Chapter XXXI: In the Radiant gardens part VI

Pete and Hari together in the shadows watched the overflowing town of Hollow Bastion, they gazed upon the hardworking people as they made their rounds to and throw, but their targets they could see were running back and forth as well doing some unknown activity.

Pete was bored stiff from just doing observation work and was beginning to become restless, he then let out his complaints, "grrr, this watchin buiz is sure getting old real fast! Why don't we just go at 'em with the heartless and take it by force?!"

Hari silent by his side looked unchanging as she continued to gaze downwards, she then answered him, " Because it is illogical to it at this precise moment."

Hearing her reply though, Pete still continued on as he whinged, " what do ya mean illogical? We just gotta surround 'em call a big group out and then," pulling his grand fists out he then smacked one into another as he then finished, "we'll have 'em down fer the count!" He grinned at this idea of fantastic victory as he imagined the scene in his head.

Hari though on the other hand was still unchanged as she then answered him back, "that would still be pointless."

Pete then looked at her as he was getting really agitated as he put his fists on his hips and then asked, "oh yeah! And why?!"

Hari then turned away from the sights of the town as she looked at him with her emerald green eyes, "because at this moment the heartless that we have at this time are not strong enough to overcome them, there is also the issue of the other guardian forces here who have considerable powers… and finally," looking down again Hari watched their target as she saw her smiling at her white –haired companion as they ran around with a couple of boxes.

Pete blinked at her as he then asked confused as to what she was going to say next, "and finally?"

Looking at her again for another few moments Hari then closed her eyes as she answered, "that piece has still to lead us to the others."

Still not understanding Pete was silent as he pondered the mystery of what Hari meant behind that word, "piece."

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Nozomi wiped off a bead of sweat that had come off her forehead as she sat on the ground a little tired, but she smiled as she held in her right hand her earnings. Three of the pretty gemstones that she and Riku had decided to collect together for the Gullwings.

"Ah, that was good work, huh?" She asked him as he was resting against his back against the wall in a relaxed manner, his hands in his pockets as his left foot was lifted slightly against it too.

Looking at Nozomi and her happy go lucky self he then closed his eyes as he replied, "yeah sure."

Nozomi seeing his reaction lifted a questioning eyebrow for a moment as she then let it slide back down, she spoke once again, "well at least we managed to be of some help at least huh? I never thought delivering ice creams would take that much out of you."

Riku sighed at this as he remembered how they had managed to get the three stones they'd gathered, the first one they had stumbled upon was being sold by three little ducklings under the names, Huey in red, Dewey in blue and finally in green Louie.

Though unfortunately they weren't going to sell the gem for free and made an outrageous price of six hundred pieces of Munny on it! This has made Nozomi outraged as she tried to haggle with them, but the ducklings wouldn't relent. Unfortunately she and him didn't have enough Munny either since she'd stocked up on items and other accessories before they knew they'd be on this endeavour.

So looking for odd jobs they had met Mr Scrooge another white duck though older than the other three, had set up an ice cream delivery service, but unfortunately had no couriers. So that's where the two of them had come in.

After so many hours of running around and delivering as fast as they both could Mr Scrooge delighted at their hard working spirit and energy gave them the six hundred as well as two of the gems!

So now having bought the third gem from the duckling triplets they both decided to take a little break before finding the last two.

Nozomi finally relaxed and energised stretched her arms as she spoke once more, "right so where do you think would be the best place to search next?"

Riku looking at her was silent as he then retorted, "how should I know? You're the one who said could find them."

Hearing this Nozomi got a little irritated as she then responded, "man you're rude, that was totally uncalled for." Turning her head away from him she looked into the distance.

As she did though she could see something outlined in the distance, "hey what's that?"

Hearing her question Riku opened his eyes and looked to see what Nozomi was now pointing at, looking at it himself he squinted and was intrigued himself, "I don't know? That's odd I don't remember noticing that being there."

Looking at him as he answered her, Nozomi blinked as she then got up, "let's go somewhere where we can go and get a better look."

Hearing Nozomi say this he then watched as she went in a direction she thought would get them closer, he followed in pursuit.

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"Oy, then? Where'd ya think those chumps are goin?" He asked aloud.

Hari watching her targets continued movements replied, " I cannot say, I believe we should continue our pursuit."

With that Hari launched herself off the point they had been observing as her wings fluttered out mechanically, she began to glide downward as she then landed upon the ground gently.

"Hey! Wait up!" Pete called out as he jumped off the edge as well as he then plummeted down and hit the ground with an almighty thump.

Hari stared at him as he complained from the painful impact.

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After walking along the Borough she and Riku had now went through an entry way as they came into a long corridor that Riku had mentioned to her had some lookouts. Walking through Nozomi asked aloud, "What's this part called?"

Not looking at her Riku walked over to an open lookout point as he gazed on ahead, "it's called the Bailey."

Blinking at the answer Nozomi repeated, "Bailey huh? I guess it must be useful for them for attacks and stuff," she spoke on as she then looked out too.

What she saw ahead of her was some kind of deserted old town with tall black towers, it looked like a fort of some kind to her but it seemed ghostly and dark as she gazed at it's ruins.

"I don't like the look of that place," she spoke aloud as she shuddered slightly from the sight of it.

Riku hearing her thought complied, "yeah ditto that."

Though the sight of the place chilled Nozomi slightly she spoke again, "well I think the last two should be there."

Hearing her say this Riku was dumbstruck as he then asked her confused, "what makes you think they'll be in that place!?" He asked her.

Looking at him calmly Nozomi causally told him, "well we've already looked all around the town when we were doing the deliveries and stuff and they weren't anywhere around the whole area so… I think that that place is a good bet for it."

Riku hearing this acknowledged her answer but was still not convinced, "yeah but how can you be certain that they will be in that place?" He asked as he exaggerated on the words, "they will."

Nozomi then continued after Riku had spoken his mind, "well when I was in Bamboo town, me and Wairu would go around and hunt in the woods and in the caves that were there in the high hills that's where the gem stones were found mostly, cause they form in dark and high places…" she paused as Riku soaked in the information before she continued again, "so that's why I think they'll be there, besides we're only gonna be looking in the towers, we're not gonna look in the town so I think it'll be safe to say we won't run into any ghosts."

Riku hearing that blinked and then finally understood why she said that then nodded but then a thought occurred to him, "wait? Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts?" He asked as he wondered why she added that part. He smiled with a slight laugh at the thought.

Nozomi looking at him answered as she shook her head, "no I thought you'd be."

His smile vanished at once, "do you really think I'm that much of a coward?!"

Hearing this outburst Nozomi got a little disgruntled as she replied with a slight pout, "no, it's just I thought that might be the reason why you wouldn't want to go to the lower bit."

Riku was about to reply back when he thought he heard the sound of something clatter, "what was that?" He asked.

Nozomi blinked, "what was what?" She asked, as she hadn't heard a thing.

Riku looked down the corridor of the Bailey as he was certain he heard something, "I'm sure I heard something…" he pondered aloud.

Looking at Riku and his suspicious eyes surveying things she smiled as she taunted him saying, "don't tell me, you jump at everything that makes the littlest noise" She laughed.

Riku hearing her taunting then started to proceed into another small row.

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In the Bailey Hari and Pete were together as they stood behind a doorway just behind Riku and Nozomi as they watched the two of them argue. It had been a close call since Pete due to his clumsiness had nearly once more fallen over as they'd made it inside through a portal of darkness.

Hari though had caught him by the back of his trousers once more as she had then pulled him to the side of the doorway. Pete had his back against the wall, his arms held back against it as well as he made sure to breathe as quietly as possible. Hari watched from the doorway partly as she surveyed the two's argument ending with her emerald eyes.

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Finally finishing fighting Nozomi looked at the faraway fort as Riku did as well as he said aloud, "I bet we're gonna have to walk all the way there aren't we." He really didn't like the idea of walking so far since the delivering process had made him really exhausted.

"No need for that," Nozomi smiled.

Looking at her again Riku asked, "What do you mean no need for-"

He was cut off though as Nozomi's white wings had opened from her feet once again as they floated and glowed before him. He was awestruck before Nozomi continued, 'we can just jump from orb to orb to the place." She then looked out again and saw the thousands of glowing orbs that shone in the light. They were spread everywhere from the sky to the ground as they throbbed too and throw with their own source of life.

Riku looking at what she was asked her, "orbs? What orbs?"

At this Nozomi turned around as she asked surprised, "wait, you can't see them?" She asked.

Shaking his head he didn't understand what Nozomi meant, " I can't see anything except that fort."

Nozomi was confused, " but they're right there hundreds of them! They're all over the place! They're the things that I've been using to reach high places." She told him.

Riku was really confused at this himself, "but you've always been flying around! That's how it always looked to me."

Still not understating Nozomi looked outside again and was silent for a few moments, but then it occurred to her. Closing her eyes again she called her wings back into her, then as they disappeared she looked outside again, she then finally noticed it, "I guess I can only see them when I call my wings out, then again in reality I guess I am the only one who can see them."

Riku still not getting her was about to talk when Nozomi interrupted before he could begin, "well, anyway."

With that she immediately called them out again as she then jumped and stood upon the edge of the lookout ready to head off, looking back at Riku she held her hand out to him, "shall we go then?"

Riku looking at her hand and then the distance of how far they had to travel looked at her doubtfully, "are you sure gonna manage with me?" He asked.

Nozomi hearing this question reached her hand out more to him as she smiled to reassure him, "trust me."

Looking at her smile and then her hand he then slowly reached his right hand out to her as he then grasped it. Then jumping onto the edge with her he looked out towards the faraway deserted port as he prepared himself.

"Here we go then!" Nozomi spoke with a wide smile and with that before Riku could blink she and him had fallen off over the edge with a jump as she pulled him with her.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!" He shouted panicked to death as he saw the oncoming ground.

Nozomi only smiled as she laughed aloud, "WWWWWWHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Then she started to climb from orb to orb with Riku holding onto her hand with both his for dear life.

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Pete and Hari both emerging from their hiding point looked at the peculiar sight as they watched as their two targets head for the old hideout that he and Maleficent had used only just a few months ago, "wow! I didn't have no idea that, that little squirt could fly!" He spoke aloud truly surprised and awestruck as he watched her and her companion together.

Hari silent and still forever unaffected spoke again, "as she should… after all she is the seventh."

Pete hearing this blinked as he asked her, "seventh?"

Hari nodded as she spoke again, "yes, the seventh, the seeker, she is the same as me and the other one we have in our grasp."

Hearing more of this information Pete was beginning to understand a little bit but he still had no idea what she meant about her being the same, he then asked her, "the same, wait so that means then that… you got some power or somethin or you're the same thing or…" he couldn't grasp this entirely as his brain was beginning to become fried as he tried to understand.

Hari seeing his confusion told him simply and coldly what she and that other one were, Pete stared at her and her cold eyes as she began to speak, "yes, I am the fourth, the scythe of the hearts, we are both-"

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"Here we are!" Nozomi smiled brightly as they had now finally made it through into the tower of the fort, her wings vanished back as she walked in.

Riku on the other hand was stammering for breath as he held his chest tightly trying to calm down his racing heart, "I… I…. I think… I'm gonna… have a… heart attack." He spoke still trying to recover.

It had been so dizzying being in the air with Nozomi and really adrenalin pumping for he didn't know at times where she was going to go next nor when she going to go high or low. He swore there were a couple of times when they'd nearly come close to falling to the ground.

Nozomi though unaffected by the ordeal simply looked at him as she then bent on her knees to look at him as she asked questioningly, "I really didn't think you were frightened of heights that much, but then again anybody would be, it's a shame you can't see the orbs I think, you'd be able to relax more."

Riku angry once more only glared as he wasn't in the mood for her and her idiotics as he simply looked at the ground and then outside and was then truly struck by how far she and him had travelled as he saw Hollow Bastion in the distance.

Nozomi however had gone further into the tower as she looked inside she saw that the walls were a dark eerie blue, looking up at the ceiling she could see some kind of odd wiring and piping with some swirling pattern in the centre. Looking more she could see some other windows around that looked old and deteriorated from the passage of time and in the centre in the floor was a round glowing purple circle insignia.

Looking at it she spoke, "yup this place hasn't been used in a long time."

Recovering partially now Riku looked at her annoyed slightly, "well that's a bit too obvious isn't it?"

Nozomi looked at him and showed her annoyed eyes once more as she looked beyond him and saw some turning gears that turned slowly and she saw too the distance and then smiled as she thought of her accomplishment.

Looking back inside the dark place again she then began to hunt around for those gemstones. As she looked around Riku too began searching as he had got up off his feet. As the two of them looked Nozomi decided it'd be too boring to do it silently so made conversation, "so why was that heartless symbol on the tower here?" She asked.

Riku paused as he looked at her and saw she was looking in the corner, "heartless symbol?" He asked.

Nozomi made a noise to show her confirmation as she spoke on, "yeah the one on the roof of this place, I noticed it before we got in, why's it here do you think?"

Hearing her question Riku continued to search but then as he did he explained to her, "this place must have once belonged to Xehanort."

Nozomi paused as she heard that name, turning to look at him she asked, "Xe, ha, nort? Who's Xehanort?" She asked as she'd never heard that name before.

Riku sighed as he imagined the horrible heartless and nobodies that had caused him and his friends such grief in the past, "he's a guy that conquered and took over this place Hollow Bastion, he was swallowed by darkness and wanted to conquer all the worlds in search of kingdom hearts."

Catching this information Nozomi paused as she turned around and looked at him, "conquer all the words? Kingdom hearts? Why was he trying to do something so horrible like that?" She asked.

Hearing her Riku continued to search as he answered, "he wanted the heart of all worlds to gain ultimate power, him and the heartless devoured loads of different worlds… and they also made life a living hell for me and my friends too." He finished on a bitter note.

Listening to this and hearing Riku's bitter end made Nozomi feel saddened in her heart slightly, as she thought how he must have been in the same place as she was right there and then with that, "Hari" and heartless having destroying her own world and the loss of her dear friends, Wairu and Oralee. But wishing to hear more she then asked, "so did you guys defeat him in the end?"

At this Riku smiled a little ending some of the bitter feelings he had inside, " yeah we did… and everything was restored and me my friends managed to go home…. until this happened."

Bitter again this made Nozomi sad slightly once more as she thought that she must be causing him problems but wanting to make him feel better she told him, " well… I'm gonna promise you something."

Riku turned around and looked at her as she looked at him with a noble intent, "I'm gonna find that friend of yours Sora, and get you home! I promise you that much, after all it's the least I can do. You've been able to bear being with me for this long right?" She added with a smile and a slight laugh.

Seeing her and her smile made Riku pause for a moment but then he blinked and shook his head and then felt encouraged by this as he replied, "yeah, that would be the least you could do."

Nozomi nodded hard then her smile broadening, then she turned and looked again as did Riku. All at once they both stumbled on something and at practically the same time they both called out,

"I found one!"

Both of them looked startled as they both held out a gemstone each in their outstretched hands, there was an awkward silence until suddenly Nozomi laughed out loud.

Riku baffled at her then heard her between giggles, "that was beyond words of weird!"

Hearing her and seeing her smile Riku then laughed too heartily.

***

"Well we've done it! Now we can make that arrangement with the Gullwings!" Nozomi spoke aloud with a sound of victory.

Riku then replied, "Right then."

However as the two of them were about to head out towards the doorway Nozomi suddenly noticed something in the distance, it shined strangely and drew her in.

Riku noticing she hadn't walked over with him looked back and saw what she was doing, he then quickly shouted out, "HEY!"

She blinked out of her trance as she looked back at him, "huh, what?" She asked.

He then walked over to her, "What do you think you were doing?" He asked.

Nozomi blinked as she looked at him, "well there was something over there, it caught my attention."

"You're attention?" Looking at where she had been gazing Nozomi pointed it out to him.

Seeing it Riku walked forward, crouching down he looked at what it was, lifting it in his hands he saw it was a black cube. Walking back over to her he asked, "is this what you saw?"

Nozomi walked over to him as she replied, "um yeah? Do you think it's another one?" She asked.

"A Lachesis report?" He asked.

"Yeah," Nozomi nodded as she then walked over to him.

"Well it doesn't have a number or a colour, maybe there's something wrong?" He asked.

"Could be?" Nozomi spoke as she reached her hand out, but as she then touched it suddenly the world was engulfed in white.