A/N: rough waters ahead. angst like woah off the port bow. the fanfic euphoria continues. leave me some reviews if you like this.
"These books, they speak about the things that nobody told me back in the Underworld. About their hearts". Eleanor whispered hastily to the brunette as they picked back through the books again she and Leon had been reading through only a half hour before that. They sat to the side of the packed room, facing one another surrounded by books and papers while Donald, Goofy and Leon searched on the other end of the office. They tore through books haphazardly but Eleanor held one she had been reading out carefully for Sora. "There's no other option, don't you see? We have to make a point to track one of them down Sora, it's the only way that we can figure out what's going on."
His bright eyes were focused intently on the book in front of him instead of looking up. He chewed distractedly on the inside of his bottom lip. A quiet sigh was his only answer.
When she realized he wasn't going to answer, she nodded. "I can stop bringing it up." She set her fingers on his to get his attention. "If that's what you wish. I know I've been persistent, and I've said before that I know you three have better knowledge of the dark than anyone. Not even these books have the answers for us, and I'm quickly coming to realize nothing else but cornering one will give us the answers we're seeking."
His fingers caught hers quickly and he ran a thumb over the back of her knuckles. "If that's what you think you know I'll follow your lead. No need to explain yourself again." He kept his voice quiet as he stole a glance up at her with a smile. "I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times if it'll keep you positive and feeling sure of yourself. You know that right?"
Her thoughts stuttered and a flood of relief washed over her as his eyes met hers finally. Before she could stop herself she muttered, "You're my light Sora." The words tumbled from her mouth. She hadn't meant this to be the time the confession slipped out and she felt her cheeks heat up with a hot flush. "The hand that wasn't clutching his fled to cover her lips. "I'm sorry."
In a flash, his eyes met hers again. "Don't be sorry." Gently he removed her hand from her mouth and he leaned closer to her. "Say it again."
"I.. er." Eleanor remembered his words from earlier. To tell him everything when they had the chance and this was the chance, she knew somewhere that there wouldn't be another one. She cleared her throat with an awkward cough. She stole a glance up at their friends, deep in conversation across the room. "The choice that Yensid and Merlin and my dreams have been pushing me towards, all the talk of light and and incomplete hearts. Everything is you. All of it. I feel whole when we're together, I'm not afraid of anything." Her throat got tight as the words tumbled quickly before she lost her nerve. Her eyes fled to the ceiling briefly before she looked back at him. "I need you to know that I won't let you go, no matter what the other choice is. If it means you safe I will do everything in my power to protect you. You must know that are everything Sora." Her fingers were shaking but she gave his fingers a weak squeeze. She held his gaze nervously, trying to gauge his reaction before she decided to add another half mumbled confession. "When I started having those dreams, at first I was scared. I didn't know who you were or where you would come from. You dropped into my life and you're everything I've ever wanted and more. I would follow you to the ends of the earth and back and never look back. Forever. If you'll have me."
He took a short breath, trying to find think of anything that would equal her breathy confession to respond with. Something that would ease the worried look on her face. Instead of words he let out the breath he had taken. He closed his eyes and set his forehead against hers. "Yeah. Of course I'll have you." He managed to say with another shaking breath. He didn't think her deserved all the things she had told him but he knew he had to respond.
She couldn't move, and could hardly breathe with him so close to, but she managed to let out a quiet laugh. "Always Sora. I cannot imagine a world without you. I'll be here always."
A huge rumbling shook the room they were in and broke the momentary spell that had been cast over the pair huddled in the corner. Goofy and Donald yelped as the portrait on the wall crashed the ground. Sora's eyes popped open and leaned away from her with a shaky smile.
"Time to get to work." He whispered and stood quickly. He offered Eleanor his hand to pull her up from the floor along with him. "What in the world are you guys doing over there?" He exclaimed. "What was that shaking?"
"Wasn't us!" Goofy held up his hands quickly.
"Somethin's shaking up above." Donald added.
Eleanor let go of Sora's hands after a short hesitation, and a reassuring smile, so he could make his way across the room. "You don't suppose it's the heartless do you? There were so many flocking this way earlier."
"It might have been." Sora muttered after a minute. His bright eyes were glued to the wall that had been exposed with the crashing of the picture to the floor. Scribbled blue writing was smudged all over the space. "What in the world do you think all this is."
Goofy rubbed his chin. "Looks like some kinda graph. And those words are all.. hard to see. What're the words at the top?"
"Door to.." Donald started, squinting his eyes up at the smudged words. "Door. To.."
"Darkness." Eleanor offered.
"DTD, door to darkness." Sora picked up her hands with an excited bounce on his toes. "That's the thing Tron was talking about! The program that's locked!" His hands motioned wildly at the wall before he took another step forward and waved up at the writing. "We're on the right track now I can feel it!"
"Well, at least we know the password should be here somewhere." Donald crossed his arms with a huge, dramatic sigh. "Which is where we were when we came in here looking for it to begin with."
Sora scowled. "Well we're getting closer. We made a promise to Tron so we gotta take every clue like it's more important than anything. Come on guys, we'll just read faster now."
"Door to Darkness." Goofy was still staring at the wall with intense focus.
Eleanor took a half step towards the knight as Donald and Sora began to bicker, much to Leon's annoyance. "What does it mean?" She leaned towards him and spoke lowly. "It can't just be a program in a computer. If this man was researching it and scrawled it on the wall. It must be something physical, right? Something important. Door to Darkness." She muttered the title again with a few slow steps towards the scribbled blue writing.
"Well gawrsh, if this here diagram means anything.." He trailed off with a vague turn of his hand.
"The Door to Darkness, the Door to Kingdom Hearts. What makes you fella's bring it up?" A new voice made the group gathered in the small library turn. A small hooded figure stood in the doorway, with his hands on his hips and a warm smile lighting his face.
"Your Majesty!"
Donald, Goofy and Sora all exclaimed together and gave an excited hop. Donald and Goofy rushed to his side, leaving Eleanor alone by the wall. The magician tackled him into a hug and Goofy, after a moment grabbed the other two and scooped them into his arms. He spun in a few circles before the King shushed them all and managed to steady himself with another laugh.
"Keep it down, you never know who might be listening." The King pulled down his hood and in a rush pushed the door behind them shut. "What brings something like the Door to Darkness up? What are you fella's workin' on?"
"Trying to find a password your majesty. Ansem's computer is locked up tight." Leon crossed his arms and leaned up against the desk in the center of the room. He nodded to the smeared writing on the wall. "What d'ya make of this?"
"You mean a computer that can tell me where Ansem is?" The King straightened out his robes after stealing one last, cautious look around the room. He made his way to the wall with the diagram scrawled on it, with a curious look on his face. "Hm."
"Uh, you're Majesty. You know we already beat Ansem." Donald set a hand on the mouse's shoulder. "You feelin' okay?"
"Oh.. Oh, well one thing at a time I suppose. First, the Door to Darkness can only be opened by the Seven Princesses. Well there's Belle and Jasmine and Snow White.." He listed off on his fingers.
"Oh, of course." Leon's eyes lit up suddenly and he turned back to the computer room.
As the tall brunette wandered out of the room, suddenly all eyes were on her as she was the only face that the King didn't recognize. She looked to Sora, but he wasn't quite paying attention to her, which left her under the gaze of the King in the gap of silence. Her hands wrapped nervously around one another as she turned to Goofy.
"Seven Princesses?" She muttered to him. "I don't understand."
They didn't answer, and nodded to their cloaked king instead. She hesitated then turned to him.
"And that must make you that new keybearer everyone is buzzin' about." He chuckled and hop stepped over to her. "King Mickey, at your service." He bowed deeply. When she flinched backwards instead of answering his question, he looked up to her. "This is the part where you introduce yourself." He whispered with a soft smile.
"Er.. Oh!" She looked up to Sora, who met her gaze with an encouraging smile. "It's Eleanor, sir." She mock curtsied. "It's good to finally meet you, I've heard quite a lot of good things."
"Where did you come from, hm? The last time we found a keybearer it was, well Sora but it was explained." The King set his hands on his hips and eyed the redhead.
"You're majesty, the computer." Goofy said suddenly. "We need to get back to it because there was this program in there who needs our help."
Donald hesitated. "You won't, er.. Leave right your majesty? You have a lot of explaining to do."
King Mickey shook his head. "No sir. When those heartless attack, and I know they will, I'll be right here to fight beside you guys. Be careful and I'll be here when you get back to answer all your questions. I promise."
Eleanor took the moment to turn back to Sora. His eyes had fallen to the floor. She clasped her hands together and chewed on her lip. She wanted to finish the conversation they had been having just minutes before, it would be nice to know where it would have gone. She felt her face flush and she cleared her throat before she rushed to Sora's side once no one's attention was on her. She fell into step beside him as they slipped back out of the library.
"Back into the computer then?" She wanted to take his hand but resisted the urge. "Er, you'll be safe in there. Right?"
He hesitated and turned to her. "You know I will." Another hesitation, and he chewed on his lip while his eyes searched her face carefully. "Listen, about the touchy feely stuff back there.."
Eleanor shook her head. "It's too much?" She whispered.
"No!" His voice was awkwardly loud at first, then he dropped it down almost too low. His fingers curled around her elbows. "No, no. I just, oh man. I'm no good at this. Bear with me okay?"
She felt like she needed to avoid his gaze suddenly, and dropped her eyes to his lips which helped only to embarrass her further. Immediately she looked back to his bright gaze which was the safer of the two options. "You don't have to be. Just be you Sora, I wouldn't want you any other way." She set her hand on his cheek and her fingertips brushed through the soft hair at his temple.
He licked his lips and nodded quickly, with a nervous laugh. "That should be easy."
She smiled a little easier and let her hand fall back to her side. "Go be a hero than. Save the world inside the computer."
With the awkward exchange over he nodded again and took a few steps back from her. "Don't go anywhere while we're gone."
"Why would I?" She managed a smile, before his hands left hers and he slipped back into the computer room. He gave her one more small wave in her direction. As Eleanor leaned her back against the door frame, the trio stood before the control panel. King Mickey was suddenly at her side, leaving her self-consciously picking at her fingernails.
Leon's fingers easily clicked across the keyboard. "I don't know why we didn't think of it sooner. It's so simple. The Door to Darkness opens with the Seven Princesses. Go ahead and list them for me will you?"
Donald held up one of his hands. "Well, Belle and Jasmine and Alice-"
"Cinderella, Aurora, and Snow White." Goofy counted off three more on his fingers.
"Er, and Kairi too." Sora added.
Eleanor watched carefully as the light shot out of the huge terminal behind them. Leon took a big step backwards for the light to suck them back into the computer. A quick moment of silence passed in the wake of the strange light.
"Well I suppose we just wait now, right?" King Mickey crossed his arms. "They're gonna open the computer from the inside? Is that the plan?"
Eleanor nodded, but shrugged at the same time. "The whole computer nonsense doesn't make a lick of any kind of sense to me."
Another tremor shook entire office. Leon braced himself against the computer and looked up as a few bits of dirt fell from the ceiling. "Oh come on. Not now."
"What d'ya suppose that is?" The King muttered with a furrowed brow.
"Heartless Your Majesty. A huge army of them. We got a taste of them on the way in." Leon explained quickly. "The defenses Cid put up aren't working anymore. They're starting to leak into the city. We'll have to get the Restoration Committee together but I can't leave with them inside the computer like this."
"Well, we could go." The King smiled confidently and motioned up to Eleanor.
She jumped a little and held up her hands. "Oh Your Majesty, no I don't know if that's entirely a great idea."
He laughed. "Sure it is. Now where will we find the others?"
Leon nodded. "That'll work. Yuffie and Aerith and Cid are all at Merlin's, but you know Cloud. He'll be sulking somewhere with Tifa most likely over in the Market. Good luck finding him."
"Yuffie, Aerith, Cloud and Cid." Mickey repeated back to himself. "We'll find 'em all. Come on Eleanor."
"I'm right behind you I suppose." She stole one last look back at Leon. "Please, when Sora comes back tell him where I've gone. Please?"
Leon nodded in acknowledgment but said nothing.
"C'mon, keep up!" King Mickey laughed as he rushed out of the room.
Eleanor managed to keep up with the King all the way down the way they had come, passed where she and Sora had fought the huge group of heartless. He was faster than her by a lot and he flipped and bounced off walls of the cavern, with a golden keyblade in hand.
"You'll have to slow down your Majesty or I won't be able to keep up with you for long." She shouted to him.
He only laughed. "Then run faster!" He flipped over a wayward heartless and it disappeared in a flurry of gold stars.
"Hey wait!" Eleanor was already too far from King Mickey to catch back up and had inadvertently committed herself to following the cloaked figure that had slunk around the corner in the opposite direction of the town. "Come back." She held out her hand for her keyblade as she skidded to a stop around the sheer cliff face. From the shadows, and the out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure in a hooded cloak making its way down the destroyed pathway. "Your Majesty?" She tried to call out but the King had disappeared in a rush through the Bailey.
She wasn't get another chance to speak to one the Nobodies and she knew she needed to take her chance now. With Sora's words to trust her instincts ringing in her mind, she set her jaw and ran in the direction she had seen the man in the cloak rush off to. Down a partially destroyed rock pathway, and into a deep ravine that bottomed out in a destroyed plaza met her on the other side of corner. Eleanor crept down a partially destroyed set of stairs.
"You followin' me?" A voice made her turn. "You're not exactly being sneaky." The man stood leaning against one of the stone pillars beside another man in a cloak. The first took a few languid steps in her direction and crossed his arms. "Kinda the exact opposite of sneaky, got it memorized."
She held onto her keyblade tighter and took a defensive stance.
"Chill out." He set one of his hands on his narrow hips and pulled his hood down to reveal a head of shockingly red hair. "I don't want to fight you or I'd already be fighting." He narrowed his gaze and let out a breath. "And I sense, you don't wanna fight me? Right? Or you would have stopped me a while back."
Eleanor relaxed her muscles and straightened her back. She stole a glance back to the second hooded figure, who quickly brought his hood down and chewed on his lip nervously. "Demyx?" She said quietly. "It's good to see you."
"You two know each other huh?" The redhead crossed his arms. "You failed to mention that kiddo. Care to elaborate?"
"Er.." Demyx started. "Met briefly yeah. A while back." He hardly muttered.
Eleanor swallowed a nervous breath and let her keyblade disappear. She held up her hands submissively. "Do you have a name too? You're right though, I want to talk." She addressed the redhead, who turned to her with a curious expression. "That was rude, that's the second time I've asked for a name, of course you have a name." She trailed off and ran both her hands through her bobbed hair.
The man took another slow step forward and raised one of his bright eyebrows and his chin at her. "Sure I have a name. You're worried about being rude? That's new. She do that before?" He turned back to the blonde Nobody who managed a short nod. "It's Axel by the way." His hand moved lazily along with his words.
She didn't answer right away, instead her eyes glanced between the two Nobodies. Demyx wrung his hands together anxiously. He gave off a completely different feeling then he had the first time they had run into one another. She wasn't sure quite what to make of Axel, but he hadn't given her a reason not to trust him yet.
"Uh this is usually the part where you introduce yourself." Axel had slipped towards her, his hands continuing to move around as he talked.
"Oh how rude, that's the second time today someone has had to remind me to introduce myself today. I must be distracted. I'm Eleanor." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Is he okay?" She asked quietly, motioning to the blonde. "He's significantly less chatty than the last time our paths crossed."
"Who Demyx?" Axel stole a glance over his shoulder. "No not really. He's supposed to wait here, fight whoever comes his way. Problem is, kid is a pacifist and I can't be bothered. And we all know who's heading this way don't we."
"My friends, and Sora. You've been ordered to fight Sora?"
Demyx flinched and continued to wring his hands nervously but didn't answer.
She turned back to Axel after another silent moment. "You can't be bothered? What does that mean?"
He hesitated. "I'm looking for someone who can't be found and I need to be alive to do that."
"Don't- Don't say it like that!" Demyx rushed forward. "You don't think I'm gonna disappear, do you Axel? Take me with you instead."
"Where are you going?" Eleanor asked quietly.
Axel paused. He looked as though he was about to answer but instead shushed her. "We were followed. Gotta split."
"No you didn't answer my question!" She tried desperately. "Please."
A shadowy portal opened up behind the redhead, but instead of disappearing he stopped and spoke to her in a rushed quiet voice. He grabbed her arm and leaned in close. "Tell you what then. I'll be back in a minute as soon as you're alone and we'll talk. I'll answer all your questions but I can't stick around or I'll get in trouble, you get it?"
"I've got it. But trouble from who?" She muttered to Demyx who was watching her curiously once Axel was gone.
"The Superior." His voice was quiet. "Listen I shouldn't be talking to you. I got in a lot of trouble last time-"
"Are you in danger?" She asked urgently. "Demyx I can help you. Sora can help you-"
"Don't, no. Don't do that." His tone was clipped suddenly and his soft face grew guarded. The water in the puddles around them shivered as his fingers flexed at his sides. "I don't need your help. Either of you."
"Okay, okay!" She said quickly and held up the hands she had been warily reaching out to him with. "No pity. I apologize. Remember, I just want to talk."
"He won't talk to you, not after the little slip up last time. No matter what you will stay here, Demyx that's an order. Do you understand." A new deep voice at her ear made her jump and the blonde nodded. "We have much to discuss, girl. Come with me." He addressed Eleanor.
She watched Demyx for another moment, but before she could say anything else to the blonde, darkness blinded her and took her breath away. The man standing behind her grabbed hold of the back of her collar as they emerged from the shadowy portal. She shook free of him and stumbled forward onto a bleakly lit plateau. Her head was spinning from whatever dark magic had gotten them to the new world. Her shaking legs carried her forward until her toes hit the edge of a cliff and her heart jumped into her throat. For as far as her eyes could see, the grey skyline illuminated thousands upon thousands of abandoned keyblades, shoved into the dirt and dull with age. "Oh god." She whispered.
"Do you like it?" The deep voice continued. "I come here often to think."
She struggled to turn and face the man. Her heels still balanced on the edge of the cliff as she narrowed her blurred vision in the direction of her captor. "Who are you?"
He tilted his head to the side. "Long ago there was a war here. Between the light and darkness that waged a long time and filled this valley with destruction and hate. The wielders of the keyblades then had no compasses inside. No understanding of the darkness and the light. They knew not the power of the heart. They were careless and easily manipulated by the will darkness."
"Who are you." She asked again, with a little more clarity.
The man ignored her question again, but removed his hood with a lazy motion. Silver hair and golden eyes regarded her carefully. "You wanted answers, did you not. I know you've been prying. You and your light. Sora." He over pronounced every syllable of his name and Eleanor cringed. "You've been asking the wrong questions. Mundane and already answered. You should be asking how, or why. Instead you want to know how we feel." He paused. "He's rubbing off on you isn't he."
She held out her hand for her keyblade but she couldn't quite picture it. She stumbled forward again with a weak and frustrated breath. "What did you do to me." Her vision went fuzzy at the edges. "That dark magic, what did it do to me."
"I see. This must be your first touch of true darkness, how interesting that its effecting you so deeply." He took a step towards her. "What if I told you he wasn't all the light he appears to be, your keybearer. There are many things about him you don't know. Darkness dwells deep in his heart. Ancient darkness from this war. Like you. You are a remnant of this time. I know they failed to tell you that, Yensid and that wizard Merlin. Whoever granted you the ability to wield that weapon escaped from this death and gifted you the curse of that keyblade. How does that make you feel?"
"Who are you." Eleanor demanded a third time.
"Xemnas, leader of Organization XIII. I'm here to tell you that you are playing with fire. I sense darkness and doubt ebbing at the edges of your heart. Without the Keybearer you are weak." His words were sharp. "He will disappoint you. He will abandon you. He will let you down and yet I can sense your heart beating for him. Emotions make you weak and your heart is stronger without this devotion."
"Stop it." Her voice was low. The shadows at the corners of her vision were slowly clearing up. She tried to think of Sora, to picture his eyes and his light and the way his fingers felt against hers but Xemnas' voice cut back through.
Xemnas tilted his chin up at the redhead, whose shaking hands were holding her head. "There is darkness in everyone. Even in you. It's unchecked, unexplored and previously unprovoked." The Nobody's voice was closer than she remembered. "How would you feel if I told you he would abandon you without noticing."
"He wouldn't." Her eyes wouldn't focus. The glare of the cloudy sunlight bouncing off the keyblades stabbed and abandoned in the dirt was too bright suddenly. "He would never."
"He's doing it now. He doesn't even know you're gone, he's forgotten about you. He's fighting you're little friend Demyx as planned as we speak, how does that make you feel."
"He made a promise. He wouldn't abandon me." She felt her knees going weak and she took a half step backwards. The sheer edge of the plateau was at her boot heels again.
"A promise he's going to break. The darkness always wins. Ask him about Riku. Ask him about his home. There is nothing you can do, girl. The darkness is everywhere and all that is left is surrender."
She shook her head and tried to refocus her attention on the white haired man. She held her hands out for her keyblade again but her head began to spin instead. Her heart was aching from whatever strange magic had touched her in the portal. "You're lying."
"You're lying to yourself." The man and crossed his arms and a portal opened before her, wide enough only to see the world on the other side. Sora was fighting Demyx in the first images that leaked through the darkness. Fiercely, his light fought a small army of water clones that Demyx had cast around the tiled area she had been speaking to Axel in earlier.
"No, no please Sora he's just a boy." Her eyes were watery as the Key ended the young nobody in a blur. He fell to his knees, but whatever his final words to Sora were were lost through the void. The world through the portal rattled and the next picture was Goofy crushed beneath a pile of rocks. Donald and Sora had no choice but to continue on, and they did. And as Xemnas had said, neither the mage or Sora were looking for her. They weren't hesitating, their choices went off as if they had forgotten she had been waiting for them on the other side of the computer. "No!" The portal was gone as fast as it had appeared and she looked up at Xemnas with shaky vision. "You're wrong. Sora is light, he's my light. He wouldn't.. He would never.." Her words were failing her and her shaky gaze fell to the dirt beneath her boots.
"He did. He is. And he's doing it now."
With those final words, and one more desperate step back the world snapped into focus. Her boots slipped off the cliff face, and after a brief struggle for balance she found herself falling suddenly. She had backed off the cliff and she hadn't noticed. "Sora!" Her words were lost to the wind. Her eyes met Xemnas' as she went over the edge. A smile sat on his lips before he turned and disappeared through a dark portal.
Eleanor never hit the ground. Shadows obscured her vision again and she landed roughly in someone's arms.
"Gotcha." The voice was warped through the shadows, until she could feel the ground under her knees. "What in the world were you thinking just now? Huh?"
"Axel?" Her voice was foggy. She blinked a few times and clutched at his cloak to ground herself. He held her tightly in his arms and looked her over briefly to make sure she was okay. "You saved my life."
He rolled his bright eyes. "No time to talk now. You're asking too many questions as it is, playing a dangerous game. You get it?"
"I don't understand what's happening."
He stood up quickly and stole a nervous glance around the ravine. "Let's get you back to Sora, huh?"
She tried to stand up, but wobbled and fell to her hands and knees. Her vision was still fuzzy, and her thoughts were clouded. "Sora." She managed to whisper as she collapsed forward and covered her face with her hands. "Please." The shadows that had been creeping at the edge of her vision were making her dizzy. Her limbs felt heavy. She couldn't think straight and her heart beat slow.
"Wow that dark portal really messed with your head didn't it?" Axel ran a distracted hand through his bright hair and looked up to the other side of the ravine. "So much for not drawin' attention, can you stand up? I need you on the other side of here to fire Sora up, got it memorized? And, uh, no pun intended." He held out his hands and a wheel of fire sparked from his each of his palms, before the flames solidified into a pair of shining chakrams.
The sound of marching forced her off of the dirt. Eleanor looked up slowly from Axel's hands and her eyes fell on a small army of heartless. "Fire Sora up..? Are you here to help or not Axel." Her voice was hardly a hoarse whisper. "I'm trying to trust you. I'm trying so hard" On shaking legs she managed to stand. She held out a hand for a moment, and her keyblade appeared in a flash, no more difficult than normal. Her body felt drained, her heart felt tainted somehow and she knew that she had to find Sora.
The redhead laughed. "No reason not to. Consider me a neutral party. Nothin' to be afraid of."
"It's getting a little difficult, I'm sure you understand why. But you have my trust. You did save my life after all."
"That's the spirit." Axel winked and laughed again as sparks flew off the tips of his fingers and the shining points of his weapons. His bright eyes turned to the enemies advancing towards them. He let out a short breath. "Yeah so much for keeping a low profile. You're more trouble than this is all worth you know that?"
The army of heartless advanced towards them, without slowing. They were heading into the city. She knew that they had to stop as many of them as she could before they made it much further. Without Sora she wasn't sure how much she could handle, but she knew she had to try. If she believed in herself and the light, that's what he had said to her. That's what he had told her, and his words rang through her mind as she swung her blade. Her limbs were sluggish but the second the first of the heartless fell, the others turned their attention. They circled around her and the Nobody intently and readied their weapons.
Eleanor held her Keyblade at the ready but felt her body giving up. Sora was nowhere to be found. She thought that Xemnas could have been right, perhaps he had left. Her eyes turned up to Axel, who had been watching her closely. His movements were still graceful and unhurried, as he managed to repel a few of the monsters closest to him. The fire that followed his chakrams was almost as graceful as his thin body and Eleanor was somewhat transfixed by the way he moved and the unique way he fought. She tried desperately to fight, but her arms were heavy. He glanced over to her and gave her a quiet 'hm'.
"I'm not strong enough." Her voice was shaky. Her keyblade faltered in her hands and she fell to her knees. "Do something Axel, please."
"Hm.." He muttered. His hands spun gracefully around one another and his chakrams floated away from his palms. A ring of fire built up around the shining weapons and with a quick jab with his hands, they flew forward and into the heartless. Loyally the weapons returned to their master, as the man spun lightly on his toes. Another ring of fire lit at his feet, and in a bright burst of light the group of gathered monsters were gone. In another flash of fire, his weapons were gone and he wiggled his fingers to get rid of the last of the sparks still floating around his arms and hands."Come on, quick or I'll miss my window."
"You're window." Eleanor managed to ask groggily as he hauled her to her feet roughly.
"Remember I told you, I'm looking for someone." His face was suddenly close to hers and she searched his eyes.
"I haven't forgotten no, but what does that have to do with me and Sora."
He let out a long sigh. "Questions later." His voice was short. "It'll be through here." He pulled her through the ravine which ended suddenly in an open cliff.
Eleanor forced her eyes to focus on the end of the stone valley as Axel stopped and dropped her to her knees and his eyes scanned the scene before them carefully. Sora, Donald and Goofy were facing out at the destroyed battlements. Sora was on his knees, looking up at the sky with a hopeless look in his bright eyes. Donald and Goofy seemed to be watching the heartless who were still seething around the base of the castle in the ravine. Everything seemed to be falling apart and she sucked in a sharp breath as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She tried to call out to them, but Axel took a half step in front of her.
"Quiet please." He watched Sora for a quiet moment. She didn't have enough energy to argue and looked up at him instead.
Donald and Goofy pulled the brunette to his feet. Weakly, Eleanor watched as they had a near silent conversation before Axel cleared his throat impatiently. His hands were getting jittery.
"Well, I gotta hand it to you kid, you managed to waltz right into their plan. Right where they want you too. Johnny on the spot huh?" He took a few slow steps towards Sora, who immediately jumped and his keyblade appeared in his hands. "I'm not here to fight, I'm here to rat some information for you guys. That keyblade is leading you right into the Organizations hands."
"Explain yourself. You gotta name?" Sora's voice made Eleanor look up. She was still tucked weakly behind the slender redhead.
"Sure I do." He set his hands on his hips and pointedly ignored Sora's question. His hands moved again, this time to point at the Keyblade. "Every time you swipe that blade through one of those monsters it'll release the captive heart inside. That's what Xemnas is after, the hearts. Got it memorized? Oh and the names Axel." He added as an after thought.
"Wait, the hearts?" Goofy's defensive stance became less guarded. "How d'ya mean?"
"Explain yourself!" Donald squeaked.
"Cool it. The hearts are what their after and that keyblade is getting them their prize. That guy you just saw? That's their leader. Xemnas, make sense so far?"
Sora relaxed and looked down at the keyblade clenched in his hands. "What are they doing with the hearts?"
"The hearts." Eleanor echoed and struggled to brace herself against the stone wall.
"Not telling." Axel hesitated. "And listen about Kairi-"
Sora's shoulders tensed. "What about her."
"I'm sorry."
"What do you mean?"
"Who are you?" A new voice said at Eleanor's ear. Before she could register who it belonged to, his hand clenched a fistful of her hair and pulled her forward along the ground. She stumbled before the new force pushed her to her knees in front of her trio of friends. "Axel!"
"I'm in trouble. Good luck." He stole a glance back at Eleanor with an apologetic smile and then disappeared into a dark portal.
Her hands grabbed desperately at the man's hand whose grip on her hair was tight and ruthless. "Sora, please help."
Donald and Goofy took a few cautious steps away from the Nobody who held onto Eleanor and turned to Sora, to follow his lead.
His expression changed completely and fell to one of complete devastation. "Oh no. El I am so sorry." He whispered and tensed again to rush to her aid. The man who held onto her held out an arm to keep her in place. His bright eyes looked up to the man with confusion.
"I will be sure Axel receives maximum punishments for his insubordination." The monotone voice above her turned his full attention to Sora. "And don't worry about Kairi, she's being treated just fine."
"I don't care about Axel, take me into the dark realm. Take me to my friends." Sora's keyblade disappeared in a flash as he looked up from Eleanor and seemed to remember that the Nobody was giving information about his lost friends.
"Sora, no!" Donald held up his want but froze after a harsh look from the Nobody.
Eleanor was still trying to focus, but she was losing Sora, and fast. He was slipping through her fingers, blinded by worry for his friend. "Sora, you can't! What about us? Donald and Goofy and me-"
"Hold your tongue or I'll remove it." The man with the blue hair pushed her closer to the ground. "You care for your friend. Show me what you're willing to do and I'll take you to her. Perhaps we could make a trade. One girl for the next what do you say to that." He pulled Eleanor's head up and sneered down at her.
"Sora don't-" Eleanor tried again, but this time the man's eyes turned a darker shade of gold. His grip on her hair got tighter and in a swift motionthrew her across the ground towards Goofy and Donald. She skidded past Sora and rolled into Donald and Goofy, who caught her.
"Gotcha." He knelt quickly and looked her over. "You're safe."
"I saw you crushed." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
The knight laughed. "Just a bump on the head, nothing I couldn't handle."
"Oh no, there's some dark magic on you. We can get that fixed up in no time, don't worry." Donald feathered hands found her face. "All over you! Wah! What happened?"
"Later." She forced herself to her feet, with Goofy's support and her gaze fell on Sora, who had knelt on the ground before the man. "Sora stand up he's lying." Her light was failing her, and her voice was hardly a shaking whisper. With every moment Sora chose to be baited by the man, every second he ignored her she could feel the shadows returning. She set her jaw and focused instead on Goofy's arm at the small of her back and Donald's hands supporting her legs. The warmth and her friends kept the coldness of the shadows out of her heart.
The man's eyes shifted to her one last time. "I won't warn you again girl. The boy can make his choices and he hasn't chosen you. He's chosen the darkness, he's chosen lies."
Sora looked up to the man and scrambled to his feet. "You rat. Who do you think you are? You don't know what you're talking about-"
"Saix, second in command of Organization XIII. Don't waste your time trying to fight me boy. Direct your rage at the heartless. Use your Keyblade. Your rage will release the hearts and together they will weave together Kingdom Hearts. And then when it's complete, when the heartless release their hearts, that's when we'll be complete finally."
"Complete." Eleanor narrowed her gaze. "You mean your hearts?"
Saix didn't answer her. Instead, he raised his hands above his head and a huge group of heartless appeared around them. "Fight."
"Stay behind us Eleanor." Donald's voice was quiet.
"Sora, please snap out of it." Goofy's grip on her tightened as they took a step behind Donald.
"Yeah I'm trying. We can't fight them." Sora took a few steps backwards. "That's what they want. El I'm so sorry."
Eleanor felt her heart drop. "No. Sora you can't." He still hadn't even looked up at her and she could hardly bear it. Her knees were weak, the shadows were fuzzing at the edges of her vision, the only thing keeping her grounded was Goofy's warm hold on her.
"I've still gotcha, stay with us."
A huge wave of fire cut in front of them and a woman with horns appeared in a spark of green light. "You idiots. I can't count on anything from you. Leave before this Nobody bests you."
"Maleficent?" Sora asked suddenly. The heartless were getting closer, he blocked one of the weapons and glanced to the sorceress.
She rolled her sharp eyes. "Kingdom Hearts will be my realm and the heartless bow only to me." She waved one of her hands. "Do not see this as kindness, we will meet again and you will not escape me then. But for now I need you alive." She waved her hand as Saix raised his hands and the heartless changed into shifting white monsters.
"Flee now and we'll meet later."
Eleanor's consciousness fuzzed as a battle between the heartless and the white creatures broke out. Goofy and Donald were shouting and all she wanted were Sora's warm hands on hers. She wanted his eyes close to hers, as close as they had been earlier. The earth below them changed to shadows, much to Eleanor's dismay and they sank into the darkness. The last think her conscious mind registered was Goofy's hold, tight and constant on her arms.