"So what do you think?"
"About?"
Sora shrugged, "about what the King told us."
"You mean part about a mad scientist experimenting with creatures called Heartless, or the part where we're part of the solution to his plans?"
"Sounds pretty crazy doesn't it."
Roxas nodded, stroking Big Red's flank as they walked along, the chocobo squawked affectionately.
"Yeah, as crazy as you wanting to tell everyone about the keyblades; at least then it was just us that were crazy, now we have the King, our brothers, and all the Kings advisors too!"
Sora smiled. "You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think we're not crazy."
Big Red chirped mildly and Roxas snorted, no, he supposed they weren't, after everything the King had told them about a scientist named Xehanort and his experiments with naturally occurring Heartless which had resulted in the unlocking of something called the WorldHeart and allowed the Heartless to more or less run rampant for the past five years. And somehow he and Sora were pivotal to stopping the flood of Heartless and undo the damage that Xehanort had caused before the world was consumed by the Heartless. Why it seemed to be happening in their kingdom's backyard but not in other kingdoms he didn't quite understand, but apparently since Xehanort had conducted his experiments here in Hollow Bastion oringally, the Heartless were using it as their stepping stone in their eventual take over. For a mindless horde, they seemed a little too precise for Roxas to believe they had no direction.
None of it made much sense to a sane mind, but he supposed that nothing had made much sense since all of this had started happening. They turned another corner, following the street signs that the King had told them to look for. Their conversation turned to other, more mundane things, Sora kept wishing that he could see Kairi again but he'd been told that would have to wait until the King had decided how best to keep them safe. Apparently that involved finding two more of his advisors who were running experiments somewhere in the town below the castle.
"I think this is place," Sora supplied as they came upon a particularly large three storied building that seemed strangely out of place amongst all the smaller houses on the street. Oddly there were several empty lots all around this one building, separating it from its neighbors.
"Why do you think there aren't any houses next to this one?"
Roxas shook his head. "I don't know, let's try it."
Before he could knock, an explosion rocked the building and its surroundings, the boys grabbed onto whatever they could, which in this case was Big Red who shrieked and chirped in terror as the cobblestones rattled beneath their feet. The shaking abated and smoke began to rise from the windows and door jam.
"Come on we have to see if anyone's hurt!"
Sora rushed forwards and pulled the door open; Roxas followed him while Red waited outside, his head canted to one side as he eyed the rising smoke dubiously. The boys found themselves in an expansive main room with all kinds of bits and pieces of what looked like junk scattered about. To one side was a massive computer screen with an equally large keyboard besides which was an extensive work table covered in more odds and ends and the occasional recognizable tool. The smoke was rising from a spiral stairwell, it disappeared below the floor and again in the ceiling above their heads, the smoke was coming from below. They approached it hurriedly but were stopped by the wildly waving arms of a man coming up the stairs accompanied by a fresh plume of smoke and coughing furiously.
"Confound it Cid, I told you that was too much powder! Dash it all, we'll have to get a completely new barrel and breach!"
An elderly, spectacled man in blue robe and hat came up the stairs, waving the smoke away from his face as he coughed violently, a great gray beard swung before him as he walked. He stopped when he saw the boys and blinked confusedly.
"Oh, aren't you a bit early?"
Roxas and Sora exchanged confused glances.
"Are you alright?" Roxas asked.
"Oh yes, quite fine thank you."
"Uh sir, your beard, it's on fire." Sora pointed to the rising cloud of smoke emanating from the man's beard.
"Eh wh—oh dash it all, leave off leave off!"
He beat the smoke rising from his beard vigorously with his hat until it abated, sighing with relief as he put the flame out.
"Now," he said, wiping his glasses on his robe before replacing them to his hooked nose. "You are the two new bearers from Twilight yes?"
They nodded, uncertain of what to make of this man or his behavior.
"Splendid!" He retrieved a gold pocket watch from his robes and eyed it. "Hmm, it would seem though that you have indeed arrived earlier than expected, by two days as a matter of fact."
"Uh…we're sorry?" Sora supplied dumbly.
"Oh heaven's no, nothing to be sorry about, you haven't done anything wrong certainly. The name's Merlin, and I happen to be a wizard and advisor to the King, and you are here to summon myself and Cid to the castle yes?"
"Yeah, how do you—"
Roxas was cut off by another man coming up the stairwell; he was wiping grease and ash from his face and hair with an already dirty rag, a pair of goggles were thrown up on top of his head which sported an unruly and filthy mass of blonde hair.
"Who the hell are you two?"
"Cid, these two are the bearers we've been expecting."
Cid sniffed, pocketing the rag and eying the boys dubiously. "Heh thought we might actually get someone impressive this time; seems like the blades prefer kids. Must have stronger hearts than us old timers eh Merlin?"
He said this last bit with a laugh, thumping Merlin on the back, setting Merlin's glasses askew.
"Cid, the King has summoned us." Merlin said gently as he realigned his spectacles once again.
"He has has he? Well that's great; I can get my point across about this new weapon of mine. Show that sorceress what a good dose of hollowed out iron and black powder will do. Let's get going, RIKKU!"
"Yeah Dad, we heard you. What did you blow up this time?" A voice called from above.
"Nah it isn't that, we have company, come keep an eye on them."
Three women came down the stairs, two brunettes and a blonde. Sora snapped his fingers.
"Hey I recognize you, Aerith, Yuna, and Rikku right?"
The three blinked and stared at him blankly, then one of the brunettes, Aerith, smiled at them.
"Oh, you must be Sora and Roxas, Zack said you'd arrived yesterday."
"These are Leon and Cloud's brothers?" The blonde said, a sudden smile crossing her face. She ran up to the boys and gave them both a hug. "I'm Rikku, pleased to meet you." To Roxas she added conspiratorially, "you single?"
Roxas and Sora were both a little distracted by the chestfull they were both being submitted to, their faces burned with embarrassment as Rikku cuddled them affectionately; Roxas was just glad that she was actually wearing something that looked like clothing and not underwear unlike the photographs he'd seen her in.
"Uh, Rikku I think you need to let them breathe a little." The other brunette had come alongside and pried Rikku off; she smiled at the boys kindly.
"I'm Yuna, we've heard a lot about you."
"Yes yes, now that we all know each other, can you three keep them busy while we go see the King and figure out what we're supposed to do now?"
Aerith frowned; Cid snapped his fingers and waved her off. "Of course, yeah go ahead kiddo, tell Zack I said hi."
Cid sighed and eyed Merlin seriously as she went back upstairs. "Someone tell them they're not allowed to come live with me and then grow up like that."
Merlin chuckled. "And who are you to determine how the world works? The King is waiting."
"Eh, I hate doing this, get it over with."
Merlin reached for a walking stick leaning on the wall, he gave the floor a tap and the pair dissolved into a shower of silver sparks which whisked out the chimney, leaving Sora and Roxas alone with Rikku and Yuna. Before anyone could say anything, Red stuck his head in through the still open door and chirped curiously at the new faces, Rikku squealed and looped her arm around his neck; the big chcocobo chirped in surprise and eyed the blonde girl now hanging around his neck as she nuzzled him affectionately.
"Is he yours?" She asked Roxas excitedly.
Roxas scratched his head and looked at Sora looking for an answer, Sora shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "I think we're his."
"You have to let me ride him!" Rikku cried.
"Uh, okay." Sora said dumbly.
Yuna giggled. "Sorry, she's excitable. Why don't we go out and show you around the city and you can tell us about yourselves."
In the end they didn't stay at Cid's lab, instead they went out, with Rikku atop a disgruntled Big Red as she kept trying to direct him where to go next and he didn't want to have any of it. To the boys' relief though he was well behaved and didn't try throwing her, Yuna walked with them and told them about the city. Occasionally Rikku would pitch in with a comment, usually flirting with Roxas in the process which further resulted in a blush from Roxas at the older girl's unashamed advances.
Sora stopped on a veranda looked out at the massive citadel where the King lived; Yuna leaned on the railing besides him.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
"I don't know, it looks so…" He searched for a word. "Dark I guess."
Yuna looked from him to the fortress again, nodding. "Supposedly it was built when the kingdom was first founded. To protect the people of Hollow from the marauding bandits in the mountains, it's how the castle got its name. It was the Bastion of Hollow."
"So why Hollow Bastion?" Sora asked, a short distance away from them Roxas was helping Rikku off of Red, who had stopped to inspect an overly curious dog.
Yuna shrugged. "I guess because the town and castle both kept growing until they were almost the same."
"It's funny, but I never thought that I'd leave Twilight Town. I mean I suppose I expected to come see my brothers, Riku, and Kairi."
"I've met them, for that big picture your brothers took. It was so weird to meet another Rikku, though I guess he spells his name differently."
"Who took that picture anyways?" Sora inquired.
Yuna giggled. "Merlin, he was quite insistent that he get a copy as payment."
Sora leaned over the railing. "I hope I can see Kairi again soon."
Yuna's smile flickered for a moment. "She's important to you?"
He nodded emphatically and her smile returned in full force. It was a very nice smile he realized, he felt warmth in his chest when she smiled.
"Then you should make sure she knows it, and be sure to keep her safe."
Sora nodded again, blushing further, and then Roxas cried out. Sora and Yuna turned to see Rikku with her legs wrapped around Roxas' waist with her arms around his neck forcing Roxas to grab whatever he could to keep her from falling, in this case her butt. He was sputtering apologies while Rikku giggled and leaned against him.
"What's the matter? I don't mind." She said playfully.
Yuna scowled, though her eyes were smiling as she went over and pulled Rikku off of Roxas.
"Rikku, leave him alone, you're going to scare him to death."
Roxas was speechless, and as the four of them continued, Red and the girls leading the way he leaned over to Sora.
"She's crazy."
Sora grinned. "I think you like her."
"No I don't! She's obnoxious and…and…just weird."
Roxas flushed, and Sora patted him on the back. "I think its okay, just kiss her and she'll realize you're not worth the effort."
Roxas glowered and shoved Sora into Red's posterior, causing a bit of an incident as he squawked in protest and bolted forwards, turning around and hissing warningly at Sora who did his best to calm the chocobo as the girls laughed, keeping their distance from the irate bird.
They spent the rest of the day wandering around the city, the girls playing the role of tour guide. Rikku continued her assault on Roxas' senses and he eventually caved and let her hang onto him without complaint though he looked like he was completely miserable the entire time. This was especially true when Rikku decided to parade Roxas in front of a group of her schoolmates; Sora had to contain his laughter as Roxas was sold off as Rikku's boyfriend despite his vehement protests.
After that incident Roxas was convinced that there was nothing that Rikku could do to further embarrass him. Yuna warned him when he made this declaration out of earshot of Rikku that he'd better not tempt her because she was known for finding ways to trump people's expectations.
They returned to Cid's workshop to find that they were the only ones there, Roxas and Sora tried to leave but Rikku and Yuna insisted that they stay the night instead of walking around the city in the dark. Reluctantly they agreed, and Yuna's prediction was proven right when Rikku grabbed Roxas and kissed him full on the mouth, leaving the stunned boy standing dumbly in the doorway to the guest room as she winked and wished him goodnight.