I know, I know. There's no Bruixe in this chapter. I promise, you'll survive.
Out of every character here, I own only Bruixe, Ren, Hanna, and the Councilors. The rest, well, I think you know who to thank for them.
Enjoy.
What a shame we all became such fragile broken things
A memory remains, just a tiny spark
I give it all my oxygen
To let the flames begin
Let the flames begin, oh glory
This is how we'll dance when
When they try to take us down
This is what will be, oh glory
-Paramore, "Let the Flames Begin"
Ren waited anxiously in the small alley behind the Temple of Heroes, wringing her hands. Winter was settling into the Eternal Kingdom, and she could smell chimney smoke and the crisp, pure scent of coming snow. She breathed deeply and exhaled impatiently, earning a wry laugh from her sister.
"Relax," Hanna advised from where she sat on the ground, back against the Temple wall. "They'll be back soon, and we can sort all this out."
"I'm not worried about Sora and Kairi," Ren mumbled. "I'm worried about Bruixe."
Hanna looked up at her little sister and smiled, rubbing her wrists. Ren winced as she looked at the raw wounds the shackles had gouged in Hanna's arms.
"You really like that girl, huh?" Hanna asked.
Ren shrugged. "She reminds me of you," she said.
"Well, then she must be a beautiful, cunning, confident person," Hanna replied nonchalantly. "Tell me about her."
Ren leaned against the wall and let herself slide down into a sitting position. "She's more… violent than you," she admitted. "On the way to Councilor Isalena's manor, there was this creepy guy that kind of started hitting on us. Bruixe smashed his face and tossed him out of the wagon."
"Jeez," Hanna muttered, and Ren laughed softly.
"She's strong," she went on, "but she's kind, too, even though she pretends not to be. When we got caught by a few guards, she tried really hard to knock them out without killing them. But one of them was a little too strong, and I think she kind of had to – to, um, kill him. When we got inside, she got really sick. I don't think she'd ever deliberately killed someone before.
"Anyway, she was really protective of me – and she'd only known me for a couple days," Ren continued. "And… Sora said she has to make those Chaser things to keep Riku alive. If she was that protective of me, I can't even imagine how she must feel about him," she finished.
"I wish I could meet her," Hanna mused.
"You will," Ren said, wishing there was a way to make the words come true.
Footsteps echoed down the alley, and Ren jumped to her feet as Sora and Kairi came around the corner, slightly out of breath.
"Garrison's gonna meet with us in two hours, after the Council meeting," Sora told them.
"Councilor Garrison," Hanna corrected.
"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. "Councilor. He said to go to his house – you'd know where it was, Hanna?"
"Yes," the lieutenant replied, shakily getting to her feet.
"I'm just worried someone will recognize us," Kairi murmured, concerned.
"I can get us there without crossing any main roads," Hanna told her. "That's the best I can do."
"Why did you two ask for Councilor Garrison's help, anyway?" Ren asked.
"Bruixe always said she trusted him the most," Kairi told her. "Out of all the Councilors, he was the kindest, or at least that's what she said."
"She's right," Ren agreed, but Hanna shook her head.
"Danthus was kinder than Garrison ever could be," she said quietly, and the grief in her voice was obvious.
Hanna hadn't told them what had taken place since she was taken prisoner, and none of them wanted to ask. But it was clear that the memory was terrible.
"Even if someone does recognize us, so what?" Sora pointed out. "The worst that could happen is that Isalena could see us."
"Councilor Isalena," Hanna replied firmly.
"Whatever!" he said impatiently. "Even if she does, what's she gonna do? Attack us in broad daylight in the middle of Kingdom City? No way. And if anyone else recognizes us, it'll probably help. We're heroes, right? Well, me and Kairi anyway."
"Mostly just you," Kairi corrected.
"What I'm saying is, people have got to believe us," Sora finished.
Ren fidgeted. "You really think so? The word of four kids against two Councilors?"
Hanna held up her mangled wrists. "We have enough proof," she reminded them. "Most people will know that I was in General Danthus' squad when we went missing. They'll listen to my story, because they want answers."
"And the guards at the Temple were saying that they heard screams coming from the mountains," Kairi said quietly.
Ren's gaze fixed on the redhead. "What?"
Kairi nodded grimly, eyes sorrowful. "They said there's an old abandoned house up there, and the girl that used to live there died. They think it's the ghost of the girl. They're kind of right, I guess."
Ren frowned. "Who used to live there?"
Sora and Kairi exchanged looks, then Sora asked, "Um… did you ever hear about a girl named… Rubesia, I think it was?"
Hanna looked shocked. "Isn't that the name of Xehanort the Cruel's daughter? But she died, years ago. Is that the ghost they were talking about?"
"She didn't die," Sora told them. "She… well, she, um… she ran away. And changed her name. To Bruixe."
Both sisters' mouths fell open.
"Bruixe is Rubesia?" Ren whispered. "She's Xehanort's daughter? But Rubesia was supposed to be evil, like a demon-child, they said."
"Let's just say she… had a change of heart," Sora said.
Garrison's home was within the city walls, unlike many of the other Councilors. Hanna explained that he liked to live among the people, so that he could know how to help them the best. She told them that Garrison was the people's favorite councilor, earning him the nickname 'The Pleaser'.
A servant at the door led the four to a sitting room decorated in green and gold, and the three girls sank into soft chairs, grateful for the chance to rest their feet. Sora paced for a while, then stopped behind Kairi's chair when Garrison entered.
"I must admit, I was surprised to see your faces again, Sora, Kairi," Garrison said. "Pleasantly surprised, of course."
"How do you know each other? Sir?" Ren wondered aloud.
"Councilor Garrison was the second-in-command of the Watch during the Chaser War," Sora told her.
"And you, lieutenant," Garrison continued, turning to Hanna, "you have given me much to be thankful for, and yet much to fear. How fared the rest of your comrades?"
"I think you know, sir," Hanna said quietly. "Did you… did you hear about General Danthus?"
Garrison nodded. "He will be sorely missed. Danthus was my friend as well as my mentor. The world will be a darker place without him."
Kairi almost smiled at the titles, but the importance of their conversation weighed heavily on her, and she kept her face blank.
"That's actually why we're here," Sora said. "What exactly were you told about Da – er, Councilor Danthus' death?"
"Councilor Isalena announced that he was murdered by outsiders," the Councilor told them. "She seized emergency powers and had authorized the creation of a protecting army – your friend Bruixe was with her."
Sora shook his head. "I don't really know how to say this, but… she's lying. Isa – um, Councilor Isalena killed Danthus. With her own hands."
Garrison's face was a mask of horrified shock. "It cannot be," he whispered. "Impossible."
"Not impossible," Hanna said, picking up where Sora had left off. "I was there, sir. I am… I'm the only surviving member of Danthus' squad. The others were all killed. Lady Isalena, she told me that I was to be her lieutenant, as I was Danthus' before. When I refused, she threw me into her dungeons." She held up her wrists to show the Councilor the truth of her words. "I know it seems impossible. But she is planning something far worse than you can imagine."
"I was with Bruixe when we came to the Eternal Kingdom," Ren piped up. "We went to confront Councilor Isalena, and Sora, Kairi, and Riku were behind us, but we were all captured."
"Do you know about the power of Bruixe's Keyblade, sir?" Sora asked suddenly.
Garrison hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. It was once the weapon of Xehanort the Cruel. He used it… he used it to create the Chasers."
"Isalena knows about it too," Sora told him. "She… she's forcing Bruixe to make Chasers for her, or she's going to kill Riku. She was using us as bait, too, but… Terra came for us."
Silence fell over the room as he spoke Terra's name, and Garrison frowned. "Where is the Liberator now?"
"He and Riku went to try and save Bruixe," Ren said worriedly.
"They'll be fine," Kairi whispered, as if saying the words could make them come true. "They'll come back."
"But… just in case," Sora said, "we came to you. Bruixe told us many times that you were the most trustworthy of the Council. And we knew you from the Chaser War… we need your help. If – heaven forbid – if anything were to happen, and Bruixe and Riku and Terra don't make it back, you have to convince people of the truth. Isalena has to be stopped."
The four waited with bated breath for Garrison's reaction. Finally the Councilor stood.
"This is terrible news indeed," he began. "Lady Isalena a traitor – and a new Chaser army breeding. It grieves me to think of what this may do to the Eternal Kingdom. If she has done what you say she has done, Isalena will not give up without a fight."
"And she's not alone," Ren said. "Councilor Rondot has allied with her."
Garrison shook his head, troubled. "Rondot never does anything without the support of Councilor Nester, and Velkin usually sides with Isalena as well. Those four… you cannot imagine the kind of power they have. To bring them down will take much more than Kingdom City can handle. Even if we were to mobilize the Watch against her… this Chaser army you speak of nearly destroyed us once."
He took a deep breath. "There will be war," he said quietly. "It is unavoidable. Isalena has gained favor with her ascent to power. Her followers are many. If she is to be brought down…"
"We'll help all we can," Sora promised, and the girls nodded their agreement.
"War," Ren breathed.
"I'll bet she expected this," Hanna said. "That's why she killed Councilor Danthus. So that if the people revolted, there would be no strong leader to oppose her."
"I'm sure Councilor Garrison is a fine leader," Kairi said, but Garrison shook his head.
"I can be a commander," he told them, "but I am not the general Danthus was. It isn't modesty – it is a statement of fact. And the Watch's numbers are few."
"But if we strike first?" Hanna persisted. "We could have the element of surprise, sir. If we move now – or within a day – we can cut off Lady Isalena's followers' access to their soldiers. Councilors Velkin and Nester both live within a few hours' ride. If you take squads of Watchmen and surround them before they can move, you can isolate Rondot and Isalena, cut off their chance of reinforcements."
Garrison nodded thoughtfully. "It… could just work."
"I can lead one battalion to Velkin's estates," Hanna volunteered, "and you could take another to Nester's, sir."
"But Bruixe, and Riku, and Terra!" Kairi reminded them. "If Isalena learns she's been found out, she might kill them, or use them as hostages against us."
"I'll go after them," Sora said.
"Not alone!" Kairi cried.
"Yes, alone," Sora told her softly. He leaned down so that he was face-to-face with her. "Do you remember what I told you two years ago? When you wanted to come to Hollow Bastion with me?"
Kairi ducked her head. "You said that I would be in your way," she said quietly. "But you don't have to protect me anymore."
"It's not about protecting you," he told her. "Even if you didn't need my protection – I wouldn't be able to think, or focus, if I was worried about you. And I'd worry about you no matter what."
"You can't baby me forever," she argued.
"I'm not babying you," Sora replied. "But the last thing we need is another one of us captured. And let's face it, I'm a better fighter than Bruixe or Riku – and maybe Terra, too. I can take care of myself. And I promise, as soon as I find them, we'll come straight back, and I'll never ask you to stay behind again."
"Promise?" Kairi demanded.
Sora thought for a moment, then relented. "Promise," he said, kissing her on the forehead.
"Do you know how to get to the old house?" Hanna asked.
Sora's face was grim. "In the mountains, right? I'll follow the screams."
"Don't say that," Ren begged, and Sora nodded.
"Good luck," Garrison said.
"You too," he told them, and then ran out of Garrison's home, already anticipating the feel of two Keyblades in his hands, and the faces of his friends when they were finally together again.
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