You stood at the entrance of the castle, thinking about how this world was so desolate yet stretched onwards forever. If Aqua's armour was in this world (and she wasn't even able to tell you that much) then it could be anywhere!
This place was so obscuring with its darkness and scattered pieces that sensing anything was quite literally a chore. There was that 'town' in the distance, but there was also the whole... of this castle.
Well, the castle might have more treasures or vending machines. You couldn't trust Riku to remember to eat and stay hydrated and Mickey looked like a workaholic himself. Grumpy Cookie and Interesting Biscuit really needed an adult besides DiZ.
The castle was strange, it was a sound structure once upon a time, but the realm of Darkness had meshed with the area heavily and warped normal structures into crystals and crackling energy leylines. The building itself seemed to stretch up elevator shafts that looked more grown than made.
As you walked along the more normal hallways, you began to experience... not a feeling, but something inside of yourself. You paused to see what the sensation would do before it sighed.
'We used to train here...' the regret lingered for a moment then faded. You eyed a door in the hall that was mostly collapsed inwards. You didn't feel any Aqua inside, but...
You took a look in and saw it was a bedroom of a man with not much expression. It was dark and you saw a Heartless inside scuttling about.
It eyed you and some instinct made it want to chase you off. Territorial much? You chose to ignore it since Aqua literally was fighting for her life against the denizens of the Dark Realm to just stay this close to the borders.
You didn't have time to explore every little interesting thing.
-
Aqua held her master's Keyblade by her side as another titan Darkside fell into motes of Darkness. Three more of the colossal creatures rose from the depths of the road around her and for a moment, despair rose in her Heart, but the moment it threatened to consume her, her Keyblade flashed. Its shape transforming into something sleek and binding, feeling strangely hollow, but it didn't show any weakness.
She held it out as the greyish light flowed out of it, bored of the foes before it.
The serrated blade along with a strange keychain felt... admonishing of Aqua.
"Yeah... I hear you," she smiled as the Darksides hesitated at the light. She flicked the Keyblade and pink squares filled the space, giving her platforms to jump about. They followed her like bored protective guardians.
"I just have to hold on!" she cried and cut down another foe.
The Key of No Importance in her grip just glinted.
-
How did you always end up in weird laboratories?
It was more a classroom than an actual science laboratory, but still. The work stations had long been plundered by time and thieves.
Old notebooks were written by some childish scrawl.
"Prope...of Love: A...something by Ien...?" you read one, but it was already turning to tatters at the slight touch. Now that you were looking, the stations and tools were scaled to a more... height challenged person.
Evil dwarf scientist... or child prodigy went mad?
You felt... something in this lab, but it was so tiny that it was barely worth it. After moments looking, the feeling remained infuriating vague.
You did find a hidden potion, however.
Potion: Heals by 20 HP.
You could try another search... it might be easier if you ignored the areas you utterly searched or you can try moving on.
You were by... something! It was infuriating. You paused as you moved too quickly by a table and a collection of beakers and books toppled over in a truly massive noise. One book in particularly flew open and something dark purple and metallic flew across the air, landing in the hallways where Shadows appeared, drawn by the noise.
That piece was the Aqua feeling and now, two clueless Shadows were wriggling their heads at it.
That was... yours. The damn things even ignored you as a being devoid of their favourite snack.
Foolish... these Foolish Crumbs. Your rush came unexpectedly as they tried to smash the metal piece.
Mace attack: D6+1 = 2.
The mace smashed into the unblinking yellow eyes of one of the creatures. It bounced back, wriggling in fury and rage as the supposedly feeling of pain overtook it from the attack,
Shadow(Low-rank) HP: 64
You turned before the other Shadow even seemed to process what was happening. What good were these instincts and emotional responses when they fired at the pace of a snail?
"Do you know the periodic table? Have you ever heard of the element of SURPRISE!" you cried and smashed your mace into its face as well.
Shadow2: 62 HP
Both of them were not happy. You tried to reach for the weird shard but you were slashed across both sides in some strange tactic by the Shadows. Their claws failed to find real purchase and whatever they seemed to want to attack just... wasn't there.
Combined damage: 3
Era HP: 1815
You aimed for the strangely damaged Shadow and whipped out with your Mace, clubbing it so hard it exploded like a goodie bag with strange orbs of yellows metal. The last Heartless didn't attack as so much begin to wriggle its antenna furiously in the air.
That... didn't look like a good thing to let happen.
Shadow begins 'call to horde' skill. The longer the skill goes on after this turn, the more Shadows that will appear to swarm.
Your mace smashed it so hard it smeared bits until it vanished in puffs of smoke. It exploded leaving behind more strange orbs and you waited, but no other Heartless appeared to join the scuffle.
Heartless: countless trillions of lives and worlds. Eraquas: 2.
This was looking to be an easy fight.
Experienced gained: 6 total.
Munny gained: 10Mu
The piece of metal looked like it was chipped off something much bigger and the feel of Aqua was faint about it.
Piece of armour: grants +10 to finding Aqua Armour.
With this new piece, you focus and took off through a portal. You were sure you had locked on to the armour directly! Except there was one little issue.
You smacked into something that bisected easy portal from the Realm of Darkness. You tumbled out into an observation computer room overlooking a truly monstrously large factory. Frowning, you tested the space below the floor and found powerful binding magic and technology able to scramble the use of Darkness inwards.
Some sort of of...anti-teleportation barrier?
"Impressive... is it not?" came a truly impressive voice from behind. You turned to see one of those cloaked Organization fellows. He stood there, staring out the window at the many jars in stasis in the factory walls.
"I believe I would be more impressed if I knew what I was looking at. It's certainly large, but I don't know if I can call it impressive," you admitted. The man nodded once.
"Shallow appreciation is indeed irksome. This is a Heartless manufacturing complex. A place where Hearts can be artificially stimulated to produce Heartless in grand numbers, each stamped with special insignia," the man explained politely.
"I've heard that large heartless populations can be rather problematic. Why would someone wish to actively create more?" you would frown if you had the face for it.
"Because Darkness cannot exist without the Light and as much as the people of this Realm insist so, Light cannot be with its Darkness. People wished to see how deep that bond went. Perhaps find out how these beings could appear before their ordained time or what secrets the Darkness could hold to fix the slowly isolating worlds," the cloaked figure walked over to the computer, his arms moving fluidly at his side.
"So a curiosity born from limited understanding on the potential of darkness. I don't deny the reasoning, but I also can't deny the recklessness of doing such a thing being done at this scale. This factory is more than likely the reason this world is the way it is." you gestured upwards to the ruined world.
"Yet, it was due to the Darkness consuming worlds that an event occurred. It restored not only the worlds recently lost, but worlds lost since the time of Fairytales. Not only that, the rise of Darkness finally made the Light respond. The Worlds are protected once more but now... established lanes have formed. Paths eroded by disuse and memory returned. The Worlds are connected... unable to ever drift away again," the figure waved a hand then chuckled, the deep baritone sounding hollow... or a little sad.
"These were... positive accidents. I cannot lie and pretend the one who caused all this harm had anything but selfish intentions. Darkness for the sake of power. Opening the Door of Worlds instead of focusing... I do wonder what went through his head? Having a Heart seemed more of a burden the longer I ponder it," the man said.
"And yet, it is because of what you consider a burden that many great things can come about. Connections, passions, desires beyond mild curiosity. So many interesting things come about from having a heart and letting it aid you. Sometimes it weighs you down or leads you astray, as I've noticed from those I've met, but it can also be the reason you find yourself and seek improvement," you said and the man said nothing.
"Constantly seeking more can lead to more pain. Sometimes, it is better to reset it all...back to blissful nothing," he mused and inserted a disk into the computer.
"If you do not mind me asking, what brings you here?" you asked and he began to type into the computer, the number of password prompts a bit insane.
"To aid you in returning a friend... a lost friend to the realm of Light," he finally said.
"Nothingness is not bliss. It is nothing. It is far better to have something than to have Nothing at all," you disagreed.
"When all there is left is the slowly sinking ruinous remnants of existence. A blank slate would be preferable to make anew... to make better. Nobodies are perhaps like that. Blank empty shells that can be filled with more... useful things than their old existence," the figure said and the floor on the factory floor glowed before it slowly lowered into a ramp leading even deeper.
"Even nobodies have something. They have memories, they have remnants, and they have potential. To be truly Nothing is to be without any potential, to be without any purpose, and to be with no reason. It is to be less than even the shadows that scurry about," you argued for no other reason than arguing with people passed the time.
"In that regard, aren't Nobodies more like that first part and not the last? We may be empty of hearts, but we still have some lingering pieces of who we once were. Remnants that are built up from a broken existence instead of a completely blank slate." you added.
"Yet it will be those memories, those remnants, that will mean that no matter how hard you fight or how many bearers of Keys you gather... Darkness will never leave us. One day, somewhere quite plain, a man or woman will suffer terribly for years and when it finally becomes too much... their Hearts will spill forth and the nightmare repeats. This... is a flawed existence," the cloaked figure announced.
"But we cannot linger and talk semantics. For every second here is an hour there. A word you waste here is a precious moment spent there... on her side," he warned.
"Fair enough. It was interesting to discuss with you, Cryptic Crumpet." you said and slithered away from the powerful aura of the Nobody before you. The man had... insane levels of power just fluctuating about him. You were even sure he was holding some back...
"Do hurry on... there are issues left to slumber for far too long," the man said and you heard the telltale noise of a corridor of Darkness opening and closing.
"I could've died back there. I wonder if this is where the others would be afraid for their lives." you pondered as you vanished into the tunnel.
"Well... what's one more life or non-existence threat?" you shrugged.
-
"That was foolish," came a snide drawl. Xenmas merely watched from on high as the ramp closed behind the most curious Dusk. Uncomfortable knowledge of the person standing next to him was only rivalled by an understanding.
"You will understand when you reach this point," Xenmas said calmly. The teen threw back his hood and scowled.
"Doubtful, but what will and won't be is irrelevant. It's time," the young tanned man with golden eyes warned.
"To the future of which I will remember none of... I wonder how many times I've been?" Xemans smirked to himself
"...It's annoying enough to wait for your pitiful shell to form a Heart... or some pale imitation, but the road ahead has become... compromised. The Future in which we will go has become uncertain," the teen warned.
"Sounds like something to be concerned about. Shame, I'm afraid you will have to carry that emotional baggage for both of us. Besides... was he not confident? I doubt he would like to know his own past is afraid," Xenmas turned and strode off.
Xehanort of the long past glared at his back.
"You may have or once possessed my Heart, but that boy's remnants make you insufferable," he scowled again. Xenmas paused then looked back.
"I would care for your opinion... but I am neither able to nor willing to," he finished and stepped into a strange twisting of space as his physical form collapsed into a floating small heart.
Xehanort glared and collected the heart into a special tiny tube. A gift from his most Future Self. A portal Heart Ark.
"Oh how I would crush you if I could," he warned the tube.
Both Xenmas and Ansem were... dangerous. Too tainted in his eyes but his Master self seemed to trust them enough... for reasons, he would no doubt learn eventually.
Time was funny like that.
Now, they had a boy to awaken and the final member to collect.
Nothing would go wrong.
-
You had an odd moment of missing something like you were supposed to be bothering something.
Or someone.
The strange hallway was lined with cells and bars. The strangely bright hallway only making the insides of the cells darker. You followed the feeling of Aqua that was blazing now that you were 'inside' the warding barrier. No wonder you have trouble sensing it before... The end of the hallway was your destination and you ended up running past the cells, all but one dark. The cell lit up looked empty and barren, with only a message scrawled on the wall.
'L. I.
Thank you for being my friend.
S.'
Weird. You hurried into the end chamber where the pulsing wall chains and a chair sat facing a collapsed pile of blue and similar coloured armour. The armour was massively chipped in places and time had done it no kindness. You looked to the wall where a Keyblade rested, silver-handled an ornate edge shaft with a head like a backwards C pierced by an arrow. You went to grab it and the whole thing shuddered once.
The Keyblade rattled and the room's chains flashing on the wall began to snap one by one.
A voice came from the backwards arching helmet.
"I… have... to..." the voice echoed, a familiar pang of sad blueberry. The armour began to rattle faster.
"I have to...do something," Aqua's voice echoed hauntingly. The chest and leg armour snapped together.
"I have to do something... or we'll... both be lost," the voice said, lost and far away.
"I'm with...Terra... I... am with Terra!" the helmet snapped into place as the Keyblade began to glow angrily.
"I will save you, Aqua," you said and the armour paused for the briefest of moments.
"Save... Ven. Ven... I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Aqua! You need to wake up!" you ordered and the armour shuddered horribly for a long moment.
Then it collapsed on to its knees. Below it, a pool of darkness spread slowly as the armour began to glow.
"Era...qus..." the armour whispered and then dove headfirst into the pool. The pool didn't seem to be closing, but you weren't trusting a random puddle to handle Aqua's fate. You reached the edge and tried to manipulate the Realm with your power.
It was woefully inadequate. For all your immunities to Darkness, that also came with great restrictions. A Heart, while vulnerable to Darkness, could burn brightest under its influence. You did not have a Heart.
You were trying to do something when you were seconds away suddenly from a dark fist trying to sucker punch you. You leaned back as the rather human fist missed you by a fair mark. From the pool, something resembling a muscular and feral Shadow pulled itself into the stark white room of the chamber. Unlike the cute antenna of the Shadows, this beast's tendrils trailed back like whips as blue veins pulsed over its black body.
It hunched over and you slowly gripped your mace.
"You're standing in the way of a rather good muffin I've been waiting all day to get at," you said calmly.
It was then you saw a long glowing cut across its torso. It was heavily damaged by something... a giant key, perhaps? The thing was insanely fast, even injured it had the mobility to bounce to the chair and on to the ceiling, forcing you to take a precious second to follow its direction. It blurred towards you.
The claws blurred inches away from your face, the air displacing so cleanly that you could feel a backdraft as the thing skidded to a stop, in a crouched position. This was not going to be a fight you wanted to be in close for.
You jumped back with a flash, landing with your long white coat and protective archer gloves. Your hooded head held up the truly massive Nobody gun with both hands.
"My rather large and powerful friend says hello," you said calmly before it loaded with a large growl of gears and energy.
"Meet my Boomstick."
The creature bounced about for a moment, making you track it quickly. It was slightly easier in this form, but not by much. It tried to bend itself to spring at your from the back, claws extended. You turned at the last moment, but it stopped and pressed away, dancing like a flurry of darkness and slashing at your exposed sides.
You were flung hard across the room, barely missing the chair in the middle as you rolled hard along the floor. That... sucked.
HP: 138
Link build: 6/10
You turned and fire the massive gun, explode a truly massive wave of nothing energy, obliterating the chair in the middle of the room. The creature just sunk into the ground and scuttled towards you as a 2D shape.
"I call foul. Only I get to break physics by existing," you said with a grumble.
It emerged half out of the ground, swiping at your with pure bestial focus. Something that only lived off pure instincts could manage. Perhaps in its haste, it must have messed up the transition from flat to define because it ended up stuck and immobile before you, clawing at the air hopelessly.
Neo Crit fail.
You moved out of its way, smacking it with your shotgun as you went.
2 damage done by all physical close strikes done with guns.
Neo HP: 13/60
You turned as the Heartless slowly freed itself, but you didn't give it a chance to recover. A sitting Heartless was better than any duck. Your bullets were formed, but perhaps it was the first time with this weapon or just how bizarre this all was, your energy bullets barely packed more than a sting to them as they blasted into the enemy's head.
Damage: 3!
Neo: 1310. Bonuses now furthered reduced by 2.
It freed itself and watched you for a single moment. Then it eyed the hallway leading out. Towards those dark cells. It took off and it was out the door before you could charge magic. You took to chasing and saw it was trying to press into one of the cells, but the bars crackled furiously.
Then a voice from the ceiling spoke.
"Warning. Escape in process." said the most sour-tone man ever.
"By authority of the MCP, all lifeforms inside the holding cells are identified as not being Master Xehanort or list of VIP." the voice went on as the Heartless backed up.
"Extreme extermination will now begin."
The wall unfurled with long metal tubes and wiring on rotating stands turned to face you and the Heartless.
The black thing charged and dove over you in an annoyingly graceful flip. You just shut the door as the sounds of metal and 'pew' sounds began to hammer the door.
"You know, for being a something driven entirely by instinct and emotion, you're very clever and very obnoxious," you said dryly.
"Something... obnoxious..." it rasped back.
An intelligent Heartless? That sounded impossible...
"You can speak?" you asked as the door became slightly warm.
"Speak... speak...you...speak," it repeated, twitching every word. It twisted slightly.
"You...obnoxious," its eyes blazed yellow.
"Hey now. I'm not the one that started this." you warned as a bit of the door near the top slagged in hot metal drips.
"Started... you...started. Emotion...muffins...started...see...muffin..." it pointed. Then it pointed to the portal of darkness.
"Started. You." it repeated. Perhaps the moment was getting to you, perhaps you were slow... but you noticed the thing wasn't using soundwaves or noise to speak. It was literally speaking into the void in your chest, tingling the darkness as it was unable to find a hold.
"From a certain point of view. But why attack me? I'm not the sort of food you'd enjoy, heartless." you said and the talking ticked down the cool down of your Lament gun.
"You. Started. Something to attack. Muffin," it crouched lower, brushing its wound. It made grasping motions.
"Sent...attack...obnoxious sent attack. Emotion Muffin. Empty Shell... you sent...empty shell...to attack," it said, voice growing more coherent.
"The armor is going down to fight Aqua instead of get her, isn't it? I sent that Empty Shell in an attempt to rescue her. If it's doing something else... Then I'll rescue her myself. Unless you intend to help?" you asked. The thing twitched.
"Aqua...shell...fight. Aqua...fight...me. Fight us. Empty Aqua...fight us. More fight...more Aqua... no more...no more Aqua!" it screeched in rage.
"I see. So, you want her out of your realm? Okay. We'll make that happen, then. I'll bring her here, and you can go home," you tried and the creature snapped to attention as part of the door exploded out in rubble.
"Out...out into...there. Get Aqua out...of realm...no more...Aqua," it bristled and paced slightly.
"Sent light... empty Aqua... to get Aqua. Get Aqua. No more Aqua? No more traps. No more...doors. Trust...empty shell. Why... why are empty... nothing there...speak to nothing...it listens," the creature said, apparently growing more confident with its speech as time passed.
It stepped back.
"Get...Aqua and shell. I will...lead...us...not there. Not long. Won't not be hungry...for light...for long. Aqua...broke trap. I here because Aqua broke trap. Traps to bring us here. Not trapped for a long time, but traps remain. Come... no Heart." it beckoned.
"My name is Eraqus," you nodded.
"Name? Name...name Aqua... name shell. Name Eraqus... come... Name Eraqus," it jumped into the portal with sluggish movements.
You really had no choice to follow or be slagged down by angry security measures.
The Realm of Darkness closest connected to Hollow Bastion was a collection of overlapping depressing roads and looming rock spires that had glowing blue veins running through them. Your new... friend moved like the wind and rapidly descended below many paths and roads to a large circular floating island where Aqua faced off against two truly massive Heartless. She actively pushed her back against the her armour, both of them fighting independently.
The Heartless were some strange four-legged creatures with chains wrapped around each leg. Their manes were a mass of wriggling tentacles, their eyes bouncing between Heartless yellow and crimson red as their bodies pulsed with blue lunes.
"Wait... then run," the creature warned and shot off, wriggling its long antenna. To your eyes, it was like the world itself grew countless yellow eyes. Dozens of creatures like the one guiding you rushed to the platform, the confused mass whirling together into a massive tornado that swept the two canine Heartless away in the mess as Aqua and her Armour became one to weather the attack.
The shadows tried to figure out why they were fighting or where Aqua was, but the platform was clear!
"Aqua!" you roared, your figure waving with the portal to the Realm of Light behind you. Aqua held two Keyblades and one of them flashed and... became a hover platform?
"Grab on!" she yelled as she shot past, you were only happy to obey as you both rocketed towards the shrinking portal now that the Darkness was having a civil war.
"Not again..." Aqua said in a strained voice as the light shrank faster than you were approaching. The keyblade she still held looked neat and you couldn't help but admire the grey tones and dull edge it had. In fact, you were admiring it so much that you sort of forgot... what... you were doing.
It was some empty and so were you! You could be empty together.
"Eraq-" Aqua called in worry but there was no need to worry.
You were just a little less empty.
-
Aqua tried to steer her Keyblade glider but Eraqus broke apart into dozens of grey motes and the strange new Keyblade began to vibrate wildly in her hands. It floated ahead of her and then slowly lowered onto her handlebar with a clear clicking noise.
The Keyblade opened like a butterfly opening its wings and from each tip, spiralling fan turbines appeared in a metallic greyness.
"This is strange." Eraqus remarked from the Keyblade.
Aqua opened her mouth but the Glider began to shoot forward at speeds she had never had before. The turbines adapted and adjusted outside of her control and a grey tone bubble surrounded them Heartless tried to ram them.
"You're a Nobody...jetbike upgrade? Do Nobodies just make aircraft hoverbikes on a whim?!" Aqua yelled over the rushing air. Eraqus replied in his usual tone.
"I suppose so. At least now our muffin delivery will arrive on time, hold on," he warned and the portal was right there, so bright... and home.
Aqua felt something slid down her cheeks. Perhaps dust from the helmet that needed repair? She didn't have time to dwell because the light surrounded them and Aqua closed her eyes.
"I'm home," she breathed before the portal narrowed too much and the bike dispersed, throwing hard against a wall and unconscious.
"Not the welcome I was expecting..." she mumbled before it went dark.
-
You were a hoverbike booster fan.
Not what you were expecting from today. Aqua laid unmoving in her armour and a quick check showed her pulse was fine, but you'd get her to a medical professional before long. The portal closed behind you almost until a single finger stuck its way through and pushed it open slightly.
Your...friend stared at you, a tendril missing from its head and one of its eyes missing.
"Thank you. Please don't attack us again," you asked and it tilted its head.
"Aqua...is gone. She is your Aqua now," it said dismissively. It twitched.
"It's still odd that you can talk to me... Are we connected, somehow?" you asked
"Heart is strong... but I can resist to talk. Talking is new. Talking makes...other parts feel full," it mused.
"No... you are empty. Hearts make too much noise to hear Hearts they don't know. Name Eraqus empty. I was trapped. Chance. Not many others will talk. Shame," it added.
"You have a Heart?" you asked with a tilt of your head.
"I was a Heart. Was... is...will be? I came from the Heart. Its whispers are known to me," it promised.
"Does... That Heart know where its Body ended up? They are separated when beings like yourself come from the Heart." you asked, pondering if your Heartless was around.
"Empty shells. Lost their Hearts. Do you know where your Heart is? Is it consumed and a shadow? I am not your Heart. If I was... would I want to be with you? No...my Heart now," it grinned.
"Interesting. You are you. I am me. Even if we are originally parts of a whole, we are still individuals." you commented.
Your friend of sorts tilted its head.
"What is a piece will make a new whole Hearts are fickle fruit... Shells are such fertile ground. Just wait shell... you'll get one. We know of the Hearts. Keep them close or they sprout off. Strong Hearts make strong us... sprout and sprout those Hearts and bonds. Ripe with Darkness and Light. So strong... they leave you and make me. Hearts... I like that word," it wriggled and seemed to be growing back its missing tendril slowly.
"Well, if you like talking, maybe we can do it again?" you offered. It chewed this over for sometime.
"Many doors to Light... very well... Shell Eraqus... you shall have this piece of me. A piece to me to you and sooner or later... back to me," it said, eyes blazing and you felt something deep in its shadowy body pulse. A light that was quickly smothered. It gasped and rolled for a moment.
"Fertile fruit... infested with painful worms," it shuddered.
"Aren't you just the regular Evil Eclair," you said dryly. It went still.
"Eclair... A name... Clair... I will be...a name. Clair of the Darkness," it said and began to sink into the ground.
"I hope, for as much as an empty shell is capable, to meet you again, Clair." you nodded.
"Oh... I will plunder the secrets of the Heart with new eyes. I shall look forward to our... Rotten Heart and Glass Heart bonding," Clair promised and vanished, the darkness fading.
Clair N-Link obtained!
+3 on any rolls against a Heartless except damage.
That was... neat, you supposed.
"Security Defences deactivated." came the sour voice. One of the turrets that had been shooting at you was flung into the room and laser blasts made explosions in the hall.
"Dispeciable intruder. The damage you caused will be repaired. Your means of entry will be accounted for and-" the voice cut off as another explosion occurred.
There was a pause and something blue stuck its head into the chamber.
"Oh... oh... Hiiii!" it waved two of its laser pistols almost shyly.
"Hello," you said, just deciding to roll with it. The creature sniffed the air furiously and rapidly scuttled over to the unconscious Aqua.
"Aqua! Friend!" it said excitedly. After a moment, it shook her shoulder.
"Friend... gabwa?" it said slowly, ears drooping. It quickly took out something and tried to put it in Aqua's hands. A star of some kind.
"Friends! Find friends!" it said loudly and then its ears flattened as it hugged itself.
"She is just resting for the moment. She's been through a lot and needs it." you explained and the creature eyed you.
"Aqua lost long time. Stitch look for friends. Ven, Terra, and Aqua," he said and settled down next to Aqua, resting its pistols.
"Stitch can wait some more," it nodded seriously. You nodded at him.
"Stitch made a good friend as well. I'll tell Aqua story of Ugly Duck. Make her sleep better," Stitch said but looked around.
"Not here," he decided.
It occurred to you that this strange blue thing did not match the castle decor.
"You know the way around? Do you know somewhere we can move her? I have friends I can reach out to, but I need somewhere safe to be before I try." you explained.
Stitch nodded and jumped to his feet... easily lifting Aqua with one arm.
"Stitch crashed here not long. Following the trail of friends. Ven cold... Terra cold... Aqua... gone. No trails, but I find Aqua scent here... had to keep looking. I had friend star. Aqua promised you always find friends with its magic," Stitch explained as he gently moved through the hallway.
He used one of his free hands to pull out a folded paper where three blobs of brown, blue, and greenish-yellow waved at the viewer.
"Friends," Stitch grinned, showing rows of sharp teeth.
Well, if you had a Heart? It was dead now.
-
Stitch led you to a turret of the castle where a crashed spaceship had been cannibalised to make a generator, a computer, and a series of very big guns. Great lengths had been attempted to paint the bricks seafoam blue and the golden sands of a beach with large palm trees.
"This is a... very impressive setup." you admitted. Stitch placed Aqua down on a nest of blankets, most with outrageous floral print or shark tooth patterns.
"Minimal. Too much drain gives away position. Castle has been very dangerous then it stopped when 'Sorha' came to find 'Reekcoo'," Stitch explained, exaggerating the names.
"Riku? You know the Grumpy Cookie? Or did you hear that name from someone else?" you asked interested. Stitch went to the computer and screens flickered past showing camera angles of the castle hallways and chapel.
"Stitch bugged them all. Only cost radio and some piping," he grinned again. It was impressive and you learned in only for the monitors to crackle and something flicked your nose.
"Kyehehe!" a yellow face emerged from the machine.
"Cousin! Behave!" Stitch warned and the yellow thing blew a raspberry and vanished back into the computer.
Stitch made apologetical motions with his hand then went to a chest to show rows upon rows or strange little coloured marbles.
"Cousins! But... many are still missing over the worlds," Stitch explained and you didn't quite understand.
"Interesting ability... There's a town outside the castle if I'm not misremembering. If you set up there, I could escort any I find among my travels to you." you offered and Stitch rushed in and you felt your non-life flash before your eyes.
"Friend!" Stitch was hugging you with his eyes closed.
"Ah... Yes. Any friend of the sad muffin's- that is, Aqua's, is a friend of mine," you agreed and awkwardly pet his amazing soft fur.
He released you and softly stepped over to the resting Aqua.
"Today... today is a good day. Aqua is safe," Stitch said to himself and sat in the nest next to Aqua, patting his space down before adjusting Aqua's pillow to be better placed.
"Ah... friend... I saw a lot. Many Worlds! Stitch wants you to wake up so he can tell you all about it," he said gently.
"She was injured, during the escape from where she'd been trapped. Do you mind if I try to contact someone that might be able to help?" you asked and Stitch shook his head.
"I'll protect Aqua. I stay... you go," Stitch promised and pulled out a battered book with muddy splotches all over it from under a nearby pile of blankets.
"Ah... Chapter 1: 'There was once a mother duck. This mother duck had no children yet for none of her eggs had hatched," Stitch read slowly and gently to the sleeping Aqua.
You watched the scene for a long moment before you turned and leave the two long lost friends to catch up, in story and dreams.
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