AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Me in October: *writes +30k words in about 3 days, if full of ideas* Oh boy, I can't wait to actually have something I can work on for NaNoWriMo!
Me in November: *spends literally a whole month trying write one (1) conversation* Stupid, useless, terrible author. No ideas. No ability. This fic will be the death of me.
At long last, this sequence is complete. Enjoy!
CHAPTER TEN | RADIANT GARDEN
Music.
She could hear music.
There shouldn't have been music in the Realm of Darkness.
Aqua span on her heel, keyblade at the ready as she scoured her surroundings for the source. It was tinny and fuzzy but otherwise pleasant and familiar; a light, chirping sort of melody that made her think of red and gold. The cobble path underfoot was uneven, pulled apart at the seams and frozen in time, and she hopped carefully from one foothold to the next in search of the sound.
It was getting louder; more persistent. She caught a glimmer of gold in the corner of her eye and she span towards it, reaching blindly-
Her body hit the floor and she blinked the sleep from her eyes, finding herself shrouded in darkness. Not darkness; a blanket, wrapped tightly around her. She sat up slowly, emerging from the impromptu cocoon and glaring up at her bed.
She could still hear music.
Her phone was chirping and buzzing its way across her dresser. She stared at it for several moments as her brain finally caught up with her body. Her phone was ringing.
Her phone was ringing!
She reached for it in the nick of time, catching it as it finally shuffled off the edge of her dresser and saving it from colliding heavily with the floor. She flipped it over to answer it without even checking the name.
"…'llo?" she murmured through a yawn. The response was a familiar chuckle.
"Gosh, Aqua, I'm sorry. I didn't think it'd be so early for you." She squeaked and stared at the screen, taking in the familiar face.
"M-Mickey!" She ran a hand through her hair tangled hair in a desperate attempt to smooth it as a hot flush rose in her cheeks. "Good morning!"
"We're sorta between worlds at the moment, so it's hard to keep track of time," he said with a bashful shrug. She laughed a little, letting the tension slip away as she leant against the bed. The sun was well above the horizon by now.
"I should have been awake anyway," she answered. "I think I overslept a little."
"Are you still having bad dreams?" Mickey asked. She smiled and shook her head.
"Not so bad or so many," she answered. Then, before he could press the matter, she asked, "Is everything okay?" Mickey's smile fell then and she caught the anxious twitch of his tail in the corner of her screen.
"Y'see, the thing is we've tried lookin' just about everywhere for Sora, but no luck," he answered. Riku appeared then, kneeling behind Mickey to fit in to the frame.
"We were wondering if Kairi had mentioned anything," he said. Aqua bit the inside of her cheek as last night's conversation with Ven played on her mind.
"Nothing yet," she answered. "She seems to be doing better now, so if she didn't say anything soon then we were thinking of asking." Mickey and Riku shared a troubled look.
"I don't think we can wait that long," Riku murmured.
"You think Sora's in trouble?"
"I don't think he'd have let Kairi come back like she did and not try to come after her," he answered. "We should have heard from him by now, unless there's some reason that he can't reach out to us." Aqua nodded slowly. She pursed her lips, chewing on a thought for several seconds before giving in to it. She recounted their conversation with Ven, the concerns he had about Sora's absence and Kairi's silence, and finished with the feeling they shared of something coming.
"We've been feelin' that way too," Mickey said when she was finished, "and a few of the folks we've been speaking too said they'd also been feelin' pretty unsettled."
"We need to ask Kairi about Sora," Riku said, resting his hand on his chin thoughtfully. "I don't want to push her before she's ready, but if she knows something that could help us…" Aqua sighed but found herself nodding.
"Will you come here?"
"We're on our way to Master Yen Sid's tower, and then we were heading to Radiant Garden," Riku answered. "Can you meet us there?"
"Sure."
Her body felt unusually heavy as she rummaged through her wardrobe to throw on some clothes. It was long overdue, of course, but she couldn't help feeling as though they were rushing Kairi. Wouldn't they be better to wait for her to reach out to them on her terms and tell them what she knew? Surely if she hadn't mentioned anything, it couldn't be that bad, right?
But then… Aqua still hadn't forgotten the mottled skin, the scattered scars, and Kairi's heart station – how she had gathered all the cracks in her hands and was holding herself together by less than a thread. Aqua shuddered; she didn't want to think about what kind of darkness could cause that kind of damage.
Once she was decent she stepped out in to the hallway and quickly found herself at an impasse. If she turned left she would descend the stairs to the dining room where she could make a start on breakfast. If she carried on she would come to Kairi's room.
She wondered if she should let Kairi know what was coming. It felt wrong to keep it from her, to try and blindside her with questions, and yet she couldn't help but wonder… If Kairi did know something, but had gone to such extreme lengths to keep it from them, how far would she go to keep that secret? Would she run? They had taught her how, after all. Summoning her glider was almost second nature to her now, and she was more than capable of opening a portal to the Lanes Between. She might have only traversed the path to Twilight Town and back so far, but with a heart so full of light she could easily out last them and hide in the Lanes if she needed to – long enough that she would no doubt find a world, any world, on her own.
Aqua shook her head and pressed her fingernails in to her palms. She was overthinking. Kairi hadn't run from Xehanort or any of his seekers; she would not run from them, and Aqua almost felt ashamed for thinking it. She moved to the window and her eyes caught a flash of light. The Wayfinders caught the sun beautifully in the morning, gleaming amber and emerald and cerulean as they hung from the hilt of Master's Defender. Aqua's stomach tightened as her thoughts led her to Eraqus and the mess that had arisen from her master keeping secrets from them.
She would not make the same mistake.
She turned on her heel and carried on along the corridor, taking the stairs to the next level and wondering just how different their lives could have been if Eraqus had been honest with them. Could he have changed history with a simple conversation? If Xehanort hadn't been able to get his hands on Terra, or if they'd better understood Ven's condition, or if Aqua had known why she was being asked to report back… perhaps everything would have been different with just a dash of honesty.
She knocked firmly on Kairi's door. It swung open a fraction, having barely been latched, and Aqua nudged it a little more.
"Kairi?"
When no response came she pressed it open further, poking her head around the door. There was a chance – however small – that perhaps Kairi had chosen to sleep in. Her eyes travelled over the bed and she was slightly dismayed (though not unsurprised) to find it empty. She hadn't been in Kairi's room much (or at all, now that she thought about it) but it was no surprise to find the room immaculate. Her book was sat neatly on her dresser next to an empty glass, though it wasn't one that Aqua recognised from the kitchen. It was tall and slender, more like a phial than a glass, and there was a small pool of liquid that shimmered like crystals. A sleeping draught. Perhaps Aqua wasn't the only who had suffered bad dreams last night. She wondered if Kairi could feel it too; the sense of something creeping towards them, ready to pounce-
"Aqua?"
Her heart leapt to her throat as she span around, eyes finding the silhouette in the doorway. It was only Kairi, her hair plastered to her forehead and a towel draped around her neck. She glanced from Aqua to her bedside table and back again.
"Kairi, good morning," Aqua said with a smile. "I was just looking for you."
"Sorry, we were outside," she said. Axel appeared in the doorway then, his spikes limp and his left eye red and narrowed by swelling.
"Axel, are you okay?"
"Oh I'm fine," he drawled, his good eye glaring at Kairi. "Someone just got a little excited with her fists this morning." Kairi's cheeks flushed.
"I expected you to duck!" she squeaked. He laughed and reached out to ruffle her hair but she was faster; she ducked to the side and reached up to snare his wrist, twisting his arm until he finally cried:
"Yield! I yield!" Kairi let him go and he laughed as he rubbed at his wrist. "I wish I'd never taught you that." She peered up at him through a sly grin.
"No you don't," she said. He glanced down at her (as best he could through his rapidly swelling eye) and smiled.
"No, I don't," he agreed. He touched his temple and winced dramatically. "I am gonna regret teaching you how to punch though." She rolled her eyes and stepped in to her room, pulling open the bottom draw of her dresser. There came the distinctive clinking of glass before she withdrew a potion and tossed it to him.
"Here. Now go away, you big bum, I need to shower," she ordered. He gave her a mock salute before marching himself down the corridor. Kairi giggled at his antics and Aqua found herself smiling too. She didn't think she'd ever seen Axel so at ease; he certainly hadn't been during his first round of training.
"Was there something you wanted to see me about?" Kairi asked.
There was. The question was on the tip of her tongue but Aqua couldn't bring herself to ask it. She couldn't ignore the smile that pulled at Kairi's lips or the laughter in her eyes. A single question could take it all away.
And who will she blame? her phantom whispered, wrapping her icy fingers around Aqua's heart. Who's fault will it be when her smile falls? You'll lose her.
It was wrong, she knew, but a selfish part of her didn't want to be the one to bring Kairi's hard-earned happiness crashing down around her, not when it seemed that it was finally starting to blossom.
Let the others do that, she decided. I'll be there to help her pick up the pieces.
"I just wanted to let you know that we won't be training today," she said at last. "We're going to meet Mickey and Riku in Radiant Garden. They were asking after you."
"They were?" There was something missing in her voice – something Aqua expected, and its absence was notable, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. She wasn't able to dwell too long as Kairi quickly asked: "When do we leave?"
"As soon as everyone is ready," she answered. "You don't need to rush. You know Ven; he'll probably sleep in again." Kairi nodded and smiled, taking the towel from around her neck.
"In that case I think I'll go freshen up first," she said, "otherwise Axel will use all the hot water." Aqua nodded and smiled.
"I'll see you downstairs." Kairi smiled before ducking back out in to the hall. Aqua listened to her go, ears alert for the distinctive click at the end of the hall. Moments later it was followed by heavy footsteps and a frantic hammering as Axel pounded against the door.
"Hey! I thought you promised I could go first!" There came a muffled response and Axel huffed before traipsing back to his room, muttering under his breath and closing the door heavily behind him.
Aqua lingered for a moment, reaching out to brush her fingers over the empty phial. Her eyes lingered to the bottom drawer of the dresser where Kairi seemed to have amassed a sizeable stash judging by the significant clinking that had emerged. She crouched down beside it, running her fingers over the lip of the drawer. She was tempted to look, to see just how much Kairi had stockpiled, but at the last minute she snatched her hand back. The ingredients were practically worthless on their own, after all, and Kairi had put in so much time over the last few weeks, organising and re-filling their supply cupboard; why shouldn't she keep a few for herself?
She stood, glancing one last time to the empty sleeping draught on the bedside table. The sight of it unsettled her, doubtless because of the countless phials that used to litter Aqua's room following the final clash with Xehanort. It had taken her months to wean herself off them, to face up to the demons in her mind (and the phantom in her heart) until they no longer had any hold over her. Now it seemed Kairi was on that same journey. She lifted the phial and rolled it along her fingers, watching as the last traces of the draught glistened like diamonds. Perhaps whatever she was hiding would come to light today, in her speaking with Mickey and Riku. Letting it out was better than keeping it in; Aqua knew from personal experience. She placed the phial back on the desk with a determined nod. Mickey and Riku would no doubt get to the bottom of it, and if they didn't then Aqua would do her best to try.
As the others came down for breakfast Aqua filled them. She gave the full story to Terra, explaining as best she could why she had decided against broaching the subject with Kairi herself (to her relief Terra agreed with her, though his reasoning was that it would be easier if Riku were the one the bring up the topic of Sora). Ven received a slightly more watered-down version that focused less on Kairi and more on Mickey and Riku's continued search for Sora, which seemed to lift a small part of the weight off his shoulders. Kairi arrived next, which meant that by the time Axel arrived she was only able to tell him what little she had told Kairi and nothing more. Perhaps it was for the best, she decided; at least that way if it all went wrong she could at least feel like she had one friend who hadn't been trying to go behind her back.
"All right! Field trip!" Axel had exclaimed as he flashed a broad grin to Kairi. "There's somewhere in Radiant Garden that I have to show you."
"Is it an ice cream shop?"
"It's an ice cream shop. You're gonna love it."
After everything had been cleared away from breakfast they donned their armour and cloaks and ventured in to the Lanes Between. The distance to Radiant Garden was nearly twice the distance to Twilight Town, but with Kairi's natural immunity and Axel's previous exposure they both faired no worse than any other trip. They arrived at the castle gates where Dilan and Aeleus greeted them with solemn nods (though they were quick to look through Axel rather than acknowledge him, something that Axel seemed more than happy to do in return).
"Shall we inform Master Ansem that you have arrived?" Dilan asked.
"No, thank you," Terra answered. "We won't be visiting him today."
"Very well," he said with a curt nod before resuming his post at the door. Aqua took out her phone to send Riku a short message to let him know where they were. His response came almost instantly.
We'll meet you there. We just need to drop the ship to Cid and we'll be right with you.
"They'll meet us here," she said, slipping the phone back in to her pocket.
"Hey, Kairi, this is where you're from, right?" Ven asked. Kairi had been staring up at the castle, a light frown playing across her features, and at the sound of her name she turned slightly.
"Yes," she said, "but I don't really remember much of it."
"I've already promised her the guided tour," Axel said proudly, and he puffed up his chest with a grin. Ven grinned in return and folded his arms.
"Oh really?" he asked. "Well make sure to show her all the really important places where all the really important stuff happened. Like that time I totally beat you in the square. Got it memorised?" He tapped his temple with a wide grin and Axel glowered.
"You did not beat me," he snapped, though he was quick to try and regain his composure. He cleared his throat and folded his arms. "As I recall, it was a draw. Besides, I was going easy on you because you were a kid."
"I still am a kid," Ven laughed, "but you're an old man now." Axel growled and summoned his keyblade in a wash of flame.
"I'll show you 'old man'!" he hissed. Ven yelped and darted out of the way of a ball of fire that threatened to singe his hip.
"Too slow, gramps!" The next fireball caught him in the chest and sent him staggering backwards. He grinned and regained his footing with a laugh and summoned his keyblade before leaping back, forcing Axel to dart after him. Terra was busy frowning at his phone, which he lifted high in to the air as Ven and Axel came barrelling through without losing his focus. Kairi meanwhile had found her way to the outer wall of the upper courtyard and was staring out over the flower fields. Aqua quietly moved to her side, enjoying the view of the flowers and the small quaint cottage beyond.
"You probably don't remember," Aqua began quietly, "but this is where you and I first met."
"It is?" Aqua nodded and turned her back to the view so that she could point to the stairs.
"I was on my way up when I heard you scream," she began. "The unversed were trying to attack you. When you saw me you ran over and put your hand on my keyblade, like you knew I would look out for you." She supposed that was where Kairi's journey began; Princess of Heart or not, she never would have been forced to face off against Xehanort if it hadn't been for that one chance encounter. Kairi met her gaze then, and there was something unreadable behind her eyes.
"I wish I could remember," she said. "You saved my life and I can't even thank you for it."
"But you did," Aqua countered with a smile. "You gave me the most beautiful flowers." She could remember them now, beautiful blossoms of pink and crimson and gold. She'd meant to put them in a vase in her room, but with everything that had happened after…
"That was when you cast your spell, wasn't it?" Kairi asked. Her fingers toyed absently with her necklace and a sad smile tugged at her lips. "You've always looked out for me."
"And I always will. I promise," she said, placing her hand on Kairi's elbow. Kairi closed her eyes and clutched at her necklace.
"Aqua?" she asked. Her voice was timid and unsure in a way that Aqua had never heard before and her heart skipped a painful beat. "Have you… Have you ever done something that you thought was right, even when it felt wrong?"
The question was so unexpected that it took Aqua several seconds to understand it. In the silence that followed Kairi turned to her and for a moment Aqua felt as though she had peeled back the mask and seen a glimpse of that same terrified little girl she had saved all those years ago.
"Well I… Yes, once." The answer seemed to catch Kairi by surprised and she turned to Aqua with an intense stare. Aqua swallowed thickly. "Master Eraqus asked me to look after Terra, to watch him and… and report back on what he was doing. I thought it was the right thing, because we were so worried about him, but it did feel wrong. I had never done anything like it before, but I had just passed my Mark of Mastery exam and I convinced myself that this was part of what being a Master meant." Kairi nodded, her gaze slowly turning back out across the flower fields as she continued to tug anxiously at her necklace. She chewed her lip for several long minutes as warring emotions flashed across her face until finally she closed her eyes and let out a deep shuddering breath.
"Aqua, I think I-"
"Aqua!"
Riku had arrived with Mickey in tow. Aqua didn't think she'd ever been less happy to see them. She glanced over her shoulder, sending them a pleading glance (which was met with matching looks of confusion), but in the scant seconds it took to turn back Kairi had changed – reverting back to a carefree young woman in the blink of an eye with a bright smile that was so like the other smiles she'd worn recently that Aqua felt her heart plummet.
Had any of her happiness been real?
"Riku!" She greeted her childhood friend with a smile and rushed to meet him. Aqua watched her go in a daze, dimly aware of how Kairi's vibrant smile received a small flicker in response.
"You're lookin' real swell, Kairi!" Mickey exclaimed.
"Thank you, your majesty," she returned. He smiled bashfully in response.
"Gosh, it always sounds so formal when people call me that," he said with a nervous laugh. "Mickey's just fine."
"We were going to meet up with the others," Riku said. "Merlin's been asking about you. He wanted to know how you were getting on." A muscle in Kairi's neck twitched as she smiled.
"I've missed him," she answered. Axel grinned and threw an arm around her shoulders.
"Not as much as he's missed us, I'm sure," he joked.
"Leon, Yuffie and the rest of the gang were askin' after ya, too," Mickey said brightly.
"It's been so long since I've seen them," Kairi said.
"They all remember you just fine, and they've been missin' you a whole bunch. C'mon, it's this way." Mickey led the way then with Kairi at his side. Ven hurried to catch up to them, keeping Mickey engaged in a stream of excitable chatter as Axel fell in to a lazy stroll behind them (his long legs easily taking a single stride for every two or three of theirs).
Aqua meanwhile found her feet rooted to the floor, still stunned by how quickly Kairi could jump from one mood to the next. She slid behind her perfectly-constructed mask with such ease that even Axel seemed convinced. Her throat ran dry as her heart stammered out an uneven beat that made her head spin.
"Aqua?"
Riku's voice jolted her from her thoughts. They were the only ones left now; Terra had paused on the stairs, taking a moment to lock eyes with her before slowly following after the others. Aqua swallowed thickly.
"Riku, I… I think something's wrong with Kairi," she said. His eyes widened.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure," she answered. "Just before you arrived, I think she was about to tell me something. She was asking me about whether I'd ever done something that I thought was right, even when it felt wrong."
"Wrong… wrong how?"
"She didn't say. I told her about me and Terra but I don't think it's what she meant." His face crumpled in to a deep frown as he stared after the others.
"We'll get her to Merlin's and then we'll get to the bottom of this," he answered. His hands clenched in to fists at his sides and he clenched his jaw. "We've waited long enough for Sora to try and fix this on his own." Aqua couldn't agree more.
They caught up to the others at the entrance to fountain square. Terra shot her a curious glance as they approached which she answered with a small shake of her head.
Later, she mouthed. Terra glanced quickly to Riku before nodding and Aqua tried her best to ignore how much it hurt that he didn't trust her word alone.
He doesn't want to trust you, her phantom whispered, and why would he? You've betrayed him… let him down-
Enough, she thought firmly. There were bigger issues at hand than her own self-doubt. To her surprise her phantom faded and its icy grip on her heart receded, enough for her to sense something else – something bigger.
She stopped dead in her tracks as the hairs at the back of her neck stood on end. The others likewise froze, with varying degrees of alarm. Ven and Axel were instantly wired and tense, searching this way and that to try and identify the source. Terra had fallen in beside Aqua, and his presence was a comforting warmth as he drew himself up tall beside her. Micky and Riku had closed in together, within arms' reach of each other as their narrowed eyes scoured the square.
And yet somehow Kairi was the best-prepared of all of them. She had found herself at the front of their group, staring intently at a spot up ahead, and before the corridor of darkness had even begun to form she had already summoned her keyblade and was holding it firm. A figure emerged from the shadows, shrouded in black from head to toe, his face lost in the folds of his hood. He sauntered forwards, hood twitching this way and that as he examined them all. Aqua shivered as she felt his gaze pass over her.
"Well, well, well, this is quite the party." His voice was too familiar; it made Aqua's heart leap in to her throat, though Axel would be the first to identify him.
"Xigbar!" he hissed. Terra shook his head.
"Not anymore, now that Xehanort's gone," he growled. "It's Braig." The figure chuckled, flipping back his hood to reveal a face they knew all too well. He smirked beneath his eyepatch and ran a hand over his sleek hair.
"Actually," he drawled, "the name's-"
"Luxu."
Kairi's voice was cold as ice and Aqua shivered at the anger that rolled off her in waves.
"Luxu?" Axel asked. Kairi didn't answer him and neither did Xigbar. Or Braig. Or… Luxu.
"I gotta say, I didn't expect to see you here, princess," he said. "I'm surprised you're still walking around, or does Sora not mean that much to you anymore? He misses you, y'know."
"Shut up!" A burst of light sprang forth from the tip of her keyblade but Luxu sidestepped it with ease.
"You always did have a fiery temper," he chuckled. "I've almost missed it." Kairi lifted her keyblade for another attack but Axel snared it in his grip, pulling her back behind him. Riku, Mickey and Ven fell in infront of them, keyblades at the ready.
"What do you know about Sora?" Ven demanded. "Do you know where he is?"
"Oh sure I do," Luxu answered. "He's right were little princess here left him." Ven's guard faltered and he glanced back over his shoulder, seeking out Kairi. His eyes met hers and the pain that flashed across his face made Aqua's heart ache. Terra quickly stepped between them and Aqua took Kairi gently by the wrist, pulling the girl behind her.
"Why should we believe you?" Terra demanded. "It wouldn't be the first time you've lied to suit your own needs." Luxu's good eye gleamed gold and he took a moment to glance to each of them in turn.
"So she hasn't told you," he said. A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips as he singled her out again. "I'm impressed. I thought you would have given in by now. Or given up."
"I won't do either!" Kairi spat. Aqua had to wrap her arms around the girl to keep her from flying towards Luxu who seemed to find the whole display amusing.
"Loyal to the end, even if it gets you killed. When will you people learn that this friendship business is dangerous?" Ven growled low in his throat.
"How about you stop talking in riddles and tell us what you know before we drag it out of you!"
"You're welcome to try." He spread his arms wide and for a moment it seemed like Ven was ready to take him up on the challenge until Terra placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"What do you want?" he asked. His voice was level and firm but Aqua could see telltale tremors racing along his shoulders. She let go of Kairi and quickly moved to place her hand on Terra's back; reminding him that she was right behind him.
"I just wanted to check up on poppet here and see how she was getting along," he said with a smile that bordered on sickening. "It's been a while since we sent her on her way, and we hadn't heard all that much from her."
"Wait…" said Riku with more than a blush of confusion to his tone. "You sent her back to us?"
"Of course! How else do you think she got that cloak?" He grinned, baring his teeth in a snarl. "Couldn't have her losing her heart after all the trouble Sora went to to get it back again."
Aqua's breath caught in her throat at the revelation. It couldn't be… Her mind was racing, but when she turned to Kairi to ask whether any of it was true she found herself staring at nothing. Kairi was gone.
"Kairi!" she gasped. The others turned to look then but Aqua's gaze was fixed directly on Luxu. Rainfell appeared in her hands and she dropped low, ready to strike. "What did you do to her?"
"Me? Nothin'!" he laughed. "She turned and ran the minute you let go of her hand. You really should keep a better watch on your students, Master." Aqua turned to run, drawing her keyblade back in order to summon her glider, but she's barely taken three steps before she collided with a barrier that sent her tumbling to the ground. Voices cried her name and hands helped her back to her feet. She brushed them off, turning to glare at Luxu again.
"Let me out," she hissed. He folded his arms.
"I mean, I could," he said, "but I thought you wanted to find out more about Sora. That's why you're all here today, isn't it?" She turned back, aiming her keyblade at the shield, but Luxu called her name. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"And why not?" she spat.
"Simple, really," he answered. "If you go, I go, and given that poppet doesn't seem to be in a talkin' kind of mood then this could be your only chance to get any answers about Sora." She locked eyes with the others, one by one. Terra, Ven, Mickey, Riku… It was obvious, of course; they needed answers about Sora, and if Luxu was here then he wasn't going after Kairi. Only Axel seemed torn, his eyes trained on the horizon where a glimmer of silver rose in to the clouds. Eventually he clenched his fists and whirled around.
"Where is he?" he demanded.
"Sora? He's been keeping me company, waiting for Kairi to try and save him. I tried telling her it wouldn't be possible but she's so stubborn, so I let her figure it out for herself. Only problem is she kinda figured out the wrong thing."
"Which was?" Riku demanded. Luxu sighed.
"See, she got it in to her head that she could do what ol' Xehanort did and just hop back in time to stop it all from ever happening in the first place," he said. "After all, Sora did it, so why not her? All she'd have to do would be to pop out her heart and travel back in time to a point where she could find herself a vessel. Maybe even back in to her own body. Say, didn't she spend a lot of time with you without her heart way back when?" He pointed at Riku who bristled in response.
"But Kairi can't do that," Aqua intervened. "At least, not to herself. Her heart is pure light; you need darkness to separate a heart from a body." Luxu frowned, his good eye narrowing as he tapped his chin dramatically.
"Oh yeah… that's right…" He planted his fists on his hips and flashed his teeth in a dangerous grin. "Maybe we should'a told her that."
"She'd destroy her own heart before she would be able to release it!" Mickey exclaimed, horrified, and Aqua's blood ran cold as the realisation hit home. The shattered heart station, the ease with which Kairi turned her keyblade on herself, the sheer focus and single-minded determination on getting stronger… She locked eyes with Riku and felt her gorge rise as the pieces fell in to place, and only Terra's hand on her elbow kept her from collapsing entirely.
"You're a monster!" Ven cried. He leapt forward with a guttural yell, slicing his keyblade through the space where Luxu had been. He had disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye, leaving Ven staggering forwards and searching blindly.
"She's the one who decided to do it." Aqua jumped, whirling around to see Luxu standing behind them. "I thought you'd be happy that I didn't interfere. Aren't you good guys always telling us to stay out of it?"
"Tell us where Sora is," Riku growled. Luxu chuckled.
"Patience, patience," he said. "That's the problem with keyblade wielders these days: no manners. Back in my day it took a real strength of character to be an apprentice. Now it seems almost anyone can wield a keyblade and call themselves a Master."
"You've got some nerve," Axel growled. Heart's Flame erupted in a wash of fire that rushed from hilt to tip.
"Case in point," Luxu quipped, "though I suppose you're not quite a Master yet, are you? Still got that pesky Power of Waking to figure out." He vanished again, reappearing inches from Axel. His hand shot out to wrap his long fingers around the flaming keyblade. "Are you sure you want it? Look at all the trouble it's caused Sora, after all." He tightened his grip on Heart's Flame and Axel grimaced and dismissed it with a growl.
"What do you know about being a Keyblade Master?" Aqua hissed.
"More than you could ever know." He lifted his hand with a smug grin. It disappeared behind a burst of light that quickly faded to reveal an all-too-familiar keyblade. Aqua's stomach lurched as she took it in, eyeing the barbed silver detailing and the piercing eye embedded in to the hilt.
"Where did you get that?" Riku demanded.
"It was left to me by my master."
"Xehanort was your master?" Mickey asked.
"That old coot? As if!" he snorted. "I was apprentice to the very first, to the Master of Masters himself."
"Is that supposed to mean something to us?" Axel snapped.
"Not yet," Luxu answered. "But it will."
"Enough with the riddles!" Ven shouted. "Tell us where Sora is!"
"Oh he's right back where you last saw him," Luxu answered. "We had quite the adventure together with him and poppet until he went and gave himself up to save her. Again. Funny how history keeps repeating itself like that…"
"What have you done to him?"
"Oh a little of this, a little of that, but for the most part we've left him alone. Right now our job is to keep him safe."
"From what?" Riku asked.
"From you," he answered. "See our master laid out some very important plans, and if you regroup with your little hero then there's a very high chance that you'll ruin them all. So long as we can keep you and him separated, we've got nothing to worry about."
"Then why tell us?" Terra asked. "If you're so worried about keeping us apart, then why tell us he's at the graveyard?" Luxu quirked an eyebrow and grinned.
"Come and visit us any time," he said. "I'd love to introduce you to my friends, and they're just dying to meet all of you."
"And Sora?"
"You're welcome to try and bust him out if you think you're tough enough, but we're not gonna make it easy for you."
"Who are these friends of yours?" Riku demanded.
"Old pals," he answered. "We go way back. Right back to the Master of Masters; they were apprentices under him, too, just like me."
"So they're masters too?" Aqua asked.
"Not quite. See, our master kinda upped and left before he could give any of us the official title. Still, the bar was a lot higher in those days… so I guess by your standards, they would be… I'm not sure. I guess there isn't really a name for them. Talk to poppet; she knows all of my friends very well." He dismissed the keyblade and placed his hands on his hips with a sickening smirk. "Speaking of the little princess… I'd say I've probably bought her enough time."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Axel snapped.
"What? You think she ran off just for the sake of it?" He released a bellowing laugh. Aqua's heart skipped several painful beats. "Much as I'd love to think that the mere sight of me left her quivering in her boots, I think we all know she's made of sterner stuff. If she's half as predictable as I think she is then she'll have run along home to finish what she started." Axel's keyblade appeared in a roar of fire as he sent two searing fireballs towards Luxu with a guttural yell. Luxu arched an eyebrow and watched as they splashed harmlessly against the inside of his shield.
"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Axel spat. Luxu frowned and folded his arms.
"And here I was about to let you go after her," he said. Then, with a shrug: "Well, if that's how you wanna play it…" He snapped his fingers with a satisfied grin. Shadows shimmered and shifted and sprouted from the ground as the heartless surrounded them on all sides. Aqua span on her heel to protect her back and she felt the others close in behind her as a final plume of darkness rose behind Luxu to form a portal.
"I'll make you a deal," he called to them. "If you can fight your way out of this and make your way back to princess in time to save her, then I promise we'll back off. Give her some space to heal."
"And Sora?" Riku asked.
"Don't worry, we'll take good care of Sora." The darkness swallowed him whole as he stepped back through the portal.
The heartless surged forward. Aqua was so distracted by Luxu's parting words that the nearest shadow nearly took a chunk out of her leg before her brain had caught up. She danced out of its reach and was relieved when Terra's blade snared its claws, granting her a split second to pull herself together. The heartless themselves were nothing to be concerned with on their own – low-level and mindless at best – but high numbers trapped in such a small space within Luxu's barrier left Aqua and the others at a distance disadvantage as the heartless continued to press in at them. There was little room for manoeuvring, and whilst the heartless could attack with a swipe or a jab the keyblades needed room to move.
"We need to get on the outside," she called. Riku's voice answered.
"Aqua, if you can get to the barrier do you think you could bring it down?"
"I have to try," she answered.
Turning the tide of the fight was no easy feat, and for several long moments Aqua found herself lost in a sea of heartless. She forced herself to keep calm, tightening her sweaty palms around the hilt of her keyblade and reaching her magic out to the others; taking comfort in their presence. A heartless dove for her head and she ducked, lifting Rainfell to snare it in the belly. It dispersed like smoke but two more leapt in to take its place. She cursed and span on her heel, leaping out of their reach and colliding with Ven. They clutched at each other to keep from falling, and in their moment if distraction several heartless leapt towards them. Mickey's time magic froze them mid-leap and a burst of lightning from Riku left them sparking and twitching as they tumbled to the ground.
"Everyone, to me!" Axel hollered. A hand grabbed Aqua's wrist and tugged her backwards. She felt something warm and soft pressing against her back as the others huddled together. Axel was somewhere behind her; she could feel his fiery magic sizzling in the air. With a bellow he unleashed it and a ring of fire spiralled out around them. It rushed through the heartless, taking out more than half of them, before splashing against the shield which splintered with a loud CRACK.
"Axel!" Ven cried. Aqua twisted to look over her shoulder, finding him on down on one knee and leaning heavily against his keyblade. His shoulders trembled.
"I'm fine," he growled. "Now we can get to the shield." He hauled himself to his feet and darted forwards, taking out three heartless as they began to emerge from the ground. More were arriving, replacing those that had fallen, and Aqua didn't waste the chance to dart through the crowd. The others followed suit and soon they were the ones pressing the attack, leaving Aqua to press her hands against the shield.
"Can you break it?"
Riku's voice made her jump, and she swallowed her heart as she poured her magic in to the shield.
"It's strong," she answered. "It'll take me several minutes to bring it down completely."
"If you can weaken it then the rest of us can try and cause enough damage to do the rest. I'll watch your back." She nodded and turned back to the shield, closing her eyes and focusing on the magic. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before; ancient and immovable. It pushed back against her and threatened to overpower her completely until another force joined the fray. Mickey's magic joined with hers and finally she felt the shield beginning to falter.
"Now!"
The ground trembled underfoot and the shield quivered beneath her fingers as the attacks hit. Aqua felt the magic in the shield shifting to repair the damage.
"Again, hurry!"
Axel roared. Aqua felt a rush of heat wash over her back and she opened her eyes to find him blazing a trail across their enclosure, shrouded in fire from head to toe. The heartless in his path dissipated instantly, and others were knocked back several paces. Axel burst through the shield, shattering the dome like glass, and came to an exhausted halt several paces away – leaning heavily against a nearby building and shivering from head to toe. Aqua leapt back from a nearby heartless, grateful for the room to swing her keyblade freely. She built up speed, twisting this way and that until she had enough momentum to spin, lashing out with shards of ice that pierced the nearest heartless.
"Aqua, lookout!"
Ven's warning came too late as something crashed in to her side, knocking the breath from her lungs as she flew through the air. She collided with something solid – a wall – and skidded along the ground. Voices cried her name as she blinked the stars from her eyes; Mickey was the first to reach her and he threw a potion and then an ether over them both.
"What is that thing?" Riku breathed. Aqua lifted her head, staring at the creature that had emerged in the centre of the square. It was enormous, easily three times as tall as Terra, and hunched over on all fours. Its body was darkness, ending in purple claws, and three gnarled spikes rose out of its back, twisted and tipped with red. Its powerful tail lashed from side to side, barbs swiping through the flowerbeds, and as it whirled around to face them Aqua caught sight of electric blue lines racing along its spine before its beady yellow eyes fixed her in place.
"A Dark Hide," Aqua answered. Riku reached down to pull her to her feet.
"You've fought them before?" he asked.
"Yes, in the Realm of Darkness. They're stronger than they look."
"But you defeated the one you fought, right?" Ven asked.
"Barely," she answered. "We'll have to work together." A burst of fire splashed against the creature's shoulder and it whirled around with a roar. Riku dragged Aqua to the ground, narrowly avoiding the beast's tail.
"C'mon!" Axel roared from across the square, pushing away from the wall and pointing Heart's Flame towards the Dark Hide. "The quicker we beat this thing, the quicker we can save Kairi!"
"We should split up," Aqua suggested. "We'll go after Kairi and you guys handle the Dark Hide."
"I don't think we can," Ven countered. "We'll never get past that thing to get out of here!" The beast had spread its claws wide, taking up the majority of the square; Mickey and Terra were trying to circle him to help Axel, but both found themselves blocked in by chains or low swipes of the Dark Hide's dangerous tail. Axel was the only one clear of the Dark Hide and able to make a break for freedom.
"Axel!" Aqua shouted. "Go after Kairi! We'll follow as soon as we can!" He didn't need to be told twice; as soon as Riku and the others had drawn the Dark Hide's attention Axel disappeared, darting in to the shadows. Aqua caught a glimpse of silver as his glider disappeared behind the clouds.
"Aqua, how do we fight this thing?" Terra called. She grit her teeth and tightened her grip on Rainfell, trying not to remember the last time she'd been up against a Dark Hide. At least this time she wasn't alone.
"It's fast and unpredictable," she shouted back. "Fire magic won't hurt it. You'll need ice and light."
"Got it!" Mickey shouted. He leapt high in to the air, lifting his keyblade towards the sky and summoning several orbs of light which splashed against the creature's hide. It roared with fury and whirled about, keen eyes gleaming as it began to shimmer and glow. A second Dark Hide appeared, and then a third and a fourth, and several more until they took up the entire square.
"What's happening?" Ven shouted.
"It's an illusion, only one of them is real!" she called back.
"Which one?" She didn't get a chance to reply. The Dark Hides swarmed forwards; their bodies illusions but their attacks no less damaging as they swept their claws as their nearest opponent. Aqua brought up her shield in the nick of time, but it was barely strong enough to survive two heavy slashes before the third broke her guard and the fourth sent her spiralling through the air. She landed with a sickening crunch that sent a jolt of pain through her shoulder as she collided heavily with one of the concrete flower beds. Rainfell had slipped from her grip during her tumble and she spied it lying several feet away, though when she raised her arm to summon it back she quickly dropped it with a cry as fire raced down her fingertips. She clutched the arm across her chest with a yelp, pouring all of her energy in to a healing spell that took away the worst of the pain.
The Dark Hide roared as a shard of ice pierced its shoulder, and Aqua's stomach dropped as it sat back on is haunches, tail twitching wildly like a cat ready to pounce. Before she could call out a warning the Dark Hide had charged through the fight, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. She heard Terra cry out, closely followed by a healing spell from Riku. The Dark Hide turned its attention to Aqua then, sitting back on its haunches again as it prepared for another charge. Aqua barely had time to throw up a wall of ice and roll to the side before it attacked. The ice shattered, several shards spearing the creature's back and leaving it howling in pain.
"Aqua, are you all right?" Ven seemed to appear from nowhere and his hand took hers in a too-tight grip as he hauled her to her feet.
"I'm fine, he just caught me off-guard," she answered. She summoned Rainfell, trying to ignore the pain that lanced down her arm as she lifted it. It would take more than a potion to heal, but for now she would make do. She grit her teeth and raised her keyblade, sending a blast of ice hurtling through the air towards the heartless. It exploded on impact, spearing the Dark Hide in several places and causing it to roar. The ground trembled as the creature's body flared with a pulse of darkness that spread across the ground, trapping them in a ring or purple fire.
"Shields!" she cried. The others quickly followed the order, disappearing behind curtains of light as the fire rained down around them. Riku would be the first to emerge, dashing towards the creature with a guttural yell as his brought his keyblade down in a flurry of blows. The Dark Hide bellowed in response, its tail lashing back and forth as it tried to defend itself against Riku's attacks. Mickey was quick to intercept it, and after parrying a particularly strong blow he lifted his keyblade in to the air to cast Stopza, though it did little more than slow the Dark Hide's movements. Terra took full advantage of the spell and landed a series of slow, heavy blows against the heartless' side while Ven quickly darted around the fight.
"Aqua!" he cried. She nodded and sent a blast of ice towards him. It landed by his feet and he leapt on to it, sliding along the icy path as it rose and spiralled up above the heartless. As soon as he was over the creature's back he jumped, sending his keyblade spiralling towards the Dark Hide as he launched himself in to the air. The path shattered, sending shards of ice raining down on the heartless as Ven's keyblade flew back to his hand. He coated it in light and plummeted down to pierce the Dark Hide's back. It roared, releasing a pulse of darkness, and as it curled in on itself Aqua fired several blasts of ice before spiralling towards it, sending shards of ice in every direction as she finally broke though to its other side.
"You guys have got it from here!" she shouted as the creature began to sway from side to side. "I'm going after Kairi."
"Go! We'll follow as soon as we can!" Riku called back. She poured her remaining magic in to one last burst of light which left the Dark Hide reeling as she span on her heel and ran until she found a space large enough to summon her glider. She slipped quickly in to the lanes between, hoping with every fibre of her being that she wasn't too late.
So this chapter was a bit of a nightmare because it was just one long sequence and I had to try and break it up somehow otherwise I'd have been posting a good +10k chapter (and ain't nobody got time to read that in one sitting!)
Things are happening! What does Kairi know? Is Luxu bluffing? (And yes, for the majority of this story, he shall be known as Luxu with the exception of interactions with characters who don't know him by that name).
And more importantly, will Axel and Aqua be able to save Kairi before she finishes what she started?
Please leave a review, because I am desperate to know how this chapter lands with you. See you next time!