Chapter 4

Aqua noticed the huge castle about a mile away from it.

It was huge, unbelievable, beyond comparison, and it was hovering over an even larger city.

She flew in, deciding that it couldn't do much harm.

The city was dark, deserted and rainy.

Silence screamed out to her, clawing at her conscience so it could seep into her bones. She had to resist it, because legions of Heartless constantly erupted from the shadows. Fighting them off took forever.

She finally managed to reach a plaza that spread out before an enormous skyscraper. A truck was crashed next to it. She looked up at the screens of the building and was shocked to see images of Terra, Ven, Vanitas, Xehanort, and people she knew flash across it. It was showing her memories. Creepy. She ran on, and soon reached the great castle.

Everything was varying shades of white and blue in the castle. She dashed through the many walkways and soon reached one took a serpentine path around the outside of the castle. Here, there was a rope, wound carefully at the bottom and attached to something above.

Aqua tugged it. Seemed solid enough. Why not find out where it goes? She climbed it, straining her arms and finding new possibilities in them. Eventually, she reached the end. Tumbling into the window it dangled from, she saw a frightening suit of armor. She shot up to defend herself and realized it was mounted. The entire room was plain. Shockingly enough, Master Xehanort's Keyblade was displayed on a dresser. In the bed was a peacefully sleeping figure. She approached slowly and saw that it was Xemnas.

She gasped and shook him awake. "Xemnas, it's Aqua."

Xemnas opened his eyes slowly. "Aqua...hello."

"You sound like the Lingering Sentiment," Aqua joked, eying the mounted armor nervously.

Xemnas' eyes looked glossy. "What do you mean? Sentiment?"

Aqua sighed. "Of course. You don't know what happened." She began pulling the covers off of the silvernette, but she was stopped by a cold hand.

"Aqua, I'm only in underwear," he said with a cough. "I don't want you to see me in my underwear." Something seemed different about him. Maybe it was the cloudy dullness of his amber eyes. "I feel so strange..."

Aqua nodded. "Why do you think?"

Xemnas closed his eyes. "I can't explain it, but I feel... light. Like I'll float away." He opened his eyes again and reached out toward the dresser. "Get the box from the top drawer."

Aqua smiled and said, "As you wish, mighty Xemnas" as she retrieved the box and handed it to him.

He opened it and pulled out- shockingly- his seashell charm.

Aqua gasped and almost cried tears of joy. "You still have it!" She frantically searched for hers, and when she found it, she pulled it out and held it up.

Xemnas smiled at her. "You do too..." His smile faded. "But this isn't mine."

Any joy Aqua has previously felt melted like wax from the heat that was that last statement. "But...but...it's yours, Terra."

Xemnas' face suddenly changed, and he dropped the charm into his box. "Who is Terra?" He clasped the box shut and gingerly set it on the floor. "Why do I feel I know him? Who are you? Who is Ven? Who am I?" He covered his face with his hands and brought his knees to his chest. Such a feeble position. "Why do I feel like this?"

Aqua sat next to him. "Stop crying. I don't like seeing someone as strong as the earth cry like that."

"But I can't cry," Xemnas moaned. "I can't feel. Why am I crying now?" Quiet sobs racked his body. "I...feel... funny..."

Aqua didn't want to see Xemnas like this. She couldn't stand it. He looked so pathetic, so unlike himself.

A knock sounded at the door, followed by a worried male voice: "Superior, I'm coming in."

Xemnas didn't even make an effort to hide his newfound emotions; however, Aqua quickly put away the box, forced her friend under the covers, and slid about five feet down the rope before the door clicked open.

xxx

Saix stepped nervously in, searching for the human scent. He had smelled her, heard her, but she wasn't here. The Superior was laying in bed, dull eyes staring sadly into the distance. The covers were more ruffled than before, and reeked of human. He paced around and searched for the scent's source. Of course. The window. He ran over and looked down the rope.

xxx

Aqua bit down on her tongue. A blue haired man leaned out the window, gazing down at her. He looked an awful lot like Isa, but he had an X-shaped scar between his eyes and a furious aura about him. He blinked, a snap of recognition passing through him, and began hauling the rope up to the room. Aqua didn't resist, because it didn't matter.

The man grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up to his face. His yellow eyes glinted with a barely restrained maniacal rage. "Why are you here?" he growled through strangely canine fangs.

"I came to visit Xemnas," Aqua said. She shifted uncomfortably in his strong grip. "Is your name Isa?"

The man's anger briefly subsided, but it came back stronger than ever. "It was. They call me Saix now. I assume that you're called Aqua."

"That's right," Aqua said, matching Saix's clipped tone.

Saix let out an obviously involuntary growl. "I have orders to capture you, so you must come with me now." He was gruffly forcing Aqua towards the door when a rough voice called out.

"Saix, let her go," Xemnas ordered.

Saix growled savagely and let her go. He seemed different than before. "Superior, I can't control it anymore...your room...the moonlight..." He snarled like a lion, his eyes glowing gold. "Gotta escape... can't hurt anyone...not again..." He saw the open window and jumped out of it, gripping the rope to slide safely to the ground.

Xemnas flipped over to look at Aqua, his eyes filled with yearning. "Come closer."

Aqua did as told. Kneeling before the silvernette, she asked, "What is it?"

Xemnas looked her in the eye. "There is this place...the beach. I want to go there with you."

Aqua was surprised. The beach?

Xemnas wasn't finished. "I've never been there, but I've always wanted to. I just...have to."

Terra had always said that he wanted to visit the beach. Maybe... "I'd like to go," Aqua said sincerely.

Xemnas smiled a genuine smile. "Thank you, Aqua." He closed his eyes and was soon asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly.

Aqua sat next to him for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of another presence, occasionally running a hand through his long, silver hair. He looked so much like Terra, but there were many differences.

It might be a good idea to explore this place. Aqua walked into the plain white hallway and set off.

Xigbar wouldn't have believed his eyes less if Master Eraqus had walked out of Xemnas' room.

xxx

He crouched into a marine crawl on the ceiling as Aqua looked both ways down the hall, and then followed her as she walked left. He was careful to make as little noise as possible. Stealth was of the essence. He didn't want to lose his good eye, and Aqua would most certainly blast it out.

Aqua peeked carefully around a corner, then continued down the hall. Like a spider, Xibgar followed, keeping low to the ceiling. She moved with little caution, not much care to look over her shoulder or above her head. It would've been quite amusing to shoot her down where she stood. The castle should stay clean of bugs.

She stood still when she heard something rustle- his robe had shifted oddly. She whirled around, but he had teleported out of view before she could see him. She shrugged and continued in the direction she had been heading before. Xigbar followed silently on the ceiling. Might be good to follow her. She was most certainly a troublemaker.

xxx

Aqua couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. Each corner she turned, each catwalk she crossed- the castle was beautiful, each path surrounded by new things, windows, and the occasional white flowerpot which served no real purpose- but she couldn't get away from the feeling. She felt like it was something quite obvious, just above her head.

Aha!

She fell backwards and saw Braig, who looked quite shocked by her resourcefulness, crawling on the ceiling like a Marines spider. He stammered, out of ideas, then teleported to the ground and ran down the hall.

"Wait!" she called out, but he didn't stop. She picked up the pace and ran after him. When he turned a corner and disappeared, she ran even faster and reached a strange place.

The platforms hung apart in empty space. Nothing connected them, and nothing bordered them, leaving anyone who passed through open to a possibly eternal drop into a bottomless purple oblivion. She was at the bottom. Braig sat on the top platform, dangling his booted feet over the edge.

"How did you get up there?" Aqua shouted up, her voice echoing around her.

Braig laughed. "I walked up!" He cocked a large, lavender gun.

Aqua groaned. "Can't I get a straight answer?" She shook her head. "There's no pathways!"

"As if! That's where you've gotta be creative." Braig shot the platform right behind her and she leaped forward, coming dangerously close to the edge.

Aqua shook her head. "This isn't Neverland, Braig."

Braig laughed again. "Aqua, I'm not Braig. Call me Xigbar."

Aqua nodded. "Yeah, whatever. Just tell me how to get there! Spew!"

"Why do you care what's up here?" Xigbar cackled. "I thought you were exploring! Go! Get!"

Aqua groaned and threw a rock, which was oddly enough in her pocket, at Xigbar. It connected, and he fell over backwards, laughing like nitrous oxide. She ran off down the hall and skyways.

Yeah, a little deeper now. R&R appreciated. Thank you.