AUTHOR'S NOTES:

It's my birthday! I'm spending it in self-isolation, but I have my partner, my cat, and a whole load of cake so it could be worse. If you have the time to drop me a review and let me know what you think of this chapter, that would be the best birthday present ever (I know, I'm shameless).

Before we dive right in to today's chapter, I wanted to say a big ol' THANK YOU to YumeTakato, Keyblade Keira, and Scarlett-95 for your lovely reviews. Also welcome to crestoflight3 who is joining us on this journey and is giving me life with their reviews! Thank you so very, very much.

To everyone who has reviewed: I try and reply to every review that I get whenever I can, so please check your inboxes and drop me a DM to let me know you got my message!

Final shout-out to everyone who has followed and favourited this story (and, also me as an author! That's so kind!). I've been overwhelmed by how much love this story is getting, and I cannot wait to share what's coming up with you.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT | MASTER'S DEFENDER

"You better run!"

Kairi threw herself aside as another barrage of bullets came whizzing past. One clipped her shoulder, leaving a searing crimson trail across her skin. She clutched at the wound, barely managing to keep her feet as she stumbled blindly forwards through the corridor. Luxu's footsteps echoed behind her, accompanied by his sinister chuckle and the high whine of his arrow guns.

"Think fast!"

Three silver bolts sailed past her and collided with the walls of the corridor before turning back towards her. She dodged the first, blocked the second and parried the third, but as she turned to aim at Luxu she found him smirking at her as he reloaded his guns.

"This one's special," he chuckled. A pulse of energy knocked her off her feet and she landed on her injured shoulder as the blast soared overhead. It exploded like a firework, emitting a shower of black arrows which fell in a circle that grew larger and larger. The attack approached too quick for her to evade, and she was left defenceless as the arrows pierced her skin. Eventually the barrage passed and she used the last of her magic to heal as she rolled clumsily to her feet. Luxu was upon her now, and after deflecting three more rounds of bullets she finally saw an opening. She leapt forwards with a yell and landed a series of blows that sent him staggering backwards.

Her victory was short-lived, and when an unfortunate misstep threw her off-balance Luxu backhanded her in to the ground with a derisive sneer.

"Clever little sneak," he hissed, aiming an arrowgun between her temples. She twisted on to her back and planted her feet in his stomach, sending him stumbling backwards. It bought her enough time to scramble to her feet and start running again. "You can't get away!"

Her toe caught in the darkness and she stumbled. From the corner of her eye she saw him strolling leisurely after her; seeming to take extreme pleasure in lining up his next shot. She leapt aside, casting a shield around herself just in time to block the next wave of silver arrows as they came sailing towards her. Despite the miss Luxu seemed almost giddy, and Kairi felt her stomach twist painfully at the realisation that this was all a game to him. He was a cat, and she was nothing more than a mouse well-aware that he was chasing her in to a trap but powerless to stop him.

Eventually the end of the tunnel came in to view and Kairi threw herself in to the light. No matter where it would let out, his attacks would be easier to evade when she wasn't trapped within the narrow confines of a corridor. Her feet kicked up clouds of dust as she stumbled out in to the wasteland of the Keyblade Graveyard and her heart sank. Her only saving grace was that they seemed to be alone, at least for the moment.

"How about we make this interesting?" She heard the portal close behind her, but before she could turn to look she felt several bullets catch her from all sides. Luxu had summoned small portals and had thrust his guns through them, catching her off-guard. She fell hard and rolled away from the attack; dust caught in her lungs, and after coming to a stop she rolled on to her side and coughed in to the dirt until her stomach was heaving.

"Well I'll admit, I'm impressed," Luxu taunted. She heard him come to a stop several paces away. "Your reactions are much better than the last time we fought, and your temper… I didn't think I'd have to fight so hard to make you come along with me. You really made me work for that one." She grit her teeth and pushed herself up on to her elbows.

"You're not taking Sora's heart from me," she grunted, forcing herself up to her knees. Luxu laughed.

"Well I never expected you to just hand it over," he said, "but if you really wanna fight for it, then be my guest. Here, I'll even give you a helping hand." She heard the all-too-welcome sound of something shattering overhead, and her strength and magic returned in a rush as the elixir settled over her. She rolled back to her feet, holding her keyblade ready as she stared at Luxu.

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded. "Why all the games?" He shrugged, slinging one arrowgun lazily behind his head.

"Gotta find some way to pass the time," he answered. "See, the thing is I don't actually need the shard of Sora's heart just yet. It'll just make my life easier if I can get my hands on it sooner rather than later."

"So why not leave it until later?"

"And sit around here doing nothing?" he asked. "That's no f-" She cut him off with a heavy blow that struck him across his chest and sent him staggering backwards. She followed up with a blast of ice that froze him long enough for her to get three – four – five more hits before he broke free of the spell and he retaliated with a barrage of arrows that made her dive behind her shield.

"So you fight dirty now," he said with a sneer. She lowered her keyblade at him. "I guess I can thank Vanitas for that. He was unexpected, but I'm glad I let him go. It's certainly made things more interesting."

"We know that he isn't working with you." He tilted his head with a nonchalant shrug.

"It was worth a shot," he answered. "Although it doesn't seem like everyone agrees with you on that one, does it? Roxas doesn't seem to like your new friend very much." His golden eye gleamed and the knot in Kairi's stomach tightened.

"What did you do?" Kairi demanded.

"Me? Nothing! I haven't laid a finger on him." A sly smirk crept over his lips and Kairi glared.

"But you did something," she challenged. He shrugged.

"I may have had a catch up with Roxas," he said. "He and I used to work together, y'know. We go way back."

"What did you say to him?"

"Oh, nothing much. I mostly let him do all the talking, and he had a lot to say." He paused and watched her closely for a moment before laughing. "You really haven't figured out why he's angry yet, have you? I bet you haven't even asked him. Some friend you are."

"That's not f-" The arrows caught her in the stomach and sent her spiralling in to the dirt. She curled in on herself, wrapping her arms around her waist and trying to catch her breath. She heard Luxu walk closer and felt his boot in her side as he kicked her on to her back. The tip of the arrowgun was ice-cold when he pressed it under her chin.

"You're not the only one who can play dirty," he said softly, "and trust me, princess, I'm much better at it than you are."

"Of course you are," she wheezed. "I bet you've never fought f-fair in your life." He pulled his weapon back with a sinister chuckle.

"Which life?" he asked. "Because I've lived so many, it's hard to keep track of them all." She rolled away, rubbing her chin and catching her breath.

"If you had a keyblade of your own… you'd fight differently," she huffed. A dangerous thought came to mind and she forced herself on to her knees again, lifting her heavy head to glare at him. "Is that why you're all alone? The other Apprentices… won't fight with you because you don't… have a keyblade." To her surprise he planted his fists on his hips and threw his head back with laughter.

"Oh that's right!" he bellowed. "I forgot I told you that." He twirled his arrowguns and fired three quick rounds that caught her in the stomach and sent her flying in to the air where she hung, breathless. He teleported to her side, grabbing her by the front of her dress and holding her aloft, his face inches from hers.

"Here's the thing, princess," he said softly, "I do have my own keyblade." He released her, letting her fall back in to the dirt where she found herself barraged by another round of crimson bolts. She curled in to a tight ball, burying her face in her knees until the assault was over. She tried to heal, but the spell caught in her throat as she felt the cool arrowgun pressing in to the back of her neck.

"Then why… don't you use it?" she wheezed.

"It's been on loan to someone," he answered, "but I suppose you're right. They're not using it anymore, and it's probably about time I took it back." He fired an arrow in to the dirt beside her head; she barely had the strength to roll away from the attack, though she quickly realised her mistake as she found herself rolling on to several balls of energy that had been lying in wait. They detonated, sending her sailing through the air – utterly defenceless against Luxu's next assault. Three red bullets and three silver arrows followed by a seemingly endless barrage of black and purple that sent her back in to the dirt with a bone-shuddering THUD. Everything hurt. Her body felt like lead, her lungs were on fire, and the edges of her vision were fading between to white. She could barely focus on Luxu as he sauntered closer and dropped to a crouch beside her.

"You stay right here, princess," he said with a grin, "and when I get back I'll show you how I fight with a keyblade." He stood turned sharply on his heel, banishing his arrowguns as he opened another portal. Kairi watched him go, hot tears of frustration burning tracks down her cheeks. She tried to heal but she could barely catch her breath, and as the portal closed behind Luxu she gave in, submitting at last to the darkness.

Aqua and Ven had barely gotten halfway to Merlin's before they'd been stuck in an ambush, backed in to a corner trying to flee down an alleyway which had turned in to a dead end. Even's looping distress call had made it impossible for them to call for help, and they'd been left with no choice but to fight it out.

You're not going to make it.

Aqua had done her best to quell the phantom in her heart, but as more and more heartless had swarmed down upon them it had seemed that defeat was inevitable. Even after they had defeated the last heartless, she had remained convinced that it was nothing more than a break between waves and she had convinced Ven that they needed to stay put. In the end it had been a text from Riku that had convinced her that it was over; if his message had come through, then that meant that Even's distress call had ended.

They made the rest of the journey in silence. All around them was evidence of the attack; shattered windows, broken pots, doors hanging ajar. Aqua wondered how many people had been lost.

"Why do think the heartless started attacking like this?" Ven asked as Merlin's house finally came in to view. The umbrella was working overtime, its gears and joints squeaking ominously as they approached.

"I don't know, Ven," she murmured, "but I think we should be asking why they stopped." Ven's face paled and he nodded slightly before following Aqua inside.

Aqua didn't think she'd ever seen Merlin's house quite so crowded. In the dim light it was hard to make everyone out in such close quarters, but she spied a battered Leon and Yuffie sitting at the table with Aerith hovering between them, distributing potions and salves and bandages. She saw Terra silhouetted by the computers, deep in conversation with Sid, Merlin and Mickey, and though she couldn't see them Aqua could definitely hear Donald's squawking and Goofy's low, soothing tone.

"Aqua, Ven, are you okay?" Riku seemed to appear out of nowhere, and his keen eyes glanced quickly between them – no doubt looking for damage.

"A little exhausted, but otherwise we're fine," Aqua answered. "Are we missing anyone?" Riku's expression grew sombre.

"We don't know for sure," he answered. "It's hard to tell who got here and who didn't. Donald and Goofy are using Mickey's phone to try and call everyone to find out where they are."

"I have my phone, so I can help," she said. "Where are-" The door swung open heavily and Roxas and Xion appeared, both leaning heavily against each other as they slid slowly inside. Aqua rushed to them, using the last of her magic to cast a healing spell. It helped a little, but there was no magic that could reverse the effects of sheer exhaustion.

"Are you all right?" Riku asked.

"We're fine," Xion answered.

"Has anyone seen Axel?" Roxas asked.

"No, we haven't," Riku answered. "Was he here too?" Roxas nodded.

"He and Kairi went off towards the gardens to get Kairi's grandmother," Roxas answered. Riku's eyes widened.

"Kairi was here?" Roxas' expression darkened a little.

"Yeah, she was," he answered, though his voice was low and he seemed to bristle with anger. "We found her and Naminé hiding out in-"

"Somebody help!" The door flew open and Isa stumbled inside with Axel slumped heavily over his shoulders. The pair were battered and bruised, and as Riku stepped up to take Axel's weight Isa collapsed heavily against the wall.

"Isa!" Xion gasped.

"What happened?" Roxas demanded.

"There was a heartless," Isa murmured, wiping an exhausted hand over his face. "I saw Axel and Kairi heading out through the gardens so I followed them."

"Where's Kairi?" Riku asked eagerly. Isa's expression tightened.

"Luxu was there," he answered. "The heartless sent Kairi through a portal and Luxu disappeared with her before I could reach them. I don't know where they went. Axel and I tried to fight the heartless but it was too strong; we only survived because it disappeared." Riku's face paled several shades and Aqua quickly took Axel's weight from him.

"Now, now, this will not do," Merlin muttered as he squeezed between Riku and Ven. He glanced first at Isa and then to Axel, and he frowned heavily. "I'm afraid I'm all out of restoratives and I don't have the ingredients I need to make any more."

"We have supplies back at the Land of Departure," Aqua offered. "I could fly back and get some-"

"No need, my dear, I can take us straight there," Merlin said. "Ventus, my boy, could you-"

"I'm coming with you," Ven said firmly. Merlin pursed his lips with a thoughtful hum.

"Yes, I suppose you are, aren't you? In that case, Riku, let's get everyone to Disney Castle. We'll join you there as soon as Axel is feeling better."

"We'll come with you," Roxas said firmly. "We have the ship, so we can fly ourselves there-" Xion took his elbow and shook her head.

"Roxas, we should go back to Twilight Town and get Naminé," she said. Roxas' expression fell, and he glanced desperately from Xion to Axel. She held him tighter. "Axel will be fine. Aqua and Merlin will take good care of him. We'd just be in the way."

"It's true, lad," Merlin said solemnly. "The best thing you can do right now is help Riku gather everyone to Disney Castle. Ahem – Isa, would you like to accompany us?" Isa blanched at the unexpected invitation, and he shifted his weight an uncomfortable grimace.

"I… I'll be all right," he said. "Take care of Lea for me." Aqua wanted to object, but there was a fierce sort of pride shining in his eyes and she forced herself instead to nod.

"We'll see you at Disney Castle," she said. He sent her a grateful nod in return, but if he said anything in response it was lost behind a wall of clouds that swirled around them like a whirlwind before dissipating in to smoke, vanishing as quickly as they'd arrived. As the air cleared Aqua found herself standing in the main hall of the Land of Departure.

Axel looked worse in the light. His left eye was purple and swollen shut, and a trail of ruddy crimson ran from his hairline down to his jaw. His arms were mottled red and purple with an assortment of bruises, scratches and dirt, and his clothes were ripped in several places. Aqua swallowed dirt as Merlin turned to face them and rolled up his sleeves.

"Let's get to work," said Merlin. He withdrew his wand and flourished it this way and that, emitting a series of sparkles which lifted Axel from the floor. "Ven, my boy, why don't you show me which way to go? Aqua, here is a list of the supplies I will need." The list appeared before her in a puff of smoke; a roll of thick parchment with the items listed in fine calligraphy. She plucked it from the air and nodded.

"I'll come help you carry it all once Axel's settled," Ven offered. Aqua nodded gratefully and watched them go before making her way to the supply cupboard. She felt sluggish and slow, like she was walking through treacle, and it felt like an age before she finally reached her destination.

Kairi was in trouble again. The fact that it didn't come as a surprise was almost more frustrating than the news itself. Of course Kairi was in trouble – it hardly seemed like she was ever really out of it – but Aqua had hoped that the girl would at least have been able to fend for herself by now. Then again, if the heartless had been strong enough to overwhelm Axel and Isa, perhaps there was more to the story…

Admit it, her phantom whispered. You failed her. Again. This is becoming a pattern for you.

She wanted to argue, but how could she? It was her fault Kairi had a keyblade… her fault Kairi hadn't been strong enough to defend herself against Xemnas… her fault Kairi wasn't strong enough to save herself even now…

"Aqua?"

She jumped at the sound of her name. How long had Ven been standing in the doorway? He quickly closed the distance between them and threw his arms around her in a tight hug.

"Ven-"

"Don't listen to it, Aqua," he murmured. "The darkness is lying to you." She gasped, eyes going wide in shock. Slowly she draped her arms around Ven's shoulders and she held him close.

"How did you know?" she whispered. She felt him smile against her shoulder.

"You had that look on your face," he said.

"What look?"

"The one you always get when the darkness is talking to you," he said. He pulled away then and smiled. "You should take a break. You did most of the fighting in Radiant Garden so you're probably exhausted. I'll get the supplies for Merlin." She pressed her lips together and shook her head, reaching to pick up the list from the workbench.

"No, Ven, it's all right-"

"Really, Aqua, I got this." He shot her a cocksure grin and Aqua felt her heart swell, only to be quickly dampened by her phantom's icy chill.

He doesn't even trust you to get supplies, it taunted. Aqua forced a smile for Ven's sake and she nodded. He set about gathering the items on Merlin's list and Aqua slowly drifted from the room, her feet following a familiar path until she found herself outside. She made her way to the edge of the world where Eraqus' memorial stood. The wayfinders gleamed in the sunlight and Aqua fell heavily to her knees infront of the keyblade.

"Master…" she whispered. "Please… Tell me what to do. You always seemed so sure of what we should do, but now I wonder… Did you ever feel this lost?" The keyblade gave no response and she sighed, sitting back on her heels and bowing her head. She knit her fingers together in her lap and squeezed her eyes shut against the wave of tears that threatened to fall. It took tremendous effort to shake the image of Axel's battered body from her mind, but when she did it was replaced by images of Kairi. Where was she? Where had Luxu taken her? Unease turned to fear as a terrible thought crossed her mind: What if they never saw her again? Or, if they did, what if she was like Sora?

"So that's where it ended up. I'd been wondering what happened to it."

Aqua's head shot up, her eyes wide with fear at the familiar voice. Luxu chuckled and she shot to her feet, summoning her keyblade as she turned to face him.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. He held his hands up with a mischievous grin.

"Whoa there, master, I just came to pick something up," she said.

"Where's Kairi?"

"She's at the Graveyard," he answered. "Don't bother trying to rescue her – you Guardians aren't getting through my walls this time. I'll be keeping her safe until she gives up the shard of Sora's heart, or until I can take it. Either way."

"Why do you need Sora's heart?" Aqua demanded. "What do you plan to do with it?"

"That's for my Master to know and for you to find out," he said. The corner of his lip curled in to a smirk. "Don't mind me; I'm only here to take back what's mine." He held out his hand then and Aqua felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Something clattered to the ground behind her and she turned to look before she could stop herself. The wayfinders lay in the grass, their resting place gone, and when Aqua turned back she was horrified to see Luxu's hand wrapped firmly around the hilt of the keyblade. Aqua charged, swinging Rainfell in a high arc. Luxu brought Master's Defender overhead and blocked it with ease, staring at her from behind their crossed blades.

"Put that back!" she ordered. Luxu chuckled.

"Did you ever wonder about the name of this keyblade?" he asked coyly. "When my master pulled this keyblade from my heart, I swore I would use it to defend him until my last breath. The time came when I knew I would have to part ways with my Master's blade, and so I passed mine down with it. The pair were fated to follow each other until the day came when I could finally take it back to where it belongs – with me." He pushed against her, releasing a blast of magic that sent her skidding through the dirt. She rolled on to her knees and caught her breath, summoning Rainfell back in to her hand, but as Luxu began to charge he was intercepted by a screaming blur. Ven caught him off-guard, looping Wayward Wind around Luxu's wrist and sending Master's Defender flying.

"Leave her alone!" Ven bellowed. He skidded to a halt several paces away.

"Ven! The keyblade!" Aqua cried. It had landed between them all, but with Aqua still winded she would be unable to retrieve it. Ven dove for it, casting his own aside to reach for Master's Defender, but as soon as his fingers wrapped around the hilt it disappeared, reappearing in Luxu's hand.

"You can't take my keyblade from me," he said, a smug smile on his face. Ven growled and dropped low, ready to charge, but Luxu was faster. In his other hand he summoned No Name and he surged forwards with impossible speed to deal a devastating blow. The ground shook and Ven flew through the air to collide heavily with the castle wall where he slumped, unconscious.

"Ven!" Aqua cried. She tried to scramble towards him but Luxu leapt at her, crossing his blades over her waist and pinning her to the floor. He crouched next to her and grinned.

"You can thank your pal Roxas for teaching me that it's possible to wield two keyblades at once," he said. She tried to aim Rainfell towards him but he batted it away with ease. "Don't bother, I'm leaving. I got what I came for, and I promised princess that I'd show her what a real wielder was capable of. That is, if she's still standing."

"Let her go!" Aqua demanded. Luxu raised an eyebrow and chuckled as he rose to his feet.

"You're in no position to be making demands, master," he sneered. A portal opened behind him and he walked backwards through it, summoning his keyblades back as he disappeared and leaving Aqua unable to follow him before the portal closed. She stared at the space where it had been with a horrible sinking feeling that made her stomach twist and she swallowed bile. Slowly she crawled back to the wayfinders, plucking them from the dirt and clutching them close to her chest as the floodgates finally broke. She curled in on herself, hiding her face in her knees as she began to sob in earnest. The last remnant of her Master now in the hands of the enemy, her student doomed to suffer at his hands, and her powerless to stop any of it.

She felt the sickening pull of darkness and she lifted her head, twisting to stare over her shoulder. Another portal was forming, and she forced herself to her feet. She held the wayfinders tightly in one hand whilst the other summoned Rainfell, pointing it towards the portal with a spell ready on her lips.

But it was not Luxu that emerged. Instead it was Vanitas who came striding out of the portal with a familiar figure in his arms.

"Kairi!"

The wayfinders fell to the ground with Rainfell as Aqua stumbled forwards. Kairi was bruised and bloody with cuts and grazes covering her skin, and her breathing was dangerously shallow. Aqua ran a hand over the girl's face, and she choked back a sob as she lifted her eyes to Vanitas.

"Thank you," she whispered. Vanitas grimaced and averted his gaze.

"Here," he grunted, thrusting Kairi in to Aqua's arms. As soon as he was sure she had Kairi he turned on his heel and headed back towards the portal.

"Vanitas, wait!" Aqua cried. "You don't have to go." He paused mid-step, and for a moment she though perhaps he might just listen. "You're welcome to stay."

"And be your prisoner?" he growled. "No thanks."

"You wouldn't be our prisoner," she countered. He huffed and glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Yeah, right," he murmured. She bit back another plea; there was no persuading him, it seemed, and it would certainly work against her if she tried to force him to stay against his will. So instead she drew herself up tall.

"It's your decision," she said, "but I want you to know that you are welcome in the Land of Departure. You are a keyblade wielder too, and you can come here whenever you wish. You have as much right to be here as the rest of us, and I would like it if you would join us."

It seemed to work, at least a little. He turned towards her, and for a fleeting moment she thought he just might decide to stay. She saw the indecision flash across his face before he smothered it with his usual mask of indifference.

"Don't tell her I was here," he said, nodding towards Kairi.

"Why not?" Aqua asked. "I'm sure she'll want to thank you-"

"Just… don't." He shifted uncomfortably and lowered his gaze to the floor. Was he nervous? Embarrassed, perhaps? Whatever he was feeling it was certainly making him uncomfortable. Aqua nodded and forced a smile.

"Okay," she said. "I won't tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me." He glanced at her then and she didn't miss the doubt and uncertainty in his eyes. Her smile fell and she stifled a sigh. "I'm sorry things haven't been easy for you, Vanitas, but you can trust us. I promise. We just want to help you if you'll let us." His uncertainty was smothered by a darkness that clouded his expression.

"I don't need your help," he grumbled, though it seemed to lack his usual venom. "Just… take care of her." And before Aqua could say anything else he had slipped back through the portal.

Have I mentioned that I took me three days to beat Xigbar? I remember his moveset all too well, and those dialogue lines… Oh, boy; writing this scene brought back some memories.

Poor Kairi… Yes, she's strong – much stronger than she was at the end of Kingdom Hearts III – but she was never going to stand a chance going toe-to-toe with Xigbar.

I would absolutely love to hear what you thought of this chapter! Please hit that review button and let me know your thoughts (it would be the best birthday present ever. Did I mention it was my birthday?).

See you next time!