"Come on Red, eat it, you have to heal this'll help."
Sora was trying to coax the chocobo to eat a slab of meat laced with a healing potion. Red was having none of it. Roxas was watching as he let his own healing potion take affect, slowly sealing his wounds. Nearby Maleficent watched them disdainfully.
"To think that I am reduced to baby sitting fools; the King had best appreciate my efforts on His behalf."
"We didn't ask for your help." Roxas stated.
She gave him a considered and condescending sneer. "Boy, if I hadn't helped, the pair of you would be in so many pieces along with that overfed pigeon," Big Red squawked indignantly, though whether from Maleficent's comment or from Sora shoving the chunk of meat down his throat Roxas wasn't sure. "And we'd have lost two key bearers; something that cannot be permitted."
"What's so special about us anyways?" Roxas grumbled.
"Nothing and everything," Maleficent said cryptically. "It isn't you that is so important; it is the keyblades that are tied to your hearts."
"What do our hearts have to do with this?" He inquired, watching as Sora soothed the still irate chocobo, he'd finally swallowed the meat at least.
Maleficent sighed. "That oaf Yen Sid, he insists on his partiality and role as a watcher and recorder of events. He refuses to do more than speak in riddles and rhymes and lets the rest of us do the work. Why the King relies upon his help is a mystery to me."
Roxas realized that she was no longer talking to him, rather she was thinking out loud. He moved off to join Sora and Red, who had finally calmed down now that the potion was closing his wounds. He let Sora stroke his beak, warbling contentedly with half-lidded eyes.
"Do you think we can trust her?" Roxas asked.
Sora smiled as Red nuzzled against him, seemingly carefree. "Yeah, she's on our side."
Roxas glared at him. "You trust people too easily."
"Well she did save us, and Red doesn't seem to mind her that much so she can't be all bad."
"Oh that's great, we're basing it off of the word of a woman who says she's the King's advisor and offers nothing else, and the considered opinion of an overfed pigeon."
Red's eye shot open and he clicked his beak in annoyance as he eyed Roxas, who took a step away from the chocobo.
"Do you think he understands us?"
Sora grinned, stroking under Red's neck affectionately. "Of course he can."
Roxas sighed in exasperation, shaking his head at Sora's simplicity. It was maddening sometimes how laid back he could be. He looked up at a cry from the trees, the raven was back. It alighted on Maleficent's shoulder and stared at her quietly, she returned the stare calmly before nodding as if it had spoken.
"Come bearers, the King summons us to Hollow Bastion."
"How do you expect us to get there?" Roxas inquired caustically.
"Don't test my patience; come here, both of you."
They moved over to her side, Sora leading Red with a hand on the bird's shoulder. Maleficent eyed the chocobo distastefully.
"Must that pigeon come with us?"
Red clucked at her and she returned his baleful gaze eye for eye, her raven added its own beady glare to hers.
Sora broke the staring match. "He comes with us or we'll just walk."
Roxas looked Sora, now he wanted to walk? Though he couldn't say that he disagreed, Red was special now, having run the gauntlet of just moments before with them he suddenly meant much more to Roxas than previously. He moved over to stand next to the chocobo and his cousin.
Maleficent eyed the trio once, and then sighed resignedly. "I will have a long discussion with His Majesty on the merits of obedience training for you two. Bring the pigeon."
She raised her arms as they stepped besides her, her long cloak billowing out from her arms like wings, there was green flash, and the forest disappeared; neither boy had a chance to cry out as Maleficent, her raven, the boys and the chocobo all vanished.
They appeared again in a vaulted hall with massive pillars holding up the ceiling, Sora and Roxas both keeled over and retched up their lunch and probably their breakfast too. They knelt on all fours, coughing and gagging as Maleficent stood to one side.
"Maleficent, while I hold no grudge against your comings and goings I would prefer that you not make a mess upon doing so."
"Forgive me King; I had not anticipated the weak constitution of my travel companions."
The first voice that had spoken was deep and accented, but it had an air of calm about it that made it remarkably comforting.
"So these two are Sora and Roxas, two more bearers come to Hollow Bastion. How many does this make Maleficent?"
"Three Majesty, though these two are hardly like Riku."
"No matter, they have been chosen, that means their hearts are up to the task. See that they are given clean clothes and let them rest, then bring them to me again. Oh and I suppose their bird must go with them."
Maleficent's voice held annoyance at this last amendment. "Very well your Majesty."
Roxas was vaguely aware of being lifted, not by hands or arms, but as if by air, he looked over and spied Sora, he looked as ill as he felt. Behind them trailed an inquisitive Big Red, who seemed to be examining the massive room they found themselves in curiously, as if wondering why the trees had suddenly turned to stone.
Sora woke slowly, his eyes vision focusing as he opened his eyes fully. He flushed bright red as he realized that Roxas was asleep next to him and Sora was only in his boxers, their faces millimeters apart. He quickly rolled over and moved away from Roxas, his face still red.
"About time, we thought you'd never wake up."
His head snapped around at the familiar voice. "Leon!"
Sora leapt out of bed and into his brother's arms, Leon lifted him off his feet easily, though he frowned at Sora as he held him up.
"You're getting bigger, keep this up and I won't be able to lift you like this anymore."
Sora hugged Leon tightly. "I missed you."
"Yeah no kidding," came Cloud's voice as he entered from an adjoining room. He walked over to Sora and smacked him on the back of the head. "That's for running away, moron."
Sora frowned, rubbing his head. "It was Roxas' idea."
"Oh yeah, blame it all on him." Cloud seethed.
"No he's right, it was my idea, I convinced him to leave with me."
The three turned to see Roxas sitting up in bed, like Sora he only had boxers on as he propped himself up. Cloud strode around the bed and stared at Roxas for a long while before hitting him in the head as well, with an actual fist instead of the backhand he'd given Sora.
"Mom was worried sick; she actually used the phone line to call us at our barracks to tell us you two were missing."
"I'm sorry," Roxas said sullenly. "Those creatures were being drawn to us, I thought if we left Twilight would be safe."
"Heartless."
"What?" Both the younger boys asked.
Leon put Sora down and shrugged. "They're called Heartless, they consume people's hearts. They're drawn to those with weak hearts, but also those who bear keys," he smiled faintly at Sora. "Which apparently both of you do?"
Sora held out his hand, and his keyblade snapped into existence, Leon considered it for a moment.
"We already told Aunt Tara that we have you two here, and that the King Himself wants to meet with you. So congratulations, you're living in Hollow Bastion now."
Sora thought for a moment before asking. "Can I see Kairi?"
"No." Cloud cut in.
Leon eyed him, as if asking for him to be a little gentler. "Not yet Sora, the King takes priority. Get dressed both of you; I'm going to go take care of that bird you brought with you."
Leon nodded to a wardrobe against the wall. "Cloud and I went out with Tifa and Rinoa to get you some clothes that fit, hope you don't mind."
He left through the door Cloud had entered, Cloud still stood besides Roxas who wouldn't meet his brother's gaze. Cloud turned to leave, Roxas reached out, grabbing the sleeve of Cloud's black and silver uniform.
"Cloud, I'm sorry."
Cloud put a hand on Roxas' hand squeezing tightly before turning and giving a smile.
"Good, don't do it again."
Roxas nodded, letting go of Cloud and getting out of bed, heading over to the wardrobe and opening it. The clothes were just like the ones he and Sora typically wore, though there were a lot of variations on colors.
"Ugh…I think their girlfriends got a little too excited when they went shopping."
Sora came over to join him and smiled slightly; he picked out a blue outfit and put it on. "How do I look?"
Roxas winced. "Do we have to wear these?"
"Aw come on, I like them."
"Fine," Roxas picked out a red set of clothes for himself and put them on. "I feel like an idiot."
Sora smirked. "Yeah but you look great."
Roxas scowled. "I'll take your word for it."
Leon led their group down hall after endless hall in the castle, Red, Roxas, Cloud, and Sora all trailed behind them.
Cloud eyed the chocobo dubiously. "Are you sure it's okay to bring that thing?"
Leon shrugged. "You want to try and convince it not to follow us?"
Cloud eyed Red as if seriously considering doing just that, the chocobo clacked its beak suddenly, the snap echoing in the vast passageway and Cloud seemed to reconsider.
Sora giggled and rubbed Red's neck, the chocobo nuzzled him affectionately. "That's right Red, you can come with us."
The chocobo let out a happy chirp at this, Roxas wondered just how smart the bird was, or for that matter how smart the entire species was. Certainly Big Red seemed to have an understanding of what was being said around him. He'd have to ask Leon or Cloud if they knew anything about it.
They finally came to a stop in front of a pair of ornately decorated double doors that stretched from floor to ceiling. There were several royal guards in the purple and black livery, they stopped them and spoke briefly with Leon, gesturing several times to Big Red. Leon's voice remained calm as he explained everything to the guard, who finally relented. One of the guards stood off to the side and picked up a mic in the wall. He said something brief into it, and replaced it into its alcove.
The massive doors swung open noiselessly, Sora and Roxas stared dumbstruck as the doors opened. How could something that large move so quietly? When the doors fully opened they made an imposing boom that reverberated throughout the hall. Their group entered and walked the length of the columned hall beyond. Roxas recognized it from earlier, now though he had a chance to examine it, along the walls beyond the columns were murals that seemed to show the founding of their kingdom cast in marble and outline in gold. He knew most of it from history books, he wondered what a visiting dignitary must feel if he was this awed by the splendor of the hall.
They neared the end of the hall, the walk was ridiculous if Roxas was any judge, and Maleficent stood quietly besides a blonde haired and bearded man who was leaning forwards with his fingers steepled as he eyed the group approaching him with piercing blue eyes.
Leon and Cloud both knelt, Roxas and Sora followed their example, the man chuckled. "No need to stand on such formality in private. There is no court in session today, just we few are here."
As their brothers stood so too did Roxas and Sora, shifting uneasily under their King's gaze.
He smiled at them. "You know who I am?"
They both nodded, still silent, both were more than a little over awed by everything they'd seen so far.
"Good," the man laughed. "Good, that means I don't have to stand on ceremony. I am Ansem, some call me The Wise though in truth if I was possessed of any wisdom I would not have pursued the foolishness that has led us here."
Maleficent gave a partial bow towards the King. "My King, we were all deceived by the…" She searched for the words for a moment. "Glamour, of Xehanort's experiments, you are not to blame. It was my fault for not advising you against it."
Ansem the Wise waved away her apology. "No mater whose fault it is, the fact is that here we are, and it is here that we must decide what to do next."
His gaze had remained fastened upon Roxas and Sora the entire time, now he spoke to them directly again. "Now I imagine that you have many questions, and I have many answers. I will tell you all I can, and then I will need you to run an errand for me."
Both boys started talking at once and Ansem's face broke into a bemused smile as his deep voice cut them off. "I think I see why Maleficent suggests that we put both of you under one of my stewards. Let's try that again shall we? Slowly this time."