invisible sword! "I reaaaally don't think it worked on me, either, Aqua - no offense! It's just...I got nothing!"
"Sora, s-stop that, please!" Aqua said, staring, horrified. "That isn't going to-"
Golden light exploded out of Sora's palm, blinding Aqua momentarily.
She blinked, lowering the hand she'd raised...to see a Keyblade in Sora's hand...
It was a Keyblade comprised of twin, metal shafts for a blade. Its end, the teeth, were shaped into a symbol - a letter - that Aqua recognized: light. A blue core, surrounded by yellow teeth. The handle was two angel wings. And the keychain...
"Is t-that a Wayfinder?" Aqua gasped.
Sora raised his Keyblade up, staring at its handle. The chain dangling from it, and the charm attached. He grinned widely, his eyes sparkling. "Hey, it's Kairi's Thalassa Charm! This is so awesome!" He immediately turned and began giving it some swings and twirls. "Hiyah, hah, haha! Look at this! I- I've gotta go tell Kairi! She'll be over the moon about this!"
Before Aqua could get in another word, Sora had turned and gone racing off for First District.
Not that she could have said a thing more.
Words. Just...they were failing her in that moment.
How did that actually work?!
Roxas gave a sigh, tearing her from her furious musings. He shrugged, raising a hand to pass it through his hair. "It's okay that it didn't work on me too. I didn't think it would-"
Both of them startled as light burst in his absently moving hand.
His Keyblade...
It was curved, notched. Looking sharp and decidedly sword-like. More so than a normal Keyblade design. It had sharp, jutting teeth. Its handle was a checkerboard pattern. The guards were black, though the blade itself was white. And on the hilt, there was a startlingly familiar, silver-white symbol...
The Master's emblem...?
No, no, it was different, in several ways, Aqua now realized.
It wasn't the same.
Still...
"How...?" Roxas whispered, staring at his weapon.
Aqua sighed, putting hand to her forehead. "I have absolutely no idea. But - yes - good job! Now, why don't you go and show it to your friends?"
Roxas nodded, he grinned, and he turned to race off toward First District.
Aqua glanced around, then looked down at her own Keyblade. She let it vanish, turning to stalk off for the nearest bench to sink down into.
These children...
It was like they existed solely to disprove every last thing she thought she knew about the Heart, reality itself, and the rules of nature! And, most importantly, everything she ever thought she knew about Keyblades!
And, as well, to drive her truly insane in the process, in a way that ten years alone in the Realm of Darkness itself hadn't managed to do to her!
And not just them - Xehanort, Xemnas, Ansem, this Organization - Nobodies - Replicas-
The World itself had just- gone insane while Aqua had been away!
Nothing made any sense anymore!
NOTHING!
AN: Yaaay keyblades! xD Finally lol. :D Sora got Oathkeeper, for many varied and perfectly fitting reasons (like that he always keeps his word, his vows and promises, to the point where he changes time and lets himself vanish just to save Kairi because he vowed to save her with everything he had), and Roxas got Two Become One...the name being symbolic and representative of his and Namine's relationship. Or the one he HOPES to have with her... :D
