Roxas quietly entered the lounge, looking around to see if anyone was present. It was still early in the morning and he was hoping the others were still asleep. Wait, do Nobodies even need sleep? He'd have to ask Axel about that later.
The coast was clear, as far as he could see, so he walks into the room and takes a moment to gaze out the large windows up at their Kingdom Hearts, shining large and beautifully in the sky. He wondered how many more hearts they would need to save in order to complete it?
A question for another day. Turning away from the window, Roxas digs into his pocket and pulls his O-tech out of a pocket, then flicks it open. He knew he shouldn't do this, but he wanted to go check it out. There had been something about that place...
"Roxas?" comes a voice from behind him, making him spin around to see Xion standing at the entrance. "What's going one?"
"Xion, I...didn't know you were up already" says Roxas, trying to hide his com-device.
"I heard your footsteps and decided to see what's up" said Xion, seeing the O-tech in his hands anyways. "Where are you going?"
Roxas sighs, figuring it was to late to hide it from her now. "The other day, I went to get some fresh air and ended up in another world for a few minutes. A strange one at that. There was something in the air, something odd. I wanted to go back there and check it out a little."
"Without telling the others about it?" asked Xion.
"I...I know I should, but something is making me want to stay quiet about it for now" says Roxas. "Can you keep it a secret?"
"Sure, no problem" says Xion before stepping forward and grabbing his free hand. "So, when do we leave?"
"Xion, I really should..." Roxas argues, not wanting to drag her into something unknown like this.
"Oh no you don't" says Xion, wagging a finger at him. "If you're going, then I'm going too. No discussion about, mister." She then gives him a look, letting him know that she wasn't taking no as an answer from him.
"OK, boss" says Roxas, knowing he better agree with her. He wonders if this was one of those girl moments Hayner talked about whenever Olette was having a bad day?
"So, we ready to go?" asked Xion, now giving him a cheery smile.
Roxas opens up his O-tech again, selects the world data he had saved during his previous visit there and opens the portal. "OK, lets see what it has to offer..." And with that, they step inside the gate.
Realm Hearts
chpt.18: The Keybearer's, the Witch, and the Deplored World
As they emerged from the gate, they notice they had arrived on a rocky, mountain path void of any life that could be seen. Looking around, Xion ask "What's so interesting about this place again?"
"That's weird. When I came here before, I arrived in old, run down city with lots of ice covering the area. Not some mountainous area" says Roxas, checking his O-tech to see if they were even in the right world. "Oh, here we are. Just a few miles east of that place. We better hurry though..."
Storm clouds rumble loudly in the sky, making them look up. "I would rather not be caught in a storm produce by a place like this one."
"Yeah" agreed Xion as they make their way to the old city.
(soon after)
The city in ruins, cold and desolate; void of life as Roxas had said. Along the broken road and cracked walls was ice, adding to the chill. The wind passing through this place was loud and bone chilling, a sign that this wasn't a place for anyone to be.
"What do you think happened here?" asked Xion.
"That's what I wanted to find out by coming back here. I wonder if the barrier collapsed and this is what a world looks like if it has fallen into darkness?" said Roxas, trying to decide where they should start looking first.
"If that was the case, then wouldn't we have seen Heartless running around by now?" asked Xion.
"Yeah, good point." Roxas then walks over to one of the buildings not covered in ice and feels the surface. "I wonder what this feeling is?"
Xion joins him and touch's the wall as well. "I think its magic. This world must have been magic heavy once upon a time."
"How can you tell that?" asked Roxas.
Xion shrugs, then says "I don't really know. Something inside me is just telling me that magic is what we're feeling here...say, Roxas. Did you check that castle out before?"
Xion then points to it and Roxas shakes his head. "No, but since we're here we might as well go look."
They walk along the empty, broken, desolate path that led to the castle, seeing nothing but more ruin all over the place. The further the went, the more they wondered just what had happened to this world. Had the Heartless or one of those others forces been behind this? Or was this a sign of something far worse they had yet to be exposed to?
The soon reached the front gate that sat outside the castle; old, dusty, and rusted in appearance and hanging open ever so slighly. The air passing through the bars was chilling and ominous like everything else here. Roxas and Xion look at each other, nod, then reach out and each take ahold of one half of the gate, pulling it open. A loud creaking sound fills the air as the gate is slowly pulled outwards. Then the twin gates buckle, falling off their hinges as the two Keybearer's jump back to avoid being crushed as they fall with a loud clanking sound upon the ground.
"That was loud" says Roxas as he moves through the arch into the court yard.
"Do you think anyone heard that?" asked Xion, following closely behind him.
Roxas grins, saying "Sure...if anyone's still here that is."
They now found themselves inside a large, barren courtyard that was not unlike the one at the other castle where Xion had encountered Riku before, just larger in size with several marble statues placed at the sides of each path. The ones nearest the gate gave off a feeling of honor and nobility while the further back they went, towards the castle, that feeling went away, replaced by a feeling a dread and cruelty.
"What do you think these are, Roxas?" asked Xion, referring to thr statues.
"Hm?" Roxas stands before the nearest one of a man with a well trimmed beared and a kind smile on his face. "I think these statues are all of former rulers on this world, seeing as they all have crowns on and are dressed like you would expect royalty to be dressed."
"Oh, I see it...now?" says Xion, her words haulting in distraction as her eyes spot something curious. At the center of the court yard, placed within a large circle, was a fountain that had a large bell built above it. The bell also had a pretty dark purple gemstone built into it and she found herself being draw towards it by some unknown force.
Roxas, not noticing her change in tone, continues walking from one statue to another, take careful note of each. Kings and queens; dozens of them and all with smiles on their faces which he assumed to symbolize how the people they ruled saw them. But then this started to change. The smiles fade, replaced with scowls and glares; the statues showing anger and a need for dominance.
Xion, meanwhile, had finally reached the center of the court yard and had climbed up onto the fountain and was now studying the bell more closely. Around the dark colored gem was carved a set of words that, like the gem, seemed to call out to her; compel her. Unable to resist, she read them aloud.
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad
What would have followed if you had
Then both the words and gem begin to emit a soft glow which is duplicated in Xion's eyes. Now in a trance like state, Xion's reach's out and grips the side of the bell as hard as she could, pulling it toward her as she prepares to ring it.
Roxas had finally reached the last statue, or what was left of it. Unlike the others, this one was broken or possibly shattered by someone or something as the pieces that had made it up lay scattered upon the ground. Leaning down, Roxas examines the fragments of the statue and notices something odd.
"These pieces are two thin to have made up a statue." Furthermore, there wasn't enough material lying around either to account for a full, proper statue either. No, this seemed more like the statue in question had been hollow inside. Maybe all of them were like that?
Getting back on his feet, he looks back at the other statues, considering if he should check and if so, how? "I wonder why their expressions change so much though as they progress down the line?"
DONG DONG
Roxas jumps, nearly peeing himself as the low and loud sound of the bell ringing fills the air. Looking around quickly, he finds Xion at the bell as a third dong sound rings out. Noticing then a light coming from the bell, he runs over to her and pulls her away before anymore ringing could be done.
Roxas touch snaps Xion out of her trance, making her blink and look around, asking "What happened?"
"Xion, you OK?" asked Roxas, pulling her down from the fountain. Seeing her nod at him, he then turns his attention to the bell as the light fades and readsa what was written upon it. "Danger? Xion, why did you ring the bell? The writing on it clearly say it would be a bad idea."
"I don't know. I simply saw the bell; the gem on it and found myself being drawn in. I couldn't stop myself" she said. They both then look around, seeing if the ringing had caused anything to happen. "Could it have been a bluff? Or maybe something that isn't an issue no more?"
"Who knows..." says Roxas, looking back at the gate. "But something tells me we shouldn't stick around here anymore. Let's get out of here." Xion nods as they make their way towards the gate.
"Leaving so soon, dearies?"
(Never Was)
"Those two..." sighed Saix, his eyes locked in the darkened hall expectingly. Roxas and Xion were late in arriving. Far more so than was normal. One oversleeping could be considered normal, but both?
"I'm sure they just forgot to set their clocks last night" said Xigbar, sitting back and relaxing on a couch. Next to him, Demyx was busy tweeking the strings on his Sitar, feeling the tuning was off.
"Axel went to check on them, correct?" asked Luxord, getting a nod from Saix.
"Maybe would should leave them be today" said Larxene, getting everyone to look at her.
"Why do you say that?" asked Saix.
"Well, think about it" says Larxene, getting up from her chair. "What we have here are two teenagers who are beginning to discover the differences between boys and girls. And they have been getting rather close to one another recently too. So maybe they..."
"Wait, you aren't suggesting that they may have..." asked Zexion, not wanting to finish his words.
Larxene grins at him, saying "Why not. After all, they do live all alone together inside their own personal tower where they could be as loud as they want to be without being heard by anyone. Excluding a possible Dusk floating through at random, there's no one to keep an eye on them. Besides, if I was Xion and felt what she did for Roxas and had security like that and knew it, I might be so inclinded to go for it too. And Roxas, being a healthy young man. Why would he say no if given the chance by an attractive girl."
Saix curses beneath his breath. They hadn't considered that when lumping them into the same tower. It really was the perfect set up for some underage perversity for them to act upon. The sound of footsteps approaching them lounge is then heard, getting all of them to look over as Axel entered the room.
"Guys...they're gone..." he says, his eyes wide with worry.
(with Roxas and Xion)
They heard the sound of bells followed immediately by a sound of something sliding to a stop. Truning around, they found snow covering the ground and of lot of it too. Upon this snow were two reindeer with a sledge behind them with a little fat dwarf as its driver. And sitting behind him was a woman dressed in white, wearing a crown of gold, and skin whiter than the snow itself save for her lips which were redder than blood.
The woman gets up and steps out of the sledge, walking to and stopping a few steps away from Roxas and Xion. She was tall, very very tall indeed and she gave off a precense that made one feel small and meek when standing before her. In one hand was a wand, also made of gold much like her crown.
"This is indeed quite unexpected, to find two human children here in Charn. Especially when you consider that no life should even be remaining in this dead world" she says simply.
"Who are you?" asked Roxas.
"And where did you appear from?" adds Xion.
"Proper manners demand that you should introduce yourselves first. Would you not agree?" said the woman, her tone indignant and pompous sounding. Figuring she was right, Roxas and Xion introduce themselves.
"I see. Such curious names to be had, I'm sure. But where are my manners. I am Jadis, former resident of this world called Charn as well as its sole survivor. Now, tell me what brings you here" says Jadis.
"Well, I discovered this world by accident but wasn't able to stay long enough to explore and determine what happened to bring it into such a state as it is in now. So I decided to come back and my friend Xion found me before I could leave and decided to come with me and help solve the mystery" explained Roxas.
"You wouldn't by any chance know what happened here, would you miss Jadis?" asked Xion. "You said you were its sole survivor after all."
"Indeed I do know, my little dearies" said Jadis before turning away and walking around the various statues. "Once, this world was full of life and magic. The leaders of our people were the ones who had the strongest magic. For many generations, we were ruled by men and woman who were well loved by the people." Jadis then moves down the row of statues and continues as she gets to the more cold on cruel looking of the bunch.
"But over time, the people turned on their rulers; feeling they should have the power till we came to our last Queen which by then the contempt of the people for the rulers had become so bad that they rose up in rebellion. It was then that one spoke the deplorable word and all of Charn was brought into the state we find it in now" finished Jadis.
"And the people and other life here?" asked Xion.
"All gone, wiped away by the use of the deplorable word. Only I survived by sheer luck. Things happened and I set out, searching other worlds to see if I could find a way to change this worlds current state of decay" said Jadis.
Something didn't sit right with Roxas. He had a feeling in his gut this woman, Jadis, wasn't telling them everything she knew about this world and how it came to be this way and about how she had survived. "Miss Jadis, exactly how..."
Before he could finish his question, the O-tech began to beep from his pocket as did Xion's, making them both pull their devices out to see what the noise was about. Jadis looked at the devices curiously and asked "Prey tell what those curious devices are?"
"Just something we use on our mission" replied Roxas absentmindedly to her. "Xion, are reading the same thing I am?"
She nods on instinct and says "Yeah, I'm getting Heartless reading. A LOT of them to boot to the wast of the castle. If my scan is correct, its coming from what must be a valley or something."
"We better go check it out then" says Roxas as he and Xion break into a run, having forgotten about Jadis and their questions for her. Jadis watches them run off, offend yet curious as to what they had been talking about.
"Heartless, huh?" she says to herself, never hearing this word before but finding herself wanting to know more about it.
(Never Was)
All of Never Was had been search, right down to the very tinest part and no sign of Roxas and Xion had been found. Xemnas had finally appeared, his face calm and detached but it was obvious he was as surprised by this sudden event as anyone.
"Man, where could those idiots have run off to?" wondered Axel, planning on giving them a good talking to when they were found as something like this wasn't the least bit funny.
"Calm down Axel. I doubt they entended any harm when they took off" says Demyx, wanting to stick up for Roxas as he had come to really like the kid following their mission time together.
"I'm in agreement with Demyx. Where ever they went, I doubt they planned to be gone long enough to make us worry" said Marluxia.
Xemnas turns his attention to Vexen and Zexion, asking "Have you detected any portal energies lingering in the air?"
"If we were still using the old com-devices, then it would be impossible to locate them now" says Vexen while Zexion pressed a button on his own O-tech which opened a portal up.
"Luckily for us though, he O-tech's were designed with this sort of thing in mind as a possibility that could happen" finished Zexion.
"So this will take us to where they went then?" asked Xaldin.
"Heh, bet the kiddies will be surprised to see us show up in mass" said Xigbar.
"Then let us proceed" says Xemnas, taking the lead as he entered the portal. The others were quick to follow. It was very rare that all of them would go to the same world together for anything but given the situation, it was to be expected.
On the other side of the portal, they emerged in the same zone as the Keybearer's had arrived in, atop a hilly path that lay upon a mountain. All members wasted no time bringing their O-tech's out, scanning for both Roxas and Xion and getting information on the state of this world.
"Strange, I'm detecting no life growing here save fore a few life signs to the north west" says Larxene.
"The world's barrier is non existant as well" says Luxord. "What could have happened here to cause all of this?"
"Who cares" says Axel. "Let's just head to where the life signs are coming from. They have to be Roxas and Xion." He was already beginning to run forward when he was stopped by Xemnas placing his hand on Axel's shoulder.
"Leader...?" asked Axel, confused.
Xemnas eyes were locked onto his own O-tech. "The barrier is nonexistant here, what do you think that means?"
The others became nervous and it was Saix, who had already started to scan for it, was the one to speak. "Heartless..."
"How many?" asked Lexeaus.
"So many that the O-tech can't even count them all" says Zexion.
"And it would appear our wayward children are moving right into the storm of it" adds Vexen.
"Then we need to stop wasting time standing here and get to them or we risk losing them both" says Axel.
Xemnas nods, saying "Indeed. Let us go aid them." And with that, Organization XII broke into a run, hoping they would reach the Keybearer's before it was to late.
(Roxas and Xion)
They came to a stop on a high cliff face, overlooking the valley the Heartless had been detected in. They were quick to get down onto the ground so as to hide themselves as best they could as a just in case. They then cautiously and carefully crawled forward so they could look out into the valley and see just how many they were up against.
The first thing they noticed was that it wasn't just a simple valley, but a massive canyon that stretched out for miles in both direction. But that was mute compared to the sight they saw within the canyon itself. As far as they could see, they saw nothing but Heartless. Thousands upon thousands of Heartless.
They could see Shadow's, Soldier's, and countless more that were both familiar and not. They saw giant blue, muscular Heartless they recognized as Behemoth from images Zexion had shown them; at least a hundred of them. And Roxas saw at least twenty or so Darkside's as well which made him go pale. Just the one he had battled back in Twlight Town had been rough. But twenty of them on top of these others and their numbers.
There was no way he and Xion could even begin to fight a force like this one.
"Roxas, I'm scared" said Xion, her voice trembling and filled with fright.
"I'm close to losing it myself. We have to get out of here, before they detech us" says Roxas.
"So, all these creatures are the Heartless you spoke of" comes the voice of Jadis, making them jump as they had forgotten all about her. Unlike them, she was standing tall and proud, looking down into the canyon; a look of utter fasination present in her eyes.
"Why did you follow us?" asked Xion. "It's not safe here, miss Jadis."
"Is it not now? Tell me about these Heartless. They intrigue me so" said Jadis, oblivious to the danger down below.
"First, there's something I'd like to know from you" said Roxas as he gotback onto his feet, recalling at last the question he had wanted to ask her before.
"And that would be, dearie?" asked Jadis, her lips forming into a slight smile.
"Before, you said you survived the deplorable word by sheer luck or something to that effect. Exactly how did you survive the use?" asked Roxas.
A horrible thought comes to Xion and she says "It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who spoke the word, didn't you? Your the queen the people rebelled against."
"I thought there was something familiar about you" adds Roxas. "Now I know why. You have the same face as the broken statue back at the palace."
Jadis laughs, a deep cold laugh that could send chills running down ones back. "I suppose it was pointless to tell you otherwise. Yes, it was I for only the one who speaks the deplorable word can survive it. The people betrayed and rose up against me. Even my fellow royals were jealous of me and tried to strike me down. And despite my power being greater than all others, I must admit I was facing my doom from the combined masses."
She was silent for a moment, then continued with a tone of utter satisfaction in her voice. "So I spoke the word; a word so vile and repulsive that its utterence would turn a world into one of ruin and death, leaving only the speaker alive. I then enchanted myself into a statue, awaiting a time when it would be possible to rebuild. But those plans changed when two naive children came and released me and brought me into contact with another, more promising world that I decided to take as my own. But I left an alarm here in my home should anyone ever come so that I may know them."
"The bell" said Xion. "When I chimed it, you were summoned here; alerted to our existence."
"And I'm so glad that you did as it brought me knowledge of these interesting creatures" said Jadis, her eyes focused on the Heartless for a moment before going back to looking at the Keybearer's. She then raises her golden wand at them.
"Now, tell me all about these darling little Heartless or my wrath will be quite unpleasent."
On instinct, Roxas and Xion call their Keyblade's forth, ready to defend themselves should this turn into a battle. The sight of the twin Kingdom Keys takes Jadis aback with surprise as, much like the Heartless, she had never seen weapons like these before.
"Don't think we'll go down without a fight" says Roxas, he voice low and almost threat like. "We can and will defend ourselves should the need arise."
"Do you really think..." Jadis words are cut short as they hear the bellow of many a beast from below. Turning their attentions back to the canyon, they find that all the Heartless had turned their attentions to looking up at them. Roxas and Xion at once realize their error.
Without another second passing, the Heartless who numbered in the thousands if not tens of thousands all began charging to the nearest paths that would lead them to the top of the canyon; their senses being drawn by the precense of the Keyblade's and a desire to capture the hearts of the ones who bore them.
The biggest and most terrifying of battles was about to begin...
to be continued...
AN: Yeah, I'm evil, huh? Ending it on a cliff hanger like this. Though in fairness, I did say I would be doing a two parter with chapters 18 and 19. So what's gonna happen to Roxas and Xion seeing as they have Heartless by the thousands coming at them as well as Jadis the White Witch already preparing to attack them in order to force them to tell her about the Heartless? And will the rest of the Organization arrive in time to aid them?
You'll have to wait till next chapter to find out. And for those of you who aren't sure where Jadis comes from. She's the main antagonist of the Chronicles of Narnia books which Disney was responciple for doing the first two of the four movies currently in existence (the fourth is in the process of being made from what I hear). The world of Charn is from the Narnia book "The Magician's Nepthew" which is the prequel story to the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that explains certain things like how the lamp post ended up in Narnia and how Jadis came to be there as well. While Disney no longer owns the rights to do the Narnia movies (their own choice as the two the did didn't do the Harry Potter level business they had wanted and expected), the fact they had done them makes having Narnia as a world to go to in Realm Hearts an option for me to explore and so I did.
Besides, having another major enemy out there like Maleficent could open up interesting possibilities for me and the writing in the future. Especially if those two ever join forces (grin).
I'll try not to make the wait for chpt.19 be to long for you all as I can obvioulsy start writing it now seeing as I have finished chapter 18. And as for chapter 20, I can release that side by side with 19 as I have already written that one with only a quick spell check needed to finish it up. So get ready as the next two chapters will be really action packed and revealing.