Five weeks. That was approximately how long it had been since their escape from the Realm of Darkness. One week of pure relaxation, four weeks of on and off combat that never failed to push her to her limit in some way.
And the future would only ask for more.
Aqua let out a silent sigh as she set the dark green sundress into her suitcase, her favored between the two options. The coastal sun had done wonders for her skin, and with her hair the shade it was, the dress perfectly complimented her— or so Ethel and Robin told her. It was just a shame that she likely wouldn't be wearing either dress again for quite some time.
Sora had explained the basics of the current threat in a vaguely confusing ramble she needed Robin to clarify; of how thirteen members all donning a black coat had gathered together (again) and were aiming for a clash of thirteen darknesses and seven lights to forge the true χ-blade instead of the false one created by the clash of Ventus and Vanitas. With it, Kingdom Hearts would be properly restored, and the Keyblade War of old would begin once more and the fallout of whether the worlds would be reset to their start or completely destroyed would be discovered.
She had felt empty when she heard the χ-blade would be reforged. The events that had transpired before she had entered the Realm of Darkness were essentially for naught thanks to that revelation. Even now all she could feel regarding the matter was resignation. But that was all a problem for future her. For now—
A single knock on her door heralded Robin's entrance, the man acting as if he hadn't just committed an invasion of privacy. "Still packing?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Just wrapping up," she answered, zipping her suitcase shut. "I wanted to get my morning exercises and some laundry out of the way first. I..." Aqua looked down sadly. "I'm pretty sure there won't be much time for that in the future."
"You're probably right about that." Robin crossed his arms. "This Organization XIII group sounds like they're just putting the finishing touches on their project. Once things start up..." He sighed. "Things will probably be like back in the Realm of Darkness: subsisting off potions and ethers."
Aqua nodded in agreement. It was unfortunate, but if there was only to be seven of them and thirteen of their enemies, things would be at a major disadvantage against them. Their stamina and endurance would be pushed to their absolute limits. She made a fist, forcing a mixture of Light and Darkness to emanate through the gaps of her fingers. But she would be ready for it. If ever she felt too much strain, there was another source of energy she could draw on until she had enough time to recover. It was as one last wisp of Darkness trailed into the air, vaguely in Robin's direction, that a thought struck her. "Robin?"
"Yes?"
"Why did you stop putting your cloak on me while I was asleep?"
He gestured toward his pocket, the same side that she knew she kept his keychain in. "My essence was calming for you. Having something smaller but no less potent had the same effect, so I saw no need to continue doing so." The rumbling transition from Robin to Grima had been so subtle, Aqua wasn't sure who she had been talking to the whole time. He raised a brow. "Did you perchance miss waking up blanketed in my warmth?"
Her face flushed. While she didn't exactly want to deny it, being called out like that was embarrassing. "Your coat's comfy," she deflected. It really was, though. Warm and weighty, and long enough that if she curled up slightly it would truly act as a blanket. If she balled up her excess clothing, she could even have a pillow while sleeping on the cold, stone floors of the Realm of Darkness.
The tiniest of smirks graced his face. If she hadn't gotten so used to reading Ethel's, she knew she wouldn't have caught it. "And the best part about that is that it's all natural; no hexes involved with that comfiness."
Unsurprisingly, she believed it.
As relatively early as they had woken up, they couldn't actually leave until Sora was ready. Based on the shadows peeking through the windows of the halls, that wouldn't be for another hour or so. With essentially everybody either out or still sleeping, it made for a relaxing stroll throughout the mansion, the various radios throughout the rooms set to soft classical music that reminded her of the post-medieval worlds she visited.
Eventually, Aqua found herself curled up on her favoured couch, chipping away at a book that talked about various different chocolate based recipes and how they were used to salvage any particular situation. It was rather amusing reading how the protagonist was completely oblivious to the affections of all those around her, instead focusing only on the way her creations effected those that consumed it. It was in the middle of the climax of a scenario regarding the imprisonment of one of the protagonist's friends and how they were serving the desert for a meal break that she noticed a weight settle beside her.
"Hey." Ethel gave her a soft nod, the leather jacket she usually wore for her motorcycle rides unzipped. She glanced at the blank tv screen in front of them, its polished surface perfectly reflecting their image. "Today's the big day, isn't it?" she softly asked.
Aqua gave a bitter smile. "I'm not sure big day is the phrase I would use, but it's definitely a day."
Ethel mirrored her smile. "Yeah... Hey, uh," there was a hesitance to Ethel's words that was extremely unusual. "Do you mind if we talk outside for a bit? My shift starts soon so I want to—"
She shut her book with a loud clap. "Yeah, of course." Work was important for those that had it. Especially for Ethel, whose projects often required personal spending to bolster her grant funding.
The late morning day was by no means an auspicious one, with the clouds starting to roll in that hid away the sun and sky, but it was still one that was filled with light, and that alone meant it was a good one. Ethel led them to Fred's garage, one of the doors already rolled up and exposing the gently sloping street beside the mansion.
"Always going to be jealous about this view," Ethel quietly said. "A garage with a driveway." She scoffed. "Only way I can get that is if I move out of the city." Ethel sighed and shoved her hands into her pockets, her shoulders almost petulantly slouched. "But that'll be a long ways off."
"With your studies and everything, right?" A passing car quietly rumbled past, the machinery of its engine continuing to echo a few seconds after its passing.
"Working prototypes, exams for things I honestly don't care for but are related to my general field, internships and apprenticeships and—" Ethel cut herself off. A few moments later, she spoke up once again. "Things have been pretty crazy lately. Low powered 'super villains' like Fred liked to call them and then actual super villains." She scoffed, head turning to the side slightly. "We didn't exactly have a bunch of coursework that was too crazy, but we still had jobs and personal projects and I—"
Ethel turned to meet her eyes, a fear in her pursed lips that reminded Aqua of the times when Ven thought he had done something worth reprimanding. "I'm glad we were able to spend time together these past few weeks." Every word spoken was consciously chosen, a clear enunciation to them. "I know that your future is definitely going to be crazier than mine, but." She pulled a hand out of her pocket, fingers firmly clenched around something. "Robin already made one for you. He said that these things are important to you. That they have a lot of significance beyond what I can really understand. That they have something to do with Sora's 'keyblade'."
Ethel stepped closer, holding her fist out. "I know that whatever this can do for you probably won't be as strong as whatever Robin's can manage, but it's still something that I made. Things made from materials I selected and designed the way I thought would be best."
Aqua silently held out her hand. Of all the times she had ever been gifted a keychain, this was perhaps the most solemn.
"Mogrii said that I should give it a name, but that I shouldn't tell you it. That when you use it, its name, its true name, will come to you." Ethel placed her fist in her waiting palm, her other hand closing around the underside to firmly grasp hers. "Aqua?"
A soft noise of surprise escaped her lips as Ethel pulled her in close, their hands between their stomachs.
"Take care of yourself," she whispered.
Aqua froze as the gentle pressure on her cheek began to carve itself into her mind, unable to do nothing more than reflexively wave goodbye as she had seen Ethel do whenever somebody headed off. Quietly, despite knowing that she couldn't be heard over the ever growing distance between them, Aqua answered back.
"Take care of yourself, Ethel."
/ - /
The trip to Sora's so called Gummi Ship had gone exactly as she expected it to: her and Robin off to one side of the limousine each reading one of the books Fred had been fine letting them take, while Sora, Donald, and Goofy oohed and awed over the changing cityscape as they drove towards Muirahara woods. In a rather amusing twist of cosmic coincidence, it was entirely possible they had set up camp near the place that Sora's camouflaged vehicle was, though neither Sora or Donald could say for sure whether or not they had. As they slowed down to one of the more quieter parking lots for Muirahara Forest, Aqua could only focus on the twinge of nervousness in her stomach.
In less than an hour, she would once again be among the Lanes Between. This brief moment of her life would fully be behind her, and—
"Aqua."
She looked down at the hand resting on her forearm.
Robin did nothing more than give her a small smile before stepping out of the car, easily carrying both of their bags.
Aqua took in a reassuring breath before she joined everyone outside, frowning for only a moment before tuning out Sora's excited rambles about going back to Yen Sid's place and meeting up with Riku and King Mickey once again. Idle chatter of her companions aside, it was the quiet of the woods that stuck out to her. Heathcliff knew this area well, and the parking lot he'd chosen was devoid of people. The wind rustling through the leaves high above, the trees keeping the area cool like the warmth of the early morning sun; it's a sensation she's known since her youth but one she was rarely able to indulge in.
When she slowly came out of her reverie, it was to Heathcliff patiently standing by the driver side door, acting as if she wasn't holding him up. Only when she gave him a grateful nod does he set off, effortlessly leading them along the path that Sora and his companions took.
The crunch of dirt and detritus punctuate their every step, a small smile on Heathcliff's face as they trailed along. "I suppose this shall be the last I see of you for some time, Keyblade Master." If the knowledge of their departure bothered him, Heathcliff didn't show it. Perhaps for him, seeming as old as he was, somebody leaving was something he had gone through numerous times. One more was no less sorrowful than the last.
"For the time being, Heathcliff. I'll return someday, once this is all over." Aqua gave a slightly forced smile. Perhaps by then she'd feel more worthy of the term 'master'. By all accounts she still deserved it, but having been near two years without a Keyblade, she didn't exactly feel worthy of it, especially with her experimentation regarding Darkness.
Heathcliff nodded regally. "Be sure you do, Master Aqua. Master Frederick's friends would be most distraught if you were to otherwise."
It was the low whir of an aircraft's engine that alerted her to their approach. There, in the middle of a mostly flat clearing, a blocky ship with what had to be two cannons on the underside rested. Behind the blue tinted domed glass at the top, she could see the upper half of Sora moving about, his body movements seeming like he was in yet another argument with Donald.
"Should be ready to go, soon." Robin adjusted his coat as he walked down the ramp, bright blue lighting making him look like a stereotypical alien from Fred's movies. "Apparently their ship is only meant for the three of them, so they're trying to make some seating from spare gummi pieces."
Aqua blankly nodded, pretending that that order of words made sense.
"Master Aqua, would you happen to know why such a vehicle would be required to travel between worlds? Last I interacted with a keybearer, they utilized armor in the same style as your battle gear."
For not the last time, Aqua stilled. Once again she was in a situation where somebody knew more than her, and either due to her own negligence or inexperience, she was at a disadvantage. "Sorry, beyond the bare minimum of knowing Sora is the last of my kind, I've been out of touch regarding everything else."
"Is that so?"
Aqua followed Heathcliff's gaze back towards the cockpit, only the occasional lock of spiked brown hair able to be seen now.
"The last I had seen of any keybearer was slightly before Master Frederick's father placed me under his employ. Quiet, reserved, and only ever asking questions related to the task at hand. A true professional if there ever was one. But they, like every other keybearer I have come across, became embroiled in violence, be it with monsters of the monstrous variety or otherwise." Heathcliff paused, his gaze briefly gaining a far off look. "And here two come, once again becoming mired in battle. I doubt it is the fate of all your kin to lead such interesting lives, but if something happens enough, you begin to notice a pattern."
"Aqua! Robin!" Sora's excited voice washed over them, the boy waving happily form the ramp. "The ship's ready!"
"There was a common phrase your forebears liked to say before leaving. 'May your heart be your guiding key.'" Heathcliff raised a brow. "It's significance is lost to me, but it feels appropriate to say, does it not?"
Numbly, Aqua nodded, barely aware of Robin's own (albeit controlled) stupor. "May your heart be your guiding key," she returned, leading Robin to the ship. The interior of the ship was sparse; a small storage area that already had their belongings strapped down, two sets of bunk beds built into the walls, and a ladder that led up the cockpit she could still hear Sora and his companions from.
"Nervous?" Robin asked, staring at the top of the ladder.
"A little bit," she answered.
He chuckled. "I feel the same. I might not be commanding a small platoon this time around, but knowing the near future will consist of nothing but fighting against foes I have little to no information about?" He crossed his arms. "Can't say it's a pleasant feeling."
She let out an amused breath. "At least this time we'll have backup, right?"
Robin nodded, an amused smile on his face.
Aqua took one last reassuring breath before she started up the ladder, her shoes ringing out quiet clinks with every step. Massive as the ship was, it still wasn't tall enough to peer over the trees, though it did make seeing the blue sky above significantly easier.
"Hey, guys!" Sora peered around the back of his seat, smiling widely. "Sorry about your seats," his grin faltered slightly, "but we did the best that we could." His expression turned resolute. "We'll do our best to avoid any combat until we get you guys some proper chairs, promise."
Robin leaned back into his chair, a somewhat crude recreation of the more ornate originals that Sora, Goofy, and Donald were sitting in. Though the general shape was there, it was clear that whatever vaguely crystalline material they used had been amateurishly hand formed, small pits and crevices visible even at a glance. Robin seemed to not notice any of it though, acting as if the chair was completely serviceable.
"Everybody strapped in?" Donald asked.
Sure enough, there were straps similar enough to that of a car's that Aqua instinctively buckled herself in, giving a thumbs up when Donald gave her a scrutinizing look.
"Everybody's ready to go!" he shouted.
"Okay! I'll take this slow since this is your guys' first time."
The sensation of the Gummi Ship rising was a strange one. Feeling her stomach settle into her lower stomach, the kind she remembered back when she accidentally cast a levitation spell on herself; the way she sunk into the back of her seat as they shot forward, clouds parting before them and how the blue of the sky lowered turned to the black of space. To be out among the stars, but with so much space between her and the cold emptiness... One step closer to home, she thought. As an afterthought, she turned to look at Robin, softly smiling at his muted, starstruck expression. The first time she had ever taken to the Lanes Between, she had spent nearly a full five minutes just sitting on her glider, staring at the cosmos.
"Oh! I should probably check my phone," she heard Sora say.
"You two can unbuckle if you want, ahyuck." True to his word, Goofy unbuckled his harness, leaning over to look at them. "The cockpit's nice and round. You can see just about everything around us."
Aqua moved over to Robin's side, careful not to put too much pressure on the material lest she deform it any further. "You've never seen the stars like this before, have you?"
"Only a handful of times, on spectacularly clear nights." There was a quiet, echoing quality to Robin's voice, his eyes seamlessly fading from amber to ruby red. "The world felt so far away at those times, but never quite like this," he murmured.
"You could almost spend hours just staring at everything, couldn't you?"
Grima nodded, a tiny subtle thing she had more than enough experience noticing with Ethel. "Tell me... do the position of the stars change, from world to world?"
"If you travel far enough, they do. Keybearers long before me once had to learn the position of certain stars for various star clusters, just in case their magic failed and they couldn't activate a directional spell." It was a topic she had picked up once during a fit of boredom. Where they currently where in the cosmos she had no idea, but given enough time traveling she was sure she'd be able to reorient herself.
"What!?"
She winced at Sora's yell. "Always excitable that one," she whispered.
"I'm sure he brings a breath of fresh air to certain people," Grima responded, a frown taking over his features.
"Guys, buckle up, we need to get going!"
"Going where?" Donald asked, motioning for her and Goofy to strap in.
"Riku and the King got stuck in the Realm of Darkness while we were gone!"
The weight that settled in her stomach was from more than just the acceleration of the Gummi Ship. The moment she got used to the change in speed, she turned towards Grima, the man shaking his head slightly.
"But how are we supposed to get to the Realm of Darkness without the King?"
"I—" The ship slowed to a crawl.
Aqua unbuckled her harness once more, stepping up to Sora's side. "Sora? How did you traverse the Lanes?"
"I'd use my keyblade and let my heart—" he paused. "Aqua, you should get back to your seat."
She smiled. "I'd put your hood on if I were you," she whispered to Grima. "Something tells me the path we're about to take might be a little mean to you."
He chuckled, adjusting his cloak to grant him purchase of his hood. "Is that so?"
A radiant beam of light that illuminated the entire cockpit passed harmlessly through the glass in front of them. A fair distance away from them, energy crackled out, a window to a corridor of light opening up. "Okay, everybody, hang on! Next stop, Riku and the King!"
Next chapter will be released May 9th.