Disclaimer: Not mine
Chapter 15
Aqua sat on the beach in silence, staring into the distance, her companion silent on the rock beside her. He had told her what he knew of events in the Realm of Light and it had hurt to learn all that those bright boys she had met had gone through. Not bequeathing Sora hadn't saved them from the fate of being forced to fight each other, though she did wonder how he had ended up with the Keyblade.
Her thoughts wondered to another boy with a Keyblade – Harry. She hoped he was alright, that he hadn't hurt himself trying to save her. Learning from him that Ven still existed, his heart sleeping inside someone else, had given her hope. And even if there was no way to find out who or how to free him, his memories lived on in Harry himself. She wasn't sure about his carrying Vanitas' memories as well, how did he balance such different Hearts within himself? She wished she had been able to go to his World, memory was not enough, he would need a teacher and if she wasn't suited then she could have helped him leave his World and reach Master Yen Sid.
She glanced at her companion, she had a lot of questions about him but at the moment she didn't want to break the quiet.
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Mickey sat up, hearing a noise from the bunk room where Riku should be sleeping. He went to the doorway, taking a second for his eyes to adjust to the lower light level. Riku was in his bunk but he was not sleeping peacefully. They would reach Radiant Garden soon, seeing Kairi again would do Riku good after his near death in the Realm of Darkness. Was his disturbed sleep due to that? What had the Heartless done while they had him for those brief moments? Had they attempted to take his Heart?
Riku groaned, head thrashing, and Mickey cautiously approached the bed, knowing better than to startle him.
"Riku?" he called, remaining just out of reach. "Riku, wake up," he called louder.
Riku started, eyes snapping open, even as a flicker of dark fire licked at his fingers before vanishing.
"Riku?"
"Mickey?" He sounded half asleep still, eyes not fully focused, even as he lifted a hand to rub the sleep from them.
"Sorry ta wake you, but you seemed to be having a nightmare."
"I…" Riku sat up properly, running a hand through sleep messed hair. "I don't think I was dreaming," he admitted. He shook his head. "It's nothing, are we there yet?" he asked, and Mickey chuckled at the question.
"Almost, go get cleaned up."
Riku nodded and got up to get ready to see his friend. Mickey watched him go, concerned, but there was nothing he could do if Riku didn't wish to speak of what it was. Hopefully he would speak with Kairi.
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Harry stared at the powerful wizard before him. He'd never fully trusted him and he'd been right not to but now he was trapped alone with him, great. Then again, it meant he didn't have to hide any of his abilities if things became bad enough. He had no illusions as to his own skills as an Earth wizard in comparison to Dumbledore. "What do you want Dumbledore?" he demanded, keeping his wand at the ready.
The ex-Headmaster stepped into better view, dressed garishly as always, although the robes looked…worn. It seemed things hadn't been easy for him the last few years on the run and…there was a craziness in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
"Welcome Harry, to the day of your death," the old man announced grandly.
"You're insane. You kill me and they'll never stop hunting you."
"Why would they hunt me, this was obviously the work of Lord Voldemort." He waved towards the manor, gravestone, and the ritual elements.
"The average magical may be dumb, but not this dumb," Harry shook his head. He really wanted his emergency portkey but thanks to the Tournament Committee it was back in his trunk, of no use to him. All they'd been allowed was their wands and they had been searched to ensure it.
"Give me your wand Harry, the less you struggle then the less painful it will be."
"Never," Harry shifted his stance a little, ready to fight.
Dumbledore shook his head, looking sad. "Foolish boy, you are no match for me."
"Aren't I?" Harry asked. "Marked as his equal, I'd say that gives me a fair shot."
"You are marked as Tom's equal not mine, I am the only one he ever feared."
"You're assuming he's the Dark Lord of prophecy, guess you missed the latest theories…that you're the Dark Lord."
That made him angry.
"My parents defied you, I've heard the stories from Sirius and Remus. You marked me by sending me to the Dursley's, by trying to kill me every year, marking doesn't have to be physical. Which means I'm your equal," Harry told him.
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Kairi lowered her Keyblade, panting, staring at Ax…Lea who lowered his as well, grinning at her.
"Better," he told her. He may be as new as her to Keyblades, but he had way more combat experience.
"I'd agree," a familiar voice called, and she spun, eyes wide.
"Riku!" She laughed, lunging at him, and he caught her in a hug. "When did you get here? Is Sora with you?"
"Slow down!" he laughed, and it was so good to see him laugh, he seemed so much lighter now then he had been in such a long time. "King Mickey and I just got here and no, Sora's not with me. I did see him at Master Yen Sid's though and he's okay. And we're pretty sure we know where Ventus' heart is."
"Oh?" Lea asked.
"Inside Sora," Riku told them both and they just stared at him.
"What?" Kairi demanded.
Riku moved to sit on a log and they followed, listening as he explained what they knew. Ventus, the youngest missing Keyblade wielder, was within Sora's Heart? What did that mean? What would happen to Sora if they were separated, would he…would he change, be different?
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Harry threw himself behind a gravestone, breathing heavily, wincing as his side pulled, feeling the warm liquid soaking into his clothing. He pressed a hand to the wound and grimaced, seeing the red on his hand, that was not good. He knew better than to use episky on such a deep wound, not to mention it wouldn't do much of anything for it, instead using Vulnera Sanentur, quietly repeating it three times like Professor Snape recommended. He3 bit his lip as he felt it working, sealing the wound.
Dumbledore was kicking his arse, the man was old and powerful. He'd been hoping to lead him a merry chase until Tom could track them, get some back up, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen.
He closed his eyes and then extended his hand, watching Lost Memory form, holding it easily. There was no other way, he would have to fight as a Keyblade wielder and not a wizard.
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Sora tossed and turned in his sleep, grimacing, curling around his chest. Deep in his Heart, another stirred restlessly, sensing danger, trying to wake, but unable.
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Harry hissed at the snake and the door opened, staggering into the tiny house. He moved through it, making it to the kitchen where he knelt and tore up the floorboards, finding the box where Tom had said it would be. The curse and horcrux were long gone, leaving an ordinary ring…with a very extraordinary stone set within it. Tom had told him the story, told him what his cloak really was…and his suspicions on the Headmaster's wands, suspicions that had been proven true after a confrontation with a certain prisoner in Europe. He was sure that holding the loyalty of two of the three would aide Harry against Dumbledore and at the moment he would take any advantage he could get.
Harry picked up the ring, hesitating, but then slipped the ring on his finger. He didn't feel anything, but would he?
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Aqua closed her eyes, felling….sensing….Harry? if it was him he was in deadly danger and there was nothing she could do to help. Was there? She reached out with her Heart, trying to at least give him what strength she could to make it through the trial he faced.
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Harry closed his eyes, a small smile flitting across his lips as he felt something…others reaching out to his Heart, offering their strength. Aqua…the sleeping boy…Ven…Riku… he took a deep breath and straightened, his stance firm again as he met maddened blue eyes across the battlefield the cemetery had become. It was time to end this. He bent his knees, dropping lower, reversing his grip on his Keyblade, his stance almost mirroring Ventus', knowing he needed the speed of his single handed attacks more than the power between double handed ones.
"You cannot defeat me Harry! Surrender and your death with be merciful."
"And let you plunge the world into war? Never," Harry snarled. He struggled to control his anger, his Darkness, to keep it in balance. The wind in the graveyard picked up, coming to his call.
He dodged a killing curse, reflecting another curse back at the old man who also dodged. He really had lost it if he was tossing around Unforgivables! Harry swung his Keyblade around, hoping it worked, he'd never used the Shotlock ability before. He felt the magic build and release, in an attack he remember from Vanitas…his Keyblade unleashing a beam of blue energy, augmented by a rotating triangle of blue crystals.
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Hermione paced, trying not to bite her nails in anxiety. Everything they had done to ensure Harry's safety had been for nothing, he was gone and no one knew where. Tom, Sirius, Amelia, Lucius…all of the adults with a lick of power were letting loose on the idiots in charge, trying to work out who was working with Dumbledore. They had to find Harry, they just had to!
She briefly struggled before going limp as arms wrapped around her, burying her face in his robes. Draco kissed the top of her head, holding her close. "We'll find him Hermione. You know Harry, he can get out of anything."
"He's never faced Dumbledore before!"
"But he's been training too," Draco murmured. "Trust him."
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"Aren't you making it a little too obvious? Xigbar asked as he joined them on the roof, looking down at were Sora was in front of a restaurant.
"We were instructed to guide him," Xemnas spoke.
"Yes...just look at them. They wouldn't get far if we did not spell it out," Ansem waved a hand at the group.
"Fair enough. But let's not forget how many times Sora still managed to rain on our parade," he warned, personally he kind of found it funny how the kid kept beating them.
"If he wavers from the path we lay, we destroy him," Ansem scoffed.
"But in that case...we'll have to find ourselves another vessel," he warned them.
"That is why we never have just one iron in the fire," Xemnas smirked. That likely meant…wonderful.
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Albus had been shocked by the strange weapon Harry had found somewhere, and the fact it seemed able to channel magic into spells he hadn't seen before. Not that it would change things, just prolong the inevitable. He wielded the Deathstick, there was no way for the boy to defeat him.
Trying to make him doubt himself by insinuating he was the one in the prophecy had been a waste of time. He was the greatest Light Lord since Merlin himself! He would defeat the boy and then ensure he died at Riddle's hand, Polyjuice perhaps? Once that was done, he would defeat Riddle and cement his fame and power forever in history!
He had to admit though, the boys ability to defect spells back at him was becoming very annoying.
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Kairi sat on a log, writing a letter to Sora as the evening sun washed over her.
I'm sorry I left without saying good-bye. Did Master Yen Sid tell you? I'm training to become a Keyblade wielder like you. That's right. No more waiting for you to come back from your adventures. I want to get out there and do my part to help. Merlin has used his magic to bring us to a place where time doesn't matter. We can take as long as we need to complete our training. He's an amazing wizard. Oh, and by "us," I mean me and Lea. He's really sorry for all the trouble he caused. I told him it's fine, but he won't stop apologizing. I'll admit I was a little scared of him at first, but I've gotten to know him better. All he ever wanted was to help his friend. Honestly, it's hard not to like him. Every now and then, I catch him staring at me. When I ask what's wrong, he says, "I'm not sure. I think I'm forgetting something. Don't know what." Sora, I think it may have something to do with you. Your journey is all about helping people: some that you've never met before, and some like Lea that you have. They're all counting on you. It won't be easy, but I hope you'll remain the happy and cheerful Sora I know. There's no heart your smile can't reach.
Kairi smiled softly, remembering their first and only kiss, only a day before they'd been summoned by Master Yen Sid for the exam. She heard footsteps and looked over to see Lea. "What's wrong?"
He broke his stare after a moment and tried to shrug it off, turning away. "Huh? Nothin', sorry."
"Lea," she chided gently.
"What? I am." He scratched the back of his neck.
She giggled, and he sat on a rock opposite her as she continued writing.
"A letter?" he asked after a while.
"Yup," she glanced up at him.
"To Sora?" he pressed.
"Mmm, technically yes. But I won't send it. It's more for me."
"Ask Merlin. He'll deliver it for you," he shrugged.
"Yeah, but it's okay. I just like talking to Sora, even if it's on paper." She cradled the notepad close, smiling softly.
"Ohh... Okay." He shook his head but then straightened. "Oh!"
Kairi tilted her head, puzzled, only for Lea to pull out two sea-salt ice cream bars.
"Here." He held one out to her.
"Ice cream? Really?" She laughed.
"Yeah, I asked Merlin to pick these up," he shrugged, and she smiled at him. "Ya know, we did both summon Keyblades. Gotta celebrate."
"You're sweet, Lea," she told him as she took it.
Lea chuckled sheepishly. "Naw..." he watched her take a bite, zoning out again.
"What?"
He averted his gaze. "N-nothing, I just..."
"You're trying to remember what you forgot?" She asked gently.
"Well, I, uh... Yeah... Yeah." He looked out at the sunset as his words trailed off.
"So tomorrow…you and me in the ring. You ready?"
"'Course."
"Don't hold back, Lea. Promise?"
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In the glare of the sun, Lea stared at a different girl in Kairi's shadow. Her black hair swayed softly in the breeze as she held her ice cream with a smile. Lea's eyes welled up with tears and he dropped his ice cream bar in shock. Unable to contain his feelings, the tears streamed down his face.
"Huh? Are you okay? Lea!" Kairi's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
He quickly tried to wipe them away as Kairi got closer to him. "Yeah... Sorry..."
"You're crying. What's wrong?" She asked.
Lea sniffled. "Something in my eyes," he answered.
"Lea..."
He stood up before she could say more. "I'm...gonna go. Sorry."
"'Kay, but stop apologising," she told him with a soft smile.
"Fine...on one condition," he agreed.
"What?"
"Call me Axel from now on. Got it memorised?" he pointed to his temple.
"Yeah. Okay, Axel," she agreed.
He walked away, leaving his ice cream bar in the grass. Why did he keep seeing that girl? Who was she? Maybe it was wrong, but it felt right to go back to the old name, even if everyone else had gone back to using their human names. Besides, Roxas only knew him as Axel, when he came back, Axel didn't want him getting confused if people called him Lea around him.
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Harry gasped, staring at the small creatures that had formed…Unversed? How? He'd never summoned them before! And…his emotions weren't 'fledgling' like Vanitas'. Was it the negative energy associated with the graveyard, Riddle Manor, and the Gaunt shack? Maybe there was more to the Unversed than Van told Ven? He bit his lip as one was nicked by a curse, they really were an extension of the creator…he'd felt its pain.
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Vanitas stared out at the wasteland of the Keyblade Graveyard, why couldn't Xehanort chose somewhere nicer as their base? He may be a creature of Darkness, but he could still appreciate a pretty view, a comfortable bed… something had disturbed his rest but he wasn't sure what. It was not his brother, he knew that much, and yet there was something familiar to it at the same time. The boy Xehanort was so interested in…Sora? Could he be sensing him? He snorted, if he was then the kid wasn't the bright ball of Light everyone claimed.
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Harry leant on a half destroyed tombstone, staring down at the body, unable to believe it. He'd done it, he'd won….Dumbledore would never destroy another life for his 'greater good'. He slid down the stone, breathing heavily, every bone aches, his magic drained…but he was alive. Harry looked down at the wand in his hand, he didn't want it, but better he keep it hidden then risk someone else going after it.
The Unversed that had survived shifted around him, almost as if worried about him. He held his hand out to a Flood, smiling when it butted into his hand like a cat. Made of negative emotions or not, they weren't evil. He struggled to focus on them, working on dispelling them gently, and soon they all faded away.
It took almost an hour for him to have enough magic to cast a cure spell on himself and then summon the Triwizard cup, hoping the Portkey was set for a return. He grabbed the body and the cup and then the cemetery was empty.
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Dilan led Riku and Mickey to the Fountain Court, walking softly over the cobblestone terrain. Dilan stopped, gesturing at their destination.
"So, this is the place," Mickey commented.
"Where Aqua fell into the realm of darkness after she dove in to save Terra," Riku stared down at the mosaic.
"Yeah, she said he was acting strange."
"Strange how, exactly?" he asked.
"She sensed Darkness in him, and they ended up getting into a big fight."
"Right," he nodded, he understood that better than most. "And in the aftermath, the two of them disappeared. Around the same time, the guards found a stranger with white hair lying unconscious here in the square…a man calling himself 'Xehanort'."
"Ansem the Wise took the stranger in, but that was a mistake. Xehanort betrayed his master, stole his research, and along with his fellow apprentices, separated his heart from his body. Xehanort's heart took his master's name, "Ansem," and travelled to the past to give his younger self instructions. He even briefly had control of you. His empty body stayed in the present, took the name Xemnas, and founded Organization XIII. Their goal was to prepare thirteen vessels for Xehanort's heart," Mickey shuddered.
"Until we put an end to the Organization. But all the while Young Xehanort had been visiting the future to choose thirteen vessels of his own…hearts with strong enough ties to him to begin a new Organization, the REAL Organization XIII. And now they're looking for a fight with us." Would it never end? Would they spend their whole lives fighting some version of the man? "But what happened to Terra? I thought you said that Aqua saved him."
Mickey's stared at the far wall, thinking seriously. "Yep, she did. The problem is we didn't notice. You remember the end of the Mark of Mastery exam, when Master Xehanort made his grand return?"
How could he ever forget that farse? Or how close he'd come to losing his best friend? If Sora hadn't managed to wake enough to fall from the seat…if Lea hadn't shown up when he had…they would have their Thirteen vessels and Sora would be gone, his Heart lost deep in the Darkness, asleep and unable to wake. Would anything of him have been left in his possessed body?
"That's the Xehanort I remember. He was already a pretty old man then. But how do you explain Ansem and Xemnas, his Heartless and his Nobody? Isn't it strange how young they look? Why aren't THEY old men? It's because Xehanort was using a different body when the split happened. That face from the portrait I mentioned-it wasn't just some stranger that Ansem the Wise took under his wing. It was the young man whose body Master Xehanort possessed."
"No way! That was Terra? Master Xehanort was using Terra?" Okay…that did make sense. He'd never stopped to wonder why he appeared so young.
"Yep. Master Xehanort told us "another on our list" belonged to him. He was talking about Terra. Turns out, Aqua saved more than just her friend that day."
"Okay, but Master Xehanort is an old man again now. Where did Terra's body go?" he had decided he hated time travel, it was far too confusing.
"Hmm..." Mickey pondered before gasping. "It's cause Master Xehanort's collecting vessels! He claimed to have two of our seven lights. We got Sora back, but Terra must still be on Xehanort's side."
"He's with Organization XIII? We should warn Sora."
"Yep! And Merlin, too."
"Yeah," Riku agreed, more worried than ever now. How would they find enough Guardians to counter the Thirteen?
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"HARRY!"
Susan's scream had them all running for the stage as a mass of tangled limbs and cloth appeared.
Sirius dropped to his knees, pulling the bodies apart, frantically searching for a pulse. "Healer!" he yelled. His godson was alive!
TBC…
