Chapter 16
...Except one. As the huge pieces of masonry were about to crush her, an individual in black leapt out from the shadows and sliced them in half with a dark sword. As the earthquake raged, they blocked all the parts of the bridge from falling onto her. When the earthquake finished a few minutes later, there was a large open circle in the area just around Geni, with rocks cut cleanly down the middle and resting out of harms way. The person in black was covered with dirt and dust, and the little brown pile of dirt behind them on the ground could only have been Geni.
Exhaling noisily, the person in black shook and dusted themselves off, then went back towards Geni. Making their sword vanish, they leaned down and dusted off her face. She was unconscious, but very much alive.
"I told you to stay out of trouble," the person said with a sigh. Gently as they could, they wriggled Geni's foot out of the small crevice. The cuts were still bleeding, but only a little bit. Picking her up carefully in a bridal style, the individual carefully took her away from the ruins of the collapsed bridge and back towards the passage leading to the bailey. They held her tightly, keeping watch all around them for any sign of Maleficent, Heartless, or Nobodies.
Having searched the borough and the bailey, Sora headed towards the passageway leading towards the castle and its opposite leading towards the chasm. It would take forever to search both, even if he, Donald, and Goofy split up. Geni, come on. Where are you? Goofy and Donald had just caught up to Sora when he heard something. "Guys, did you hear that?"
"What?" Goofy said.
"It sounded like footsteps, or something like that. Listen." Sora held his breath, listening for the sound again. Tip, tap, tip, tap came the sound from the direction of the old castle. "This way! That must be Geni!" Sora ran towards the old castle, his hope renewed.
Having reached the beginning of the passageways, the stranger in black heard someone coming down them. Setting Geni carefully down on the ground, he laid a small box next to her. "I hope they're not as dense as I think they are," he whispered with a laugh.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy had just rounded the bend when his heart skipped a beat: a member of Organization XIII was leaning over Geni. "Get away from her!" he yelled as he charged forward with his Keyblade raised. The person looked up, surprised, before they quickly retreated into a dark portal. Sora ran and knelt next to his sister, who was covered in dirt and dust. She looked okay, except for some large cuts on her leg which were covered with blood. "Geni, wake up. Come on, please be okay," Sora entreated her.
Still unmoving, Donald and Goofy were unsure of what to do. Geni, Queen Minnie, and Aerith were the ones with the medical training, not them. Donald went over and decided to try some things he had seen Geni doing. He laid his head on her chest near her mouth; he could hear her heart beating strongly and her breath coming in short puffs. Suddenly, Donald was thrown off her chest when Geni started coughing up dirt and dust. Sora helped her sit up, relieved. She coughed until she was dry-heaving, and Goofy handed her a small bottle of water from one of his large pockets.
Drinking most of it, she coughed a little more before she started talking. "Sora...you guys found me. I'm sorry, I heard someone calling..."
"It's okay – we scared off the person from the Organization."
"What? No, it was Maleficent. She destroyed the bridge..." Looking around, Geni couldn't believe what she saw. She wasn't underneath the bridge anymore. Back where it was, in the middle of the ruins was an open circle; the pieces of the bridge that were going to fall on her were all around her as if some kind of force field had prevented them from falling on her. "But...the bridge..."
"Tell us what happened from the beginning," Sora ordered. Geni nodded, relaying how she had heard someone calling for help and it turned out to be a trick by Maleficent. Then the battle with the barrier she had erected, the earthquake, and the destruction of the bridge.
"But I was under the bridge; it was about to fall on me when I blacked out. Why am I over here?"
"I guess it doesn't really matter, as long as you're safe," Sora said. "We had better get you back to town and let Aerith look at you." Geni tried standing up, relying on Sora's arms for support. However, her ankle was too weak to support her and she fell back down.
"Ouch," she said, wincing. "I think I twisted it."
"Well, then you can't walk back like that," Donald said. "What are we going to do?" he said, scratching his head. Looking around for some kind of large stick for a crutch, he noticed a white box where Geni had been laying. Picking it up, he said, "Hey, what's this? Is this yours, Geni?"
She shook her head. "No, I've never seen it before."
"Should we open it?" Goofy asked.
"First things first, we need to get Geni back to town. We can open it there," Sora decided. He turned around and faced his back towards her, sinking down to one knee. "How about a piggy back?" he suggested. "You're light enough that I can probably carry you most of the way."
Geni blushed a little before agreeing. "Okay, but if I get too heavy let me off and I can hop the rest of the way." Standing on her good foot, she hopped onto Sora's back. Sora placed his hands under her knees, and Geni grabbed his shoulders.
Wow, she really is light, Sora thought to himself. I feel like I'm carrying a large human-shaped feather. "Ready?"
"Yes," Geni replied into his ear.
"We'll head back to the town and get the gang to help out – you two can't jump over the rocks blocking the bailey like that," Goofy said.
"Take it slow and we'll see you at the bailey," Donald added as they began walking away. Sora began walking as evenly as he could along the ground so he wouldn't jostle Geni too much. Donald and Goofy were soon out of sight, and the quiet of the canyon closed in on the siblings.
"So are all of the Heartless and Nobodies gone?" Geni asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah; there were thousands of them gathered in the chasm outside of the bailey. It took a while to get rid of them all, and hopefully there won't be any more of them." Sora bit his lip, wanting to ask Geni the question that had been on his mind every since his battle with Demyx. "So…does it hurt?" he asked, referring to her ankle.
"Not too bad. I just feel ridiculous for walking right into that trap; I should have known better."
Sora shook his head. "How could you have known? Any one of us would have done the same thing. Hey, Geni? Could I…ask you a question?"
"Sure Sora. What's on your mind?" The purple-blue walls passed them by, echoing his steps. "We fought a Nobody named Demyx. Does that ring a bell at all?"
Geni was silent for a moment, before she hesitantly responded. "Yes, I do. He was the ninth member of Organization XIII, able to produce water and use if offensively and defensively. Also, he was quite absent-minded and self-doubtful. Why do you ask?"
"Well, when we battled him, he said some things that…I wanted to double check with you. I didn't know if he was telling the truth or not. Did you…were you apart of the takeover of the Destiny Islands? Did you help to split up Riku, Kairi, and I?"
Sora heard Geni's breath hitch, and her hands tightened a little around his shoulders. She didn't say anything for a long while, and Sora could only take it as a yes. He bent his head down, and watched his feet for a while as they walked in silence.
After a few minutes, Geni placed her forehead to Sora's shoulders. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "It was my fault that the Heartless Ansem and the Organization found the Destiny Islands in the first place. When I first started having my dreams, I didn't tell anyone. After a while, I began writing down everything in a purple notebook, my personal journal. On a trip to Hollow Bastion, we were attacked by Heartless and I lost my journal. One of them picked it up and vanished with it. It had all the information I had gathered on the Destiny Islands and you three. That's why the Destiny Islands was attacked – it was my fault." Her head still resting on Sora's back, she waited for Sora's reaction. Thinking his silence meant he was angry with her, she closed her eyes and wished she had never had those dreams in the first place.
"No, it wasn't," Sora said. Geni looked up, and Sora swiveled his head as much as he could so she could see his smile. "Just because your journal was taken doesn't mean that you personally caused the downfall of the Destiny Islands. That was bigger than any of us. And as for the three of us separating? Riku went through the darkness, Kairi's heart was stolen, and I went through the light to Traverse Town. We each left the Destiny Islands in our own way; it was fate. So don't worry about it. You're starting to act like Riku; he thought everything was his fault too when I saw him last at Hollow Bastion!" He laughed at this.
"How can you be so cheerful, Sora?" Geni said quietly. "How can you keep smiling, keep laughing, even though Kairi has been kidnapped, Riku is still missing, and you don't know if you'll ever go home?"
"If I'm not, who else will? Who will shine the light into the darkest corners, into the darkest hearts where people think no hope will ever shine? That is why I travel from world to world, defeating the Heartless, Nobodies, and the Organization. I show them that there is still hope." As Geni listened, she came to realize Sora was right. He had pulled her from the depths of darkness and brought her to the realm of light. Even now when her heart and mind were filled with darkness, he banished it with his smile and his laugh. "Get it?"
"I do," she said, smiling. "Sora?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you, for everything," she said muffled into his back.
"You're welcome," Sora said softly. Straightening, he noticed they had arrived at they bailey. "We'll, here we are!"
Geni looked up from Sora's back to see that he was right. However, Donald, Goofy, or any help wasn't in sight yet. "You need to rest Sora. Let me off so you can sit down for a while."
Sora complied, and gently bent down so Geni could slide off of his back and onto her good foot. Limping, she used Sora's arm as a crutch and sat down on a piece of fallen masonry. Sora sat down next to her, sighing. "I told you – you could have put me down if I was too heavy."
"No, you weren't. I think that –" here Sora yawned loudly "– all of those battles are finally starting to catch up with me from earlier. Plus, I think I need a shower or a bath." His dirt-streaked face was all the proof Geni needed of that.
"You think you're the only one?" Geni was still covered in dirt and dust, and streaks ran across her face where she had tried to wipe it off.
"I guess we make quite a pair," Sora said with a laugh and yet another yawn. Leaning back on the rock, Sora stretched his arms and legs. "I could sleep right here if it wasn't so bumpy," he said. "Although sleeping in the gummi ship isn't much better."
"Well, you can have a long rest once we get back to Merlin's house. I wonder if anyone was hurt though during that last earthquake; I'll have to check with Aerith when we get back." Geni rubbed her wrist a little; she had landed on it pretty hard – there was already some bruising and soreness.
"I think they can wait. You should get bandaged up first before that ankle blows up like a balloon." Sitting up, Sora saw Geni's black and blue wrist. "Hey, what did you do to your hand?"
Trying to hide it from Sora by turning away, she said, "Oh, nothing. I just fell on it a little when I was fighting Maleficent." Sora grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him. He then grabbed her bruised wrist, causing Geni to cry out in surprise and pain.
"A little? Come on; stop trying to be so noble. If you're hurt, you're hurt." Unzipping Geni's backpack before she could protest, he found some rolls of bandages. Steadying her wrist, he wrapped the bandage around it tightly and tied it off. Standing up and bending down, he took off her sandal and did the same thing with her foot. Grabbing the sandal and the bandages, he put everything back into her backpack. "See? Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"
"I guess not," she said. Actually, the pressure caused by the bandages was helping to alleviate some of the pain. "How did you learn to wrap injuries like that?"
"Riku and I sparred a lot back home, and once in a while we would actually hurt each other. I broke my arm once, and Riku broke his leg. After this, our mom's decided if we were going to try and kill ourselves we might as well learn some first aid so they signed us up for classes at school."
Geni laughed. "Well, now you can add a dislocated shoulder to your list." Just then, the two heard noises high above them.
"Hello down there! You two need some assistance?" they heard someone shout. Looking up, they saw Aerith leaning over the edge of the ruined bailey.
"Took you long enough," Sora replied with a shout. Just then three more heads popped over the edge: Donald, Goofy, and Merlin.
"We'll have you up in a moment, my friends," Merlin called down. Something that looked like a puffy orange cloud gently floated down towards them, circling them a few times. "Hop on!" he shouted.
The cloud thing came to rest in front of them, and Sora helped Geni to stand up and carefully sit down on it. Sora joined her, and the orange cloud squeaked. "What is this thing?" Sora wondered as they began their ascent.
"I wonder..." Geni said. In a few seconds they reached the top of the cliff and joined their friends. "Merlin, is this the Flying Nimbus?"
"Of course! Quite a little devil, I might add, trying to get him over here without wanting to fly up to play with the other clouds." Sora hopped off of the cloud, but Geni remained on it for the ride home. Aerith walked over and examined her wrist and foot.
"We'll, you don't seem to badly hurt. Once we get back to the first aid tent we can treat those cuts." Donald and Goofy started walking towards the borough, and Aerith, Merlin, Sora, and Geni quickly fell into step behind them.
As they began walking towards Merlin's house, Sora asked, "So what is a Flying Nimbus?"
Geni answered him first. "The Flying Nimbus, also known as the Kintoun, is a creature from the world called Earth. From what I remember, it usually lived with a man named Son Goku and his family as a gift from his teacher, Master Roshi. Only those with pure hearts can ride on it." Just then, the cloud started squeaking. "It must miss its home – Earth is a long way from anywhere," she said. "But why is the Flying Nimbus here anyway, Merlin?"
"Well, I'm not sure. One day while I was searching through the attic for an old spell book, I found a box with what looked like an orange puffy jewel in it. When I picked it up, it began to glow and not five seconds later this little fellow came crashing through the window. I believe it must have been some kind of Summon gem."
"But why didn't you send it back?" Sora asked. "Summons can be dismissed and they will automatically go back to wherever they came from until you need them again."
"Well, you see, I've tried and I can't. Every time I send him back I have to touch the gem back and place it back into the box, but as soon as I touch it he comes back again."
"It has been a help with carrying the groceries though," Aerith said with a smile. They had reached Merlin's house and were continuing towards the town square. Now that the earthquakes were over, people were returning to their homes for damage control. As mentioned before, the smaller earthquakes had caused slight damage. However, the last earthquake caused at least a dozen structures in the city to collapse, as well as one small bridge besides the one that had almost crushed Geni.
"When Donald and Goofy came back before," Aerith began, "We were still cleaning up and attending to the damage caused by the earthquake. Leon, Cid, and Yuffie had to stay behind to help out. Most of the damage occurred in the western part of the city, closest to the old castle." By now they had entered the town square; it was mostly empty except for three people hanging around the first aid tent. One of them had cuts and bruises, but an elderly man was lying on a stretcher unconscious. Running up to him first, Aerith demanded to know what had happened.
"A heart attack, we think," said a young man. "We were walking towards here when the earthquake hit. I think it sent Grandpa into shock and he collapsed onto the ground."
"Okay, take him inside," Aerith commanded. "Guys, wait out here until I finish, then we'll patch Geni up." Nodding, Aerith walked inside the tent and went to work. The young man and his friend carefully picked up the stretcher and took him inside.
"Well, I think I'll go check on the damage at home," Merlin said. "Hopefully none of my potion bottles broke – those shelves aren't as strong as they used to be, you know."
"Take the Nimbus with you, please. I don't think I'll need it anymore." Geni hopped off of the little cloud with some help from Sora and patted it, thanking it for the ride. It swirled around her, squeaking happily until it flew over by Merlin. "Just keep a hold on the stone this time until it completely goes away and you put it in the box. I'll stay here for a while and help out Aerith as much as I can."
"Take care, then," Merlin said as he walked away.
"What about you three?" Geni asked as she sat down on a bench not too far from the tent.
"Don't know," Goofy said. "Hey, what about that box we found earlier?"
"Oh, right!" Donald cried. He had still been holding the white box when Goofy mentioned it, and proceeded to open it. "Hey, what's this stuff?" Inside the box were a popsicle and a photograph. Donald took the ice cream and proceeded to taste test it. "Salty...no...sweet! Hey, this stuff is great!"
Goofy took the photo from the box and saw some familiar faces on it. "Hey, it's the gang from Twilight Town! There's Hayner, Pence, Olette, and...um..."
"Roxas," Sora said definitively.
"Do you know him?" Geni asked, looking at the picture.
"No, I don't think I've ever met him. I've just got this feeling that I know him somehow."
"Maybe he's from one of the worlds' you've visited?" she surmised.
"I don't really know," Sora answered. Just then, Aerith came out of the first aid tent.
"How is he?" Geni asked immediately.
"No heart attack, but a weak heart nonetheless. He fainted from shock and surprise more than anything. He should be up in a few hours after some rest. Now, about that wrist and ankle of yours." Geni got up off of the bench and hopped into the first aid tent.
"Be back soon," she called.
"Have fun," Sora called. Standing around feeling restless, Sora wondered how long it was going to take when he felt a dark presence, making him shiver. "Did you guys sense that?"
"Yeah – kind of creepy feeling," Goofy said, looking around. Suddenly, Goofy spotted a Heartless running into an alley across the square. "Hey look! A Heartless!"
"After it!" Sora cried as he chased after it. The three of them chased the Heartless until they cornered it in a side alley. "Gotcha now!" However, it was Sora, Donald, and Goofy who were trapped when a platoon of Heartless suddenly appeared and blocked their way out.
"Well Sora, what will you do now?" a low voice said. A member of the Organization had appeared behind the Heartless; he sported long locks of blue hair and a cross shaped scar across his face.
"Your face…you must be Saïx!" Sora shouted. "Where's Kairi? Give her back!"
"Oh, so Axel has spoken with you. Don't worry; I promise you that he will receive the maximum punishment. But if you're worried about Kairi, I assure you we are taking very good care of her."
"Take me to her!" Sora implored.
"Is she that important to you, this human girl? Show me."
Sora looked down, fighting a losing battle. He hated this Nobody for treating him like a lowly pawn, but at the same time his heart longed to see Kairi again so badly. Deciding that his pride was well worth sacrificing for the sake of Kairi, Sora bent down and bowed low on his hands and knees to Saïx. Bending his head low to the ground, he said, "Please."
"Hmm. So you really do care for her. In that case, the answer is…no."
Sora jumped up, truly disgusted. "Why you –!"
"Are you angry? Do you hate me, Sora? Then take your rage and direct it towards the Heartless; let your Keyblade devour them one by one. Let the hearts congregate in the darkness and create our paradise: Kingdom Hearts – the place where we can truly, finally exist wholly and completely." Saïx summoned more Heartless, slowly increasing their numbers. "I thank you, Keybearer." And with that, Saïx disappeared.
"Wait –!" But it was too late. Saïx was gone, and the Heartless began attacking them. "Maybe everything we've done, maybe it was all for nothing. What am I supposed to do if I can't use the Keyblade?!" Sora blocked the sword of the Heartless in front of him, but did not have the will to fight the rest of them.
"Then you find another way!" someone yelled. Spinning around, Sora saw Geni, Leon, Yuffie, and Cid running towards them. Well, Geni wasn't exactly running. Her right wrist was bandaged tightly and her arm was in a sling to prevent too much movement; the cuts on her leg were bandaged and her left ankle was wrapped like her wrist. She limped as best as she could towards the fight and joined the others in obliterating the Heartless. After a few minutes, all of them were gone. "Come on Sora, I know you can fight better than that," she said to him as she limped over to him.
"Hey, Aerith is going to yell at me if you overdo it," Leon warned. "I'm already going to get an earful when we get back because we let you come along."
"Okay, Okay," Geni said as her eyes took a trip around their sockets. "So, what were you guys doing over here?"
"Well, we saw a Heartless and followed it," Goofy began, "And then this guy Saïx showed up, the one who kidnapped Kairi; he started talking about how Sora was actually helping the Organization…" As Goofy prattled on, Geni noticed how distant Sora was. He had his back turned to the group, his fists clenched. Wobbling over to him, she placed her right hand on his shoulder.
"Sora? What's wrong?" she asked gently.
"All this time…" he said, still staring off into space. "All this time, I've been doing the Organization's dirty work. I'm no better than a regular reversal of a Heartless."
"You're wrong," she said. Hobbling around to face him, she looked straight at him. "You are the Keyblade Master, the bringer of light to worlds clouded in darkness. You fight the Heartless and Nobodies to rid all hearts of darkness. There is no way that you are anything like a Heartless. Now come on, smile!" Geni grinned from ear to ear, cocking her head slightly. "Smile or I'll hit you with my bad arm and tell Aerith that you punched me."
Sora snorted at this, then laughed out loud. "Okay, okay, fine. You win." He smiled back at her, same goofy grin as she had given him. The others watched this conversation with interest, wondering just how those two had become so alike considering the major differences in their developmental process.
"Ahem," Leon said, clearing his throat. "If you two are done, shall we?"
Geni and Sora laughed and walked over to join their friends. While walking back to the town square, Leon relayed how Aerith had walked out of the tent to see them running out of the town square. That was just before the three of them had returned, and she set them off to see what was up. Geni was already following them before Aerith could stop her. "The rest of the town is fine; only a few structures collapsed and some minor injuries, but no fatalities. Cleanup will only take a week or so, depending on the extent of the damage. For now, Hollow Bastion is safe and secure – no more Heartless, no more Nobodies."
"That's good to hear," Sora said. "I guess we aren't really needed here then. We should stock up on supplies first though before we leave."
"And take a bath," Yuffie said, holding her nose. Geni, Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at their dirty clothes and faces. "All of you – you smell like…well, I don't know what but you stink. Stay the night and rest, then head out tomorrow morning. The worlds will be fine for one night, at least."
"I guess so," Donald said. "Okay, but we're leaving at the crack of dawn, okay guys?" Goofy and Sora nodded. Once in the square, the friends took their separate ways. Leon, Cid, and Yuffie had to check on their own residences as well, saying they would see them off in the morning.
"Well, the four of us will be staying in Merlin's guest rooms for now. When I left Aerith said she was going to head back to her house as well after she finished locking up the first aid tent. That will still be open for a few days just in case anyone gets hurt doing repairs and such. Ready to go?" Without waiting, Geni limped off towards the stairs leading to Merlin's borough. Sora followed close behind her, and Goofy and Donald followed him. Hopping down the stairs like a rabbit, they reached Merlin's house in record time, considering Geni's ankle. Merlin greeted them as they walked through the door.
"Welcome back, welcome back! I see you found them; good, good. Dinner will be whenever you're ready, so if the four of you wanted to wash up a little I've prepared the hot springs room."
"Really?" Geni said incredulously. "Thanks Merlin! That's going to feel great on my ankle."
"I'm not surprised, considering you shouldn't have been traipsing around town like that. If you don't stay off of it, you'll look like you have an elephant's foot instead of a human's. Now get going – the brooms will take care of your laundry for you."
"Thank you," the four of them said. Walking upstairs, Geni headed towards a door quite a ways down the hall. Opening it, a giant cloud of steam rushed out at them. "Wow," Sora said, quite impressed.
The room where Merlin's hot springs were was gigantic. Immediately as you entered there was a separation for men and women leading into the changing rooms. Geni waved and walked into the right door, while the other three headed towards the left door. Quickly changing into some trunks, Sora, Donald, and Goofy headed out into their side of the hot springs. The partition between the two sides reached up for twenty or so feet. The pools themselves were surrounded by natural rock formations, and the water steamed pleasantly. Sinking into the warm but not too hot water, Sora sighed with happiness.
"This feels great," he said, stretching out into the water. Donald was paddling around in the center of the large pool, and Goofy was gurgling on the far side near a small waterfall. Looking around, Sora noticed how quiet and peaceful everything was. And considering how huge this place was, Merlin certainly lived up to his reputation as a famed magician. Ducking his head under, Sora washed the grime and dirt off, feeling cleaner than he had in a while.
"How is it on your side?" he heard Geni say. Looking around, Sora wondered where her voice was coming from. "There's a speaker next to the wall." As if reading his mind, Sora saw a small box attached to the partition near the middle of the pool. Swimming over, he wondered how it worked. "So, how's the water?"
"How does this thing work?" he asked out loud.
"Just talk into it – it's automatic. The water feels so nice and warm – my wrist and ankle are feeling better already."
Leaning onto the rocks, Sora replied, "I know how you feel. I haven't been to a hot springs since my mom, dad, and I visited the mainland a few years ago. It's like I never battled at all today."
"Well, it helps that there's a little magic in here too, you know. I'm lucky – the Disney Castle was built over a natural hot spring, so I can use them whenever I want to."
"Lucky," Sora said. The steam from the water was making Sora's eyes feel droopy, and he splashed some water onto his face to stay awake. While doing this, Sora thought about what had happened that day. His heart sank when he thought about the information he had been given from Axel and Saïx. Kairi, he thought, just hang in there – I'll find you no matter what. He rested his head onto his arms, deep in thought about one of his childhood friends.
"You okay Sora?" Geni asked.
"Just thinking about today," he said absentmindedly.
"Kairi?" she said quietly.
"Yeah," Sora replied. "I lost her once when her heart was taken from her; I don't want to lose her again."
Geni heard the tenderness in Sora's voice when he spoke of Kairi. He really cares about her, she thought. Geni's mind began to wander, thinking about someone else whom she was close to. I hope he's okay – I wonder if he was the one who saved me earlier. Stretching, she swam around in the large pool she had to herself. The water was helping to take down the swelling and soreness in her wrist and her ankle. Already the bruising had lessened, and the cuts were healing nicely.
Lying on her back floating in the middle, she closed her eyes, letting her body relax and relish the warmth. She heard Sora, Donald, and Goofy talking for a while, and then their voices rose slightly until someone was shouting and a large splash was heard, followed by some shouting from Donald. After that there was a half an hour or so of on and off silence and conversation. Geni sat up and wandered towards the speaker. "Hey guys, are you still over there?"
It took a moment, but Goofy finally answered. "Yup, but Donald and I are getting out now. Sora said he's going to stay in for a few more minutes then head out as well. Are you going too?"
"Yeah, pretty soon. I'll see you at dinner."
"Alrighty then, have fun." Geni heard some splashing from over the wall as Donald and Goofy left. Deciding to make sure she was completely clean, Geni swam under the small waterfall in the rocks and let the warm water wash over her. She rubbed her face, arms, and legs until her skin turned pink. Suddenly, she thought she heard someone calling her. Ducking out from under the water, she listened.
"You there, Geni?" Sora asked. She swam back to the speaker.
"What's up, Sora?" she replied.
"I was just doing some thinking, as long as Donald and Goofy aren't around. Do you…do you mind if I come over there and talk to you instead?"
"Um, sure. Just let me wrap up. There's an emergency door down by the steps that you can use." Geni quickly swam towards the end of the pool and grabbed one of the robes hanging there and threw it around her. As she finished tying her sash, Sora appeared through the doorway looking a little flushed and much cleaner than the last time she had seen him. Sitting down on a chair, she motioned for Sora to join her. "So what's up?"
Looking around, Sora began hesitantly. "Did you overhear what Saïx said earlier? About the Keyblade?"
"You mean about how you are supposedly helping the Organization by releasing the hearts they need to become whole beings once again?"
"Yeah, that." Sora twiddled his fingers. "What am I going to do? If I defeat the Heartless, then everyone is safer. But in doing so, I'm helping the Organization achieve its goals. However, if I don't innocent people will get hurt. What am I supposed to do if I can't use the Keyblade?" He looked at her despondently, as if she had the answer.
"Well," Geni began, "I suppose you really don't have a choice. Of course Heartless can be slain without the Keyblade, but the hearts are still released. So there is really only one option."
"What is it?"
"Defeat the Organization. If you get rid of them, you can destroy the Heartless without helping their cause."
"But I don't even know where they are most of the time. We run into one or two here and there throughout the worlds, but wherever they hide out – their main base – is what we need to find."
"Then you have to find the castle," Geni said.
"What castle?"
"The one I remember from my time being held there. Their main base is a giant gray castle high above a black city. The world it belongs in has a moon shaped like a heart. If you can find that place, you'll find the Organization."
"So you don't know where it is?"
"No. What I can remember, is that whenever I left the castle it was always with one of the members. They would create the portal of darkness and I would follow them through it. Inside were corridors with hundreds of doors each leading to a separate place. I'm afraid to get to the castle you need to find a way into one of the corridors of darkness."
Sora nodded, his sadness lifting a little with the hope that there was a way to get Kairi back from the Organization. "Well, if that's the only way. But how am I going to get someone from the Organization to open the doorway? I'd doubt they would do it voluntarily."
"I don't know – you're going to have to figure that out for yourself." Shivering a little, Geni stood up. "Well, I'm going to go change and head downstairs for dinner. Coming?"
"Yeah," Sora said. He walked back over towards the emergency exit. "Geni?"
"Yes?"
"Could you not tell Goofy and Donald about our conversation? I don't want them worrying."
"Of course." Nodding in appreciation, Sora walked back through the emergency exit and into the men's side of the hot springs. Poor Sora, she thought as she watched him leave. He has the weight of the universe on his shoulders. Entering the changing rooms, Geni found that her clothes had been cleaned for her. She slipped them on, dried her hair, and rewrapped her bandages on her wrist and foot and put on her sling. The bruising had all but disappeared on her wrist, and the cuts were only little pink lines on her ankle. The swelling on the ankle itself was greatly reduced as well. Still, she didn't want to take any chances. Carefully, she walked to the entrance to wait for Sora. While sitting on a bench she mused as to how they could find a doorway into the dark realm. Riku wouldn't be able to help – at least not yet. There has to be some kind of regular entrance; every world has a way to get in that doesn't involve teleporting yourself there. If I'm right, he was probably the person who saved me and left the box next to me earlier. Was the ice cream and the photograph some kind of clue? What did Riku say when he was talking about waking Sora up...he had to find someone first, right? Geni was startled out of her musings when she heard footsteps coming towards her.
"Ready to go?" Sora's clothes were completely void of dirt as was the rest of him.
"Sure. I hope dinner will be ready soon – although be warned. Merlin's cooking isn't quite as good as his magical abilities." Laughing while they walked out the door, the twins strolled down the hallway and down the steps to the main floor where a table laden with food awaited them.