Didn't actually intend to work on this chapter until I had finished both my assignments but eh, I got bored and you know what happens when your mind starts to wander. Also I hear they're making a live adaption Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson. While I'm sure she'd be a great Belle is there nothing sacred in this world. What's next, Cindere- okay, how about Sleeping Beau-, okay how about Alice... yeah, I'm not gonna bother anymore. I'm sure they're already planning a live-action Frozen movie.


Chapter 21

Homecoming

Sora awoke with a start. Tiny beads of sweat poured down his face, and it took some for him to notice that the irregular panting in the room was his own breathing. None of this had been a first instance either. Maybe it had been too easy to hope that the cause of these nightmares had been his guilt over losing Luna. Clearly not…

This time it had been something different than the usual dreams. He was in some place he couldn't even recognise, in a sea of bright red, like blood, except that it wasn't. They were flowers, poppies, and he was only in a field of them at that. He kept walking, looking for anyone that he could call a friend and seek help from, but he found his only company to be the raucous wind. That's when he saw her… she was there with what he presumed was her mother. They were talking whilst admiring the flowers. She looked on with an innocent smile, one Sora had never seen before. He had only seen pain and suffering from her face, and yet here it was just a simple action as talking with her mother that made her happy. It only made him realize just how little he knew about Yeul.

So he tried to call out to her, to alert her to his presence, but no words left his mouth. In the distance he could see a darkness approaching. It was the Heartless. He called again—same result.

"Why can't you hear me?" Sora had yelled before running towards her. Of course the funny thing about dreams were that they were often deceptive, and a common trait of one that Sora had come to know them by was running somewhere without actually running anywhere at all.

He felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He turned around and looked up in horror at the intruder of the dream. He had such a perfect answer for Sora as well. "Don't act like you don't know. It's because you are a phantom hiding behind a mask."

Those chilling words, and the person they came from, were how Sora had woken up. Abraxas… the name never left his mind, it couldn't leave it. To Sora, he had been more a poison than the one that had been given to him by that strangely dressed woman. Of course he should have known that this Abraxas was merely a figment of his imagination, and his temptations. Even then he couldn't get over how real it had seemed. Like he was actually still alive breathing down Sora's neck.

A knock at the door pushed these thoughts away, and felt for his shirt only to realize how damp it was. "I'm coming!" he yelled before throwing off his shirt. He hurriedly scrambled over to the bathroom where he put on a spare white polo shirt before heading back to the door and opening it.

"Astra is gone." Riku said looking none too pleased.

"Well I at least expected a good morning, if it is that. What time is it anyway?" Sora looked back to the clock in the room only to see that it was past 11 in the morning. "What do you mean she's gone?"

"As in she left. I'm not quite sure how else I can possibly put it." Riku said.

"Okay… and?"

Riku dragged his hands slowly down his face in frustration. "I warned you about this. I told you she couldn't be trusted and you said that you would keep an eye on her. Now she's probably on her way back to Moira Crescent just running her mouth about us… about you."

"We were at a wedding yesterday, you can't really blame me for this." Sora said calmly. He was simply too tired to be having this conversation right now.

"I can't, but it's still problematic." Riku said.

"Problematic? Riku, in case you haven't noticed, Alice is missing. That's problematic. Stars twinkling in the Realm of Darkness, that's probably a problem too. This, we can handle. We always have. Don't tell me this is how you acted while we were taking down the Organization?" Sora said.

"And Moira's Crescent is the same is what you want to say, except we don't know their agenda other than going after you. That's good enough for me to worry."

"Luna says she wants to go with me to Alexander." Sora said flattening himself against the door to allow Riku access into the room. As usual he tried to delve away from the topic of Moira's Crescent since it never seemed to end on a positive note. He didn't know why Riku kept bringing it up either.

"But, didn't you say Alexander was swallowed up by the darkness?"

"It surprised me too when she said it but Luna thinks she might have been able to bring it back." Sora said.

"And you'll also be taking your vacation along with it? Good for you. You deserve it, but are you sure you don't want me and Kairi along? At least take Donald and Goofy with you." Riku suggested.

"You know that Mickey wants Donald and Goofy to keep Queen Minnie safe. We'll be fine. Look, we'll call for reinforcements if the Heartless become too much for us to handle, okay?" Sora said half in jest. He was sure that Luna didn't want to waste any more time and they was prepared to leave just as soon as she had finished her last set of tests with Even and Ienzo.

"Well I know Master Yen Sid's got us on standby just in case. He seemed pretty troubled when I last saw him. Same with Mickey actually." Riku said.

"Who knows what he's thinking. I wish he would just tell us these things sometimes instead of being so secretive. Then again maybe it's better that way. I just want to find a way back to the islands at this point." Sora walked over to the nightstand and picked up Kairi's good luck charm to admire it. He wondered if that was the right thing to do. Would it be right for him to go back to his home while such strange occurrences were happening elsewhere? Did he even have a home to return to for that matter? Would there ever be an end to his journey?

"Don't tell me you're giving up already. I thought you were better than that, oh mighty hero of the Keyblade." Riku grinned upon seeing Sora's tired expression.

"Yeah… hero… you know it wasn't so long ago that I was seen as a junior hero. How time flies." Sora revelled with a grin.


"Can we stop this now?"

"We've barely just started. Besides, I thought you men liked being on bottom." Desiree replied sinking into the armchair with a book in her hands while placing her feet on her footstool, or rather, human footstool to be more exact.

"No, you just like being on top, as usual. I'm surprised I haven't learned yet. Urgh, why am I even talking about this?" Lysander cringed as he felt Desiree apply pressure on his back. He was lucky enough that she hadn't dug her stiletto heels into his back.

"You lost our bet so you don't get to complain." Desiree replied in a sultry tone before returning to read her book: The Wonders of Parisian Cuisine, it was called. They were currently in the study room of their headquarters, surrounded by plenty of books all gathered from different worlds. Usually it was the bookworm Alfonso who spent most of the day in the room 'studying', but this was one of the rare moments when he must have realized that he had a life outside of this room allowing Desiree to do some reading of her own.

"My body already felt unresponsive after having slept for fourteen years and now you're trying to break my back. Man this sucks. I could be improving my high score right about now on Deadly Crawlers." Lysander complained. He started drumming on the carpet with his fingers.

"That's all you think about, games. Mon dieu, I swear it's so easy to take advantage of you that it's almost becoming boring… almost." Desiree said from behind her book.

"Which is why I'm asking myself why I keep getting roped into this stuff? It's like you say jump, and I say how high… but I just can't stoooooop. Why do I have to be so competitive all the time?"

"I wonder that myself. It hardly helps that I hear you late at night still playing that infernal thing in your room while I'm trying to get a good night's sleep. You, mon ami, fit the title of an insufferable nocturnal idiot."

"Heh, say that five times fast." Lysander said only to receive another strict application of pressure on his back.

"Now that's strange. I didn't know stools could talk," Desiree stated simply. She flicked to the next page and smiled. "Have you ever tried escargot?"

"You mean those cooked snails? Not really, the idea of it never seemed edible to me in any way. I think they add garlic butter to it to give it taste but…"

"They're hardly edible? Non, the idea is that they are fed on a strict diet to release the mucus from their bodies. Add in a loaf of baguette and… ooh! You must simply try it." Desiree said finding it hard to suppress her passion, if she was even trying to do so anyway.

"Well maybe I'll try it eventually. I've been looking to expand my food palette for a while now."

"Good, there's one less ignorant commoner in the world." Desiree proclaimed to herself proudly as if she had just successfully converted someone to her way of thinking. A knock on the door came and Desiree reluctantly looked up from her book to see Rhea with her hand on the door for support. Despite her visual disability, she navigated the halls of her own home like a professional. When asked how she was able to do so, Rhea said that she had created a visual representation in her mind of the place and she only needed to use her other extraordinary senses to place the other members in their respective rooms. Desiree wasn't even going to pretend to understand that.

"Lysander? Desiree? It's unusual to see the two of you together, especially in the study room-"

"Don't get any ideas. I'm just currently using him as my personal footstool for reading. Is there something wrong?"

"It looks like you were wrong Desiree. Astra's come back. She's in the meeting room with the others right now." Rhea announced with a carefree smile.

Before Desiree could inquire further, she found herself without a footstool. "Haha that's amazing! I knew she wouldn't leave us just like that. Race you there!" Lysander said eagerly.

"Race yourself. I'll take as much time as I want to, merci bien!"

The three soon, at Desiree's pace, made their way to the meeting or conference room and took the freed up seats closest to the room's entrance. It wasn't a particularly big room, but it didn't need to be. It fit the nine of them just fine. The Knights of the Keyblade all sitting around a round table where none would be able to look up or down at another. There were no lies and deceptions as the precepts commanded, but only truths. Desiree shuffled in her seat uncomfortably. She had the great displeasure of being next to the incredibly creepy Jill who always seemed to wear a red cloak and a matching hood over her head that covered her eyes. All that was visible then was the golden hair and the twisted grin she always left behind in her wake. She was an anomaly, and if the table did well it exchange truths, it did not exchange hers. Desiree was disturbed.

"Now that we're all here, were you able to find your friend?" Kohle asked Astra. She looked as if she wanted to be anywhere else, and everyone looking her way probably hadn't helped things.

"I found Sora and his friends and they helped me save her. She was in the Realm of Darkness like I thought," Astra replied. Placing both fists on the table, she interlocked them and looked at them thoughtfully. "I wanted to bring her with me since she didn't want to return to our home but... she cares for him."

"Well I'm sure she cares for you too Asty. You could have just stayed with them—it would have been fine by us, right?" Salome, the shortest of the nine, asked while playing with one of her pigtails.

"I can't. If you're going after Sora then I can't be involved in this, and I don't want Luna involved in it either. The best I can do right now is at least try and convince her. I thought I might stay here for a while though while that happens… not because I care about you guys or anything, I just want you to know that right now before you get any ideas of recruiting me into your little club," Astra added quickly as a justification. "It's just that I don't really have much to go back to in Alexander either so…"

"Whatever tsundere girl, you totally missed us!" Salome exclaimed with joy and an obnoxious giggle.

"She probably thinks it's more akin to Stockholm syndrome. I remember you thinking we'd kidnapped you when we rescued you from that Heartless and brought you here." Vyce said with a light chuckle. He was careful enough not to show too much emotion.

"Oh, that was the tiny Shadow Heartless. I remember now." Salome snickered.

"I don't remember that at all," Astra coughed. "And it's not like I really know what a tsundere girl is anyway. I'll have to look that one up in the dictionary."

"I don't think you'll find it there. I'll explain it to you later." Salome replied.

"O-kay, I guess I'll hold you to that then," Astra looked up to meet the other eight faces around her. "Do you… really have to go after Sora? Isn't there another way?"

"It's either we get rid of him, or we hope he stops travelling. Which one seems more likely to you now that you've met him?" Alfonso asked while taking off his glasses to clean them with cloth. He always liked to draw things out instead of getting to the point, asking about probabilities and whys and why nots.

"He wouldn't. As much as I dislike him for what he did to Sea Sa- Luna, he'd probably go to the ends of the earth for her and his other friends. It certainly looked like he hadn't had a good sleep for a while when I first met him. My guess is that he probably feels he owes it to her for what he did so he's willing to stand by her and vice versa." Astra described.

"Surely my poison had some sort of effect on him?" Desiree asked in hope that she could somehow still take credit for giving them an advantage.

"I don't think so. It certainly didn't stop him from rescuing Luna. If anything, it's made him stronger." Astra replied.

"Reckless abandon does not mean stronger. And there's little point arguing the matter now. Sora has to go." Desiree said.

Kohle pressed his index finger to his forehead. "I truly wish it were any other way but as much as I don't like it, a seer's prophecies are always correct and Yeul's was no exception. The thing is that if it had been any of you that her vision had referred to I don't know what I'd do. With a stranger, it's easier I guess. It's hypocritical, and it's painful to admit that, but I think that's what it is. It wasn't easy for me to decide this at first and I suppose it still isn't, but Yeul's death drove forward some impetus to do this. It was one or many, and I picked one. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing but we have a duty to protect the worlds no matter the cost."

"Regret is heavy burden to carry. It is best that you do away with such a silly thing or, as the French like to say, qui n'avance pas recule." Desiree smiled.

"What wonderful advice. A shame though that a grand total of zero of us have no idea what you just said." Vyce said.

"I think I get the gist. She basically wanted to show off." Lysander said only to let out a gasp of pain when Desiree kicked him underneath the table.

"Just give me some time to convince Luna. I don't care what you do after that, just as long as she's out of harm's way." Astra said.

"With all due respect, we don't have time. It could happen today, or tomorrow. A week from now, or maybe even a month, but I'm not waiting for our worlds to die because your friend can't decide where her loyalties lie. I failed the first time, so allow me to show Sora the reality of the situation." Desiree said but Kohle shook his head.

"If Astra believes she'll be able to get her friend away in reasonable time, give her a chance to do so."

Desiree looked bewildered at this decision. "You're not serious… we have an advantage and you want to loosen the grip now? A cat does not catch a mouse with its paws only to set it free seconds later. It is unreasonable."

"When it comes to reducing collateral damage, I don't think it is unreasonable. Also technically the term 'cat-and-mouse game' refers to the fact that cats tend to play with their prey as an instinctive impulse. Just putting that out there." Kohle said.

"Urgh, who cares? And how is it collateral when she's fighting with him?"

"Someone who has nothing to do with this then if that's better. I think we should at least try to make her understand where we're coming from. Astra's the best person to do that."

"This is nonsensical. Foolish. Ridiculous." Desiree slumped into her chair and folded her arms like a whiny child who couldn't have her way.

"A walking talking thesaurus… I need one of these around." Alfonso quipped.

"A thesaurus? Like a dinosaur? Where?!" Salome asked giggling.

"I know you're pretending to be an idiot but, that truly is an idiotic thing to say at this time." Alfonso commented.

"No more so than yours Fonnie."

"IT'S ALFONSO. And at least mine was funny, hmph!" he defended so snobbishly that his voice cracked. Astra let out a quick snicker but then covered it just as quickly by looking away.

"I… think it's time we brought this meeting to an end. Anyway, glad to have you back Astra, even if it's only for a short while, also if you don't mind stopping by Rhea's room later on so she can debrief you. Will that be fine Rhea?" Kohle asked. When she nodded he looked around the room with a smile. "Okay then. Dismissed."

Everyone got up from their seats and exclaimed their happiness for Astra's return before leaving the room. All but one that is. She tapped her perfectly done Goth nails on the table while in fume. How could they not see the perfect opportunity and take it. Well she wouldn't stand by and wait like some cheap furniture at a yard sale while the worlds were suffering. It wasn't the Parisian way to sit back and do nothing after all.


"Alright. I think that's everything." Luna clasped her hand together watching Sora emerge from the Gummi Ship after putting in all the shopping they had done an hour before.

"Are you sure? You sure you're not forgetting something?" Sora asked sarcastically with slumped shoulders.

"Well I can check if you want-"

"Nonono, I think this'll be just fine." Sora answered quickly.

"Really, I'm not the shopping type. It's just that I thought we might be gone for a while so it's better to keep our stock running." Luna tried to justify but Sora put his hand up to stop her.

"The way I see it, you deserve it anyway after being away from this stuff for so long. Also it's not like I used my own munny. You can thank David Xanatos for that," Sora remarked. "What were you two talking about back at the wedding by the way?"

"He was just expressing his relief over my safety. Made a few bad jokes in the process as well which I don't think he even realized but otherwise he was pretty humble. He also said if I ever needed help with something, that I should feel free to ask him." Luna summarized.

"Yeah, he studied psychology. What about the tests?" Sora asked cautiously. When he had met up with her after she had left the castle, the smile of escapism on her face was enough that Sora was content with not bringing it up, or at least not wanting to ruin the mood.

"Well, they think they might have found something that Abraxas may have used on me but there's no guarantee that it'll be anything and even if it is it may not work on other Chimeras," Luna said. "I'm kind of nervous but I guess all we can do now is wait and see. I hate waiting."

"Who doesn't? Speaking of which, are you ready to go? I mean we don't even know if we'll find Alexander after all but, it's worth giving it a shot."

"Right, and if it's back there then there's also a chance that there might be something else. I don't really know what I'll find there and the thought of it scares me but… I know you'll be there with me when I really need you so it doesn't seem as bad when I think of it like that." Luna explained.

Sora nodded and nudged his head in the direction of the Gummi Ship. Luna clenched her fists tightly and very nervously stepped into the Highwind for the first time in three and a half months. She thought that something might have changed, that it would be different somehow because of all she had experienced in between the last time she had stepped off the ship and now, but it was all the same just like she remembered. The console panel, the small dongle thingamabob inserted into the console which she had no idea what for or what it did, the monitor installed on that panel, the fridge next to the wall…

"I love this." she marveled breathlessly.

"And we're not even at the best past yet." Sora said moving around her and walking towards the panel.

"Seeing the stars?"

"What? No! A cup holder silly," Sora grinned. He pressed a button and watched as separate compartment opened up suitable enough to perform its desired function. "This is totally essential and pretty efficient. I told him it was a safety risk not to have one but he wouldn't listen, not until now."

"Of course, clearly this was a matter of the utmost importance. You tell him Sora," Luna said sitting down on the seat to the left of him. "May I do the honor?"

"Be my guest." Sora gestured at the panel. Luna quickly flicked a few switches before starting the engine, the initial yet familiar gurgling sound of the Highwind turning on was music to her ears before it disappeared and became a soft hum. She pressed another button with the label 'intercom' under it.

"This is Captain Luna of the Royal Highwind R.T.K. speaking. Well, we might actually need a different name now that we've rescued the King but I digress. Prepare to open the hatches so we can set sail!" Luna exclaimed adventurously.

"Aye aye Cap'n!" Dale answered back in much the same tone. The rooftop of the Gummi Hangar opened up to reveal a clear blue sky. It was at that moment that Luna knew there was no going back. She would have to go to Alexander, not just because Astra was there waiting for her, and not just because she believed there was more the Turm des Himmels than she had previously thought, but because it was her home, and what kind of daughter would she be if she didn't at least say goodbye to her parents?


And now back to my assignments *shivers*. By the way, if you're looking forward to the next Disney world... that may not happen for a while yet. Don't worry though, I'll be sure to keep you all entertained in the meantime *does handstand*.