Aqua
The two of them traversed back to Destiny Island to retrieve Ven, only to discover he was missing. He had woken up and attacked Kairi's father, which was very much unlike Ven. The two could not believe Ven would do that. When Aqua questioned Tarou for details, he explained to them exactly what happened.
"I was coming in after doing some yard work and there he was, standing in the doorway. He didn't seem all there," the man explained. He, thankfully, was relatively unharmed save for a sore shoulder that he landed on. "He looked at me with these gold eyes, not quite sure what was going on, it seemed."
"Gold eyes?" Aqua repeated quietly.
"Yes," Tarou replied. Aqua and Kairi exchanged glances. Ven's eyes were blue. And Aqua had seen them gold only once. This did not bode well… Aqua urged Tarou to continue. "I asked if he wanted lunch and he told me to step aside. Before I could move, I was suddenly flying back. When I could move, he was gone. I wasn't about to go chasing after him. I'm sorry."
"No," Aqua shook her head. "I'm sorry. That… that wasn't Ventus." She said softly. "The person you spoke to… the person that hurt you wasn't my friend. And I'm going to make sure he won't hurt anyone else, I promise."
Tarou looked towards the window, a small frown forming on his lips. "I hope he doesn't."
They went back to Hollow Bastion, the inhabitants deciding to keep the ugly name to fit the shattered world. There was still a lot that needed to be done in order to restore it to its former glory. But the Moogles were there and shops were opening. They had gathered enough materials, along with a fairly rare ore to help create a decent weapon for Kairi. They created a sword. If they were going to go after whomever took a hold of Ventus, Kairi was going to need her Keyblade. And the only way to retrieve that was if she had a means to fight.
They made a plan. The girls flew to Twilight Town on the Gummi Ship where Kairi would try to head her off. They stopped at a shop before they split off. Kairi insisted she did this alone. Aqua would stay close by in case things got hairy. She could be there in an instant if Kairi called for her.
Aqua sat on the steps on the train station, overlooking the quiet little town. She loved it here. She understood why DiZ chose this place as his base. It was peaceful, even if it was an in-between world. She dreaded seeing him again. She had to, though. Especially if she was here. She needed to tell him what happened to Sora. She would never forgive herself if she kept that from him.
Their little family was so far apart. Pulling out her Wayfinder, she wished with all of her heart that someday soon, all of this could be resolved. Her friends would be safe and her little makeshift family could finally settle. She regretted not making her own Wayfinders for DiZ and Sora. They would have to be different from Terra's and Ven's. This was a different family, but still a family nonetheless.
She idly waited for Kairi, feeling a tad useless. She needed to be here in case Kairi needed her help, but she could have been going to see DiZ about Sora. Her heart ached with the indecision. But she promised the girl. And the two needed to stay together. With their friends gone, they needed to band together and pool their strength to keep fighting and moving forward.
Aqua turned up to the sunset. By the ledge, two people walked forward to look over the town. In the glare of the sun, she could see two silhouettes. One, a girl with short dark hair; and the other a boy with flaxen spikes. For a moment, from behind, she could have sworn…
"Ven?" Aqua stood up uncertainly. The boy didn't respond. He turned to his companion, his profile still resembling Ventus even further. She stepped forward, straining her eyes against the sun to try and get a good look at him. "Ven?" she asked again a little louder.
Still, he did not respond. They turned back to the sunset as Aqua drew closer. He was dressed differently… blacks and whites, with longer red sleeves, rolled up to his elbow. And who was the girl? She wore yellows and purples, her tight blue pastel jeans so vibrant against the oranges of the sun.
But the boy. The back of his head. She had seen that hair way too many times to be mistaken. Besides, he wore his armor on the sleeve of his over-shirt. How many people had armor like theirs? She briskly, confidently closed the distance, grabbing the boy's arm, calling Ven's name much more firmly. As soon as she had, she realized her mistake. This was not Ven, possessed or not. The boy faced her, eyebrows disappearing into his blonde spiky hair as their eyes met.
It wasn't so much alarm as it was surprise. Still those very familiar blue eyes gave her a look of recognition. He certainly looked like Ventus. Very much so, really. Almost identical. The only different was a few inches and age. Same skin tone, same hair style, same blue eyes. Even if this boy's eyes read much differently than Ven's (like he was a thousand years old, tired of the aches that came with a difficult life as opposed to Ven, who was like Sora: vibrant and thirsting for more from life). This boy was only a few years older. She could easily see how she mistook him for Ventus.
"Oh, sorry, I—"
"Aqua?" The boy blinked. His companion turned sharply when he spoke the name. Did she… did she know them? No. She couldn't…
"Roxas," she girl whispered, grabbing his sleeve, pulling herself in closer to him. Upon closer inspection, Aqua realized how very, very much like Kairi this girl looked. Again, if Kairi were a few years older and dyed her hair black, this would be her.
Yes, these two looked like her friends, but she didn't know them. Yet, they seemed to know her. Confusion splashed their faces as they exchanged glances, turning back to the Keyblade Master.
"Have we… met?" Aqua knew the hadn't. The name Roxas was an unfamiliar one to her.
"Er," the girl glanced back to the boy. "I guess… not?"
"Yet, anyway," the boy said rather bluntly.
"Roxas!" the girl hissed. "We're only supposed to fix what needs to be fixed! We're not supposed to change anything!"
What was she even talking about? Aqua looked between the two, who may have been a year or so older than her (they looked to be about Terra's age). As they began to bicker, Aqua only became more lost and confused. They knew her, that much she understood. But who were they? And why did they look so much like her friends?
"Well, we can't exactly do that now, can we, Xion?" the boy shrugged. "We haven't gone back far enough."
"You don't know that!" the girl urged.
"We know the year from that shop keep," he ticked off his fingers, as he began to prattle off. "We know here certain events are taking place when they never have. Point: Castle Oblivion. What even happened to it? Because that's not what's supposed to happen. And Aqua's here. Right now. And we still can't find those three."
The girl turned to Aqua with a look of horror. The boy, Roxas, frowned slightly (was that a frown or his default expression?) as he shrugged, like he was allowed to reveal this information. "Look, we can explain to her what's going on and maybe she can help us."
"I'm right here, you know." Aqua reminded them. "Were you… were you the intruders at Castle Oblivion?" She had to keep her voice steady. She had to keep them talking. If they were going to hurt any of her friends, she wasn't going to let them get away.
"I know," Roxas continued casually. "And, yeah. We've been jumping worlds trying to figure out when and where we are. Wait… you did that to Castle Oblivion?"
"Yes," Aqua replied in a low voice. "Who are you two? And what are you after?"
"I'm Roxas," the boy pointed to himself. "This is Xion." He put a hand on her shoulder. That was when Aqua noticed the armor on her shoulder as well. Where did they get that? "We aren't alone. There's four of us looking for Sora, Riku, and Kairi."
Roxas made a point to keep as open as possible. It made it difficult to get hostile with him. She didn't trust him. Especially if they were looking for those three. "What do you want with them?" she asked, ready to draw her Keyblade.
Xion frowned, hugging herself as she chewed on her words. She was hesitant to release her information. It didn't matter. Whether or not she did, Aqua would make sure they told her. Luckily, she seemed to drum up the courage to tell her. "Where we come from… they've disappeared and things are… changing. We're trying to fix what went wrong."
Kairi
She sat on the edge of the clock tower, looking over Twilight Town with a renewed sense of appreciation. She could see why they liked to come up here after work and hang out. It was peaceful and beautiful. Beside her, Kairi rested her new sword to replace with Keyblade she had dismissed and a bag of ice cream. There were only two bars, but maybe she should have gotten three to appease the other Organization member that might accost her.
She was lucky. When she heard footsteps, she started, hoping it wasn't Axel. Don't let it be Axel. When the blonde turned the corner, she jumped, turning to run.
"Wait!" Kairi called, reaching for her. The girl stopped, twisting her fingers nervously. Kairi turned, pulling out the ice cream. "Here. I got you this."
Naminé cautiously approached her, taking the ice cream from her. She appraised the treat, furrowing her brow uncertainly. Kairi offered a kind smile. "It's star fruit-mango. This is my favorite flavor. I think you'll like it." She pat the ledge next to her. "Sit. Please?"
She hadn't said a word yet. She was terrified. Kairi didn't want to scare her. She wanted to put the Nobody at ease, seeing how she was shaking like a leaf and Nobodies weren't supposed to feel. If they weren't supposed to feel anything, how was Naminé scared? That couldn't be right. It didn't make sense.
Naminé sat beside Kairi, still keeping her distance. She eyed the sword on the other side of the redhead, timidly taking a small bite of the ice cream. She stopped, pulling back to look at the treat. Kairi laughed. The taste must have set her off. It was a little bitter from the star fruit. The mango complimented it nicely with its intense sugary taste.
"Do you like it?"
Naminé nodded hesitantly. "It's… different." She finally said quietly. Kairi's smile widened. "I think I like sea-salt better."
"Then I have to try it," Kairi decided. "I've never had it before. It sounds really good."
"It… it is," the blonde offered the tiniest of smiles. "It tastes good, but… I like the opportunity to sit with Axel more. Just being able to talk freely with someone about everything…"
"It's nice," Kairi finished for her, understanding where she was coming from. "It's good to have a friend that will listen to you and not judge. Someone you aren't afraid to tell anything to."
"Right," Naminé nodded. "I see the three of you… and you have that with each other. And, I can't help but… wish I had that, too."
Kairi quirked her head. She knew what she was talking about, but she didn't completely understand. "What do you mean by 'see?'" Kairi asked.
"Well… I see it in your memories," Naminé confessed. "Memories are made up of chains that link together in your heart. I have the power to see those chains. I can rearrange the links or break them or fix them."
"So, you know everything about us," Kairi mused.
"Not really," she shook her head. "I see the memories in real time. So, it would take me fifteen years to see all of the memories you've experienced up until this point. That would be without stopping for breaks or sleeping. So… not really."
"That's actually pretty neat," Kairi laughed. "How did you even get that from me? I don't have any sort of power over memories and… just… where did it come from?"
Naminé shrugged. "I don't know… fate, I suppose." The girl sighed. "But… you didn't come here to talk about what I can do, did you?"
Kairi frowned. "No."
"Do you want your Keyblade back?"
"Very much," Kairi replied, almost desperately.
Naminé's blue eyes glanced over her sadly. "I'm… sorry. I can't give it back. Not yet. If I betray the Organization… they'll destroy me." Kairi turned to face her full on, finishing up her ice cream. "Some day… I promise you'll have it back. Until then… maybe I can help you with something else."
"Like?" Kairi egged her on, disappointment weighing in her chest.
"I can travel to the Realm of Darkness?" Naminé offered. "We can bring Sora and Riku back."
Kairi jumped to her feet. "You… you can do that?" the blonde nodded. "Then, let's go. Right now."
Naminé nodded, her tiny smile widening. She put down the ice cream she didn't finish as Kairi picked up her sword, fixing the sheath on her belt. The blonde turned back to the path, holding out her hand. Darkness swirled before them, opening into a corridor that always seemed to make Kairi uneasy. And, as frankly as she spoke with Naminé, she still didn't trust her. Hesitant about her intentions, Kairi motioned for her to go on.
"You… You first." She cursed herself, her wavering voice betraying her nerves.
Naminé agree, stepping into the portal ahead of her. It was now or never. Kairi was still suspicious. This girl offered to help them, and she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was a trap. Regardless, she would stay close to the Nobody to make sure she wouldn't try anything funny. Kairi was on a mission. She wanted her boys back. She needed to bring Cloud back to Tifa and Aerith. Kairi took a deep breath, plunging into the darkness.
On the other side of the portal, the blonde Nobody awaited her. She offered Kairi a gloved hand, which she only tentatively took. The Nobody seemed to understand her trepidation. She wanted to prove to Kairi that she could be trusted. Kairi was willing to give her a chance.
"They're a little ways ahead." The girls walked hand in hand into the Dark Realm. Kairi, curious of the place Sora had grown up, allowed herself to be lead as she surveyed the land. Bleak, dark, and hopeless were good ways to describe it. How Sora had come from here as upbeat as he had, Kairi would never understand.
They found the three of them along a shoreline. They sat in the sand, silence between them as the waters lapped at their feet. They were safe. They were relatively unharmed. Instantly, warm swelled within her. She released a cry of happiness, pulling away from Naminé to throw herself at them. Sora was the only one that saw her coming. As she approached, he twisted to face her, his face glowing with excitement. Upon impact, the three fell towards the water and arms were wrapped tightly around her.
"Kairi?!" Riku exclaimed. "How did you—?!"
"Riku!" she cried, holding him tightly with one arm. "Sora!" her tightened her grip with her other arm around the brunette. "I've got you!"
"But, Kairi!" Riku grabbed her around the waist, pulling her away from them to look her in the eye. She didn't care. She was just glad to see them again. Almost three weeks. Her heart ached so terribly without them there with her. "What are you doing here?"
Kairi quickly turned, forgetting her suspicions about the blonde. She expected her to run off, leaving them in the Realm of Darkness for eternity. But there she stood, making herself as small as possible when the four of them turned to her. She gave a small wave and for a moment, Kairi could have sworn her form flickered, making her look almost transparent.
"You!" Riku pushed Kairi into Sora as he jumped to his feet, causing the Nobody to jolt, eliciting a cry of alarm. "What have you been doing to us?!"
"Nothing!" Naminé waved her hands defensively. "Honestly! I've just been—"
"You have!" Riku summoned his Keyblade, raising it above his head, poised to strike. "What are those dreams? Where did they come from?"
Naminé didn't summon Destiny's Embrace. She gasped, backing up and shaking her head. What exactly was Riku talking about? "Please, just listen!" she begged. "I'll explain!"
"Then start talking!"
"I don't know where they came from!" she urged. "I found them, buried deep within your hearts. Kairi has them, too. I don't know where they came from, but I'm trying to find that out. When I do, you'll know. I'll tell you. I swear!"
"How can we trust you?" Riku snapped. "How do we know you aren't lying? Are you going to replace our memories with those?"
Naminé shook her head incredulously. "What? No! I can't do that." She asserted. "I cn only view memories. Maybe switch them around. Break the chains, like you and Ventus have seen. I broke the chains that linked to our first meeting. I wasn't supposed to be found yet. And I can rebuild them, if you would like. But I can't create. I can rearrange and I could make you believe those events really happened. But I can't create them. Those are your memories. The… the most I can do with memories is with Kairi's links and chains." She chewed her lip, turning back to the girl. "I'm sorry."
Kairi stood up, quirking her head curiously. She wasn't sure what they were talking about, but she was curious about this new development. "Huh?"
"The chain," Naminé explained desperately. "The one I pulled from you to weild your Keyblade. Those are the links in your memory related to the Keyblade. I extracted them to trick the Keyblade into thinking I was you. I'm sorry. I'll return them when I'm able. Please, forgive me. I don't want to be erased!"
Kairi no longer felt angry. She wanted to. She could feel it building up within her. But she noticed how angry she had been feeling since the theft of her Keyblade when Aqua pointed it out in Castle Oblivion. She desperately was trying to let that anger go, and felt she was doing pretty good at it. The rage made her careless.
She approached the girl, taking her hands and offering the kindest smile she could. "I'll get it back, right?" Naminé nodded vigorously. Kairi grinned. "Good."
Kairi wasn't imagining it this time. The girl before her flickered, Kairi's hands slipping through hers. The blonde backed up, holding her hands to herself, horror shining in those wide blue eyes. "We… we have to go." She stammered. "I'm… I'm not ready. I don't want to disappear."
"Okay," Kairi eased, raising her hands soothingly. "Okay… can you open a corridor back to Twilight Town?"
Hurriedly, Naminé turned, opening a corridor. She stepped back to allow the four of them to step through. Kairi turned, pulling Cloud forward and pushing him ahead of her. He had been here far too long. He deserved to see the light first. He gave a turse snort, shaking his head as he indulged her. Kairi took Riku's hand, still tense from mistrust. How Kairi believed she could trust the Nobody, she wasn't sure. Maybe because she thought anything that came from her couldn't possibly be all that bad. She was a Princess of Heart, right? And Kairi fought for her life to defend the Light. With her other hand, Kairi took Sora's. As the three of them stepped forward, she felt her hand tug. Sora stopped, just before the corridor, staring into it uncertainly.
"It's okay, Sora." Kairi assured him. "This will take us back to Twilight Town."
"No," Sora shook his head. "It's not that. It's just…" He placed his free hand over his chest, turning back to the waters. "I want to go back… more than anything… but…"
Naminé hugged herself. "Sora… you're needed in the light." She said quietly. "If anyone can free us from the hold the darkness has on us, it's the five of you. Please… don't fear what Xehanort has planned for you. You're stronger than that."
For someone who was supposed to be their enemy, she sure was supportive. It seemed whatever was holding Sora back had passed. His grip on Kairi's hand tightened with renewed vigor. He nodded, allowing Kairi to pull them back into the Realm of Light.
The girl turned back to the portal, only to see it vanish. Naminé did not follow them. "What… what happened to her?"
"She was too close to you," Riku said quietly. "Because she isn't a complete being, her form was striving to return to you. Honestly, I don't even think she's a Nobody. She's even less than that."
"You think so?" Kairi asked, frowning.
"Well… you lost your heart." Riku started, the three of them watching Cloud bask in the rays of the setting sun. Naminé had placed them in the lot where Sora and Kairi had watched a Struggle Match. "And… your body is right here." Riku tapped her. "Sora had it when your heart left you. A Nobody is made of a body and a soul, right? But your body is right here. And so is your heart. And, clearly, your soul is still with you. So… what is she made from?"
"I… I don't know," Kairi frowned.
"I think… she's made up of fragments." Riku went on. "Pieces of you that were expelled when Xigbar shot your heart out. A little bit of heart, a little bit of soul. Maybe some memory, which would give her that power she has over them. And because of how unstable she is, being close to you for as long as she was, the pieces of you she was made up of were trying to return." He paused, blinking into the sun. "I think."
Sora tapped her shoulder. She glanced at him as he leaned close, cupping his hand around her ear to whisper into it, "Look at his face."
His cheeks were bright pink.
For a moment, she wasn't even sure what to make of it. She stood, dumbfounded, staring at Riku. He watched Cloud turn back to them and Kairi felt so bad that she couldn't register just how happy he was to be back in the light. She was too focused on her friend that was blushing at the thought of this girl he'd only met… twice.
"You like her!" Kairi blurted, pointing at him accusingly.
"What?!" Riku rounded on her, the pink tinging red.
"Well, it'd be a little awkward if he didn't." a voice behind Kairi said.
"I don't like her!" Riku shouted defensively.
"Oh, she's gonna be heartbroken when she hears that."
For a moment, Kairi thought Sora might have spoken. The voice was familiar. No, that sounded a lot more like Ven then Sora. Riku finally looked behind Kairi to see who had spoken. They hadn't noticed the three that snuck up on them. Aqua, who rushed Sora before any of them could speak, and two others.
"Ven?" Kairi blinked. That was Ven. It had to be, even if he was a few years older. Kairi would not believe anyone that told her that wasn't Ven. He grinned playfully as the girl beside him tried to cover his mouth.
"Roxas, shut up!" the girl urged, wrapping her hands around his mouth. He laughed, trying to pull away. She gained leverage by using his neck to pull herself onto his back, choking him to prevent him from talking any more. He seemed fairly used to it, only laughing through his discomfort. He pulled her hands away from his neck to breathe.
"But, Xion—"
"Shut up!" she yelled in his ear, covering his mouth with her hands. "You need to stop this! Where's Lea and Naminé? You need to stop talking! You're not supposed to tell them things!"
Kairi glanced at Riku. He shrugged. He had no idea what was going on either. He looked back at the pair and quickly jumped back. He grabbed Kairi's chin, making her look at them.
"Kairi. The girl."
"What about her—?"
Oh. Oh. Okay, this was getting to be too much. The girl. That girl, with the short dark hair and bright blue eyes turned to them with an uncertain smile. Her face was a little thinner in the same way that came with age, but that face was undeniably Kairi's.
"They said they could help," Aqua said, still holding Sora tightly in her arms, stroking his hair like a mother who's lost child was returned to them. "Also, that they would explain everything."
"No," the girl shook her head. "We're not supposed to explain anything."
"But we will!" the boy piped up, finally pulling his mouth free from the girl's hand. "Because everything's all messed up. How much worse can this get?"
I'm sorry, but not really. This is about to get really convoluted. Like, Dream Drop Distance convoluted!