Chapter 38: The Price of Freedom
Hey Axel, you haven't forgotten?
Suddenly, he was aware of everything.
He was aware of the sterile, dead air. Of the absolute lack of movement or sound. No… There was sound, the faint hum of machinery, powered on but not active. It had not been used in a long time. This room had not been entered in a long time. Since…when?
He was aware of the silver floor beneath him, its surface cool to the touch against the back of his neck and his bare arms. Of the flashing lights above and around him, and the large computer sitting just out of his reach. He attempted to look up at the computer, perhaps to glean some knowledge of his location, but was far too weak to get close.
And…he was aware of himself. Of his shallow breathing, of the dull ache throughout his entire body. Of the dryness of his throat as he opened it for the first time in over a decade.
"…Where…"
His hand, limply cast out beside him, twitched slightly as he gathered the strength to push himself up off the ground. Immediately upon rising, he grew lightheaded. He stumbled back and grasped his forehead. His legs wobbled and he propped himself up against the computer, hearing but not really noticing the light clicking as his backside pressed onto the keyboard. He took in a deep breath.
"What happened to me…?"
His last memory was of pain; unimaginable, breaking pain. A claymore crushing his bones and sending him flying. A silent, emotionless face marked with a scar and framed by long blue hair. A crying girl, a close friend, her face silhouetted against the sun up above as she begged him not to go.
"Xion?"
He looked around, searching for her, but this was wrong. This wasn't where he had—died? Had he died? He wasn't sure… He couldn't have, or he wouldn't be here. Wherever 'here' was, because it wasn't the canyon carved out of blue stone that he remembered. And what in the world was that loud drumming? Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump. Was it some machine? It was starting to make him angry—
He froze.
Slowly, as he stared ahead with wide, disbelieving eyes, a shaking hand rose up to his chest. He almost wasn't sure if he wanted to feel what was about to meet him or not. Clutching his clothing tight out of anxiety, he took a deep breath and relaxes his fingers. His open palm pressed against his chest once again.
Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump.
Impossible.
Body shaking in a mix of emotions—emotions!—he spun around to face the window behind the computer. His face was faintly reflected in it, his red hair and green eyes stared back at him. Jaw dropping slightly, he brought a hand up to his cheek and rubbed his index finger against the bare, unmarked skin below his right eye.
"I'm human again…" He couldn't believe it. How had it happened? It shouldn't have… Oh. Of course. He did die back then after all, didn't he? He placed a hand over his beating heart and blinked his wetting eyes. After all these years…
Turning around once more, he scanned the lab—for he recognized it now as Xehanort's lab where he had snuck into as a boy—for any other signs of life. But there was nobody… No pun intended.
"Looks like it's just me." A hint of disappointment colored his voice. He was hoping to see another with blue hair lying on the floor, but maybe it was for the better that he didn't. "I guess the others' Heartless haven't been slain yet. But I know one who definitely was…"
His eyes narrowed and a frown crossed his face. The most dangerous of all Heartless had been defeated quite some time ago; he remembered Xemnas's meeting to discuss it shortly after Roxas had arrived. And now Xemnas was gone too. Yet he didn't see the one person who by all rights should have been there in the lab with him.
"Where is Xehanort?"
He had to find out. Holding his hand out, he took a deep breath and called on the darkness… Nothing happened. Frowning, he focused again on the shadows, on a cold emptiness, on infinite blackness as far as the eye could see. Again, no corridor opened.
He lowered his hands and stared at them. It made sense, of course, but he had relied on the corridors for over a decade. How could he possibly be expected to get around the worlds now? He didn't have a Gummi ship.
"Well… I'll start by finding my way out of here, I suppose."
He made his way out the door in front of him and started walking down the walkway, recognition creeping up in his mind as he took in the scenery. It had been a very long time since he had walked through this massive laboratory, looking out at the Heartless Manufactory below, but it was something he had never really forgotten.
'As your flesh bears the sigil…'
He shook his head, chasing away the memories of a young man's face scarred with two bright streaks of red which crossed over together as an X and cheerful green eyes shifting to a sickening golden hue.
"Has it really been so many years…? Almost feels like yesterday."
It was a weird sensation. Although he quite vividly remembered the decade or so spent in the Organization, remember the enemies he made and the two he called best friends, at the same time it was as if waking up from a dream. He leaned against the wall near the door leading to Ansem's study, lost in thought before another sound interrupted him.
"I don't see any of Ansem's reports. I guess it was a fool's errand after…all…?"
The voice trailed off. Steady footsteps grew slower as they approached; the person, whoever it was, must have seen him and not been expecting it. Knowing how many enemies he—or rather, his Nobody—had made, he turned around and moved into a battle stance. Flames erupted out of the ground behind him and circled around his arms. He hid his surprise that they still responded to him after he was human again.
His foe's surprised face gave way and she narrowed her eyes before drawing out a large red and silver shuriken and holding it in front of her. She was dressed in a black suit, neat and tidy, with wavy red hair. He frowned. He recognized her.
"The Organization?!"
And she recognized him. Great. But she was also a friend of Xion's, so if he could avoid fighting her he would.
"How are you here? You died. All of you." He winced, and at the same time somewhat relished that wince; it was natural, not a masterful miming of emotion.
"You're part of Squall's group…" he began slowly, getting her to raise an eyebrow but otherwise not react. But not reacting includes not moving to attack. If he could get her to talk instead of fight… "Please. I need to see Xion. I need to know if she's okay. Did Xemnas get her?"
"Xion? And why should I…" She trailed off again and lowered her shuriken ever so slightly. Her eyes moved up and down, looking at his body—his clothes in particular. Of course she didn't find the black coat. "…Wait, I think Leon told me about you. Are you…?"
x-x-x
"Axel!"
Xion barely heard Xehanort shout the name, her own joy-filled voice cancelling out all other sounds in the room. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks and her limbs shook. This was impossible. Absolutely, completely impossible—and it was wonderful.
The ring of flames surrounding their group expanded outwards and joined the fire that had burned across the swarms of Heartless moments ago. The combined flames were swept away in a blast of heat, taking the Heartless with it. Hundreds of pink hearts were consumed by shadows as the black creatures writhed in pain before the smirking newcomer.
"Axel? Please!"
His voice almost made Xion's heart stop beating. She fell to her knees and watched Axel's red locks sway in the warm wind left behind by his fire. He was glaring daggers at the assembly across the room, his teeth bared. No matter what she saw, eve though hope was rapidly replacing the dread in her heart, even though he was plain as day standing in front of her, she could scarcely believe it. He had died! He had died protecting her, she had been there when it happened and had begged him not to go, and he had still died. And yet here he was, protecting her and her friends again.
He did look different, though. There was no denying that spiky, long red hair or the chakrams he held in his hands, but he no longer wore the black leather coat of Organization XIII. Instead, he was dressed in a red shirt without sleeves, an unzipped white jacket with brown pockets hanging loosely over tan jeans gave way to black and red sneakers, and a yellow and brown patterned scarf was wrapped around his waist rather than his neck.
His grin widened and he held a chakram out threateningly. "The name's Lea! Got it memorized?"
"How?!" Braig shouted, losing his cool once more. Obviously things were not going as he had planned. Then he clicked his tongue and looked aside. "Damn it, his Heartless must've died just like the old coot's…"
"You aren't supposed to be here," Xehanort replied coolly. At first he didn't seem nearly as angered as he should have been, but a second glance showed a barely restrained rage boiling beneath his narrowed eyes.
"Promises to keep!" Axel—Lea—replied with a shrug. "What, bad timing? You had your perfect little script, but you kind of forgot to write the sequel! Now let's find out what happens." Lea spun his chakrams around on his fingers before thrusting his hands out to his sides. The temperature in the room spiked upwards and his chakrams transformed into wheels of flame.
The sight snapped out of her state and she jumped to her feet. Was he going to fight?! "Axel, don't! I just got you back, I can't lose you again!"
"I told you, my name is Lea!" He glanced over his shoulder and flashed her a smile. "And don't worry, Xion. I'm not going anywhere. We'll eat ice cream together again; I miss the old times too!"
Xehanort snarled and slammed a fist into the wall behind him without looking back at it. His other hand clenched tightly around his bizarre-looking Keyblade. "If that is how it shall be, Axel, then very well."
Vanitas looked up at Xehanort, and as he did so his mask reappeared on his face through a cloud of black mist. "Do you want me to take care of it?"
"I don't even know who you are," Xehanort spat. "No…none of us need lift a finger against them. After all, the Heartless obey whoever is the strongest. I need only call more and have them take care of it…"
"And where in the worlds did you get that power?" a new voice rang out. Everyone looked around in surprise, Xehanort and his companions included. Green fire erupted out of the earth before Axel, so bright that his orange flames seemed dim in comparison. Maleficent slowly materialized within them, her knuckles white around her staff.
"So we meet again, Xehanort," she hissed through clenched teeth. "You look to be in much better state than when I last saw you all those years ago, I must say."
The man shook his head, his silver hair waving back and forth. "Again with this 'Xehanort' nonsense…"
Maleficent didn't seem shaken by that comment, if she even heard it at all through her anger. "I was in the lower reaches of this forsaken fortress, leading my Heartless against those disgusting white husks, when they turned against me!" She tightened her grip on that wooden shaft more, her bony fingers threatening to snap it in two. "How did you do it? How did you gather enough hearts to command the Heartless?!"
Xehanort merely smirked in response, which enraged Maleficent more. She flung her arms out to her side, creating a green barrier of flames that reached up to the ceiling. Beside a corridors of darkness opened up, revealing Pete; an instant later, Maleficent's raven flew in from the Lift Stop and landed, covering itself in smoke before rising up as a pale man.
"I've found him," the man said to Maleficent before turning to face Xehanort.
"Excellent job, Diablo," Maleficent replied though she kept her eyes glaring ahead of her. "We shall seek him out later. For now we must teach this fool what happens to those who steal from me!"
"Maleficent, what are ya doin'?!" King Mickey shouted, showing concern for their enemy. "You can't hope to stand against Xehanort!"
Maleficent scoffed. "You underestimate me, 'Your Majesty.' And you have no choice in the matter either way. Nothing you do will quell my fire."
"Lea?" Cissnei asked, looking to Lea as his chakrams died down and his hands lowered to his side.
The redhead shook his head. "The witch is right, I can't break through. She's on her own."
Xion hid her sigh of relief. No fight against Xehanort meant no chance of losing Lea. She looked at him, watched him rub the back of his neck and nod to Cissnei
"Then what are we waiting for?" Donald asked, voicing Xion's own opinion as he took a step back. "Let's get out of here while we still can! We can't do anything against them!"
Sora took a deep breath and turned around, grabbing Kairi's hand as he did so. "Donald's right, Xehanort is way too much for us. We have to get out of here! Everybody run!"
Lea groaned. "Man, so much for my big entrance…"
Xion bit her lip and followed Sora and Kairi as they took off down the stairs, hearing the others follow after her. It was a storm of footsteps thundering down, almost impossible to make one sound out from the other. Xion glanced over her shoulder to make sure that, yes, Lea was with them, and found the redhead urging the others on from the rear of the group.
Breathing another sigh of relief, she turned ahead again and kept running.
x-x-x
Maleficent watched the Keybearers and their friends flee down the steps with contempt on her face, then turned to Xehanort once again and snarled. How dare he? How dare this man take the Heartless that are rightfully hers? How did he do it? She had the Heartless devouring every world available, every star in the skies that had not yet been locked. So how had he possibly gotten an even higher number of hearts to sway them to his side? She had to know.
But knowing how could wait. First, revenge.
Xehanort—why did he look so much younger? He looked like Ansem—had stood completely still the last several minutes, save for his eyes which watched the 'heroes' flee. When they had all left the Grand Hall, he clenched his free hand into a fist and darkness swirled around it. Immediately Heartless of all shapes and sizes leaped out of the shadows. Pete and Diablo moved closer to Maleficent, prepared for battle, but the Heartless ignored the trio and swarmed down the stairs toward the Lift Stop.
Maleficent watched them go, her blood boiling, but she took a deep breath and turned again to her foe. "Attacking them while their guard is down? My, my. Maybe you are Xehanort after all."
Xehanort pursed his lips when she said his name, then shook his head and turned it into a snarl. "Aren't you going to help them?"
Maleficent scoffed. "Why should I? What befalls those brats is no concern of mine."
Her foe raised an eyebrow in mockery. "Oh? But isn't this the third time you've saved them?"
Maleficent clenched her jaw but said nothing, preferring to reply with her narrowed glare instead. Xehanort got the message and stepped forward, raising his Keyblade up and standing ready for battle.
"Do you want me to take care of her?" Braig asked, already summoning his Arrowguns.
But Xehanort shook his head and grabbed Braig's arm, lowering it and preventing the weapons from manifesting. "No. I will dispose of this witch personally. She certainly wouldn't want it any other way."
He dared to think he could put an end to her?! Maleficent slammed her staff onto the ground and threw her arms out, brightening the green flame wall that she had created during her appearance there. At her sides, Pete and Diablo prepared for combat, the former slamming his fists together and the latter conjuring green fire of his own in his open palms. Xehanort may have the 'honor' to fight on his own, but Maleficent knew to take an advantage when she saw one.
"You think you can defeat me?" Maleficent demanded, raising her staff into the air as the fire wall began expanding forward, enveloping the entire second floor of the Grand Hall and separating Braig and Vanitas from the battle. "Me, the Mistress of All Evil?!"
"Let's get movin'!" Pete roared, charging forward and throwing up his barrier spell. He slammed into Xehanort like a freight train, knocking the silver-haired man back. Xehanort recovered quickly enough and kicked Pete away, knowing that attempting to break the barrier was an exercise in futility. Almost immediately after an echoing roar rebounded from the walls of the chamber, and a black cat surrounded by smoke leaped at Xehanort.
Xehanort caught the panther's teeth with his Keyblade and one paw with his free hand, then let out a roar and tossed the predator aside. Before he even hit the ground Diablo returned to human form and tossed two emerald fireballs from his hands. They were accompanied by a rain of meteorites from Maleficent, who stood back and cast spells.
The first of the assault hit Xehanort, but he threw up a spherical barrier to deflect the rest. His burned arms straining, he jumped up and thrust his Keyblade into the ground. The entirety of the Grand Hall shook, dust and stone raining down from above, and a crevasse tore its way across the floor. Diablo shifted into a bird and took off, while Pete, stumbled back. Maleficent chanted under her breath and raised stone beneath her, lifting onto a platform in the air that hovered above the battlefield.
"Meteors of heaven, unleash thy fury!" she called, unleashing blue meteors from a black portal that flew down at Xehanort. An aura of black and purple surrounded him and he dashed to the right, avoiding the raining fireballs. With the trail of darkness following behind him, he ran at Pete and slammed his Keyblade into the surprised cat's side. Pete recovered and charged his knuckles with white magic then brought his powerful fists down on Xehanort's head.
When Xehanort flew back and crashed into the ground, his Keyblade was knocked out of his grasp. Diablo flew in and returned to human form, coating his fist in green flames and sending streams of fire at the silver-haired man. At the same time, a black cloud formed above their heads and Maleficent rained purple lightning down on them.
Xehanort countered Diablo's flames with a blast of darkness, followed by a sprint forward and a fist to the face. Diablo stumbled backwards, and when he regained his composure his hands began to smoke. Only they changed shape, the rest f his body remaining a man, and they morphed into razor-sharp talons. Almost as an afterthought Diablo reignited his hands, and the now burning claws swung at Xehanort frantically.
Xehanort leaned back to dodge the strike, emerald embers raining down on his coat. He swept his leg out and knocked Diablo off of his feet, then called his Keyblade back into his hand and brought it down on Diablo's pale chest. Diablo rolled out of the way and changed once more, becoming raven that took into the sky. But the smoke did not leave his body and in fact grew thicker and larger, enveloping his winged form until a small dragon, just large enough for one rider, emerged from the darkness.
Diablo let out a roar and breathed green fire down on the battlefield to join in Maleficent's lightning and meteors. Xehanort somersaulted out of the way, but wherever Diablo's flames hit left more fires burning, until much of the floor was covered.
Pete used that open space, slamming his fists together and running at Xehanort with a white aura surging off his body like lightning. He jumped into the air and brought his hand down, only for Xehanort's shadow to burst out of the ground and match Pete's fists with fists of its own.
The Guardian punched Pete in the cheek, but Pete held his ground and replied with a jab of his own. As the two did battle, Xehanort once again coated his body in a dark aura and dashed out of the way of Diablo's flames—to Maleficent.
Diablo noticed and reacted, landing between Xehanort and his mistress, extending his wings and letting out an echoing roar. Xehanort smirked and jumped at the beast, dodging his claw strikes and the swinging of his tail. When he had a moment he pointed his Keyblade at Diablo's head and unleashed a flurry of small black bolts, dozens of them, that locked on to their target. Diablo shook his head and took off to out-maneuver Xehanort's attack, but the black bolts followed him. They pierced his wings and throat, and Diablo tumbled through the air before crashing into the floor as a raven once again.
Maleficent was wide open. She hurled lightning and flames from her staff, but Xehanort's Guardian appeared out of his shadow to block them. Pete, freed from combat with the shadowy other, let out a mighty roar and ran to protect Maleficent from Xehanort's figure.
Xehanort fired a large blast of darkness at Maleficent, but Diablo flew in at the last moment and flung up a barrier of interlinking hexagons. He shifted back to human form and looked to Maleficent.
"We have to flee!" Pete said, almost pleading, as the Guardian pounded against the barrier and Xehanort drew ever closer.
"Never!" Maleficent hissed. "He took my army from me, and he shall pay!"
"For once I agree with him," Diablo admitted. "We've barely scratched Xehanort, and you know I'm not made for combat. I'm running too low on magic with all of this shifting."
Maleficent clicked her tongue and looked behind her at the exit. Diablo continued. "I will lead us to the basement. We will find Project Manikin, and then we will make a tactical retreat and plan our next attack."
"Will Xehanort even let us do that?" Pete asked, and his question was answered by the sound of shattering glass. The barrier fell to pieces and the force of the explosion sent the three of them flying, knocking them off of Maleficent's platform and onto the ground. Maleficent climbed to her feet first, leaning on her staff as the Guardian vanished and Xehanort pointed his Keyblade toward them.
"Damn you, Xehanort," she hissed. "You have made a very dangerous enemy today!"
"Always they call me Xehanort… Nobody gets it right." He pointed his Keyblade skyward and began to charge it with darkness. Lightning surged around the metal. "I am the ruler of this castle. My name is AnseARGH!"
The Keyblade clattered to the ground as he let out an unexpected gasp. Neither Maleficent nor her servants had moved, so the cause of Xehanort's pain was unknown, but welcome. He leaned over, gasping for breath and clutching at his heart. The Keyblade on the floor vanished in a surge of black light.
"What…is this…" he gasped, his voice shifting from the deep bombastic tone they were used to into another one. "Xeha…nort. Give me back…my body!" Maleficent's eyes narrowed. The voice nagged at her memory, but from where…?
"No!" he shouted in his normal voice, the hand not already at his heart clutching at his head. "Get out of my heart! Get! OUT!" Xehanort clawed at his face, screaming bloody murder at some invisible foe. As Maleficent's fire wall faded, Braig and Vanitas hurried over to their master and grabbed his arms, trying to stop him from killing himself.
"What's going on?!" Vanitas shouted at Braig over Xehanort's cries.
"It's got to be Terra!" Braig let out a string of swears and then pointed toward the exit. "Get going! Grab Kairi! NOW!" Vanitas didn't respond, immediately vanishing into a corridor and leaving the one-eyed man to deal with the raving Xehanort.
"What in the world is happening?" Diablo asked, their group seemingly forgotten in the chaos.
Pete shook his head. "I don't have any idea, but let's take this opportunity and get out of here!"
Maleficent spun to the entrance and grimaced. "So be it. The battle is lost for this day, but we shall win this war yet. Diablo! Take us to Project Manikin, now!"
x-x-x
"Run! Keep moving, we're almost there!"
Lea and Cissnei's voices came from the back of the group, urging everyone on as they sped through the twisting halls of Hollow Bastion. Xion didn't need to turn around to know what was behind them, as the pounding of feet and flapping of wings provided enough information. The Heartless had arrived almost immediately after they had left the Grand Hall; sent by Xehanort no doubt. Under normal circumstances they could handle this many easy, but it was a special case at current. Not only where they in extremely tight quarters, but Xion could feel the powerful dark aura emanating from the encroaching Heartless. Xehanort was empowering them.
Ahead of her, at the front of the group, Sora and Kairi continued to lead the way out hand in hand. Donald and Goofy were following right behind, practically on top of the pair, and constantly turning around to look at the storm behind them. No doubt they all recalled another escape from the Heartless in this very castle, and nobody wanted to lose Sora a second time.
Riku was beside Xion, with King Mickey beside him and Stitch clinging onto her back. Rather suddenly, Riku slid to a halt and spun around. With a battle cry he thrust his hand out and sent a volley of Dark Firaga toward the Heartless swarm. The blue flames soared past Lea and Cissnei's heads and exploded at the head of the black crowd. Everyone came to a stop. Bursts of smoke rose up and pink hearts glowed brightly for a few moments as Xion held her breath. Unfortunately, the shadows consumed the hearts once again and the Heartless returned, no worse for wear.
"Damn." Riku growled and stared down at his hands, then took off down the hall again. "Keep going! Holding them off doesn't seem to be an option!"
Stitch jumped off Xion and ran down after Riku with the others. Xion was about to join them, but Lea and Cissnei lingered behind, watching the Heartless continue to run at them.
"Any ideas?" Cissnei asked.
"Well we've seen we can't get rid of them," Lea replied as fire swirled in his hands and formed into his chakrams. "But maybe we can hold them off long enough for the others to get to safety."
Cissnei drew her shuriken. "I'm with you."
Lea laughed. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, lady!" He swung his chakrams out and pillars of fire erupted out of the ground at the Heartless swarm's feet, tossing several of them up into the air where they were prone to Cissnei's throw. Like with Riku's Dark Firaga the hearts were swallowed and the Heartless reformed, but now the swarm was held in one spot instead of advancing.
Xion continued to stay in one spot. She groaned and looked down the hall to the others, then back to Lea and Cissnei. The Heartless would just keep coming back without a Keyblade doing the damage. And there was no way she was going to lose him again. Taking a deep breath and calling Two Become One into her hands, Xion made her decision. She ran back the way they had come, toward Lea and Cissnei.
"Axel!"
"Wha- Xion?!" Lea halted his next fire blast as Xion jumped in front of him and swung her Keyblade, sending a wave of wind magic out that tossed the Heartless at the front of the swarm back into their comrades. She followed up by leaning back and casting Ragnarok, unleashing beams of light that weaved through the air and pierced dozens of enemies. The hearts they released were not consumed into the darkness and faded away instead.
Lea tossed one of his chakrams out and triggered an explosion around it, raining embers down on the Heartless that ignited and turned into a blaze. When the spiked wheel boomeranged back to him, he grimaced and turned to Xion. "I don't like this. Xion, go back!"
Xion shot him a glare and knocked away an approaching Soldier. "No way, Axel. You need me!"
"I told you my name's—" He ran a hand down his face and shook his head. "Never mind. What I need is for you to get to safety! Got it memorized?"
Cissnei kicked back an approaching Darkball and then flung her shuriken out at a squad of Neoshadows. It didn't defeat them, but they did recoil as the sharp edges of the weapon sliced through their inky black skin.
"Xion's fought plenty of Heartless, Lea, and her Keyblade is actually putting a dent in their numbers." She looked at Xion then back at the Heartless and bit her tongue, letting the 'barely' at the end of her statement go unsaid.
"Right, Cissnei gets it!"
Lea let out a low groan. "You have a point. But I don't like it."
Xion grinned and tapped the side of her head. "We'll be fine, Axel. Got it memorized?"
Lea looked stuck between a grimace and a grin as he held his chakrams out and lit them aflame. "I wonder why I missed you dorks after all."
Igniting his chakrams once more, Lea leaped into the fray and swung them around. He moved like a dancer, light on his feet as the burning wheels sliced through the Heartless like butter. The hearts were consumed and the Heartless reborn, of course, but even if they weren't being pushed back they were being held off. Whenever Lea had a few moments of breathing room he'd spin the chakrams in front of him and thrust his hands out, causing fire pillars to erupt out of the floor at the feet of the Heartless.
Cissnei dodged one such pillar as she held her shuriken by one blade, preferring to swing it in close quarters rather than throw it. She ducked under the swing of a Neoshadow's claws and gored it on the blade of her weapon, then quickly removed it from the creature's torso and spun ninety degrees to strike a Darkball in the eye with another blade on the circular weapon. Backflipping away from a barrage of icicles from a Blue Rhapsody, Cissnei tossed her shuriken into the crowd and then reached toward the holster at her hip and drew a pistol. It had no magical properties and did little damage, but the simple gun kept the Heartless away while her shuriken returned to her.
Xion continued fighting the Heartless up close as well, further into the mess than Lea or Cissnei were. The twin crescent swords of a Luna Bandit caught her Keyblade and the Heartless tugged back, threatening to pull it out of her grip. She responded by forming a Pearl spell in her hand and thrusting it into the Luna Bandit's face, followed up by a blast of Aeroga that sent approaching Minute Bombs flying. A number of the explosive Heartless flew into a wall of fire cause by Lea's attacks and exploded, sending more of their brethren back into the shadows. Xion clicked her tongue in annoyance; since she wasn't the one to take care of those, they'd just come right back.
While her thoughts distracted her, a sharp pain struck into her shoulder from behind. Xion hissed in pain and almost dropped her Keyblade as she reached back to cover the bleeding. The culprit was an Armored Archer, a small Heartless resembling a Shadow in knight's armor wielding a purple bow. The distant Heartless pulled back the string and prepared to fire another round, and so Xion spun around and sprinted toward it.
Something tackled into her hard partway to the Armored Archer, however: a Powerwild. The monkeylike Heartless knocked her down hard and sent her tumbling over the ground, her Keyblade falling out of her grip. She held her hand out and called her weapon back to her just as the Heartless pounced, its empty gaze and deadly sharp claws aimed at her chest. Two Become One's jagged teeth cut the monkey's chest open from below and it flew upwards, vanishing into darkness and releasing another heart when it hit the ceiling.
Unfortunately, Xion would not be returning to the battle. The Armored Archer let loose another arrow as she climbed to her feet, and pain coursed through her back. She fell to her knees and turned around to blow its next arrow away with Aero, only for a sharp icicle from a Blue Rhapsody to dig itself into her bare forearm. Another black arrow flew, this time hitting her thigh. Xion let out a cry and fell down, struggling to push herself back up. She couldn't.
It was like the wind was knocked out of her, and she could feel herself growing steadily weaker. A desperate, quiet cry for help escaped her lips, but she wasn't sure if Lea and Cissnei could hear her over the sounds of combat.
I should have seen them coming, she silently chastised herself. I should have been able to blow those away in time, or deflect them. Why was I so slow? Why do I…feel so… She felt like she had just sprinted ten miles. She was absolutely exhausted. Why?
Sora. Damn it! It was Sora!
"I'm such an idiot…" Xion groaned as she realized what had happened. Damn it, why did she let Sora go on without her. And now she was paying for that, the Heartless approaching her. They wouldn't kill her, she knew; Braig wanted Ven's heart. But it would be very painful when they got a hold of her nonetheless.
"Xion!"
Fire burst out of the ground in a circle around her body and expanded outward, knocking the approaching Heartless away. Xion looked up as Lea and Cissnei ran over to her, quickly glancing over her wounds with worry. Lea dropped down next to her and reached into his pockets to pull out a Hi-Potion.
"What were you doing? I know you can fight better than that!" Lea admonished as she drank the green liquid and climbed back to her feet. Her head was spinning.
"I can't believe I forgot…" she muttered.
"What are you talking about?" Lea raised an eyebrow when he saw Xion's legs wobble and he reached his hands out, grabbing her shoulders to hold her steady. "Hey, you okay?"
Cissnei's eyes widened softly. "Damn it. She's too far from Sora!"
Lea looked over to Cissnei without letting go of Xion's shoulders. "What? Explain, quickly. What does Sora have to do with this?"
"We need to be close," Xion said as she took a few deep breaths. She seriously felt like she was about to collapse. "We share a life force, we've…become too reliant on each other from spending time together. So when we're apart—"
"You're weak. Damn it all!" Lea spun around and clenched his fists, sending up a wall of fire that cut the hall in half and blocked all Heartless off from the three of them. As soon as that was done he grabbed Xion's hand in his own. "That won't last forever, but it should buy us some time. Run as fast as you can, we're going to regroup with the others!"
Xion looked down the hall where Sora and the others had gone, then up to Lea and nodded. "Righ—H-Hey!"
Before she had finished speaking Lea took off, dragging Xion behind him and with Cissnei right beside him. She stumbled slightly but kept going, focusing what little energy she had left into her legs. If she fell, they were through.
x-x-x
"This way, quickly."
The damp, dark corridors of the castle's lower levels were unchanged from Maleficent's memory. She also remembered why she never came down here when she had owned this place. Maleficent looked with disgust at the puddles their feet splashed in, somewhat thankful it wasn't bright enough to accurately make out the color. Her long, flowing cape grew heavier as its end was dragged through the puddles, however, and that simply would not do. But it would all be worth it in the end, Maleficent told herself. Her secret weapon was almost in her hands.
Diablo stopped at a door that stood out from the others, black iron and several inches thick. The solitary square window near the top was walled off by bars, and the old, rusted lock had been melted off, with some green embers lingering on the distorted lock. It was a miracle it had survived as long as it did. With some effort, Diablo pushed the door open and revealed the room on the other side.
It was a dull, grey chamber, surprisingly dry, and well-lit in comparison to the waterways, but that wasn't saying much. The dim lights above them flickered, kept active through magic rather than electricity though even that had begun to wane over the better part of a century. Several doors identical to the one they had come through lined the other walls, spaced far enough apart to allow for a cell beneath each.
"This place is kinda givin' me the creeps," Pete said from behind. Maleficent glanced over her shoulder to see him still standing in the dark hall, his hands on the doorframe as he peered inside.
Maleficent said nothing, but Diablo scoffed. "Then why don't you keep an eye out? No doubt Xehanort and his goons know we're still here." Pete grumbled in reply and turned around, his large form blocking the doorway as he crossed his arms.
Lower, so that only Maleficent could hear, Diablo spoke again. "I don't know why you keep that buffoon around."
"He is loyal, if nothing else," Maleficent mused with a soft smile. "And he provides muscle that we do not otherwise have."
"Well both of those will be supplanted soon enough."
"Mm," was Maleficent's only reply. She walked over to the nearest cell and held out a hand, palm up, conjuring a green fireball. She held it close to the barred window and peered inside, but saw nothing in the tiny cell except for a rat and the dusty remains of what had once been a skeleton. She did not turn around before speaking. "Are you absolutely certain this is the right place, Diablo?"
"Come and see for yourself." Diablo said, leaning against the door to another cell across the room. He stood up as Maleficent approached, once again holding the flame up and glancing inside. She could not make out any details, her flame did not reach the darkest corners of the cell, but something seemed to be there. Was it a trick of the darkness? She frowned and narrowed her eyes, leaning in closer to look.
"Long have I spent in the bindings of a vicious cycle, never dying but never truly alive."
The voice was almost impossibly deep; a heavy baritone fit for only the largest of men, the kind that made young maidens swoon. It caught Maleficent by surprise, though she showed no sign of it besides her eyes darting back and forth, looking for the source. Then she fixed on it, a large figure ever so slightly brighter than the black walls of his cell, sitting in the corner on the ground. His form was irregular, almost inhuman, with horns jutting out of his head.
"Are you the one called Project Manikin?" Maleficent asked him.
"If you wish for me to ally myself to you, sorceress, I have but one question."
His figure shifted and was accompanied by the clanking of heavy metal. Armor. Its surface, although in heavy need of polish, still reflected Maleficent's fire as he made his way into the light. The horns were not a part of his head, but of his armor as well. He was covered from head to toe in plated silver, appearing incredibly heavy but seemingly not weighing him down at all. Round blue jewels interrupted the armor on his belt, elbows, and hands, and a purple cape flowed from a collar around his neck all the way down to his ankles. In his hands was a massive sword made of the same metal as his armor, its vaguely triangle shape split into segments. The tip of the blade dragged along the ground as he continued to move.
Project Manikin stepped forward until his helmeted face was inches from Maleficent's, only the bars between them. The mask was molded into the shape of a face, giving the illusion that his mouth did not move as he spoke in that deep voice of his.
"Will you help me to achieve my final fantasy?"
Maleficent grinned and nodded. It mattered not what this fantasy of his was. Whatever he sought, she would provide it. "So long as you swear your loyalty to me."
"So it will be," he replied with a nod.
"Excellent. Diablo, free him."
"At once." Diablo reached for the lock to the knight's cell and coated his hand in green fire, melting it as he had the lock on the entrance to this dungeon. Within seconds the metal had melted away, dropping.
Pete chose this moment to speak up. "Say, uh, you guys might wanna make it quick. We got Nobodies incoming!"
Maleficent let out an irritated hiss and slammed the bottom of her staff into the ground. "Then what are you waiting for? Face them, you buffoon! Diablo, join him!"
"Right away," her faithful servant replied with a bow.
"Wait." Project Manikin's cell door swung open, a horrible rusty creak accompanying it. "Allow me to show you, my liberators, just what I am capable of."
Maleficent glanced at Diablo, who shrugged. She smiled and turned to Pete. "You heard him, Pete. Let the man show us."
Pete scoffed and stepped aside, allowing the knight to walk past. His heavy armor clanged against the stone floor, and his purple cape swayed with his uneven motions. Despite being locked away for a century at least, he seemed to be in perfect health. Was he truly immortal after all?
Almost immediately after he set foot in the center of the dungeon, the Nobodies that Pete had warned them of arrived. Sorcerers and Berserkers, two of the more powerful breeds according to Diablo's intel, both barged through the doorway and materialized in midair with a soft whoosh. Pete flinched back slightly, while Maleficent and Diablo watched Project Manikin with interest. He moved his broadsword out from behind him, swinging it through the air before slamming it down on the ground and sending sparks flying.
"Come then, dogs! Face my power!"
The taunt seemed to work, and two Berserkers charged at him as a Sorcerer activated its cubic barrier. Both Berserkers raised their claymores and brought them down on the knight, but he blocked it easily by holding his massive weapon up in front of him. He didn't even flinch as their own large blades collided with his, the recoil making them stumble back slightly. While they were stunned, he let out a mighty laugh and swung his blade, sending both of them flying into the wall.
Before the Berserkers could recover he leaped into the air. The upper segments of his sword detached and shifted, forming it into a shape vaguely resembling a hammer. With a booming cry of "I'll crush you!" he brought the weapon down on the first Berserker and crushed its abdomen with a resounding CRACK. Even as the Nobody began to fade away, he turned to the second Berserker and brought the hammer at it from an angle, which sent it flying once more—this time through the wall.
The black metal crumbled and crunched as the gaping hole formed. The Berserker crashed into the wall on the opposite side of the corridor and slid down, landing face-down in a puddle of water before fading.
The Sorcerer approached the knight with its barrier surging and shifting. He merely laughed in response and spun around like a whirlwind with his sword held out. He caught the Sorcerer in his spin, striking it again and again before slamming the base of his blade into what passed for its chin and knocking it into the air. The blade split again, this time down the length and forming into two smaller swords; smaller, but still large enough to be broadswords. With more booming laughter he cut through the Sorcerer's torso and landed on the cold ground once again.
He stood without a word as Maleficent, Diablo, and Pete watched on in shocked silence. Swinging his massive blade, he tossed it into the air and it landed behind him, its heavy tip digging into the floor. He crossed his arm over his chest, his palm placed against his breastplate. "I have no business with the weak."
"Tell me your name, warrior," Maleficent said at last once she had shaken off her surprise. "What might we call you? 'Project Manikin' simply won't do."
"Long has it been since it was spoken by anyone, but I do have a name." She could swear he was smiling behind his helmet as he dropped to one knee, his hand still over his heart. "And in that name I swear fealty to you, sorceress. I am your knight forever more, so long as you promise to lead me to my final fantasy. Let your enemies tremble at the sight of me, and I shall knock them down one by one."
He looked up, locking his glowing, pupil-less yellow eyes with hers.
"For I am Garland, the False Stalwart."
x-x-x
They arrived in the Entrance Hall after some running, slowed down by Xion's stumbling and short breaths. Luckily, at least, her situation had also been a convenient way of locating Sora and the others. The healthier she got, the closer they were. Unfortunately, the reunion at the Entrance Hall was anything but happy.
A field of blue coated the floor: Unversed. Monsters of all shapes and sizes battled with their friends, as Keyblades swung through the air and spells went flying alongside Goofy's shield and a little blue fur ball. Lea came to a halt at the top of the staircase, watching the creatures with confusion and perhaps the vaguest sense of recognition, as if he had seen Unversed many years ago and could barely recall them.
Xion pulled her hand out of Lea's and called her Keyblade, wrapping her fingers around the checkerboard hilt. "Sora!" she called out, her energy returning and adrenaline pumping. She jumped off the staircase and sent a wave of Aerora out, knocking some of the Unversed away from Sora. He didn't seem to have been faring much better than her, his movements sluggish as he swung his Keyblade and his chest heaving for air. But already he was beginning to move like his old self again.
"Where were you?" he asked.
"I stayed back to help Axel and Cissnei. Sorry, after we'd been together since Twilight Town I had nearly forgotten!"
"To tell you the truth, it was the same for me."
"Ha! No getting mad at me now, Sora! Wouldn't want to look like a hypocrite in front of Kairi!"
"Oh shut up."
As the two of them bantered, the Unversed recovered from Xion's wind blast and leaped at the pair. Xion only now noticed their appearance: small and without legs, they instead rolled around on a single wheel and had pickaxes for arms. They'd almost be cute, if they weren't hateful killing machines controlled by a psychopath.
The two of them unleashed combo attacks on the Unversed, knocking them up into the air where they were destroyed by twin bursts of black and white. The source was Mickey and Riku, who spun around back to back and unleashed light and darkness from their Keyblades on the crowds of enemies around them. Those that they missed were taken out by Stitch flying through the air like a pinball, rebounding off the walls, fountain, and even Goofy's shield. Donald let out a cry and threw his staff into the air before sending magical fireworks out of it, which exploded in a variety of colors and rained down on the assembled Unversed.
But when it seemed that all of the Unversed had been dealt with, a sharp, terrified scream cut through the silence that had only just begun to descend. Kairi cast Firaga on a Flood that leaped at her, destroying it only for three more to take its place. For every one she attacked, more and more leaped out of the shadows.
"Kairi!" Sora shouted, running to help her.
"Sora, help!"
An uncountable number of Floods flew out of nowhere, almost as if in response to Kairi's plea for help. The tiny, twitching Unversed dogpiled her, gripping at her arms and legs, weighing her shoulders down. She struggled against them but still more and more came, until she was forced to her knees.
"Kairi!" Sora reached the Floods and sent a blast of Firaga at them, but a Scrapper appeared and took the blast, sacrificing itself to save Kairi's assaulters. A corridor of darkness opened up behind her and Kairi's wide eyes grew wider. Sora knocked away more Floods that were leaping at him, but they did not attempt to drag him down as they had Kairi. They were purposefully distracting him Xion jumped in to take them off his hands, Donald and Goofy right behind her
"Kai—Ugh!" Riku, attempting to help save his friend, was knocked aside by a Wild Bruiser, and Unversed resembling a gorilla. Its powerful fists sent him flying into the wall, and King Mickey and Stitch quickly moved to help him take care of it.
Sora was unhindered as he sent magic spell after magic spell at the Floods holding Kairi, but they did not give up and continued pulling her back, toward the undulating black and purple hole. She reached her hand out, and Sora realized that fighting wasn't going to do anything. He stretched his own arm out to take her hand in his.
"Kairi!"
"Sora-AAH!" The corridor of darkness suddenly expanded, already enveloping Kairi's legs. She looked behind her and then turned to Sora, tears in both of their eyes. Sora reached out, but more Floods appeared and grabbed onto him as they had Kairi, holding him in place as she was dragged further into the darkness.
Their hands met, but the Unversed continued to pull. Kairi let out one last cry as she was tugged backwards suddenly, their fingers slipping from each other.
"KAIRI!" Sora shouted, his hand falling limp to his side as his fingers curled tightly around what had been in Kairi's hand a moment before: her thalassa shell good luck charm. The corridor closed with Kairi's echoing scream, and a moment later the Unversed—all of them—vanished as quickly as they had come. Sora fell to his knees and then onto all fours, tears dripping onto the cold floor and his body heaving in sobs.
Mickey, ears and tail dropping, started over to Sora. But a hand on his shoulder from Riku stopped him. Behind Xion, Goofy and Donald exchanged glances at each other and then walked forward, kneeling down by their best friend and talking to him in hushed whispers that Xion couldn't hear.
For Xion herself, she was weak in the knees. A lifetime of memories of Kairi were rushing through her head: running on the beach, studying for exams, lying out at night and watching the stars. They were Sora's memories, sure, but they were real ones nonetheless. This loss would never be as strong for her as it was for him, but it was still affecting her.
"We have to go back to save her," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. And she knew everybody agreed.
"You can't."
The speaker used Sora's voice, but in a cruel tone dripping with venom. Everyone turned to the center of the hall; everyone but Sora that is, as he continued to mourn his loss. Vanitas stood there, leaning against the fountain, as smug as ever and with his arms crossed over his chest. Lea and Cissnei, the closest ones to him as they stood on the stairs, immediately drew their weapons. But Vanitas didn't seem to acknowledge him.
"There's nothing any of you can do, except maybe the royal rat." Mickey bristled, but made no other movements. "He's the only Keyblade Master out of any of you, but only one doesn't stand a chance against Master Xehanort. There isn't a single thing any of you can do without help." He chuckled and shook his head. "If only you had some help. Poor little Keyblade girl lost alone in the dark…"
Mickey's ears perked up. "What—?"
"Don't dwell on it. You won't have time to anyway." Vanitas vanished into a corridor, and almost immediately the castle began to rumble and shake.
Lea turned to the door, his face growing pale. "Hey! The Heartless have caught up with us!"
"We can't hold them off, it sounds like they've got reinforcements!" Cissnei turned toward the exit of the hall, back out to the outer walls of the castle, and sprinted down the stairs. "Run! Everybody get out of here!"
Most followed her without word, save for three. Xion stopped right near the door and looked back, where Sora still sat with Donald and Goofy desperately trying to get him to flee. Xion scampered up Xion's body and rested on her shoulder.
"Come on, Sora! We gotta run!" Goofy pleaded.
"The Heartless are coming!" Donald added as he tugged on Sora's arm.
"Kairi…" Sora whispered, rubbing his eyes and staring at the charm in his hands. "Not again…"
Goofy managed to pull Sora to his feet, but he didn't move otherwise. "If ya don't move now you'll never be able to save her!"
"You'll see her again, but only if you run now!" Donald's voice was pleading, breaking. "Kairi wouldn't want you to give up because of her, Sora!"
Sora looked up from the charm and stared at his long time companions, but said nothing and moved his eyes to his feet instead. Still, when Donald and Goofy took his hands and began running he didn't resist.
"Come on, Xion!" Goofy cried as they ran past her and out onto the walls. Xion bit her lip and looked toward the far end of the room, where the first of the Heartless were starting to emerge: Eliminators. Xehanort was bringing out the toughest Heartless he had for them.
"Someone has to hold them off, or they'll catch up…" Xion realized, looking to the retreating figures of Sora, Donald, and Goofy. It couldn't be her, she'd get too weak again. But…could she last long enough? Would she have enough strength to hold them off for just enough time? Even if only barely, if her friends got clear then she would gladly—
"Xion, have to go!" Stitch said, nudging her cheek.
Xion took in a deep breath and looked to the little alien on her shoulder. "Stitch, I think…"
Whoosh.
Xion trailed off. She knew that sound, and immediately her heart started pounding. She shook her head and shut her eyes, not wanting to face reality. She knew what Nobody had just appeared, but she didn't want it to be so.
Mistress XIV, allow me.
"No!" she shouted at the Samurai without looking at it. She brought her hands to her head and shook it back and forth frantically, tears running down her cheeks. "There have been enough losses today! No more!"
Allow me to do my duty.
"No! I forbid it!" Xion snapped her eyes open and ran in front of the Samurai, but it vanished into thin air and then reappeared behind her in turn, closer still to the Heartless swarm. Wizards and Novashadows had joined the Eliminators
Stitch jumped down from Xion's shoulder and started tugging on her ankle. "Xion! Maka maka! Have to go now!" Xion didn't budge, hugging herself and continuing to beg the Samurai to stop.
"You aren't allowed to die, damn it! If you go, then who else will I—"
"Xion!" Lea burst into the room and grabbed her by the wrist. "What are you still doing back here?! We have to go, now!"
"No! I won't let him!" Xion tried pulling away from Lea but he held tighter, wrapping both hands around her wrist. Lea grimaced and turned to look at what she was crying for. He gasped.
"There's a Nobody on our side? …A Samurai…" Lea looked up at the stoic silver Nobody as it drew his swords, understanding on his face. He shook his head at Xion and pulled her back to the door. "I think its made up its mind, Xion. And if you won't make up yours, then I'm deciding for you. Come on!"
It has been an honor to serve you and Master XIII.
"Come back! NO! ROXAS!"
As Lea pulled her outside, the door slammed shut. The last thing Xion saw of the Samurai was a red dog-faced shield coming down upon it. She didn't know how long she sat there on her knees, sobbing at the door and choking out Roxas's name, but Lea's hand on her shoulder eventually called her back to reality.
"What do we do now?" A new voice asked. Xion turned around and rubbed her eyes to see the Restoration Committee had joined them, all looking battle-weary. Cloud seemed barely awake and Tifa and Aerith both had to support him, otherwise he looked ready to collapse and fall over the edge.
Leon was the one who had spoken, and he looked to Lea with curiosity and suspicion before continuing. "The Nobodies disabled the lift system by destroying the crystal switches. We're stuck up here with Heartless approaching. We have no way out."
The castle rumbled again and Yuffie yelped. "And we wouldn't have a lot of time even if those Heartless weren't chasing us! Look out!"
A piece of the castle wall above them collapsed, narrowly avoiding taking anyone with it as it destroyed a part of the floor. Both large pieces of stone fell onto the battlefield below, which had turned into a slaughter as the Heartless joined the Unversed and Nobodies to gang up on the musketeers. Very few soldiers remained, especially now as Hollow Bastion itself was falling on top of them.
"What now?" Leon repeated. "We are out of options! Someone think of something to get us out of here, before those Heartless—!"
The door exploded. Rubble rained down on them, forcing Xion and Lea to hurry over to the rest of the group. Through the smoke hundreds of glowing golden eyes were visible as the army marched its way toward them. Xion backed up and her heel slipped. She let out a horrified gasp and tumbled backwards before Lea caught her by the forearm, leaving her with one foot dangling over empty air. He pulled her up and held her close, hugging her to him as the end approached.
"Axel, I just got you back!"
Lea ran a hand through her hair. "I'm here, Xion. Don't worry."
"If this is it, know that all of you are my best friends," King Mickey said, holding his Keyblade out defiantly.
"I don't want to die!" Yuffie cried.
"Kairi…" Sora stared down at the charm in his hand and tightened his grip on it. "…I'm sorry."
As the Heartless grew closer, everyone grew tense. They had nowhere to run and no hope left to fight. Too much had been lost and Xehanort had won. Their mission was a failure.
Explosions rang out above them, sending more of the walls higher up down on them. Xion dug her face into Lea's shirt as he held her tighter, not daring to watch. She felt the ground shake, the stone pelting her body as the rubble from the collapsing stone flew at them. And then she heard a gasp, followed by whirring engines.
"What the hell are you all doing standing around?! Get up here!"
Xion gasped at the voice, which sounded like it was coming out of an intercom. She pulled away from Lea and hurriedly examined their surroundings. The rubble had crushed the Heartless and was covered in scorch marks, as if it had been purposefully broken off of the walls above by a cannon.
The sound of the engines grew louder behind them, and Xion turned around to let out relieved laughter. What she found was an absolutely massive Gummi ship, the largest she had ever seen. It was mostly grey and extremely long, with turbines near the rear and on top to keep it in the air. As the gargantuan ship approached the walls of Hollow Bastion, a door opened on the side and a blond man leaned out to give them a thumbs-up, his hair blowing in the wind.
"Welcome aboard the Shera! I'm Cid Highwind, and I'll be saving your asses today!"
A walkway emerged from another door slightly further along from Cid and connected itself to the walls. Immediately everyone mood forward, hurrying along it and onto the ship before any more Heartless could arrive. Tifa and Aerith helped Cloud along, while Goofy and Donald motivated Sora. Stitch jumped up into Xion's grip and she held him tight to her chest as she ran up it as well.
They weren't the only ones inside the large open space that was the Shera's bridge, either. Seemingly the entire population of the small town had been packed inside, including Scrooge, the ducklings, and Merlin. Merlin held his magic bag in one hand, and an old, worn brown book in the other. In addition, a few musketeers stood near the windows and looked out on the battlefield far below—far too few, however. One of them removed his hat and held it to his chest. Nothing more needed to be said from them.
"Everyone take your seats and get ready for departure!" Cid called from the captain's chair. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride. This is my girl's first flight; I haven't even tested her yet!"
"We're fleeing?!" Leon demanded, marching up to Cid with a glare.
"Do you think we can fight that maniac and his army of Heartless?!" Cid replied, shoving Leon away from him. "No, we cannot! So sit the hell down and let me do my goddamn job!"
Xion, still holding Stitch, sat down next to Sora. He didn't seem to even acknowledge her, his hands still shaking. Salty tears dripped onto the metal floor and the shells of Kairi's charm.
"Sora…" she began, holding out a hand.
He shook his head. "We shouldn't be running away…"
Xion pulled her hand back and looked out the window. "I agree…" She watched as the shadows expanded outward from the castle, like a hurricane with its eye in Hollow Bastion. The darkness overtook the town in a matter of moments, and would have swallowed them up if not for the surprising speed of Cid's new ship. "…but this may be the best decision for now."
She looked back at Sora, who said nothing but his frown deepened. Xion turned to her feet and held Stitch tighter.
"Hold on everybody, we're in for a long ride," Cid said grimly as they left the black world behind. "Next stop: Traverse Town."
Okay, confession time. This has been nearly done for like two weeks, with just the battle scenes left incomplete. I put finishing the chapter off for so long because I really don't enjoy writing those. Luckily fights are going by the wayside for the next few chapters.
But that said, the reaction to last chapter was great! I'm really glad everybody enjoyed it. With 2.5 coming out very soon, I hope to get updates out faster than the last ten or so have been. I can't make any promises, but since there isn't going to be any fighting for a while and that's where I struggle, hopefully they get done quicker. On the other hand, we're also approaching the end of the fall semester so we'll see how that goes with tests and stuff.
Lea's outfit is based on a picture by Hisui-no-Afurika on deviantart. Check it out if my description was lacking.