Denial is shattered. In which Kairi is a Shield

As they crossed the River of the Dead, Sora noticed that Ashe looked down into the green, soul filled water. They looked at each other uncomfortably. None of them knew what the princess was thinking. But that wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as having a person who had once been their enemy among them.

Flashback:

"You've gotta listen to me!" Pete whined after they had discovered him ineptly attempting to track their movements.

Sora materialized the Keyblade in its Guardian Soul form. "Explain why we shouldn't beat the shit out of you. You and Maleficent are responsible for most of the trouble that's going on around here. You and her and responsible for me missing my summer vacation!"

Pete backed up against a cold rock wall. "Now listen…I made a promise to Maleficent…and I'm gonna keep it! Whether you like it or not!"

Sora readied the Keyblade, Goofy put up his shield, Donald brandished his staff, and Ashe pulled out the Treaty Blade.

"Or I could come quietly" Pete offered in a quiet voice.

"You know him?" asked Ashe.

"Unfortunately, yes" said Donald. "Well! Come along."

"I guess you're our prisoner now" said Sora. "Oh boy, what a hassle."

Present Time:

Along the way, Pete had told them everything that had happened, starting with him changing the main controls to Tine's capture by Xavier's Flyers, to when Nexumair had killed Zane.

"I don't understand it" said Sora. "It doesn't sound like anything I've heard before."

Ashe was silent. She looked like she was thinking.

"What is it, Ashe?" asked Goofy.

"Oh, nothing…it's just that this person, this friend of yours, Nexumair…his name seems like I've heard it before. Except it was different then."

"So you'll help me?" Pete asked.

"No" said Sora. "But we'll try and stop Organization XIII. After that, you and Maleficent should be locked up. I think the King should make some kind of jail planet."

"I'm not going to any jail!" Pete said. He began to run away.

"Disable!" Ashe cried. A stream of purple energy formed around Pete.

"What is this?" he called. He found that he could not use any Dark Corridors, and he could not attack either. All he could do was walk around.

"Powerful magic!" squawked Donald.

"It's a little trick from my world" said Ashe. "Now let's find Hades."

The trio finally reached Hades' chamber. Sora and his friends hesitated. They remembered the terrible confrontation they had endured down here when they first met Auron. They had barely escaped with their lives. Sora swallowed and sighed. "Let's go."

As they entered the chamber, Sora saw that it was empty.

"Hello! Hades! We want to talk to you" he said.

Suddenly, whoosh of fire appeared a few inches from him. There stood the god of the Underworld, Hades Lord of the Dead.

"Yep, that's me, Hades Lord of the Dead. What can I do for you?"

Then he saw it was Sora. "Oh, it's you brat" he said, sitting on his throne.

"Well, we wanted to know about the Tournaments" said Goofy.

Hades laughed. "So you wanted to enter the Necro Tournaments, eh?" he said. "Well, they're off limits to you."

"What?" said Donald.

"But we came so far!" Sora said.

"Look, I don't care about that" said Pete. Just help me, Hades!"

Hades ignored Maleficent's henchman. "See, to join it, there are special requirements." He pointed at Ashe. "Now there, there's a person who's a natural contender in the Tournaments we have down here! She's got all the requirements!"

"A magic sword?" Sora asked. "I have a magic sword! Do I need to show you how it works?"

"No, no" said Hades. "See, the Tournaments, aren't too lively down here…if you know what I mean."

"You don't mean…" said Goofy.

"Sure I do!" said Hades. He pointed at Ashe, Princess of Dalmasca. "In order to join the Tournaments…you have to be already dead!"

Ashe turned as pale as pale can be. For a minute, they were afraid she might faint. Then she recovered. "You have no proof" she said. "That I am dead. So how do I know you're not lying?"

"Look girl, I'm the Lord of the Dead. I know dead when I see it."

"But I'm alive! I know I am!"

Hades pointed at Ashe. "Well…I didn't want to have to do this. But I have no choice. Look at yourself."

Ashe looked down at herself and screamed. Pete gasped. Sora gulped and looked at his shoes. Donald covered his eyes and Goofy covered his mouth. There was a long jagged slash that ran all the way across Ashe's torso. The white of bone could clearly be seen as well as some of the organs.

"Wh…what is this?" Ashe asked, her voice growing into a hysterical scream. "Why don't I feel any pain? Why isn't there any blood? What's happened to me?!"

"That kiddo, is called being dead" said Hades with a smug look. "Welcome to the Underworld! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Nexumair looked down to see King Mickey struggle to his feet. The King ran off. At the same time, one of Nexumair's sabers cracked. "Hmmm" said the Confident Fencer. "The little bastard used his Keyblade to block the fatal blow at the last minute." Nexumair teleported in front of the King and pointed one of his elegant swords at him. "Do you really think that you can escape my watchful gaze?" he asked.

"N…no" said King Mickey, swaying badly. "But I can try, Nobody."

"So you figured that out as well" said Nexumair. "Even better reason to kill you. I didn't expect you to live after my first attack. I must congratulate you. You are far stronger than even Superior Xemnas imagines."

"You'll never win" said the King. "Your hearts are gone! They can never return to you. All you're doing is ravaging the worlds in vain and causing misery to countless innocents. It has to stop---now!"

"The Superior's noble goal is not yours to debate" said Nexumair. Suddenly, another Dark Corridor appeared at the top of the building Nexumair had come from.

"Hi there Nex!" said Demyx.

"Get down here and help me, number nine" Nexumair said without taking his eyes off the badly wounded King.

"O---" Demyx was about to say, when Kairi slashed him in the back. "----kay?!" he fell off the building and landed in a dumpster. Kairi jumped down from the building, landing next to King Mickey, at the same time the King passed out.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" she asked. Then she saw he was unconscious, and had many wounds. She glared at Nexumair.

"Kairi" said Nexumair. "The Eighth Princess of Heart. I should have known one like you would have sensed my aura." Without another word, he attacked.

It was one of the hardest battles Kairi had ever fought. She parried and blocked. Nexumair was faster than her eyes could follow. He was everywhere at once. Before ten minutes had passed she had been slashed in three places. She moved and ducked, trying to land a blow. There wasn't time to use her special ability, because that would require standing still. And if she did that, then she was dead. It also didn't help that he was shorter than she was, and could duck under most of her blows.

"I see you have some knowledge of combat skill" said Nexumair as he watched Kairi's attacks. "You're constantly moving, weaving over to my back to attack there. In that case…Demyx!" he called. A flood of water bubbles came from the dumpster and slammed Kairi and King Mickey through the wall of an abandoned warehouse. Nexumair stepped through the hole. "Now that we are alone, I have many, many questions to ask you before you die."

The thing that scared Kairi the most about the Confident Fencer was the way he spoke. Unlike the other Nobodies of Organization XIII, he did not pretend to have emotion when he didn't have to. He spoke with a flat, toneless voice that let her know that he could cut her to ribbons and not have a second thought about it.

"K…Kairi" said King Mickey as he regained consciousness. "Run…leave me. I'll…hold him off as long as I can."

"I won't let you die!" Kairi said tearfully. She huddled her body over the King's. "You'll have to kill both of us, Nexumair!"

"I was already going to do so" was the flat response. He moved closer to them in the blink of an eye, slashing down with both of his sabers. Suddenly, a white dome formed around Kairi and the King. "Wha…what is this?" Nexumair asked.

"Thank you Kairi" whispered King Mickey.

"I did this?" Kairi asked.

"Y-yes" said the King and Kairi could see the effort of talking was taking a terrible toll. "Not only…are you a Princess of Heart…you are also…a Keyblade Master. That makes you different from the others…able to shield and protect and do things with your heart energy that others…wouldn't be able to do. Not even Sora…who is the Ultimate Key."

They were interrupted as Nexumair's sabers continued to hack at the shield. Kairi cried out as it was hit. It felt as if he were stabling her in the heart with each blow. The shield's light began to get dimmer and dimmer as the attacks continued. Nexumair's face never showed any expression as he attacked, and Kairi suddenly knew what the bandits at the Villain's Vale had saw as they died by this boy's hand or order. It didn't take an expert on the heart to realize that the shield wasn't going to be able to take much more of this endless pounding.

"Kairi" said the King. "When the shield falls, run! I will attack Nexumair and try to buy you time. You must warn Riku and Sora about this. Nexumair is the Captain of the Bastion Knights. If he is a Nobody…then nowhere in Radiant Garden is safe for you."

Kairi tried to concentrate on what the King was saying through the waves of pain. "Got…it…" she said. At that moment the shield flickered and died.

"GO!" King Mickey cried as he launched himself at the Confident Fencer. Nexumair Nevy swung his sword---and it was blocked on Tine's arm.

"Tine!" Kairi and Mickey together.

"You hurt me badly, Mickey Mouse" said Tine, still holding Nexumair's blade. "In body…but more in mind. The only reasons that I am saving you is because Kairi is with you and she's a friends of Riku…and so that I can kill you later myself. Now run, while I take care of this bastard!"

"I think not" said Nexumair and drifted into a Dark Corridor that he made in the wall (sort of what Saix did when Riku had him pinned) and vanished.

They all stood staring at each other for a while. Kairi was the first to speak. "You know, Tine---" she began, but Tine made a Dark Corridor and made a quick exit as well.

"We've got to get out of here" said the King, but he slumped to the ground. The next thing he knew, Kairi was giving him a piggyback ride. "Kairi, you don't have to---"

"The problem with all you Disney Castle folks" said Kairi, "with the exception of Donald, is that you're too nice. Just take advantage of the fact that I'm willing to do it." She smiled. "It's what my heart commands." Mickey smiled as well. "So where do we go?" Kairi asked.

The King thought about it. "Hmmm…we have to get to the Gummi dock. Then we can find Riku."

"Good idea" said Kairi. "I'll leave you to prepare the ship, and I'll find Riku." As they ran through the streets, Kairi just hoped they didn't encounter any more Organization XIII operatives.