Chapter Eleven: Duty
Vexen strode through the dark portal, satisfied. "That analysis went rather well."
"Do you have enough data to produce a replica in his likeness?" Marluxia asked.
"It will be enough to create a being who would seem to be him, however, he would not know enough of himself." The academic smirked. "It is fortunate then, that those memories are superfluous to our purposes."
"Indeed. The less he knows the better for our…" Zexion paused, sniffing the air intently.
"An intruder?" Lexeaus asked from his post.
"Possibly...it's different, but I cannot mistake that odor." The schemer nodded, "A being of pure light is here."
He watched from beyond darkness. Saw the intruder arrive...and then memories stirred.
"How...how can she be here?!"
His mind turned toward the object he held. Often he had wondered why he still kept the blade.
Perhaps her arrival here was not a coincidence.
…
He would see for himself.
"At the very least, I must look after her."
Kairi looked around at the pale white corridor she had found herself in. Refined, yet so utterly blank. The door of light vanished behind her. "Looks like I'm committed to this." So she began to call out. "Sora? Riku?" An echo was her only response. "Anyone?" Then from behind her she heard the tell tale swirl of darkness she heard so much in Sora's heart. Wheeling around, she saw the shadows fall from the miasma. She looked at the toy sword in her hands. She remembered all too well that Sora's attempts to fight heartless with the sword did nothing.
But magic did. She knew she had some kind of spiritual power. From what she had heard of the other Princesses of Heart, they were able to hold back the heartless with that sort of power. Of course, she had the advantage of watching Sora learn magic from within his heart. She could recall some of the basics. Right? Like fire, fire was simple. Just focus on the concept of heat...draw on the magic within her and-
"What are you doing here?"
"Aah!" Though the ethereal voice startled her, the mental jolt was enough for the magic to manifest. Thus the shadow was engulfed in flame.
"You must lea-"
"Hey, could you wait a minute!?" Kairi shouted as the other heartless made a lunge for her. She backed up and focused on casting again. The spell came quicker, now that she understood the feeling a bit better. A few moments later, the heartless evaporated from the flame.
The stern voice spoke again. "Magic can damage them greatly, but without a keyblade, they will not die. If you linger, they will return in greater numbers. Leave, now."
Kairi shook her head. "No. Not without my friends."
"You do not know what lies ahead. What twisted machinations lie beyond." The voice that spoke was not impressed. "It would be better for you to leave Castle Oblivion behind. To wait for them to return to you."
She frowned as she processed the words of warning, "You said that people here have some kind of plan. My friends, Sora and Riku...they're a part of that?"
A moment of silence, then "Yes, they are."
The answer then became incredibly easy for her. "Then there's no way I'm leaving. I'm not going to be left behind when Sora and Riku are in trouble."
The voice sighed in resignation, "There is power within you, to be sure. But you will hardly be able to use it with a stick." Suddenly, there was a flash of light.
"This might suffice far better."
As her vision cleared, Kairi saw on the ground something familiar. Though flowers entwined around it, the shape was unmistakable. "A keyblade? How did you-"
"A story for another time. Know this. If you take this, I will no longer be able to hide you from the forces in this castle."
She didn't hesitate. "I've had enough of staying out of the way." Taking the keyblade in her hands, she felt the strength flow directly from her heart. It felt...almost nostalgic.
"Well said, Kairi."
She blinked in confusion, "Wait...How did you know my name?" for once, the only thing that answered was her own echo. "Hello?" Now she received a response, unfortunately it was in the form of Heartless soldiers appearing from the darkness. Wasting no time she swung her Keyblade into the oncoming heartless. "Hang on guys. I'm coming."
With a few more strokes of the crayon on the page, and Leon's hair was finally fully colored, and with it her current drawings. Taking a moment to shake the ache from her hand, Naminé closed the book and packed it away. With the time that had passed. Ventus and Yuffie had come and gone, depending on their whims or, more likely, how much they had annoyed Cid. At the moment, Ventus was sitting with her, watching her put away the notepad. "All done."
She nodded. "For now...Though, I've got a few more ideas for some things I'd like to draw...Like this castle."
Ventus frowned. "You sure you want to remember it like this? When it's still so..warped?"
Naminé pursed her lips, then answered, "I think that I should. It's not good to forget something, even if it hurts. And besides," A small smile came to her lips. "It helps the happy memories have more meaning. Don't you think?"
He considered her words, "Yeah, I just…" then sighed "Some of the bad memories I've got...It feels like they take away some of the best ones." He stared into the distance, then perked up. "But, it's not like they're gone forever right? Like...well this castle. We'll help build it up again, good as new." Ventus then thought a bit. "Hey, maybe I could fly us out there, now that the skies are clearer. It'd give you a better view of the castle."
She shook her head and smiled. "No, that's alright. I can remember it very clearly." That was one of the advantages of seeing Sora's memories after all. As he once looked up at the castle of stone and steel, so could she. She saw iron chimneys and smoke, winding towers, the ivory spires, the clock face…
Wait, what?
In her mind's eye she saw it, the castle where Sora faced Maleficent and Ansem, but flitting in and out was another castle. Clean and unbroken, a citadel worthy of the name Radiant Garden.
"What's that doing here?"
Ventus's comment broke her concentration. "Huh?"
He pointed out toward the sky, where she saw some black...thing swirling in the wind. "There, in the sky, can't quite make it out."
"Do you think it's a heartless?" Aerith's voice spoke as she walked outside with Yuffie.
"Wouldn't surprise me if there were a few stragglers we missed" The ninja spoke as she walked closer to the balcony. She looked up to the shadowy shape, squinting her eyes. "Looks like...a raven? I think it's carrying something..." As she spoke, the bird began to descend, until it's form and cargo was clearly visible.
"Is that a cloak?" Naminé asked in confusion, spotting the item the raven grasped in its talons. "Why would it be carrying that?" The raven, hovering before the group, looked them over. Then as it's eyes landed on Ventus, it landed on the ground, and released the shroud.
It almost...seemed pleased.
The boy stepped forward. "Wait a minute...I've seen that raven before." He scrutinized the bird, then his eyes widened in recognition, "Yeah, he was hanging around that evil witch...what was her name...MaleficAAAGH!" He was cut off by the hand which had shot out of the now glowing cloak, gripping his throat.
"So...You almost done?"
The old mechanic grumbled. "I swear Squall, what part of 'I want some quiet to focus' don't you understand?!"
The mercenary winced in response, "I thought I told you, I don't want to be called by that until-"
"Until we have our home back." Cid finished, as he made a few adjustments to the machinery. "Well, it's looking like we've got it, so I don't know why you still insist on using that name."
In response, the young man looked around. "I don't know about you, but I don't think this dump is anything close to a home."
"Well, it's closer than we've been in the past ten years. So I think we should take it. Still, if you insist, that's up to you." A few minutes later, and the mechanic closed up the panel to the castle's machinery. "Now, if I've done everything right, this'll begin to draw the water back up into the castle without something exploding." He walked over to the main control unit, flipped some switches, and held his breath.
…
"Well, sounds like things are finally looking up."
"CID, LEON, YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!" Yuffie's scream from the balcony caused the two men to rush outside.
Cid growled. "I swear Yuffie, whatever this is it better be important!" But as he walked out to see the scene outside, his agitation died.
Because seeing the villain that had driven everyone from their home alive and well was incredibly important. Especially when they were holding a hostage by the neck. "I suppose I must thank you boy. For playing a role in my return." Maleficent spoke to her captive, who was thrashing around to get free.
"Let...Me...GO!" Straining, Ventus managed to manifest his keyblade, and use its reversed grip to catch the witch off guard with a slash to the chest. Crying out in pain she released Ventus, who backed up to his friends, who had their weapons readied.
Looking at the boy, the witch smiled in recognition, "Hold on...ah yes, you were that boy with the keyblade from ten years ago. And barely aged a day."
Aerith remained incredulous "How...how are you alive?!"
Maleficent chuckled, "It is said that one never truly dies as long as they are not forgotten. That is especially true for beings like me. Though I admit, I did not expect to return so soon."
"So, do you remember me? Maybe I should remind you?" Leon charged forward, and brought his gunblade down toward the witch's head.
Only to find it parried by the staff which had appeared in Maleficent's hands, "Oh you must forgive me, I'm afraid I can't just be expected to remember every sell-sword who's had the misfortune of being in my way." She brought the staff down with a resounding *CRACK* and in a flash of dark flame, the part of the balcony ground she stood on separated from the building. Despite the various spells shuriken and bullets sent her way, the dark flames burned them away, keeping her safe. "However, it seems that this place is no longer welcome to me. I will need to do my work elsewhere for the time being. Come, my pet." she held her hand out to her faithful servant, who gladly landed on her hand. With a wave of the staff, she disappeared with the rock into darkness.
Ventus looked from where the witch had once been to the rest of the group, everyone shaken by the sudden resurrection. "You...you know her."
Leon nodded, "She's the one who took over this world and infested it with heartless. Though with the dent you, Naminé, and Sora made to the population, it's no wonder she decided to leave. "
"She took over?" the boy seemed puzzled. "What for?"
Aerith's face was grim, "It's more than that...she was looking all across the worlds for the princesses of heart. Trying to create some kind of strange keyblade."
"Creating a keyblade from hearts of...pure...light…" a horrified look filled Ventus' face. "...no…"
Naminé looked over to him, concerned. "What's wrong?"
"I need to go after her! If she gets her hands on that keyblade there's no telling what will happen!"
Unseen by all, beings on the edge of nothing had been observing the exchange, and many of them went to report to their masters.
Xemnas processed the news and asked, "You are certain she has returned?"
Axel nodded, "Oh, absolutely. Hard to mistake it for someone else when she has that sort of magic."
Larxene shrugged, "We knew Maleficent would be back. Fae always come back as long as somebody remembers them in their presence. Probably why she's been fighting those three for so long. Nobody really dies."
"Still, didn't expect the old hag to return so soon." Xigbar spoke from his seat, "My guess? she'll try to regroup back in her old headquarters in the Enchanted Dominion."
"So, you want us to take care of that, boss? Or are we still stuck with recon?" Axel listened intently for the verdict.
Saïx spoke clearly, "Maintain observation of the keyblade wielders outside Castle Oblivion. We will dispatch another to monitor Maleficent."
Larxene groaned, "Suit yourself. Though I hope you've got someone competent in mind to take care of this." And with that, she vanished from her seat in a dark portal. Axel followed suit.
"She's got a point you know." The freeshooter spoke up to the leader of the organization. "Are you sure he's up for this? Even if he does have a keyblade, they're a bit green for something this high profile."
"Which is why you will be accompanying them for this mission." The superior spoke.
Xigbar rolled his eye and was about to open his mouth, when they were joined by one of their recruits. "Sorry I'm late. I didn't know there was a meeting."
"Not to worry. In fact your timing is fortuitous. There is an urgent matter we would like for you to deal with."