Chapter Forty Six: Arrival
"Erxart, where are we going?!" Grabbing his shoulder as they continued along into the dark corridor, Axel shouted over the swirling shadows around them, "If we don't hop out soon, we'll get sucked to the realm of darkness!"
Erxart sighed as he admitted, "That's the point."
Coming up next to the two of them, Roxas furrowed his brow and asked, "Will it keep us safe?"
Axel grimaced and shook his head, "It'd keep the rest of the Organization off our back, but—!"
And then the roaring shadows became silent, Axel's words hanging in the air.
What came from him was a cry of shock as the ground fell out from beneath them. Down to the depths. Down to the shadows the three of them fell. Roxas was screaming, Axel held on to him and Erxart with a tight grip. But Erxart was quiet.
All he could focus on was the connection he felt, ever since he called on the power of his broken charm.
Her broken charm.
It had to be Aqua's. What else could explain the faint pull in his heart toward her? The way his memory of that dream resonated the more he held onto it. That dream of a dark world. The pull that only intensified now that they had reached the depths. The voice of the strange armored figure echoed in his mind…
"Remember"
The three of them finally hit the bottom, as the shadows swirling around them came to a stop. Roxas picked himself off the ground and groaned, "Could have gone without doing that again."
Dusting himself off, Axel raised an eyebrow and asked, "Again?"
Scratching the back of his head, Roxas admitted, "I had trouble using the dark portals once, fell down, and Xemnas came to get me."
"Oh yeah, It's been a while since then." Axel muttered as he crossed his arms. "Anyway, mind filling us in on why you brought us here, Erxart?"
Erxart winced, at Axel's annoyance, though he understood the sentiment. This darkness was far from an ideal place to go after escaping the Organization hunting them down.
But if he could call on that power with the faintest memory of her, then she had to be real. She had to be here.
Erxart led the way through the twisted landscape. "We're not going to be here for too long. Just going to find someone." As they got over a ridge, Erxart narrowed his eyes at the strange sea before them. "I get the feeling she's been waiting for a long time."
"She?" Roxas repeated as he looked up and down the beach before pointing at a figure in the distance "Is that her?"
Exart looked across the sand. Where the water and earth met.
Saw the faint blue from his dream.
Axel muttered behind him, "Doesn't look like a heartle—"
Erxart couldn't bother hearing the rest before breaking into a run. He could hear Axel calling after him to slow down. But he couldn't care.
Not when something inside was shouting at him that he'd finally found her. A distant light he thought was only a dream.
Time had flowed and stopped, been bent and broken. Once again Aqua was wondering how much time had even passed since she saw Ventus and his friend. But now she had arrived at the edge of an ocean of shadow. And so she was left with her thoughts and worries. Could they find her, or were they still struggling in the world of light?
Did he even care anymore?
"I didn't mean to call you awful."
Screwing her eyes shut, Aqua shook her head. Of course Ven cared. Even so, there wasn't an easy way to get to this world besides dreams or using darkness. The former provided some comfort, but Aqua doubted Ven would try using darkness himself. Not when he was still struggling against Vanitas.
She clenched her fist at the memory. Of course, if Ven was back then he was too. She fought him so desperately to get Ven back, but still he survived. Just as she tried to pull Terra from Xehanort's possession, only for him to become whatever Erxart was and forget his life.
Was that all her efforts amounted to? A string of Pyrrhic victories?
And the worst thing was that now she was just too tired to be angry. Too tired to try hunting heartless to vent her frustration. So she just stood there, listening to the waves lap against this alien shore. A phantom sun in the distance. Footfalls approaching on the sand.
Turning in shock as she registered someone approaching, Aqua once again saw the image of Terra in the dark cloak running towards her. But as she readied, he slowed and reached a hand towards her as he asked, "Aqua? Is that you?"
"Terra? You're here again?" Aqua gave a rueful sigh as she turned to the sea and pondered, "Or would you prefer Erxart?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure myself," he answered as Aqua heard him move closer. Aqua turned to yet another vision of a lost friend and saw Terra look to her with hope. "But somehow I know, if I follow you I'll find the answers." Despite the sentiment, Aqua felt numb as she saw him reach out to her hand. Once again, they'd pass through each other, just a hollow feeling of—
Warmth.
She'd almost forgotten what warm was like.
But the slight sensation of it from where Terra held her hand stirred so many memories. So many feelings. There was no way she could hold back the tears as she clasped his hand with both of hers. With a shaking voice, she looked at him and sobbed, "This…this is real. You're real!"
"Is this...the girl you told us about…from your dreams?" Someone gasped behind Terra, rousing Aqua from her wonder. Quickly she dried her eyes as the red haired stranger in another black cloak caught their breath. "Whoever you are, it looks like…you've got a real story to tell."
Seeing the other smaller person in a black cloak approaching in the distance, Aqua let go with one of her hands as she asked, "Who are these people with you?"
Nodding, Terra gestured behind him to the companions. "These are my friends, Axel and Roxas, and we're here to get you out."
Axel crossed his arms and added, "Well, he's here to get you out, and we're along for the ride."
Roxas caught up and glanced at her. "Erxart, this who you were looking for, right?"
Terra nodded as he pulled away. "Yes. The girl I told you about, Aqua." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled something out and murmured, "and I'm fairly sure the reason we survived Hollow Bastion."
"I have, " Shaking her head, Aqua settled on, "so many questions." From how they got here, to what had happened. But here and now, looking at Roxas, Aqua only really had one. "Do you happen to know a boy called Ventus? He looks—."
"Just like me?" Roxas muttered as he clenched his fists, "I know him, but Ventus and I are two separate people. I don't even know why he's got my face."
A mystery not even he knew the answer to, but at the very least Ven hadn't lost himself too. Even so, the sight of someone that was the spitting image of Ven looking so morose troubled Aqua. But before she could add anything further, Axel stepped in with raised hands. "Listen, we've all got questions, but I think it's time we get out of here before we become heartless chow. Is there anything you need to—?"
"I'm ready to go if you are." Aqua couldn't give her answer fast enough.
Traverse Town wouldn't be the worst place to hide. At the very least, they could book a room for a night to rest. That was Axel's plan when he opened the dark corridor back to the realm of light. Granted, given the perpetual night over the Town, some might say there was hardly a difference.
But those people were never in the world of darkness. An alien sky without clouds, yet with a haze that was always shifting. As they stepped from the portal, Axel could tell Aqua knew the difference as she saw the sky above teeming with stars.
What else could explain the tears that came to her eyes?
Axel hated to bring an end to the happy moment, but the sooner everyone got up to speed the better."So, you had questions, right?"
Aqua shook her head as she turned back to the three of them. "Right, I suppose I should ask how you met," She paused for a moment before she settled on, "Erxart."
Axel had a suspicion she was just about to say Terra.
In any case, Exart was the one to explain, "We were part of an Organization that claimed to be made for the betterment of Nobodies."
Seeing the confusion forming on Aqua's face, Axel chimed in, "Nobodies are the beings that're left when a person with a strong enough will loses their heart."
"Almost like a byproduct of the heartless," Aqua nodded as she grasped the basics of it. Then her eyes narrowed. "But you said you 'were' part of it. What changed?"
Roxas crossed his arms and spat out, "They tried to kill Erxart. I'm not sticking around somewhere that wants my friends dead."
"I can understand that," Aqua answered with a nod before summoning her keyblade. "I imagine we have more we'll need to discuss, but we can't wait here." Shooting out a beam of light, she called forth a shimmering portal. "We should go see Yen Sid and figure out what all has happened and let him know about this Organization."
Roxas looked from the portal to Aqua and asked, "Who's Yen Sid?"
As he took a step to the portal, Erxart answered, "One of the old keyblade masters. If anyone can help us figure out what's happening, it's him."
Though even with Erxart's reassurance, Roxas hesitated to follow. Axel came up next to him and put a hand to his shoulder. "It'll be alright Roxas. I'm sure we'll make a good impression."
Satisfied in the moment, Roxas followed as the three of them went through the portal.
In the decade he'd worked in the Organization, Axel wondered what a light version of the dark corridors might be like. Though between the two, he wasn't sure if either of them were a better experience. Looking ahead, he wondered if it was alright for Aqua to go ahead without anything like their black coat. But perhaps after the world of darkness, the glaring light was a welcome change.
In any case, the portal left them on a floating mass of land, a wizard's tower reaching up high. Aqua led them up at a brisk pace, no doubt wanting to find out just what had gone on in her absence. Erxart kept pace behind her, probably hoping to find some kind of answers for what was going on. Even as Axel and Roxas were a bit behind, they both tried to keep up. Things had gotten hectic, and they both needed to sort out everything going on.
When they opened the doors and reached the top of the tower, Axel realized that whatever cosmic force was running the universe was having a laugh at his expense. The time for good first impressions wasn't just gone, it was burnt to a crisp.
The moment he saw Sora's group was when Axel realized they were going to catch a lot of flack for being in the Organization. Even if he wasn't involved with the Castle Oblivion plan, Sora couldn't have had a pleasant time. So the fact that everyone besides the old man had drawn their weapon was hardly a surprise.
It was only the old man's hand that kept them at bay, presumably this was Yen Sid. "Master Aqua? Is that you?
Slowly, Aqua nodded though she took a step back seeing so many weapons drawn. "Yes. Are we interrupting something?"
Yen Sid furrowed his brow. "Not exactly, but you should introduce your…guests."
"And you should do it fast." Riku answered as he tightened his grip on his blade.
Aqua nodded as she explained, "This is Roxas, Axel and Erxart. They're refugees from an Organization of Nobodies, and they saved me from the realm of darkness."
Kairi looked from the three of them in black, eyes lingering on Roxas for a brief moment before focusing on Aqua. "The Organization has caused a lot of problems for us. How can we trust them?"
Yen Sid began to stroke his beard as he mused, "I would not expect you to, given what Mickey has told me of your ordeals. But if I might ask why you left the Organization?"
Erxart clenched his fist and answered, "They tried to kill me, and my friends weren't happy about it."
"Then your story as defectors has merit." Turning to his desk, Yen Sid picked up an open letter. "I have received reports from a good friend regarding Ventus and his journey, and the latest one mentions the attempt on your life, Erxart."
Kairi narrowed her eyes before dismissing her keyblade. "So we can trust them?" The black haired girl that was Kairi's spitting image peeked from behind her, still uneasy.
"For now," Sora agreed as he dismissed his keyblade. Though soon his attention to one person in particular. "Hey, are you okay? You've been looking at me pretty hard."
Roxas, whose eyes were locked with his other.
On one level, Roxas knew there was a greater difference between him and the boy with brown hair. It wasn't like with Ventus where he was looking into a mirror.
But somehow, this was worse.
Somehow he knew they both had the same face.
And what's more he'd seen that face with similar hair before.
At the question, Roxas gathered himself with a quick shake of the head. "N…nothing. It's nothing. You just seem familiar...uh…"
Yet even as he trailed off, he knew the name that was going to be given.
"Sora."
Something in Roxas was uneasy just hearing it. He wasn't sure if it was because he was face to face with his other self, or that Vanitas was right. But then why did Vanitas look so close to Sora? What was the connection between the four of them?
Unknowing of Roxas' confusion, Sora continued on with his introduction. "This is Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Riku, and Xion."
Yen Sid nodded as he approached Aqua, "In any case, your arrival is fortuitous. I was about to inform Sora and his group about what happened to you, Terra, and Ventus ten years ago." Looking over to Erxart, he added, "Given your apparent amnesia, telling you this story would behoove him as well."
As everyone looked to the old keyblade master, he continued, "Ten years ago, there was a conflict brought about by a keyblade master gone rogue. Xehanort. Through his machinations he betrayed his friend, Master Eraqus, and sought to create a weapon that could call upon Kingdom Hearts itself."
"χ-Blade"
The pronunciation was just ever so slightly off. But from the way Yen Sid spoke it, even Roxas could tell this weapon was something far greater than the keyblades Erxart and him used.
Sora spoke up as he scratched the back of his head. "So wait, what about the Kingdom Hearts made by that fake Ansem?"
"It was an approximation, a proxy for the true Kingdom Hearts." Yen Sid made his way over to his desk as he elaborated, "Any collection of hearts great enough could serve as one. Whether they be people, or worlds. But only the χ-Blade can open the path to the true heart of all worlds." He gestured to Aqua and Erxart. "Aqua, Terra, and Ventus were Eraqus' apprentices, and after their master fell they faced off against Xehanort. But though they were able to stop the forging of χ-Blade, the price was steep."
Sighing, Aqua brought a hand to her chest. "Ventus' heart was broken, so I hid his body and cast a spell to keep it frozen in time. As for Terra, I found him in Radiant Garden, where I found Xehanort was possessing him." Looking to Erxart, Aqua furrowed her brow as she recalled, "We fought, and Xehanort tried to unlock his own heart. It just created darkness to drag him and Terra into the shadows."
Nodding, Erxart pulled out the broken charm he'd found. "You followed them and sent them back to the realm of light." With a sigh, he concluded, "And that's how you were trapped in the realm of darkness."
Crossing his arms, Axel stepped forward and interjected, "This is interesting, but Ventus mentioned Xehanort became Ansem's apprentice in Hollow Bastion. Now I've been with the Organization for a long time, so I know the truth. But perhaps everyone else should get filled in on the connection?"
Yen Sid folded his hands as he nodded his head. "Correct, Hollow Bastion and Radiant Garden are one and the same. It only became known as the former once it fell to darkness."
"Do you know if Xehanort worked on the experiments with the heartless?" Kairi's voice was clear, even as her face was downcast.
Axel scratched the back of his head, unnerved at Kairi's clear tension. "Since his Nobody is the head of our Organization, and we got our start as Nobody survivors of the experiments, I'd say so."
"Then I'm pretty sure I know who took my father's name," Kairi muttered, balling her hands into fists.
