AN: SORRY it's been a few days lol! I had to get a few chapters ahead, annnnnd also I've been playing the FUCK outta Sonic Frontiers. xDDD The game is amazing, I love Sonic, and the music is awesome as shit! :D :D :D
Kairi swung her Keyblade, readjusting her feet on the ship's deck. She turned and twisted her body as she gave another swing.
Aqua's instruction was...a little difficult to start getting used to - but already Kairi could see how much of a benefit it was.
Using a Keyblade had its own...methods in and of themselves - things that didn't even necessarily translate over well from a sword (as Sora had been doing, both himself, and by training Kairi in swordsmanship secondhand). Things that really worked a whole lot better than what Kairi had been doing with hers so far. Reach, strike, force, balance...it all was starting to feel a lot better, a lot more easy coming, than it had so far. The effect was almost immediate, just in these first hours of proper training.
And, as Aqua had said already, Keyblades were magical weapons, and could cut far beyond the force of a strike - you didn't always need to put the full force of a swing into it, and you could still get some surprising results. The only real need for force with a Keyblade was in the name of speed, and when wielding it as a blunt force object - for smacking people around without actually slicing them up, or when clashing with another's weapon, for instance.
That was how Ven was so fast, how Aqua was so agile and light on her feet too - and even part of how Terra was so insanely fast despite his...stature. Of course, in Terra's case, a large part of it was his existence as a suit of magic armor, unhindered by the constraints of a normal human body of muscle and bone that could break and tear if you pushed yourself too hard...but that was besides the point!
And besides all of that, as Kairi and Sora had already been doing, a person should - more often than not - be using magic to boost their physical capabilities. Speed, strength, agility, all of it.
Kairi went through a few more of her combat motions, then lowered her weapon and turned to look over at Aqua.
Aqua, who was standing there, watching her and Sora closely.
"Is there something wrong?" Aqua asked.
"Yes," Kairi stated, holding the woman's gaze. "We should be searching for the Keyhole."
"The Keyhole to the Heart of this world?" said Aqua quietly.
Kairi nodded. "That's right. That's what we usually try to do - find the Keyhole and lock it, so the Heartless can't completely destroy a world. At least some of them. I know it might not matter now, since our goal is to restore all the worlds that are lost, but...if we can still spare some worlds, some people - billions of lives - the pain and fear that comes with that kind of tragedy...then I think it's still worth doing, either way."
Aqua smiled, returning her nod. "Yes - we're in complete agreement on that, Kairi. I think that should be our priority while we're visiting a new world, as well." She looked to Terra. "Perhaps this is where being in two groups could be useful to us. One could focus on finding the Keyhole, while the other could focus on the more immediate threats of roaming Heartless...and, potentially, any members of that Organization of Xehanort's - Xemnas's - or whatever he calls himself now, as well. It would be more difficult to coordinate between worlds, as each world has a different flow of time, from small to great, but while we're within the same world it should be simple."
"Wait, worlds have different 'flows of time?'" Sora said, letting his weapon vanish as he joined the conversation.
"Of course," Aqua said.
"We never even...noticed that..." Kairi mumbled, flushing.
"Anyways...as you're perhaps already aware, Keyholes are usually in important historical, or otherwise central locations to a world's societies," Aqua went on. "Meaningful places. As much as they're hidden, of course."
"We kind of already figured that out ourselves, at least," Kairi confirmed.
"Yeah," Sora agreed. "The Keyhole to Herc's world was in the coliseum, and Traverse Town's was in Second District - the mural on the fountain. And Twilight Town was the big clock tower."
"Tinker Bell's was also...a clock tower," Kairi added. "It was a huge building in the middle of a city - London. So that one still makes sense." She eyed Aqua, putting hands on her hips. "So - Master?" she added on quickly.
"You want to go searching for that Keyhole sooner rather than later?" Aqua said, still smiling at her.
"Why waste time standing around training?" Sora said. He flushed, then added quickly, "N-not that your training's a waste of time! Hehe. Just...you know!"
Aqua laughed, shaking her head. "It's okay. I know exactly what you mean. All my training, even I began to itch for the day I'd go out into the worlds - and begin my real missions to protect them."
"We usually just do things on the go," Kairi said. "We train between worlds - not on worlds. This is different from what we always do while adventuring. And we're seasoned adventurers by this point, so..."
"I do realize, as well, that you have been doing this for months now," Aqua said, looking them in the eye. "And it's impressive - remarkable. And I wouldn't want to- drag you backwards and make you feel like...like you haven't already been doing all of those wonderful things. Or, maybe, like I think you're not capable of-"
"Hey, we don't think anything like that about you," Sora assured.
"We really don't," Kairi agreed.
"Well - all the same," Aqua went on, a tinge to her cheeks now. "What I'm meaning to say is that...training on the go is sensible - as is finding the Keyholes as soon as possible in any given world," she finally got out, looking real embarrassed now. "So...yes. Let's...go and do that," she added, maybe a little lamely.
"Yes! We're back in the game!" Sora grinned. He turned and raced off for Terra and his gaggle of students (along with Ven). "Hey, Riku, Aqua just said we're going out to look for this world's Keyhole!"
"Did she?" Terra spoke, looking over at Aqua. She gave him a distant nod and a small smile. "Well then...let's put a pause on training for now." He strode away from the kids, over to Aqua. Then the two Masters moved even further away, to talk in relative privacy...
"Sora and Kairi were just telling me how they usually operate, and it seemed reasonable - wise, even," Aqua said to him. "Surprisingly so..."
"They do just keep doing that, don't they?" Terra said, amused.
"Yes. At any rate, I think we can benefit from being two groups - one can find the Keyhole, and the other can investigate the Heartless presence in general...and any Organization members running around. We know from Roxas that they're frequently sent out on all sorts of missions - from reconnaissance to...more important ones."
"We do," Terra agreed. "The one Riku and I encountered recently-"
"The same one I fought when returning to Castle Oblivion, yes - that Saix man," Aqua responded. "He was powerful and dangerous."
"Not just that - from my own brief fight with the man, he was also cunning," Terra said. "Calculating."
"It wouldn't do for us to underestimate any of these people," said Aqua. "And while you and I, and even Ven might be able to contend with them on a more than even ground..."
"The kids won't have it so easy," Terra finished. "So, Masters and apprentices, then?"
"Naturally." Aqua sighed, brushing at her hair and crossing her arms. "Not that splitting up would be practical in this world, as it seems to be all ocean and islands - but going forward, we might want to. Ven was right: everything is so different now. And you were right, too - that this is a new generation of wielders," she went on. "What worked for us won't necessarily even...apply to the worlds as they are now. It won't work for these children like it did for us. We are in the middle of a crisis situation, on a scale we never could have imagined. So, I think that we should be...willing to be more flexible in terms of how exactly we conduct their training. We need to - adjust and adapt, where appropriate."
Terra nodded. "Glad to hear it."
Aqua gave a bit of a glare, shaking her head. "This does not mean I'm willing to entertain the notion of it being a smart idea to mess around with darkness."
"That's all right; I'm sure we'll get there," Terra said cheerily.
"No." Aqua turned on her heel and stalked away. She stopped, turning back to him. "Even these 'Nobodies' know it's a terrible idea - they wear those black cloaks to prevent being consumed."
"And chemical acids can eat away at your body as well, if you're careless with it - but it has all kinds of scientific applications that have benefitted people," Terra responded easily. "That's why people wear protective clothing - goggles for the eyes."
"Ugh - that is not the same thing and you know it!" Aqua emphasized, her expression turning sour.
"Hey - we have a Keyhole to find, remember?" Ven called out. "Could you guys save the fighting for later?"
Aqua rounded on him, then took a calming breath. "We aren't fighting - we're having a disagreement. But, you're exactly right: we'll have it out on our own time," she concluded, throwing another look Terra's way. "It's not proper to disagree in front of our students."
"Right." Terra past her. His gaze found Kairi. "Would it be all right with you if I took command of the ship? I'd wager I have a better lay of this land than you do - I've consulted the local maps already."
Kairi struggled with herself, staring at him.
"Oh, Terra, just go and take the wheel," Aqua said, with a small scoff.
"It's her ship," Terra replied.
"She's - fourteen years old? I doubt she can even legally own a ship of this size," Aqua retorted.
"I just want to show her a little respect and courtesy."
"Well, yes, of course, that's lovely of you, Terra, but-"
"Just go take the wheel," Kairi sighed. "Don't fight because of me. You're both right - and I'll get over it."
"Thank you," Terra said, nodding to her before turning to go up onto the ship's helm.
Kairi glanced at Aqua - then, over at Riku.
She supposed...things for everyone were still a little...frayed, to put it mildly.
And they were all going to be a sort of "work-in-progress" team, really...
After a long trip, made faster by the magical nature of the Pestilence, Terra had them parked in the docks of the town of Port Royal. A large and important trading hub for this vast island, and surrounding ones.
They disembarked, out onto the docks proper.
Following in Terra's wake, Kairi walked side by side with Sora, as they strode down the docks toward proper land.
She glanced back behind herself to see Riku trailing along behind them - with Xion. And further on behind them was Aqua, Ven and Roxas. It was a general, unspoken sort of rule that Roxas would keep his distance from Sora, for fear of what might happen to him if they got too close - the fears Xikira had had on meeting Kairi. Fears of disappearing because of proximity and exposure to her...to the person she had come from. Those fears had apparently had a basis in reality: Kairi still remembered that look on the girl's face, outside the entrance to Castle Oblivion, as the air and the world itself had begun to bend out of shape - and she also remembered that strange feeling that had seized her Heart in that moment as well. Like Kairi's Heart had been straining in her chest - yearning...pulling...
She understood it now. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right - but she could help make it fair and right for people like Xikira and Roxas. It was just...a little problem to work around, together.
Kairi looked back at Riku and Xion again, frowning. Glaring. She turned back and went to join them, falling into step beside Xion and taking her hand. "Hey - what are you two talking about?"
Xion looked immediately all cagey and anxious.
"Nothing - just that you told her not to talk to me," Riku spoke up. "She's not sure if that's still in effect or not, that's all."
"Am I allowed to talk to him now?" Xion said quietly.
"You want to talk to him?" Kairi responded, frowning ever more deeply.
Xion looked away, pulling her hand free of Kairi's grasp.
"I told her you probably wouldn't like it," Riku spoke again.
"Xion: why would you want to talk to him?" Kairi said, ignoring him.
"Well...he...he was your best friend, and I want to know more about him - and he's trying not to be such an evil asshole anymore...isn't he? And we can't not talk to him - we're all here together, and we'll be fighting together too," Xion said quickly. Way too quickly. And she was still doing her best to not look at Kairi at all now. Those hands at her chest, fingers twisting, clutching...
Kairi gazed at her sister, a deep, horrific suspicion growing in her Heart. But that was ridiculous! It was crazy! And it was paranoia, at best! No...
"You have a point," Kairi said, taking a breath. "Really good points, sis. As much as we might like to- we can't exactly just...ignore his existence. It wouldn't be...practical. Or...decent..."
Xion smiled. "Thanks!"
"No...problem," Kairi said through her teeth. "Xion - now probably isn't the best time for getting to know him. We're on a mission, remember? Why don't you go keep Sora company, and I'll hang back with Riku here."
Xion's face fell. "But I wanted to ask him some things..."
"You can have- all the time in the worlds- to ask him later. On the ship. Okay?"
"Ok..." Xion hurried off ahead, immediately getting Sora's attentions.
Kairi watched them, then she took several quick sidesteps that put her elbow to elbow with Riku.
"Hey...?" he said awkwardly.
"Hello," Kairi said stiffly. She glanced at him, then away. Back at him again. Finally, curiosity won out over other feelings. Yeah, she had a thing or two she wanted to ask Riku as well. She pointed at him, saying, "Where did you get that?"
"Uh- get what?"
Kairi gestured again, irritated. Then she stopped. Oh, right. "The jacket," she clarified, her cheeks heating up.
"Oh...a- a friend gave it to me," Riku said slowly, his voice...pained. "Right before she...passed away. It was hers, and she wanted somebody to have it - to...carry on with it, to remember her by. I...I couldn't say no. It was...her dying wish. That was all she wanted: to be remembered after she- after she was g-gone. And it was all I wanted, to fulfill it for her...to make her dreams come true."
Kairi frowned, looking away. "I'm sorry..." For her, not for him. "What was her name?"
"Erin. Her name was Erin."
"That's a nice name."
"Yeah...she was a- nice girl. A good, strong person. I'm lucky to have met her, gotten to know her at all, even if we...didn't have a lot of time together before she..."
Strained silence again.
"She was- she reminded me of you, you know," Riku went on quickly, quietly. "Uh - I think you would have- gotten along with her."
"It sounds like it," Kairi said diplomatically.
"That's w-what I- like about you. What I always- I mean, you- uh...I mean I admire you!" Riku finally got out. "I've always- admired you - and Sora too - for- you two have always been strong, following your Hearts, and- and like the Keyblade that's what I was always...also...sort of jealous of...you for. Yeah...Oh, and how smart you are, too. You're good about...you're always all perceptive. And that's...cool."
Kairi stared at him for a long time, conflicting and surprising emotions swirling around in her chest. Because she was looking, not at the crazed, evil jerk of the past few months, but instead, finally, she felt like...the boy she'd known since she was four years old. The boy who'd been there for her since she was four, since she'd...so many times over...so many...
"That's what I was jealous of, always, going all the way back," Riku continued quietly. "I envied you guys, for being yourselves. For how you were, how you lived. I wished I could live my life the same way. I wished I could be like you guys, instead of myself. Even the way you two have always just loved home...the islands...you were happy and comfortable just being there. I never was. I always wanted to leave it behind. I couldn't stand it...couldn't stand - standing in one place. You were...at peace, I guess? I've never really, truly had that inside. Never felt that way. Anywhere. About anything. And I guess a part of me, as much as I envied you guys for it - like I said - was jealous for it too. Angry, even. Awful, bitter, dumb feelings that kept building up in life. And Ansem didn't help me there, any. In fact, he...spurred them on. On purpose, now, I know that much. He wanted to grow the darkness in me, have it take me over. So he could take me over, himself."
"So that's why you've always tried to act all cool," Kairi spoke flatly. "I thought you were trying to-"
"To what?"
"To impress me - show Sora up." Kairi paused. "Not that you ever could: I don't go for cool guys - I love hopeless goofballs," she said sweetly.
Riku startled. He turned away quickly. "W-well- uh- I won't lie to you and say that wasn't...maybe part of it, yeah...It was dumb, okay, I know - that was never a competition, you weren't like some- prize or- I'm sorry for being so stupid about it!"
Kairi rolled her eyes, turning away too. But inside, her heart was pounding. She glanced back at him. "I just rolled my eyes, by the way."
Riku nodded. "Figured - yeah."
"Shut up." Kairi said. She paused. "Why did you even tell me all of that just now?"
Riku gave...a faint grin. "Do you want me to shut up or do you want me to talk?"
Kairi pressed her lips tight, growling in her throat. She sighed. "I want you to explain."
Riku's grin disappeared. His face fell into seriousness. Into that...awkwardness again. Uncertainty. "Well, I guess...because I never could have, before. I never- would have, either. I had my head up my own ass, we both agree on that - and worse - right? But I still always felt these things, I always...I just never would've...gotten up the courage to ever say it out loud. Least of all to you or Sora. And- and that wasn't- strength...it was weakness, and a mistake."
"You guys- were my best friends, and as much as you might've kept some things to yourself, I kept things to myself too. Things I should've shared with you guys. If I could have just...told you guys all of this years ago, maybe told you about speaking with Ansem, about..." He let out a shaking breath, running a hand through his long silver hair. "But I let the hate, the bitterness, the secrets, resentment and...all of it just...and I shouldn't have! A better guy would've opened up, would have trusted- wouldn't have thought so highly of himself," he finished, with a ghost of a laugh.
"Darkness wasn't my problem, Kairi," he said quietly. "The problem was me. My ego and pride, my feelings, my thoughts - all of it, over the years, building up. That was all me. Long before Ansem even came into my life to take advantage of it. Long before the darkness in my Heart began to grow, and make it all so much worse - but it only amplified what was already in there. Darkness can't draw water from a stone, you know? It can't grow without fuel. And I had fuel for it in my Heart, spades of it, for it to feed off of. And I didn't have the will or understanding to really control it, either. Which didn't help things at all."
Kairi walked with him in silence, staring straight ahead. She was just...processing. "And you think you can control it now? That it won't overtake you again, turn you into what you were up until just a few weeks ago...again?"
"I don't know," Riku sighed. "Terra believes in me, though. He's always on about how humility, admitting to mistakes, yadda yadda, means you're a better person than the people who can't. How being open to change and all that is a great thing. Humbling yourself, accepting help, asking questions - all of that stuff. He's always on about patience, too. And you know, I think I'm...sort of starting to get it. To see what he means now. I think it can...really benefit a person."
"So now you're on some kind of Zen high?" Kairi said, unable to help the scorn in her voice.
Riku shrugged. "I just know I believe in what he's trying to teach me here. And if he believes in me...then I have to believe in myself, too. Believe in the him that believes in me or...whatever. Right?"
"Sure..."
Riku sighed. "Kairi, look, about Xion - if you want me to stay away from her, I can do that, no problem. It's not like she's somebody I have a big interest in."
Kairi sighed, too. "Too late for that, I think," she muttered out.
"Huh?"
"Girl's intuition," Kairi retorted shortly.
Even if the girl in question was an artificial creation made to fight Kairi, as well as copy Kairi's weapon and very appearance, and who was unable to do basic body functions like eating and sleeping - and blinking at any normal rate...or crying...or blushing. Another embarrassingly obvious set of clues in hindsight, honestly!
But even so...a girl's Heart wanted what a girl's Heart wanted, didn't it? And if Xion's Heart...
Well, wasn't it also a sister's duty to look out for her sister in that area of life, too? Especially in that area...
Xion truly was a delinquent, wasn't she?! Why did she have to go for the baddest bad boy around! Why did it have to be Riku, of all the people in this entire fucking universe?! Kairi would have settled for it being Lauriam - he was classy as well as sexy - or even Elrena, whose whole bitchy demeanor hid a genuinely soft and kind inner squishiness! Heck, Ven was right there too: he was fun, he was good and sweet and nice and undeniably cute! As far as cute guys went, anyways...
Hell, Kairi would have been overjoyed if Xion had gone for Sora! Kairi was secure! And Sora was safe.
But Riku? RIKU?!
Girl why do you have to make life so extra difficult in these trying times?
What if Xion acted on her feelings of Heart? What if she had feelings of body as well? God, if she did, then Kairi was going to track down, tie up, and interrogate the living hell out of that Vexen guy for being the universe's biggest pervert! Not that it wouldn't have been a good thing for Xion, of course - every girl deserved some of that in her life - but-
"Uh, Kairi - you okay there?"
Kairi startled, realizing she'd come within a few measly feet of walking into a wall. She glanced at Riku, flushed. Then she hurried off down the street to join Sora and Xion without another word.