Authors Note: Hey everyone. Well, I am back now. I have been working a bit on the rough draft, and I think I got a good handle on the second season. However, I just want to ask, would you prefer I stay close to cannon, or start branching out? I personally like reading when things stay close to cannon and how the crossover person does thing his/her way, or how things are different not that he/she is there. Which is the style I used in the first season. I kind of want to say close to cannon for the second season as well, but what do you guys think? Do you like it when a crossover just changes the story completely, or do you like riding on the line of cannon with some extra stuff happening with the characters.
However, even though I like reading that kind of crossover, the hardest parts of writing this story are the ones in cannon because I get so BOARD writing them. Its like I know what happens, but I have to write it anyway just so everything makes sense to those who don't know the anime. I really enjoy the original parts I write, like character interactions and fight scenes, or just anything that is different than cannon. So I am debating when I will deviate from the main plot. It may be after this season however, because there are a lot of things I have to set in motion this season.
Anyway, I am still editing the rough draft a bit, but like I said, I think I have a solid grasp on what is going to happen in this second season. I really appreciate your patience. So, here is the start of a new season. Please keep the encouragement up, I am always thankful for your support.
Warning: Spelling is an issue. I know.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A Heart in the void
Chapter 20
"You know, sometimes it amazes me how manipulative and cruel you can be." Said a hooded figure as he sat at one edge of the table. The room was dark, the only light present was blaring through the windows from the moon. It reflected off the hooded stranger as he sat on the end of the table, a sinister grin on this face. On the opposite end sat another person in a cloak. They wore the same kind of coat, signifying that they knew each other.
"I don't know what you mean." The other figure answered, though you could tell there was a hunt of amusement in his voice.
The person on the other end of the table casually leaned back in his chair as he rested his hand behind his head. "You know full well what I am talking about. That pathetic excuse for a mage couldn't handle the amount of darkness you gave him. You knew that the heartless would betray him in the end." He commented smugly.
"Oh, but you forget it was he that wanted the power in the first place. I warned him of the dangers, but his pride blinded him." The other figure said, his amusement growing.
"And you were so oblivious to that pride." The other person spoke with lazy sarcasm as he waved his hand through the air. He then sat up straight, a grin forming on his face. "Its not like you played on his pride, dangling the power of darkness in front of his face, waiting for him to snatch at it like a starving fish… You truly know how to manipulate others…Xehanort."
The figure at the opposite table gave an amused chuckle as he reached up and slowly removed his hood. Standing there was a man with long silver hair and light brown skin. His deep yellow eyes still sent chills of terror down anyone's spine that happened to see them. He had a confident grin on his face as he looked at the person on the other end of the table.
"You know me all to well, don't you? After all, you are half of who I am already. Xigbar…Or should I say, Braig. "
The other figure also chuckled as he lowered his hood. His one yellow eye staring back at Xehanort, while his other was covered with a patch.
"You know, you caused quite a fuss when you up and disappeared like that."
"Oh? Were you worried about me?" Xehanort asked, a condescending grin on his face.
"As if!" Braig said, crossing his arms in the process. "But you just leaving like that wasn't smart. We are on our final preparations."
"Worry not about that. I am right where I need to be. It seems that there is a reason that I am forced to return to this world once again." Xehanort said as he turned to the window and gazed at the twin moons in the sky.
"Again huh? You have been to this world before?" Braig asked, raising his eyebrow.
"You could say that." Xehanort responded.
"Why are we here then? Is it something important? I could easily get Isa here as well."
"No need. When the preparations are made, then we will call the rest of the organization to come. What is Isa doing anyway?"
Braig scratched the back of his head. "As if I would know. He is probably wondering the worlds for all I care."
"Still difficult to deal with?"
Braig rolled his eye as he folded his arms, shooting Xehanort a pointed look in the process. "So…are you going to tell me what is so important about this backwatered world?"
"All in due time Braig. I will say this though, it seems that this world holds the key that Sora is looking for. The key that may be the downfall of all our plans…and even the organization itself."
Braig blinked a few times before shock covered his face. "What are you saying? How is this world so important? What is the key?"
"The key to return hearts is here, on this world. If Sora somehow figures that out, then he will have a huge advantage in this final battle. We cannot have that. For now, he does not know this, and I intend to keep it that way. But there is one obstacle in our path."
Braig suddenly clenched his fists, knowing exactly whom Xehanort was talking about.
"The Nobody…Roxas."
Xehanort nodded in conformation. "Its strange actually. He is the reason why I know the key to return hearts is here. How else would he even exist if that were not the answer?"
"But he was summoned. Does that mean they key to return hearts is located in the void?" Braig asked. Xehanort didn't say anything, just continued to stare out the window. However, that was all the answer that Braig needed. "But if that's the case, then that power also belongs to Joseph right?"
Xehanort gave a small chuckle. "No. Joseph is not the same as the mage that summoned Roxas. I know a thing or two about the void. It actually branches off into two paths. Light and darkness. It seems that the people of this world didn't know how to comprehend it when it was first discovered, so they simply named both categories as Void."
"What does that mean?"
"The person that summoned Roxas was a mage of the Light. Based on that, the key to return hearts is somewhere located in the light. It makes sense that Roxas was summoned because he was a nobody that specialized in light based attacks."
Braig nodded, showing that he understood what Xehanort was saying. "So because joseph summoned you…a person who seeks darkness…"
"Your are correct. Joseph is a mage of the darkness. Even I was impressed at how much he can wield at once, and his power is still continuing to grow."
Braig became thoughtful for a few moments before understanding shown in his eyes. "So that's why you took such interest in Wards. Not only was he close to the light mage, but also he was also a part of Tristan's government as well. You gave him the power of darkness to kidnap Louise, defeat Tristan, and also to kill Roxas." Braig said, his eyes widening a bit.
"You are correct again Braig, but I did not anticipate Roxas calling upon the lesser Nobodies. I didn't think they would listen to him. But it seems that because he is still a Nobody, they chose to follow him.
"Then wouldn't they listen to us?"
Xehanort shook his head. "We are different from Roxas. While Roxas was the Nobody of Sora, Sora had already been restored. The moment Sora was restored was the moment where Roxas became a completely separate entity. He was no longer Sora's empty shell, rather a completely new…Thing. When we became nobodies, our beings were separated into two different entities that made up that person. When each entity is destroyed, that one person will return."
"I understand that part. That's how you and I returned. So If Roxas is destroyed…"
"Yes, he would have faded away into oblivion. As if he never existed in the first place."
"Huh" Braig hummed as he rubbed his chin. "But all the higher nobodies were destroyed by Sora and Riku. Without them, there is no one else to control them. Roxas will have all the Nobodies under his control.
"Yes." Xehanort responded before he turned to Braig, a sinister smile crossing over his face. "But there is another option. While Wards may have been completely useless in defeating Roxas, he did manage to kill someone who would prove to be of great worth."
Braig blinked a few times, obviously not understanding what the man was getting at.
"Who?"
Complete emptiness.
That was the only way to describe his current feelings at the moments as he stood by Lagdorian Lake. He didn't even know why he was here, but something in his mind had told him to come. Memories of a person who was very special to him plagued his thoughts, forcing him to stand here and gaze across the beautiful waters. But in his memories, this place would arouse feelings for that special person and the promise they made on these shores.
But now there was nothing. Only emptiness.
And he hated it.
He hated that he could not feel a thing when he recalled her, how the light of the moons reflected off her skin. His memory was so clear that he could see the near angelic glow she seemed to emit every time a smile graced her lips. She was so beautiful. He remembered the feeling of wanting to be with her, to give up everything so they could be together.
But now he felt nothing. The only clue of ever having any feelings for her was a distant memory.
"What happened to me?" The young man whispered as he looked down at his hands. There was nothing that responded besides the soft sound of the water lapping the shore. "Why don't I feel anything?"
"That's what happens when you loose your heart."
Immediately, the young man spun around, his wand drawn. He looked into the tree line, but the darkness of the light casted many shadows. He continued to stare into the trees before a figure slowly emerge. This figure was wearing a black cloak with his hood up. For some reason, that cloak looked really familiar, exactly like the one that …
"Roxas?" the boy whispered.
The figure chuckled as he moved into the light. The boy's eyes narrowed as he took in his features a little more.
"You're not Roxas. Who are you?"
The cloaked person continued to walk forward until the light of the moon revealed his form completely. He chuckled again as he looked at the boy from beneath his hood.
"I was a lot like you at one point. Lost all my feelings for everyone and anyone around me. I felt completely empty, like I was never supposed to exist. Tell me, do you feel this way?"
The boy's eyes widened a bit at he slowly lowered his wand. "Yes. But how do you know that?"
The figure chuckled again. "You feel this way because you have lost your heart. Do you remember what happened?"
The boy scrunched his eyebrows as he tried to remember when he lost his emotions. "It was…when I was preforming the marriage ceremony for Louise and Sir wards. He attacked me. The last thing I remember was waking up in the middle of a burned down church. I couldn't feel anything after that."
The hooded figure nodded as a sinister grin formed on his hooded face. "You were overcome by the power of darkness. It caused you to loose your heart. The heart is the source of your emotions, everything that makes you who you are. Without it, you are an empty shell, destined to fade away into nothingness."
The boy paused for a moment as he looked to the ground. He then turned to gaze across the beautiful lake. "That may be better than the way I am now. I don't want to spend the rest of my life remembering what it was like to have a heart." He said quietly.
"What if I told you that I had a way to give you back your heart?"
Immediately, the boy's eyes widened. He spun around and stared at the tall, cloaked man. "Is that possible? Can I regain my heart?"
The hooded figure nodded, his smile growing by the second. "It is possible. But you have to do something for me first."
"Anything. I will do anything to have my heart back!" the boy replied.
The boy didn't see it, but if it were possible, the grin that stretched across the hooded figures face turned very sinister.
About a week had passed since the Battle at Tarbes. Henrietta was correct when she said that Albion was a little shaken up by the first battle. So far, there had been no further incidents as Albion had chosen to recover rather than start another battle. Tristan, on the other hand, was completely fine. They didn't loose that many people besides a few Griffin solders in the first fight.
And it was all thanks to Roxas.
However, just as planned, that information was kept on the down low. It turned out that Henrietta was correct when she said some of the higher up nobles would want to use that power to strike at Albion. Poor Henrietta could not count the number of times she was called into a council where they demanded to know who had completely destroyed Albion in the battle.
Henrietta stood firm however, telling them that she had nothing to say in the matter. That didn't stand to well with the council however. They used all manner of leverage to try and get her to talk, but Henrietta withstood all there words. There threats even went as far as striping her of the right to be the queen of the country.
However, Henrietta knew there threats were empty. Even though she may not have minded the delay in her becoming queen, she knew that it was what the people wanted. Not only that, but she was the only one that could be the successor to the throne.
She didn't expect it to happen this soon though.
Back at the academy, everyone that had participated in the battle had plenty of time to rest. Roxas was sleeping extremely well now that he had a bed. Oh how he loved that thing. It made the nights go by so much easier. However, only one person didn't like it that much.
Sylphid.
Why? It was because he spent less nights sleeping outside with her. She missed her little cuddle buddy and she let him know on more than one occasion when he would watch the sunset with her and Tabitha. There was even a few times where she would not let him go until he agreed to sleep outside with her. He reluctantly agreed a couple times just to keep her satisfied. For some odd reason, she became a bit more clingy that usual, which was saying a lot.
Tabitha was her usual self, but she and Sylphid had taken a few days and visit her mother. Roxas had joined her one of those days. He was able to see Alexandra again. She was recovering quite well and also maintaining the secret that she has been cured of her insanity. Roxas returned to the academy the next day via Corridor of darkness while Tabitha stayed a couple extra days. There were no problems until he returned to Louise's room. Turns out that leaving without her permission was not the best idea he ever had. She spent most of the night yelling at him for some reason.
He did notice something a little different about Tabitha since the battle. She seemed to be a little more…comfortable with him than before. Nearly each time they watched the sunset together, she would pull out her book as usual, but she would then lean against him or rest her head against his shoulder as she flipped through the pages. She still didn't say much, but her actions spoke louder.
Kirche hadn't changed much at all, still her same flirty self. She was always the lively one of the group, always trying to make them laugh and trying her hardest to get underneath Louise's skin. She was still a little clingy, but she seemed to back off just a hair.
Siesta was finishing her vacation at Tarbes while helping the rest of the villagers fix their small town. She was given an escort home after she stayed the night at the castle after the battle. Needless to say, she had a lot of explaining to do to the rest of her family, plus Amy and Ellie. Roxas smiled a bit as he remembered Siesta asking his permission to share all the information she had learned with her family, including his story. He agreed because he trusted her family. He wanted to thank them for everything they did for him while he was in Tarbes, but didn't get the chance.
Still, even though she had only been gone for about a week, Roxas missed Siesta.
Louise had calmed down a lot after the battle. She rarely yelled at Roxas anymore, and her whips were a thing of the past. She was still a bit haughty about a lot of things, but that was just who she was, a prideful Noble of Tristan and mage of the Void…Or to clarify, Mage of the light.
Speaking of that, Roxas tried his best to explain the light, but honestly, he didn't know that much about it either. Sure he was a nobody that specialized in light based attacks, but he didn't know how that could apply to Louise. He didn't even know what kind of spells she could cast with her light magic. And since no one had seen a Void mage in over six thousand years, there was no one else that could really help her.
Thinking back though, when Louise finished the battle with her last attack, Roxas had to admit, the light could be destructive when it wanted to be. Not only did it obliterate the heartless, but it also caused a massive amount of damage to Albion's war ship. And Louise's explosions, was that also a byproduct of the light? Or was it as Matilda explained, just Louise overloading her spells with magic.
Roxas didn't know.
On another subject, nothing else had changed much with Louise. However, Roxas did notice something strange about her. She could get angry with him sometimes, but it would usually happen if he would talk with a girl that was not herself. For example, she would get more annoyed and less patient with him if he conversed with Kirche or Tabitha like he usually did. Her ire would increase if physical contact of any kind happened between them. It confused the hell out of the poor nobody. Why in the world would she get so pissed when he talked with his friends?
Roxas shook his head when he remembered asking about it a few times. She always seemed to dodge the question in a very strange way. Her face would flair up in embarrassment and she would deny it with vigor. But even he could tell that she was hiding something, but if she didn't want to say anything, he wouldn't push.
Confusing actions aside, currently Roxas was walking through the academy ground, heading for the kitchen again as per his usual routine. The only difference was a white cat-like creatures lying on the top of his head.
"What are they serving today, Roxas?" Suki asked with a slightly depressed tone in her voice. Suki was getting along great with the rest of the group. They quickly accepted her…some more than others. Suki still had nightmares when she met Kirche for the second time. The second Kirche saw her; she squealed and pulled the poor Moogle into a smothering hug while gushing about how cute she was. Suki nearly suffocated to death until Roxas managed to pry her out of Kirche's grasp. Since then, Suki had been wary of Kirche.
The others were less aggressive in their approach, causing Suki to breath a sigh of relief.
"Don't have a clue, but if Marteau is cooking, you know it will be good." Roxas responded as he reached up and scratched the top of her head. He chuckled as he felt the Moogle purr. "You ok? You sound a little depressed."
Suki slumped on top of his head again; grateful Roxas was scratching the top of her head. It seemed to lift her spirits a bit.
"I failed again. I was sure I had the right formula, accounting for the foreign ingredients of this world. But…"
"So the tremor we all felt this morning, that was…"
Roxas could nearly feel the storm cloud form over Suki's head as she slumped again. "Yeah, that was me."
Giving a small sigh, he continued to scratch the top of her head. "Was the damage that bad this time?"
"No!" Suki quickly said, before she became a bit quiet. She was silent for a few seconds before she groaned. "Just the side of the building was complexly blown away, but Colbert was able to fix it quit easily." She justified.
Roxas gave a quiet laugh. "Anybody hurt?"
"Well…Montmorency was watching again. She wasn't hurt, per se, but she is still in her room trying to fix her hair."
Roxas shook his head as he chuckled. "How is she doing since your last little…experiment?"
Suki paled a bit and cringed at the memory. "I haven't let her touch any of the ingredients since then. We almost died in that experiment!"
"You weren't the only ones. It took them nearly a day to rebuild that side of the academy after that explosion."
Suki growled as she bopped him on this head with her nubby paw. "Quiet. Besides, it wasn't fault. I told Montmorency to use the Mythril stone, but she grabbed the blaze shard instead. The chemical reaction was…devastating." Suki shivered a bit.
"That explosion could have given Louise a run for her money?" Roxas laughed.
"Yes…Hey!" Suki exclaimed as she started beating on his head like a drum.
Roxas laughed as he continued to walk to the kitchen, not paying that much attention to the sulking Moogle. "Well, at least I introduced you to Montmorency. She knows a lot about the ingredients for potions in this world."
Suki stopped beating on his head as she huffed. "I guess. She does know her ingredients for this world, but if she wants to be at the level of the Moogles, she has a lot to learn. I just wish she would give me some space. She is always watching me do my work. It's stressful because I am trying to combine the ingredients I am use to with the ones on this planet to make new items. Its difficult to concentrate with her hovering over my shoulder."
"Can you blame her? Potion making is one of her passions. And you do things that people have never seen before on this planet."
"And every other planet in the universe. No one can do things the way we do them." Suki said proudly.
"That includes blowing up the side of a building right?"
"Right...Hey!" Suki exclaimed as she started beating on his head again.
Quickly, Roxas reached up and scratched the top of her head again, causing the Moogle to melt into a puddle. "Don't let it get you down. One day, you are going to make something amazing."
"Dang Straight!" Suki said. "And it will be sooner than later. I am close to something big! Something that will make Elixirs look like regular potions."
That caused Roxas to raise his eyebrows a bit. Elixirs were the Moogles signature item, one of there most powerful potions.
"I bet you are." Roxas replied as he scratched the top of her head again.
They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the kitchens. Upon entering, the aroma a delicious food immediately penetrated their noses. It seemed that Marteau had done it again, just like every other day. Curiously, Roxas looked around for Siesta, but didn't see her anywhere. It seemed that she was still not back from her vacation. He couldn't really blame her either. The battle had destroyed a lot in Tarbes and they needed all the help they could get in rebuilding the small town.
A hearty slap on the back shook him from his thoughts.
"Our key! Guess what?"
Roxas stumbled forward a bit, Suki nearly falling off of his head as he tried to regain his composure. He groaned as he stood up straight and faced the head chef.
"Do you really have to slap me so hard?" Roxas asked as he rolled his shoulder. He felt Suki growling at the chef as well.
Marteau ignore them both as he slung his arm around Roxas's shoulder. "I have been working on that little suggestion you gave me the other day. I think I almost got it."
Roxas's eyes shot open as he looked over at the grinning chef. His heart began to beat in his chest.
"R-Really!?" Roxas asked in disbelief. He had only mentioned it in passing conversation. He could not believe that Marteau had actually giving it a shot at making.
Marteau nodded. "It took me a while figure out how to make this work, but based on the way you described it, it didn't seem that difficult." He said as he walked to the cooler room. It was amazing that you only needed to cast a cooling spell on a room and suddenly you have a freezer. Marteau walked through the door and grabbed something before he walked back out. Upon walking out, Roxas's eyes widened again as he saw what was in Marteau's hand.
An ice-cream bar.
"Even though I figured out how to make it, I don't really understand the flavor you described. Salty then sweet? That is an interesting combination." Marteau replied as he held out the ice cream for Roxas.
Shakily, Roxas took the bar in his hand and looked it over. The light blue color and overall shape looked exactly the same as the one he would always eat with his friend back on twilight tower. Slowly, he brought the ice cream to his mouth and took a bite.
…
"ugh!" Roxas groaned as he forcefully swallowed the ice cream. The overbearing amount of salt Marteau used was apparent. "You complete nailed the texture, but you added way to much salt. Try more sugar to balance the load."
Marteau laughed as he held out a glass of water for Roxas, who immediately snatched it and down the whole thing. "That's what my assistant chef said. Just wanted to run it by you first though."
Roxas cleared his throat out; making sure the rest of the salty ice cream was gone before he glanced at the chef. "Still, to be able to get that close with just a simple explanation, you are incredible Marteau."
Marteau thumped his chest in pride. "Who do you think your talking to? I am the best chef in all of Tristan. Of course I will be able to figure it out. Soon we will have ourselves a new and delicious desert."
Roxas just laughed as he sat down at the table. Suki hopped off his head before she landed on the table next to him so they could both enjoy breakfast with the rest of the staff.
It didn't take long to finish the meal. Satisfied, Roxas was about to exit the kitchen with Suki sitting on his shoulder, but Marteau blocked his route.
"The usual?" The chef asked.
"Yes." Roxas responded.
Marteau smiled as he handed over a regular loaf of bread. "This has turned into a regular routine hasn't it?" He asked as Roxas took the loaf from him. "But still, it is amusing to watch each time."
"I guess. It has become her bad habit." Roxas responded as he walked past the chef and exited the kitchen. He only took a few steps before he felt a small tremor in the ground. As the tremor came closer, Roxas gave a sigh. He knew what this meant. Thinking fast, he quickly held out a loaf of bread in his hand.
The tremor suddenly halted within a few feet of him and Suki. Glancing over, Roxas gave a deadpanned expression as he saw the familiar Blue dragon sitting there, staring at the bread with uncontrollable desire.
"Sylphid, do you really have to charge me over every morning if I don't get you something?" he asked as he tossed the loaf into the air. Sylphid quickly snatched it before she chomped it down. She then licked her snout before she cooing contently. Marching forward, she gently rubbed the side of her head against his chest, encouraging him to give her a good scratch.
Roxas gave a small chuckle as he did just that. The dragon melted into a puddle, purring contently.
"It seems she is at it again tabby."
Roxas turned away from the dragon to notice a couple familiar figures walking towards them.
"Good morning Kirche, Tabitha." Roxas said.
"Eep!"
Roxas noticed a sudden shift on his shoulder. Right when she heard Kirche's name, Suki migrated from his shoulder to his back, peering over his shoulder with fear in her eyes.
"Good morning darling." Kirche said as she glanced over at Suki. "Awe! Are you still afraid of little ol' me? I promise I will be gentle this time."
"Stay away!" Suki squeaked.
"Oh well" Kirche responded with a shrug. "We were just headed to Tristania for Queen Henrietta's parade. Would you care to join us?"
"Usually I would, but I think I will wait for Louise. Last time I left without her, she didn't stop yelling at me until the next morning."
Suki had perched herself back on Roxas's shoulder, though still wary of Kirche. "I still don't know why she was so mad. All you did was take one day to visit Gallia to see how Tabitha's mother was doing."
"I am just as confused as you." Roxas said. "She kept rambling on and on about…something to do with taking advantage of Tabitha…or something like that."
Kirche and Tabitha stared at Roxas for the longest time. Kirche had to quickly cover her mouth to stop herself from bursting out laughing. She glanced over at Tabitha, who had a small blush dusting her cheeks.
"It seems that Louise forgets that you are less that three years old when she is angry." Kirche said before she noticed the confused look on Roxas's face. "Don't worry about it Roxas. You will eventually understand what she is talking about."
"I highly doubt that."
"Well anyway, we have to be on our way. Hopefully we will see you there." Kirche said as she sauntered over to him before wrapping an arm over his shoulder, patting Suki's head in the process. The Moogle flinched at first, but then eventually melted into the soft touch.
"See, I can be nice when I want to." She said before she glanced over at Tabitha, a grin on her face.
Tabitha's face was stoic as usual, but an ever so slight twitch in her eyebrow gave away that she was annoyed.
Giving a victorious smirk, Kirche was about to take a step further before she noticed someone else approaching…someone with pink hair.
"ROXAS!"
Roxas and Suki nearly jumped as the voice shouted out to them. Roxas turned to see Louise storming across the academy ground, straight in their direction. For some reason, she looked upset about something…Then again, when was she not upset about something?
"Louise, really? We are standing right here. No reason to yell." Kirche taunted.
"Would you stop hanging on my familiar, you cow!" Louise said as she placed her hands on her hips.
"And why would I do that? Obviously Roxas likes it." Kirche said a she faced the nobody.
Roxas felt the blood slowly to his face as he felt Kirche's arm further construct around his neck, slowly pulling him closer to her chest. He still didn't know why, but his body still reacted strongly to certain physical contact with most of his friends.
"Enough." Tabitha said as she walked up to Roxas and Kirche. "We are going to be late."
"Oh, is tabby trying to stake her claim?" Kirche asked, causing Tabitha's eye to twitch again. She started to walk away with Sylphid walking behind her.
"Hey Tabitha! I was just kidding around." Kirche said as she released Roxas and began to chaise after the blue-haired girl. She looked over her shoulder at Louise and Roxas. "See you there Zero, and Darling." She finished as she blew them a kiss.
Roxas just stood there, confused like usual. He glanced over at Louise, who was doing her best impression of a tomato. "Stake her claim? What is that supposed to mean?" Roxas asked.
Louise whirled around, glaring at him. "Don't let Kirche do that! She only does that to get on my nerves."
"Let her do what? She is always like that." Roxas retorted.
"Because you let her get away with it. She is always hanging on you. Don't let her."
"Why?"
"Because I said so"
"Not good enough." Roxas responded as he turned around and began to walk away.
"Yes it is! I am your master. You should only be looking at me!"
Roxas paused in mid-step before he turned to look at her. "What do you mean?
Realizing what she just said, Louise did her best impression of a fish. How was she supposed to explain this? It was difficult dealing with Roxas sometimes because he didn't see the meaning of certain fraises like that. Because of that, if you wanted him to understand something, you had to tell him flat out, or he would not get it.
Louise's face turned red again, though not from anger. Most boys would understand the hint she was trying to give, but not Roxas.
Still.
She couldn't just say it out loud.
"Just don't! Only look at me."
"Um." Roxas started as he frowned. "No. They are my friends too. How am I supposed to talk to them without looking at them? Besides, why would I only look at you?"
Louise really wanted to pull her hair out. Of course he took it literally. She knew he wouldn't get it, but that does not mean she was going to spell it out for him. She was about to say something else before she noticed Roxas was walking away again.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"To the Parade." Roxas responded. "Henrietta will be there soon, you don't want to miss it do you?"
"Of course not!" Louise responded as she jogged up to him.
There wasn't much conversation between Roxas and Louise as they traveled to Tristania for the parade. Both of them had different things they were thinking about. Louise was still a bit frustrated with Roxas and his oblivious nature. He was so clueless about everything, but then again, it wasn't really fair to be mad at him for those reasons.
As they rode in the carriage, Louise glanced over at him. He was currently staring out the window, watching the trees as they slowly passed them by. After she had finally learned about him, she understood a bit more about why he acted the way he did…and why he didn't understand certain things.
"So Louise." Roxas said suddenly as he looked over at her.
Louise gave a small squeak as she turned her attention away from him. She cleared her throat in order to look a bit more dignified.
"What is it?"
"Henrietta is now officially the queen of this entire country, right?"
"Of course! There is no one better than Princess Henrietta to take the throne."
"Hmm" Roxas hummed as he rested his chin in his palm. "Still…that is quite the burden to put on someone so young."
"You're one to talk. You were chosen by a weapon that is supposed to protect entire worlds." Louise shot back, a small grin on her face.
"Touché"
"Still, you do bring up a point. When Henrietta's father died, it was too much for the queen to handle. She was not fit to rule the country anymore. So the high counsel voted for Henrietta to be the next queen."
"Is anyone going to help her?" Roxas asked
"We will!" Louise responded with pride in her tone. However, her bravado only lasted a few seconds before her countenance dropped a bit. "Now that she is queen, there are very few people she can trust. Assassins will be sent from other countries to try and eliminate her, so she has to be very careful. She may never be able to make new friends again."
"That is…really sad. Did Henrietta want this? Did she want to be queen?"
Louise paused as she pondered that question. Henrietta always was a free spirit, but the confines of the royal family had always been there to clip her wings. Now that she has been made queen, it was like putting the padlock on her own birdcage.
"To be honest, I don't know. But I do know that she will need me more than ever. I have to be there for her."
Roxas glanced over at the petite girl sitting next to him. She had a somewhat downcast gaze on her face, but there was determination in her eyes. She really wanted to help her new queen.
And so did he.
The streets of Tristania were fill with cheering people. It nearly made it impossible to navigate through, but eventually Roxas and Louise found a place where they could get a good look at the new queen. It seemed that they had arrived just on time because it was only a moment later until they saw the carriages marching through the center of the street. They were able to make out Agnes and the rest of the musketeer knights as they cautiously guarded the carriage on each side.
Standing on the front was there new queen. She was elegantly waving to everyone in the crowed with a smile on her face. People on all sides were cheering for her and giving their congratulations.
Louise was doing the same thing, trying to get Henrietta's attention by yelling and waving frantically. Roxas however hand a frown on his face as he saw her smile. To anyone else, it would seem like she was completely happy with the new position she was called to. However, for someone like Roxas, who had spent most of this life surrounded by people who faked a smile, he could tell a mile away that something was wrong. True, there was a smile on her face, but even he could tell how fake it was. However it was her eyes that told the whole story. She was under an immense amount of pressure, having to take the throne and lead the country all on her own.
It nearly made Roxas cringe when he thought about it. Having everyone in the entire country look up to you and expect you to make the correct choices when it came to nearly impossible decisions, that was something Roxas didn't know if he could handle.
Sure he had the responsibilities of the keyblade, but there existence was kept pretty much a secret. No one really looked up to them except for the few that knew about them. And also, Keyblade masters could relay on other keyblade masters for support.
Henrietta had no one though. She had millions of people that she was accountable for and no one to help share the load. All those worries and stresses were reflected in her eyes even though her face tried to hide it with a forced smile.
"I really feel sorry for her." Roxas commented.
Louise looked up at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't you see it Louise? The way her…"
Roxas was suddenly interrupted when he felt two arms constrict round his neck and a weight on his back.
"I was hoping I would find you here, Roxas." Said a familiar void over his shoulder.
Roxas blinked a few times as he glance to his right. Seen a familiar mop of hair, a smile broke across his face.
"Siesta!"
Siesta beamed as she rested her chin on his shoulder, glancing over at Roxas in the process.
"Truthfully, I was surprised I found you. There is a large crowd here today."
Roxas chuckled as he glanced at her again. "How have you been? How is Tarbes doing?"
"It's recovering quite nicely. Most of the building are repaired and the injured are being taken care of." She said, a large smile on her face. "I think the most difficult part was trying to explain it all to my family. Though I only told my mother and father about it. You can't imagine the kinds of questions they asked me."
"Oh I can imagine." Roxas countered. "Are they here?"
"Mom and dad stayed in Tarbes to get some work done. But Amy, Ellie, and Jessica are around here somewhere."
"Awesome."
"Roxas." Louise growled, her eye twitching when she saw Siesta pressing her body against his back.
"What?"
"…Its nothing." Louise said, there she was grinding her teeth together. She knew that Siesta and Roxas were close and that Siesta had not seen Roxas in a little while. It was only natural they would share a quick hug.
…
Ok, Maybe a long hug. It didn't bother her one bit. Nope.
"There they are! You found them Siesta."
Roxas soon found another pair of arms circle around his neck, only this time the weight was on his front. He found himself staring at a pair of blue eyes and a playful grin.
"Jessica." Roxas said, a bit startled by the sudden contact. He felt his face grow a bit warmer at the lack of proximity.
"In the flesh." She said. "It's been a little while. We never really got to properly thank you for saving not only our lives, but Tarbes as well." She said as her grin widened a bit. She started to bring her face dangerously close to his.
"Um…" Roxas fumbled, his face growing hotter by the second. "D-Don't worry about it."
"That won't do though. A hero deserves a reward." She whispered before she found a hand on her face, forcefully pushing her back.
"I think that is enough teasing Jessica." Siesta said, an annoyed glare on her face.
Roxas gave a small sigh of relief as he felt his face cool down a bit.
Louise was grinding her teeth together as she watched those two girls hanging on Roxas. Why was he just letting them do that? Why wasn't he pushing them off?
Taking a couple breaths to calm herself, Louise tried turning her thoughts in a different direction. They are just happy to see him. They are just grateful he saved their lives. They haven't seen him for a while so this in natural…to have two beautiful women hugging you from each side…yeah totally natural.
"Roxas!"
Roxas felt even more weigh land on him, this time he completely lost his balance. He toppled over with four other bodies before they all landed on the ground in a heap of limbs.
Shaking his head, Roxas noticed the two other people.
"Ellie and Amy. Would you mind being a bit more gentle next time?" Roxas asked.
"Its your own fault!" Ellie said with a pout. She reached up and pinched his cheeks. "You didn't even stop by after the battle. I haven't seen you for a while."
"It's only been a few days Ellie." Roxas said as he shook his head, causing her to release his face.
"That's no excuse Mr." Amy said as grinned at him. "You have people that care for you in Tarbes. Shouldn't you at least let us know your ok?"
"Siesta should have told you." Roxas countered.
"Don't pin this on me." Siesta said as she slapped his shoulder playfully.
"Yeah, its not the same as letting us know yourself." Jessica countered.
Roxas stared at them for a few seconds before he gave them a soft smile. "I guess your right."
Louise was staring down at the pile of people for the longest time. Her fingernails were digging into the palm of her hand while her teeth were grinding down into nubs. Both her eyebrows were twitching at the rather intimate position they were all in.
…totally…normal… she tried reminding herself again, but she was quickly loosing her composure.
"Well this looks like fun."
Roxas looked up to see Kirche and Tabitha standing there. Kirche had a playful grin on her face as she saw the dog pile of people. Tabitha's face was stoic as usual, she her eyebrow was also twitching slightly.
"Ah, Mistress Kirche! Thanks for pointing us in the right direction. We really appreciate it." Siesta said with a smile.
"Not at all dear." Kirche said as she looked over at Louise. She saw that the girl was about to explode. She grinned, thinking that she could not pass this opportunity pass. Just one last push would do the trick. "This looks like fun." She said, gesturing to the dog pile "You mind if I join you?"
"Huh?" Roxas said, his eyebrows raised.
If you were listening close enough, you would have heard something snap.
"ROXAS!" Louise suddenly screeched as she drew her wand. It started to glow brightly before arcs of power started to cascade down the wand.
Roxas's eyes widened as he quickly made his move.
There was a massive explosion that shook the entire town as Louise unleashed her spell. People began running away from the area frantically, screaming as they tried to get away from the source of the explosion.
Louise was breathing like a wild bull as she looked to the place where she had cast her spell. There was a decent sized crater, but no Roxas. Looking up, she saw him a few feet away, completely uninjured along with Jessica, Amy, Siesta, and Ellie. The four girls were gawking at her in fear.
Roxas however, was furious. "Louise, what the Hell!"
"Shut up you DOG! You seem to like attention so much. See how you like this!" she exclaimed as she pointed her wand at him.
She was stopped suddenly though as the cold point of a sword rested against her neck. "That is enough Louise."
Louise froze in fear as she slowly turned her head, looking over her shoulder. She came eye to eye with the glaring face of the leader of the musketeer knights. Agnes did not look happy.
"Come with me right now! Both of you." She snapped at Louise and Roxas.
"Roxas" Ellie said.
Roxas smiled down at her as he ruffled her hair. "Don't worry Ellie, everything will be find." He said before he turned to Siesta. "I guess I will be seeing you later?"
Siesta nodded. "My vacation time ends in a couple days. I will see you back at the academy. Lets just hope we wont blow up next time."
"I hope so too."
Roxas found himself standing in an abandoned room after he was lead there by Michelle. Louise was taken to another room to be harshly reprimanded by Agnes. Roxas almost felt sorry for her because he could nearly hear Agnes yelling at her through the thick stone walls.
"I swear she will be the death of me." Roxas said as he leaned against the wall. Why did she do that anyway? He cold not think of a single reason why she would loose her temper like that…Then again, she always did seem to get more angry at him when he talked with his friends. Did that have something to do with it? And if it did, what was the reason?
The loud creaking of the door interrupted his thought process. He glanced up to notice Agnes standing there. She was quickly followed by the new queen of Tristan.
"Oh, hey Henrietta." Roxas said as he pushed himself away from the wall.
Henrietta stared at him for a few seconds before she heaved a sigh of relief, glad he didn't think any different of her just because she was made a queen of the country. She was still getting use to people bowing before her as she passed by them. It was refreshing to see someone's eyes for a change. It was like a blessing in disguise that Roxas had no idea how to deal with royalty.
"Its good to see you Roxas. I am glad you came."
Glancing over at Agnes, he gave a small shrug. "Didn't have much of a choice. Agnes dragged both me and Louise here."
Henrietta giggled a bit as she noticed the slightly sour look on Agnes's face. "Well, causing a panic like that may not have been the best idea."
"Don't look at me. Louise just lost her temper for some reason."
"Please continue to be patient with her. However, it did give me the opportunity I needed." She said, as she approached the nobody. "I wanted the chance to talk to you both privately, but with everything that is happening, it's been a bit difficult."
"You wanted to talk to us?"
Henrietta nodded slowly before she gave a sigh. She walked over to the wall and slowly sat down on the floor, completely disregarding the fact she was wearing very expensive clothing. She looked up at him before she patted the spot next to her, inviting him to sit down as well. Roxas paused for a moments before he took her up on her invitation.
"As you already know, I am the queen of Tristan now. And as such, there are very few people I can trust."
"Yeah, Louise told me as much."
"Besides you and Louise, the only people I can really trust are the royal musketeers. Its difficult to have so little people to rely on when we are in the middle of a war."
Roxas nodded, but he didn't say anything, just listened to what she was saying.
"Which is why I will need the assistance of you both. You two were the only reason we were able to win our first battle. If Albion had taken Tarbes, they would have had a serious advantage in this war." She continued as she looked over at him. "I know that you have another war you have to focus on, one that is on a much grander scale than what we are dealing with, but we need you. Will you help us?"
Roxas didn't even need to think about how he would answer this question. "Henrietta, this is my home. I will do anything to protect it. Just let me know what you need."
Henrietta beamed at him before she slowly closed her eyes and rested her head on the cold stone wall. "Louise really doesn't know how lucky she is to have you by her side." Henrietta commented quietly.
Roxas chuckled a bit. "I can't argue with you there. Lately, she would randomly get angry with me. I really wish I could understand why."
Henrietta giggled as she glanced over at him. She had a really good idea why Louise was getting less patient with Roxas based on the little conversation she had with her before coming here. There was only one word to describe it.
Jealousy.
Because of her pride, Louise would never admit it, but it was easy for the queen to see it. Louise may have developed a thing for Roxas. Henrietta couldn't really blamer her either. Roxas was handsome, devoted, determined, saved her on more than one occasions, and never looked down on her because of her inability to use magic. It was natural to get jealous and angry when seeing him interact with so many other girls.
"That is something you will learn eventually Roxas. Its not really my place to say." Henrietta said as she pushed herself to her feet. She turned around and looked at the nobody, a soft smile on her face. "But back to the reason I need to talk to you. There will be a few missions here and they're that I will need you and Louise to personally do. But for now, just wait at the academy until I need you."
"Got it." Roxas replied as he too stood from the ground.
Henrietta gave a small smile again. "I am so very lucky to have both you and Louise at my side. It really does mean a lot."
On the ride back to the academy, not much was said between Roxas and Louise. Roxas was staring out the window while Louise had a book open in her lap, slowly flipping through the pages. Glancing over at her, Roxas noticed something peculiar about the book. The pages were completely blank.
That peaked his curiosity.
"What is that?" Roxas asked.
Louse blinked a few times as she looked over at him. She then looked back at the book. "Queen Henrietta gave this to me when we talked. Apparently it's the Prayer book of Brimir. It has been in the Tristan lineage for over 6000 years."
"Ok…Why is it blank." Roxas asked.
"I am wondering that too. The Queen said that this was Brimir's void spell book. Every spell he created by the void was recorded in this book…but its empty."
"I can see that." Roxas said as he stared curiously at the blank pages. Suddenly, he felt an extremely faint tug on his keyblade. The same kind of tug he felt when he unlocked Louise's void magic. Narrowing his eyes, he waited for the tug again, but it didn't happen. Eventually, he just assumed it was his imagination.
It was later in the evening that Roxas and Louise found themselves back at the academy. Agnes had given Louise another firm warning about causing unnecessary panic for very minuscule reasons. Needless to say, Louise had a new found fear of the leader of the Royal Musketeers.
"Oh, and one more thing." Agnes said as she climbed onto the front of the carriage after dropping Roxas and Louise off. She turned to the two of them and gave them a very rare smile. "Thank you for being there for the new queen. She has been extremely stressed lately and doesn't have many people she can rely on. Just by being there for her, you don't know how helpful it is."
For a moment, Louise seemed to forget any fear she had in Agnes. She gave her a happy smile. "Thank you Agnes."
Agnes nodded to them both as she gave the rains of the carriage a good whip, causing the horses to carry her into the distance.
Roxas and Louise watched her disappear.
"Well, today was sure eventful." Roxas said as he gave a small yawn. He looked up into the sky, only to notice that the sun was past set. Pity too because he didn't get to watch the sunset like he usually did with Tabitha and Sylphid.
"You can say that again." Louise responded as she glanced over at her familiar. "I'm glad the queen trusts us."
"Yeah."
Truthfully, having the queen's trust actually meant more to Louise than anyone could see. There was someone that needed her strength, someone that could rely on her when the times grew difficult. After being told she was a failure most of her life, she was not about to let down one of the few people that trusted and needed her.
BOOM
Roxas and Louise jumped when a sudden explosion caught their attention. Immediately, Roxas looked accusingly at Louise. She responded by lightly punching his arm, glaring at him.
"I'm right here! It wasn't me." Louise exclaimed as she and Roxas made there way in the direction of the explosion. They rounded a corner of the grounds before they found the culprit.
What they found was a rather amusing sight. Montmorency was on her knees, bowing to Suki. Suki was flailing her little nubs and shouting profanities at the top of her lungs. Both were covered in soot and ash. The building behind them was nearly demolished. Professor Colbert was there as well, but he was busy casting a spell, trying to fix the destroyed building.
"I'm sorry! I was just curious." Montmorency cried as she looked up at the Moogle.
"Curious? CURIOUS!? I told you not to touch anything!" Suki shouted as she flew forward and started harmlessly beating on Montmorency's head. Montmorency responded by clasping her hands on her head, trying to prevent the Moogle from hitting her.
"But-But I have never seen anything like that before."
"Of course you haven't! That was a Mythril Crystal! If used correctly, it can created some of the best potions in the universe, but if used incorrectly…" Suki shouted as she pointed her paw at the building. "We should be grateful it didn't level then entire academy. Whose fault would that have been huh? What would be your excuse? You were curious?"
"Um…are we interrupting something?" Roxas asked as he glanced at the duo.
Suki and Montmorency looked over at them. Montmorency had anime tears cascading down her eyes while Suki just gave a defeated sigh.
"Hopefully your day has been better than ours." Suki replied.
"Debatable." Roxas and Louise said simultaneously.
There was a loud explosion that echoed over the battlefield. Bloody bodies were lying about, their cold hand still clutching the handle of there keyblades. The barren waste lands was filled with the war cries of the remaining keyblade masters as they fought mercilessly against each other, wanting what remained of the light of kingdom hearts.
"Why did this happen." An individual spoke as he cradled another person in his arms. "There was enough light for everyone. Why did we have to be so selfish? Why did darkness have to be bourn?"
The person in his arms gave a bitter laugh, coughing up a bit of blood in the process. "Darkness was always there Kimasaru. They b-balance each other. One c-cannot survive without the other. That is why your keyblade as well as mine were meant to wield the darkness."
"Then-" Kimasaru started before another explosion interrupted him. Bits of rock and dust cascaded up into the air, along with the bodies of other keyblade masters. Kimasaru felt bits of pebbles collide with his back, but he paid them no attention. "Then why were we chosen? Why did everyone around us have the power of light, while darkness was our burden?" Kimasaru finished, tears running down his cheeks.
"W-we don't choose what keyblade we get Kimasaru. It is the Keyblade that chooses the master, remember?"
Kimasaru looked down at the man, tears of frustration still running down his dirty face. "They hated us, Lasuska. They feared what we would become, and casted us aside."
Blood was leaking out of Lasuska's mouth as he smiled up at Kimasaru. "And yet, it was wielders of the light that caused this war. They allowed darkness to penetrate Kingdom hearts because of there own greed." Lasuska finished as he coughed up more blood. "Its quite ironic isn't it?"
"Lasuska." Kimasaru whispered as another devastating explosion ripped through the few raining keyblade masters. Bodies wend flying through the air before they crashed mercilessly to the ground.
"Kimasaru, you must survive. You cannot let this war be the end of you." Lasuska said, his vision starting to fade.
"What are you saying? I can't leave you here." Kimasaru said through gritted teeth.
"C'mon Kimasaru. We both know that I am not going to live through this." Lasuska said as he clenched his keyblade in his hand. With the last of his strength, he held it out to Kimasaru. "I pass ownership of the Eye of Darkness to you, Kimasaru. Together with the Forgotten Light, The darkness will never have power over you, rather you will Rule the darkness."
"Lasuska, don't talk like that. You are all I have left." Kimasaru said, ignoring the raised keyblade.
"Kimasaru, take my keyblade and live. The-The worlds still need keyblade masters. Live on…f-for both of us." Lasuska said. The weight of his own keyblade was starting to be too much fro him. He nearly lost his strength before Kimasaru grasped the handle in his other hand.
"Lasuska." Kimasaru whispered, his vision blurry from his own tears.
Lasuska felt the weight of his keyblade leave him. Knowing what this meant, he gave one last satisfied smile before his vision faded completely.
Kimasaru felt Lasuska's body go limp in his grasp. He didn't even need to wonder what happened. He was dead.
"Why did it have to be you, Lasuska? You always did everything you could to protect me. I was the weak one." Kimasaru said as he gently laid the dead keyblade masters body on the ground. "When I was chosen by the Forgotten light, everyone turned there backs on me, but you didn't. You looked after me, not just because I was your family.
Kimasaru ignored the massive explosion that occurred behind him, killing yet another mass of keyblade wielders as he stared down at the man.
"For your sake Lasuska, my older brother, I will live on." Kimasaru growled through clenched teeth as he whirled around. He summoned the forgotten light in his right hand and the Eye of Darkness in the other. He gave a war cry as she charged towards the remaining keyblade wilders. He was just about to rush into the battlefield before there was a flash of light. It blinded Kimasaru for a brief moment before he found himself actually charging towards an oval of green light. He tried halting himself, but his momentum was already moving forward. He collided with the portal and it completely sucked him in before disappearing in another flash of light.
Roxas nearly jumped from his bed, his heart pounding in his chest as the vivid dream ended. Cold sweat was rolling down his face and his breathing was sharp and ragged.
"Ouch! Roxas, what was that for!?"
Roxas looked to his side to noticed Suki sitting on the floor while rubbing the back of her head. Obviously she was accidently tossed to the ground after he awoke. Meaning she had tried sleeping on his chest again.
"Sorry about that Suki. It was just a bad drea…"
BAM BAM
Suki and Roxas jumped as they suddenly turned towards the door.
"What's going on?" Louise asked groggily as she slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Who is banging on the door at this hour?"
"Roxas! Louise! Open the door. Its urgent!" a muffled voice shouted through the door.
Roxas's eyes widened immediately as he rushed over to the door and swung it open. Standing there, breathing hard and a look of compete panic on her face, was Agnes.
"What's going on Agnes? Is everything ok?"
"No, Its terrible! The Princess has been kidnaped!"
With those words, Roxas and Louise felt there hearts nearly stop beating.
Authors note: Well, first chapter of the second season down. I have set a few things in motion. A few of you may be wondering, "What's with the new vision?" Well, that will be explained in future chapters. There is a backstory and I promise and it will tie in, I will say this though, Xehanort's keyblade is not the only one that's ancient in this story. And before you complain, there is a reason why Kida didn't have the visions Roxas will have in the future.
If you didn't know, I have mentioned Kimasaru only once in my story before this moment. If you know what I am talking about, then you should have an idea of what these new visions are going to be about. To pronounce Lasuska's name (La - su- s -ka) Just like how it is spelled.
Anyway, What do you guys think? How is the start of this new arc? Please let me know. I will try and make weekly to biweekly updates now that I am back. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Until then!
