The Tides Go Out

by Regiss

Four months later, the war between Maleficent's Heartless and Braig's Nobodies threatens to consume all worlds. In the middle of the conflict, Sora, Xion, and their friends continue the search for Riku while also dealing with Vanitas, who will stop at nothing to get Ven's heart. Sequel to Remember the Tides.

63. The Door to Light

Chapter 63: The Door to Light

Another Heartless fell, its body cleaved in half by Oathkeeper. As it faded back into the ever-present darkness, Sora had to stop himself from collapsing then and there. His arms felt like they had weights tied to them and his legs wobbled uneasily. His chest heaved with every deep breath, and he had to shake his head to keep his eyelids from drooping.

The Heartless kept coming in a never-ending flood. They swarmed at the group from every possible direction: diving from above, clawing up from below, and charging from all around. They were relentless, and Sora and his friends had gone without rest as Aqua led them through the Realm of Darkness. Coupled with the heavy, draining atmosphere of pure darkness that coated this place, it all made it very hard to get through.

As the latest of the Heartless attacks was defeated, Sora looked around at his companions. He wasn't the only one exhausted, either. Donald and Goofy slumped to the ground, resting their backs against each other as they stopped to catch their breath. Xion leaned forward with her hands on her knees, sweat coating every inch of her skin. As for Aqua, she leaned against a stone pillar, one of many that held up the chaotic geology of the Realm of Darkness. Though she too had to catch her breath, she wasn't nearly as fatigued as the rest of them.

Sora had to admit, he was impressed. Though there was no real way to tell, Sora guessed they had been in the Realm of Darkness for maybe two hours. Already he could feel its affects, the way the darkness constantly crept at his heart and weighed down on his shoulders. It was freezing cold, too, not to mention the psychological impact of constantly being surrounded by dark colors and muffled noise. Master or not, Aqua had done the unthinkable. She had survived down here for twelve years. How had she done it?

He must have asked the last part out loud, or perhaps it was written on his face, because Aqua looked over at Sora with a slight smile on the corner of her lips. She held up her hand, revealing that blue stained glass Wayfinder that the group had seen before. "You want to know how, right? This is why." Aqua lowered her arm and smiled down at the simple trinket, cupping it in both hands."It represents an unbreakable connection. My friends guided me in the darkness, and when I needed them most, they came through for me."

Donald climbed up to his feet, curious but wary at Aqua's statement. "But how did they do that, if Ven is asleep and Terra is…?" He let the question linger, unsaid.

Aqua just shook her head. "The three of us will always be one. Ven and Terra aren't gone, and—" She paused suddenly. Her eyes grew downcast, she seemed to think something over, and then Aqua looked at each of the four in turn before ending on Sora. "Wait a minute, how do you know about Ven? And what happened to Terra? He made it out in the end, didn't he?!"

The group grew silent. That's right…she had no way of knowing. She had been here the entire time while her friends' situations just grew worse and worse. Been unable to help, to do anything, and not even known if they were okay… Just like Kairi. Sora clutched his own Wayfinder tightly at his side, and the gesture did not go unnoticed by Aqua.

"Sora, your Wayfinder. It's your keychain too, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Sora looked at Aqua, then down at the charm. "Uh, yeah. The chain for Oathkeeper, that's right. I guess it's my light in the darkness, too. Just like yours. My friend Kairi gave me it—"

But Aqua didn't focus on the Wayfinder itself. No, as Sora had gone on her eyes had shot open. Before he had even finished speaking Aqua had darted over to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. She stared at him with wide eyes as if trying to pry into his mind.

"Kairi? You know Kairi?" Aqua's voice and expression both wavered. She seemed to be struggling between being happy or horrified about the news.

"Uh…y-yes?" Sora stammered out in shock. He shook his head and then stared right back at her. "Wait, you know Kairi?"

Aqua hesitated. She drew back from Sora and crossed her arms, seeming to mull things over once again. Her gaze flickered to Xion for a moment and she emit a soft gasp, which earned a raised eyebrow and shrug from the younger girl. Of course Xion did look like Kairi, though how much Aqua would have recognized that Sora wasn't sure. She must have met Kairi years ago, but then again she had recognized him…

There was a rumbling roar that came from the impenetrable darkness around them. Aqua instinctively summoned her Keyblade—which she had identified as Master's Defender during an earlier lull between Heartless attacks—to her hand. But after a moment's hesitation, she dismissed it again. "…Let's keep moving. You're too exhausted to keep fighting and can talk when we're at the beach. I'll tell you how I know Kairi, and you tell me about Terra and Ven."

Xion perked up. "Beach?"

As Aqua turned off down one of the countless identical paths, the group made to follow her before she got too far ahead and separated from them. Who knew when the Heartless would strike next? Sora certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of an attack in their home turf without a Keyblade Master on their side.

The way was harsh at first. Aqua led them across suspended bridges of earth that looked like they could collapse at any second, they jumped from stone pillar to stone pillar, and scaled steep black cliffs. Eventually the route leveled out to a twisting road with no other paths in sight, though several of those rocks with glowing white cracks on them stood out in the endless black surrounding the group. Now walking at an only slightly brisk pace as they made their way through the darkness, Xion and Sora moved side by side and spoke in hushed tones.

"What do you think of her?" Sora asked.

Xion looked up at Aqua ahead of them and shook her head. "It's hard to say. She's strong—really strong—but, I dunno. She's not really what I imagined a Keyblade Master would be like, at least not out of battle."

"What do you mean?" He kind of had the same idea, but wanted to know where Xion was going for this first.

Xion shrugged. "I mean, when fighting Heartless Aqua is more like a force of nature than anything. She moves so quickly and casts spells we've never even heard of. I can believe she's a Master, easily. But then when the fighting's over, I guess I expected a Master to be cold and no-nonsense. You know?"

Sora nodded. "I think I agree, yeah. I get what you mean, anyway. Aqua is a whole other level above us when she's fighting, but when she's not she's just another person. Warm and willing to talk, right?"

A nod from Xion, but it was accompanied by a frown. She wrapped her arms around herself and watched Aqua carefully as they continued to walk. "It's…honestly kind of scary." Sora watched her carefully, and Xion in turn continued to watch Aqua as if waiting for something. Then, when whatever it was never came, she looked to Sora instead. "I mean, we talk about holding onto your friends for their light, but for her to do that for so long? Good for her I guess, but just being in this place for how long we've been it is messing with my head. Aqua was here for twelve years and seems no worse for wear…and that scares me."

"But that just goes to show how strong the heart is, doesn't it?"

"I suppose so." When Xion lowered her arms, her fingers brushed against her chest and lingered there for a second. Her hand fell to her side a moment later, but the gesture did not go unnoticed. Something more was bothering Xion, but if she didn't bring it up, he wouldn't push it.

Up ahead, Aqua came to a sudden stop and looked over her shoulder. She wasn't looking at Xion and Sora, though; she was looking behind them. "Hey, don't fall behind, okay?"

Sora and Xion looked back to see Donald and Goofy, the latter lingering at the back of the group with a thoughtful look on his face and his chin cupped in his hand. When he realized everyone else was watching him, Goofy looked up at the group and quickened his pace. "Sorry, I was just thinkin'."

"What could you possibly be thinking about, you big palooka?" Donald asked.

"Gawrsh…" A frown found its way onto Goofy's face and he rubbed the back of his neck while staring down at his feet. "I keep seein' Dr. Facilier, when that Heartless…" He trailed off, and he didn't need to say more. The rest of the group, sans Aqua, quickly found themselves mirroring Goofy's own expression. Facilier… Sora had almost forgotten what had happened. He wasn't sure how, because even now that scream was crisp and clear in his ears.

"Who's that?" Aqua asked, approaching the group with a light frown of her own.

Xion rubbed her shoulder and looked down, while Sora grasped for words. Where to even begin? But Goofy stepped up to the plate instead. "He was a bad man we were fightin' before we got here," he explained to Aqua. "Did some pretty awful things, and in the end the Heartless dragged him off into the darkness."

"It hurt to see him after," Sora mumbled.

"It was like he was…broken," Xion added.

Aqua crossed her arms and looked around at the blackness. "I didn't see him when I found you four. What happened to him?"

"We had to find you," Sora responded. "We couldn't decide what to do with him because of that, we couldn't just leave him there, but… Well, the Dark Hide made our decision for us. It charged right over Facilier when it first appeared, before you showed up."

"…I see…" Aqua's voice was quiet. She moved her crossed arms inward a bit, though not quite so she was hugging herself. "You need to forget about that."

Sora, Xion, Donald, and Goofy all stared, dumbstruck. "What?"

Aqua's voice was hard as she spoke to them. "I know it sounds harsh, but it's true. You can't let regret and doubt haunt you. The Realm of Darkness will use those thoughts if it gets the chance, it will worm its way into your heart remorselessly." Then, her face softened. "I'm not saying you can't have those thoughts. Believe me, I regret a lot. But you can't dwell on them, not here and not anywhere. Don't let the darkness take root, I've seen it happen before and I don't want to see it happen to anyone ever again. Hold on to the happy moments and memories. Let them be your light. Like I said before, for me it's my friends."

"Don't focus on it, huh…" Xion muttered beside Sora, her head tilted low and her eyes hidden behind her bangs.

Sora once more found himself holding his Wayfinder, his fingers tightening around the thalassa shells.

Wherever you go, I'm always with you.

Aqua smiled and motioned down the road. "Come on, the beach isn't much further."

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. The Realm of Darkness remained unchanging all around them; at least, at first. Eventually the blackness began to lighten, never truly to a bright shade but becoming a dull blue-gray. The road underneath them widened until the pit that had been a constant feature of this place was replaced entirely by earth. A thin white mist began to filter through the air, and then of course there was the unmistakable sound of the waves.

Sora found his eyes widening as the group stepped onto the black sand of the beach Aqua had led them to. If a peaceful place could exist in the Realm of Darkness, this was it. The water shimmered and appeared silver. Twisting arches of black stone curved above the surface, and jagged stones jutted from the waves. Several black boulders, lined of course with the glowing white cracks, dotted the beach. On the horizon there was a pale moon, and Sora couldn't help but wonder if perhaps that was the true Kingdom Hearts, the light lost in the darkness so long ago.

"I found this beach a little while ago, though I can't say for sure just how long ago that was," Aqua explained as she walked forward, her figure silhouetted against the dim light of the moon. She stepped into the water, allowing the tides to wash over her boots. "It's the only place in the entire dark realm that I haven't ever seen a Heartless appear. No matter how far I wander, it's the only haven there seems to be." She settled down on the sand and motioned for the others to sit. "So it's a perfect place for all of us to get some answers, uninterrupted."

It was as good a place as they were going to get. Sora sat down beside Aqua, leaning on his hands as his fingers dug into the sand. Goofy found a seat on one of the nearby rocks, while Donald remained standing. Xion moved closer down to the water and stared at the tides go in and out. Slowly, Sora took a deep breath and let it out. "I know we have a lot to tell you, but can you tell me how you know Kairi?"

Aqua smiled. "Me first, huh? Making me wait?" She leaned back and tilted her head up. "It was back while my friends and I were fighting Master Xehanort. I stopped by Radiant Garden and met a little girl in front of the castle. I saved her from some Unversed, and I met Mickey then too." Sora listened to Aqua's story, enraptured. The King had known Kairi? "Kairi's grandmother came to take her home, but before they left I placed a guardian charm on Kairi. A spell to take her to safety to someone else's light, if something bad ever happened to her."

"Oh, I get it now, so that's why you looked so scared when I mentioned her…" Sora said softly. He looked up to Aqua. "But why did you put that on her in the first place?"

"I sensed a strong light in her, and Mickey agreed. We both agreed she was someone we had to protect."

"Then the King knew all along that she was a Princess of Heart!" Donald declared with a gasp.

"We don't know that for sure, Donald, just that he knew Kairi was special," Goofy chimed in.

Aqua frowned again. "A Princess of Heart? Really? But how do you know… Never mind, you'll tell me, I'm sure. But first, what I want to know is why Xion looks so much like Kairi." She turned to Xion who looked away from the waves and met Aqua's gaze. "I mean, how I'd assume Kairi would look at your age, anyway. Are you sisters?"

"Not exactly," Xion said. "It's a really long story."

"I've got time," Aqua joked.

"Well, I know you want to know about your friends, but maybe we should tell you what happened to Kairi. It's kind of where everything we have to tell you started, anyway."

Sora nodded at Xion and then faced Aqua. "Aqua, this is going to be a lot of hard stuff to swallow, just so you know."

"I'm a big girl, Sora."

"Okay…" Just rip off the bandage and get it over with. "Well to start, you've been in here for twelve years now; though I guess you figured it was about that much anyway when you saw me. Kairi came to Destiny Islands about a year after your visit. She washed up on the beach with no memory of where she came from, and the mayor adopted her. She, Riku, and I were together pretty much every day growing up."

Aqua sucked in a breath. "Then…Radiant Garden…?"

"It's called Hollow Bastion now. Eleven years ago the apprentices of Radiant Garden's ruler experimented on people to learn how the heart works. They ended up releasing the Heartless into the Realm of Light. The Heartless…they go after hearts, including the hearts of worlds. Xehanort unleashed a plague on all the worlds out there, sending billions of people into the darkness."

"Xehanort?" Aqua's tone was pleading. She knew where this was leading now, and Sora hesitated. He didn't know if he had the heart to confirm it for her.

"Not Master Xehanort…not really," Xion said in a very quiet voice. She walked along the water's edge, keeping her eyes on the ground and not on the rest of them. "Aqua, we don't know what happened to get you trapped in here, but whatever you did didn't save Terra from Xehanort. All you were able to do was erase his memory."

Aqua's hand shot up to her mouth and her eyes began to water, but she motioned for them to continue.

They spoke a little while longer. Aqua listened intently as they told her about Heartless and Nobodies. About how Xehanort had been split in two, how Ansem had gone after the Princesses and how Xemnas had formed the Organization. They told her about Braig, and Vanitas, and that now Xehanort was back in Terra's body once again.

Aqua now stood once more at the edge of the water, one hand gripping her other arm behind her back. "I think I understand," she said after an extended silence. "So you came to find me after Terra—Xehanort—came back, and once we get out of here we need to find Ven."

"Well, we were hoping you could find him, anyway," Donald said. "He's still lost somewhere in Castle Oblivion and no one knows how to figure that place out."

"Castle Oblivion?" she asked.

"A giant castle that's like a maze inside. Nobody can solve it, you get lost if you try."

Aqua blinked and brought her hand up to her chin. After a few moments' thought, she snapped her fingers. "Oh, the Master's spell! Yes, I know exactly how to find Ven. You see… I am the one who made Castle Oblivion."

Gasps of alarm rang out around the group. Of course it made some sense, since that's where Ven was and Aqua was the last one to see him, but that certainly didn't tell them why. Or even how! But Aqua calmed everyone down and took to explaining quickly enough.

"After Ven fell asleep, he needed a safe place. He led me to the Land of Departure, the world where we had trained under Master Eraqus. But it was ruined, falling into darkness. To save it and keep Ven safe I used the Keyhole and locked the world away."

Goofy held a hand up. "Oh, so that's why it's a maze. Then you can solve it for us!"

Aqua nodded. "Yes. In the Master's own words, everyone who traveled there would be lost to oblivion. No one would ever be able to solve it except for me." Then, she paused. "There's just one thing I don't understand. Why does Vanitas need you, Xion? How could you also forge the χ-blade with him?"

"Well, uh…" Sora hesitated once more. He turned to Xion, who was still focusing on the water.

"I can tell her, Sora." Xion stood up straight and shook her head. "When Ven lost his heart, it found its way inside of Sora. Then when he was fighting Ansem—Xehanort's Heartless—he became a Heartless himself, and Ven's heart went into his Nobody, Roxas. My best friend." Xion brought a hand up to her chest and clutched tightly at the blue fabric of her shirt. Her body trembled. "A lot of things happened, and—and in the end, Roxas and I fought. I…I k-killed him, and…"

The next thing Xion knew, Aqua's arms were wrapped tightly around her. Shocked into silence by the gesture, Xion simply stared at Aqua as the older girl hugged her closer. Was she…crying? Yes, she was. Tears were streaking down Aqua's face, but she wasn't sad. She was smiling as she kept up the embrace.

Xion found her voice. "U-Um, Aqua… I'm not Ven even though I—"

"I know…I know." Aqua pulled away from Xion and ruffled her hair with a smile. Then, she wiped at her still wet eyes. "That wasn't well because of Ven—well, no, that's not true. I guess part of it was, but it was also for your sake. I don't need to know the details, but fighting your friend is never easy."

"Aqua…"

"So! Are we ready, then?" Aqua turned to face Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "Let's get going. Let's leave the darkness behind, get Ven his heart back, and save Terra from Xehanort!"

"Right."

"Yeah!" Sora pumped his fist into the air and let out a laugh. "Let's go! We'll stop the χ-blade and beat Xehanort just like we always have!"

"We got the gang from Hollow Bastion ready to go too," Goofy chimed in. "Gee, with everyone pitchin' in, there's no way to lose!"

But amidst the brightened moods and cheerful declarations, Donald brought up a very good point. "But how do we get out of here?"

Sora paused in the middle of his spirited laughter. He lowered his hand and then crossed his arms. Um, how do they get out? It was something that honestly had not occurred to him. Even here, on the beach where the dark realm wasn't quite as dark, the light in the distance was still pretty far off in the distance. It's not like they could just leave the Realm of Darkness on a whim, could they?

"I'm not worried." They all looked to Aqua as she held her Wayfinder to the moon on the horizon, its faint light refracting through the blue stained glass and causing colors to dance across the beach. "It's like I keep telling you, our friends are thinking of us wherever we are. Follow the hearts, and you'll find the way. So don't be afraid, alright?"

You hold the mightiest weapon of all.

As a voice from a nearly-forgotten dream rose up from his subconscious Sora felt something bright coming from the corner of his eye. When gasps rose up from his companions, he quickly turned to see a pillar of pure white forming over the ocean water, so blindingly bright after spending even such a relatively short time in the darkness.

So don't forget.

"Light…" Aqua gasped, her voice cracking as more tears began to form.

You are the one who will open the door.

"The Door to Light…" Sora whispered. He jumped up to his feet, watching as it took on a brilliant golden radiance. A warm breeze came with the light, dispelling the oppressive darkness that permeated the area and gently brushing the spikes of Sora's hair. Yen Sid and Mama Odie's foretellings intermingled with the dream's voice in Sora's mind, and he stared at it with mouth agape for a moment before turning to Aqua with his hand extended toward her.

"We'll go together."

x-x-x

Utter silence.

The blank white room was completely quiet as Xehanort sat in the throne in the center. White chains carved into the walls and floor fluctuated between glowing and fading as they led from the chair to Nobody emblems on the walls, but made no noise as they did so. The whirring of machinery just outside was completely shut out by the sound-proof walls and door. Befitting its name as a place of rest, the Chamber of Repose was dead quiet.

Even the air itself was still, unmoving. It was as if, in the twelve years since he had discovered this cavern after chasing a Shadow and then converted it into the Chamber, it had entered a state of absolute stagnation. Of sleep. No dust ever formed here, but if it had then then decade-old footsteps would still lay undisturbed. Or…so it should have been.

Upon arrival in the Chamber several hours ago, Xehanort had not failed to notice that there had been others here between this visit and Xemnas's last. The armor that Braig had placed down here—Aqua's armor, he now knew—was positioned differently than it had been before. The helmet was further away from the rest of the suit now, and the Keyblade that had once been embedded into the floor instead lying on its side, closer to the door than the armor. If he had to guess, it was Xion, Sora, and their friends. Though he had no way of knowing how long ago their visit had been, it couldn't have been any earlier than the Battle of Hollow Bastion.

Not that it mattered.

Xehanort shifted, moving his right hand from the throne's armrest and up to his cheek, leaning on his closed fist while his elbow supported him. His mind drifted toward his plans, how everything was falling in place. Xemnas may not have remembered any of it, but upon Roxas's recruitment just seeing his face was enough to trigger flashes of the broken boy who failed to be the blade. He had known then that Roxas had Ventus's heart, and so Xemnas had sought out Ventus's body even if he had not consciously known why. Was it truly to accept him into the Organization, as Xemnas had told Xion during their final battle, or was it lingering ties to Terra? Xehanort himself could not be sure. Certainly he had planned on creating the true Organization XIII with Ventus as one of his vessels, but the advent of Xion's survival over Roxas put an unprecedented stop to that when another road to the χ-blade was opened.

Xion… Was it a Replica's absorption abilities or her ties to Sora that allowed her to take Ventus's heart from Roxas, he wondered? Either way, her continued existence was attributed to that light within. When Braig and Vanitas had themselves realized just what the source of light that Roxas and Xion shared was, they too had shifted their plans toward returning the halves to the whole. To forge the χ-blade without a need for thirteen lights and seven darknesses. The failure in the Keyblade Graveyard was because he had acted rashly, Xehanort could admit that now. But the concept itself would work, they just needed to try again. So thanks were due to Ventus—thanks for holding on as long as he did. It was because of him that all that was soon to occur would come to pass, despite the setbacks.

Yes, the setbacks… Setbacks like the misguided master who sacrificed herself for a friend. Xehanort was not a fool, he knew that they would be searching for a way to save Master Aqua from the Realm of Darkness. Perhaps they had already found her. Of every Keyblade wielder out there among the stars, she and the King were the only ones who posed a real threat. But now that he had his memories back, could that still be said? Xehanort would have to remember to thank Naminé; because of her, the last little ember of Terra's heart had been snuffed out.

Riku couldn't be corrupted by darkness anymore but he was still nowhere on their level. Xion and Sora had strength of heart to be sure, but like Riku they completely lacked any sort of proper combat training. They were dull and ordinary, completely unlike any Keyblade wielder he had ever seen. Except for their connection to Ventus, of course. If it weren't for that they would be complete non-entities in his plans…well, no, probably not. Aqua had been a non-entity before, and look where that got him.

Aqua… As his focus turned to her once more, Xehanort looked at the scattered pieces of her armor, at Stormfall lifeless on the cold floor. At the sight of the armor, something within him seemed to waver, almost. Like an uncomfortableness, a faint burning sensation in his heart that vanished just as fast as it had come, or even faster. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. Pursing his lips for a moment, Xehanort sat up straight and put his hand back on the throne's armrest.

"Perhaps things are not as under control as I'd like to have hoped." He addressed the empty armor. Old habits die hard. Xehanort absentmindedly rubbed a hand over his chest. The feeling was long gone now. "Still, I can't see any way they could go awry at this stage, even with you a part of it. Your connection to Xion isn't nearly as strong as it was to Ventus, his heart or no… I am afraid, Aqua, that this time you won't be able to shatter the χ-blade so easily."

"Still talking to nothing, huh? Guess some things never change."

The doors behind the throne opened, breaking the absolute silence of the Chamber of Repose. Xehanort furrowed his brow as he heard the footsteps approach, then looked up as Braig draped one arm over the back of the throne and pressed the other on the armrest. He leaned forward and grinned at Xehanort with his single eye shining.

"What do you want, Braig?"

Braig chuckled. "What? I can't just come visit the boss and see how he's doing? I have to want something to stop by here?"

"You always want something."

Braig laughed again and stood up straight. He rolled his neck and walked around to the front of the throne, kicking Aqua's armor aside without even seeming to notice it. "Ha, do I? Got me figured out huh? Man Xehanort, you know, you really freak me out. The way you can almost see into minds like that."

Xehanort couldn't suppress a grin. Once more he leaned on his fist as he watched Braig aimlessly wander around the Chamber. "Let's skip the formalities, Braig."

Braig waved a hand over his shoulder as he rounded the throne once more and moved behind it. Xehanort didn't watch him, knowing he wasn't leaving just yet. "You know, for all you talk of that young, fit body, it's still the mind of an old coot in that head of yours. Getting on in years and all. You growing forgetful in your old age?"

"Well I've certainly grown more impatient."

"Then I'll cut to the chase. You made me a promise, Xehanort. I help you forge the χ-blade, and you give me the thing I want. You remember?"

Once more, Xehanort found himself pursing his lips. Braig had to be talking about their deal back in Radiant Garden when he was first recruited. Yes, Xehanort remembered the deal, though at the time he had no intention of ever carrying it out. And that was why, no, he didn't remember what it was he had promised Braig. He had planned on it being something to slip away, but if Braig had held onto it for twelve years he wasn't likely to let go at all. Luckily, Xehanort did not have to tell Braig that he really had no idea what the sharpshooter was after, because Braig had not finished talking.

"You never upheld your end of the bargain. Now it may be a bit premature of me since you don't actually have the χ-blade yet, but we both know nothing is going to stop you from getting your hands on it. It's all too perfectly set up now." Once more Braig leaned over the back of Xehanort's seat. "How about it? I get advance pay, then I'd be able to help you out a ton more than I already have. So come on…"

Braig moved his hand out from behind the throne, revealing the lifeless, forgotten Stormfall that he had picked up while talking. Once more something seemed to stir inside Xehanort at the sight of Aqua's equipment, but he suppressed it.

Braig dropped Stormfall unceremoniously to the floor. "One more ain't gonna hurt."

Xehanort took in a deep breath. Yes, he remembered now; that was their deal. Their understanding was simple: Braig lends his assistance, and in return Xehanort gives exactly what was promised to him. The first step of that was already accomplished when he had transplanted a piece of his heart into Braig before the battle at the Keyblade Graveyard. Now, he supposed it was time to finish what he had started.

He let out his breath. "I am a man of my word, after all." Xehanort stood up from his seat and turned to face Braig, the two men watching each other from across the throne. In a flash of black, Xehanort's Keyblade appeared in his hand. He flipped it around, grabbing it by the ancient blade and extending the hilt to Braig.

"In your hand, take this key."