Authors note: Well, here we are again with another chapter. It didn't take as long as I thought to get this one out despite having to start this chapter from complete scratch. The direction of the story has changed so much that my original content is nearly worthless. There are just so many good ideas that I get when I am editing the chapters, that it completely changes the story in the process. An example is the background of master Kida. In my rough draft of this story, he didn't even exist and the staff of destruction was going to belong to a no-name Keyblade wielder with no back ground story. But as I was editing, I was like "Nope!" and I created an OC that had some connection to Xehanort. That made it much more interesting and it was fun to think of some made up history of Xehanort.
Anyway, this chapter will explain Siesta's background. It will be different than a lot of you were expecting though. However, instead of being mad at me, ask yourself this, "Why would DrWriter21 wright it like this? What could be the purpose?" There is a reason which I will not reveal because I don't do spoilers, but you will just have to trust me. It is not a cop-out!
But anyway, please enjoy the chapter. This arc of the story is nearly complete. Maybe one or two more chapters until it is done. Speaking of which, should I break this story up into separate stories on my profile, or would you rather have every chapter in one massive fanfic? I was thinking of finishing this and calling it book one, then I could start book two as a separate fanfic. What do you guys think? Do you want me to split up the story? Or keep it all on one fanfiction?
So, without anything else, please enjoy the story.
Warning: "U Have TYPO" is that really all you have to say? Really? I Know…*Sigh*
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A Heart in the Void
Chapter 15
"You always did know how to make yourself scares when you don't want to be found. Isn't that right? Xehanort?" Master Kida asked as he stood across from his old student.
"What a nice surprise. It has been a long time since I was visited by my old master." Xehanort said with a condescending grin. "And what do I owe this pleasure?"
Kida narrowed his eyes at the white haired man. It had been nearly 3 years since Xehanort had left the land of departure to explore the stars as a Keyblade master. He was nearly 30 years old now, while Kida was pushing 65. Xehanort had grown a small goatee and his eyes were a dark yellow, full of mirth and darkness.
"What have you been doing, Xehanort?" Kida asked as he clenched his hands.
Xehanort gave a small laugh as he looked around the desolate world they were currently standing on. "I am doing what I have always done." He said with a grin. "I am furthering my capabilities as a Keyblade master the best way I know how."
"You are still messing with the darkness? You do realize what that same darkness has done to countless worlds, don't you? Those creatures are still out there, Xehanort." Kida growled.
Xehanort chuckled a bit as he extended his hand. Instantly, his Keyblade flashed into existence. "You have not changed one bit Master Kida. You still fear your own darkness. Trust me when I say that your fear will be your ultimate downfall."
"Xehanort….Who are you?" Kida asked as his hands balled into fists.
"I don't understand what you mean." Xehanort said as he cocked his head. "I am just your cute little student that you've been teaching ever since I came to the land of departure."
"That's just it!" Kida growled as he ground his teeth. "A ten year old, showing up out of nowhere that day with the ability to wield the Keyblade. I didn't question it then because of your extraordinary talent, but that's changed, Xehanort."
"Oh, why is that."
Kida stared at his former student before he reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture of Master Raz's son.
"I visited an old friend recently. He lost his son 20 years ago, the exact same time that you arrived at the land of departure." He started before he glared at Xehanort. "Tell me Xehanort! Tell me why you look exactly like the boy in this picture!" Kida yelled as he turned the picture towards his former student.
Xehanort gave a wide grin as he recognized the boy in the photo. The boy looked exactly how Xehanort looked when he was that age 20 years ago. However, there was one crucial difference. The boy in the picture had dark brown hair, while Xehanort's was a ghostly white.
Xehanort gave a hearty chuckle before a sinister grin split his features. "It seems I have been found out."
"Why! Why would you put your father through this kind of pain! Why didn't you tell him you were ok?" Kida growled.
Xehanort laughed lightly. It started out calm and quiet; however, it soon increased until he was laughing hysterically. It sent chills of fear down Master Kida's spine to hear such laughter.
After a few moments, Xehanort took a few calming breaths before he grinned at the old Keyblade master.
"You still don't get it, do you?"
"I don't get what?"
Xehanort still had a smile on his face as he shook his head. "The boy in that photograph died 20 years ago. It is rather easy for someone that young to be intrigued by the darkness…you could say."
Kida looked at Xehanort in confusion. "What are you talking about? You are that boy!"
"No." Xehanort said as he looked up into the sky with a nasty smile. "You know, life is such a fragile thing. Death is inevitable, whether it be by an accident, someone kills you…" he paused as he looked at his master. "Or you grow old and wither away."
"Have you lost your mind, Xehanort? What are you going on about?"
"Let me finish master." Xehanort said as a large grin split his face. "Even though a body can wither away, a heart will not. However, the heart cannot survive without the body. Do you want to know how to overcome this problem?"
Kida was confused for a few moments until things started to click in his mind. He didn't even want to hear the answer Xehanort would say.
"You simply find a new body…A young body to be a host for your heart."
Kida felt his insides grow cold. His eyes widened in horror at what Xehanort was implying. "Xehanort! What have you done?"
Xehanort chuckled a bit as he looked at his Keyblade. "You once said that out of all the Keyblades there were, mine was the most ancient. Have you ever once stopped to understand why?"
Kida clenched his jaw.
"Do you want to know how many times I have been proclaimed a Keyblade master? Or how many times I have taken the Mark of Mastery? I have to say, out of all my masters, you were one of the most stubborn, which is why I had to take a little initiative."
Kida was nearly shaking in fury as he listened to his student talk. Not once did Xehanort show any signs of regret, just amusement for what he had done.
"How many?"
"Hmm?"
The Forgotten Light flashed into existence as Kida got into his stance. "HOW MANY XEHANORT! How many times have you taken over someone's body?"
Xehanort gave a thinking pose that seemed to just mock his old master. "Too many to count. I am very old Master Kida…And…" Suddenly, dark wisps of energy began to seep from around Xehanort's body as he got into a fighting position. "I have a lot more experience with the darkness than anyone."
Kida's eyes widened when the dark monsters he had been fighting for years suddenly appeared around Xehanort. There beady yellow eyes lacked any form of soul, just showing an unbridled instinct for destruction.
"You brought these creatures here? It was all you?"
"Precisely. But now that you know my secret, I cannot let you live. I hear that my old friend, Master Eraqus, is going to be taking students very soon." He said as another grin split his face. "How can I pass up so many potential options…For a host in the future?"
Kida felt fury well up in his veins, causing him to lose all form of reason. Darkness erupted from his being as his eyes turned a deathly yellow. The black energy began to twist chaotically around him. He crouched down, ready to fight Xehanort with all his might, not caring about what power he used to stop this man.
"XEHANORT!" Kida Shouted as he charged at his former student.
Roxas eyes shot open as he awoke with a start. Cold sweat was rolling down his face as his breaths came out in ragged gasps. He looked around the dark room in a slight panic before it dawned on him.
He was still in the guest room in Siesta's house.
"Mynuu"
Roxas blinked a few times as he looked down to his right. Ellie yawned as she rubbed her eyes before she looked up at him. "What's wrong Roxas?" she asked sleepily
Roxas took a few calming breaths as he bit his lower lit. His heart was still racing after what he had just witnessed in his dream. He glanced down at his left and just as he suspected, The Forgotten Light was grasped in his hand. A second later, it flashed away.
"It's…It's nothing…Just a bad dream." He said as he slowly lay back down on the pillow, trying to calm his racing heart.
Ellie, still being tired, curled up next to him and fell asleep.
Roxas however, still had a sinking feeling about what he had just learned. By this time, he knew that these were more than just dreams. They were memories of the Forgotten Light's old Master.
Kida's memories of Xehanort.
However, if they were memories, than Roxas felt truly disturbed by what was just revealed. Xehanort hinted that he had jumped bodies countless times in the past, so who knows how old he actually was. If that was the case, then who would be able to beat him? He, Sora, and Riku had defeated his Nobody, Xemnas, and that was hard as it was. But what would it be like going against him personally?
Going against a being that was as old and as experienced as Xehanort.
Roxas inhaled a deep breath and slowly let it out as he closed his eyes, trying to forget the nightmare.
The Nightmare that was Xehanort.
A yawn escaped Roxas as he sat at a large table. Currently, he was eating breakfast with everyone. It was quite rowdy compared to eating breakfast in kitchens at Tristain academy, but it was still pleasant none the less. Roxas quietly ate his food as he listened to the various stories going around the breakfast table. Some of them were very funny, but those mostly came from Jessica and Amy when they told about specific customers that visited the inn. The inn had gotten much more popular now that Turenne was gone, thus inviting much more business to flow through.
The children shared more petty stories, like building cool forts, or getting into trouble with some of the local villagers. It was still fun to listen to though.
"Roxas."
Roxas blinked as he looked up from his plate. Rachel was giving him a warm smile before she addressed him again.
"You are being really quiet…again."
All noise suddenly ceased as eyes fell on him. He gave an awkward chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. "I…don't have much to say, I guess."
"Nonsense!" Richard boomed as a grin split his face. "Why don't you tell us about where you're from? Surly you lived somewhere before you were summoned, right?"
"Umm." Roxas started, about to decline the offer.
"Yeah! Roxas, we don't know anything about you! What's up with that?" Jessica said as she planted her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her intertwined fingers.
"Huh, now that you mention it, she is right. You have not said anything about yourself." Amy added, resting her cheek on her palm, giving him her undivided attention.
Roxas flushed a little in embarrassment as he noticed everyone was looking at him. "I'm not that interesting. I really don't have much to share."
"Now that's a laugh." Jessica said as she grinned at him. "You say you're not interesting, but you show up one day at the inn, preform magic spells that would make any noble cower in fear, take out a triangle class mage with a strange looking weapon that you seem to summon out of thin air, and to top it all off, you are a human familiar, one of the only ones in history. And you say you're not that interesting?"
"Uhh." Roxas fumbled, having no way to refute her comment. When she put it like that, it did sound really interesting.
Feeling a small tug on his sleeve, he looked to his right to notice Siesta giving him an encouraging smile.
"Surly you can just tell us a little about where you're from. That won't hurt, will it?"
Roxas thought for a moment before he gave a small sigh. "I guess not."
Right when those words left his mouth, the room went completely silent. All eyes were on him, accompanied by the eager faces of Ellie and the rest of Siesta's younger siblings.
Roxas awkwardly scratched the back of his head again as he tried to think of a place to start. "Well, I guess I am from really far away. So far away that I didn't even know where…or what Halkeginia was."
"What! Really?" asked Amy. "How is that possible? Halkeginia is the largest continent in the world."
"It just goes to show how far away it is." Roxas said, pausing to let everyone absorbed what he said. He cleared his throat again as he continued. "Where I am from, the building is much bigger than the ones here. It is constantly dark, and it also rains a lot."
Jessica frowned a little when she heard that. "It does not sound like a nice place to live."
Roxas nearly laughed. Jessica was right on the money. "But we don't have nobles like you do."
Eyes widened when they heard that.
"What! There aren't any nobles? What kind of place is this? How can there not be any nobles." Asked Amy.
"It's a different system." Roxas said simply as he took a deep breath. "Another thing is that we only have one moon instead of two." Actually, it was Kingdom hearts, but they didn't need to know that just yet. That was a whole different story.
There was silence again as everyone tried to imagine what a sky would look like with only one moon. The silence was broken when Richard hummed in thought.
"Hmm" Richard said as he scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Your description sounds really familiar, aside from the constant darkness that is."
"Dear, let's not talk about that right now." Rachel said with a distasteful look on her face.
"Rachel, my sweet wife. I know you don't believe what my grandfather has said, but that was no reason to act that way towards him." Richard said gently.
Roxas raised an eyebrow at both of them. "What are you talking about?"
Richard cleared his throat. "Well, my grandfather was an interesting character. He passed away not too long ago. But to his dying breath, he claimed that he came from a different world."
Roxas blinked a few times as he felt his stomach drop. "W-What?"
Richard gave a small sigh. "I know it sounds crazy, but he was so convinced of it, that I can't help but believe him. He would tell stories of a place where there was no nobility, no commoners, and only one moon in the sky." He continued before giving a hearty laugh. "You are not from another world, are you?" he asked in a joking manner.
Roxas stayed silent as he thought about what Richard had just said. It was almost laughable at how Richard had guessed it so easily.
"But you know, more than just him saying that he was from a different world, he also had the dragon raiment."
Roxas looked up at the burly man. "Dragon raiment?"
Rachel gave a sigh. "Well, even though I don't believe his words, the dragon raiment is unlike anything I have ever seen in my life."
Richard nodded as he turned to Roxas. "The dragon raiment has been a family heirloom for a while now, even though we don't know how to use it…or what it even is. According to my grandfather, he and another dragon appeared in Halkeginia during the solar eclipse. The other dragon disappeared back into the eclipse, by my grandfather did not."
"Huh." Roxas thought as he continued to absorb Richards's worlds. "Would it be ok if I saw it?"
"Of course!" Richard boomed. "After breakfast, I will give you the map and Siesta can show you where it is."
"Thank you." Roxas said as continued to think about all that Richard had said. Could it be possible that it was another Keyblade wielder? One like Master Kida? If that was true, what was the dragon Raiment?
"Hold up! You are not off the hook. Tell us more about where you are from." Richard said with a grin.
Roxas paused before he looked around again. Eyes were still on him, causing him to scratch the back of his head nervously. "Well, I had a few friends named Axel and Xion. We were a part of an organization what hunted monsters…"
"According to the map, it should be this way." Siesta said as she led Roxas through the woods. After breakfast, Richard handed over the map and went about to do his daily routine. Racheal and the rest of the family did likewise. Currently, Roxas and Siesta were walking side-by-side down a narrow path in the woods as they followed the map.
"I have to admit, I am really curious about this as well." Jessica said as she walked behind them. Amy and Ellie were also with them. Amy was looking around the forest while Ellie was skipping alongside them, happily humming a tune.
"Do you think Siesta's great grandfather is crazy? Or was he telling the truth." Amy asked.
Roxas looked over his shoulder at the three of them. He was biting his lower lip because it was definitely a possibility that Siesta's grandfather was from a different world. After all…
He was.
"I have no reason to doubt it." Roxas said simply as he turned his attention back to the map.
"But if he was telling the truth, how many worlds do you think there are?" asked Ellie curiously.
"An infinite number." Roxas replied quietly, though not quietly enough as Siesta, Amy, Jessica, and Ellie all heard it. They all looked at each other inquisitively before letting it drop.
Roxas on the other hand had a lot on his mind. If Richard was right, then Siesta's great-grandfather was from a different world. Again, does that mean he was a Keyblade master? If that was the case, then they didn't he leave? Why did he stay in this world?
But then there was another option. What if this person was not a Keyblade master? What if Siesta's great grandfather was just a regular person from a different world. Just the thought was impossible because the worlds were divided and separated by invisible walls. Sure those walls were broken by the heartless, but that was after Siesta's grandfather came to this world. The only ones that could get through those walls were the Keyblade masters, and those that use the corridors of darkness like himself.
If someone managed to travel to a different world by some other way, then what did that mean? What kind of world was this that allowed people to travel to and from it?
These thoughts, however, were only applicable if it was true about Siesta's great-grandfather. Roxas still needed to see if this person actually did come from another world, and how he did it.
"KYU! ROXAS I FOUND YOU!"
Roxas barely had time to look up from the map before a blur slammed straight into him, causing him of loose his balance and crash to the ground with whatever had collided with him. He soon felt his lung in desperate need of air as a pair of arms constricted around his chest. He slowly looked down before he easily recognized the mop of blue hair.
"Irukukwu? What are you doing here?" he gasped.
Irukukwu looked up at him with her big green eyes. She was actually wearing an outfit this time instead of her usual cloak.
"Roxas! You left so suddenly. Why didn't you tell us you were going somewhere? We were worried about you!" Irukukwu said a she puffed out her cheeks.
"It was…a last minute thing." Roxas said as he tried to sit up. Irukukwu sat up with him, but she still had had her hands on his shoulders while straddling his lap, a pout still on her face.
"Roxas?"
Roxas looked up to notice all eyes were on him. More specifically, they were all glaring at him, though he could not understand why.
"Who is this?" Siesta asked with a forced smile, her eyebrow twitching at the rather intimate position they were in.
"Uhh, this is…" Roxas started before he remembered that Irukukwu was supposed to keep her human side a secret. Why was she out in the open like this anyway? Why was she even here in the first place? "This is-uhh-this is." He shuddered
"This is my younger sister."
Everyone blinked before they looked into the woods. There stood a familiar petite girl with a staff in her hand. She was pinching the bridge of her nose slightly as she stared at her familiar.
"Tabitha?" Roxas asked.
Siesta blinked as she easily recognized the blue-haired. "Mistress Tabitha! What are you doing here?"
"That would be my fault." Said another voice behind Tabitha. Everyone looked to see a red-head standing there with an amused grin on her face. "I saw you and Roxas leave and curiosity got the best of me. Also, I wanted to see how Roxas was doing." She said as her features softened.
Roxas gently pushed Irukukwu off of him as he stood up. Irukukwu, however, stood up with him, her arms around his midsection. "I am doing a lot better, thanks."
"I can see that." Kirche said as she gave him a seductive smile. She sauntered up to him and threw an arm around his shoulder while tracing his chest with her finger. "It was so boooring with you being depressed like that~ I am glad you finally snapped out of it."
Roxas flushed a little as he tried to shrug off her arm. "I have a lot of people that are looking out for me."
"Umm."
Everyone turned to see Jessica, Amy, and Ellie standing there. It was a very awkward atmosphere. Jessica and Amy were looking completely confused as they frowned at Kirche. Ellie however was glaring at Irukukwu.
"Who are all these people?" asked Amy.
"Friends from the academy." Roxas said as he tried to pry Irukukwu off of him, however, she just cling on tighter causing Ellie to puff out her cheeks in annoyance. The little girl stomped over to the both of them and grasped Roxas's other arm, glaring at Irukukwu in the process.
Kirche raised her eyebrow in amusement as she watched the scene before she turned to the others. "My name is Kirche von Zerbst. I don't believe any of us have been introduced."
Amy and Jessica snapped their attention to the…rather attractive red-head.
"My name is Amy."
"I am Jessica."
Kirche nodded to them before she pointed to Ellie, who was still glaring at Irukukwu. "And the squirt?"
"Hey!"
"That is my little sister, Ellie." Amy said before she frowned. "You're a noble, aren't you? Why are you being so…civil with us?"
Kirche scrunched her eyebrows a little. She remembered the little girl form the time that Roxas healed her. "You've had some really bad run in with nobles, haven't you?"
"More than one occasion."
"Well, not all of us are like that. I mean…" Kirche started before she turned to Ellie and walked toward her. Ellie seemed too noticed as she tore her glaring gaze away from Irukukwu and fixed it on Kirche. Immediately, she felt a little nervous being in the presents of the tall red-head.
"Who could hurt such an adorable little girl?" Kirche gushed as she squashed Ellie in a tight hug.
Ellie released Roxas as she flailed her arm about. "Your killing me! Let go!"
The tense atmosphere seemed to completely evaporate thanks to Kirche's antics. Even Amy and Jessica shared a little laugh at Ellie's misfortune.
"You know, you're alright." Amy said as she turned her attention to Tabitha, who walked up to Irukukwu and pinched her ear, pulling her away from Roxas.
"KYU, Owe! Big Sis Tabitha! Let me go!" Irukukwu cried as she rubbed her sore ear. Tabitha has a small frown on her face. Roxas knew it was because Irukukwu had revealed her human self to so many people without her permission.
"So, what is your name?" asked Amy.
Tabitha looked over at the group with an expressionless gaze. "Tabitha."
…
There was an awkward silence as they waited for her to say something else, but she didn't. Kirche gave a small chuckle as she released Ellie. Ellie gasped for breath before she fled to her sister for protection.
"Tabitha does not say much, so please don't mind her." Kirche said.
Siesta watched the whole scene unfold in front of her. It was really amusing to watch. She was surprised to see them here. Even more, she was surprised that they were all getting along so well. She then turned her attention to Irukukwu, who was pouting, before she looked back at Tabitha.
"This is you…Younger sister?"
Tabitha turned her attention to siesta before she nodded once.
Everyone besides Roxas blinked a few times before they looked at the more…Developed girl before they looked back at Tabitha again. For some reason, it was really hard to swallow.
"Well, now that we are all acquainted, what are you all up to?" asked Kirche as she crossed her arms under her large chest.
"We are on our way to see the family heirloom" Siesta replied as she held out the map for Kirche to see.
"Oh? Well, you wouldn't mind if we joined would you? It had been terribly boring lately and we would like to do something exciting."
"I don't really mind." Siesta replied as she looked back at the map. They continued to make their way back down the path.
It was a few moments later that the large group suddenly found themselves staring into the mouth of a large cave. The map said to go directly into it, so that was what they did. Kirche was being the social butterfly that she always was by having a conversing with Amy, Jessica, and Ellie. Roxas could hear them laughing in the background at some of the stories they would tell each other. After Ellie found herself caught up in Kirche's death hugs a few times, she learned to stay clear of her by hiding behind Amy. Though she would share a comment here or there when a question was asked.
Tabitha just silently walked beside Irukukwu and Roxas while Siesta lead the way, following the maps direction.
Tabitha looked over at the Spiky-haired boy before she gently reached over at tugged his sleeve to get his attention.
"Roxas."
Roxas glanced over at her with an inquisitive look.
"Are you feeling better?"
Roxas gave a small smile as he nodded. "Yeah. I am very lucky to have people that care about me. I am doing a lot better, but I still have to do something to help Tristain in this war."
Tabitha nodded as she looked down the cave. "War is a terrible thing. So many people loose their lives…and lives are something that can never be replaced."
Roxas gave a small sigh as he agreed with her. "Yeah. If only there was a way to fight a war without losing so many lives…"
Suddenly, Roxas gasped as an idea entered his min. His eyes widened immensely as he continued to ponder that thought. The answer was staring him straight in the face. How had he not seen this sooner? It was definitely a possibility, but would it work? Would they even listen to him now that he had a heart?
He had no idea, but with that thought, came infinite possibilities.
Tabitha seemed to notice his reaction. "Is something wrong?"
Slowly, a smile formed on Roxas's lips as he turned toward the girl. "No, if fact, everything just got better."
"STOP! DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER STEP!"
Immediately, the oblivion appeared in Roxas's hand as the shout echoed through the cave. Roxas got into his stance as he stared into the darkness.
"Who are you?"
"You are not going to take another step towards the Dragon raiment. That is an ancient artifact that will be used for discovery. If you take one more step, I will not hesitate to attack."
Tabitha raised her staff as Kirche took out her wand, both ready for anything to happen. Siesta gently grabbed the back of Roxas's coat as she looked into the darkness with fear, while Amy, Jessica, and Ellie took cover behind Tabitha and Kirche.
"You can't beat us all." Roxas said. "Show yourself!"
"You leave me with no choice then."
Suddenly, there was an explosion above Roxas's head. He looked up to see a stalactite had just been blasted loose and was falling straight towards him and Siesta. Quickly, Roxas grabbed Siesta around the waist and dashed out of the way. The stalactite smashed into the ground, shattering upon impact.
Roxas shot towards Tabitha and Kirche before he put Siesta down. "Watch over her please." He said, causing both of them to nod.
Roxas summoned the forgotten light to his hand before he pointed it into the darkness. "Fire!"
Immediately, the tip of the Keyblade erupted in a massive fireball before it flew down the cave, brightly lighting it up. But that was just enough for what Roxas was planning. In the light, he saw just a small movement of shadows, allowing him to pinpoint where the attacker was.
Immediately, he used Light dash and flew at the shadow with blinding speed. Just as he was close enough, he swung his Keyblade at the figure. However, the figure was agile enough to duck before they Keyblade made contact. That being said, the person was not fast enough as Roxas shot around and slammed his Keyblade into the persons back, causing the figure to scream in pain and flop to the ground.
Roxas planted his foot on the persons back as he pointed his Keyblade at him.
"I got him." Roxas called to the rest of the group.
Everyone slowly made their way over while Kirche ignited a small flame on the tip of her wand. When they were all close enough, the light overcame the shadows, allowing the figures face to be shown.
"Professor Colbert?" Kirche gasped as she recognized the balding man's face.
"Kirche, Tabitha, Roxas? What are you doing here?" He gasped in pain.
Roxas blinked a few times as he recognized the old man. He took his foot off the middle of his back as he stepped away. "Why did you attack us?"
Colbert groaned as he pushed himself to his knees. "I thought you were trespassing. This leads to the Dragon Raiment that came here on the eclipse a long time ago. I recently heard about it and wanted to see if for myself."
"That Dragon Raiment is a family heirloom. We have every right to see it." Siesta said with a small frown. She was just a little angry that the professor tried to hurt them.
"I see." Colbert said as he shakily stood on his feet. "My dearest apologies. I did not know."
Siesta gave a small sigh as she smiled at the balding man. "It is alright professor."
"I am sorry as well." Roxas said, feeling a little bad that he clubbed the man in the back.
"It is quite all right." Colbert said as he winced a bit. "Now I know how Count Mott feels. I would definitely not want to fight you."
Roxas laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head. However, he then noticed someone standing behind Colbert. Someone he really didn't want to see at the moment.
"Louise." Roxas said flatly.
Louise stood there with her hands on her hips, a frown on her face. "You left without telling me."
"You told me to." Roxas fired back as he walked past her. "Am I am glad you did. Thanks to my friends, I am feeling a lot better now. What are you doing here?"
"I just came with Professor Colbert because I was curious. Don't think for a second that I was worried about you." She said stubbornly as she crossed her arms.
"Sure." Roxas said as he continued to walk down the cave.
It didn't take long to make it out of the cave with the help of Siesta and Colbert. Colbert was able to interpret the map easily and Siesta was able to answer any questions he had concerning the map. With them working together, they eventually stood in front of a worn down building. Everyone was staring at it before Siesta looked at the lock on the door.
"It looks like my father forgot to give us the key. Roxas, would you mind?" Siesta asked with a smile.
Roxas smiled back before he summoned the Oblivion to his hand. A second later, the lock clicked and everyone was able to enter the building. What they saw made them gasp. Everyone, except for Roxas moved toward the mysterious object and looked it over in wonder.
Roxas however, just stared at the piece of machinery. He had never really seen anything like it, but it was still low tech compared to the technology of the world that never was. However it was also to advance for Halkeginia.
From what he could see, it was an old aviation device of some kind, which made sense because these people thought it was a dragon of some sort. However, just looking at it, Roxas knew that this machine could not handle traveling between worlds.
That only meant one thing.
Siesta's great grandfather was able to travel between his and this world without the use of a Keyblade, a gummy ship, or even the Corridors of darkness. Which also made sense because without at least one of those, there would be no way for him to get back, leaving him stuck on this world.
However, that also begged the question. What kind of world was this that allowed someone to bypass the impassable walls that separated the worlds? What did that mean? Was this world connected somehow? Did this world possess a certain power that allowed people to travel to and from it? Was that connected to how he was summoned here?
There was too much to think about. With this new discovery, so many more questions began to surface in the mind of this young nobody. Roxas began to wonder if there was something really special about this world.
"Roxas! Hello, Roxas?"
Roxas blinked a few times as he saw Siesta standing in front of him with a worried look on her face.
"Yes?"
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah." Roxas replied as he looked at the machine again. "Just thinking about something."
Siesta giggled a little. "You do usually space out when you're deep in thought." She said before she turned to the ancient dragon. "So what do you think? Do you believe that my great-grandfather was from a different world?" she asked in an almost joking manner.
"Yes." Roxas said without hesitation.
His abrupt reply got the attention of everyone around. They all looked at him with their eyebrows raised.
"Uh, not to question your judgement, but why you are so convinced?" asked Jessica.
"Because this device is way too advance for this world."
"And how would you know that?" asked Colbert, his eyes showing signs of suspicion.
Roxas tore his gaze away from everyone as he looked to the ground. As time went on, it was becoming more and more difficult to keep this fact away from them.
The fact that he was not form this world.
"Professor Colbert." He started before he looked over at the entire group. "Siesta's great grandfather claims he is from a different world, and he says that this machine brought him here. Do you think that is possible? Do you believe there could be other worlds out there?"
"Hmm" Colbert hummed at he scratched his chin. "Theoretically yes. The universe is bigger than anyone can imagine. Why would we be the only ones out there? Though that would make you wonder, what would these worlds be like?" he said as he gave a depressed sigh. "Would sadness and war exist on these worlds as well?"
Roxas felt his eyebrows scrunch as he looked towards the ground again. There was a war that was going to happen really soon between Tristain and Albion. However, he had an idea that may help. He was not going to sit around and mope about his mistakes.
He was going to act now.
Determination filled Roxas's eyes as he turned and exited the building, leaving everyone to raise an eyebrow at him. He was quickly followed by the group.
"Roxas, where are you going?" asked Ellie as she bounded up to him.
Roxas stopped as he looked back at his friends. These people, every one of them, he wanted to protect them. He wanted to keep them safe from war, a war that may end there existence. He could not let that happen.
"I am going away for a bit."
"Ok, I will come with you." Ellie beamed.
Roxas shook his head. "No. This is something I have to do alone."
"Roxas, what are you saying? What are you talking about? Where are you going?" Siesta asked, concern written all over her face. The way Roxas was talking was really starting to worry her.
"There is a war coming to Tristain, and we need an army. I may know how we can win this war without losing many lives." He said, causing their eyes to widen at him.
"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" asked Louise. "Where are you supposed to get an army? You can't just pull bodies out of thin air."
Roxas almost wanted to laugh at the wording of her statement. Why?
Because that was exactly what he was going to do?
However, he had hid things long enough. If they were going to understand what he was going to do, they needed to know what exactly he was.
It was time.
"If you are to understand what I am about to do, I need to reveal some things about myself."
Everyone's eyes suddenly widened again. In all the time they had known Roxas, they understood that he was very quiet about his life. Nearly every time they asked, he would find a way to dodge the question, or just plain not answer it. But now, he was going to explain a little about himself. That was something they were not going to miss.
It was just minutes later that everyone was sitting in the grass, all looking at the source of their interest. Roxas sat in front of them, an unsure look on his face as he tried to find a way to explain all of this. Truthfully, it was very complicated, and he didn't know if they would understand or not. But they were his friends. If he was going to get them to trust his plan, he needed to trust them as well.
"So, you are finally ready to answer some questions now?" Asked Kirche.
Roxas nodded, but he could not help but feel a little anxious about this. He didn't know how they would react to this new knowledge.
"Ok. First, I would just like to ask." Louise started. "Who are you? What are you?"
Roxas took a deep breath. "My name is Roxas. I am a Nobody."
"But what does that mean. You have said that about yourself before, but you seem to refer to that as a title more than anything else." Kirche said.
"That is exactly correct." Roxas said before he looked at Louise. "Just to make things easier to understand. Louise, you didn't summon me from a faraway place. You summoned me from another world."
…
There were no worlds to describe the amount of confusion, disbelief, or surprise that went through the minds of all that were listening.
"W-What did you say?" Louise asked in a shaky voice.
"I meant just what I said. Colbert is correct when he thinks there are many worlds out there. Do you really think you are the only ones in the entire universe? Siesta's great-grandfather is another example. That machine you saw was truly from another world."
"So-So that is why you were so sure my great grandfather was telling the truth." Siesta said, staring at him with wide eyes. "It was because you are also from another world."
"Yeah." Roxas replied as he looked at Amy, Ellie, and Jessica. They were staring at him like he was insane. "I know it is hard to swallow, but trust me when I say this, it is going to get a lot more complicated. If you can't handle it, I suggest you leave."
Amy and Jessica looked at each other for a few moments, debating whether or not they have heard enough.
Ellie just stared at him for the longest time before she suddenly stood from her spot. She walked over to him before resting her hands on her hips. "You-you're not lying right? You really came from a different world?"
Without any hesitation, Roxas nodded. "I did."
"Then-Then I believe you."
"Ellie…" Amy started, frowning at her younger sister.
Ellie returned to her position on the grass before she looked to her sister. "He saved me twice Amy." She said, interrupting her older sister. "Isn't that enough for us to believe him?"
Amy looked really conflicted, but could not disagree with her statement. "I-I guess. This is just so crazy. He is claiming to have come from a different world. You must understand how insane that sounds."
"I know. But I swear on my heart, everything I am about to tell you is true." Roxas said as he stared at Jessica and Amy. The sheer determination in his eyes was enough to eradicate any doubt they had in the nobody.
"Alright then, alien man." Kirche said, trying to bring a cut the tension a little. "So you came from another world. If that's true, it really explains some of your…Rather unique abilities." She said, causing Tabitha to nod once. "But what do you mean when you say you are a nobody?"
Roxas gave a bitter smile. "If you are to understand that, then I need to tell you about a boy name Sora."
"Why is he important?" asked Louise, still trying to swallow what he had said earlier. Truthfully, she was on the same boat as Amy and Jessica.
"He just is. It will make sense when I continue to explain. I promise."
"Alright." Colbert said as he crossed his arms, giving Roxas his undivided attention. He was not the only one though. Everyone else was staring at him, not wanting to miss a word of what he was going to say.
Roxas cleared his throat. "The Keyblade…" He started as he summoned the weapon to his hand. "Is an immensely powerful weapon, used by Keyblade masters to protect the worlds?"
"Protect the worlds?" asked Ellie.
"Yes. Whenever the balance of the worlds is upset, the Keyblade masters come to restore the balance of light and darkness. They protect the worlds from plunging into the darkness."
"So, just so I understand…Keyblade masters have the ability to travel to different worlds. And they protect these worlds from falling into this so called…darkness?" asked Amy.
Roxas nodded causing everyone to raise their eyebrows in confusion.
"What causes worlds to plunge into the darkness?" Colbert asked.
"The Heartless."
The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees when he said that. "And…What are Heartless?" asked Colbert.
Roxas bit his lip as he tried to think of an explanation. This was going to be a lot harder than he thought. He then turned to Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha.
"Do you remember the power that Wardes had when we fought him?" he asked, causing them to nod.
"That was the power of darkness. Heartless are basically the darkness given life. They have no soul, no heart, and no mind. They wander the world, devouring everything that stands in their way. They act on instinct and will not hesitate to devour your heart."
Everyone's eyes widened as this new information was starting to sink in. Ellie was holding onto Amy's hand as she started to shake in fear.
"Kyu! I don't like this story." Irukukwu said as she hugged Tabitha's arm.
"So these creatures…They are able to travel to different worlds, and they…eat your heart?" Colbert asked carefully, trying to understand what Roxas was saying.
"If only they were that merciful." Roxas said bitterly. "They consume your very soul, the thing that makes you who you are. That is what I mean by your heart. When a heartless consumes your heart, you plunge into the darkness and become one of them."
Ellie cried out as she grasped her sister's arm while burying her face in Amy's shoulder. Amy was gently stroking her hair, but she was not baring that well either.
"How-How can this be? I have never heard of something like this? How can I know you are telling the truth?" Louise asked in a shaky voice.
Roxas felt a small wave of guilt wash over him before he shook it off. "Because that was exactly what happened to Wales." He said, causing Louise to gasp in horror. "Wales's heart was directly exposed to the darkness when he took Wardes attack. The darkness overwhelmed his heart, and it was lost." Roxas said as he looked her in the eyes. "And that could have been you."
People were looking back and forth between Roxas and Louise a few times, a little confused, but they got the gist of what he was saying.
"Anyway, the heartless have a great fear of the Keyblade. With its power, the Keyblade can release the hearts that have been captured by the heartless. That is a reason they are called to protect the worlds."
It felt like a breath that everyone was holding seemed to release as he said that. A bit of relief seemed to soften the tense atmosphere.
"Sora. He was chosen by the Keyblade when he was only 14 years old."
Colbert scrunched his eyebrows in disgust. "To place a burden that great on a child! Children should not have to fight in war, or have to protect worlds from creatures like that."
"Sora could handle it. In fact, right after he was chosen, his world was consumed by the darkness." Roxas said, causing everyone to gasp in horror. "However, he managed to escape. He traveled the worlds looking for his friends…and even save all of the worlds on more than one occasion."
Everyone blinked in surprise. "He…did?" asked Jessica.
"Yes. Sora was a wielder of the Keyblade like no other. He saved countless worlds from plunging into the darkness. He fought and defeated endless heartless and saved many worlds by locking there keyhole."
"What is a keyhole?" asked Tabitha quietly.
"Every world has a keyhole that leads to the heart of that specific world. If the keyhole is sealed, the heartless cannot enter through and destroy it. A Keyblade is the only thing that can seal a world's keyhole."
Tabitha nodded, allowing Roxas to continue. "Eventually, Sora did find his friends again. However, one of them had given himself to the darkness, a lot like how Wardes did. He used what he learned from the darkness in order to craft a special kind of Keyblade so he could match Sora's power."
"He crafted one? How can you craft a weapon like that?" Colbert asked
"That is a whole other story. Just to make thinks easier, I will just say he was able to make one, and he tried to kill Sora with it." Roxas said before he gave a small laugh. "However, Sora was able to beat him again. That led to him finding his other friend. A girl named Kairi."
"Kairi? Oh, this story is getting interesting." Kirche said with a sly smile.
"Kairi had lost her heart to the darkness when her and Sora's world was consumed." Roxas said, completely killing any relief that Kirche had tried to provide, leaving a depressed atmosphere.
"So, he lost his other friend as well?" Amy asked.
"In a manner of speaking, yes. However, he learned that right before her heart was consumed by the darkness, it found refuge…within his heart."
"That's…Kind of romantic." Kirche said as she rubbed her chin.
"However, the only way he could think of to give her heart back, he had to make a sacrifice."
"What do you mean?" Asked Louise, who was just as intrigued by the story as everyone else.
"Sora took his enemy's Keyblade and thrust it into his own heart, thus releasing Kari's heart and bringing her back."
A round of gasps was heard as he paused. He allowed that to sink in.
"W-What happened to him? What happened to Sora?" asked Ellie, gaining a little courage and pulling her face away from her sister's arm.
Roxas gave a small sigh. This was always a painful reminder of what he was.
"The act of Releasing Kari's heart caused Sora to lose his own heart. He was plunged into the darkness and became…a heartless."
The atmosphere turned to one of sadness as Roxas finished. A few even felt themselves choke up when they heard this. This young boy had sacrificed his own soul to save the life of his friend. A boy that fought so hard and done so much good…had been lost.
"So he sacrificed his life for hers? You know, I love a good story, it a tragedy always hurts." Kirche said somberly.
"Yeah, Sora lost his heart for a little while; however, his connection to Kairi was so strong that just the bond between them was enough for him to be restored."
"Wait! He came back?"
Roxas nodded. "Kairi was Sora's light. Her voice cut through the darkness and brought him back."
"OHH! That is so romantic!" Kirche gushed. "I love a good ending!"
"This is all very interesting, but what does this have to do with you?" asked Colbert.
"Everything." Roxas said quietly. He paused to make sure he had there attention. "What do you think happens to a person's body when they lose their heart?" He asked, getting a round of confused looks. "It becomes and empty shell with no emotions. Eventually, that empty shell remembers how to move, how to think, and how to act. That empty shell is what's called…" Roxas took a deep breath.
"A Nobody."
Gears seemed to click in everyone's mind when they heard that. Eyes widened and mouth dropped open as they made the connection and understood what he was implying.
"I am the Nobody of Sora. I was created when he lost his heart to the darkness. I…I was never supposed to exist."
Authors Note: There you have it. Happy Late Halloween. Roxas finally reveals what he is. I thought the dramatic ending was appropriate for this chapter. Yes it is a little smaller than usual, but still over 8K words, so no complaining please. I think next chapter will be the season finale, it will be epic, and I am looking forward to it.
Siesta's heritage is like the one on cannon. What does this mean for this world? How is it connected? Instead of being mad and calling me a cop-out, give it some thought. I am sorry if some of you are disappointed, but it is important.
Anyway, sorry chapters are taking so long to get out. It is really hard to find time to write because of all these freaking project pilling up on me. I have not even been able to work on my other story because of the bombardment, which is sad because I really want to. I just feel that this story has more of a priority because of the amount of people that read it. I thank you all for your support on this story.
Anyway, please leave a review. I need some encouragement because school is killer. I love writing, but homework has a large priority.
Anyway, look forward to the finale next time.
Until then!
