This is the beginning of Arc 4 (Season 2 of Re:Zero), it will contain spoilers so do keep in mind when going forward from this chapter.
Chapter 23: Aftermath
Subaru and the group all arrived at the capital where the injured were being healed, which caused both Sora and Subaru to start looking around for Rem, both of them worried about the blue haired maid. As they looked around for the injured, Yabuto and Waraki both realized that their best friend was alongside the warriors here which made the two go in search of Kishida. As the two groups search for their respective friends, with Subaru beginning to question everything since he knows for sure that the white whale was taken down.
How did this happened? How?! I know the White Whale was defeated so how does everybody but Master Sora and I not know who Rem is again?!
As the two search around with everything they can muster, Sora desperately searches in fear that the Organization might have done something while Subaru is afraid that he would have to redo everything he worked so hard for. As they searched around for a while, both groups met up in one point with Subaru starting to panic like his master.
"Newbie, have you seen Kishida?"
"No...have you all seen Re- er I mean have you all seen a blue haired maid around."
"Sorry Newbie but we haven't seen any maids among the wounded."
"Damn it, where the hell is Kishida?! Did the witch cult get to him?!"
"No, we took down the Witch cult." Sora added in, having confidence that Rem and Kishida were not attacked by the witch cult yet he is unsure himself. As the four had their bloods cold with fear that something bad happened to their friend, they all noticed Felix running around in search of Crusch. This caused them all to now turn their thoughts on the organization, knowing that they are the logical ones to have done something like this. Felix approached the four and asked them if they knew where Crusch was.
"Sorry Ferris, but newbie, his master, Waraki, and I haven't seen Miss Crusch though we haven't found a maid the newbie and his master are looking for or even Kishida."
"Ferris?"
"Another nyame for me, anyway could it be the witch cult?"
"I don't think so Ferris, I believe that Subaru's master has some enemies that are after him. They could've taken-"
Waraki was interrupted when a corridor of darkness appeared in front of them with Subaru and Sora both pulling their keyblades while Waraki and Yabuto stood behind the keyblade wielders to protect Felix. The corridor stood opened for a moment to reveal Kishida holding Rem and with Crusch by his side. The five of them were happy to see the three were alive and quickly surrounded the three yet Sora and Subaru had themselves ready to fight when all of a sudden Replica Riku appeared from the corridor of darkness.
"Riku..."
"Master Sora, do you know this person?"
"Of course he does, I was his best friend but apparently he doesn't care enough to want to go back, to be with his real friends."
"Be quiet! What did you do to them? What did you do to Rem?!"
Replica Riku smiled as he noticed that Sora is completely angered that Rem is unconscious. He smirks at him before answering Sora's question.
"Thank Xehanort, these three were going to die by some dangerous people but here is the true question I wonder. Who do you care more about, that girl right there or Kairi?"
"I don't have to answer you!"
"Of course you wouldn't, you don't care about me at all."
"Shut up!"
Replica Riku smiled at this and quickly summoned his soul eater weapon in preparation to fight Sora yet Subaru, Yabuto, Waraki, and even Felix got in front of Sora to protect him from Replica Riku. As they got in front of the Keyblade Wielder with Sora surprised by this, Subaru began to shout at the organization member,
"Leave Master Sora alone!"
"Master, him?! Hahahaha! As if a weakling like Sora who couldn't even pass the Mark of Mastery is fit to be a keyblade wielder!"
"Doesn't matter, nyow jerk! Sora-kyun is much stronger than nyow!
"Yeah! Master Sora is the best master! He is probably even better than you!"
Replica Riku snorted at Subaru, not liking at all the comment he said regarding Sora being better than him. He pointed his sword at Subaru with angry eyes before saying to him.
"You better stay out of this! You are not even a true keyblade wielder so shut it!"
"No! I earned my keyblade while you just have a pathetic sword."
"You...!"
"That's enough." Replica Riku, Subaru, Waraki, Yabuto, Sora, Crusch, and Kishida all turned towards the voice that was speaking. As they all looked, Saix appeared in a corridor of darkness that Replica Riku appeared from. This bothered Sora a bit since he knows that Saix shouldn't be here since he last saw him with Roxas, Xion, and Axel in Twilight Town. Saix looked at Subaru and noticed that he was a keyblade wielder.
"You right there, where did you get that keyblade?"
"I...I earned it!"
"Hmm interesting."
Saix was interested that someone like Subaru would earn the keyblade, making him piece together that Sora had been training the young boy. He pulled Replica Riku aside to scold him for creating tension with Sora and his allies before turning towards Sora.
"Apologize, he is still the riku that was jealous of you for having beaten him when you lost your keyblade. We didn't come here to start trouble."
"Then why did you come, Saix?! Also, how are you here?! You should be back with the-"
"I'm not the real Saix, someone created me using the memories from the past along with many of the other organization members. As for the girl, I think he should be the one to explain things."
Saix turned towards the corridor of darkness which caused everyone to look towards it to see Luxord appear. Sora was somewhat comfortable speaking with Luxord, thinking of him as the only organization member that wouldn't cause trouble. As Saix and Replica Riku were about to leave, Sora quickly began to say towards Saix,
"At least tell me this, what happened to Rem?"
"You will know soon enough, Sora. We may be on the opposite sides and we will fight each other but right now we will be on the same side if you follow your role perfectly."
Saix and Replica Riku left as Saix finished speaking, leaving Luxord there observing the people he would be speaking with. He smiled before greeting them respectably, telling them his name and asking for their names. Subaru and the others all turn to ask Sora if they should trust the Organization member in front of him. Sora was unsure yet he nodded at them to indicate that they should trust Luxord. This allowed them all to lower their guard before starting to lead Luxord towards the discussion meeting where they can keep the other warriors to start attacking Luxord. As they are all heading towards Crusch's manor, Sora asked Kishida if he could carry Rem to which he allowed since he can feel how important Rem is to the Keyblade wielder. As Sora was holding on to Rem, Subaru grabbed his master by the arm to tell him,
"Don't worry Master Sora, we will save Rem."
"..." Sora stood silent as all of his emotions were in a mix. All he could do is give his friend a silent nod before continuing to walk towards the mansion of Crusch. Subaru could only feel bad for Sora, knowing how he felt since he remembered the timeline he killed Emilia by revealing Return By Death. The pain of losing someone hurts a lot yet Subaru had the thought about using his life to save Rem. He looked around for a knife yet Waraki asked Subaru if he was alright, seeing that he was looking very pale.
"Sorry about that Waraki, just feeling bad for Master Sora."
"Yeah, I feel bad for him too. Losing someone close must hurt a lot."
"Yeah, all we can do is listen to that Luxord guy and see what happened to Rem."
"Agreed."
Waraki and Subaru both started to catch up with the others until Emilia approached the two to ask if everything was alright, having seen how Subaru and Sora were both worried the entire ride ever since Petra and her mentioned that they don't know who Rem is.
"Subaru, need any help?"
"Master Sora needs help, can you help me comfort him."
Emilia smiled and accompanied the two, happy that she can be of some help to Subaru since she wants to also make sure he is happy after having made her happy with his confession. As everyone headed towards the mansion with Crusch having set up the meeting room for Subaru, Sora, Felix, Yabuto, Waraki, Kishida, Emilia, Luxord, and herself, Sora went to a room to set Rem down in order for her to go to sleep properly. He looked at the sleeping Rem and all he could feel was guilt, remembering how Kairi was asleep during his first journey as well.
'I wish I was there for you...I should've been there for you!'
All Sora felt was guilt with a tear in his eye coming down yet he wasn't able to cry as he felt two hands touching each of his arms. He turned around to see Emilia and Subaru standing there, both wanting to help him.
"I know it hurts master, but I promise you that I will help you get Rem back."
"And I will help too! I know I don't remember this girl but she is important to you, so I will help as well. I want to help my friend!"
Sora looked at the two and smiled before giving the two of them a hug, happy to have friends by his side. As the three hugged with Subaru and Emilia comforting Sora, they all quickly headed out towards the meeting room. Just as Subaru was the last one to leave, he looks at the table and sees a knife. He thinks about the option of suicide yet he was unable to due to Sora pulling him out of the room.
In the meeting room, Luxord could tell that everybody in the room except Sora still had some hate towards him yet not directly at him specifically but the organization he fights for. Noticing this hatred, he calmly sets his cards down in an attempt to get friendly with the people he will be speaking with.
"Okay now, I can tell you are all hostile and wish to know everything but before we start, I want to make one thing clear. I'm not your enemy here, at least not at this moment. All I was sent to do was to give you all information in hopes of it helping you all in the long run."
"What kind of information is that?" Subaru spoke up with curious yet slight hostility towards the guest.
"The kind that could help your friend wake up but first, allow Miss Crusch over here to vouch for me."
"Miss Crusch, what is he speaking about?"
"Don't worry Emilia-sama, what he is saying is true. He saved Kishida, the maid, and myself from two Sin Archbishops known as Regulus Corneas, Greed, and Lye Batenkaitos, Gluttony. Those two had us cornered until the younger version of Xehanort came in and saved us all from being killed."
Everyone in the room looked very paused by this and quickly turned towards Kishida to confirm if it is true. All he said was that Young Xehanort did hold off Greed on his own yet one of the attacks got past him and he managed to save Crusch's life while in the process losing his arm.
"Sorry about that pal..."
"Don't worry Yabuto, I'll recover from this! A knight never stops fighting."
"You are damn right!" Subaru added and quickly gave a thumbs up with Kishida smiling confident at this. Everyone in the room found Kishida's positive attitude despite losing his arm quite interesting yet Waraki was left with anger that the Witch cult caused his friend to lose his fighting arm. Before anything can be said, Sora quickly turned towards Luxord to ask about what happened to Rem.
"Ah yes, the important question, what happened to the former head maid of the Roswaal mansion?"
"Wait do you remember her?!"
"But of course Natsuki Subaru, all of the organization members remember her as clear as day but to answer your question, Xehanort had found the answer to be one of Gluttony'a abilities."
"Gluttony's abilities?"
"Yes, there are two abilities the old man knows. One being your name eaten, which would mean your memories would stay intact but you would be forgotten by everybody else. The second being that you lose your own memories with everybody else being able to remember you."
"Wait but what happened to Rem?"
"Well Sora, she must've experienced both. From what Xehanort knows, having both is basically leaving a shell behind. She is trapped there, in eternal darkness but we can wake her up."
"How?"
"By simply having some magic of ours but that won't mean she would be back to who she is. She would be a completely new person. A clean slate. But that is what the Organization wants, for you to have her up but what would you like to do, Sora?"
"Huh?" Sora was puzzled by how nice Luxord was being towards him, causing both him and Subaru to both ask at different times why he was giving Sora an option.
"Because you are not someone I wish to be enemies, although I'm not the real Luxord, I still remember everything and I enjoy our time. Now, would you wish to awaken her on your own means or should the Organization intervene and assist you in at least having her awake?"
Sora pounded on the thought for a moment, unsure on which option would be best since both had their ups and downs. Subaru also pondered on this as well, also thinking like his master of the benefits and downsides of each choice. Before either one was able to give an answer, Luxord quickly started to tell the group,
"I can give you all time to think this through, but you should really think it carefully. Should you decline, the others might not take it well but I leave you with this second card." Luxord throws his card at Sora with the keyblade wielder catching it. "Should you need to change the tides of a fight then use it, Sora."
Sora looked at the card, seeing that it is the same one he was given back in the keyblade graveyard. Before anything else can be said, Luxord opened a corridor of darkness and started to leave. Subaru turned towards Luxord and started to say,
"You are probably the kindest of the Organization bastards."
"That is nice of you but I'm playing my cards right. One must not gamble without knowing what cards are wise to play...But thank you for the compliment."
Luxord left with a smile on his face, leaving Subaru and the others uncertain on what to do regarding the information they had received from the Organization member. As they all thought about this, Felix began to speak up,
"Regarding our alliance, I say we scrap that idea."
"Ferris, may I ask why?"
"Waraki, the Witch Cult harmed nyower friend and caused one of the Emilia camp members to suffer a fate worse than death. I don't want Crusch to be hurt next."
"I appreciate that Felix but I can make my own decisions. Despite what happened I wish to stay in an alliance with the Emilia camp. If what they told me is true then I have to atone for not having helped that girl."
"What do nyow mean?"
"From what I was told, when the knight Kishida was injured by the Sin Archbishop of Greed, I dropped my guard on Gluttony and gave him the opening to eat the girl's name and memories. I want to atone for the pain I have caused."
Felix, Sora, and the others all took note of what Crusch said, seeing the guilt in her voice for not helping Rem. Felix went to hug Crusch while Sora stayed silent for a brief moment to think about what Crusch said. He got up and approached Crusch with Felix being on edge until Sora hugged Crusch. The green haired woman was completely surprised by this before everybody started to disband once they knew that there wasn't much to speak about. As they all disbanded, Felix approached Sora to speak with him.
"Hey there Felix."
"I want to ask nyow something."
"Um sure thing."
"Nyow said nyow trained Subaru-kyun, right?"
"Yes, he was quite the student."
"Well then I want nyow to train me as well, not as a keyblade wielder but as a swordsman."
"Hmm may I ask why?"
"Because I want to protect Crusch, she means the world to me and thanks to nyow I now know how it feels to fight and want to keep getting stronger."
"Alright then, once I can save Rem I will help make you stronger Felix. After all, you have a strong heart."
"Haha nyow know how to win someone's heart."
Sora laughed at this and quickly gave Felix some tips on fighting, telling him how to hold his ground so at the very least he can take on some basic fights. Felix appreciates this yet just as he was going to leave, he turns towards Sora and provides him some advice,
"I say don't trust them. Waking someone without their memory or name would be dangerous and nyow could lose nyower friend for good."
"I'll keep that in mind, thanks Felix."
Felix nods at Sora before leaving him to go check on Crusch in the case her lady needs any assistance. As Felix leaves, Sora begins to head towards the room where Rem is at to take care of.
While Sora was distracted with Felix, the three knights all discussing their next move, and Emilia had gone to speak with Crusch regarding the villagers, Subaru had gone to Rem's room on his own. While there he started to recall every moment he had spent with Rem, how she had supported him and helped him even though he wasn't as important to her like his master was yet he hated to see a friend he cared about deeply being like this.
You really look cute when you are asleep Rem, darn I wish I got to know you more. You and my Master deserve better than this. Damn it, I wish I was strong enough to save you...but then again there is a way…
Subaru looked at the table to see the knife there, completely unsure on whether or not he should commit suicide to save Rem. He didn't want to throw away the perfect ending he had against Marluxia, Petelgeuse, and Larxene. He is afraid of redoing the entire fight with the White Whale as well since he hadn't died for a while yet he grabbed the knife with hesitation. His mind was filled with uncertainty and fear as he was afraid of never leaving the loop but he then looked at Rem again and remembered that in almost every loop she has considered him a friend. He also remembered every failed loop, how he managed to save many lives and how he stopped things from going bad by changing the circumstances.
"Don't worry Rem, I won't let you be like this! I won't let Master Sora be sad anymore! No matter how many times it takes, I will save every last one of you with my 'Return By Death' ability...!"
With Subaru's resolve strengthened once again, he grabbed the knife and quickly stabbed himself through the neck before he ended up hesitating. As he falls to the ground while choking on his own blood, he believes that he will be able to save everyone yet as he awakens, he realizes that he is back in the room with the knife in his hand just before he stabbed himself. He got up and looked around to see that his checkpoint had moved, causing him to drop the knife he was holding.
'N-No...damn it, the checkpoint moved! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Rem, I'm sorry that I failed you...I failed my master...I failed Emilia...'
Subaru had some tears in his eyes as he felt that he had failed everybody for his inability to use his Return by death to save everybody. Before he could think of anything else, he could feel a hand grab his arm. He turned to see his master standing by his side with a sympathetic smile, showing that he understands how he feels. Subaru wipes his tears to smile before the two go to rest with Sora telling his apprentice that they will save.
"I wish we got to save Rem before this Master Sora but you are right, we will save her from this fate."
"That's right Subaru, we will do it."
Sora and Subaru both got comfort from each other's confidence before the two went to their rooms. As they were resting at night, Sora ended up having a nightmare of relieving the events of the Keyblade War. He remembered all of the hell that was put on him when they lost against Terra-Xehanort, when Xemnas captured Kairi, and he watched Kairi get killed right in front of him. All of this woke the keyblade wielder up in fear since he was afraid of losing any of his friends. He could feel his blood cold and his body sweating from the fear he had in his nightmare yet he attempted to go back to sleep. As he laid down, all his mind could think about is Rem and how he wishes to do something about it. He gets up and puts on his regular clothing before heading to Rem's room without trying to wake up anybody. As he is sneaking around, he touches his lips as he starts to remember the kiss Rem gave him before the two departed. He could remember her soft lips making his heart race, something he never thought would make him feel a different kind of happy. As he entered the room, he could see that Subaru was also there in his classic attire.
"Master Sora? I didn't expect you to be here."
"Me neither Subaru. What brings you here?"
"Same as you, I couldn't sleep well."
"I couldn't sleep well either."
"Then I guess the two of us will be here and take care of her."
"Agreed."
The two keyblade wielders stood there in silence as they wanted to be with Rem for the night yet the silence would be interrupted when the great spirit made his entrance.
"Hey guys! I was expecting the two of you to be here at night."
"Puck! Wait aren't you supposed to be sleeping since it is past your time limit?"
"That is true Subaru but I had been sleeping earlier, plus I'm not working so I'm not going against my contract."
"Okay, what brings you here?"
"To ask the two of you a favor, I know it is a bad time but this is the only time I noticed it would be good to ask this favor while Lia is not in the room."
Sora and Subaru stayed silent for a moment and looked at each other as they noticed what the great spirit had said to them. The two nodded as they understood that whatever the favor Puck wants is probably extremely important if he wants to keep it from Emilia.
"Okay Puck, Subaru and I are listening. What favor are you wanting to ask?"
"Could you both look after Lia? I know it is a bit selfish but I want to make sure you two are taking care of her while I go away for a while."
"Wait where are you going?"
"Don't worry Sora, I won't be gone for long…(I hope)."
Sora and Subaru both didn't know what to think of this yet they accepted Puck's offer, knowing that he probably is going away for a reason and that he should be back in no time. Puck thanks the two and wishes the two keyblade wielders good luck before leaving the room. As he left, the room was back to silence with the keyblade wielders having a chance to be with Rem before returning back to their rooms, knowing that they needed to rest for the next day.
When the next day came in, Crusch provided a wagon and gave Patrasche to Subaru as a reward before speaking with Emilia and Sora directly.
"I wish I could do much but I should report the Sage council of our combined efforts in defeating the White Whale and Sloth."
"That is alright, I'm just glad you helped us out."
"Sora, regarding our contract, I would like to remind you that a promise is a promise."
"Right...well I still don't know how to exactly pass on the keyblade to other like with Subaru but when I do, I promise to do it as per our agreement."
"I'll be waiting on that but I also want to thank you for saving our lives in the fight against the White Whale, which is why I want to say that it is not a recommendation anymore."
"Huh?"
Crusch smiled and explained that since Sora saved everybody's lives, she considers it a debt and wishes to repay it by not having to force Sora to give her and her forces the power of the keyblade. Sora smiled and nodded, understanding why Crusch is making it optional now before the two shook hands. Emilia and Crusch were the next to shake hands with Crusch telling Emilia that even if they are on the opposing sides in the royal candidacy, they will remain in an alliance which made Emilia happy.
"Subaru-kyun, Sora-kyun, I've secured Rem-chan. Be sure to keep her still."
"Okay."
"Also Subaru-kyun, you'll need your rest when you get back to the mansion, too."
"Me?"
"Nyow've been working nyower gate overtime since nyow and Sora-kun were going up against Sloth and the Organization. I did clean up all the toxins in your gate but you need to let it rest for two months."
Subaru crossed his arms and was a bit disappointed that he had to rest yet he knew that having abused his gate against the Mabeast took a toll on him. Before he could say anything he noticed that Crusch was extending her hand towards him. He smiled and shook Crusch's hand before they got into the wagon with Otto driving it and leading the villagers from the capital to Arlem village. As they were riding inside the wagon with a sleeping Rem, Subaru and Emilia sat next to each other while Sora was sitting near Rem's side. As they were silent for a moment, Subaru broke it when he started the conversation.
"Master Sora, why don't you talk about your friends? I mean you have referenced them here and there but never in detail."
"Yes, I agree with Subaru."
"Hehe if Donald were here, he would have hit me with magic or with his staff since I broke the world order but I guess it's better than staying silent throughout the road."
"Donald?"
"Hehe yeah Subaru, he is very much a hot head but a loyal companion."
Sora started to describe how his friends are, starting with Riku since he was his childhood best friend. He then talked about Kairi, how she looked and how she acted both before his first journey and after her training in his previous journey. He then spoke about Donald and Goofy, how he perceived them during his first journey as odd yet fun before thinking of them as his most trusted friends. He paused as he thought about the two, wishing that they were with him to fight by his side like they always do. Subaru noticed this and quickly caused him to ask his master,
"I wonder, if you could return to them, would you?"
"I mean I wish you all would be able to join me to see them but I fear that might destroy the world itself."
"How so?"
"The world cannot diverge too far or else the world order would break the world...at least that's what I'm told."
Subaru and Emilia were silent about this, both unsure about the world order since Subaru is not aware of all the rules and Emilia not understanding the concept of the world order yet having a feeling that it is important. She begins to ask Sora if any person from the worlds he had been in had left their designated world. Sora thought himself for a moment before answering in a calm gesture.
"At some point in my first journey, an evil person named Maleficent had been taking princesses of hearts from worlds that were attacked by darkness. Some fell to darkness while the others me, Donald, and Goofy managed to save those worlds. It is possible for certain people to leave the world towards another if their original world is gone but I'm unsure of other things such as if people can just casually visit other worlds since they are suppose to be a secret."
"Wait Master Sora, how come keyblade wielders can travel around worlds?"
"They aren't really supposed to unless it is to protect the world from falling into darkness."
"Ah, I understand."
Subaru stood silent for a moment to process everything his master said alongside Emilia. The two were surprised by what they learned, making the two want to see the outside worlds that Sora had seen. As there was silence, they all heard a familiar voice speak,
"Did you just say my name?"
"No, we didn't! Wait, have you been there all this time?"
"Of course I've been here! Why do you think I decided to work with you and Sora-san?!"
"I'm just kidding. You want to negotiate with Roswaal in person. I haven't forgotten that."
"I'm begging you! My whole life is riding on this!"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Subaru starts to get up from his seat and proceeds to make his way towards Otto's position. "Time to say goodbye to you for now."
"N-No wai-"
Subaru closed the door on Otto before the inside of the wagon returned back to silence for a moment. A few seconds of silence passed before the three of them started to laugh for a bit, finding the scenario quite humorous. After laughing for a brief moment, Emilia smiled at the two keyblade wielders before telling them in a positive and confident tone of voice,
"I'm sure you two will find a way to get Rem back. I believe in you both."
"Emilia-tan..."
"Thanks Emilia."
"You're welcome Sora...I just want you to know that I will help you both out so you can count on me."
Sora and Subaru nodded at Emilia before they all waited until they finally arrived at the village. During the travel, Subaru and Emilia were both curious about Sora's full journey, which made him hesitate on telling them at first since he knows it is dangerous to tell the story and knowing that he would never hear the end of it by Donald yet the two managed to convince him. Sora managed to tell the two of his first two journeys where his first was against Ansem and the second being against The Organization XIII. Emilia was amazed by the many things she heard alongside Subaru, both of them wishing that one day they could explore the worlds Sora is describing with Subaru curious about the water world as he wishes to breath water while Emilia wishes to see the Destiny Islands to understand more of her friend's home. As they arrive at the village, the villagers all noticed that the others haven't returned from The Sanctuary, making them worry for them yet Subaru and Sora reassured them that they would be alright. Sora asks Subaru and Emilia if they know where The Sanctuary is to which the two answer with a no, making them all realize that they probably should've asked about the Sanctuary's whereabouts. Having no choice, Subaru and the other two decided to head towards the mansion to ask Beatrice if she knew where the sanctuary is located. Subaru turns towards Otto to ask him if he can accompany them to the mansion. He was nervous about this since he wasn't expecting to be at Roswaal's mansion yet Sora and Subaru persuaded the merchant to join them. As Otto went to put the wagons away completely excited to see the mansion, Subaru alongside Emilia and Sora started to make their way towards the entrance.
"Will you two be alright?"
"Yes"
"Yeah...actually come to think of it, I don't remember locking the door when we left to face the White Whale. Do you think anything bad happened?"
"Don't worry Sora, Beatrice stayed here. If anything happened, she would have protected the mansion. Maybe she'll come get the door for us if we knock."
"Pfft. She might come flying through it, looking for Puck."
"That's true." Emilia looked at the green stone in her chest where Puck resided to speak to him.
"Puck? Puck?...Huh? He's not responding. Maybe he's asleep."
Sora and Subaru both took a moment to think, recalling the talk with Puck they had the other night yet having made the promise, the two kept quiet about it with Sora knocking on the door while holding Rem on his back. There was a couple of seconds of silence before a voice Emilia found familiar spoke before opening the door. The entrance doors open to find it be a maid with long blond hair and white pale skin.
"Welcome home, Emilia-sama."
"Frederica?"
The maid known as Frederica looked up and smiled which showed her sharp teeth. As she smiled, she responded to Emilia's question.
"Yes, it is I, Frederi-"
"Those teeth are scary!" Both Sora and Subaru said in unison to which caught the attention of both Emilia and Frederica. Emilia pouted and grabbed Sora's left ear and Subaru's right ear and started to pull on them, causing the two to be in slight pain.
"Sora. Subaru. Apologize."
"Sorry!" Both keyblade wielders spoke in unison which made Frederica laugh a little before allowing them to enter the mansion with the group making their way towards one of the meeting rooms. As they enter the room, Frederica introduces herself properly as Frederica Baumann, the previous maid. Sora and Subaru had heard from both Rem and Ram that there was once a maid who helped them out yet quit prior to their arrival. Frederica responded to this by saying that she took a leave for personal reasons. Subaru and Sora nodded before the maid started to ask about Rem, making a note that she looks too much like Ram. Sora was the one to explain the situation to Frederica about Rem's condition and about how she is Ram's twin little sister. Frederica was completely surprised by this and started to feel bad that she couldn't remember the oni girl. Sora smiled and quickly went to take Rem to her room while Subaru said that he would be seeing Beatrice, knowing that he still needs to read the last sentence from the Book of Prophecies to her in order to completely start understanding the book fully.
Subaru went towards the forbidden library where Beatrice was waiting in her chair, reading some book from the library. She looked up once she noticed that the door was opened and noticed that it was Subaru.
"You survived, I suppose. Took you long enough."
"Sorry about that Beako, Master Sora and I ran into some trouble against a White Whale, this sin archbishop of sloth, some organization mem-"
"Wait, could you repeat that?"
"Repeat what? The fact that Master Sora and I took on the White Whale, Sloth, and-"
"Who took out the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, in fact?"
"The combined forces of my Master and I. Mind if I ask why is that important?"
"Then where is his witch factor?"
"Witch...Factor?"
"You don't know what it is? You really don't? If that's the case, then why did you and Sora bother to kill Sloth?"
"We just had to but anyway, I came to ask before I read the final page of the book of prophecies to you that we need to know where the Sanctuary is? Roswaal is there but none of us know how to get there."
"The half-beast girl can lead you there, I suppose. All the answers you seek will also be there as well."
Subaru nodded and before he could say anything, Beatrice pulled out the Book of Prophecies and quickly handed it over to the boy. Subaru knew that it was time to read off the last page since they didn't have enough time to examine it. He opened the book to the last page and started to read it.
"Darkness prevails and Light expires."
Subaru had a moment to analyze since both Beatrice and him during their times reading the other pages concluded that the Book of Prophecies for tells a future that is set since many of the events Subaru had gone through were written. He also noticed that many events would unfold yet they were vague enough to not reveal him or the petite girl the complete future but those last lines caused him to all of a sudden be engulfed with fear, causing him to drop the book.
"What is wrong, I suppose?!"
"That...That last..."
"Spit it out!"
Subaru began to shake with fear until Beatrice grabbed the book and smacked it in his head, a part of her hoping that would calm him down while another part wanted to knock some sense into him. As Subaru came to his senses, Beatrice first asked him if he was alright with Subaru nodding. After getting that answer, she asked him about the contents of the last page to which Subaru warned Beatrice that she may not like it.
"I want to know, I suppose. It could help...it could help us in the long run."
"Okay but I am warning you, that page is not a joke..."
Subaru begins to tell Beatrice what he read, causing Beatrice to also be unnerved by that last sentence. The two stayed silent before Beatrice asked Subaru if he could leave her for a moment to which he understood and started to leave the forbidden library. Before he left, he turned towards Beatrice and tried to get her hopes up by saying,
"I know that we established that this book could tell the future but I think it is not set in stone as you may think."
"...what would you know, I suppose?"
"That we can defy fate if we can puzzle how things go, so there is hope for the light to not expire. We just have to give it a chance."
"..." Beatrice stood silent for a moment before she watched Subaru leave her alone in the library. Once she confirmed that he wouldn't enter back into the library, she quickly grabbed her book she hid in her chair to look over the contents. As she looked into the pages of her book, she started to cry.
"Why..."
Subaru and Sora both met up in the hallway near the room where Otto, Emilia, and Frederica were located. Once they enter the room, they join in the conversation with Frederica serving both keyblade wielders some of her tea.
"So you really are allowed to enter Beatrice-sama's forbidden library?"
"What? You thought I wouldn't be?"
"Yes, but Emilia-sama has told me what a reliable person you are, and she was quite thorough in explaining why, so half of me had high hopes that you would be."
"Huh?" Subaru was surprised to hear this while Emilia's face turned red of embarrassment before turning her attention to Frederica.
"Hey! Frederica!"
"What? What did you tell her, Emilia-tan?"
"It's not like that! I did tell her about you, but she's exaggerating!"
"No, I heard what you said, too." Otto said, feeling like he should also join in on the conversation. "It made me think there must be more to Natsuki-san than meets the eye."
"Not you, too, Otto-kun!"
"Why wasn't I around to hear all this?! Wait, Master Sora, did you hear anything?!"
"Hehe sorry Subaru, not even I know what Emilia said though I can tell she is fond of you."
"Sora!"
"Darn it, I wish I was here to hear this!"
"I could never say it in front of you. Now, Frederica, back to what you were saying."
"Yes, of course. I know. Let us talk it over so you don't find yourself at a dead end."
The conversation returned to finding Sanctuary with Subaru informing Frederica that Beatrice told him to go to her for the location of Sanctuary. She told them that she would need two days to prepare for the trip, which at first Subaru and Sora thought that she was going with them yet she informed them that she wasn't. This made the two puzzled since they were confused on who would lead them to Sanctuary only for Otto to tell them that it would be him with a confident smile only for Subaru to tease him that he is using this as an opportunity to look good to Roswaal. Otto got teased by Subaru before the conversation turned back to Sanctuary with Frederica telling the group that there is one person they should not forget, that being Garfiel. Sora and Subaru took note of this and knew that Garfiel is probably the guardian of the sanctuary, meaning that they should be careful on what they say. With this information and the location of the Sanctuary, the group all prepared themselves with Sora showing Frederica the keyblade in order for her to be alerted of the possible dangers to come since she is unaware of the weapon and of the Organization.
The next two days passed with one of them being a discussion of whether they should allow the Organization to wake Rem up which resulted in no answer since both choices still had their flaws. The other day with Subaru and Sora training once again. Subaru proved to Sora that he had become much more skilled since they last met up, making Sora be impressed by the boy's determination to get stronger. Frederica, Otto, and Emilia all three watched the sparring match between the two keyblade wielders. Otto was impressed by how skilled the two sides are despite knowing that Sora is holding back. Emilia feels pride when seeing Subaru fight as she knows that he is only getting stronger because he desires to protect her and Frederica is quite intrigued to see the keyblade since she never knew such a weapon existed.
After the two days passed, Subaru and Sora both looked at a sleeping Rem with the two having a large amount of guilt for her condition. Sora felt like he failed to save her and wished he could use the power of waking to wake her up. Subaru felt hatred towards himself for not being able to have spawned back to the fight against Petelgeuse as he felt that he could've prevented it. The two left the room in silence only to find Petra in a maid outfit accompanied by her dream eater.
"Are you two ready?"
"We sure are, new recruit. I see you're rocking the uniform already, right Master?"
"Yes."
"Hehe thank you." Petra spun around for a moment to enjoy her uniform before bowing to the two keyblade wielders. "Did you two say goodbye to Rem-san?"
"Something like that. We are not planning to stay out there long, but Master Sora and I wanted to see her first."
"Petra, could you take care of Rem for Subaru and I while we are gone?"
"Understood, Sora-sama."
Petra smiled at Sora and at Subaru, having high respect for the two before quickly informing them that three knights had shown up and wished to speak with the two. Subaru and Sora immediately knew it was Yabuto and his two friends. The two keyblade wielders allowed Petra to lead them towards the entrance of the mansion where Yabuto greeted the two.
"Newbie, Newbie's master, it's been a while."
"A few days, what brings you three here?"
"We came to give you a hand in any way we can, Subaru."
"That's nice of you three." Subaru thought to himself and knew that the only thing they can do is stay and protect the mansion yet he noticed that Kishida was wearing a prosthetic hook. Kishida noticed that Subaru was looking at his new hook, making him say to the boy,
"Don't worry, although I don't have my original hand, I can still wield a sword with my left hand and I can use this hook as a help in combat."
Subaru nodded and quickly informed the three that they will be heading to a place they cannot disclose with them due to it being confidential. The three understood and offered to protect the mansion and to protect the people in it while the two keyblade wielders were gone. Sora and Subaru appreciated this and promised the three that they will repay their kindness only for the three knights to tell them that they are doing it because they care for Subaru. The two keyblade wielders nodded and told them where Rem's room is located before they joined up with Emilia and Otto. As they were about to leave, Frederica and Petra wished to say a few words with Frederica saying,
"You can rely on us to take care of the mansion for you all. Take care during your travels, Emilia-sama, Subaru-san, Sora-san. And take this. This will allow you to get past the barrier in the forest, and enter the Sanctuary. From there, the ground dragons should take you to the location I described."
Frederica gave Emilia a blue stone necklace. Subaru asked if the stone was a requirement to get through the barrier which Frederica nodded before telling Emilia,
"Take good care of the Sanctuary and do not forget what I said earlier."
"Okay. We'll watch out for Garfiel. I promise."
As Emilia finished speaking, Petra quickly walked towards Sora to speak with him.
"Um, Sora-sama...would you please accept this?"
"Uh..." Sora was confused as he didn't know what Petra wanted until Frederica quickly came in to assist her new recruit.
"Lending a white handkerchief to a traveler, who later returns it stained and worn from the journey, is an old custom performed as a prayer for safe travels."
Sora took note of this and began to think about the paopu fruit, how both are similar in a sense which made him not hesitate to accept Petra's handkerchief. She puts it on Sora's right arm with Sora thanking her for the handkerchief. As she finishes putting it on Sora, she immediately runs behind Frederica slightly embarrassed, leaving Sora confused while Subaru begins to think of ways to tease his master on the road to Sanctuary.
As Subaru, Emilia, and Sora all three enter the carriage, Otto with Patrasche begin to move it while Petra and Frederica both look at the group leaving.
"I wish you a safe journey." Frederica says as she wishes them all good luck. Petra waves goodbye to them while shouting to Sora that he better protect them. Frederica smiles at the little girl before pulling out a letter. 'I have done exactly as Master directed. Now everything depends on how Emilia-sama overcomes the Sanctuary. There is nothing we can do but pray.'
The mysterious figure monitored the couple as each day that past, their will to live grew shorter and shorter until finally they broke down crying. The woman spoke out Subaru's name in tears, wanting her precious boy to return home. The father couldn't bear to see his wife in so much pain and all he could do is hug her, also wishing to see their son return after many months had passed since he disappeared. As the couple were broken, this gave the mysterious figure a chance to enter the scene by quickly teleporting himself in front of the couple. The man was extremely hostile.
"What the?! Who the hell are you?!"
"Now Now, is that any way to speak to a guest?"
"You are not a guest! Get the fuck out!"
"Oh I'm sorry, did I ruin a special moment here?"
"I said get the fuck out!"
"My bad, where are my manners? I just thought that I could help you all find Natsuki Subaru since I know where he is."
"What…?" The woman looked at the black coat figure, a slight glimmer of hope gazing in her heart before she asked where her son is. The man was also unsure on how to take it yet he still felt in his gut that the person in front of them shouldn't be trusted. He was preparing to attack him yet a corridor of darkness appeared near the couple. The two were completely shocked by this and were unsure on what to do yet before they could say something, the mysterious figure began to enter the corridor of darkness. Before leaving the couple, he said to the two, "This path will lead you to what you miss the most but be warned that once you step through this, there will be no turning back. Also, should you decide to not enter it then you lose the only opportunity to find what you are missing. The choice is yours but I suggest to think quickly now before the path I opened up shuts down forever."
The mysterious figure left the two to decide whether they would trust his word to enter the corridor of darkness to find Natsuki Subaru or would they stay there and not trust the man.
I probably should give an author note here:
1. Regarding the organization members, someone recreated them as data versions and managed to send them into the Re:Zero world to basically test something out.
2. Subaru had been trained under Sora so he is humble, doesn't mean he won't have tendencies to do reckless things or do things his anime counterpart does.
3. For those kinda wondering why I gave Subaru a keyblade, it's more for Sora to develop as a master despite not having pass the Mark of Mastery. Yeah it kinda looks plot convenience but my intention was more to push Sora's character and no, Subaru won't get too strong at all. The strongest Subaru would get in this series would probably be around Sora near the end of Kingdom Hearts 1.
4. I'll try to make things move forward without dragging the plot.