Sapphire didn't have to be told twice. For the time being, the most important thing to her was making sure that her friends were okay. She knew Niko could handle himself. She pulled away from Garnet and made a quick gesture with her hand, and the four took off, running away from the horde of Heartless. Just in case anything caught up to them, she pulled her Keyblade from her back.
She stopped when they were a safe distance away from the scene, and she quickly checked out the Insurgents to make sure they were okay, and they thankfully were.
After a while, Niko became surrounded by more and more of the creatures, eventually being completely overtaken. Before they could finish him, a black portal opened and Vanitas walked out. He dismissed them and smiled.
"I think you've had enough." Vanitas chuckled as he left back through the portal. "Give Sapphire my regards. I can't wait to finally kill her."
With an eerie cackle, he was gone. Before he could do anything, Niko felt fatigue wash over him as he passed out.
"Uh Sapphire?" Jiminy asked. "I like reunions as much as the next cricket, but Niko is still out there. Shouldn't you go look for him?"
Sapphire looked over at Jiminy after checking out her Insurgents for injuries. She furrowed her brow. Niko had always been strong, and it seemed as if he'd been displaying extraordinary powers, even for someone like him. She had been sure he would be fine, but with Jiminy's words came worry.
"Right," she murmured. She looked to the others, "Stay here. I'll be right back." She started in the direction they had come, first at a walk, then a jog, then a full out run as worry continued to set in. She arrived on the scene just as the portal vanished, eyes finding Niko a moment later. She sucked in a breath before running to him, leaning down next to him and placing glowing green hands on his chest, going to heal him.
"Niko, can you hear me?" she asked, her eyes wide and frantic.
Niko jumped up and looked around frantically. He saw Vanitas and barely heard a word he said. Niko rubbed his eyes. He looked as if he had been sleeping and he had. He yawned and looked to Sapphire.
"Oh hey honey, " Niko said yawning. "I was overtaken by those monsters and pure fatigue kicked in and I fell asleep."
"You really worried us!" Sarabi grumbled. "Wait what happened to your clothes?"
"Huh?" Niko asked before looking at them. "Oh this? Well, I think I remember it being called a...ummm...Drive Form. I read about it in Jiminy's journal. Though I don't know how I managed to do it when Sora was the only known person who could. I look pretty cool though huh?"
"You look awesome!" Saph said shouting "What do you think, Sapphire?"
Sapphire scrambled away from Niko when he suddenly got to his feet, starting her. She relaxed, however, when he spoke. Good; he was okay. "You scared me," she murmured before leaning in to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek. She looked down at his clothes as they were mentioned, and it turned out that they were different. She looked back up at her husband, "They suit you." She smiled at him, her worry flowing away.
"We should get back to the Insurgents to see what they know," she said a moment later, threading her fingers between Niko's.
"Right," Niko said. Upon standing up, Niko's clothes reverted to normal. "Wish that had lasted longer."
"It looked pretty cool," Saph said. "Right Sarabi?"
"Yeah," Sarabi replied. "It was pretty amusing."
Everyone walked back to the Insurgents and Niko looked to Garnet. He was injured, but otherwise fine. He smiled cheekily and sat next to him.
"So," Niko said. "You seem to owe me one, Garnet. I just saved you, Gold, and Silver so you owe me. You can pay off the debt by telling Sapphire and me what you know."
"Niko is enjoying this," Saph said.
"I hear ya on that," Jiminy said.
Silver scowled at Niko's appearance, and she opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped when Gold rested a hand on her shoulder. She was fuming, but before she could say something, Garnet was speaking, his eyes narrowed at Niko.
Garnet figured they would've been fine, even if Niko hadn't showed up, but there was nothing he could do about it. "I don't know much," he told him begrudgingly, narrowing his eyes at Niko. "We were at the base when everything just went... Dark. Next thing we knew, we were here. I don't remember anything else that happened. How I got here, how I got what I'm wearing, or anything."
So much for gloating Niko thought. He could feel Silver's icy stare and sighed and walked to Sapphire. He knew that she would want to know.
"Garnet says he doesn't know what happened," Niko said. "That's normal and a good thing. However, we need to find a place where they can be safe until our world is repaired. I think I know a place, but first we need to find Shang. Leave that to me."
"Why not take Garnet with you?" Saph asked. "You could always use the back up."
"As much as I hate to admit it," Sarabi said. "She has a point. You can't go alone and Sapphire should stay here to make sure Gold and Silver are okay. She's already done checking out Garnet so take him with you."
"I'll take Garnet with me," Niko said. "Only because I need to explain to him what happened. Sapphire explain the situation to Gold and Silver. Garnet could you come with me? I could use the back up."
Garnet was silent for a moment at the suggestion. He didn't want to be with Niko. In a way, he believed that Niko had taken his Sapphire away from him and changed her, and that was not something he was happy about. However, he wasn't about to fight about something so petty. If he could help, he would help.
"Yeah, sure," he told Niko, standing up and stretching out a little, letting the black cloak fall from him, covered in his usual clothing. Before he could move, Sapphire had taken a gun and pushed it against his chest. He looked at her, and a smile was exchanged before he took the gun.
"Alright, sounds like a plan. I'll make sure Gold and Silver are caught up to speed." She looked at Garnet and Niko. "Be safe, you two."
"No worries," Niko said. He walked away with Garnet in tow and sighs heavily. He knew Garnet hated him but he had to stick with him to explain the situation.
"You think he'll be fine Sarabi?" Saph asked.
"Yeah, he will be," Sarabi replied.
"Garnet," Niko said. "I know you hate me. I hate you too...but we can't keep this up...eventually we're gonna have to work together."
Just then, Heartless appear and surround Niko and Garnet. Summoning his Keyblade, he looked around.
"Well ain't this a bitch!" Niko shouted. "What say we put our differences aside and take these guys?"
Sapphire began telling Gold and Silver of the situation as Garnet and Niko walked away. His talk of making up made him sick, but when the Heartless appeared, he knew they'd have to work together.
"Let's do it," Garnet replied, raising Sapphire's gun. "What the hell are these things anyway?" he asked as he began aiming and shooting at the black masses.
"They're known as the Heartless." Niko said. "Being that have no hearts and have changed shape. They seek those with hearts and attempt to take their hearts. They are dangerous but just about anyone can take them down. However, the Keyblade is the one weapon that can stop them for good."
Niko began to glow yellow and his clothes turned yellow with a knights crest on the pants and sleeves. Niko looked at his clothes and summoned another Keyblade.
"Oh hell yeah!" Niko shouted. "I'll call this form Victory! Let's squash some Heartless, Nerd!!"
Niko started slashing at heartless with one Keyblade and casting magic with the other."
Garnet rolled his eyes at Niko's exclamations before focusing on taking down the Heartless. If a gun couldn't kill them, he could at least knock them down and give Niko some time to take care of the batch he was dealing with. He eyed his Keyblade in between shots, finding himself to be jealous. Why did Niko get one and not him? Eh, whatever. He had more important things to worry about. He shot at the Heartless, knocking them down, his aim true every time.
Niko took careful aim not to hit Garnet as he ran around slashing Heartless and hitting others with Magic. The ones that Garnet stunned he hit with magic and he slashed others by himself. Upon destroying them all a clap was heard.
"I gotta admit," the hooded figure said. "You two put on quite the show. Hold on...how rude of me. I never introduced myself. My name is Braig. Turns out you and I are cut almost from the same cloth...Garnet."
"How do you know his name?" Niko shouted.
"I'm the one who brought him and his friends here," Braig replied. "On top of that, I was asked by Xehanort to mask those Heartless you fought in their essence hoping to throw you and Sapphire off. Boy did it work. She showed her darkness just as the old man assumed she would. But one thing still bugs him...how did you snap her out of it? Could have been love, you are married after all. So we figured you would come here and placed Garnet nearby. That Shang guy you're looking for? Emperor's palace fine and dandy. I would hurry along though. It was easy to find these three, Xehanort isn't gonna make finding the others easy."
With that he disappeared into a dark corridor. Niko reverted back to normal and looked to Garnet. He had sensed Garnet's jealousy and he needed to address it.
"You're jealous aren't you?" Niko began. "You wish the Keyblade was in your hands and not mine, huh? You wish that it was you who married Sapphire and not me. You feel I am trying to change Sapphire. Well guess what? I'm not. It has been hard to get her to accept what she's sees, so I just gave up. This Keyblade isn't a toy! It can literally either save or end a world! This is a gift and a curse! I didn't want this...I was destined to take it. Sapphire and I were chosen to take the Keyblade because we were the best at what we do. We didn't have a choice. So you can be all you want, but remember Sapphire and I are carrying a heavy burden! If we don't stop Xehanort, he will plunge everything we know and love into darkness! So your jealousy is noted and unnecessary."
"Well that about sums it up" Jiminy said. "As much as I can understand anyway. Garnet you have no reason. You may hate him, but Niko really cares about you. I mean once this is all over, Sapphire is rejoining the Insurgents and he is accepting of that. He hated the idea but he accepts it. Niko has a Keyblade and you don't. He married Sapphire and you didn't. Why don't you spend less time in jealousy and more time in acceptance?"
Most of what Braig said, Garnet ignored, except for the finding of the other Insurgents. That was important to him.
His shoved the gun into his waistband as Niko went on about his jealously and the Keyblade. He didn't care about what he had to say, but when the cricket mentioned Sapphire coming back to the Insurgents, his eyes snapped over to him. Did she really want to come back to them? Come back to him? He was sure she would've told him later, but knowing it filled him with joy.
Then, the cricket's other words caught his attention. He scowled. He was usually good at keeping his cool, but not this time. Not when it came to Sapphire. His eyes snapped over to Niko, anger evident in his expression. "I want her to be happy, and if you make her happy, fine. But I love her. I love her, and you took her away from me." His words were a snarl. He turned his back to him and started down to the palace. They had a villain to face, and he was more worried about that than arguing with Niko.
Niko laughed before following Garnet. He knew eventually darkness was gonna take over Garnet and he would have to take him down. He wasn't gong to hold back either. As they approached the palace, Niko saw that Braig wasn't lying, Shang was fine. He was in the embrace of Mulan. Niko smiled and looked to Garnet.
"He's fine," Niko said. "Let's get out of here."
"The sooner the better," Jiminy replied. "Garnet...you really do have every right to be jealous. I was jealous of you once...how good a team you and Sapphire made. I have to admit...I always thought that we would break and she would marry you. I guess that's what caused me to propose to her. I knew I wanted her in my life...more than I realized. It was a rushed decision I don't regret yet. Nor do I think I will. I am sorry if you think I took her from you. I didn't mean to..."
As Niko and Garnet were talking, monsters appear. Jiminy shouted aloud and Niko looked to Jiminy pointing to the monsters. Summoning his Keyblade, Niko looked at them and sighed.
"Oh no," Niko said. "Unversed...why am I not surprised? They sensed your jealousy Garnet."
Garnet didn't have time to process what it was that he was saying. Something about him and Sapphire, he didn't know, and he didn't care. He jumped at the appearance of the new monsters, but quickly recovered, pulling out his gun. He scowled at Niko's word. "Excuse the hell out of me," he replied sharply. It wasn't like he wanted to cause the monsters, but he couldn't be told to just not be jealous. He pulled his gun out and began firing at the monsters, unsure of what to expect from them.
"The Unversed are emotions given physical form," Niko said simply "Jealousy, anger, hatred...all of those negative are what attract them. It's not your fault. We can take them out together. Let's get going! Wisdom!"
Niko began to glow blue as he went into his Wisdom Drive Form. He looked to Garnet and handed him his Keyblade.
"In your have take this Key," Niko said "And as so long as you have the making then, through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be."
Garnet put the gun up and took the Keyblade without second thought. Whatever he could use to kill these monsters. It was lighter than he expected it to be. He hadn't much practice using blades, but he found using the Keyblade to be fairly easy. He swung at the Unversed, slashing at them and making them no more.
Niko smiled and summoned another Keyblade, proceeding to fire bolts of magic from it at the Unversed. Together, Niko and Garnet were able to vanquish the Unversed, and thoughts of jealousy left Garnet's mind as he fought, finding himself too busy to think of that. He took a moment to look down at the Keyblade, and he decided he could get used to fighting with something like it.
Niko looked around and saw they were gone. Dispelling his Keyblade and reverting back to normal, Niko looked at Garnet and nodded. He has a real knack for using a Keyblade he thought. Perhaps this was a fateful event. Niko looked at the Gummi Ship and walked to it.
"Let's get out of here," Niko said. "We can get you, Gold, and Silver someplace safe."
Before walking over to the ship, Garnet extended the Keyblade in Niko's direction. "Thanks," he replied in an almost begrudging fashion.
From the ship, Gold and Silver sat quietly talking with each other over the events that had transpired. Sapphire had explained everything to them, and she currently sat in the cockpit after having gotten to Niko and Garnet, waiting for them to board.
"Nah," Niko said. "You keep it. It gotta admit that you're the last person I would give a Keyblade to, but you've got potential. When this is all over, I'll train you if you want."
Upon getting to the Gummi Ship, Niko sat in the cockpit and started her up. Getting to the Lanes Between, Niko noticed Radiant Garden and landed there.
"You guys should be safe with Cloud," Niko said. "Just look for a tall dude with a giant spiky do. Once this is all over, We'll come back for you guys. We need to find the other two that were taken. Gold...Silver...I'm sorry I'm a pretentious dick in your eyes...I can't change that. Garnet...I'm sorry we can't be friends...for reasons I'm never going to truly understand. Maybe...in time we can be friends."
Garnet threw the Keyblade over his back. Silver did not listen, but Gold did, and he nodded his head with a slight smile. Silver grumbled something under her breath before stomping out of the ship. "Take care," Gold replied before following his twin, leaving Garnet, Sapphire, and Niko.
Sapphire approached Garnet to send him off. He murmured something, and Sapphire's eyes widened. "I was going to tell you soon," she murmured. "I'm sorry you found out-" She was cut off when Garnet rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, and her eyes softened. However, worry creased them a moment later, and she pulled Garnet into a tight hug that he returned immediately. "Be safe," she murmured into his shoulder before they pulled away.
"Always," Garnet replied before heading off the ship. She watched him go, frowning slightly. She hoped all three of them would be okay.
"Don't worry about it," Niko said smiling. "I gave him a Keyblade. He has the makings of a Keyblade wielder...besides I can still summon mine."
"Let's just hope he'll use it for the right reasons," Jiminy said.
Niko took off and headed for their next location. As Niko approached he was shaking his head, feeling so bad about where they were headed. He sighed heavily at where they were headed and he was hoping to never have to come here. Especially now, of all times.
"Great...well...we're heading to a world that is super odd and seems to be in the past," Niko said sighing. "You aren't gonna like it, but try to keep an open mind."
