'Legends sometimes have a grain of truth to them.'
Chapter Four: The Fox
"There were stories I heard, once. Of strange mages with animal masks that were said to protect the Realm of Light."
It was a familiar tale, but not a familiar place. The last time Skuld had heard it, she'd been in a cell, listening to Xehanort speak quietly outside her door. This time, she sat on the edge of that flower-covered hill, a hazy, indistinct figure beside her.
One of her friends said something—a blurred, muddy sound that she couldn't understand but her companion seemed to be able to.
"They say they were human, once—taken as children and trained to guard the light. Some of the legends say that they were stolen by something different—some creature of the light that couldn't possibly understand what the rest of us were like, and twisted and warped them until they were like it. Others suggest that their teacher was an eccentric old wizard with an eye that could see the future, and that he was training them to prepare for some great catastrophe. And others still say that they were little more than fairytales, concocted as the dying dreams of children at the end of the world."
"End of the world?" Skuld whispered. "That one can't be right. The world's still here."
(But there was a flash of red on the horizon, a rumbling underneath her feet, a thundering in the back of her mind that made her question what her eyes knew.)
Fire crackled at the back of Skuld's neck. She didn't turn; if she did, her friends would disappear again, and the ground would fall out from under her, and she was still trying to cling to the threads of her memories as best she could.
"I suppose it doesn't matter," her companion continued, quiet. "They're all just stories. Maybe none of them are accurate."
Something moved beside her—something warm, sparking with energy that reminded her of her Keyblade. Skuld snapped towards the creature on reflex.
The fox stared back.
"But there's usually some truth in every story—if you're willing to find it."
-"Trim those sails!" Amelia shouted. "Everyone, get ready for landing!"
Skuld stared at the chaos around her and wondered what she was supposed to do and where she was supposed to go. There's so much going on. How am I supposed to help?
"You look a little overwhelmed."
The voice in her ear made her hair stand on end, and she whipped towards Jim, resisting the urge to summon Starlight.
Jim lifted his hands in a placating manner. "It's alright. I get it."
Skuld let out a slow breath. "What should I be doing?"
"Right now? Just stick with me. I need to talk to you about off-world travel." He glanced about. "You, and—"
"Me, right?" Zidane asked, hanging from the banister by his tail.
Jim started, then ran a hand over his face. "Do you have to do that?"
"Not if you'd stop being so uptight."
"I'm not—whatever. The captain wants all of the new crew members to be debriefed. You think you can handle that?"
Zidane saluted.
Skuld tilted her head.
"Right," Jim said, sounding tired. "So. Both of you know about other worlds. Have either of you ever been to other worlds?"
"Nope," Zidane said cheerfully.
"I—" Skuld paused. "I—yes. Technically."
"Technically?" Jim asked.
"I came from a world called Radiant Garden. But—I don't really know how I ended up on Zidane's world. Someone used magic to get me there." She clutched the edges of her coat, trying hard not to think of the reason she had to be rescued in the first place.
"That's—okay. So neither of you know off-world protocols, then?"
They both shook their heads.
"We're approaching the spaceport!" Amelia shouted. "Bring us down carefully!"
"Should we be helping?" Skuld asked.
Jim looked hesitant for a moment. "No," he decided finally. "You still need more training, and this is important. But you'll have to kind of get a crash-course."
The world appeared through the clouds, a wide expanse of buildings and desert. Skuld resisted the urge to crane her neck and look over the side; she just caught a glimpse of tall clay structures, spiraling rock faces in the distance, small specks that were probably people traveling the streets below.
"There are generally two types of worlds," Jim continued. "Ones that know about other worlds, and ones that don't."
"Wow," Zidane said, "that's a real revelation."
"Just listen. The ones that know of other places don't have any special rules. You can talk about pretty much anything you like, since everyone there should already know other worlds exist. Just be smart and be careful." Jim glanced over the side of the ship. "The port we're stopping at now is like that, so it'll be a little easier for your first time off-world."
"Great!" Zidane said. "So we don't need this conversation now, right?"
"That's not—"
"Zidane!" Baku shouted. "Get over here and help with the sheets!"
"Got to go." Zidane zipped away.
"Wait—" Jim let out a frustrated breath, slumping.
"What about the others?" Skuld asked, curious despite herself.
Jim gave her a half-grateful look. "The ones that don't know about other worlds are trickier," he said. "You have to be careful about what you say and wear, because you can't let them know that other worlds exist. You'd probably need new clothes, for example."
"Why can't they know?"
"Panic, mostly. If a whole bunch of people just suddenly find out there are tons of other worlds, it'll cause a bit of an uproar. Worlds that don't know will sometimes become ones that do, but it's a slow process."
"Why do you visit, then?"
"You can still learn a lot from them, even if you can't talk about where you're from. There's also some stuff you can only get from certain places. We usually have to hide our ship and be careful what we trade, but it's worth it."
Skuld nodded, digesting the information.
The ship jolted.
Skuld rocked, trying to catch herself, and hit the railing. She gripped the edge and glanced over; their ship was descending into what looked like a circular landing port, beige walls rising around them. Shapes darted below the ship, someone shouting, "Steady, steady!" as they waved them lower.
"You're going to stay close to me for now," Jim continued; he didn't look like he'd been bothered at all by the ship's lurching. "That way I can make sure that nothing bad happens."
"Will I have the chance to talk to people?"
"You should. I mean, that's kind of the whole reason we're here."
Skuld's fingers curled tightly around the railing. "And explore?"
"That's—you might want to be careful. This isn't the friendliest port, from what I've heard."
Skuld tilted her head towards him.
Jim shrugged and rubbed his neck. "It's called Mos Espa. We have some parts to deliver, but mostly we're here to stock up on supplies. I haven't been here before, but some of the older crew members said it's a little shady."
"Sounds like my kind of place," Zidane chimed in.
Jim jumped away at his sudden reappearance. "Will you stop that?"
Zidane shrugged and perched on the railing. "It'd be cool to see the sights. Besides, I'm used to running around back streets."
"Did you listen at all?"
"Yeah, yeah, stick by you. I heard the tail-end of that conversation." Zidane glanced at Skuld. "So you're looking for more information about that Keyblade, right?"
"I—yeah."
Jim sighed, resting his arms on the railing. "You might find something, at least," he said. "People from all over come to this spaceport."
Skuld half-wondered if she should ask about her friends, specifically. But I don't know their names. Or even have a solid idea of what they look like. She bit back a sigh. Besides, I don't know if they could travel off-world or not.
The ship lurched again.
Skuld, still gripping the railing, managed not to wobble too much.
Zidane didn't fair quite as well; the jolt sent him over the edge. He saved himself by wrapping his tail around the railing, leaving him to smack heavily against the side.
"Graceful," Jim commented.
"I try," Zidane answered, holding his nose.
The ship settled, the thrusters turning off. Several crew members dragged the sails lower and lashed them to the masts. Others raced around the deck, lifting crates, shouting about supplies, or directing other to different parts of the ship. Amelia stepped down the gangplank, moving purposefully to a large, green-skinned person that was coming to greet her.
"Come on," Jim said, gesturing for Skuld and Zidane to follow, "let's start unloading supplies."
They made their way to the cargo room, weaving through the stacks of crates. Jim led them to a section of the hold, directing them to pick up some of the crates and take them off the ship.
Zidane hefted one with a grunt. "What's in these things?"
"Parts, mostly," Jim replied. He lifted his own crate. "Some we can sell. Others we're trading."
Skuld eyed the crates critically. "How many do we need to take?"
"Most of what's in the back," Jim replied. "We got a decent amount of orders for them, I guess. They were interested in some of the solar technology or something."
Skuld gave the crates a thoughtful look. It was…a lot to carry, if they were doing it one at a time. I accidentally made Jim float the other night, she thought. I wonder if…?
Starlight flashed into the palm of her hand.
"Skuld…?" Jim asked.
Skuld ignored him, concentrating on the core of energy, deep in her chest. It fizzled and popped, warm like an ember; she tried to focus on what she'd felt the last time she'd used this spell, on the fear of falling, on the adrenaline, on the burst of power that had rippled through her chest in panic.
Starlight glowed briefly. A purple hue coated some of the crates and, very slowly, they lifted off the ground.
Skuld beamed triumphantly.
"Woah," Zidane breathed.
Skuld glanced back at them, suddenly both embarrassed and pleased. She tried not to let either show too much.
But when she turned back to the crates, it occurred to her that she didn't entirely know how to make them move. Even if they were lighter, they were still bulky enough that she'd have trouble carrying too many. She gave her Keyblade a curious look, then waved it towards the door.
The crates didn't budge.
Skuld frowned, then hesitantly tried nudging them with the weapon.
The crates spun a little, but they at least moved in the right direction.
With another grin, Skuld began herding them towards the entrance.
"I guess that works," Jim said with a shrug.
"Convenient," Zidane added. "You want to do something like that to mine?"
Skuld hesitated, not wanting to admit that wasn't entirely certain if she could.
"You can carry your own!" Jim shouted, half-way out of the hold.
"Can, yes. But do I need to?" Zidane shimmied up the steps without complaint.
Skuld steered her cargo towards the entrance carefully, poking and prodding them when they got off-balance. Some rattle when they spun, and she winced. I hope there's nothing breakable in those. When she reached the entrance, she tried pushing the crates upwards with her Keyblade.
She discovered a new problem when she'd gotten a few successfully onto the deck. The purple glow around one of the crates flickered and, very abruptly, it fell.
Skuld yelped with alarm, dropping Starlight to try and catch the crate. It was heavier than she expected; she stumbled under the weight, wincing as it rubbed her arms raw. The other crates crashed to the ground behind her.
Shouts of surprise came from the deck. Jim called, "Everything alright?"
"Fine!" Skuld took a few moments to catch her breath. I don't think I did anything to stop the spell. Does that mean it has a time limit? She chewed her lip worriedly, then glanced around for Starlight.
It had already disappeared.
Skuld sighed, then resigned herself to carrying her crate onto the deck herself.
She was met by a couple curious stares and the more worried looks from Jim and Zidane. Her cheeks heated, and she tried to hide behind the box.
"Maybe," Jim said, "we should just stick to carrying them normally."
Skuld nodded. She hefted the crate a little higher and tried to ignore how it made her arms and back ache.
(The old her probably wouldn't struggle this much. She might've been able to use magic the whole time.)
Amelia glanced at them as they moved down the gangplank. "I want those offloaded here!" she shouted, pointing towards a room inside the clay ring.
Skuld hefted her cargo and tried to steady herself.
Amelia turned back to speaking towards the large green figure; he seemed to be looking over some papers, scratching his head and squinting behind his glasses. "You'll be docking for just a couple days, right?" He ran a finger down the paper, making a quiet clicking sound. "Your paperwork seems to be in order. Some of the droids will take a look at the cargo—go over inventory and all that."
A small robot—droid?—zipped by Skuld's feet, nearly making her trip. She fumbled to keep hold of the crate, wincing as something clattered inside.
The dockhand passed one of the papers to the droid; the rest he handed back to Amelia. "We'll discuss payment after everything's accounted for."
He seemed to notice Skuld staring after a moment; he glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.
Skuld winced and hurried away.
Once inside the overhang, she set the crate down with a heavy clatter and rubbed her arms, trying not to worry too much about what she'd just dropped.
A droid rolled up to her.
Skuld jumped away from it, startled.
It made a beeping sound, turning towards the crate.
Skuld crouched, curious. The small robot didn't seem to pay much mind to her at first; she cautiously extended a finger to poke it.
The droid rolled away, making a serious of beeps that sounded like protests.
"I'm…I'm sorry?"
The droid rolled back, messing with the crate again.
Skuld tilted her head as she watched it.
"Skuld!" Jim shouted.
Skuld jumped to her feet, hurrying back to the ship.
Off-loading didn't take as long as she'd thought it would—not with so many hands at work. Still, Skuld's arms and back were sore by the time everything was done, and she resisted the urge to slide down against the wall.
Zidane flopped dramatically over one of the crates. "Man," he said, "didn't think I'd spend all day at our first port on manual labor."
Jim rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said, dragging Zidane to his feet. "We need to stock up on supplies. After that, we're free."
"Great!" Zidane perked up, darting off.
"Wait!" Jim shouted, racing after him.
Skuld hurried behind.
Stepping out of the landing area felt like stepping into an entirely different world. The streets were bustling with people of all shapes and sizes, passing between clay and stone buildings, shouting to each other, vendors hawking their wares and creating a halo of noise. The sun shone bright enough to blind her, heat baking the rough stone. Everything was a blur of sensations, colors and sounds and smells all blending together.
Before she'd really realized it, Skuld found her back pressed up against a wall.
"…uld? Skuld!"
Skuld whipped towards the voice, Starlight flashing into her hands.
Jim lifted his hands defensively. "It's okay," he said, but his eyes were wide. "Just me."
(Just me, she thought, and the words had the echo of Xehanort behind them, because he'd seemed like safety before, too, and hadn't that turned out well?)
She lowered her Keyblade and lifted her chin. I'm not Subject X anymore. "I'm fine," she said, and then shoved her way into the crowd.
(Starlight stayed in her hand, and she tried to ignore how hard her hands were shaking as she walked.)
Jim and Zidane caught up to her. Neither commented on her actions, and she couldn't help but be grateful for it.
"So, Boss," Zidane said, flashing Jim a cocky grin, "what's first?"
-"This is the most boring trip ever."
Jim gave Zidane a tired look. "If we're going to buy anything, we're going to need to exchange our money for the right currency."
"But why's the line so long?"
Skuld had to agree; she shifted on her feet, glancing around several people to look for the tellers at the front.
"Because this is a popular spaceport. Lots of people stop here to exchange currencies." Jim pulled out a piece of paper and glanced it over. "We're supposed to exchange some of this for other worlds' money, too, while we're here."
"Why?" Skuld asked, despite herself.
"Remember that whole 'can't tell people about other worlds' thing? It makes it hard to get the right currency, sometimes. There are places that can make exchanges for people who want to travel to other places."
Zidane commented, "Seems like it'd just be easier to come up with a universal currency."
"Apparently some crews have mages that can automatically change things to match their landing place—appearance, money, anything."
"But we don't have that."
"Nope."
Zidane glanced at Skuld. "Hey, you have the magic sword. I don't suppose you know a spell that will get us out of line quicker?"
"Um." I don't know. She shook her head rapidly, cheeks heating.
Zidane sighed. "Worth a try."
Waiting in line was…boring. And made Skuld feel slightly claustrophobic; she kept trying to shift away from people, wanting to avoid being trapped, but with so many waiting to get service, that was increasingly difficult to do. She leaned against the rope barrier, shoulders turned in, hands gripping her elbows tightly.
People's chatter drifted over her; she tried to listen in to distract herself, picking out bits and pieces of conversations:
"…heard there was some mess going on a world over—my sister was telling me about it…"
"…boss said I need to pick up some sort of part here, but it's not like I can tell the difference between them…"
"…some weird guys wielding—I don't know, magic swords or something? Maybe laser swords. Can't remember…"
What?
Skuld's head snapped around. Her eyes flicked down the line, trying to pick out who'd started the conversation. The rope creaked underneath her as she leaned forward.
"Skuld?" Jim asked. "Everything okay?"
"I—yeah. I just thought I heard—"
Something pink flashed out of the corner of her eye.
Skuld turned towards it.
A couple of people were walking out of the bank, talking animatedly to each other: "It's not magic. It's got to be some sort of weird technology."
"I'm telling you, they called the sword to their hand! Just like that."
"I'll—I'll be back," Skuld said, and vaulted over the rope without thinking.
"Skuld—wait, Skuld!"
The words drifted to the back of her mind, drowned in adrenaline. She skidded out the door, hopping a little to avoid running directly into someone who was trying to come in, and tried to figure out where the speakers had went.
There.
The two individuals were some distance away from her, still arguing animatedly as they moved.
Skuld started towards them, then hesitated; the crowd pressed around her, and she wasn't quite sure how to navigate it. She hopped awkwardly to look over it, dodging a little to the left and right, then took a deep breath, steeled herself, and tried to push her way through.
(It was fine. It was fine, it was fine, nothing was going to happen, she'd just be a moment—)
(She needed to know more about her Keyblade.)
The speakers turned a corner, out of sight for the moment. Skuld skidded around the bend, scrambling to avoid other passersby. "Wait," she said, and then, lifting her voice in a shout, "Wait!"
They didn't stop; they likely didn't even realize she was trying to talk to them.
Skuld tried to catch up, hurrying after them, extending a hand and—
Hesitating.
(Don't touch, don't touch, you don't know them—)
The two individuals seemed to finally notice she was tailing them. They slowed, one of them giving her an unreadable look; the other seemed wary and tense, like they were about to bolt.
Very abruptly, Skuld questioned whether or not this was a good idea.
"Can I help you?" one asked, voice tight.
"I—I—" Say it. Say it, say it, you need to say it. "You were—the magic swords."
The first one huffed. "Were you eavesdropping?"
"We weren't being quiet," their friend responded, rolling his eyes. He turned to Skuld and asked, "What about them?"
"They were—I just—are they like this?" Starlight flashed into her hands, and she lifted the weapon to show them.
The first jumped back, hissing quietly. "How did you do that?"
Skuld shifted nervously, suddenly uncertain that she should've summoned her Keyblade at all.
The other leaned closer to Starlight, narrowing his eyes. "Not quite," he admitted, sounding almost regretful. "They were—well, kind of laser-like? I don't know, I just heard of them. I didn't see them."
"Oh." Skuld lowered her Keyblade. "That's—that's alright."
Neither of them seemed to know what to do after that; they left awkwardly, one grumbling, "Next time, maybe don't go talking about your weird stories in public."
"Oh, hush, it's fine."
Skuld dismissed Starlight with a sigh. It's alright. It makes sense that I wouldn't find something right away. It's—it's fine. I just need to ask around.
…Jim and Zidane are probably still waiting for me.
Skuld glanced behind her. The bank was out of sight, now, but if she closed her eyes she could still trace her way back.
But the line was so long. They might be waiting there for a while. And—and not all of us need to wait, right?
She debated a few moments, shifting on her feet. After a heartbeat she turned, heading away from the bank. I'll just ask a couple people. And then I'll go and find them afterwards. It shouldn't be too hard.
…Right?
-Searching the spaceport was more time-consuming than anticipated. She hadn't planned on straying away for very long, but the more times she was met with a negative response, the more desperate she became. I need something, she thought, feeling slightly frantic. Somebody has to know something.
When she finally did start getting information, it oftentimes seemed almost contradictory.
"I think I've heard about it. Someone back on my home world said they used to be these knights that traveled from world to world to fight monsters for hire. Thought it was mostly bullshit, but you know, it's a good story for the kids."
"Stuck-up pricks, the lot of them. Spent most of their time on their home world, from what I hear, and only came out to try and impose some sense of 'order' over the cosmos or something."
"They weren't really human. They could do things that no one really could—strange magic, strange looks, like some cross between animal and human. Never knew exactly what they were going to do."
"Oh, my world had stories about them. I used to hear them as a child. They were kind of like guardian spirits. They said that when monsters came, they'd protect the pure of heart. Or something like that."
Skuld sighed and tried to bite back her frustration. "I was afraid you'd say that."
The man raised an eyebrow.
"None of the stories agree."
He barked a laugh. "Well, what do you expect? They're mythological figures. Nobody's going to have quite the same stories—especially not across worlds. But I guess if it makes you feel better, the fact that multiple worlds do have stories is a good sign. Lends credit to the idea that they actually existed, though probably not quite as legendary figures."
Skuld wasn't sure if that comforted her or not; she knew they existed, because she had a Keyblade. The problem was finding out more about it.
"You sure you haven't heard of any sort of…stronghold, I guess?" Skuld asked. "Or places where they might have been?"
The merchant rubbed his chin. "Tell you what," he said. "I can tell you a story from my world and see if it helps, and you can tell me a little more about why you're looking. Sound like a plan?"
Skuld hesitated; she didn't know if she really wanted to broadcast herself too much, not when there were so many people here. But, she thought, I guess I don't have to be entirely honest. Hesitantly she nodded.
The man gave her a crooked grin. "Right. So—hmm." He paused, eyes scrunched in thought. "I think one of my favorite stories as a kid was the one about Avaritia."
The name sounded almost familiar, in the same way that Starlight had. Skuld straightened a little.
The man grinned. "Caught your interest, huh?"
"The name's…familiar. That's all."
"Well, maybe you heard the story in passing, once. Anyway, Avaritia wasn't a Keyblade wielder herself. She was—more of a god, I guess. One of seven. Each one had—titles, I suppose. Her primary one was 'the Fox,' but that was substituted for 'the Trickster' sometimes—anyway, I'm off-topic. She was one of several important figures in the mythos. See, it's said that way back when, there were all sorts of monsters that roamed the worlds. The gods usually had their own interests at heart, and didn't particularly pay much mind to the rest of us. But Avaritia—well, she took a liking to us mortal folk, and wanted to protect us from monsters, if she could. The others didn't like that much, and threatened to strip her of her power if she tried. She couldn't fight all of them, of course, so she decided to trick them instead.
"Avaritia went to the deepest parts of the worlds—beyond where even the bravest monsters would visit—and gathered these tiny seeds of light. She planted them in the lands where the other gods wandered, encouraging the tiny seeds to absorb power from them as they passed. The seeds grew, and grew, and sprouted into these half-human, half-spirit creatures with a unique ability—the power to summon magical weapons that could fight off monsters.
"The others weren't happy about what happened, but there wasn't much they could do, with so many wielders in existence now. Angry, they went after the newly-born Keyblade wielders, hoping to take out as many as possible. The stories go that Avaritia, in a last-ditch effort to save her creation, gave up her power to five of the newly-fledged wielders. Those five were able to safely take the young wielders out and scatter them across the worlds. They have to stay in hiding—because if they don't, the remaining gods may try to hunt them down and kill them. But they're said to still be looking out for people from the shadows."
Skuld…wasn't quite sure what to make sure of the story. It was fascinating, but the idea of being some sort of demi-god seemed even more far-fetched than being chosen by the Keyblade in the first place. Still, there was something about it that rang as familiar. Maybe I really did hear this story at some point. "Did the five wielders have names? What about the other gods? Where did the Keyblade wielders go to?"
"Woah, woah, slow down." The merchant laughed. "Some of the wielders had names, but they were often very vague. More titles than anything. I think their leader was just called 'Dandelion,' or something."
(Dandelion. Like what the man in the eyepatch had called her.)
"As for the other gods—well. Like I said, there were seven total. Superbia, Luxuria—it's been a while. But they all had animal associations and titles. As for where the wielders went, it was literally across all the worlds. There's no one place that they landed." The shopkeeper looked thoughtful, then lifted a hand and rummaged underneath his stall. He pulled a book out and set it down with a thud, dusting off the cover. "Got a few of these from a friend—children's stories, mostly, but maybe something to your liking?"
Skuld's fingers twitched towards it.
"Up-up! That's not for free, now. It's not my standard fare, but I can probably come up with a price, if you're interested."
"I—oh. That's—I probably can't afford it. Right now."
"What, no money?"
Her cheeks burned.
"What are you doing going up to vendors if you can't buy anything? Looking for work?"
"Something—something like that."
The vendor sighed and shrugged, hiding the book out of sight.
Skuld couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. I thought I'd find out more. But I guess that's just another dead-end.
"Now for you."
Skuld jerked her head up. "Huh?"
"Your part of the deal. Why're you so interested in learning about them?"
"Oh. I—well. I heard about them once. From a—a friend."
("A key?"
Skuld nodded. The words weren't working quite right today—she was trying, she really was, and it frustrated her almost as much as it frustrated Xehanort—but she'd managed to get out that much. I saw a key, she wanted to say. I saw a key, and I don't know what it means.
Xehanort seemed to take the information in stride, humming in thought. "A key," he murmured, and furrowed his eyebrows. "Why does that sound…?"
Skuld perked up, turning towards him.
He shook his head. "I'll look into it.")
"I wanted to follow up on the information," she said, and then, because she didn't know if she could keep talking about Xehanort, didn't know if she wanted this to be associated with him, she continued, "I'm looking for someone."
"Oh? Did your friend go off looking for Keyblade wielders first?"
Belatedly, she realized what her comment had probably sounded like, and she hurried to add, "That's not what—"
"That's where you got off to."
Skuld just barely resisted the urge to summon Starlight. She turned, slowly, and met Zidane's eyes.
Zidane grinned, twirling what looked like a bracelet around a finger. "You know," he said, "I thought Jim was going to have a panic attack when he realized we weren't there."
Guilt flooded Skuld's chest, as heavy as the weight of her Keyblade. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—wait, 'we'?"
Zidane's grin broadened.
"You left, too."
"I mean, I got bored. Thought I'd look around and see what I could find."
Her eyes darted towards the bracelet.
He tossed it, caught it, and then shoved it in a pocket. "Anyway, I tried to keep an eye on Jim and make sure he didn't get too panicked. But I'd come up with a good cover story soon, because he should be right about—"
"Skuld!"
Zidane pointed in the general direction of the voice.
Skuld bit back a frustrated sigh. She dipped her head towards the merchant. "Thank you," she said, "for helping me."
"Sure. Don't get to talk about those old stories too often." He shrugged. "Good luck with your search."
Skuld steeled herself, then wove through the crowd to try and find Jim.
He found her first. "Where were you?" he asked, looking somewhere between relieved and angry.
Skuld felt herself stiffen defensively. "I was just looking for information."
"You were supposed to stay close. You both were. You don't know the area, and something bad could've happened."
The words made a tangled knot of something twist inside Skuld's chest. She wasn't sure whether to feel grateful for the worry or frustrated at the lack of confidence or fear that he might've been right. "I have a weapon," she said stiffly, like her voice couldn't decide which emotion to settle on, either.
"That you don't really know how to use yet."
(And that hit something deep inside her chest—a frustration she hadn't even entirely known she'd felt, sharp and angry and helpless.)
"I can use it fine," she spat. "I'm figuring it out. I need to find answers."
"You would've had time to ask. You just needed to wait."
Embarrassment, then, her cheeks heating because he was right, but she couldn't help feeling like she was wasting time, and— "I was fine."
"Listen, you're not always going to be able to—"
"Hey, guys?" Zidane chipped in.
"What?" they snapped simultaneously.
"You're causing a scene."
Skuld blinked, and it took her a moment to realize other people in the streets had started giving them a wide berth, some casting uncertain their way. Her shoulders lifted, and she resisted the urge to duck her head away.
Jim rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Right, uh. Maybe we should go somewhere else."
Skuld nodded stiffly, and the three of them stepped off the crowded streets, dipping between a couple of buildings until they found a secluded area, hidden in an alcove just below street level.
Zidane perched on the steps, half-turned away from them, one eye on the road.
Jim leaned against a wall and folded his arms, looking awkward.
Skuld flexed her fingers and stood right in the middle, back stiff. Now that the initial frustration had worn off, she wasn't really sure what to say.
Jim sighed and tilted his head back against the wall. "Look," he said. "I get it. I do. But you can't—bad things happen if you try to jump into something without knowing what you're doing."
"I wasn't—" Skuld took a deep breath, trying to ward off the angry and defensive thing that had risen in her chest. "I should've waited. I said I'd help with things, so—I should've stayed. But I wasn't in danger."
(You thought that before, some part of her hissed, because she'd thought Xehanort had been a friend, too, and how many other people here could've been like him?)
"I would've been fine," she hissed, as much to herself as to Jim. "I wasn't going to get taken again. I wasn't."
Jim looked like he was going to respond to that, then frowned. "Again?"
Skuld belatedly realized what she'd let slip and felt panic rise and clog her throat. "I—I wasn't going to get taken. I can defend myself."
"Skuld—"
"I'm a Keyblade wielder."
"And we don't even know what that means."
He sounded annoyed again, but Skuld thought that was probably better than curious, because if he dug too deep he'd find out about Xehanort, and she didn't—
She couldn't talk about that.
"Hey," Zidane said, his voice faux-casual, "one of the stories about Keyblade wielders is that they fight monsters, right?"
"Right," Skuld and Jim echoed.
"Don't suppose they said what kind?"
They exchanged glances. After a moment Skuld bounded up the stairs, Jim just behind her.
Zidane was giving a wary look to a massive, bulky beast that was coming through the alleyways. Its front half was larger than the back, with a giant head and curling horns, large clawed hands dragging it forward. A tail thumped behind it, thick and spiked.
"Maybe it's not a monster?" Jim suggested.
"Looks pretty monstrous to me."
The creature shifted, lifting its head and flaring its nostrils. Its torso twisted towards them, revealing a familiar, heart-shaped symbol on its chest.
Skuld's chest tightened.
(It was just like what happened at Dali. Like what was happening at Radiant Garden. Were there people here, too? Were there great machines hidden somewhere, creating monsters? What if people were in danger, what if people were trapped, what if—)
The Heartless's head snapped towards them. Its yellow eyes gleamed.
"That doesn't look promising," Zidane commented.
"We should get moving," Jim said urgently.
"Sounds good to me." Zidane clambered over the rooftops.
Jim turned to grab her.
"Don't," she snapped, backing away.
Jim lifted his hands peaceably. His eyes darted to her side and a confused expression flitted across his face. "When did you summon…?"
It took Skuld a moment to recognize the familiar weight of Starlight in her palm. She tightened her fingers around the hilt, listening to the buzzing, aggressive hum in the back of her mind.
The Heartless roared and charged.
"Hey!" Zidane shouted. "Guys, get moving!"
Jim's breath hissed through his teeth. He reached for Skuld's arm again, hesitated, glanced around.
They were still backed against a building. There was nowhere for them to really go.
Jim patted his waist, then cursed quietly. As far as Skuld could tell, he didn't have any weapons.
You're the Keyblade wielder, something inside Skuld said. You should do something.
Her hands shook.
Move. Move!
The Heartless came closer.
Don't be useless. You have to be stronger!
The Heartless roared and reared.
Something shot from overhead. It took a few moments to place the familiar shape of Zidane, snapping down from the rooftops. He hit the Heartless's skull with a solid thunk, feet-first. The impact sent the top-heavy creature reeling to the side. "Go!" Zidane shouted, drawing daggers from the sheaths at his back.
"Come on," Jim urged, rocketing back up to the street.
Skuld started to follow, then paused, glancing back. He's not really going to fight that thing alone, is he?
Zidane was squaring up against the Heartless, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet. The Heartless had dragged itself back into position, shaking its head and snarling.
"Skuld!"
(Something in her chest buzzed.)
Keyblade wielders fight monsters.
The Heartless snaked its head back and forth, brandishing a horn like a threat display. Zidane made a swipe at it, then dodged out of its range as it struck back.
Be the person that you used to be. Be the person that you're supposed to be.
The Heartless paced a little to the side, then charged.
Skuld charged back.
"Wait!"
Starlight was practically singing in her hands. Energy seemed to burn from her chest to her fingertips, sparking around the edges like fire. She drew back her Keyblade and threw it. The weapon spun, end over end, and crashed into the Heartless's eye, knocking it off course. Its head hit the ground, sliding so it just barely missed Zidane.
Zidane whipped towards her with a wild-eyed look.
Starlight spun in an arc, swinging back towards her. Skuld ran towards it, lifting a hand; the weapon seemed to come back on its own accord, snapping to her palm and almost dragging her backwards.
Zidane's surprise turned to a cheeky grin. "Nice to see you joining me, key-slinger."
Skuld managed a tiny smile back. She stopped beside him, then let her body fall into position.
(It still came too-naturally, instincts she didn't remember forcing her into the correct position, but she didn't have time to think about it.)
The Heartless's eyes snapped towards her Keyblade. It bellowed and charged her.
Skuld didn't have time to move; she barely had time to brace herself before it was on top of her, horn clashing against her weapon. The bone made a harsh screeching sound against the steel; she skidded backwards, still upright but unable to hold her position under the force of the charge. Her feet slipped through the dirt, and she hissed quietly through her teeth, trying to press back against the attack.
"Up here!" Zidane shouted. He leapt, silhouetted by sunlight, and struck at the Heartless's back with his daggers.
The monster reached to give him a cursory sweep.
The pressure on Skuld's weapon lessened. She ducked underneath the monster's raised arm, sweeping Starlight into an arcing strike at the Heartless's neck. She hit the spot successfully, but it didn't seem to do much good; the Heartless snarled, reaching underneath itself to try and grab her. Skuld ducked away from the grasping hands, practically skidding out from underneath the Heartless. The monster turned on her again almost as soon as she'd gotten free, twisting unnaturally as it snapped huge jaws in her direction. Skuld managed a parry, forcing the attack slightly off course, but she underestimated how heavy the Heartless's head would be; the jaws still scraped her arm, and she hissed as blood dribbled from the cuts.
The attack was distracting enough that she didn't noticed the Heartless swiping its head back to the side.
Pain rocketed through her ribs and abdomen as the Heartless's huge skull crashed into her. She gasped, then bit back a cry of pain. The world twisted, turning into a blur of color and motion; dull pain rippled through her back, and she blinked away stars.
The ground shook.
"Get away!"
The Heartless snarled.
Skuld blinked, trying to clear her vision.
The spots flickered away in time for her to see a rock fly from out of nowhere and hit the Heartless in the eye.
Jim stood a short distance away, arm lifted with another rock ready.
The Heartless turned towards him, but was distracted by Zidane's quick slash at its face. "Come on!" he called, dancing out of range. "Is that the best you've got?"
The Heartless's head darted back and forth between the two of them, a low whine building in its throat.
Skuld dragged herself to her feet, Starlight scraping through the dirt.
The Heartless's head snapped back to her.
Something tickled the back of Skuld's mind at the action. She lifted her Keyblade, breathing out slowly. "Well?" she asked. "I'm ready."
The Heartless roared and charged.
Skuld took a deep breath and braced herself. She side-stepped just a little, using her Keyblade to deflect the initial strike. The Heartless skidded in the dirt, scrambling to correct its course.
Skuld swiveled, lifting Starlight and pointing the tip directly at the Heartless. She reached for that core of energy in her chest, feeling it zip along her arms and fingertips. Her Keyblade glowed.
(Zero Gravity.)
The Heartless started to move, then screeched, digging its claws into the dirt as it lifted off the ground. It struggled a few moments, thrashing and twisting, before the magic dragged it free. It spun in the air, trying desperately to free itself.
Something sparked and cracked in Skuld's chest. She let out a deep, steadying breath, crouching with her Keyblade slung low. She kicked off, and—
Overshot her mark.
She yelped, trying to correct herself, and hit the ground with a thud, skidding awkwardly.
"What was that?" Zidane asked, whipping towards her.
She didn't have a good answer. She blinked, feeling that thing in her chest again, humming quietly. Energy thrummed down to the soles of her feet, and she shifted a little to test it. A suspicion tickled the back of her mind, and she jumped again, this time putting less force into it. She rose, swinging her Keyblade.
It hit the Heartless square, sending it spinning.
Skuld grinned triumphantly. She landed a little awkwardly, but kept her footing, turning to look back at the others.
"Not bad, key-slinger!" Zidane called.
Jim's attention snapped past her. "We might want to get out of here."
Skuld hesitated, then glanced behind her.
The Heartless had corrected itself. The glow around it was starting to fade, and its glowing yellow eyes had snapped towards her.
Skuld swallowed and turned to run.
The Heartless made an ear-splitting scream that shook Skuld to her bones.
Zidane and Jim moved, racing down the street ahead of her.
The ground shuddered; Skuld whipped around in time to see the Heartless barreling after them, tearing up the earth in its wake. She skidded on one foot, twisting with her Keyblade lifted, trying to cast another spell.
The Heartless was on top of her too quick, batting her aside before she had time to blink. She tumbled through the dirt, skidding between two buildings. Her elbows and knees scraped the ground, but she tried to ignore the sting, rolling and scrambling to her feet.
The Heartless turned back towards her.
"Hey, ugly!" Zidane darted in to slash its side, then moved out of range again. The Heartless whipped towards him, snarling, but was eyeing Skuld again barely a moment later.
It keeps following me, even when the others are attacking it. Why's that?
She back-pedaled, trying to stay out of range of the Heartless's claws and horns. It kept moving, moving, moving, pressing forward relentlessly. Skuld ducked aside, dodging as the monster's head swept through stalls, crates, plants—
The chatter of the spaceport sounded behind her. There are too many people, Skuld thought. If I lead it out there, then—
(Something like a fragment of a memory. Of Heartless, and of people, and of a familiar town, cast in the hues of daybreak.)
Skuld took a deep breath and, acting on a hunch, waved her Keyblade in the Heartless's direction.
Its eyes followed the weapon, tracking its movements carefully. Its body swayed back and forth, like it was getting ready to pounce.
Skuld grit her teeth and threw herself to the side.
The Heartless lunged; its giant claws missed her, and the beast skidded wildly, swinging and crashing into a building.
Skuld darted into a narrow passageway between two structures, gritting her teeth as she squeezed through.
A claw flashed after her. It broke off part of the building, but the Heartless couldn't quite make an opening big enough to follow. Snarling, it launched itself overhead, clambering over the opening.
Skuld glanced at it, trying not to feel too overwhelmed as the shadow passed overhead. Don't think about it, she thought. Don't think, don't think, just run. Just get it out of town.
Heat tickled the back of her neck, and it took her a moment to realize it wasn't coming from the sun.
(A flash of pink. Of a memory. Of a light, lilting voice and of gentle authority and of Starlight.)
Something pulled Skuld's eyes, drawing them like a magnet towards a rippling, contorting space just off to one side.
A fox sat at the end of the alleyway.
Skuld nearly skidded to a halt in surprise.
The fox tilted its head, then chittered at her, turning and running in the opposite direction.
Skuld stared after it.
A giant claw crashed down behind her.
Skuld stumbled, nearly knocked off her feet. Right. Heartless. She started moving again, scrambling into the open.
The Heartless launched itself from the top of the building and into the streets.
Another flash of pink, this time darting over the latticework of a building. Skuld swiveled towards it, trying to keep an eye on it while staying grounded.
The Heartless charged, dragging itself after her.
Skuld took several shuddering breaths, gathering herself to cast another spell.
A hand shot out and grabbed her arm.
Skuld moved without thinking, Keyblade swinging to attack her assailant.
"Skuld! It's me!"
She stopped just short of smacking Jim upside the head.
Jim lowered his hands slowly.
Skuld stared, breathing in and out slowly.
Zidane's shouts came from a distance, taunts and jeers that echoed with the Heartless's snarls.
Skuld steadied her breathing enough to hiss, "Why did you pull me back here?"
"Why did—that thing was chasing you!"
"I was leading it away."
"You weren't going to outrun it."
I might've, she thought. "It's not just going to stop," she said. "It's following me because of—" Because of my Keyblade. "We need to get it somewhere it can't cause problems."
Jim gave her a long look, then sighed, running a hand over his face. "Right," he said. "Okay, that's—but how to stay ahead of it?"
A flicker of pink, in the corner of Skuld's vision.
She didn't think Jim saw it, but he did seem to notice the direction she'd turned it. He followed her gaze, his eyes lighting up when he saw some strange sort of vehicle, sitting on the ground. "That'll work." He moved towards it.
"Do you know how to drive it?"
"Can't be that different than a solar sailor, right?"
Zidane let out a shout of alarm.
Skuld whipped towards it.
Jim fiddled with the controls of the vehicle. "Come on, come on," he hissed. "That's—there!" The vehicle roared to life. He got into the front seat, messing with some components before turning to her. "Well?"
Skuld hesitated half a second.
The Heartless screeched.
Skuld took a breath pulled herself onto the side.
Jim revved the engine. The vehicle thrummed, hovering above the ground, then jerked, shooting out into the street.
Skuld yelped, gripping the back like a lifeline. She screwed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the sudden sense or vertigo as the vehicle moved.
"Zidane!" Jim shouted above the rushing wind.
Skuld squinted her eyes open, trying to ignore the sting of the wind.
Zidane was still squared up against the Heartless. He jerked his head their way at the shout. A smirk twisted his lips, and he leapt, dodging a strike from the Heartless and landing on the vehicle as they passed. The vehicle rocked a little; Zidane gave them a cheeky salute, then collapsed in one of the seats.
The Heartless turned towards them with a snarl.
Skuld waved her Keyblade at it.
The Heartless charged.
"Step on it!" Zidane shouted.
"I know!" After a few moments the vehicle roared with energy, shooting forward. Skuld was better prepared this time, bracing herself as it shot through the streets, Heartless following close behind.
Several people made shouts of alarm as they skidded into the street; their momentum nearly took them into a building, but Jim pulled harshly on the wheel, dragging them around at the last second and speeding forward. A couple of people raced after them, shouting something that Skuld couldn't make out over the rushing wind. The Heartless skidded across the ground, nearly careening into a building, and Skuld tracked it, trying to aim a spell—
And found herself thrown off-balance as the vehicle rocked, Jim cursing quietly as he steadied it.
"I thought you could drive this?" Zidane asked, voice raised and panicked.
"I'm getting a feel for it!"
They swerved close to a building; Jim banked, and Skuld barely kept herself from toppling to the ground, her foot slipping against the edge.
"Get a feel for it faster."
"Would you prefer to run?"
They leveled out, a little; people jumped out of the way, forcing Jim to do his best to avoid them. They zipped between structures, twisting and turning, making sharp corners and practically skidding along the sides of the buildings. Wind stung Skuld's cheeks and made her eyes burn.
They shot out of town, Jim finally leveling them out. Now that there was less to dodge, they were able to pick up speed, racing over the top of the sand. The town receded behind them, rapidly growing to little more than a speck on the horizon.
The Heartless didn't; it came closer, closer, eating up the distance between them now that nothing was in its way.
Skuld stared at the creature, Starlight vibrating in her hands. If it got close enough, she could strike it—but if it got close enough, they might get injured. So I need to use magic. I need this to work. She took a deep breath, focusing on that ball of energy, deep inside her chest.
("Don't worry if you don't get it right the first time. It took me forever to get it to work."
Isa huffed and shoved Lea. "You can still barely get it to work."
"See? Forever." He flashed Skuld a smile. "Look, it's just—you feel the energy inside you, right? And you just focus and dig into it. You let it fill you until it's bigger than you are, and then you just—let it out! Like an explosion!"
Isa said something, but for a moment, the sounds of their banter faded into the background; something that was not quite a memory flickered in the back of her mind, the whispers of ghosts hissing through her ears.
"Magic works different for everyone. Just pay attention to what your Keyblade seems to lean into. You'll figure it out.")
Something hot turned in Skuld's chest, spiraling outwards like a supernova, flaring through her throat and arms. Starlight warmed, glowing like an ember. Fire exploded into existence at its tip. Giddy energy flooded her, and she swung her Keyblade around, flinging the fireball at the Heartless.
It hit the bulky creature squarely on the side of the head and exploded. The Heartless screeched, swinging sideways.
Zidane whooped.
Jim grinned, leaning forward and forcing their vehicle faster.
The Heartless snarled and charged after them.
Skuld adjusted her grip, turning so that she could better track the Heartless from her position, and shot another fireball at it. The Heartless dodged, and her spell hit the sand instead, sending red-hot earth exploding in every direction. Her grip on Starlight tightened.
"Got any more ideas?" Jim asked, tense.
"I—"
("Do you need some help?")
Heat flared in Skuld's head; something bright flashed in the corner of her eye, and she turned towards it almost without her consent.
The pink fox stood, unmoving, in the center of the desert, the air hazy around it.
For a few moments, Skuld just stared.
"Hey, Skuld?" Zidane asked. "You hanging in there?"
The fox lifted its head. It turned, bounding away from them. After a moment it paused, glancing back as if to see if they were following.
"That way," Skuld hissed, pointing frantically.
Jim tried to steady them. "Hey, easy, what did you—" He broke off, following her line of sight, "—see."
Zidane glanced over his shoulder. "Is that a hallucination, or is this more weird Keyblade shit?"
Sand scattered through the air as the Heartless charged.
"Go!"
Jim swerved sharply to the right, nearly throwing Skuld free. The Heartless lunged nearly in the same instant, jaws snapping at the place where they'd once been. Skuld sent another fireball flying towards it; it hit off-center, thrown by their sudden movement.
Rocky pillars emerged from the ground like teeth; Jim zipped around them, forcing the Heartless pursuing them to try and navigate through the makeshift maze. Skuld leaned away from one of the rocks, wincing as the rough surface grazed her cheek. She didn't dare take her eyes off the Heartless, head darting back and forth to try and keep up.
And then the sand ended abruptly, replaced by course brown rock.
The Heartless jumped, arcing over the rock.
It's an open target. Skuld took a deep breath and swung her Keyblade around, pulling on the magic deep in her chest, and—
Released.
Energy buzzed in her limbs and made her head spin. Her Keyblade glowed a faint purple, and so did the Heartless, the creature forced to a sudden halt, screeching wildly as it hovered in the air.
"Yes!" Zidane shouted, launching himself from their vehicle. It rocked a little, and Jim jerked it sharply around, the metal screeching against the ground. Skuld was forced to release her hold on Starlight, gripping the vehicle tightly with both hands. She made her eyes stay open, tracking Zidane as he flashed across the ground, bouncing off some rocks to get more height, daggers glinting in the sunlight. He struck, once-twice in quick succession, kicking against the Heartless to send it towards the ground and him higher. Half a moment he hovered there; then he was spinning downwards, daggers flashing in a blur as they tore into the Heartless's skull. It half-crashed into the ground; the earth shook, black smoke flying from the impact, a pink, crystalline heart floating from the space where it had once been. Zidane landed awkwardly, balancing unsteadily on one foot and toppling backwards.
Skuld stared, breathing heavily, Starlight shaking in her hands. She blinked, the impression of—
(thousands of Keyblades and a wasteland that stretched as far as the eye could see and crystalline hearts floating skyward)
—something flickering on the back of her eyelids.
Zidane let out a breathless whoop. "Alright," he said. "Good job, team."
The comment was so unexpected that Skuld laughed.
The corners of Jim's lips twitched into a smile as he stepped out of their battered vehicle. "Alright, that was pretty impressive," he agreed, "but we have no idea where we are."
"Hey, don't look at me for that. You were the one driving."
"And I was following the—"
"The fox," Skuld finished, the breathless realization making her snap back to reality. She whipped around, looking for the flash of pink. "It came this way."
(She.)
"She came this way."
"She?" Jim repeated.
"You friends with it?" Zidane asked skeptically.
Skuld shook her head. She started moving, eyes roving the rock walls. "No, but—the guy, earlier—there was a fox. In one of the legends about the Keyblade."
"A…fox?"
There. A flash of pink fire, disappearing into an opening in the rock. She raced after it, heart in her throat.
"Wait!" Jim shouted. "Skuld, wait for us!"
She ignored him, heart thudding, feet pounding as she chased after the tell-tale signs of the fox. Darkness and stone swallowed her as she stepped into the opening. Starlight sent a steady thrum through her palms, something like the tinkling of glass and the sharp, shrill song of crickets echoing in the back of her mind.
Skuld's foot caught on a rock. She tripped, throwing her hands out to catch herself. They scraped against the rough stone.
"Are you alright?" Jim asked, panting as he caught up. He hovered uncertainly over her, like he wasn't quite sure how she'd react to touch.
"I'm okay," she murmured, standing and rubbing her hands off on her knees.
Starlight glowed faintly, illuminating the darkness.
Skuld's breath caught in her throat.
Most of the cave seemed unremarkable; crates and supplies were stacked all along the edges, covered in tarps. But at the far end, embedded in the wall, was what looked like a keyhole, faint markings—hidden by dust—haloed around the edge.
"It looks like a smuggling cave," Zidane commented, kicking a crate.
"I—that's—" Skuld looked between him and the keyhole.
Jim gave her a confused look, eyebrows furrowed. "What?"
"There's—you don't see the keyhole?"
"Keyhole?"
Skuld approached it cautiously. She reached out a hand, fingers running along the edges.
Starlight shook. It took her a moment to realize the Keyblade seemed to be reacting all on its own.
Skuld tried to stumble backwards, but Starlight was drawn to the keyhole like a magnet. Her arm jerked upwards; a beam shot from the tip of the blade, directly into the keyhole.
Like it does with other locks. But what kind of lock could possibly be here?
The keyhole flashed. Something that sounded like a click echoed through the cave. Light flared around the edges of the keyhole, eating up the opening until she was just staring at a blank wall.
Starlight settled.
Skuld opened and closed her mouth, trying to figure out something to say—some explanation for what exactly had happened—and couldn't find anything. She moved to where the keyhole had been, tracing her fingers along the edges. Her fingers came away covered in dust, and—
There was something under there.
"What was the lightshow about?" Zidane asked.
Skuld barely heard him, brushing away the dust frantically.
"Hello? Skuld? You still there?"
Scratched into the rock face were what looked like the impressions of words—stories, maybe, or names. She couldn't quite tell; most of them were worn away, sanded down by time, but she could make out bits and pieces of some of them: 'Heartless,' 'Light and Darkness,' 'World's Heart,' and—
"Ephemer?" Skuld murmured, eyebrows furrowing.
(It had the same familiarity as Avaritia, or Starlight, or the Heartless. It was something she should know but didn't.)
"Ephemer?" Jim repeated. "As in, ephemeral?" After several beats, he asked cautiously, "Is it important?"
For a moment, it almost felt like the fox was watching her, eyes boring into her back. "Yeah," she said, her voice distant, "it is."
And fox Ava makes her first official, non-dream appearance. Finally, she can fulfil her role as the group's weird animal companion. A fun fact about this: the idea for On the Edge of Daybreak was initially inspired by the song 'The Paradox' by The Hound + The Fox. Basically, I kind of got this vibe of Skuld going to different worlds and hearing all this different stories related to the Keyblade, with one about a fox trying to outrun destiny sticking out—and then a weird fox ACTUALLY appears, and Skuld chases her across a bunch of worlds to try to find answers before she reveals herself as Ava. It's an idea that ended up sticking pretty firmly in my head, even if some other things got changed, haha.
Now, for the world choice: Mos Espa. This was…mostly just chosen because it would be a solid set piece. I wanted Skuld to have the opportunity to interact with a lot of people from different worlds at once, and I figured a Star Wars world would make sense for that. Mos Espa in particular was chosen…mostly because I wanted Jim to drive a pod racer. That's it. That's my justification.
And thank you Lacan Shinn for reviewing last chapter! For the review response: I know that technically a chapter is any length that it needs to be to work, I was just exasperated because it kept expanding past my initial plans, haha. And I'm glad you like how I've handled Skuld's characterization so far! Some things I can't go into too much because of spoilers, but I will say that yes, Xehanort's memory loss is…a pretty major driving factor for his character.