Dreams
After dinner, it couldn't end fast enough for the Emperor.
Months ago, his children came home from school gloomy because Beiyue doesn't give a damn about their country and people anymore. Because she was right. She was horribly treated for what wasn't her fault and nobody other than few people cared nor understood her...yet somebody else succeeded in making her a sorcerer and a warrior because her cultivation was strong when they felt it.
After dinner, Dongling showed a vision she was allowed to show them.
She first showed Beiyue's childhood in Destiny Islands.
Her first days of being too scared to trust anyone in fear of being hurt. Suffering heatstroke. Horror at wearing 'revealing dresses'...and adjusting to a new way of life once the people of the islands proved they really were sincere in their kindness to her. And she had to cut her long hair lest sand gets in it and get Heatstrokes quicker.
The Emperor also looked pained that she happily calls someone ELSE 'daddy' and Yingye was annoyed that Beiyue calls someone else her sister and not her.
Then normal island life ensued and it was a happy life even if she's now poor, but at least she was happy and people were good and kind to her and she got friends. She also learned a lot of skills because the island children's idea of playing made her capable of surviving by herself...until that fateful day at the beach...and see 'something' leave her dantian who may be an immortal she called 'uncle' who tried to protect her.
'...'
'So this is what she meant by calamity...' Zhanye shook as a black hole literally destroyed everything his sister called home. 'What happened next?!'
'I'll show it but some stuff I'm not allowed to show, OK?' Dongling told him. 'Miss put powerful fields in my memories.'
Next was awakening...in someone else's garden, and being awakened by middle-aged people in robes and cone hats. When uncle told his past, Dongling knew some bits were 'cut off' through Beiyue's magic as some parts skipped, bits about her father were convincingly cut off. And the royal family finally learned why Beiyue cannot cultivate when she's actually a multi-element genius having all elements in her foundation.
And by sealing Uncle into Beiyue, his prison devours her ki that made her the dud they knew her as. And Princess Royal, aware of what she and her companion caused to happen to her daughter, tried to make up for it as best as she could because its their fault her daughter is suffering National Scorn for what was indeed, not her fault.
They wondered how many shocks, will they get today.
True to her word, training and education was skipped, as well as her visits to their world.
It went straight to her going to the Realm of Darkness out of curiosity and shocked that she felt stronger and at home here in this bleak-looking world that she was starting to emit wisps of darkness. Heartless didn't attack her. Merely sniffed out of curiosity and then left her alone. It was here, Heartless thrived. And to Beiyue's horror, recognized her as their peer! She frankly felt insulted as she hated them for destroying the islands she called her beloved home.
She wandered, until darkness seems 'lesser and lesser', and she came upon a place with what looks like the moon on the sky by a beach, with rocky, jagged archways. It was here Beiyue realized that she was at the safest place for humans...as safe as it can get, that is, in this realm of darkness. This was the borders.
There, a woman sat all alone, hugging her knees. The first person she met in this world who was trapped for ten years, waiting for rescue while barely escaping Heartless with her life and was losing all hope. So Beiyue talked to her and learned about each other, before helping her go to Traverse Town to recover and get used to civilization again, while Beiyue went to eat as she got hungry, before inquiring about her friends.
And it was Riku who found her first.
'It's getting late.' said the Emperor. 'We'll continue this tomorrow night again.'
xxx
'So all this time, you're dreaming of her.' said Third Prince as he and Dongling walked back to their residence.
'I dream about her experiences and travels as a form of reassurance so I won't worry about her.' said Dongling. 'I'm just glad she's alright. These empathic dreams were supposed to be secret...until miss just had to overwhelm me a little bit.' she admitted sheepishly.
'A bit.' Third Prince deadpanned.
Beiyue was horrified with her clothes, and looking at Riku's bare, muscular torso. Damn, a body like that compared to his own gave him self-esteem issues...he was skinny compared to him and he's an engaged man...and it was enough to greatly affect a thirteen year old.
Yes.
Thirteen.
Where Beiyue was, is a year ahead of theirs. Time was faster by a year. So she's thirteen this year, not twelve. That makes her a year younger than Yingye now. But she was taller and more ahem, endowed and to think his sister and fiancee are still...flat. Are commoner islanders healthier than them, the wealthy?
He finds it ironic.
But still, for a horrible place to exist...
xxx
Zhanye was thinking. While drinking on sake.
By now, EVERY SERVANT is talking about what was seen in dinnertime.
Even his personal Eunuch nervously inquired about it making Zhanye sigh.
His sister lived the life of happiness she would never get in their country. She willingly threw away her status and money...for the life she desired.
He wondered if he can be just as strong as her as he is destined to be Emperor, when he is the Prince with the strongest cultivation.
A strong heart for a keyblade.
Unlike the others, some things were not censored to him as he wanted to know EVERYTHING. His wish his heart powered up made it known to him what others cannot know.
The things that were cut off from Dongling's visions were known to him.
The censored bits were shown only to him.
They believed that they have the same father, from what Princess Royal and Grandmother believed, because she felt pregnancy symptoms days after saving his father's life.
But Yan knows otherwise.
It must be from when Royal Aunt was out at war during her whole marriage. The father is indeed, NOT Xiao Yuancheng and NOT his father. It was that red-haired man Yan talked about as he knew, and they must have had a relationship. Royal Aunt must have hated her marriage she wore the green hat. Why not, that bastard did it first, on her wedding day no less. Then with her own maid!
Then she met the man she truly loved, and got Beiyue from him.
She is still his cousin, not his sister.
But it doesn't matter, she is still family. They should have checked on her and cared for her. They all never did. Was it a wonder she resented them for not bothering to see her her after age six, that in her mind they disowned her just for being unable to cultivate, that she sees no hope in them after royal aunt died? That she rather take chances with strangers just to be loved and cared for?
In her mind...strangers were more family to her, than her own ever were. And how!
Seeing how she trains, Zhanye now has a wish. He hopes to be worthy of a Keyblade, a weapon with great power that will enable World Travel, destroy all threats, open and seal whatever he wants...great power comes great responsibility.
He can go anywhere...and bring her back home. Though it'll get a little turbulent!
xxx
Prince Xiaoyao got word through the grapevine, and called Dongling over through his aide after breakfast.
'I'm sure you know why I called you here for, Dongling?' Xiaoyao smiled a forced smile. Dongling looked sheepish.
'I can guess, Prince Xiaoyao.' Dongling sweatdropped. His office is within the palace grounds, its natural he'll find out somehow... 'Since the royal family will watch every after dinner because Emperor's work ends at night...I guess you'll be ahead a little bit.'
'Mm. I would like that very much.' Xiaoyao said as his aide provided Dongling a chair. 'Please get started.'
'Yes sir.'
xxx
Villain's Vale...
'Hey, how's it...going?!' Riku started off jovial, then to surprise when he saw that in a workshop, Beiyue was making a lot of potions. 'This is a lot! Are you going to sell all these or what?'
'Well, you and Pete will be doing a lot of Field Work soon.' said Beiyue. 'And I'll be the one keeping house now.' she said. 'Maleficent's watching over the princesses, so after making medicine and my other jobs, I'm free to watch over Kairi.' she said. 'Any jobs you'll be on soon?'
'Yeah. Maleficent heard about a wooden doll that gained a heart and she's interested in it so I'm off to get it.' said Riku.
'Oh! Then take some medicine with you before you leave.' said Beiyue, giving him a Space Ring. 'Take as many as you like. Space Rings are a lot better than magical bags any day! You'd rather spend money on food and hotel stay.'
'Yeah, you told me about that.' Riku snorted as he began taking stuff off of shelves.
In Beiyue's world, there are magical items created by Alchemists.
One of everyday item use for the wealthy, is these Space Rings.
Within it is a dimensional storage space where time doesn't flow. Things stored in here, never expires. This is a Traveler's Best Friend hence. However, it's crazy expensive. Even the cheapest ring costs 90 million munny equivalent with space the size of a mansion. Riku rather spend that money in comfortable living till his end of days, thank you!
'Be home in time for dinner OK?' Beiyue called out as Riku bid her farewell to go to his job. 'Noooow then, I better go do shopping...' she got off her desk and stretched, making her bones crack. 'I'm in the mood for seafood. Maybe Ursula's world has a lot of good stuff.'
xxx
Atlantica...
Her mermaid form she chose for herself was that other than a seashell bra, she has the tail of an elephant ear betta fish. Her hair worn loose with pearls on her loose hair.
'Haha, it's been months since I last swam in the ocean, this is a lot better being able to breathe underwater!' she squealed in childish glee.
She took some seaweed, oysters, a large King Crab, scallops, and a lot of large shrimp, before going home...and then going to Traverse Town Market afterward to buy all else!
Then proceeded to cook with skill in food preparation combined with magic so she can avoid ruining the seafood with careless cuts. After cutting the top shell of the crab off, she then put it in a steamer. Oysters were made Garlic Butter Oysters. Breaded Fried Prawns came next, and Scallop Soup with Seaweed is last of the courses...before she made a nutritious, yet out-of-place Chicken Congee with healthy herbs for Kairi. Since Pete isn't here, no need to cook too much.
Since coming here, Kairi was fed poached eggs with steamed seaweed alternating with healthy fish by breakfast, a lot of crushed fruit for lunch, and healthy healing stuff for dinner with nine glasses of water a day...and Beiyue has to watch out for what's obvious before she sleeps. She also has been to her world to steal a number of pills for Kairi and Riku to take since she's complete with the supplements herself...and sneaking pills to Aqua with Sora's share after explaining all of it to her.
Sleeping for days with no food can damage anyone, especially growing kids. She lost weight by the time she was found and that got two kids worried. So they were hard at work improving her health since, with baths every two days.
So when Riku came back empty handed and with good reason, he's forgiven as this was his first failure.
But the kids knew any other, well...
'She's gaining weight now.' Riku remarked as Kairi was improving.
'Yeah.' said Beiyue. 'We're doing it right at least.' she smiled before it faltered. 'She'll be OK but we're against time...I have a secret job for you which you can do while you're out on yet another job.' said Beiyue worriedly. 'Talk to Master Aqua if you see her. She may know how to help Kairi because I have a feeling.'
'A feeling?' Riku frowned worriedly.
'Yeah...before the islands were doomed, Kairi sleepwalked towards Sora by the waterfall area...and strong winds from the secret cave blasted her with strong winds. She would have collided with him but as soon as they made contact, she vanished like a ghost.' Beiyue told him. 'I have a feeling that Sora who wasn't a chosen yet somehow got a Keyblade was because Kairi's heart is possibly...in Sora's body.' she gulped. 'I'm thinking if its possible but its all I have and no other theories.' she said, rapidly shaking her head. 'Ask Master Aqua if it really DID happen...what Keyblade can get Kairi's heart out of Sora, if she detects more than one heart in his noggin'.' she told him and Riku listened to her words seriously.
'If Master Aqua doesn't know, I'll give you a ticket to use to reach Master Yen Sid's Castle. He might know.' and Beiyue gave him a red card with the golden calligraphied 'TICKET' written on it. 'Use the magical train in Twilight Town world to go to his tower.' Beiyue instructed. 'That magic train normally appears every seven days, but wave that ticket at the platform, it will appear immediately. The trip to the tower is ten minutes. Don't lose that because that's the ONLY ticket I have incase my sword broke.'
'Right.' Riku took the ticket and pocketed it. 'Master Aqua and Master Yen Sid. Gonna remember that.' he promised grimly. 'If Sora got two hearts that enabled him to have enough strength to have a Keyblade...there's no way he can sustain his condition for long even if Kairi will somehow protect him from such a state, if your theory is true.' Riku mused to himself. He wondered if anyone can live with two hearts for a year and he'd frankly, not gamble. 'We're on borrowed time.'
'Right.'
If in another universe, Maleficent succeeded in turning Riku against Sora, with Beiyue in this one out of millions of universes, she prevented such a thing, and conspired with Riku to use Maleficent's resources instead in exchange for helping her out as Temporary Villains. But should she turn on them...she WILL show why Maleficent has every right to be wary of her!
xxx
Traverse Town...
Riku headed for the Heartless Resistance's Headquarters and knocked on the door.
Aerith took a wary peek, her staff ready but surprised to see a boy.
'Is Sora home or Master Aqua?'
'Master Aqua is here, but not Sora. May I have your name?'
'Riku. I'm here to talk.' said Riku as Aerith let him in.
'Master Aqua! You have a visitor!' Aerith called out as there's movement upstairs, and Aqua came down in a hurry.
Ten years of loneliness made her desire company that she doesn't want to be alone any time soon, so she refuses to go home to the Land of Departure, but she DID take Ventus' body to live with the gang in Traverse Town. She felt her Keyblade and Armor were within the castle, which she took back.
'A visitor?' once she got downstairs to take a look, she saw Riku. 'Riku! You're clearly quite bigger than Sora!' she greeted with fondness of a big sister over a kid brother.
'Well, he never did go to the gym after school.' said Riku with an armfold and raised eyebrow.
'What brings you here to Traverse Town?' she wondered as they sat by the couches.
'We found Kairi.' said Riku. 'But her heart is missing.' he told her. 'Beiyue and I are doing errands for Maleficent in exchange for her help which is a risky gamble...but Beiyue suddenly had a bright idea and we need to count on you for that.'
'And that is?' Aqua asked anxiously.
'To check if Sora had more than one hearts.' said Riku as he told the ladies why Beiyue speculated so.
'I see...once Sora returns from Halloween Town, I'll check on him.' Aqua promised. 'But a Keyblade with that kind of power...Master Yen Sid might know.' she said. 'My Master, Master Eraqus has passed on before he can tell me secrets Keyblade Masters are allowed to know.'
'Right...do you have a way to see Master Yen Sid?'
'Yes.'
'We'll wait for news and we'll hear from Sora if I meet him again.' said Riku. 'Being undercover is a little stressful we barely have time to sneak out.' he said as he stood up. 'I gotta go do my job. Being a Villain's lackey in exchange for a friend is no easy feat.'
'Wait, Sora doesn't know what you're doing!' Aqua gasped out. 'He told me you'll go another way as two heads are better than one.'
'I didn't tell him cuz' he can't keep a secret.' Riku deadpanned. 'If he knew and he's around Maleficent, Beiyue and I will be in trouble.' he shuddered. 'That, we cannot afford as Kairi's an easy picking at her condition. So don't tell him we're undercover.'
Aqua and Aerith exchanged worried looks.
'You two better be careful. We'll check on Sora for you.' Aerith told him. 'For now, play along.'
'Right...' and Riku left.
'Oh dear...working for the bad guys...and with a dangerous one at that.' Aerith shuddered. 'These kids...they're willing to go so far for each other...just how on earth did they grow up?' she wondered worriedly.
'...we'll ask Sora as soon as he gets home.' Aqua swore. 'Were they last in line when their ancestors handed out Self-Preservation Instincts before they were born?'