'Skuld needs to make sure Lea and Isa are safe—but she won't leave the crew behind to deal with a Heartless alone.'
Chapter Eight: Shadows
The Heartless's head shifted, and Skuld had half a second to register what was about to happen, Jim's shout of "Look out!" ringing in her ears, before massive jaws were lunging towards her. She threw herself to the side; wood splintered and scraped against her face. Something dark and scratchy brushed against her legs. She turned in time to see the Heartless pull back, one of the lifeboats crushed in its jaws.
"Skuld, get moving!"
Jim had started towards her, hands half outstretched as if to drag her to her feet, but stopped at the last second.
Skuld scrambled to grab her meager belongings, throwing her bag over her shoulder and launching herself to her feet.
The deck was already in frantic motion when Skuld and Jim bounded onto it. Captain Amelia was shouting orders, but all Skuld could focus on was the shifting, serpentine shape that coiled around the sails and blotted out the stars.
"What the hell is that thing?"
Baku. The Tantalus leader had his fists raised as if he could punch the Heartless out of the sky. (Like that'd be enough. It probably wouldn't even slow the monster down.)
"Heartless," Zidane answered, bouncing on the balls of his feet, leaping to dodge around the sweep of what looked like a tail.
"Not my specialty," Marcus grumbled, sword out.
"Yeah, it's—Skuld!" Zidane turned towards her and his eyes lit up, and Skuld tried to ignore the sudden flash of guilt and panic. "You ready to take another one down?"
(Another one. Like the ones in Dali. Like the ones on Mos Espa. Like the ones that had destroyed Taran's home. Why were there so many? Did they ever stop?
…Had she been training to fight them, before she lost her memory?)
(Were there more people out there making them?)
A shift in space, something coiling high around the ship. Skuld snapped towards it, Starlight flashing into her hands.
Cannon fire. Molten metal flashed past her and slammed into the creature's dark side, illuminating it briefly. The Heartless screeched, the sound grating against her ears.
"Yeah!" someone shouted, and Skuld realized she recognized the voice. Astrid. Does inventory a lot. Likes working the cannons. "Nice to have such a big target!"
"Yeah, you can actually hit this one!"
"Ha, ha." She turned, and Skuld realized abruptly that all eyes were on her. "Ready to do this, Keyslinger?"
There were expectations, there. Trust. A strange sense of comradery that was almost familiar. (She wondered if it was the fragments of her memory, reminding her of what her life was like before everything.) She took a hesitant half-step back, eyes flicking between the expectant stares.
And then she caught sight of the Heartless, arching high overhead, and something inside her steeled. She took a breath and nodded, Starlight warm in her hands.
She needed to get to Lea and Isa and make sure they were safe—but she couldn't leave these people behind, either.
(No more running.)
Astrid grinned viciously, then snapped her head around. Almost without warning she fired the cannon again. The blast exploded into the lunging head of the Heartless, who reared back with a snarl. "Get moving!"
Skuld shot off, sprinting towards the Heartless with Keyblade in hand. Heat blazed in her chest, and she snapped her weapon around, a Fire spell exploding at the tip. Several blasts burst from the end, leaving a trail of light and embers as she moved.
The Heartless's attention snapped towards her. It hissed, the sound rattling from between jagged jaws. It felt like it had back on Mos Espa—the Heartless tracking her Keyblade no matter what else was going on. Maybe I can use that. She couldn't lead the Heartless away from the ship—not unless she could get to the lifeboats again—but she could at least hold its attention to give the others a clear shot. She waved her Keyblade in the Heartless's direction.
The Heartless lunged, mouth snapping open.
Skuld held her ground, tense and ready. At the last moment she jumped aside, letting the Heartless's jaws snap closed on thin air.
Cannon fire and gun shots exploded around her; the Heartless twitched at the impact, a hissing, snarling sound deep in its chest.
"Get it off the ship!" Amelia was shouting.
"Easier said than done," someone muttered.
Someone else snapped, "Yeah, well, if we don't, the whole thing's going down. How do you think we'll fair stranded in space, huh?"
Skuld shifted her weight, tracking the movement of the Heartless's head.
She was so focused that she didn't notice its tail until her feet had been swept out from under her.
The world spun, turning into a blur of motion as she fell. Pain shot through her back, but she hardly registered it as the Heartless lunged towards her, a haze of shadows that she almost didn't have time to focus on. She lifted her Keyblade more on reflex than anything, the weapon jammed between the jaws to keep them open.
The Heartless snarled and pressed down. Starlight creaked between its teeth, and something in Skuld's chest ached. With a quiet hiss, she pulled her legs up, bracing them against the bottom of the Heartless's jaw. She pushed, trying to keep the monster's head away, but her arms and legs shook from the effort.
A shape moved overhead. It took her a moment to recognize it. Zidane.
Two quick strikes to the back of its head that it barely noticed. A third to its eye that it most definitely did.
The pressure on Skuld's chest lifted as the Heartless roared. She reached for Starlight, and the weapon flashed back into her hand.
This time, the Heartless didn't focus on her; it instead turned its attention towards Zidane, who'd landed and was giving it a grim smile. "Yeah, that's right! Look at me, you overgrown snake!"
The Heartless moved towards him.
No. Magic flared in her chest. She snapped her Keyblade around; a flash of light, and then a Collision Magnet spell was flying from her weapon, snagging the back of the Heartless's head. She braced herself and pulled, trying to drag the Heartless back. The monster snarled and strained against her, and she could feel her feet slipping, sliding across the deck as she tried to regain her footing.
Gunshots, then. Jim. He squinted at the Heartless, taking careful aim at the soft underside of its jaw. And he wasn't the only one; several others had started shooting at it, putting it under a constant barrage of attacks.
The ship creaked a little as the Heartless's coils tightened.
Get it off the ship. Skuld turned towards the coils and swung her Keyblade.
Others had already joined her: Marcus and Baku and several other crew members were striking the monster with swords or fists or whatever they could find available, trying to convince it to loosen its grip. Marcus gave her a wry smile. "Not much technique for this one, is there?"
Despite herself, she managed a smile back, and then struck, again and again and again, weapon tearing gouges out of the creature's side.
The Heartless hissed and snarled, and then, with a screech, it pulled away. The coils slowly unraveled, rolling off the ship with a ticking sound and a shudder as it disappeared into the darkness of space.
"Move!" Amelia shouted.
Light flared along the sails. The thrusters roared.
Something bright flashed, deep in the darkness. Flickers of pale blue glowed like beacons, lighting up one by one. They dazzled Skuld's eyes and made it difficult for her to see. A low buzzing hum thudded through her bones.
"Shit," someone hissed.
One of the cannoneers whipped the weapon around and fired. "Back off! I've got enough firepower to do this all day!"
"Not if it blasts us out of space, you don't," hissed another crew member, grabbing the collar of their shirt and dragging them away.
The helmsman turned the wheel sharply sideways. The crew stumbled; Skuld tried hard not to knock into anyone, eyes trained on the Heartless.
It's why she saw, half a moment later, the burst of light that exploded from the creature's mouth. It struck the side of the ship, leaving scorch marks. Splinters sprayed across the deck, and Skuld flinched away, trying to shield herself. Her vision flickered for a moment, blinded by the light. But she could still hear the Heartless, the creature streaking closer with a low, ticking snarl.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Can't we go any faster?"
Get moving, some part of her hissed. It'll be coming after you.
Before her vision had even entirely returned Skuld was moving again, shooting across the deck. Something rushed past her; the deck vibrated under her feet, and she stumbled a little but didn't stop. Sun spots flashed across her eyes, and she tried to blink them free, glancing back towards the Heartless. It was shaking its head, eyes narrowed as it searched the deck.
Skuld took a breath, then shouted, "Over here!" and waved her Keyblade.
The Heartless whipped towards her.
Skuld waved her Keyblade again, making sure the Heartless's attention was on her. Then she started moving, magic pulsing in her feet to help her keep her grip.
"What in the world…?"
"She's keeping it distracted!" Zidane shouted. "Go! Attack the damn thing!"
"Don't have to tell me twice."
Skuld sucked in a breath. Don't focus on them, she thought. Focus on moving. Focus on keeping this thing's attention away from the rest of the crew.
The whole world turned into a blur, her focus honed down to a single point. She could barely pay attention to where she was going, running up and over the deck, the sides of the ship, the railing, constantly trying to outpace the Heartless that always seemed half a beat behind her, its breath rank against her neck, something dark and slimy snaking over her shoulders. Occasionally flashes of gun fire came too close, bodies slipping past her as she stumbled across the deck. A burst of light struck near her side and burned her arm; she hissed and swerved away, launching herself onto the railing. The Heartless's head appeared in front of her, and she flung herself to the side, rolling to try and minimize the impact.
(This wasn't sustainable. If the crew didn't defeat it soon, then—)
Coils tried to wrap around her. She funneled enough magic into her legs to launch away, escaping just as the Heartless's body snapped closed. She hit the deck and stumbled, dodging around a crew member. The crew member nodded to her, then fired at the Heartless with a roar.
Skuld glanced backwards as she moved, trying to keep track of her opponent.
(It was following her. It wasn't leaving because of her. If she could get back down below—if she could get to one of the lifeboats, then—)
The Heartless's giant tail slammed into the ship and made the whole thing shudder. Several people staggered, forced to try and grab the railing to keep their balance.
Skuld's grip on her magic slipped. She stumbled, and then suddenly she was falling, tumbling over the railing.
A hand snapped out to grab hers.
She jerked to a sudden halt.
Jim hung above her, one hand wrapped around a rope. Lifeline. He had a frightened, steely expression on his face that he seemed to make an effort to keep under control.
Skuld herself tried to ignore the way her heart thudded in her chest. The touch made something in her shudder, the impression of half-blurred memories underneath her skin, of tests and questions and—
But she was in more danger if she didn't hold on.
With a shaking, shuddering breath, she released Starlight and flung her other hand forward.
(She was shaking. It hurt to breathe. Her hands felt clammy. But she didn't let go.)
Jim tugged, trying to pull them back onto the deck with the rope; his arm strained, and he gritted his teeth, but he couldn't quite seem to manage it, the two of them still stuck hovering too close to space.
(Too close to the Heartless. Too close to danger.)
"Need a hand?"
Skuld's attention jerked up at the voice.
Zidane grinned at them. He grabbed the rope and pulled, dragging them slowly to safety.
Cannon fire exploded around them and rang in Skuld's ears. The Heartless flashed through the darkness of space, appearing every now and again, highlighted as it tried to get closer to the ship. Skuld wobbled a little as her feet hit the deck. (She was okay. She was okay, she was okay, nothing bad had happened—)
Jim released her quickly. "Are you okay? I'm sorry—"
"No, no, you had to, I—thank you."
(She hadn't stopped shaking.)
Jim gave her a half-uncertain smile.
The ship shuddered, and the three of them tried to steady themselves. The Heartless roared, the sound vibrating in Skuld's bones and making her teeth chatter.
"Damn thing's getting too close!"
"Why won't it stay away?"
"My Keyblade," Skuld whispered. "It wants—but why?"
(Focus. Focus, focus, you need to focus.)
"Think we can kill that thing?" Zidane asked almost idly.
"Not without a better plan," Jim commented dryly.
Skuld shook herself out and took a deep breath that strained her ribcage. (Focus.) "Could we—" Skuld paused, thinking. "Like Mos Espa," she said finally. "I might be able to stall it."
Jim and Zidane exchanged glances. Zidane shrugged. "Worth a shot."
Skuld nodded tightly, then summoned Starlight with a flash. It wavered in her hands, and she took a deep, steadying breath.
Zidane asked carefully, "You okay with—?"
"Just fine."
The Heartless's eyes flashed towards them.
Zidane and Jim tensed.
Skuld gripped Starlight tightly with both hands.
The monster lunged, jaws stretched wide.
Skuld forced herself not to flinch. Focus. Steady. It'll be okay. She closed her eyes briefly, touching on that core of energy deep in her chest.
Zero Gravity.
Her Keyblade flashed. The magic twisted painfully in her chest. A purple glow formed around the Heartless, but it didn't stop right away, and for a moment, Skuld thought it hadn't worked. But then the Heartless slowed, something seeming to almost drag it backwards. It strained and screeched, then twisted and jerked as it slowed to a stop.
"Got it," Zidane said with a vicious grin; he launched himself from the deck, using the mast to reach the Heartless. His weapons flashed, bright streaks of shining metal as they cut the Heartless's side.
"Open fire!" Amelia roared, and the crew responded in kind, cannon shots and gunfire and more sounding off around the ship.
Skuld winced at the noise and tried to close herself off to it. She held herself steady, staring down the Heartless as it writhed in her spell. Maybe, she thought, maybe it'll be enough. Maybe with enough strikes it'll fall apart. Maybe—
The light around the Heartless started to flicker.
Skuld's heart jumped. "Time's running out!" she shouted.
The Heartless twisted, head straining against the magic's hold.
"Move!" Amelia shouted.
Purple magic flashed from the Heartless's side as it broke free. It roared, then moved, twisting rapidly towards—
Towards her.
Skuld didn't remember moving; she reacted more on instinct than anything, throwing herself to the side. The Heartless crashed into the deck behind her, sending splinters showering across her back.
A shadow twitched close to her. She tried to skid to a halt, but didn't have quite enough time to react before it had coiled around her, snapping tight. She gasped, twisting, as the Heartless's body constricted; her bones creaked under the strain, and she gritted her teeth and tried not to scream.
"Let her go!"
Gunshots. Something flashing by her, bright, heading for the Heartless's face. Jim, staring at her with a frightened look on his face. "It's not enough!"
Zidane launched himself into the air.
"Zidane, wait!"
He ignored Jim, ricocheting off the mast into the shadowed body wrapped around Skuld. He kicked against the coils, shooting himself higher, daggers lifting to cut across the Heartless's neck. The Heartless snarled, twisting its head around; Zidane caught the side of its jaw, using it to flip himself up and around its head. He fell, and gravity did the rest of the work, allowing him to land a powerful, spinning strike on the coils holding Skuld.
And then suddenly she was falling, too, thrown free as the Heartless struggled to adjust. She collided heavily with the boom and scrambled to get ahold of it, trying to catch her breath. She dragged herself up, clutching the wooden support tightly.
The Heartless snarled and shook its head.
Skuld's Keyblade twitched.
The Heartless's attention snapped towards it.
Skuld balanced on the boom, rocking back and forth and trying to keep her weight centered, magic burning in her feet and keeping her steady. Her Keyblade wavered back and forth.
The Heartless's head lifted. A low growl ripped from its jaws as it stared at her.
Skuld glared back at it and steadied her weapon.
The Heartless screeched and lunged.
Skuld struck, Keyblade snapping into the side of the Heartless's jaw. It diverted the attack just enough to keep her from getting hit. The Heartless twisted around, and Skuld parried, again and again, the strikes keeping the monster at bay.
(It was exhilarating in a way that surprised her. She didn't like that any of the others were in danger—but the fight still made something in her feel alive. Using magic, fighting with the Keyblade—it felt right. Maybe, she thought, this was the reason I became a Keyblade wielder in the first place.)
The Heartless lunged again, too close, and she hissed between her teeth as it cut against her arm. She twisted her Keyblade around and stabbed, spearing the Heartless in the eye. It screeched, then swept its head to the side.
Even Skuld's magic couldn't keep her attached to the boom with the force of the blow; the Heartless's head collided with her midsection and tore her free, and she found herself scrabbling at ridged brows, forced to release Starlight or fall uselessly through the air. She gritted her teeth and held on tightly as the Heartless flung its head about, back and forth and up, shifting and snarling as it tried to shake her free.
What if I let it?
The thought seemed reckless—but she also didn't know how well she'd be able to keep holding on. Better to try something than let myself get thrown to the ground. She took a breath, and then, when the Heartless jerked upwards, she let go.
She found herself very abruptly hovering above the Heartless's head; she could feel the energy of the ship's gravitational field on her back, and for a split-second thought, This might not have been the best idea. But then she was falling, and the Heartless was turning towards her, and she didn't have time to think about that.
Starlight was in her hands again in an instant. She spun, gaining momentum as she fell. The Heartless streaked towards her, and she took a breath, then struck.
Starlight cut into the Heartless's skin. The monster screeched, its head knocked back. The impact sent Skuld tumbling away; she tried to right herself in the air, landing awkwardly on the deck. She stumbled a little, hissing as pain radiated through her legs.
The Heartless landed with a thud that made the entire deck shudder. Skuld threw out a hand to steady herself.
The weight of the Heartless dragged it backwards; it slid off the side of the deck, disappearing for a moment into the depths of space.
Silence for a moment. Then cheers and jeers, the crew raising weapons in triumph and shouting about their success.
"That'll teach you to mess with us!"
"What, too scared to take us all on?"
"Go harass some other ship!"
Despite the celebrations, Skuld couldn't quite bring herself to relax. Starlight was still buzzing in her palms, something that screamed danger-danger-danger pinging a warning in the back of her mind.
"Skuld?"
She didn't quite start when Zidane came close to her, but it was a near thing, her attention still focused on the deep expanse of space.
"You're the expert, here," Zidane said slowly. "And you still look a little tense."
"I'm not an expert," she murmured. "Not anymore. But Starlight hasn't calmed down."
"Your Keyblade?"
Skuld nodded.
"…Okay." Zidane took a breath, then lifted his voice and shouted, "Everyone stay on guard!"
The crew fell into a sort of quiet, muddled confusion. Skuld could feel eyes slipping her way, but she didn't quite dare glance at them.
"…Shit."
"Yeah, that doesn't look promising."
"Can we get clear?" Amelia asked; out of the corner of her eye, Skuld caught her running towards the helm.
"Depends on where it is," someone answered. Garret. Navigator. Knows more about the stars than most people on the ship.
"Everyone into positions! Full speed ahead! Keep an eye on the skies and man the cannons."
The thrusters revved.
Something shifted in the darkness.
Skuld narrowed her eyes. Starlight practically vibrated in her palms.
Movement again.
Skuld swung her Keyblade around and shot a fireball. It illuminated the near-invisible figure of the Heartless, twisting just below the ship.
Skuld's heart leapt into her throat. "It's below us!"
"Go!" Amelia shouted.
Skuld sprinted towards the railing.
The boat rocked. The crew let out shouts of alarm. Skuld lost her footing and hit the deck harshly, rolling and sliding until she'd crashed into the railing.
Amelia let out a shout, and the ship rocked a little as she tried to right it. The other crew started trying to get to their feet.
Skuld funneled magic to her feet, rocketing back into a standing position. She shot up the side of the ship before it had even been righted, leaving the rest of the crew behind.
The Heartless's long, serpentine body swirled overhead, snaking over the side of the ship.
Skuld whipped her weapon around, firing off several fireballs at once. They hit the body of the Heartless and drew its attention; it turned towards her with a snarl, jaws snapping open. Light flared along the Heartless's body and pooled in its jaws.
The ship rocked and then shot forward.
Skuld's hands shot out as if she could grab something to keep her steady. Magic burned through her chest and feet, and then—
She slipped.
"Skuld!"
Skuld stretched a hand outwards, but there was nothing to grab, this time. She tumbled, down, down, down, darkness wrapping around her.
It meant that she fell right past the Heartless's attack; all she could do was stare in a sort of slow-motion tumble, watching as it struck the ship solidly in the side.
She thought she screamed, probably. She thought she might've tried to fling her Keyblade around, too, but couldn't quite manage to do anything.
(It felt almost familiar, in a way—she thought she could almost remember some dim, dark place, debris falling down around her as she stared helplessly.)
A shift, at the side of the ship. Small shapes flickering into space. Shouting that reached her even through the ringing in her ears. Lifeboats. They still have a chance. They could be okay.
(A dark room. Lifeboats, ready to be used. A small group of friends, staring helplessly at a screen. A panic in her chest as she watches two of her friends choose to stay behind. "I'm not leaving you two here.")
I need to do something. I need to distract the Heartless.
…I don't know if I'm close enough.
Skuld lifted her Keyblade, trying to ignore the way her body shook, the way cold seeped into her bones, the way something seemed to drag on her chest and pulled her down. Her Keyblade sparked and flickered, bright in the darkness of space.
For a moment, she didn't think that the Heartless would notice. And then, slowly, it turned. Its mouth twitched into something of a snarl. Light flared along its side.
Terror squeezed her chest; she couldn't get away from this, couldn't fight back, couldn't protect herself—
(A friend standing over her, Keyblade raised, eye daring someone behind her to act. She couldn't do anything. She was so tired.)
Something moved in her peripheral vision. "Skuld!" someone shouted, the distant sound growing closer. "Hey!"
"Z—Zidane?"
A lifeboat was streaking towards her. Jim had a focused look on his face, driving the lifeboat closer. Zidane was waving frantically. He extended his hand, a vaguely hopeful, terrified question on his face: Will you take it?
Skuld took a breath and reached back.
Zidane grinned, relieved, and dragged her onto the lifeboat.
Skuld collapsed against the bottom, shuddering, trying to focus on breathing.
"You okay?"
"The—the Heartless—"
Zidane whipped around. "Shit—yeah, that thing's still coming—"
"The others," Jim started, glancing back at the ship. "What are they—"
Energy collected in the Heartless's jaws.
Skuld didn't think—she lunged, hands pushing down on the lifeboat's thruster, hoping that it would be enough to get them away. Jim cursed quietly, trying to redirect the lifeboat and keep them steady.
The Heartless fired.
They didn't get away—not quick enough, not careful enough to avoid the full force of the blast. The energy hit the side of the tiny ship and sent them spiraling. Skuld gripped the edge of the boat as they tumbled, over and over and over.
"Shit." Jim pulled hard on the sails, pushing the thruster, desperately doing what he could to right them. "We need somewhere to land!"
Zidane lifted his head and squinted. For a moment he was silent, head darting back and forth frantically. Then his attention snapped to the side, and he shouted, "There!"
Skuld followed his gaze. Not too far below them was a small, blue world, a couple of patches of greenery barely visible on its surface.
Jim hit the thrusters and angled their ship downwards. Smoke trailed from the back end; the sails whipped back and forth, loose, and Skuld took a breath and lunged for them, trying her best to keep them open.
The world was approaching—fast, fast, too fast, the ground growing closer—
"Jim!" Zidane shouted, voice pitched high with worry.
"I'm trying!" He pulled up with a shout, hands gripping the lever tightly. Skuld closed her eyes and braced for impact.
The lifeboat leveled out, slightly, and for half a moment, Skuld almost thought that they'd get back into the air. And then the bottom hit the ground, bouncing, jolting all of them as they held on desperately. They bounced again, and again, and on the third time Skuld was thrown free, toppling over and over herself. The world spun in a wild blur, and her heart leapt into her throat; she had a brief moment to worry about where she'd land and where the others were going to be when she hit the ground.
Pain shot through her back and arm. Her momentum kept her going, and she barely had time to register what had happened before she'd thudded heavily against something rough and solid. Her head cracked against the ground and spots flickered across her eyes. Her hearing rang, and it took her a few moments to realize she'd rolled to a stop. She law there a few moments, dizzy and disoriented, blinking as she tried to keep track of where she was.
Something—something was coming towards her. Someone was coming towards her, blurry and indistinct. She wanted to rub her eyes but couldn't quite convince her hands to move.
He was—he was a familiar figure, she thought. White hair and a red scarf. "I know you," she said, and her voice came out somewhat distant; it almost sounded like she was under water.
The boy gave her a relieved, terrified sort of smile. The image flickered and broke, and—
There was something else there. A—a fox, she thought, looking at her with something close to panic. Warmth radiated off her, and Skuld almost thought she could taste magic on her tongue.
But the world was still blurry, and she was tired, and she was having trouble hearing things, and—
And it was easier just to rest.
-"Hey!"
Skuld shifted a little. Sunlight flickered across her face, warm and inviting. The grass was soft underneath her, and she absently flexed her fingers, combing them through it. The scent of flowers filled her nose, and she scrunched it and tried not to sneeze. She blinked, and then winced, squinting in the sunlight.
Where did that voice come from?
She pushed herself into a sitting position slowly. She was sitting on a hill (again). Down below was a familiar town. (Daybr—)
"Come on, Skuld! You just going to lay out here all day?"
A smile tugged on her lips. "Weren't you the one who fell asleep out here?"
A bright laugh. "Hey, I couldn't help it! It was warm. Besides, you fell asleep, too."
"Mm." She pulled her knees to her chest, resting her arms across the top of them.
Her friend settled beside her. She gave him a quick, side-eyed look. He seemed—tired. Despite the smile, dark circles were smudged underneath his eyes, and he fidgeted with his scarf, expression focused on some point in the distance.
"How'd your mission go?"
Her friend started. "Huh?"
"That's what you left to do, right?"
"Oh." He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess I did, huh?"
She frowned and poked his side.
"Hey!"
"Did you actually go on a mission?"
"Well…" He scratched a cheek. "I might've agreed to help with a project?"
She leveled him an unimpressed look.
"It's not a big one! It's just—we wanted to figure out some new training methods. Magic dummies, you know?"
"So should I be yelling at (Brain) or you?"
"Uh. Neither?"
She released a frustrated sigh. "You were supposed to be resting."
"I was. Kind of. Besides, a mission wouldn't be resting, either."
"Yeah, but—it's different."
Her friend fell quiet. "Yeah," he admitted. "It is."
They sat in silence for several long moments. Skuld stared at the horizon, focused on the bright light of the setting sun.
"Sometimes," her friend murmured, "I wish these moments could last forever."
She shot him a side-eyed look.
"Just hanging out with friends. It'd be nice, to be able to spend time with the others without all the responsibilities hanging over our head."
Skuld made a quiet hum of acknowledgement. "It's so peaceful out here," she whispered. "It's easy to forget—everything."
"Yeah." Her friend took a deep breath, the sound rattling in his ribcage. "But nothing lasts forever, I guess. Things change." He had a distant look on his face as he focused on the town below. "How different do you think it'll be, years from now?"
Skuld glanced at their home. "I don't know," she murmured. "I guess that depends on us."
"And us?"
"…I guess that depends on us, too."
"Right." Her friend laughed, but it was a bit of a fragile thing. "I guess all we can do," he murmured, "is make the most of the time we have."
The sunlight flickered, wavering at the edge of the world. The sky turned red, slowly, heralding an oncoming storm.
Something clawed at Skuld's chest and throat. Her eyes burned, and for a moment, it felt like something had grabbed her, squeezing so tightly that she couldn't react. "I want them back," she whispered. "I want you back."
"I know," her friend said, and his voice was gentle. "But it's going to be okay. You can't keep some things forever—but the memories are still there. Don't be afraid."
Her friend was leaving. He was leaving, and—there, behind him, the others. A pink-haired boy with a kind smile. A boy with a hat that just barely hid his tired eyes. A younger kid, bright-eyed and warm hearted, beaming at her.
Skuld scrambled to her feet. "Wait—"
The world felt like it was crumbling underneath her feet, and she didn't know where to run to.
Her friend turned back to her. His eyes were sad but warm; they looked older, somehow, like he'd aged centuries in minutes. "It's okay."
A name. She knew his name. Why couldn't she just say his name?
"I'll see you again, alright?"
The world broke apart.
"Eph—!"
-"…right?"
"…know…sleep for…pretty hard…"
"Hey, I think…waking up."
Skuld's head throbbed. She blinked, then winced, screwing her eyes shut. The light made her head swim, nausea turning her stomach. She took a few steadying breaths, then tried opening her eyes again. The light still hurt, but it wasn't quite as bad, and she propped herself up slowly.
Zidane flashed her a grim sort of smile. "Welcome back to the land of the living."
Skuld pressed a hand to her forehead. "Where's—what—?" She squinted, trying to reach back through foggy memories. "The Heartless. What did—?"
"I don't know," Jim said; he was sitting some distance away, staring at a collection of broken metal. The lifeboat.
(Vague flashes of a broken machine, of a vibrant city full of flowers, of someone she thought she should know but didn't.)
"We're trapped here."
"Yeah. Looks that way."
"The crew…?"
"I don't know." Jim took a breath and buried his head in his hands. "We're—we need to find out where we are. We need to see if there are locals here and if they know about other worlds."
"If?" Skuld repeated.
"Not all worlds are inhabited."
"Don't think I'd worry too much about this one," Zidane commented. "Pretty sure that I heard people earlier. Besides, it's tropical—even if no one lives here, there has to be tourists, right?"
Skuld blinked, and slowly took in her surroundings for the first time. Tall palm trees. A warm, humid climate. The smell of salt in the air. If she tilted her head, she thought she could catch the sound of people talking somewhere in the distance.
"That doesn't necessarily mean anything," Jim said, but there was something almost hopeful in his voice.
"Sure, sure, be pessimistic. At least it's not the worst place to be stranded on."
Jim pressed his hands to his face and took a slow breath. "If they know about other worlds," he said, voice tightly controlled, "then we'll send out a distress signal. If they don't, then—then I'll figure something out."
The initial shock was fading with her headache, and a pit was slowly forming in her stomach.
(You sure you want to be sending letters to Radiant Garden, Dandelion?)
"How long will we be stuck here?"
"I don't know. Just—we'll figure things out, okay? We just—we just need to take the next step. We just need to—" Jim stopped, his hands shaking. He pressed them slowly together, as if that would stop them. "Shit. Shit, damn it. What if the others—" He broke off and shook his head roughly.
Skuld stood, half intending to approach him, and was hit by a sudden wave of vertigo. She stumbled into a tree trunk, gripping it to support herself.
"Hey, hey," Zidane said, half-hovering around her, "maybe don't move too much yet, okay?"
Jim's attention snapped towards her.
Skuld stared at him. Something felt like it caught in her throat. "I'm sorry." (She wasn't entirely sure what she was apologizing for—for the crew maybe being gone? For maybe being the reason the Heartless had attacked them? For the fact that she was going to leave them again?
Maybe all three.)
Jim gave her a long, long look, then turned away, his shoulders sinking. "You two stay here," he said. "I'm going to look around."
"Alone?" Zidane asked.
"I know more about this sort of thing than either of you." He pushed himself to his feet and brushed himself off, then disappeared into the trees without looking back.
"Wait—" Skuld started to follow, but her head spun, and she tilted sideways. Her hands brushed rough bark, and she hissed quietly, leaning against the tree for support.
"Sit down," Jim said, and when he turned, there was something frustrated and worried in his expression. "You've done enough."
Skuld's shoulders hitched.
"Hey…" Zidane said, looking vaguely worried.
"I—"
"What do you mean?"
Jim started. "Don't—don't worry about it."
Skuld, for her part, was just surprised at how calm her voice came out. "What do you mean?" she repeated, something tense and scared and almost angry in her chest.
"Skuld—"
"I didn't do anything this time."
"You were going to leave." Jim almost looked like he'd regretted talking, but he didn't stop. "And maybe you should have. That Heartless was coming after you, right? You and your Keyblade. And you knew it."
"I didn't ask for it to follow me."
"Does that matter? People might be dead because of—"
"Hey," Zidane said firmly, stepping between them. "I think we're all a little tense right now. Maybe we should save talking about this until later."
"I was going to—"
"Jim. Go."
Jim had a frustrated, angry look on his face, but he stepped back and left, anyways.
Skuld's hands shook.
(He was right. He was right, because—because if she was a Keyblade wielder, maybe she had asked for it. She didn't know much about how apprenticeship worked, but maybe she'd requested someone to bequeath her. It felt right, in the same way that Starlight did in her hands, and if she'd asked to be a Keyblade wielder, then—)
"I can't stay here."
"Wait a minute—"
"I need to—I'm finding a way off this world." She turned, then grimaced as her head spun, fingernails scratching against tree bark.
"You're going to sit down and rest."
"I don't have time. If they come because of my Keyblade, then—and the crew's probably still out there—and Lea and Isa, the letter said—" Her thoughts felt fractured and jumbled, all colliding against each other in a way she couldn't parse apart.
"Look, he's just angry and needs someone to blame—and it didn't help that you pressed." Zidane raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe he should be angry."
She expected a retort, but Zidane stayed quiet for several moments.
Skuld started to move again, using the tree to support her weight.
But Zidane called after her, and it made her still: "Someone kidnapped you, didn't they? Or trapped you, anyways. That's how you lost your memories."
The words wrapped around Skuld's chest and squeezed like a vice. "What are you talking about?"
"Someone hurt you," Zidane continued, quiet, and she could half imagine him with hands hovering close, not quite willing to touch because he knew she'd strike back. "And considering you only recently realized you had your Keyblade, I'm thinking you blame yourself for it."
Skuld whipped towards him and ignored how the world blurred. "What does that have to do with—"
"You didn't deserve it, you know."
The words died on Skuld's tongue.
"And we'd help, if you let us. But you have to let us."
Skuld's eyes burned and, suddenly, it felt like she was drowning, the words washing over her and dragging her under. "Why?" she asked, and the words tasted sour in her mouth. "Why do you keep asking to help?"
"Because you look like you need it."
"There has to be a reason."
(But she knew that wasn't always true. She knew, because Lea and Isa had kept coming to visit her for no reason at all.
But Xehanort had always needed a reason, some bitter part of her whispered, and she couldn't quite let that thought go.)
"That is the reason. But if you want something better: fine. I decided to help you back on Gaia because I was curious. I helped you after that because it felt like the right thing. And now I'm helping you because I'd like to think we're friends." He stared at her expectantly.
Skuld stared back and didn't know what to say.
(She thought of Xehanort. She thought of Lea and Isa. She thought of her missing memories and the people she'd left behind.)
"We're not friends," she said, and she barely registered that the brittle, quiet voice was hers. "It's better if we aren't."
(I haven't had a great track record with friends.)
Zidane's shoulders slumped, but he didn't look surprised.
Skuld took a stumbling step back. Then another. Then she turned and left, near silent, ignoring how she felt like the world was going to fall out from underneath her.
Starlight flickered into her hands almost without her consent. She stared at it for half a beat, then used it as a crutch, hobbling away from the place they'd landed until her feet finally gave out from under her. She sank heavily to her knees, her eyes and chest burning, and then just kneeled there, exhausted.
Pink fire flickered in front of her. The fox materialized, watching her with an expression that she almost thought might be concerned.
If Skuld thought hard enough, she thought she remembered seeing a flash of pink before she'd passed out. "You did something, didn't you?"
The fox glanced away.
"Thought so." Skuld took a shaky inhale. "Hey," she murmured, "can you get off world? Or do you only stick around me?"
The fox tilted her head towards her.
Something terrified rose in her chest, the ghost of Subject X screaming at her not to do what she was about to do. She pushed her down stubbornly, a grim, brittle, angry sort of determination burning in her throat. I couldn't protect the crew. I got Zidane and Jim stranded here. I don't know what happened to my other friends. But I'm not going to let Lea and Isa be hurt, too. "I need to send a message to someone. Can you get it there?"
The fox stared at her for several long, long moments. After a beat she nodded slowly.
"Good. Then—then I need something to write on."
-Xehanort,
The fox knows where I am. Come and find me.
Subject X
Have I mentioned that I don't like writing fight scenes? Because I'm not the biggest fan of writing fight scenes. So this chapter definitely, uh…fought me.
Also, thank you to Lacan Shinn for reviewing last chapter! For the review response: Skuld definitely was doing a little better last chapter! Unfortunately, this one brought about enough bad memories that she's…not in a great place. She backslid a little bit, but I think that's understandable, given the situation. And I'm glad you liked the way I handled how time works between worlds! And I'm glad the chapter was able to resonate with you. Yeah, by 'hectic,' I meant the move, which went okay.