Authors Note: Sup Everyone. Sooo, I have some bad news. School is starting again and that means I will have less time to update. This semester will be a bust as well, so chapters will take longer to update than usual. So sorry about that. You will have to have a bit of patience with me when it comes to updating. But I have to say, I have written 100k+ words in about 3 months. That is not bad if I don't say so myself. During the summer, I have been working full-time, but still found time to write and update this story. It has been a lot of fun so far, and I hope I can continue this until it is done.

Anyway, not much else to say. Please enjoy the chapter.

Warning: Until my beta gets to this chapter, there will be a few spelling/grammar errors…So sorry about that.

Update: Sheesh. Because of the sheer amount of complaining I got about my Auto-correct errors, I went back and fixed some of them. Seriously. I already told you that there would be errors, but that didn't stop a lot of you from reviewing about the ones you found. Anyway, i changed Albania to Albion. Sorry about that...and i changed Wards to Wardes.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.


A Heart in the Void

Chapter 12

It really didn't take that much time for Roxas to locate Louise. He found her wandering aimlessly through the academy ground, yelling his name and threatening him with all form of punishment imaginable if he did not come out. The entire walk back to her room consisted of her yelling, threatening, and attempts at some physical punishment from her whip, but Roxas was having none of that.

"Louise, it was entirely your fault that you drank the love potion." Roxas snapped as sidestepped another lash from the whip.

"You made me do it! If you had just cleaned my laundry and my room, I wouldn't have gone out looking for you! And I would have never drunk the potion." She exclaimed as she whirled her whip again.

Roxas simply caught her wrist. "We don't have time for this Louise. There is someone waiting for you in your room."

Louise tugged her wrist free before she folded her arms, being content with a glare instead. "If it's that Zerbst cow, I am really not in the mood to hear her teasing." She said before she shoved past Roxas and opened the door to her room.

Immediately, she saw a person with their back facing her, staring out the window. Soon, the person slowly turned to face Louise and Roxas as they entered the room. Louise immediately recognized who it was.

"Louise. It's good to see you." Henrietta said as a smile crossed her features.

"P-Princess Henrietta!" Louise gasped before she knelt on the ground in front of her. "What are you doing here? Is something the matter?"

Henrietta gave a gentle smile as she walked over to Louise. She reached down and lifted her from her kneeling position before looking Louise in the eyes. "Please Louise, stand up. I have some very important information I need to share with you." She said before she looked over at Roxas. "You need to hear this as well, we will be in need of your strength."

Roxas nodded as he crossed his arms.

Henrietta looked between the two before she gave a bit of a sigh. "First of all, I would like to thank you both for all you both have done so far, defeating Fouquet, exposing both Turenne and Count Mott…and your more recent endeavor" She said, aiming that more at Roxas than Louise.

Louise raised an eyebrow in confusion, but Roxas understood what she meant.

"Your mother got Alexandra's letter already?"

Henrietta nodded. "I was just about to leave when my mother got the news. She sends her undying gratitude for what you did for her dear friend."

Roxas nodded, but Louise was deeply confused. "What are you two talking about?" She demanded.

"Worry not Louise, for we have more important matters to discuss." Henrietta said as she elegantly sat down on Louise's bed. Her countenance fell a little before she looked up at them. "It's unfortunate, but I have accepted a marriage proposal from Germania."

Louise gave a startled gasp. "Princess, why would you do that? Why are you margining into a nation of savages?"

"Louise, our country is on the brink of war with Albion. The only thing that is stopping them from marching right into our front doors is the condition of their government. Most of the nation want's to wage war against us, but those in support of Prince Whales are against it. However, it looks as if the rebellion is growing in strength, forcing Whales into hiding."

Louise's eyebrows scrunched a bit as she listened. "It's gotten that bad huh?"

Henrietta nodded. "At this rate, Whales will be dethroned and the kingdom of Albion will fall into the hands of the rebellion. If that happens, the first thing they will do is wage war against us. We need to be prepared if that were to happen. That is why I must accept the marriage proposal. If I marry into Germania, then we will have a steady ally to aid us in the war." She said, a new determination building up in her eyes. "I am the princess of this country. I will gladly sacrifice myself in order to keep my people safe."

Roxas frowned a bit when he heard that. He didn't really understand the importance of marriage, but is sounded important by the way Henrietta was talking about it.

However…

The depressed expression on her face as she talked about it only served to confuse him. Why was she depressed about it? He didn't voice his confusion though because she was about to say something else.

"There is one problem though. A…A mistake I made that may have put our entire alliance with Germania in jeopardy. This is why I need you and your familiar's help. You two are the only ones I can really trust with this mission."

Louise's eyes widened a bit as she heard the Princess say that. "Anything Princess! What do you need from us?"

Henrietta stood from the bed and gazed out the window. "There is something I need you to retrieve for me. A letter I wrote to Prince Whales of Albion. He is the last descendant of the royal family and because of that, once he is gone, there will be no one left to take the throne. That is why he is currently in hiding." She said as she turned to her friend. "It is very difficult to ask this of my best friend, but you two are the only ones I can rely on for this situation."

Louise immediately dropped to a knee in front of the princess. "It is an honor to serve you Henrietta. Please leave it to us."

Henrietta smiled a bit before she beckoned her to stand. "Thank you Louise." She said before she pulled off her ring and gave it to her. "This is the water ruby. Prince Whales will know that I sent you if you show it to him. Tomorrow you will meet someone else who will be joining you on your mission. He is also someone I trust deeply. He knows the landscape of Albion better than anyone, so he will be your guide."

"I understand princess." Louise said, almost glowing in happiness that the princess trusted her so much.

In the midst of their conversation, no one seemed to notice that Louise's door was slightly cracked open. It wasn't until the conversation was finished the door suddenly burst open. Everyone turned toWardes the door to see a familiar blond pretty boy, leaning against the frame of the doorway as he elegantly sniffed his rose.

Roxas sweat dropped a bit as he instantly recognized the boy. "Guiche, what are you doing?"

Guiche slowly lowered is rose as he gazed upon the residents of the room. "I saw that you had returned Roxas. I was surprised you didn't see me when you rushed past me with Louise hot on your heels." He said before he pushed off the wall. "I wanted to tell you that the antidote was a success, but then I spotted you talking with a suspicious robed figure. Being the grand friend I am, I wanted to make sure that you were not in trouble, so I followed you and Louise back to your room and heard the entire conversation." He said as he nearly danced into the room. He then looked at the princess before kneeling down, dramatically extending his arms as he did so. "Princess Henrietta, I would be honored if you would let me join in this quest. For I, Guiche the bronze, will aid you."

Henrietta blinked a few times at the sudden turn of events. She then looked over at Roxas and Louise. "What do you think? Is he trustworthy?"

Louise was about to reject the proposal, seeing that this was her mission and a chance to prove herself, but Roxas cut her off.

"Henrietta, he is trustworthy." He said simply, causing everyone in the current vicinity to look at him.

"Oh? And why do you say that?" Asked Henrietta.

Roxas looked over at Guiche, who was still kneeling on the ground. He was also staring at him, almost not believing what Roxas had said either. "He was a major help in our more…recent activity." He said, not wanting to have to explain to the princess the whole story with the love potion.

"Recent activity?" Henrietta asked with an eyebrow raised.

Louise immediately panicked a bit, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of the princess. "It's nothing! Just a little problem we had. Nothing to worry about." Louise said as her face flushed a few shades of red.

Henrietta looked between the three of them a few times before a soft smile crossed her features. "Well then, if Roxas and Louise trust you, then I have no reason to do otherwise. We will be honored to have you on this mission."

Guiche smiled before he stood on his feet and raised his rose over his head. "You will not be disappointed Princess."


Master Kida went flying through the air before he landed in a heap on the ground, the Forgotten Light falling from his grasp before it vanished if a flash of light. Gingerly, he sat up at looked at his massive foe. He had never seen a being quite like this one before.

Its body was completely black, almost as if the darkness had swallowed it whole. And it was huge, completely dwarfing the Keyblade master in the process. It had beady yellow eyes and on its chest was a massive, heart-shaped hole.

Kida's eyes widened a bit when the creature clenched its fist. A massive surge of darkness began to form in its palm before the creature slammed it into the ground. Kida's eyes widened a bit more as smaller creatures of the darkness began to form out of the ground. These creatures where much smaller, but still had the ominous yellow eyes. Immediately, they looked over at Kida before they started to crawl over to his direction.

Kida grit his teeth before he forced himself to his feet. A bit of blood dribbled down his lip as he summoned the Forgotten Light to his hand.

One of the smaller creatures leaped at him, causing Kida to roll out of the way. "Triple Firga" Kida shouted, releasing three balls of flames from his Keyblade. Each spell hit the creatures, causing them to dissolve into wisps of darkness. However, one of fire ball missed, allowing the creature to leap at Kida.

Kida fell back down before he clenched his teeth, waiting for impact.

SLASH.

Kida waited and waited, but nothing happened. He opened his eyes a sliver before they shot open. Standing in front of him, with Keyblade fully extended, was Xehanort. The remains of the dark creature evaporated into wisps of darkness.

"You're getting slow, old man." Xehanort said as he turned and offered his hand to his master.

"Xehanort, how did you find me?" Kida asked as he grasped Xehanort's hand within his own.

Xehanort chuckled a bit. "You already know that I am more attune to darkness." He said as he looked at the massive creature in front of him. "And this thing is giving off a powerful odor of darkness." He said as he pulled Kida to his feet.

Kida stared at his student for the longest time before his gaze snapped up.

"Watch out!" Kida shouted as he saw the creature lift its massive arm. Xehanort acted quickly, grabbing the older Keyblade master before he jumped out of the way. The creature's fist smashed into the ground before it raised its other one. It began to charge the dark energy again.

Kida clenched his teeth before he looked over to his student. Xehanort was much calmer than he should have been, but Kida had other things to worry about.

"Xehanort, I need you to stall that thing for as long as you can." Kida said as he pushed off his student.

Xehanort had a ghost of a smile on his face before he looked over at his master. "You have a plan."

Kida nodded before he extended the forgotten light. "I do, but I need time. Stay focused! They are coming."

Xehanort nodded as he saw the creature slam its darkness encased fist into the ground, calling forth more of the smaller creatures. Xehanort gave a more menacing grin before he dashed at the creatures.

Kida took a deep breath before he closed his eyes, concentrating hard on what he was about to do. Immediately, he snapped his eyes open before he threw The Forgotten Light into the air. In a flash of darkness, a vehicle burst forth from where the Keyblade was. It hovered in front of the Master. Kida jumped onto the vehicle before he rose into the air slightly. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

Meanwhile, Xehanort was slashing through the dark creatures faster than the giant could summon them. He dodged an oncoming fist before he slashed at the appendage. It did very little to effect the creature though. He looked back at his master.

"What's taking you?"

Kida clenched his teeth. "There is no magic to be absorbed around here. I have to sacrifice my own magic to make this work." He shouted back. "Just a bit longer!"

"Tsk" Xehanort said as he dodged another small creature before slashing it in two. "Your Keyblade glider has a powerful ability, but it's not that practical if it takes this long charge. Right, Old man?"

"Not another word Xehanort." Kida growled as he pumped more magic into the machine. His magic began to gather into the bottom of the glider. The condensed sphere of magic began to arc with power.

Suddenly, the giant being of darkness seemed to sense the energy coming from the glider. It completely ignored Xehanort before it turned toward Kida. Xehanort was about to follow, but was kept behind be a number of smaller creatures. He viciously slashed through most of them before he dashed after the giant being.

The giant extended his hand and formed it into a fist, ready to launch it at Kida. Just as it took its swing, Kida's eyes opened. He slammed his fist into the main button on his glider. Immediately, the condensed energy below the glider released itself, sending a massive laser barreling straight at the giant. The beam hit the creature in the face, completely barreling a hole straight through.

Finally, the light died down and what was left of the large creature with the whole through its head. Slowly, the giant fell to its knees before it began to plummet to the ground. Wisps of darkness were coming off of its body as it slowly collapsed. Before it hit the ground, it completely vanished into particles of darkness.

Kida was breathing deeply as he surveyed the landscape. The smaller creatures were quickly finished off by Xehanort, which caused Kida to sigh in relief. The glider suddenly vanished in a flash of darkness, leaving Kida to crash to the ground, completely exhausted.

Xehanort had just finished off the last creature before he turned to see his master, who laying there on the ground. He shook his head before he walked over to him. "You still alive down there, old man?"

"Screw you Xehanort." Kida said as he tried to push himself up, only to fall down again.

Xehanort reached down picked up one of Kida's arms before slinging it over his shoulder. "You're getting to old for this."

Kida didn't answer as he looked over at his student. "It's getting worse Xehanort. We have been getting small creatures of darkness for a while, but I have never seen one like that before."

Xehanort nodded as he began to walk away with his master.

Kida looked back to the ground before he looked at his student again. "Xehanort, you fought well and I am grateful for it. I believe it is time that I award you the title of Keyblade master now. You have earned it."

Xehanort looked over at his master before he nodded. "Thank you Master Kida."

Kida stared at Xehanort for a while. He expected more of a reaction out of the youth, but he was too tired to think about it right now. He could already feel the toll of using his gliders special mega-laser ability. He was slipping out of consciousness.

However

Before he closed his eyes, he saw a small, but very menacing grin on Xehanort's face.


Roxas gasped slightly as his eyes opened. He looked around, only to find himself still leaning against the wall in Louise's room. Louise was sleeping soundly in her bed without a care in the world.

Roxas looked down at his left hand. In his clenched fist was the Forgotten Light. It vanished a few seconds later. He raised an eyebrow as he stared at his now empty hand. Every time he had one of these dreams, he would wake up with the Forgotten Light in his hand.

Why?

These dreams were so vivid, it seemed like they were memories. But they were obviously not his memories, so where did they come from?

Roxas frowned a bit as he extended his hand. Immediately, The Forgotten Light appeared. He stared at the mysterious Keyblade for the longest time. The dreams started when he first found this weapon. Did that mean something?

And also, that glider that Kida used to defeated that dark side heartless…It looked a lot like the one Sora and Riku used to defeat Xemnas. The only difference was that Kida's glider was dark black and lacked the side platform.

Roxas stared at the Keyblade for the longest time, wondering if these dreams were more than just dreams. Osmond already informed him that this Keyblade came from Xehanort's master, but if that were true, then that would work in correspondence with his dreams. If his dreams were real, then did that mean this Keyblade could turn into the glider he saw?

And Xehanort…In this dream, he was a bit older than in the previous dream.

Roxas gave a sigh as he let the Keyblade vanish. He rested his head against the wall as he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. He needed his rest for the mission tomorrow.


Roxas gave a bit of a yawn as he stood outside the academy with Guiche and Louise. It was a misty morning outside as they all waiting for their guide to show up. Nothing really exciting happened until Guiche's familiar burst from the ground and basically tackled Louise, cooing in delight as he obsessed over the water ruby.

"Roxas! HELP ME!" she exclaimed as she tried to push the mole off her.

Roxas chuckled a bit as he moved over to help, but he was apparently beaten to the punch when a gust of wind sent the mole flying off of the petite girl. The poor creature landed in a heap on the ground a few feet away.

"Verdandi!" Guiche exclaimed as he dramatically pranced his way over to the mole. "Who would do such a horrendous thing to you?"

"I guess that would be me."

Everyone looked up into the sky to see a griffin descending down to the ground. Riding on the creatures back was a man with long grey hair, a goatee, and a large hat. Right when the griffin landed, the man elegantly leaped off before looking over at Guiche.

"You will have to forgive me. I feared that something was attacking my precious fiancé." He said as he gave a small bow. The then turned to Louise before walking up to her.

"Sir Wardes?" Louise squeaked as she quickly jumped to her feet and dusted her blouse off, a large blush crossing her face.

Roxas raised an eyebrow in confusion as he looked between the man and Louise a few times. How did Louise know this man?

"My sweet Louise." Wardes said as he moved past Roxas and stood in front of the girl. He reached down and grasped her hand before gently kissing it. "It is good to see you in such good health, though I do admit, this was a strange way to be reunited after all these years."

Louise blushed in embarrassment as she shyly looked up into the man's eyes. "It's has been a long time, Sir Wardes. It's nice to see you again."

"And it is good to see you as well, my Fiancé." Wardes chuckled as he picked her up off the ground, causing her to squeak in embarrassment. "You are as light as I remembered." He soon carried her to his griffin before sitting down. He then turned to Roxas and Guiche. "I don't believe we have been introduced. I am Sir Wardes. I was requested by the queen to be your guide for the duration of this mission."

"Roxas." Roxas said simply, letting his guard relax now that he knew who this man was.

Guiche however was staring at the man with sparkling eyes. "It is you Sir Wardes!" he said as he rushed up to the man. "You are my inspiration! My idol! I am truly honored to be on this mission with you."

Sir Wardes sweat dropped a bit before he raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. "I am flattered, but who might you be?"

"Oh!" Guiche said before he cleared his throat. He waved his rose across his face before he adopted a pose. "I am the feared son of General Granmont, the honorable mage of the earth element, the wooer of the hearts of many women, the fantastic Guiche the Bronze!" he finished as he extended his flower with his eyes closed, waiting for an applause of some form.

However, he heard nothing as he continued to wait. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see that Sir Wardes was riding away on his griffin with Roxas right behind on a horse, nobody paying the slightest attention to him.

"Hey!" Guiche cried, anime tears falling down his face. He hopped on his horse and raced after them. "Wait for me!"


During the trip, Roxas had to admit. He was amazed by the way Louise was acting. When this guy was around, she was almost like a complete different person. She was shy, quiet, and spoke in a well-mannered way. What in the world happened to her? He remembered that she would act similarly when Henrietta was around, but this was taking it to a whole new level.

He looked over at Guiche, was rambling on about something as he rode beside him, but Roxas wasn't really listening to what he was saying. "Hey Guiche?"

Guiche paused in the middle of his dramatic tale before he looked over at Roxas. "What is it Roxas?"

"What is a Fiancé?"

Guiche almost fell off of his horse. He knew that Roxas would ask some strange questions now and again, but this was ridiculous. "You don't know?" he asked, causing Roxas to nod his head. "What kind of rock have you been living under your whole life. A person's fiancé is person that they will get married to."

"Ok…Why do people get married?"

Guiche was giving Roxas the strangest look he could muster. "How do you not know these thing Roxas?"

"Never had the chance to learn. Is it supposed to be important?"

"Is it important…" Guiche said as he massaged his temples. He could not believe he was having his kind of conversation with Roxas. "What kind of question is that? It is one of the most important choices you will ever make in your life."

Roxas cocked his head curiously. "Why is it so important?"

Guiche had no idea why he needed to explain this to him. But he complied anyway. There must have been a reason he was asking. "I cannot believe I am explaining this to you. Marriage is the bond between two people that love each other dearly. If they decide they want to live together for the rest of their lives, they enter into the matrimony of marriage."

Roxas raised his eyebrow, still a bit confused. "So, marriage is supposed to be between people that love each other?" he asked, causing Guiche to nod his head. "If that's true, then why is Henrietta marrying someone she doesn't even know?"

Guiche blinked a few times, actually a bit stumped by the question. "Well, sometimes people marry for different reasons. If it is a person like Henrietta, a marriage can bond two countries together as allies. Sometimes marriage is arraigned by the parents. It all depends really, but it basically means that you are legally and lawfully bound to that person for the rest of your life."

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "But what if you marry someone you don't even like? How are you supposed to deal with it?"

Guiche gave a sigh. Roxas did have a point. He didn't even want to think about the possibility that he would have to marry someone he didn't love, but that was just what happened sometimes. "It is unfortunate, but that sometimes happens. Though, most of the time, arranged marriages often work because the respected parties just learn to love each other in the end."

"Hmmm." Roxas said as he looked back at Louise and Wardes. "I guess I understand."

"Oh, how I can't wait to get married though!" Guiche said as he clasped his hands together.

Roxas looked over at his, his eyebrow raised again. "Why?"

"Despite all the technicalities of marriage, being with the person you love for the rest of your life, having them by your side forever. It's something to look forward to, no?"

Roxas thought about it. It did sound nice they way he put it, but it seemed really complicated.


The rest of the trip went on without any problems until they reached the airship ports where they would travel to Albion by the flying ships. When they arrived, Roxas could not help but be impressed. These massive ships where hovering in the air by some form of magic. Though it didn't compare to the floating castle in the world that never was, it was still impressive.

It didn't take long for Sir Wardes to lead them to a small inn where they would wait until the airships would leave for Albion. Currently, Guiche, Roxas, Wardes, and Louise were all sitting at a table in the inn's restaurant, eating a meal. The food was decent enough, but it didn't really compare to the masterpiece that Marteau would make each day.

After everyone was filled and watered, Wardes glanced across the table at Roxas, who was sipping on a glass of water.

"I find it interesting that you managed to summon a human to be your familiar, Louise." He said as he gently smiled at the girl.

Louise had a blush of embarrassment on her face as she looked away from the handsome man. "It is the shame of my career as a mage."

Roxas scoffed quietly before he rolled his eyes, having heard that same line a few times already. He ignored them as he leaned back in his chair and looked around the inn.

"I have heard a lot about you Familiar." Wardes said, catching Roxas's attention. "I heard that you have quite a winning streak against nobles, am I right?"

Roxas looked the man in the eyes before he leaned forward a bit. "I have fought a few nobles that threatened people I care about."

"But it still is impressive. A commoner like you has managed to beat a number of highly recognized nobles." He said as he turned to Guiche. "You beat Guiche the bronze here, but you also defeated Count Mott and his entire estate, Fouquet the crumbling dirt, and your most recent venture, Turenne."

Roxas gave a small growl as Wardes labeled off all those people. "Yeah, I beat them. And?"

"Roxas! Don't talk to Sir Wardes like that!" Louise hissed.

"It's quite alright Louise. In fact…" he said as his eyes narrowed a bit. "I would like to test Roxas's skill for myself. Would you be opposed to a duel, Roxas?"

Roxas looked at him curiously, but he could see no harm in it. "I don't see why not."

"Sir Wardes! There is no need to dual my familiar. He is not worthy of such honor." She said before she turned to Roxas. "Roxas, as your master, I forbid you from dueling Sir Wardes."

"Louise." Wardes said gently, but firmly. "I told you its fine. I just want to see if your familiar is strong enough to protect you."

"Strong enough, huh?" Roxas said with a small smile. He lifted the glass of water before he took a long drink.


It was early in the morning of the next day that Roxas and Wardes were standing in the middle of an abandoned courtyard. Among them was Guiche and Louise, the latter was already yelling at Roxas again.

"Roxas! I command you to stop!"

"Louise, Shut up! I wasn't the one that requested this duel." Roxas responded as the oblivion flashed into existence. He crouched down in his signature one-Keyblade stance.

Louise turned red from anger. "You will not talk to me like that!" She screeched as he glanced over at Wardes. He was looking at the both of them curiously.

"You seem to have little control over your familiar Louise." Wardes commented as he drew his fencing staff. He then glanced at Roxas's weapon. "So it is true. You really have the power to summon weapons.

"And you know about it…How?" Roxas asked as he eyed Wardes's staff cautiously.

Wardes flipped off his cape before getting into his stance. His staff was more of a fencing sword with a blunted tip. "I heard from a few people that you use a strange key-like weapon. Wasn't sure if I believed it, but now that I see it in front of me, it's hard to refute." He said before he narrowed his eyes a bit. "But enough talk. Shall we start the Dual?"

"Yeah."

Immediately, Roxas shot from his spot, using light dash's speed to catch Wardes off guard. It seemed to work because Wardes was temporarily surprised at the high speed before he quickly jumped to the side to dodge a swipe from Roxas's Keyblade.

Roxas didn't stop there though. He swung his Keyblade at Wardes a second time. Wardes attempted to block it with his sword, but the blow was so heavy that he had to brace with his entire body to prevent himself from being pushed back. Roxas didn't give him the chance to compose himself though. He quickly whirled around and began his onslaught of attacks, each with a considerable amount of power behind.

Wardes grunted as he tried to deflect the blows, but there was so much power behind them that all he could do was slightly change the direction of the attack before it landed. However, that proved to be of little help because Roxas was quick to attack again, never giving Wardes any time to counter. This was not what he was expecting from the young man. The sheer power of Roxas's strikes was pushing him back and he couldn't do much about it.

Roxas pushed Wardes away before he leaped into the air to bring his Keyblade down on the man. Wardes immediately raised his weapon to deflect it, steadying his whole body for the heavy blow. However, attacking from the top was not Roxas's goal. In the process of defending himself, Wardes left his entire midsection exposed.

Taking advantage of that, Roxas completely ignored Wardes staff before he landed on the ground, spun around, and landed a solid hit right on Wardes's ribs.

"GAUH!" Wardes exclaimed as he was hurled through the air. He landed on his back before he rolled a few times. He was gasping for breath, but luckily his weapon was still in his hands. Roxas didn't give him any time to recover before he got in his usual stance and prepared to charge again.

Wardes took a few deep breaths as he gingerly touched his ribs. He was not expecting this kind of brute strength from someone so young. There was no way that he would be able to beat him in physical combat. So he would have to use a different approach.

"I have to admit, you are better than I expected you to be. But you are still no match for a square class mage." He said before he pointed his weapon at Roxas and chanted a spell.

Instantly, a massive gust of wind erupted from the point of the sword before it was sent spiraling at Roxas. Roxas instantly raised his key blade.

"Ario." He said, causing a channel of his own wind to surround him. Wardes wind spell crashed into the barrier before it was instantly nullified. He could only gape as Roxas pointed his Keyblade at the man.

"My turn. Blizzard!" he said. Ice spikes ejected from Roxas's key blade before they shot straight at Wardes. Wardes's eyes widened a bit before he looked down and slammed his weapon into the ground. The ice spikes smashed against a magic barrier, leaving only small fragments of icy dust in their wake.

Wardes raised his head and pointed his staff at where Roxas was supposed to be. "Not bad Roxas, but…" he started before his eyes widened. Roxas was nowhere to be found. "Where did he…"

WACK

A sharp pain erupted on the back of his head, causing the square class mage to fall to the ground, completely unconscious.

Roxas stood there behind him with his key blade extended. He had used his light dash to circle around the man while Wardes was preoccupied by the Blizzard spell. The poor man never saw it coming. Though Roxas had to admit. He was very disappointed in this fight. He expected much more from this man, but even Tabitha and Kirche gave him a better run for his money than Wardes did.

Roxas lowered his Keyblade before he let it vanish. He rolled his shoulder a few times. "Well, I guess that's what happened when you underestimate your opponent." He said as he faced Louise and Guiche.

"ROXAS!" Louise screeched as she rushed to Wardes side. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?"

Roxas groaned, already knowing that Louise would act like this. "Relax Louise, I just knocked him out. He should be up in a few moments."

Just as he said that, Wardes's eyes slowly opened before he looked up at his fiancé. He was a bit confused before he turned his attention to Roxas. It was then he realized what just happened.

He had lost. No. He was completely annihilated, seemingly effortlessly against this youth. Just the thought of that caused his blood to boil a bit. He glared at the boy before he attempted to sit up. He winced a bit as he felt the pain in his ribs, but tried to ignore it to save what dignity he had left.

Louise noticed his painful expression before she hovered over him like a protective hen. "Are you alright Sir Wardes?"

"I am fine Louise." He said before he slowly stood on his feet, leaning a bit on Louise as he did so. His head was acing from the blow Roxas landed, but his pride was much more bruised than his body. "I underestimated you familiar. You managed to defeat me, but I didn't expect you to go for such a cowardly move."

Roxas scoffed a bit. "An enemy will not fight fair. They will take any opportunity given to kill you." He said as he thought about the heartless. They would literally do anything to kill you in the end. They never fought fair, so why should he?

"Cowardly tricks will only get you so far. If you want to protect my fiancé, you will have to do better than that." He said as he gently pushed off Louise before he flipped his coat over his shoulder and began to walk away, Louise quickly following behind him.

Roxas shook his head. From what he could see, Wardes was just being a sore loser. That actually surprised him a bit because he expected a bit more maturity out of the square class mage.

Shrugging his shoulders, Roxas turned to see Guiche standing there, staring at him with his mouth open. "You defeated Sir Wardes!" he said before he quickly composed himself. He dramatically touched his forehead. "Well… It's only to be expected of someone who has defeated me. If I lost to you, then there was no way Sir Wardes stood a chance."

Roxas gave an amused smile before he walked past the flamboyant boy. "Whatever makes you sleep at night Guiche." He said as he retreated back to his room, Guiche quickly following behind.


In his room, Wardes cringed in pain as he looked in the mirror at the massive purple bruise on his side. One of his ribs was cracked and he was forced to drink a healing potion because of it. He didn't expect Louise's familiar to be that strong. And he was able to use triangle class magic! That alone made him a large threat to his plans.

"I told you he was not someone you should underestimate." A voice said behind him.

Wardes turned to see a hooded figure standing in the doorway. The person quickly entered the room before she closed the door. The figure then lowered her hood to reveal a mop of long green hair.

"Fouquet." He growled before he turned his attention back to his bruise. "He only got lucky. Was there a specific reason you didn't tell me he could use triangle class magic?" he snapped, before he winced in pain.

Fouquet looked at him curiously. "Because I didn't know. He only used two spells when I fought him, both ones that I have never seen before. He is very skilled when it comes to limiting the amount of ability's he shows people when he fights. But you have to admit, would you expect any less from the great Gandalfr?"

Wardes grit his teeth as he rubbed the back of his head. "Gandalfr was supposed to be an expert at using any weapon, not using magic! There is something not right here." He hissed as he felt the goose egg on his head.

Fouquet gave a small laugh. "It seems you're only mad that you lost. I didn't pin as a sore looser type."

"Shut your mouth Fouquet. Need I remind you that there are worse things than prison?" Wardes growled as he turned to her.

Fouquet huffed before she crossed her arms. "So, what do you need me to do?"

Wardes let a grin cross his face. "All I need you to do is stall them long enough so I can get away with Louise."

"Sounds easy enough."

"I wouldn't be so sure. You lost to Roxas in the past, what makes you think you can do better this time?"

Fouquet turned red from embarrassment. "Shut up! He only beat me because I didn't know how to use the staff of destruction. He caught me off guard. It won't happen this time."

"Make sure that it doesn't. We can't have failure Fouquet. This is too important. You know what will happen to you if you fail this time." He said with a small grin.

Fouquet bit her lower lip as she felt herself trembling. Her entire countenance dropped as she unconsciously touched the back of her neck. Behind her fingers was a glowing circular mark.

"I understand. I-I will not fail you again."

"You better hope not."

"But-But what happened if he tries to stop you again? How will you fight-" Fouquet started before her eyes widened drastically. Wardes was facing her now with a sickening grin on his face. But that wasn't what she was afraid of. Currently, there were black and dark green wisps of energy coming from his body as he stood there. The air around her was so thick that she felt like she was choking. It only lasted for a few seconds before it vanished.

"Does that answer your question?" Wardes asked as his grin widened.

"W-What was that?" Fouquet gasped.

"Just a little gift from Joseph."


It was later in the same day that Roxas exited his room. He was really tired of listening to Louise scream at him for hurting Wardes. In the end, he simply left her alone in her room; all the while she commanded him to stay and even threw around empty threats if he didn't. Roxas had enough of her bitching at him for one day and really needed to clear his mind. He didn't know what her problem was. It was Wardes that wanted a dual in the first place.

He gave a sigh as he walked down the streets of the city, wondering why he was still by this girl's side.

"Oh, that's right." Roxas said sarcastically. "It's because if I don't, I won't be able to see my friends anymore." He gave another sigh as he looked up into the evening sky. The sun was setting again, which really made him want to watch it with Tabitha and Sylphid. "I also have a debt to her that I need to repay." Even if it wasn't intentional, she made it possible for him to become his own person. Somehow, she summoned him away from Sora and now he was growing his own heart.

It was all because of her. He felt like he owed her that much by continuing to be her familiar for the time being.

"Having a heart is a really strange thing." He said as he continued to walk down the road.

Suddenly, a quick motion above him caught his attention. He looked up to see a clocked figure jumping from the rooftops of the building. For some reason, that figure was incredibly familiar. Where had he seen that cloak befo…

Roxas's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered.

"Fouquet!" Roxas growled as he remembered her standing on top of her golem, wearing the same hooded cloak as the figure that was currently jumping atop the rooftops. Without a second's hesitation, he jumped up onto the rooftops to follow after her. He made sure he keeps himself hidden by ducking behind buildings and into alleyways as he continued to follower her through the city.

It didn't take long before they reached the rocky mountain landscape on the outskirts of the city. Roxas continued to sneak behind the hooded figure until she finally stopped by a small river of water that ran through the landscape. The figure dropped her hood to reveal long green hair.

Roxas hid behind a large rock as he growled a bit, his suspicions confirmed about the stranger. He peaked behind the rock and watched as she knelt down in front of the river and scoop up and handful of water for a quick drink. Roxas clenched his fist as he watched her, many questions arising in his mind. How did she get out of prison? What was going on? What was she doing here of all places?

There was a flash of light before the oblivion appeared in his hand. He was about to leap out and attack her, but then he heard a quiet sob. Roxas blinked a few times before he peaked his head around the Rock again to get a better look. Fouquet had fallen to her hands and knees, allowing her green hair to flow freely in the breeze. Roxas could see her frame shake slightly as her sobs began to increase. From this angle, he could see tears flow freely from her eyes.

Roxas was confused. No, he was beyond confused. What in the world was she crying about? She was a criminal that had tried to hurt his friends! Yet, here she was, crying. Roxas narrowed his eyes before he shook his head. It didn't matter if she was crying or not. She had nearly hurt his friends, so she was going to pay for it…

But…

Roxas didn't move as he saw Fouquet look into her reflection in the water. She scrunched her face in anger before she violently slapped the surface, sending drops of water flying through the air.

"I never wanted this!"

Roxas blinked a few times as he heard her talk, lowering his Keyblade in the process.

"I never wanted to be a part of a war. I-I just needed money to help with the orphanage, to help Tiffania and I to survive. So why?" She cried as she looked up into the sky. "Why do I have to suffer like this Brimer? What did I do to deserve this? Why did my nobility get taken away from me? Why do I have to fight in a war that has nothing to do with me?" She cried as more tears fell from her eyes. She slapped the surface of the water again, almost as if she was disgusted by even the sight of herself.

Roxas continued to listen to her, his confusion growing by the second. She needed money to help an orphanage? What was she talking about?

"It was so simple; I would just go around and steal from nobles to support myself and Tiffania. Why did I have to get caught by someone like Wardes? Why did he put a seal on me and force me to do his bidding? Making me steal the staff of destruction, making me work for that old pervert Osmond…" she said before she nearly gaged. "Making me nearly kill children. What did I do to deserve this?" She screamed in frustration as she slapped the water once again.

Roxas continued to stare at her, his mouth slightly ajar as she started to cry uncontrollably. What the hell was going on? What did Wardes have to do with this? How was he connected to Fouquet? And what did she mean by a seal?"

Roxas clenched his hand around the handle of the oblivion. He wanted nothing more than to go out there and beat Fouquet to a bloody pulp, but for some reason he just couldn't do it. He couldn't rush out there and attack her; god knows he wanted to after she almost killed his friends.

But…

His growing heart demanded that he stop and figure out what was going on.

Giving a small sigh, he made his decision as he walked out from behind the rock.

"Fouquet."

Instantly, Fouquet froze as she felt her blood run cold. She whipped around to see Roxas standing there, a frown marring his face and his Keyblade clenched in his hand.

Fouquet's face went through an array of emotion before it settled on fear and anger. "HOW? How did you find me?" she asked though gritted teeth, making no attempts to even hide the fact that she was crying. This was bad. If she was defeated here, she would fail her mission, and Wardes would…She didn't even want to think about it.

"If you didn't want me to see you, you shouldn't have jumped on the rooftops." Roxas said as he lowered his Keyblade, letting it vanish in a flash of light. This caused Fouquet's eyes to widen drastically before she looked at him in confusion. Mentally, she cursed herself for acting so reckless in the city. She was so blinded by rage and fear that she just wanted to get away from Wardes for a few moments without taking precautions. One of those precautions was her wand. It was still in her room back at the port. It would seem that her recklessness was going to cost her.

"Fouquet. I heard everything." Roxas said as he crossed his arms, leveling her with a glare.

Fouquet's mouth dropped open for a few moments before it formed into a sad smile. "Then you know that I have no choice in the matter." She said sadly. "If I don't do what Wardes says, he will… He will..." her voice was cracking slightly as more tears formed in her eyes.

Roxas eased up on his glare a bit as he unfolded his arms. "What does Wardes have to do with this? What did he do to you? You said he is forcing you to do his will with a seal, right?" he asked, causing Fouquet to nod, though she was eyeing him skeptically. There was no point in hiding it now. She was completely at his mercy without any way to defend herself.

"The seal he used is one of his own creations. Only a very skilled Square class mage can make something like this, and as such, only someone of equal skill can remove it." She started. "It has three effects. The first is complete torture." She said as she shivered a bit. "The second is paralysis, and the third is…instant death."

Roxas's eyes widened a bit as he heard that. He felt his stomach turn a bit as she listed off the effects of the seal. "How can Wardes get away with something like this? Are you saying he could kill you at any moment?"

Fouquet nodded as her eyes became a bit hollow. "Sometimes, I would have preferred death to what he has done to me in the past." She said as she began to shake a little. "Sometimes, he would leave me paralyzed, and he would…He would." She said as tears started to stream down her face.

Roxas's mouth dropped open when he saw the state she was in. The look she had in her eyes was almost the same as the girls he found in Count Mott's basement. It was horrifying to say the least.

"That is why…" She said as she wiped away her tears with her sleeve. "That is why I don't have a choice. I can't disobey him. I-I'm tired of suffering."

I have no choice in the matter

Roxas remembered Fouquet saying that in the past when she tried to use the staff of destruction. So this is what she meant by it.

"No, there is something you can do." Roxas stared, causing Fouquet to look up at him. "You can ask for help. I don't know your whole story, but the only reason you are doing this is because of the seal, right? Why haven't you told anyone about it?"

Fouquet laughed bitterly. "Who would believe the mouth of a thief? Even if I did show them the seal, who would believe me? Wardes took advantage of that little fact. There is no one I can turn to, and if Wardes found out I asked anyone to help, I would be dead before I hit the ground."

"Then let me help you."

Fouquet stared into his crystal blue eyes before she scoffed. "The last time I trusted a noble, my father got his nobility status taken away and he committed suicide."

"Then we don't have a problem, do we? I am not a noble, just a nobody." He said. "If you have a seal that is locked on you, then I may have a way to remove it."

Fouquet's eyes widened a bit as she heard that. She searched his eyes, looking for any dishonestly, but found only conviction. "How? How can you free me?"

Roxas extended his hand before there was a flash of light, allowing the Oathkeeper to appear. "My weapon is very special. I told you before that a Keyblade chooses its master. But what I didn't tell you is that this weapon has the power to unlock anything."

"A-Anything?" Fouquet asked, her body starting to shake a bit.

Roxas nodded before he lowered his weapon. "I know I can remove that seal. But you are going to have to tell me what Wardes has been up to. How is he involved in all this?"

Immediately, Fouquet frowned as she bit her lower lip. "If I tell you, Wardes will kill me. Or worse, activate the torture spell on this seal and leave me to suffer until I go insaine. How do I know you can remove the seal?"

"You will just have to trust me."

"How can I trust you?" Fouquet shot back. "You are my enemy! I nearly killed you and your friends. How do I know you will help me?"

"Because my heart is telling me to help you. I am learning to follow it." He said as he stared into her eyes. "What is your heart telling you?"

Fouquet paused as she thought about his question. Truthfully, she really wanted to believe what he was saying. She DESPERATELY wanted to believe it. Could she trust him? Could he help her?

Fouquet looked down at the ground before she clenched her fists. "If-If I tell you this, it will seal my fate. There will be no going back." She said. "But I-I guess I can put trust in my own heart." She said as determination welled up in her eyes. "Wardes are the leader of the rebellion in Albion. He is planning to use me to distract you so he can take Louise and lure Wales out of hiding."

Roxas's eyes widened a bit as he learned this bit of information. "Why?"

"Because Wardes is planning to kill Whales. With Whales gone, the rebellion will take over Albion, and then they will set their sights on Tristania."

Roxas grit his teeth in anger. He didn't expect this from Wardes. He may have been a sore loser, but he seemed like he was a decent enough guy. "So what do you propose we do?"

Fouquet looked at him again, biting the inside of her cheek. "If you can get this seal off me, then do it tomorrow. I know that it is your mission to get Henrietta's letter back from Albion. The only way to complete your mission is to let Whales be lured out by Louise so you can retrieve the letter. If that letter falls into the wrong hands, then Tristian will be alone in this battle against Albion. Even if Whales survives, it is only a matter of time before a war starts. So let me stall you. When they are gone, free me from this seal and I will tell you where Wardes is going to lure Whales out of hiding."

Roxas thought about it for a while. It was a very risky plan. He could free Fouquet there and take out Wardes right now, but then then they would never get the letter from Albion, and it would most likely fall into the wrong hands, leaving Tristan without allies in this war.

Finally, Roxas nodded. "It's the best plan we've got."

Fouquet gave a large sigh as she touched the seal on her neck. "I sure hope you can get this off, because if you don't, I-I don't even want to think about what will happen to me."

"I promise. It's not fair to have your existence enslaved by someone else."

Fouquet laughed a bit. "You're not one to talk. You are a human familiar. Basically a slave to Louise's will."

Roxas stared at her before he gave a small grin. "Do you want to know why I am so sure I can remove the seal?" He asked.

Fouquet raised an eyebrow before she eagerly nodded.

"Since you are putting your trust in me, I believe I should show you the same respect." Roxas said as he reached over to his left hand and pulled the glove off. Fouquet's eyes widened as she saw the unmarred skin. There were no runes.

"Where-Where are the runes of Gandalfr? I know Professor Colbert saw them!" She exclaimed.

Roxas grinned a bit at her reaction, though he was a bit confused. "The Runes of Gandalfr? I removed the familiar runes."

"They are the same thing. Professor Colbert discovered what they were the day you got them."

"Are they supposed to be important?"

Fouquet blinked a few times before she shook her head. "It is a long story. I will tell you tomorrow." She said as she continued to stare at the back of his hand. "How did you remove them?"

Roxas gave a small smile before he replaced the glove. "The same day that I got the runes, they began to affect my memory and influence my choices against my will. I used my Keyblade to unlock the bond between familiar and master. I have never been her familiar for more than a day."

Fouquet stared at him, a new hope rising in her chest. However, a new question formed in her mind. "If you are no longer her familiar, then why are you…still with her? I have seen the way she treats you. You could be out doing whatever you wanted, yet you chose to stay by her side."

"Because I owe her." Roxas said as he turned to walk away.

"What do you owe her? What did she possible do for you?"

Roxas stopped before he turned around to face her. "She gave me the chance to exist. A chance for me to be my own person, Fouquet. No one else could have done that for me." He said as he turned to walk away.

Fouquet had a look of confusion on her face before she brushed it aside. Roxas was a strange enigma, one that she could not even begin to understand. For the first time in a long while, she gave a true smile.

"Matilda." she called out to him.

Roxas turned to look at her again.

"My real name is Matilda."

Roxas gave another smile before he extended his hand and disappeared in a Corridor of darkness.

Matilda stood there; hope filling her being for the first time in years. She had something to hope for now, a hope that she would finally be free.


Authors Note: Yes, Yes, I know this didn't happen in cannon, nor did it happen in the light novel. If you are looking for a pure Canon Crossover, this is not your fanfiction. I made it this way because Matilda will be playing a role in the future of this story. I know she was an antagonist in the light novels, but it is going to be a bit different.

Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. Please leave a review with you thoughts. Things will be very interesting next chapter. As the darkness that Wardes briefly displayed will play a big part. Hope you look forward to it, and I am sorry if chapters take a little longer to come out with because college is going to be a bust.

For those of you who are like "There were no heartless before Ansem and before the time of birth by sleep." That is where you are wrong. True there were no EMBLEM heartless, but in the realm of darkness, there existed pure blood heartless, like dark sides, neoshadows, and shadows.

Until then!

P.S. If you think Louise is acting a bit bitchy right now, you have to remember that she always acted a bit more impatient and mean to Saito when she was around someone she respected, like Wardes or Henrietta.