Final Fantasy XV - Kingdom Hearts

Part 58

Summary: Two warriors of Light, the Chosen King and Keyblade Master, face an unseen Darkness.

*Land of Departure*

Walking through the empty halls with only the sound of footsteps echoing in the building, the silence was mercifully broken as the sunlight shined through the glass windows.

She hoped coming back she would have felt something different this time, something she hadn't felt for a place in a long time. The only good feeling she got here was the excitement and hope that she was no longer alone anymore, that another of her past would awaken and re-join her. Without it, the feelings she had when she first set foot here again came back.

Loneliness…pain…and the darkness tainting her home.

Even when she stood outside the castle she felt a horrible chill race down her spine, knowing that spot was where her master had unfairly perished. His final resting ground in an unmarked grave, only known by his three students.

Aqua heaves a deep sigh as she climbed the stairs up to the throne room, looking at the seat where she was forced to leave her best friend for his safety. The very room where she should have felt a strong sense of pride, joy, and accomplishment, in this very room she was announced and recognized as a keyblade master. But now whenever she looks around in this place, all she could recall was nothing but fighting here, for her life and her friend.

A place that was forced to be stained by the footprints of a cruel and heartless person, one of the people who tore her family apart like paper.

Every step she takes here she feels more and more of her memories becoming tainted with pain. Would she even be able to live here again without the nightmares? Her own home that she grew up in and she fears just walking around it would trigger her nightmares. She feared Ventus and Terra wouldn't even be able to set foot upon this world after everything that's happened to them.

"So, this is your home, huh?", Gladiolus says, looking around the place with awe. She turned to see the man looking around the open area, eyes glowed with intrigue and awe at the majestic castle. A smile creeps on her face when he whistled at the overall fantasy-like place out of a storybook. Upon arrival to this world, Gladiolus was like a child seeing a new candy store, the way his mouth dropped at the marvelous sight of the landscape, the beauty of this world and of course the castle itself.

"Yes", she says with a smile, "This is my home".

The shield whistled again when he sees the stained glasses that shined down on the cleared space. "Damn, talk about living up in the high life", he comments with a smirk, "You sure Kairi's the princess?".

The woman giggled softly before nodding, "I'm far from being royalty, I can assure you". The weight of this world's tragic history is lifted from the master's heart, the guardian's words comfort her and bring serenity to her concerns albeit however short it may be.

She did hate that they had to leave early in the morning without so much as a goodbye to their friends, but the sooner they get what is needed and start their training the better. Luckily neither had drunk too much to worry about any ramifications and after she packed them basic needs just in case for an overnight stay while he wrestled up some food for them. Aqua didn't get her GP yet nor was Gladiolus' phone of any use outside of Eos, so they'd have to use the ship's communicator when she gets the chance.

She cleared her throat and told him to follow her to her master's study room. If her memory served her well, everything they would need to know about the keyblade, and the training methods would be there for them along with some other lessons for Noctis' group. Guiding through the halls as Gladiolus takes everything in Aqua quietly ponders on how so little has changed here along with there being no evidence of anyone setting foot here.

Then she remembers her world was quite isolated compared to others, being so far apart when the worlds were restored.

"Hey Blue, been meaning to ask ya", Gladiolus says as he joins her side, "Did you live here all your life?". Aqua looks at him confused before he shrugs. "I mean from day one when you were born?", he clarifies. This makes her hum as she turned her head back to the path ahead before speaking. "Not entirely no. I was taken in by Eraqus when I was six…that's when I met Terra for the first time". Aqua lets out a "huh" sound, it had been so long since she had thought back to the days before her arrival.

From the day she met Eraqus, to the day she been declared a master, she never thought back to her childhood. A tug on her heart made itself known to her as she placed a hand on it, looking down and stopping. Gladiolus waits for her with a raised brow, the woman then says: "I…don't remember much…".

"Nothing at all? Your parents? Hell, your homeworld?", he says. "…I remember bits and pieces", Aqua confesses, continuing their walk. "My world is a little vague, but I do remember it was a little village, nearby a castle", she starts before a small smile appeared. Slowly the sleeping memories within her heart begin to flutter to life and resurface, fragments of her past. She hadn't thought of her home in years, even calling it "home" was a bit of an overstatement as this world, however, tainted by bad memories it was, in her home after all.

"It was so quiet and small there, I remember living by a stream with my mother…don't remember my blood father, and I feel like there was a good reason why", she says as they climb another set of stairs. "It was just me and my mother most of the time, save for a few visitors".

Her mother…a woman she had forgotten about. A pang of pain hit her heart for a moment before she frowns. She remembers little of her, only scraps of her memories of the woman. Aqua knows she got her blue hair from her along with her gentle and kind heart, but she remembers she loved to bake pies, she always smelled of herbal soaps that she couldn't place, and nary a time there was a smile on her face.

"What was your mom like?", Gladiolus asked. "Kind…she loves to bake pastries like pies, cakes…other things like that", Aqua says fondly, "I think that's how we used to make munny. Any spares we had; she'd let me have a slice of each". She remembered the smells of those delicious foods; the strawberry and blueberry pies make her stomach growl softly. Part of her wondered if the reason she had taken the role of cooking during her training was because of her mother.

Or maybe she just really wanted more pies. It could be that.

As they approached the door to her master's study, she placed a hand on the ornate door and lowered her head. Gladiolus looked worriedly at her as her eyes darkened with sadness. "…I remember, the day I had to leave home…".

She opens the door and begins to retell her story…

*Twenty-two years ago, *

A six-year-old Aqua was skipping across the small river, playing hopscotch with herself as she carefully hopped from one small stepping stone to the other. Counting each hop, she makes with a small "ahh" or "whoa" escaping her little mouth with each shake of her balance.

She stuck her tongue out in concentration as she was balancing shakily on her right leg and was leaning just a bit too much backward. With a small grunt, she leans forward and hops onto the next stone with a small yell. She grins victoriously and with two more hops, she reaches the other side of the small lake with a cheer.

She has defeated the "broken bridge" and its nefarious water creatures swimming in the giant lake.

The child blows raspberries at the lake before skipping off back to her cottage where her mother resides. She couldn't wait to tell her mother about her amazing battle. No taller than a chair, Aqua's blue hair was longer and messier than she would ever do in the future, wearing a dark blue summer dress with her "adventure" boots covered in mud and bits of leaves sticking to the soles.

Happily skipping down the hill overseeing the cottage ahead of her on their small land, Aqua beamed when she, even at a distance like this, smells her mother's pastries. Nothing like an amazing pie after a heroic battle to make the day even better and her small legs carried her to her home.

Racing to the door, she opens it and proudly declares: "Mama, I'm home!".

Where once her mother would immediately turn to her daughter with that wonderful smile and instantly wrap her daughter up in a hug, this time she merely stood by the stove in silence. The little girl's smile dims to a pout as she approaches her mother. Despite her towering over the smaller human, Aqua gently tugs on her apron. "Mama?", she asked. Her mother turned to her daughter and then breaks a small on her face, except Aqua could see it was a strain.

The woman was quite old even when Aqua was a child, not old and wrinkly but well into her autumn years for certain. Her aquatic blue hair had glimmers of white within them all tied into a neat little bun, grey-blue eyes that the girl loved seeing whenever she laughs. Wearing an old set of robes, a nightgown in her world, with her chef's apron protecting them, or as Aqua calls it her "cooking armor".

"Welcome home, dear", greeted the mother, as if she had just noticed her daughter. The child blinks with a tilt of her head as her mother pets her. "Mama? Are you ok?", asked the child. "I'm fine sweetie", the mother assures weakly, "Just a little…". The words could not be spoken as the mother kneels and gently wrapped her arms around her daughter's small frame. Aqua instantly hugs her back, thinking maybe she just needs a hug to feel better. It's one of the best ways her mother cheers her up.

A set of footsteps enter the cottage and somehow the hug becomes even tighter as Aqua tried to look and see who their visitor was. She hoped it wasn't a costumer, she already made dibs on the first pie. When they broke the hug, her mother greets the visitor. Aqua follows her mother's gaze to see Eraqus standing in the door frame with what looked to be a large case beside him. The little girl frowns, that old beat-up leather box was hers.

The old man gives the mother a look of genuine regret as if what he was about to do was the worst thing he could ever do to this woman.

"Caeruleum…", he says, low. The woman nods and then looks back at her daughter. Aqua looks up to her mother with questions before she kneels before her daughter. "Aqua…do you remember Master Eraqus?", she starts.

She nods slowly, remembering the man was a friend her mother and whenever she could get the chance to play with him, he was always telling her stories. "He's a teacher too…a-and, he says he wants to mentor you".

"Mentor"?", the little girl questions, the word going over her head. Her mother giggled softly, used to her daughter's small vocabulary. "It means he's going to be your teacher, dearest. He says you have great potential in you, and wants to help", she clarifies.

Aqua sticks her tongue out, a teacher means she would have to go to that bad place called "school", and she hated it there. She liked being homeschooled, she could spend all her time learning stuff with her mother and not be teased by the bigger kids. "But mama, I don't wanna go to school!", the little girl pouts.

"No sweetie, it won't be a school…its, more of…a different home school…", the mother explains delicately as more of her smile cracks. She gently brushes her daughter's hair out of her face, eyes shimmering and Aqua feels her own grow wet. "You will have to go with Eraqus for this education, my dearest".

"F-For how long, mama?", she squeaks.

Even behind them, Eraqus looks away, the duty that must be performed tore into his heart. Caeruleum says nothing as she places both hands on her daughter's shoulders. "I don't know", she confesses. This does little to soothe the child's fears as she shook her head, whimpering with lips quivering. "B-But, you're coming with me, right?", she begged. "I can't, Aqua", her mother says.

Aqua shakes her head and buried her face onto her mother. "NO! I DON'T WANNA GO!", she shouts, muffled by her mother's shoulders, "I'M STAYING WITH YOU MAMA!". Caeruleum holds her daughter tightly as the child bawls her eyes out, begging for her mother to keep her here, where she belonged. Aqua's mind raced with all the horrible possibilities that could have led up to this choice, was her mother angry at her? Did she do something wrong to make her not love her anymore?

She cried, apologized and begged her mother to let her stay here yet her mother with tears running down her eyes could not grant that wish. Soon enough Eraqus was given no choice but to take the girl by force after the mother gave her daughter one more hug and wished her good luck.

Aqua remembers she was screaming and crying the whole time she was taken away from her home, her whole world swept from beneath her. She struggled against Eraqus, threatening to bite him and kicked him several times as she cried for her mother to rescue her, yet all she did was stand by her home and watch as her daughter was taken with tears running down her eyes.

For the first time, Aqua had truly hated her master…

*Present Day*

"After that…I spent the next week crying in my room…hating every moment I was trapped here", she says with her hand still on the doorknob. Pain etched on her flawless features as she tries her hardest to swallow that lump in her throat. Behind her Gladiolus had his arms crossed his chest with his head down in thought, taking in her story.

"Holy shit…", he says finally, "Sounds like you were kidnapped, with the way you described it". In many ways she was, and no matter how hard she tried to wrap her mind around it and justify it, Aqua was kidnapped and taken from her homeworld.

So many years had passed, and yet now after what was close to twenty-five years now since then. She hadn't thought about her mother or home since she eventually accepted her place was nowhere, and her old life was nothing more than a life that could never be lived through, her family was Terra and Eraqus now. However, as a child, she persisted in demanding Eraqus take her to see her mother again and thought that maybe if she did well enough to progress her training he'd reward her with a visit to her mother.

But every time she brought it up to him, he would deny her request and plead with her to focus on her training. Thinking back to it, he was quite cruel to her now that she had a greater view on the worlds and after every experience had helped her grow. In time, she shamefully says now, she gave up on seeing her home and mother again and simply accepted her old life was gone. And the rest was history…

Aqua musters up a deep sigh and opened the door, saying: "It's in the past…lets just move on".

Inside the room with a silent Gladiolus, they already begin to pack up the books required for the training. It was a very strange thing for Aqua, rummaging through her master's old room. On one hand, she feels as if she were desecrating it and had to resist the urge to tell Gladiolus to leave the room and allow her to put everything back. As she picks up a few books from his desk which was home to plenty of trinkets of his other world travels, she feels a tap on the shoulder.

Aqua looks to see Gladiolus holding up a journal in blue before her. "Think you should have a look", he says as she takes it off him. The front cover was nothing but a blank cover with only her name on the cover. Curiosity gets the better of her and she opened a page to see it is more akin to a document on her than a journal. Just the first page alone told her that her memories of her "adoption" were spot on from what she remembered, and it was enough for her to close the book.

"We won't need this", she says, head cast aside. "For training? No doubt bout that, but for you?", Gladiolus replied, patting her shoulder, "Maybe it wouldn't hurt?".

"…what if I read is something that could completely change how I see my master?", she asks. With a friendly and caring smile, Gladiolus says: "Or you might find out maybe he felt just as if not worse when he had to take you away". She looks at the journal with conflict stirring within her heart, his words carrying great weight as her questions needed answers to. For all she knows by reading this she may see him no better than Xehanort or something worse…

Reluctantly, she heeds the wisdom spoken by the shield and places it in the pocket dimension, before quietly saying they should finish up their packing. She didn't miss that confident smile on his face, and it was easy for her smile to creep up. She casts her thoughts on the matter aside and resumes their task before them.

They spent a few hours going through the books that would be needed and had to decide on which would be more practical for Noctis and the others while Aqua was fussing over which book would help her teach the lesser experienced keyblade users. Luckily after some input from Gladiolus and after debate on whether they would need more education on how form changes and other bits would work, Aqua had the ship filled with the appropriate books that would likely be perfect for her students.

Once that was done and over with, Aqua took Gladiolus for a tour of her old home. After so many dark thoughts clouding her mind and after Gladiolus' encouragement in the journal, she feels like she needs to give him the sense not everything was grim and dark here.

She took him to their training grounds and tells him that this is their spot of sorts. After training in and out of the castle they'd come here to watch the stars, make small talk or just camp out for the fun. Memories of the days of naivety and innocence after a hard day of honing their skills, her spars with Terra that would often be in her favor for she teases she had a brain while Terra had a rock for one. Gladiolus jokingly asked her if he'd have a chance to spar with Terra when this ended.

She smiled at the question and admits it'd be a sight to see.

Through the castle grounds and talking more about their home, Aqua feels more of the good memories of her home slowly beat down the dark memories that plagued her home. She remembers the days when Ventus would get them to play games with him, Terra always sneaking around to find out more secrets of the old world and Aqua herself remembering how she used to skate around the floor with just her socks on.

Finally as the day shifts into nightfall, in one corridor they came to her bedroom. She stared at her door, ornate pinkish-white with teal-colored door with her name proudly stabled on the door. With a smile, she opened her door as Gladiolus suddenly unbeknownst to her, was blushing lightly, and entered her room.

And she immediately wished she hadn't…

To say the room was NOT at all what the shield was expecting from the woman, would be the biggest understatement in the universe.

Instead of an organized, neat and tidy bedroom given how much of neat woman the blue head is, if Gladiolus were honest he would've assumed either Iris or hell Prompto was living here instead. Her room was messy with strewn clothes on the floor, several dressers half opened with tons of glasses and mugs on the windowsill and by her desk that was covered in notes, books and other bits of items needed.

The shield didn't want to imagine how the bathroom looked if sharing one with Iris was any indication.

He glances at Aqua who looked mortified and almost wishing a hole would just swallow her up to let her embrace a sweet release of life. How could she have forgotten she was useless at keeping her room cleaned, even Terra at the very least keeps his neat and orderly (if you count stuffing your boxers, socks and whatever else you wear into one dresser orderly), at least they weren't on the floor!

"…I'll go whip up something for dinner, why don't you tidy your room while ya wait?", suggest Gladiolus as he casually walks out of her room with all his might going into restraining himself from laughing.

The moment the door closes behind her, Aqua slammed her hand against her head with a loud groan. Of all the things that didn't change in this place…

After calming down and then taking a breath, the master begins the process of cleaning up her room. More memories of her life here began to linger on her mind as she folds and organizes her room, remembering when Eraqus brought her here for the first time. The sanctuary that she spent so much time in during her first year here, locking herself away from him in the vain hopes the next time her door would open it'd be her mother.

Closing her wardrobe after tidying it, she moves to her bed, lifting a pillow up and then spotting a very familiar item beneath it.

Fenrir, the snowy wolf.

She picks up her old stuff toy that has aged a fair bit since she and he last went for a "hunt", his mane that was once white as snow and groomed like a proud partner was wild and grey with dirt and dust, one of his legs still had that wrap around him that was yellow and falling apart. Even his fangs that she believed could scare even the scariest monsters the dark could bring was a little flat with the stuffing depletion.

Jaw opened slightly with dust bunnies and even the red cloth was covered in dirt. A warm smile appears on her when she sits down and studies it. Her little guardian from the dark, his howl so great it could scare the biggest baddies away and always provide comfort to her when she was a child. "Wish I had you in the dark realm…then no one would've messed with me", she says softly with a giggle at the imagery conjuring in her mind.

Then as she stroked his mane…she remembered who it was that gave her this…

*Twenty-Two Years ago, *

*One week after adoption *

Staring at the wall on the inside of her bed as she curls into a ball, hiccupping and whimpering as her eyes hurt from crying. A week since she was taken away, and she had tried to avoid the man who brought her here since then. She would only ever talk to him when he was starting her lessons, answering them and at dinner, she was as quiet as a mouse.

He says she'll be getting a fellow student to train with her, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to go home. Sleeping in this place was so scary for her, the silence was maddening, and every little sound felt unnatural and it kept her awake all night. Back home she could hear the wind whistling through the trees, the sounds of the forest creatures and the gentle hums of the rivers nearby. Would those creatures from the dark here kidnap her she wondered?

A knock on the door startles her and she immediately sits up to see Eraqus entering her room with one arm behind his back. He looks around the room with a frown, as if he was displeased by how dark it was. He exhales and turns to her with a gentle look.

"You haven't been sleeping well, have you Aqua?", he asks, kneeling to her.

At least he is nice to her, her first impressions were completely off. She nods with a hiccup. Her mother taught her not to cry, saying big girls should be brave but never did she feel so scared. Eraqus frowns like he was blaming himself for this level of pain he caused for the girl…even if she didn't think so. A smile appears on his lips. "Well, I have a friend who can help you with sleep", he says.

He shows her a small snowy white wolf, presenting him to her. Her eyes widen with childish innocence as she stares at the small toy, never seeing one finely crafted and made with care, even with the best toy makers in the town. "His name is Fenrir, the Fearless. He guards the dreams of children from the dark", he introduces. Gently he lifts the plush to the girl, encouraging her to take him. Hesitantly the girl does so, but when she has him in her arms, she immediately clutches it against her small frame.

Somehow the toy brought comfort to her, eased her worries and she feels peace. It must be a magical toy after all Eraqus can use magic too. The older man sighs with approval, glad the little wold helped her. He gently pats and rubbed her head soothingly. "Get some sleep, child. You'll be meeting your fellow student tomorrow, alright?". She nods shyly, the toy still clutched. He gets up and prepares to go, but then she muttered something soft and low, not enough for the master to not catch it. With a gentle turn to her, eyes warm and filling her with bravery, the girl opened her arms.

"…c-c-could I, have a h-hug?", she asked.

Gently the master kneels and wrapped her into one, she hugged him tighter than she ever knew. This hug was warm, and she felt safe in his arms. This was the first time she hugged anyone else but her mother, even with the village kids she played with she never so much as bumped shoulders with. Eraqus was strong she sensed like nothing could put him down.

Once she had her fill, he tucked her in with Fenrir acting safeguard by her side, ruffled her hair and leaves the room. But even as Aqua's eyes slowly closed, she remembered seeing him leave a tiny pearl of light on her dresser, glowing in a faint crystal blue light for her room.

"Good night, Aqua", he lowly whispers.

*Present*

Stroking Fenrir's mane as her cheeks were wet with joyful tears, Aqua lets out a watery giggle. This toy was a gift from him to help her sleep, but the significance behind it and how even after he tried to help her deal with the changes.

Through all the pain she had to face as a child, her master…her father, was there with her every step. And this little wolf reminds her of the kindness he displayed for her and the other brothers. She looks around her room as more memories show up, but now she wanted to make a new memory. And luckily for her, she had someone else to help create it…

After some rummaging through their supplies, Gladiolus busied himself with trying to stir up a meal Ignis had written out for them. He would've gone through the pantry in the castle but had a good feeling magical or not time still flowed normally here and he wasn't going to risk giving them food poisoning.

Just as he was about to get started, his phone vibrated and prompted him to pick it up. He sees a message from Aqua requesting him to come back to her room. "Must need me to move something…", he thinks to himself and proceeds to her room.

Luckily he memorized where he was going giving how samey the place looked. When he entered the room, he was glad to see the place was cleaner and neat, it felt so weird that Aqua was the one with the messy room. It was like Ignis having a two-day-old mug on his desk, it just felt surreal to the man. But there was no sign of Aqua in the room, only the shining light of the moonbeam through the open window bathing her room in the lunar light.

"Blue?", he asked. The door behind him locks and before he could turn to her, he feels a pair of arms wrapping around him. Her head rests in between his shoulders. He was about to ask, but then he was pushed to the bed, turning in time to land on his backside and face her. Before he could ask, he sees the woman was rubbing her arm shyly without armor or her boots, her eyes down with redness coating her cheeks.

When she faced him, there is a new shine in her eyes when she walks to him. The shield closes his mouth as the pieces begin to put themselves together in his mind. He is not an idiot; he knew exactly what this woman was about to do and what she desired. She climbed on to him, sitting on his lap and placing her hands on his shoulders, eyes asking him the question. He gently runs his hand across her cheek, brushing below her eye with his thumb asking her with his eyes, did she truly want this.

"I want to make a new memory, one I can look back on without it being tainted by pain", she says, "And…you're the one person I want to do this with".

Her first love, her first time with him…and Gladiolus wasn't sure if he should be smug about it or wonder if he was the right one for her. But after everything that's happened to them, and without knowing if they'll make it back from the battle, this could be his last chance.

"Are you sure?", he asks.

"With all my heart", she says, placing his hand on it.

There are no more words to be exchanged, together they laid on the bed…

*Radiant Garden, Tifa's Bar*

"From royal advisor to an errand boy…".

Ignis was rather looking forward to the day he and Axel would begin their training together, at least the porcupine haired man would make a fantastic target for practicing magic. Call him ironic but he was wondering if the man of fire is immune to the very element he specializes.

Only a few hours have passed since Aqua and Gladiolus left the world for their task, and likely he deduced they'll remain in that world for rest. Not that it bothers him, the two needed some time alone to themselves after everything that's happened so far to them. He had been relieved of his duties for the next few days, by Noctis' orders, so he was mostly lending a hand to the RC and was currently delivering some supplies to Tifa.

The bar is far more established then he thought with all the patrons that gathered up, some teens even were spotted. The man is sure Tifa was above selling alcohol to minors, so he felt no fear or watching rambunctious teens going wild with booze running in their bloodstreams. He entered the bar with low jazz music playing over the head, nodding to some of the folks he's spoken to or met during the three days Noctis slept.

He spots the woman behind the counter with a wave. She gestures one of her staff members to take the box of supplies from him and waved him over to her. "Thanks for that", she says, "Kinda surprised they got you doing the heavy lifting". He raises a brow at that comment, amused. "Oh? This coming from a woman who punches heartless and could break a building with one kick?", he teases. Tifa smirks and nods. "Got me there", she relents.

Then she wags a finger at him. "Still, kinda rude of you to be this late, don't you think?", she chastises playfully. "Strange, I merely gotten this job mere moments ago, I feel like I've arrived in proper time", he argued softly. "Not the job, Four-Eyes", she giggled, "Your buddy's been waiting for you!".

Ignoring the cliché nickname that all poor souls with glasses must bear, Ignis frowned in thought. He wasn't aware of a meeting here, especially not with everyone being busy with their jobs and tasks at hand. He tries to remember if someone did ask him to join them for an afternoon meet up but nothing came to mind. Perhaps he might have agreed to something while being absorbed into something else, it has happened more times then he would have liked to admit.

"My apologies, but", he starts.

"Over here, Ignis".

He turned to the direction of the voice and almost instantly his eyes narrow as his shoulders tensed up at the sight of his "friend". He is wearing the usual all-black attire of organization members, but his cloak is somewhat different than normal, sporting slightly pointed shoulders and very loose sleeves. Platinum blond hair is very short and worn in a Caesar cut, and he has yellow eyes with facial hair, a goatee with the same blond color as his hair. Five silver piercings on his ears; four-helix piercings in the form of two hoops on each ear and one piercing shaped like the nobody symbol dangling from one earlobe.

Luxord, number X of the organization.

Sitting by the table with a deck of cards with grey and black colors and carrying the nobody symbol on the face of the cards with a cup of tea resting near him. He gives Ignis a strangely friendly smirk after shuffling the cards. Concern washes over the scarred man, Tifa seems completely oblivious to the dangers this man could bring, but here in a sea of people the amount of damage this nobody could do would be terrible.

And Ignis had to keep in mind he is on his own, and Tifa may be a vital aid but could she take on someone like this man? He doubted it.

"I hope you're free now, we've a game to finish", Luxord says not looking at him. Ignis feels no sense of urgency in this man nor does he feel any true malice within this man. Is it possible, he's merely here for just a game?

"I'll brew you some of that ebony Luna brought over, says you've a thing for that stuff", Tifa says, walking off. He wordlessly approaches the table and sits down as the nobody deals out the cards. "Have you played cards before, I wonder?", he says as he deals them out, "Or rather, anyone who could follow the rules?".

"Several. But for all I know, you could have known that from the moment you set eyes on me", Ignis challenges. He smirks in response to his question as he and Ignis picks up their cards. A decent hand Ignis muses as Luxord awaits his move. "Admittedly I know little of you and your king", the nobody confesses as he takes a card, "Xigbar is rather useless when it comes to answering questions".

"Is that so?", the scarred man replied. "Quite…though Ardyn is far more talkative and amusing with his little obsession with your king", Luxord muses. Ignis grunts quietly at this, still not used to the knowledge that daemon of a man is still walking amongst the living. Not only that but now he's been empowered by their enemies, for all the man of the king knows he could be a keyblade master by now. Luxord plays with his cards while awaiting for Ignis to draw or skip, watching him ponder his next move.

"Tell me, why are you here?", Ignis questioned as he shuffles his cards with his hands, "If you're intending on causing trouble to be forewarned, most of us still reside in this world". Luxord chuckles with mirth as he picks another card up. "Oh I'm aware this world is now home to the guardians of light, and though Sora isn't here I believe there are more if not equally capable fighters amongst you".

"But unlike Ardyn, I'm only here to play a friendly game of cards with you, Ignis", he says. Ignis mentally scoffs at that, unlikely. When they showed their hands, Luxord was the victor in the first game. Ignis had Four of a Kind, while Luxord had Full House.

"Hmm…a fitting bout, wouldn't you say?", Luxord says as he shuffles the cards again. "Among the thirteen of you, Kairi, Sora, Noctis, and Riku, are one of a kind in their little ways. Sora goes without saying, of course".

"Then you have the princess of light, followed by one who could've been an invaluable vessel to Xehanort, now fighting for the light, and finally, a king of light who defied his fate and becomes something more".

He then smirked at Ignis, showing his winning hand. "But what does all that matter, against a house full of more skilled, experienced and more vitally, powerful adversaries?".

Ignis frowned, not liking the fact the man had a vital point proven. The four of them are indeed unique and gifted in more ways than one, certainly the oddest bunch of the basket of guardians. Time and time again the four have shown their talents and potentials barely scraping the surface of what they're capable of, but there is that doubt lingering in his heart that makes him wonder and think to Noctis' words all that time ago. Even if they trained, could victory be so far from their grasp it'd be pointless?

"You assume numbers alone are enough to win?", Ignis asks as he takes his hand, "Has Ardyn told you of how not only did he have the heartless and daemons at his command, but even the fallen kings of yore at his beck and call…but still, he fell to us". Luxord gives him a "hum" while looking at his cards. "Oh? He seemed to have neglected that little nugget of information", he says with smugness, "But then again numbers were never an issue for Sora".

As the game reached an end, this time the victor is Ignis with the hand Flush and Luxord with the Straight hand. "Quite the gamble you made, going for it after the first loss", Luxord praised in amusement. Ignis, however, scoffed at it as he hands him back the cards. "If one loss is enough to make you hesitate and slow down without plans to move on, then you are a danger to your people", speaks the man.

He thinks back to Noctis after Altissia, at his lowest point with everything going so wrong he still managed to overcome that despair and press onwards for the sake of those who'd follow him. Luxord showed a glimmer of pride in his eyes as if admiring the strength behind Ignis' words and faith in that king. Luxord looks at his hand with a thoughtful look, before chuckling and with a flick of his hands his cards disappeared. "Suppose we never were ones for a straight-forward approach, were we?", he says.

The final game between them as the cards had been dealt and handed, Luxord hummed. "I'm wondering something, are you perhaps a gambling man of sorts?", Luxord asked as he flicked a random card from his sleeves, "From what I've heard, you seem to be". "I'd rather avoid attempting such addictions", Ignis chastised quickly before Luxord chuckled as he turned his yellow eyes on him. "Oh? Yet from what I understand you've taken quite the gambles in your time with the rise of his majesty", he says, gesturing his eyes.

Ignis tightly squeezed the cards in his hand at the mention of his eyes, recalling how they went from his usual green and face unmarred by scars to now being dark and scarred. The two days that changed him for the rest of his life, from one day going blind to now seeing the world covered in violet fire. The man before him had a vital point about him gambling his life away for his family. "The ring of Lucii, a powerful relic from the very day the Lucis line was established. Granting the user, if they be worthy, power beyond imagination", Luxord says.

"But, not without cost, am I right?", he asked. "Some lose their lives, some lose a limb…and your case, their vision". Ignis holds back the growl that tried to climb out from his throat, trying hard not to remember the agonizing pain that he endured for the sake of protecting his friends. Then comes the fear of living the rest of his life blind, never seeing the world again, not watching his king grow nor the others. And even then for all he knew, he would be rendered useless to his liege. It was only thanks to his other world friend could he have a second chance.

"And that would have been a gamble even *I* wouldn't take, but then you throw what remained of your luck into the darkness. And lo and behold, instead of losing it all you come out the winner in that game", Luxord praised with amusement.

As he takes another card, Ignis sighed. "In a sense, I did gamble my life for a chance to regain my strength", he confesses. "But tell me, Luxord, why are you fighting?". Looking at his hands, Ignis continues: "I believe Sora has defeated you before, and likely slain your heartless at some point, therefore you should have regained your humanity like Axel has, correct?".

"Indeed, I should have", Luxord affirms with a nod. "A chance to regain your humanity to start anew, and yet you threw it all the way to become an empty shell once more for a man using you as a means to an end", Ignis lectured. "What sort of man would take that chance?".

Luxord laughs, shaking his head. "Why indeed? You make good points and were we in any other circumstances, I'd wholeheartedly agree it sounds foolish and a waste of a one-time chance", Luxord says, amused. Then his smirks shift into something more daring, like what he is about to do next might throw Ignis off guard. "But that's what makes the game more intriguing, doesn't it?", he asked. "Not knowing how this will all play out, not knowing if we will win or lose, whether Sora defeats us, or we will bath the worlds in darkness and crush the light? Doesn't it all seem too exciting to play it safe?".

Ignis hated to admit it but there is an allure to what the man was saying, certainly, he makes it all sound so exciting. Even too good to pass up. "But tell me, do you truly believe you have a chance against us?", Luxord challenges, as he shows his hand, Three of a Kind.

Ignis sees the hand dealt before him, and smirked. "You said the cards have more weight to our climactic battle, correct?", he asked. "If that is so, then the hand you present to me is supposed to tell me three vital members of your organization will be the keys that could either lock down the victory or defeat on your side". A look of impressed appears on Luxord face, glad the man had deduced what he's trying to say and that smirk showing he was already enjoying his victory over the man.

With smugness, Ignis shows his hand to him. "But a wise man once says, never show your hand too early to your enemies. Lest you find yourself caught in their grand scheme", lectured the scarred man. The hand Ignis displayed was the Five of a Kind, winning the game. Luxord gives him a look of surprise, not expecting that hand to be the decider of their little game as Ignis lays them down before them. "The four of them are indeed unique, but I genuinely believe, there is a fifth amongst them that could turn the tide to our favor", Ignis says.

As their game concludes, Ignis faced him. "Whether we are strong enough to win or should we fall, no matter what happens I can guarantee you. Xehanort will not win", Ignis stated with complete confidence.

Luxord huffs good-naturedly, his cards disappearing except for one as he stands up. "If that is what you believe, then hold on to that confidence", he warned as he turns and leaves, "Anything can happen in a battle between light and darkness".

Ignis watches the man disappear among the people, looking down to the wild card left by the nobody. He picks it up and flips around to show nothing but a horned crown…

*Castle*

Prompto hated hospitals.

Whether he was the patient, though extremely rare, or when he was visiting someone, he hated the place. The room he was in was for him and he wasn't there for a normal medical check-up, not for anything "normal" like everyone else.

All he had to do to remember why he was currently sitting on the examination chair was look at the skeletal limb that was attached to his stump. Flexing the metal fingers with soft clicking noises and dull noises of the machine working at the commands his brain was transferred to the false limb, he tried his hardest not to see the arm in a familiar design.

Truth be told he doesn't remember much of the operation or how they managed to make this work so quickly after what he was told just a day later. Today he was here to finally get the upgrade that would finish off the transplant and at least make it look like a brace. Least he wouldn't look like…an MT. For the first few days with his new limb, it took every fiber of his will not to compare that design to the empire's soldiers, nearly having a heart attack from just seeing his limb.

Astrals forgive him but almost wished they just left him with a stump instead.

The room isn't the same as the rooms Noctis and Sora had when they were asleep, this felt more like, if he is being truthful, Cindy's garage of sorts with it being probably the cleanest part of it. There were some medical cabinets filled with the usual stuff, a desk, and a table with Cindy's tools and her yellow jacket that she doesn't wear much these days. He smells the room had been thoroughly clean with smells of sterilizing and some air fresheners to help soothe a patient.

Looking at his limb, despite how cool it was he still misses his old limb (who wouldn't?) and while he was grateful that stupid mark was forever gone, it was a small price to pay for his limb.

His thoughts were pushed away when the door opened to show Cindy entering the room and places a large case on the table. "Sorry about being late, ole Cid's getting crankier every day", she laughed when she opened the case. Prompto genuinely wondered if there is a day Cid wasn't cranky whenever he wasn't working on engines or ship stuff. Sora was very surprised to see how grumpy he was and how much he swore.

Though Prompto was equally more scared of Aqua when the man said a particular curse word around Ventus and judging by the look that screamed "I will hurt this man in ways no man can imagine", he had a good feeling visitations to the grump would be extremely restricted and/or limited.

The mechanic places down a few of her tools along with what he guessed was the brace for his arm, bland and untouched by an artist, likely he was the one who got to decide how it looked at least. Cindy turns on him with excitement in her eyes as she approached him. "How ya doing? Everything working fine?", she asks. "Aside from the clicking noises and occasional glitches? Peachy", he answers honestly when he lifted his arm to show her what he means.

Cindy takes hold of his hand and peers, frowning at the annoyances that his new limb brought him. Prompto lowered his eyes and looks away from the limb, realizing not only did he not blush with Cindy holding his hand but also, another dose of reality smacking him in his face. Not being able to feel anything with that limb again, taking more of humanity because of what he could have turned out to be.

Cindy pats his shoulder to get his attention. He sees her smiling playfully at him. "Well lookie here, somebody ain't a blushing schoolboy anymore", she teased. Prompto weakly chuckles at her jab, kinda surprised himself that she didn't hold that sort of power over him anymore. "Guess after all this time, I'm just used to it", he says lamely. This makes the woman raise a brow as she flexes one of his fingers with a hum and says: "Or is it because ya can't feel my hands fiddling with yours?".

"Right on munny there…", he sighed.

He looked at his hand when she releases it and flexes his joints again, trying extremely hard to keep the image of his arm turning into an MT's hand. Even after accepting it is who he is and not "what" he is that defined him, it was still difficult for him to push those negative thoughts on the fact he was a failed MT unit. Telling Noctis and the others was hard enough even after Kairi's confidence in them, and while it was a gigantic relief that they accepted the blond for the man he is he still hadn't told anyone else.

A sad side of him wondered if the reason the robotic limb worked so well for him was that his body could have been made to be compatible with robotic limbs. And he wondered if Cindy did pick that up during the operation. He clutches his wrist, trying to just look on the positives but the dark sides of this new arm kept overwriting them.

"…Prom…?", Cindy speaks, uncertain.

"…I'm an MT unit", he breathes.

Cindy gives him a look of surprise as he tells her what he means, going back to his adventure with Kairi during the separation. How he discovered he was Verstael's child or creation really, how there were dozens of his clones made to fill the ranks of the imperial army and how they would be modified to serve as the MT units.

He couldn't place why he suddenly decided to tell the woman, maybe a part of him believed after dragging her into all this, how she's managed to bring them help to save their world and now is an active member in the battle against Xehanort, and need he mention she was the reason he could still fight with his friends again?

She had more than earned the truth from him. And whether this will make her decide she wouldn't help repair an MT is up to her.

"…huh…so, you had a lot of brothers then?".

He blinks twice and then turned to her, now sporting curiosity in her eyes. "I…guess so?", he says, unable to think of any more appropriate answers. Cindy hummed in response before she picks up the brace and starts her work on his arm. "Any of them stand out, or were they all twins?", she asks. Prompto shrugged his left shoulder and answers her questions that were all mundane compared to the ones he kind of expected from her after dropping that info.

When she nearly finishes, she huffed. "Was that what's been bothering ya? Ever since we got this piece of marvel on ya?", she asks as she drilled in the brace outer shell. "Yeah…I mean, the limb didn't look a hundred percent like the MTs…but, you know, it was a damn close second!", he replied hastily for the last part. Cindy finishes her work with a sigh. She gives the man a friendly smile before she stands up from her seat.

"Well looks like it doesn't matter anymore, does it?", she asked, gesturing to his new wrist. Prompto lifts his new armored arm and twists and turns the hand, smooth and almost human-like. The limb was modeled after the keyblade amour Kairi showed off with Insomnia's fashion sense. Of course, it was black as the night with dark crystal blue lines for the fingers while having the skull of the Crownsguard uniform in dark luminescent blue light. It is the same size as his human arm and the flexing felt natural.

"This…feels awesome", Prompto says with a grin.

"Hold your chocobos there", Cindy says, gesturing her workbench. He looks and joins her side to see there were several blueprints with more mechanical arms. "Cid and I were thinking of your pocket dimension Aqua talked about, and likely knowing you, chances are that arm will get all busted up during your big fight", she says with both excitement and teasing in her voice. She shows him some blueprints on the limbs and each one had a special ability and function for him, along with some unique ideas for him.

"Say you lose that arm, well we've got something to fix that little blunder", she starts, showing him one of her idea on the blueprint. It looked like a plug of sorts in place of his limb with three optional limbs showing an adapter on the slots of the arms. "We've got three of them in the works, but with this, ya lose a limb? Just replace it with these bad boys and boom! You're back in action!", she sings with glee.

She looks at him with eyes begging for permission to experiment with his appendages, and one look at his limb, he makes his choice. If he was going to train with the others and battle people way above what he's capable of, then if Cindy can help give him an edge, then what kind of man would he be to say no?

"Alrighty then! Let's see what you got Cindy!", he says with a grin.

After cleaning up the room and gathering up her items for the work, Prompto was about to pick up a crate with her tools, before he kneels for them, Cindy places a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and feels her giving his cheek a quick peck. She moves away to his ear and whispers: "MT or not…you're still Prompto…and a cutie". She then winks at him, and his cheeks go red as his throat dries up. She kissed him…Prompto got a kiss from Cindy…Cindy Aurum…and she called him cute…

She grinned and points at his cheek. "Ah-ha! There's the blush I know and love!", she says. Then she gave him a flirty smile as she picks up her share of tools and winked at him. "Now I know how to make ya blush again~ Gonna have to keep it up before you get immune to it". She then saunters out of the room with a little sway in her hips, leaving a blushing and flabbergasted Prompto behind. Standing there with his cheeks still red as the silence loomed over him, his mushy brain tries to put together what just happened.

"C-C-C-C-C-C-Cindy kissed me…s-s-says she's gonna keep making me blush…her butt looked amazing…", he says to himself.

Did this mean…Did she like him?

With a yell of embarrassment, he picks up the crate and races after her, calling her out with questions burning in his mind.

And grinning all the way…

A/N:

…SO, remember how I was thinking it'd be a BIG one chapter? Then I decided to make it two parts? WELLLLLLL…Now we're making it a three-part arc…

F*** me…

In all seriousness I do confess I was more focused on Aqua and if I didn't decide to attempt to make her own origins then it wouldn't have been as long. But I love this character and wanted to give her more love, and with Gladiolus too :3.

Now we have three down, we've thirteen more to go! Look forward to the next chapters!

Responding to: Guest-Questioner: Sorry I can't reply to all your responses, it'd take up most of the ending here. If you wish to talk more or me to reply, please make an account where we can converse, thanks!

Questions!

1st: Thoughts on this chapter?

2nd: Aqua's origin? Like or hate it?

3rd: …I do not regret giving Aqua a Fenrir plushie.

4th: Ignis and Luxord? What did ya think?

5th: Cindy and Prompto getting together?

6th: Can you guess whose next?

7th: What was your favourite part?

Also, after reading a few reviews, I did change how the dialogue is depicted, does it make it better for you all?

Also ALSO! Ignis…should we pair him off with anyone else or is he forever Aranea's? Let me know!

Thanks for reading folks! Stay awesome but more importantly stay safe!