CHAPTER SIX
Today, Aqua volunteered to train with me. We stood on opposite side of the area. Aqua summoned her Keyblade, Rainfell, and struck her battle stance, which looked almost identical to mine, except her left arm remained poised at her side.
When I met Aqua in Radiant Garden, she cast that protective spell on me that kept me safe from the darkness. She must be extremely skilled in magic.
"You ready?" Aqua said.
I nodded, summoned my Keyblade, and struck my battle stance. Aqua ran towards me and swung. I brought up my Keyblade and blocked her attack. Aqua immediately swiped horizontally. I gasped and created a small Barrier that kept her Keyblade from slicing my torso open, but the force sent me back.
"I see you know magic." Aqua said. She smiled mischievously. "Then you won't find if I use some as well."
"Go right ahead." I smirked.
We ran towards each other and clanged out Keyblades together. Aqua side-jumped and brought her Keyblade down, but I backflipped out of the way.
"Freeze!" Aqua pointed her Keyblade at me and a shard of Blizzard zipped towards me. I gasped as the ice collided with my stomach. I grunted and tumbled to the ground. "You okay?"
I slowly sat up and looked down at my stomach, which had a hard layer of ice spreading over it. I clenched my fist and it sparked into flames. I slammed my fist against my stomach and the ice shattered. I jumped to my feet and hurled my Keyblade at her. Aqua backflipped, and it seemed like slow motion as my Keyblade spiraled right past her face, only inches away, yet her face remained calm. My Keyblade wedged itself into a rock, and Aqua ran towards me. I shot out my hand and focused on my Keyblade as the distance between me and the Keyblade mage closed quickly. My Keyblade trembled and disappeared in a flash of light. Aqua jumped in the air and brought her Keyblade down. My Keyblade appeared once again in my hand and I lifted it up to block her attack.
"I guess Terra was right; you're very good." Aqua said.
"Thanks." I said, and I pushed her back.
She charged at me once more. I thrust my arms out and balls of Fire appeared and zipped towards her. She gasped and dodged the first few Fires, but the last one slammed into her chest. Her Keyblade fell out of her hands and disappeared, and she tumbled to the ground.
"Aqua!" I dispelled my Keyblade and ran to her side. I rested my hands on her back. "Are you okay?"
Aqua climbed to her hand and knees. "Yeah, I'm okay." Aqua looked up at me. "Looks like you won this training session. Nice work."
I smiled and helped the bluenette up.
"I can see why you're a Keyblade Master. You are definitely skilled."
"Thanks." I said.
"How was training?" Terra said as he and Ventus approached us.
"Hallie beat me." Aqua said. "That's two victories in a row."
"Yeah, but tomorrow, we get to train together!" Ventus said. "You may be a master, but I'm totally gonna beat you!"
I chuckled. "We'll see about that."
We called it quits for the night and walked together back to the castle.
"Hallie, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" Terra said.
"Me? Um..." I said. How could I word this without accidentally blurting out the wrong things? "My life has been one crazy ride after another. I guess I have a thing for the whole 'damsel in distress' sometimes, because I'm constantly getting myself in trouble and constantly being rescued."
"Did you have any friends from Radiant Garden? Or Olympus Coliseum?" Aqua said.
"Yeah, I did." I said. "I had two childhood best friends from Radiant Garden, but fate decided we were needed elsewhere, and we became worlds away from each other. While I was in Olympus Coliseum, I made another best friend. He... was like my other half. Now I have many friends scattered across the worlds, but I guess fate decided to separate us again."
I stopped walking. I sniffled and swiped the back of my hand under my nose.
"Sorry." I mumbled, blinking rapidly to dismiss my tears.
Aqua rested her hand on my shoulder. "It's okay to miss someone. Even when you're apart, as long as you keep them in your heart, they'll always be with you." Aqua said, placing her other hand over her heart.
I looked up at my three new friends and smiled.
"You're right. Thanks." I said.
I stared straight into a giant pair of burning yellow eyes. I felt frozen in place, and with a single blink, the eyes could've easily turned me into a burning pile of ashes. I heard a low, phlegmy chuckle echo around me. I saw three little children cowering in the distance, their backs turned to me. As I ran towards them, they grew into Sora, Riku, and Kairi.
"Guys!" I cried. I sprinted to them.
They slowly turned around, and I stopped in my tracks. They all stared at me with blank, zombie-like expressions. Their eyes drooped like they were extremely tired.
"Sora? Kairi? Riku?" I said.
I reached out to touch Sora as his eyes closed. They snapped open, and instead of deep ocean blue, a pair of yellow eyes stared back at me. I gasped and stumbled back as Kairi and Riku shared the same eye color. I watched as the shades of their brown, red, and silver hair were slowly overcome by white, starting from the tips and slowly crawling towards their roots.
"What's... what's happening?" I said. "Guys, it's me, Hallie!"
I turned around and saw Terra, Aqua, and Ventus with the same white hair and yellow eyes. My eyes trailed to Terra, as he would be the only one to face this horrible fate... that is, I hope he would be the only one. I gulped and looked between all my friends as they stared at me in a half circle while the giant pair of yellow eyes floated behind me.
"Sora...?" I said.
Possessed Sora grinned sinisterly and summoned a Keyblade, but it was not Kingdom Key. It had a spiky, black guard resembling demonic wings, a horned, demonic goat-like head just above the handle, two barbed shafts, and teeth resembling a battle axe split into three almost claw-like protrusions. An evil, blue eye rested at the center of the tip, next to the teeth, and dangled as a token attached to a chain on the end of the guard. I gasped at the sight of the Keyblade; I hadn't seen this particular weapon in twelve years. Sora raised the Keyblade and slashed it down on me.
My own screams woke me up. I thrashed in my bed, throwing my pillow and blanket across the room. Even when I was fully awake and conscious, I continued to scream and cry.
"Hallie!" a muffled voice called from the other side of the door. My door flew open and Ventus burst into my room. Wayward Wind was in his hand. "Are you okay?!"
I stared at the blonde Keyblade wielder as my heart continued to pound in my chest.
"Y... yes..." I said. "I just had a bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you."
Ventus dispelled his Keyblade and nodded. "Okay... Goodnight."
"Ventus?" I said quietly. He paused with his hand on the door handle.
"Yeah?" he said, setting his ocean blue eyes on me.
I gulped and blinked away tears. "Will you... will you stay with me? Please?"
Ventus slipped his hand off the door handle and smiled softly at me. He picked up my crumpled blanket and pillow off the ground and rested them on the bed. He sat back on the bed and leaned his back against the headboard. Hesitantly, I laid my head against his chest. The sound of his beating, fragmented heart chilled me. I reached up and softly gripped the black side of his split-colored jacket. He slipped his arm around my shoulders. My eyes closed, and a small tear leaked out and fell down my cheek, absorbing into his jacket.
