When she blinked again, Reina was no longer in Lotus Forest, no longer pressed up against Xigbar, and no longer in the present time.
She was back home again—in Radiant Garden.
She was standing in a place all too familiar to her. Behind her family's castle was a large courtyard full of flowers and topiary cut in exquisite, fanciful shapes. It was a beautiful, secluded area where she had often played to her heart's content as a child. A wave of nostalgia washed over the young woman as she took a step forward on the cobblestone path, the sweet smell of the familiar flowers reaching her senses as she walked further into the gardens. Everything looked exactly how she remembered, and her body moved on its own to bend down in front of a flowerbed so she could brush her fingers over the delicate petals of a white rose.
'I don't understand… Am I dreaming right now?'
It wasn't uncommon for Reina to dream about her childhood home. It had been over seven years since she last stepped foot in the beautiful kingdom of Radiant Garden, and she knew things had changed over the years since she and her mother ran away from the impending darkness that consumed their home. At least the beautiful scenery would forever be preserved in her memory, allowing her to escape to the peaceful days of childhood that she could travel to inside her dreams.
But no matter what this was—a memory, a dream, or a vision—it didn't matter as long as she could momentarily walk through her kingdom and enjoy the peacefulness of her childhood home.
The peace, however, was disturbed as dark, gray clouds formed overhead while thunder rumbled in warning to let the world down below know that a torrent of rain was not too far ahead.
"Hey, princess. Whatcha' doing spacing out here for? If you don't come inside, you'll get caught in the rain."
A voice tore through the stillness of the courtyard, calling out to her. Reina sharply looked behind her to where the sound had come from. To her surprise, no one was standing there.
"Up here, kiddo."
The voice came from above this time, and Reina looked up to see a smug-looking man hanging upside down. He was levitating in the air as if the bottoms of his boots were glued to an invisible ceiling. A pair of mahogany eyes locked with hers before he finally uprighted himself and dropped to the floor.
"B-Braig! Don't scare me like that!"
The words escaped Reina's mouth before her brain could even process what she wanted to say. Her body began moving on its own as if it were following some predetermined script.
"I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm just here to warn you about the rain."
Reina's fingers came up to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ears as the rest of her hair fell down her back in a thick braid. Just like with her last dream, her hair wasn't its usual rich, chestnut color but instead a brilliant shade of golden blonde.
"I find that hard to believe… Did Father send you to spy on me again?" She asked.
"Spy on you? As if," the man shrugged as he adjusted the red scarf around his neck. "If I wanted to spy on you, do you really think I'd have come out of hiding? Plus, it's more exciting to spy on you while you're in your room than it is when you're out here playing with the flowers. Who knows what I might catch a glimpse of when you're alone?"
His eyebrows wagged provocatively in her direction, and Reina could feel her heart speed up over his leery grin. She didn't retort with something sharp and witty or even try to punch him playfully for his inappropriate joke. Instead, she buried her face in her hands to hide her blush from his mocking gaze. "B-Braig! Please don't joke around about things like that!"
"Ha, your reactions are always so adorable, Your Highness." He reached out his hand towards the top of her head to give her a few condescending pets before he quickly drew his arm back to his side and cleared his throat. "Er, in any case… You really should get back inside before the storm comes."
As if on cue, a few raindrops fell from the sky, tickling both of their faces as they stood out in the open. They didn't have time to continue their conversation any further before the sky opened up to release an unforgiving onslaught of cold droplets.
Reina ducked her head to keep any raindrops from getting in her eyes, but the young man was already reaching for her hand so they could rush towards a nearby white, wooden gazebo. Reina's footsteps fell in sync with his as they ran for shelter, their hands never letting go until they were out of the rain. By the time the roof of the gondola offered them cover, their clothes were already soaked through.
"Well, this sure sucks," Braig blew out a loud sigh from his lips before he ran his hands through his wet, slick hair. "You all right, princess? Didn't muddy your heels up too much, did you? I would have warped us here using my powers, but last time I tried that with you, you almost threw up on my boots."
"Pl-Please don't remind me of such embarrassing things!" The princess pouted as she began undoing the long braid that kept her hair back so she could ring out the water trapped in her locks. "But believe it or not, I don't normally mind the rain. At least I don't have to worry about spending the afternoon watering the flowers today." Her light-purple sundress was drenched all the way through, and Braig could see the faint outline of the white, lacy bra she was wearing underneath. He abruptly averted his gaze and stared down at his boots before she could notice he had been staring.
"Optimistic as usual," Braig joked as he removed his scarf to ring out the moisture from it, mimicking the way she tended to her own thick hair. "Sometimes, I'm convinced you've never had a pessimistic thought in your head."
"You know that isn't true, Braig," she sighed as she took a seat on a wooden bench under the gazebo. "I've been losing my temper around Father a lot more. I can tell he doesn't appreciate me being so outspoken about my…my…"
Braig understood why she was pausing, and he finished her sentence. "About your arranged marriage?"
Reina bit her lip and stared down at her hands that were neatly folded in her lap. "Mother wants me to give Prince Ardan a fair chance and at least try to get along with him. And Father says this arrangement is non-negotiable… They both believe that this marriage needs to happen. There's nothing that they want more than this."
Braig leaned against a wooden pillar beside her. "And what do you want?"
Without looking up at him, she shrugged her shoulders. "If Mother and Father believe it would be in our kingdom's best interest for me to marry a prince from another world to help break down the barriers of different nations, then I suppose I don't have much of a choice."
"I didn't ask what your parents wanted. I asked about what you wanted."
Reina refused to look up at him. "It doesn't matter what I want."
"You don't have to hide the truth from me, princess. The dude's a total snob. Everybody knows it. He acts all high and mighty and thinks he can just barge into the palace and start giving orders to everyone around him. Ansem is a fool for thinking it was a good idea to take him in after his world was destroyed. If you ask me, the bastard should have vanished along with his homeworld. Only a royal asshole would jump ship while the rest of his kingdom rotted away. Radiant Garden sure as hell doesn't need a cowardly prick like that calling the shots."
There was a lot to unpack with Braig's statement, and she had to take a moment to process everything before she finally spoke. "I must admit that I do not disagree with you. I used to think Father always knew best, but now I'm not so sure…"
Braig looked over at her to see that her cheeks were very damp, and he didn't think it was just from the rain. "Look, I know I'm just a palace guard, and you don't have to listen to anything I say, but…" He rubbed the back of his neck as he chose his following words very carefully. "But you don't have to do everything your parents tell you. You have the choice to do whatever you want. You don't have to stay here and marry a guy who probably kisses his own marble statues every morning. Your twentieth birthday is coming up, and your wedding will be held soon after, right? Maybe we can come up with a plan to stop this marriage from happening. Now that you're getting a better grasp of your powers, I'm sure you'd do just fine if you decided to run away from this world."
The princess stood up to face the young man. Her expression was soft and gentle as she smiled at him while reaching out to place a tender hand against his cheek to let him know she appreciated him trying to comfort her. "Thank you, Braig. I appreciate you trying to give me hope for a better future…But this is what I have to do. I have no choice. I can't leave."
"But, Erian—"
She pulled her hand away from his face and let her arm drop to her side. "We should go back inside. I'm sure Princess Ardan is wondering where I've run off to this time. I keep using the excuse that you're training me to get stronger so I can avoid having to spend time with him, but I'm sure he's starting to see right through my lies."
Braig dropped the subject, but the warmth from her hand still lingered on his cheek even after she pulled away from him. "Hey, kiddo… Promise me something, though. If that asshole ever steps out of line, or if he ever lays a hand on you, that you'll tell me."
Reina blinked up at him, her long eyelashes kissing her cheeks as she stared at him in curiosity. "What would compel you to ask me to promise something like that? I do agree that Prince Ardan is what you call an—" She paused for a moment, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening in before she turned back to Braig to finish her sentence in a low whisper. "An asshole, but I don't think he poses a threat to me."
"All I'm saying is that guys like him are nothing but trouble," he pressed, gaze hardening to let the girl know he wasn't messing around this time. "So if he does cause any trouble for you, come to me. I'll handle it."
His statement was enough to make the princess's lips curve upwards into a teasing smile. "You know, Braig, you've been a palace guard for many years now, yet we've only recently started talking normally to each other."
"That's because you treat all men like they've got the plague or something," he deadpanned. "You'd have never made eye contact with me if your pops hadn't wanted me to start teaching you how to defend yourself."
Her cheeks burned brightly again as she twirled a lock of golden hair between her thumb and forefinger. "I-In any case! What I was trying to say is that… I'm glad we became friends, Braig. You might be the first real friend I've ever had." She could feel his eyes on her, and it made her heart pound even harder.
"I'm glad we're friends, too, Erian," he said before folding his arms over his lean chest. "But I haven't heard you promise me yet."
"Oh, um, right…Yeah, I promise I'll come to you if Prince Ardan stepsout of line," she giggled softly before gazing out at the heavy rainfall just outside the pavilion. It didn't look like it was letting up at all. "It's coming down really hard. Maybe I can try to use my powers to make us an umbrella to shield us from the rain while we walk back."
Braig watched her with great interest as she held out her hands in front of her, channeling all her magical energy into her palms. She kept her eyes closed and her breathing steady as her hands began to glow. Particles of light gathered around her fingertips before they began to take shape. Shortly after, an umbrella made of pure, radiant light formed in her grasp, glowing through the misty haze from the rain.
"Hey, it worked!" The princess smiled in delight as she held up the incandescent umbrella she had created out of thin air. Even if it was made of pure light, she was able to hold it in her hand as if it had the same density as a regular umbrella.
Braig gave her a slow, dramatic clap as he watched her wave around the gleaming handle of the golden umbrella. "Your light bending powers never cease to amaze me, princess. With a little practice, maybe you can one day create a boat for us to sail away on so we can both ditch this place."
Reina shook her head, unable to stifle a laugh at his comment. "If only I could! As of right now, I can't materialize anything bigger than this. But at least this umbrella should be able to keep us from getting wet. Although, it does look a little small…"
"Guess we'll just have to stand close to each other then," Braig teased as he stepped underneath the luminous dome beside her.
"I'm taller than you. Should I try holding it to keep us both fully covered?" He offered.
She shook her head. "You know my magical objects of forged light disappear whenever someone else tries to touch them…I have to hold it myself for the magic to keep its physical shape."
"Guess I have no choice then," he said before snaking an arm around her tiny waist to draw her closer to his hip. "Get in closer. We can't have you getting sick on my watch."
Reina gasped as she felt herself being held protectively against his side. Even though they were both already soaked, he was still somewhat warm. It was hard to focus on anything else as her heart threatened to leap its way out of her chest, and she found it impossible to speak as he began to guide them back towards the castle.
"Just know I'll do anything for you, princess… I won't let you suffer," he whispered under his breath, the sound of his voice drowned out by the storm.
She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Did you say something, Braig?"
He shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. Nothing at all."
Just like before, the dream started to fade around her. A dark mist began to swallow Reina up, starting from her ankles until it slowly crept its way up her entire body. Her view of the rain-covered gardens slowly melted away, and she could no longer feel the young man's arm around her waist as they kept pushing forward.
Soon, there was nothing left of her dream except for the feeling of the rain on her skin. It just kept pouring down onto her face, one giant dump of water after another, until she was nearly choking from the amount of water splashing on her.
Her eyes shot open as she brought up her hands to stop the flow of water onto her face, but when she looked up, she saw that she wasn't underneath the dreary, gray clouds hanging over Radiant Garden anymore. Instead, the face of a mildly annoyed Xigbar was directly in her line of vision as he held a canteen of water over her head, pouring its cold contents right onto her face as her head rested in his lap.
Coughing, Reina kept her hands up to keep him from dumping any more water onto her. "X-Xig! Knock it off!"
"Damn, you're finally awake," he grunted, lowering the canteen of water. "You were starting to worry me, kiddo."
There was something oddly familiar about this situation. Flashbacks of yesterday, of when Xigbar was passed out on the ground after he had his powers zapped away by the Drainer, flooded back into Reina's mind. This time, however, the roles were reversed. She had been the unconscious one this time, not him.
Reina blinked a few more times to adjust her eyes to the sunlight as she slowly sat up. A sharp pain shot through her skull, forcing her to cradle her forehead in her hand as she grumbled. "Ugh…I feel so nauseous."
"If you're going to puke, do it away from me." He reached into his pocket to pull out a small bottle with a glowing blue orb inside—an ether. "Here, drink this. It should help with the nausea."
She uttered a quiet thanks as she accepted the magical drink, and a bit of strength immediately returned after just one gulp. She kept drinking until there was nothing left in the bottle, and it vanished in a puff of smoke upon its use.
"Any better?" He raised a brow.
"You managed to cast a Fira spell on those two Large Bodies a few minutes ago," the man with the eye patch went on to explain. "You've never cast something that high of a level before. It drained your mana instantly, and you lost consciousness for a few minutes."
"Only a few minutes?!" Reina choked out. The dream she had felt like it lasted a lot longer than just a few minutes, and the visions she saw remained sharp in her memory.
She had been back in Radiant Garden, not as a child but as a full-grown woman, and she was talking with someone in the palace gardens before it started raining. The man she had spoken with went by the name of Braig, and while she could recall the warm shade of mahogany in his eyes, she couldn't remember anything else about his appearance, only the conversation they shared. It felt far too real to be just a dream. It couldn't have been a memory, though, especially since she had left Radiant Garden at the ripe age of thirteen, but why did it feel so familiar? She had gotten the same sense of déjà vu from her dream the night before.
"Hey, princess? You okay?" Xigbar's worried voice brought her back from her thoughts. "You're really pale. Want me to fetch some more water for you?"
Reina shook her head, grateful that the pounding headache ago was already starting to fade with the help of the ether. "N-No…I think I'm okay…But can I ask you something, though?"
He nodded, signaling for her to shoot her question.
"Ever since I've come to Wonderland, I've been having strange dreams," she confided in him. "Last night, I dreamed I was with my mother back in Radiant Garden. And just now, while I was unconscious, I had another dream about my life in Radiant Garden, but I was with someone else—someone I don't think I've ever actually met before. These haven't been ordinary dreams, either. They're extremely nostalgic and hyper-realistic, almost as if I'm able to relive and fully experience long-forgotten memories of mine in vivid detail, except these memories aren't real. I mean, they can't be real memories because I was still just a kid when I left Radiant Garden, and in these dreams, I've been an adult. I mean, you can't have detailed memories about events that didn't happen. Obviously! That would be preposterous."
Xigbar kept a neutral expression frozen on his features as he waited for her to finish rambling. "So what's your question?"
Oh, right. She had wanted to ask him a question in regards to this. But what was her question for him exactly? It wasn't like Xigbar could dive deep into her subconscious mind and let her know if anything she dreamed had an inkling of truth to it or if she was just losing her mind. "Um, well, I guess I was wondering if maybe Wonderland could affect someone's psyche on a deep, intimate level to the point it could mess with a person's dreams?" She shrugged, deciding that was probably the best way to phrase her question. "I know I'm somewhat lucid dreaming since I'm aware I'm asleep during these dreams, but I have no control over what I do or say in them. And these dreams make me feel like I'm experiencing some major déjà vu, but that's impossible."
Reina noticed Xigbar was staring right at her, listening intently to everything she was saying. His jaw was set tight, his one golden eye fixed on her. The way he was staring at her made her wonder if she was making any sense at all. He probably thought she was just as crazy as all the other inhabitants of Wonderland. The longer he stared, the more she regretted opening up to him about it.
"S-Sorry…Now that I'm speaking it out loud, it really does sound insane. I shouldn't have said anything," the brunette mumbled, breaking their eye contact so she could stare down at her lap.
After a moment of simply gawking at her, Xigbar finally exhaled heavily through his nostrils. "Okay, let me get this straight… You're having weird-ass dreams that feel like realistic memories, but there's no way they are based on your real memories since none of the shit you're dreaming about ever happened to you to the best of your knowledge."
Reina nodded. "Yeah…That's pretty much the gist of it."
"Well," he scratched the top of his head, "I don't think it's Wonderland's fault you're having these crazy dreams unless you ate a few mushrooms while I wasn't looking. Sounds like a bad acid trip more than anything."
"No, I haven't eaten anything. I mean, I did come across a bowl of cookies when I first got here that all said "Eat Me" on them, but I promise that I didn't take a single nibble," she reassured him.
Xigbar let out a short laugh. "Well, kiddo, it sounds to me like you're just under tremendous amounts of stress. That's what's affecting your dreams, not Wonderland itself. I don't know about you, but my dreams are always pretty out there, too. Just the other night, I dreamed I was a fire-breathing dragon. The best part was that I got to wear some pretty flashy disco pants as a dragon, so not only was I deadly, but I was majorly stylish, too."
It was now Reina's turn to laugh as she playfully shoved him. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation here. Ugh, are you aware how much of a weirdo you are?"
"Takes one to know one, babe." He reached forward to tap her lightly on the forehead. "But honestly, I wouldn't focus too much on your dreams right now. Dreams don't generally have any underlying meanings. If you know for a fact that what happened in your dreams never actually happened in real life, then leave it at that and don't try to hunt for any reasoning behind them. Focus on the present. That's what's important."
Xigbar had been kneeling on the ground beside her, and he stood up first so he could offer a hand to help her back to her feet. "Well, I think it's safe to say that's enough training for today. You won't be able to fight Heartless in your current condition. Your magic and strength are all spent."
Still a bit wobbly on her feet like a newborn faun, Reina stumbled a bit before finding a nearby tree to lean against. "Yeah…Yeah, I think that much is a given. I still feel kind of dizzy…Say, what happened right before I passed out? Did I really cast a high-level spell?"
She remembered seeing a blast of powerful Fire magic before the Large Bodies met their demise, but there was no way a spell that powerful came from her. Tiny fireballs were the most she had ever been able to conjure up, but it looked like a tornado of deadly flames had swallowed up the Heartless. Could she have imagined that happening?
Xigbar could see she was struggling to remember the finer details of their most recent battle, and he decided to help fill her in. "What happened was that you managed to cast Fira—maybe even Firaga—and it was pretty badass. It was definitely one of the biggest fire blasts I've ever seen. We're lucky you didn't catch the whole forest on fire."
Her mouth fell open just a bit. "H-Huh?! You mean I didn't imagine that massive, flaming vortex of death?!"
"Nope!" He laughed, eating up her reaction. "That was all you, baby. You did a fantastic job casting a spell out of your skill range like that. Though I got to say, I think I contributed at least a little bit to your magic. I don't think you'd have been able to unleash such an amplified attack if you didn't have a little stimulation to get you all excited and worked up."
Stimulation? What in the world did he mean by—oh.
The memory of him holding her flowed back into her mind, and she could still remember the warmth of his body pressing against her back. Heat spread to her face as she recalled the feeling of his gloved hands on hers as he helped carry the weight of her Keyblade while he steadied her aim for her. The last thing she remembered before fainting was the way her whole body tingled with a rush of excitement from Xigbar's closeness.
The crimson blush on her cheeks made the Freeshooter's grin stretch even wider. "If you can cast a spell like that just by me holding you, I wonder what you could do if I touched you a little more."
The low, seductive tone of his voice made Reina's throat tighten, and she looked away from him. She couldn't think of anything clever to say to deflect his advances and instead settled on a muffled grunt of "Shut up, you pervert."
The sun was dipping down over the trees, painting the sky a blended mix of pinks and oranges. Xigbar, already done with his teasing for now, stretched his arms over his head and yawned. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Hadn't had a bite of anything since yesterday."
Reina slowly lifted herself away from the tree she was leaning against and placed a gentle hand over her stomach. It didn't rumble at all at the mention of food, but she was certain she hadn't snacked on anything that day either. Why wasn't she hungry? That was very unlike her. Generally a food-motivated person, she was the type to always get excited over what to eat for dinner, but food had been so far from her mind since she wandered into Wonderland. It must have been from all the adrenaline, she figured.
"Yeah…I guess I should eat something. But honestly, a shower sounds better than a meal right now," she added.
"I don't think Wonderland has any showers unless you want to risk knocking on the Queen of Heart's front door and ask to use her bathroom," Xigbar joked.
Reina sighed in response, shaking her head. "I'd rather keep my head, thank you very much."
Xigbar thought for a moment before remembering a nearby pond they had passed the day before. Large lilypads big enough for a person to climb on had caught his attention, but seeing how this was Wonderland, he wouldn't be surprised if there were odd fish with sunglasses or frogs with cowboy hats swimming about in any of the ponds here.
"There is a pond not too far from here. You could try taking a dip in there, but don't freak out if any weird fish try to cozy on up to 'ya," the man suggested.
A pond? It wasn't ideal, but Reina wasn't sure she could stand the smell of herself any longer. She reeked of sweat and campfire smoke, and she was almost surprised Xigbar hadn't been repulsed when he got close to her earlier. Something told her he was too much of a dirty pervert to mind things like that, though.
"A quick rinse in a pond will just have to do," she muttered, reaching for her bag where she had been smart enough to pack some soap and shampoo.
"You know," Xigbar purred, "if you don't want to bathe in a pond, I could always give you a tongue bath."
Reina held up her hand in the shape of a phone and pretended to call an imaginary number before placing her hand against her ear. "Hello, police? I would like to report a sexual predator in Wonderland."
Her joke made him bust out into heaps of laughter, and he even had to hold his sides until he calmed down. "Reina, baby, you are just a delight to be around."
"Glad to be of service," she rolled her eyes, too tired to come up with anything else. "In any case, I'm going to the pond. Can you point me in the right direction? I'll try to make it quick, and I'll try not to get lost. Just promise you won't try to follow me and creepily watch me bathe from the shadows."
"You have my word."
Xigbar pointed towards a path they had crossed through earlier and told her exactly how to get to the clearing with the pond. He advised her to be careful; if any Heartless attacked, she might not have enough magic to fend them off. Reina promised that she would run straight back her if she ran into any trouble, which was good enough for Xigbar. While she bathed, he planned to scope the area for some edible treats, like nuts or fruits. There had to be something around here that they could snack on that wouldn't make them hallucinate or grow ten times their height.
Thankfully, Reina had no trouble finding the pond. It wasn't very big, and it didn't look very deep, either, but her eyes were more drawn to the oversized lilypads that floated on the water's surface and a few colorful water lilies surrounding the bank. These flowers didn't have faces and didn't look like they were going to bust out into song, and Reina sincerely hoped it stayed that way. She didn't want any Peeping Toms watching her bathe, even if they were just flowers.
After glancing over her shoulder a few times to make sure Xigbar hadn't secretly followed her, she began to undress so she could step into the cold pool of water. It was freezing cold, and chills swept down her spine as she stepped further into the pond. The soft, squishy floor of the pond made her feel uneasy, so she kept herself afloat, so she didn't have to touch the bottom. She had no plans of lingering in the water longer than necessary; just a quick scrub down would do the trick.
As she submerged herself in the frigid water, her mind drifted back to Xigbar and all his mindless flirting. He was always able to casually touch her, whether it was ruffling her hair or even grabbing her hand, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was this touchy-feely with every other girl he met, or if maybe there was something special about her, something that drew her to him. Reina knew she shouldn't think of such trivial things. What did it matter if Xigbar thought she was special, or if he was legitimately attracted to her or not? She barely knew the guy, and it wasn't like she'd have to deal with him for much longer. She didn't have time to think about boys or crushes. Xigbar was just a random guy and was simply aiding in her quest to get the First Key of Radiance. He was nothing more than a friendly guide, a partner in her mission, and it was pointless to think of him anything beyond that. It didn't matter if there were any intentions behind his flirting or if maybe there was a chance he potentially liked her. Things couldn't escalate between them, no matter what!
She came up for a breath and waded around the quiet pond, hoping that the cold water would help cool her head. She had gotten so flustered over the way Xigbar had held her from behind earlier even though he was only doing it to help steady the aim of her Keyblade. Ugh, how could she let herself get worked up over something so small?
Tomorrow they would return to the Bizarre Room and greet the Drainer once more. She'd cast a Fira spell with a burst powerful enough to knock the creature off its feet so she could snatch up the First Key of Radiance and then be on her merry way to Olympus Coliseum. No more dillying, no more dallying, and no more worrying about Xigbar and his flirtatious behavior. They'd part as casual friends, and he'd become nothing but a pleasant memory of her first adventure to a far-off world.
But why didn't she want any of that to happen? Why did she want to prolong this journey? She didn't want to have to say goodbye to her new friend, as annoying as he may be. It was almost a relief that he had wanted to spend the day training her and teaching her new, invaluable battle techniques because it meant she got to spend a little more time with him. It was so foolish to feel this way, but she couldn't help it. Xigbar was funny and interesting. She only wished she had more time to get to know him better, to learn about his past and all his travels to other worlds. She wanted to know his favorite food and what kind of music he liked. Above all, she wanted to know how he got the scar on his cheek, how he lost his eye, and if he had a girlfriend or not.
Well, maybe not the last one. Again, she had to remind herself that things like that did not matter. Right? Right.
After a few minutes of washing the sweat out of her skin and cleaning the dirt and leaves out of her thick hair, Reina climbed back out of the pond and dried herself off with the purple sash she usually wore on her hip. The sweet smell of soap clinging to her skin already made her feel better, and changing into fresh undergarments also helped her feel refreshed. After brushing her teeth and combing out the tangles of her damp hair, Reina was ready to return to Xigbar to enjoy her final evening with him. If they were lucky, maybe he found something decent for them to eat.
Fully dressed and with her bag slung over her shoulder, the young woman headed back down the path she had come from before something flashed into existence out of the corner of her eye.
Reina whipped her head around to see three unusual creatures swaying back and forth, their long, lanky bodies wiggling like worms. With cross-shaped heads made of pointy spikes and long, pink coats covering their bodies, each creature juggled a pair of dice in their hands as cards flew around their heads. Were they residents of Wonderland? Heartless, perhaps? Never in her life had Reina seen creatures so bizarre and unsettling, and her first instinct was to call forth her Keylade.
"Who are you?! What do you want?!" Reina spat, watching as the pink-robed creatures continued to gracefully sway like limp noodles and quietly observe her. They didn't speak or take a single step forward. She wasn't sure if they were dangerous or if maybe they were just curious. Either way, she didn't want to stick around and find out. Xigbar was right—she was exhausted. She wasn't sure how much strength she had left to fight. Running was her only real option at this point.
"It's quite all right, my dear. My Gamblers won't hurt you," rang out a gentle voice from behind her.
Reina immediately recognized the heavy accent and turned around to see the blonde man from earlier standing behind her. She jumped slightly at the unexpected sight of Luxord and refused to lower her Keyblade.
"Luxord! It's you!" She gaped, stating the obvious as she continued to back away from the unusual creatures. "What's going on? Do you know these punks?!"
Luxord could tell she was on edge, and all he had to do was snap his fingers, and the three beings vanished into nothingness on his command. "My apologies, dearest Reina. I didn't mean to frighten you."
Unsure of what had just happened, Reina kept her Keyblade in her grasp, refusing to let it go until she was sure it was safe. Luxord could hardly blame her for still being on the defensive. After all, she was still unable to ascertain who was her ally out here in these woods and who was her enemy.
"I saw that you were alone out here. At first, I had wondered what would have compelled Xigbar to let you parade off on your own out here, but it became adamantly clear as soon as I saw that you were coming out here to take a swim," Luxord's frosty blue eyes twinkled with mischief as he gave her a knowing smirk.
She pushed some of her damp hair out from her eyes. "Do all members of your little club like stalking girls in the woods?"
"Before you jump down my throat, please know that I did not watch you bathe. I left the area and sent my Gamblers to patrol nearby so that you wouldn't be disturbed by any Heartless," he explained with a chuckle.
Reina was less bothered by the fact that Luxord had admitted to spying on her earlier and was more concerned with finding out what those Gamblers were. "You can control those monsters? What are they, exactly? Heartless?"
Luxord raised a brow, surprised that she hadn't seen a Nobody before. "Those are my loyal servants. They go where I tell them and attack only when they're told. They are called Gamblers—a high ranking Nobody."
"That's a Nobody?!" Reina gasped, recalling Xigbar's explanation of them earlier.
Lonely, empty beings without a heart that lets them feel. They're void of any true emotions and lack empathy.
"I'm surprised Xigbar hasn't shown you his Sniper Nobodies yet. They're quite impressive, I must say. The accuracy of their attacks is greater than the other Nobodies, but I don't find them nearly as graceful or entertaining as my Gamblers. My servants have the ability to trap their opponent into a game, and—Reina? My dear, you look like you've seen a ghost. Are you all right?" Luxord's smirk faded as he watched the girl tremble in front of him.
"Xigbar…He…" Reina's lower lip quivered. "He told me that Nobodies used to be human; that they're people who lost their hearts. He said they aren't supposed to exist…"
Luxford crossed his arms over his chest. "Did he tell you anything else about them?"
"Well, he sure as hell didn't tell me he had the power to command them." Her demeanor suddenly changed as she made her Keyblade turn back into a necklace. She didn't look frightened or nervous anymore, choosing to feel more annoyed and agitated instead. "I feel like that is something he should have mentioned when he was telling me about Nobodies! This whole time he could control another living being but chose to leave that out for some reason!"
"Well, calling them "living beings" is subjective. Xigbar can control lower-ranked Nobodies because he himself is a—" Luxord paused mid-sentence before he realized she probably had no idea what Xigbar truly was. She seemed so upset he didn't tell her he could command other Nobodies, and it looked like he conveniently left out the part where he was a Nobody, too. There had to be a reason Xigbar didn't tell her that he was a creature without a heart, a being not meant to exist. Luxord's grin returned, a bit more wicked than the ones he had worn on his handsome face earlier, as he wondered if he should be the one to relay the news to the ignorant girl or if it would be more dramatic for her to find out from Xigbar himself later. Luxord had always enjoyed a good show—the more drama, the better.
"Luxord? Are you going to finish what you were going to say?" Reina asked.
"Oh, right. Sorry, I had lost my train of thought for a moment," Luxord added with a shaky laugh, realizing he must have looked foolish standing there with a creepy smile on his face without finishing what he was going to say. "I was going to say that Xigbar can control lower-ranked Nobodies because he himself is a capable fighter in Organization XIII. He spent many years training and mastering the ability to summon certain Nobodies at will. Nobodies don't have a heart, and therefore they don't have a will of their own. They can, however, follow orders if instructed to do so by a more powerful being."
Reina seemed satisfied by that answer as she rubbed the back of her neck, eyes cast downward. "I guess Xigbar is stronger than I thought if he has an ability like that… You, too, for that matter. Those Gamblers will do whatever you say?"
"Within reason, of course. It does come in handy when I want to clear out masses of Heartless while I am focused on another task," he replied.
The more Reina thought about it, the more she remembered Xigbar demonstrating that particular skill during their first encounter with the Drainer. She had only seen it happen from afar, but Reina had watched him call forth a few creepy monsters from a dark portal. They had crossbows and shot the Drainer with their arrows, but their attacks were futile. Each one ended up getting crushed by the Drainer's hand.
Those monsters, those Nobodies, had once been people. And those people had sacrificed themselves for Xigbar's sake.
"What happens to a Nobody when it dies? Does it get reincarnated or something?" Reina raised her head to stare at Luxord with a hopeful sparkle in her eyes, but he was quick to shatter that hope.
"I'm afraid that when a Nobody dies, it just ceases to exist. When a person with a strong will loses their heart, a part of them turns into a Heartless while the body is left behind. These Nobodies—these bodies-are just empty vessels, after all. Lower-ranked Nobodies can't think for themselves, let alone feel. If they're too weak to handle themselves in battle, it is better for them to stop existing altogether, wouldn't you agree? A weak Nobody is useless and deserves to disappear."
No. No, she didn't agree with that logic at all. How could he talk so casually about a thing that used to be a living, breathing person?! Sure, maybe the person had lost their heart and no longer possessed the ability to think for themselves, but wasn't it possible for them to eventually regain their heart? What if the Heartless that held that person's captive heart released it when it died? Couldn't that person regain their heart and become whole again?!
Or…Or maybe things didn't work that way. She had no idea. This was all so new to her, and it was both confusing and heartbreaking to think that a person could lose their heart and turn into hollow beasts like Snipers and Gamblers.
"I said something wrong, didn't I?" Luxord sighed. "You look like you're about to break down into tears. I assure you there is no need to grieve the death of a Nobody. After all, they're not supposed to—"
"Exist," she answered for him. "I know…Sorry. I only just learned about Nobodies today, and the concept is still kind of hard for me to grasp."
"Believe me, I know. I've surrounded myself with other Nobodies for years, and there is still much I can learn about them. However, you should ask your dear friend, Xigbar, to give you more insight on them. Nobody knows Nobodies better than him."
All of this was so confusing. Maybe the reason Xigbar didn't tell her he could command them was that he didn't want to frighten her. She should have remembered to ask him about the Snipers he had summoned yesterday, but she never got the chance to. He probably would have just told her if she had asked him directly. It was too soon to start doubting him, especially after all Xigbar had done for her these past two days.
"In any case," Reina squared her shoulders and held her head up high. "I should be getting back to Xigbar. Thanks for, um, explaining some things to me. And thank you for sending your Nobody friends to watch over me while I bathed. I guess if they can't really think for themselves, I shouldn't be alarmed or embarrassed that they saw me naked…"
Luxord took a step in front of her to block her path. "Actually, my dear, I didn't come all the way out here just to tell you about Nobodies. There are more pressing matters at hand, I'm afraid."
Reina was about to ask him what he meant, but he soon extended his hand. A small vial of crimson liquid materialized in his palm, and he held it out to show her.
"What's that?" Reina asked, peering at the tiny vial in curiosity. At first, she thought the liquid inside was blood, but she could soon tell it was a lot pinker in color and was a lot thinner than blood, too.
"It's a magic potion," the blonde man explained. "If you drink this, you will be able to cast high levels of magic with ease. The best part is that you won't run out of energy, either. You could cast Firaza repeatedly without exhausting yourself."
Reina's eyes lit up as she audibly gasped. "What?! Something that powerful exists?!"
"Indeed," he said, curling his fingers around the tiny vial. "This is a very valuable potion. It wasn't easy getting my hands on something so precious. Just think of what someone could do if they could cast spell after spell without their own skill levels holding them back from such powerful eruptions. I'd imagine it could be catastrophic."
Unable to tear her eyes away from the bottle, Reina simply nodded. "Yeah…That could be bad…How did you manage to get your hands on something like this?"
Luxord winked as he smirked like a fox. "They don't call me the Gambler of Fate for nothing. I never turn down a chance to play a game or two, especially when the prizes are this rare and exquisite. The odds were against me from the start, but I did manage to win in the end."
The fact he was showing her this magical vial without immediately giving it to her let Reina know something was wrong. It didn't look like this was something he'd just hand over to someone like her. Either he wanted something in return, or…
"You want to challenge me to a game, I suppose?" Reina asked with mild skepticism. "And if I win, you'll give it to me?"
The girl was more clever than he gave her credit for.
"You catch on quick, darling," Luxord closed his fist around the vial, and when he stretched his fingers out again, the vial was gone. "I could just give it to you, but where's the fun in that? Let's play a game for it. If you win, you can have the potion. If I win, then…Well, let's just say you'd owe me a favor."
Reina shifted her weight on her other leg before eyeing Luxord with increasing suspicion. "I'm not sure what your angle is. Why don't you want me to just have the damn potion? Aren't we on the same side here and want the Drainer destroyed? I thought Organization XIII wanted to kill the Heartless infiltrating the worlds to help protect the peace?"
Luxord had to resist the urge to burst into laughter. "Is that what he told you?"
She didn't like the way he said that, as if there was more to their Organization than what her partner had told her. Xigbar had made it seem like they were secret vigilantes that liked to hop from world to world, hiding in the shadows and keeping the Heartless at bay without disturbing the world order. All in all, Organization XIII seemed like a noble group.
"Look, I don't know what's going on here, but I'll just handle the Drainer on my own without the help of your potion," Reina said, turning her back on the blonde man. There was a reason Xigbar wasn't very fond of him, and she was starting to see why. Why would he want her to owe him a favor if he won? That seemed super weird and almost unsettling, if you asked her.
"Are you sure you don't want the potion?" Luxord asked in a teasing voice. "I saw the way you fought all those Heartless earlier. You're definitely getting better at fighting, but you're nowhere near ready to challenge an opponent like the Drainer. Trust me when I say that you'll need all the help you can get."
So he had been spying on her a lot longer than he initially let on. If that didn't scream red flags, nothing else would.
"I appreciate the offer, Luxord," Reina said, keeping her back to him. "But I'll pass. If you really want to help, why not join me in the fight tomorrow instead of trying to coerce me into playing a game with you?"
Luxord shrugged his shoulders. "If Xigbar couldn't defeat it, I probably wouldn't fare much better. It can only be defeated by elemental magic such as Fire. Our Number VIII in the Organization excels in Fire magic, but I'm afraid he's a little too tied up at the moment to offer any assistance. Xigbar shouldn't count on anyone else coming to his aid, either. It looks like you're the only one who can handle this beast."
For a tight-knit group like Organization XIII, they sure didn't coordinate these kinds of missions very well. If the Drainer could only be hurt by elemental magic, why send Xigbar to take care of it in the first place if his specialty was gunslinging?
"That being said, I really don't think you can blast away the Drainer without a little assistance," Luxord continued, making the small potion appear in his palm once again. "Xigbar is counting on you to help him. If the Drainer isn't destroyed, then the Freeshooters won't regain his stolen powers. And if he doesn't regain his stolen powers, then the Organization won't have much of a use for him anymore."
Reina turned back around, narrowing her eyes at the blonde man. "What do you mean? He'll be fired?"
"Oh, sweetheart," Luxord flashed a toothy grin, "I'm afraid it will be far more serious than that. Our group doesn't tolerate useless wastes of space. Xigbar will more than likely be executed on the spot should he fail in his mission and try to return to the castle."
Executed?! Just what kind of people were in Organization XII?! A group that would kill its own members for failing in missions or losing their powers wasn't a group Reina wanted to have anything to do with. This whole time she thought they were fighting for a noble cause, but it seemed they had their fair share of dark secrets.
"You…You can't be serious! Why would you guys willingly work for a group that executes its own members?!" Reina demanded to know.
Was Xigbar aware that failure wasn't an option on his part? Was that why he was so determined to get her to help him fight the Drainer once he lost his strength? Reina could feel herself getting dizzy, and she placed a hand over her chest as she reminded herself to breathe normally.
Her reaction was exactly as he expected. She was playing right into his hands, and she didn't even know it. "We all have our reasons for being in the Organization, and we all must follow the rules. It would be a shame to see Xigbar assassinated since he was once a valuable asset to our cause, but I suppose it can't be helped. Or…Maybe it can be helped if you can kill the Drainer for him."
He was manipulating her. That much was obvious by the way he stroked his chin like a conniving villain while he watched her with great interest. Was he lying? Would Xigbar really be executed for failing his mission to defeat the Drainer and losing his powers? Was no one else from their group really not going to step in and help?
"If you'd like my opinion," Luxord took a step forward until he was standing toe to toe with her. A gloved hand rested on her shoulder as he held her gaze. "I think you owe it to Xigbar to kill this Heartless for him. After all, it is completely your fault that he lost his powers in the first place. He did it to protect you."
He wasn't wrong. Xigbar only had his strength drained because he took the hit for her after she ignored his warnings and foolishly charged into battle. Even though her gut told her to ignore Luxord's manipulation tactics and turn on her heels and run, she remained in place.
"So if I win a game against you, you'll give me the potion, and it will make me strong enough to defeat the Drainer?" Reina asked, unable to tear her eyes away from the cold, unrelenting stare of the Gambler of the Fate.
"Yes."
"And if I kill the Drainer, Xigbar will get his powers back? He can return home without any consequences?" She swallowed hard.
Luxord only nodded this time.
"Then I guess I have no choice. I can't let Xigbar be punished for something that is my fault," Reina mumbled before reaching up to move Luxord's hand away from her shoulder.
"It's settled then," Luxord smirked. "Let the games begin!"