Chapter 5
Agrabah
As the black mist cleared, Riku and Hinata found themselves standing in the foyer of the mansion. Hinata took in a long breath as she began to walk forward, glancing back as she realized that Riku was not going with her.
"I'm going to get Sam," he informed her, running his hand through his hair. "There's something I need to talk to her about before we talk to DiZ."
Hinata narrowed her eyes in slight confusion before gasping softly. "She doesn't know that the Replica is of me… does she?"
Riku's frown deepened as he shook his head, noticing Hinata tensing. "I didn't realize she'd be coming with us when I told her what happened. I figured it would be better if she didn't know."
"Yeah, I understand that…" Hinata nodded, relieving a sigh. "Well, um, I'll just be waiting in the library then. It will be better if she hears it from you."
"Alright." Riku watched her leave before heading outside through the double glass doors.
He scanned his eyes over the newly rejuvenated garden, secretly admiring all the work Hinata had done on it the night before. As he jogged onto the ship, he saw Ben and Jack standing at the railing, silently staring out at the forest. They greeted Riku warmly, before he headed below deck. Coming up to Sam's room, Riku cleared his throat and knocked on the door. He heard a bit of rustling before the door creaked open, revealing Sam with her hair tied up and a reddened tint to her eyes.
"Sorry," he apologized, suddenly feeling like he was interrupting something. "Um, DiZ found out where the Replica is and wants to send us after her."
A slight smile twitched the corner of Sam's lips as she opened the door further. "You mean, he actually found them? How?" She asked, her voice just a bit strained from past emotion.
"I'm not sure yet," Riku admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "DiZ wants to discuss it with us."
"Well great." Sam's smile grew a bit wider as she motioned her head back towards her room. "Just let me clean up a bit and I'll—"
"There's something you should know before we talk to him," Riku interjected, his voice a bit louder than he had intended. He cleared his throat and spoke a bit calmer. "I think you'll want to know this beforehand."
Sam looked at him, her eyebrows knitted together in concern and confusion. "Alright… what is it?"
Riku crossed his arms from his nerves, feeling a knot forming in his gut. "The Replica…" he began, looking away as he took in a breath. "Her name is Thaanix."
"Thaanix," Sam repeated the name with a bit of distaste. "A bit weird, but alright."
"She's Hinata's Replica," he admitted, getting it out all at once as he met his eyes back with her widening ones.
"H-Hinata's…" she stammered, her hand tightening considerably around the doorknob. "Are you serious? She's the one that-that…"
"Yeah." Riku nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I didn't know you'd be coming with us and figured it would be better if you didn't know…" Letting out a breath, he added, "But considering we're about to go after her, you needed to know."
Sam clenched her jaw, looking away as she tried to figure out how she felt about this new information. "It's alright…" she said shortly with a quiet voice, taking in a deep breath as she closed her eyes. "It's just a lot to take in."
"Yeah." Riku scoffed. "I know how that goes."
"Um, I'm just… going to get ready…" Sam whispered, turning to head back into her room and closing the door behind her.
"Meet you in the library," Riku called through the door, flicking his wrist to disappear in a Corridor of Darkness.
He reappeared right in front of the metal door leading to DiZ's study, hearing a slight gasp from a startled Hinata. She was sitting against the wall, a book in her hands. She scrambled to her feet as she realized it was Riku, an uneasy smile on her lips.
"So… everything alright?" she asked a bit hesitantly.
"More or less." He sighed with a shrug. "She took it better than I expected, but she's probably going to be a bit uneasy around you."
"I expected as much." Hinata nodded, hugging the book against her chest as she lightly chewed on her bottom lip. "How… how are you doing with it?"
Riku shook his head. "I had a Replica made of me when I was in Castle Oblivion… So I know what it's like."
"That's true…" Hinata recalled. "I forgot about that… Vexen made him shortly after you got there."
Riku glanced over at her, hardly surprised anymore that she knew that about him. Taking in a breath, he looked back towards DiZ's door. "I finished your first journal last night."
Hinata darted her eyes up to him. "You did? That was quick."
A slight smirk appeared on his face as he informed her, "Yeah, I had a hard time getting back to sleep last night after you left. So I just stayed up and finished it."
"Oh…" she realized, looking away a bit sheepishly.
"It's hard to believe you were there with me when I was in Hollow Bastion. I put you through a lot."
"I wasn't exactly the most helpful to you either, I just let it all happen," Hinata commented with a soft voice, making Riku look over at her.
The sound of the library door opening caused their conversation to fall silent, as Sam came down the stairs. Her hair fell freely to her shoulders, her face seemingly refreshed from when Riku had seen her only a few minutes prior. She adjusted her turquoise tank top as she came to a stop beside Hinata.
"Um, before we go in there…" Sam spoke up, running her hands along her arms as she shifted her weight. "Thank you for telling me the truth… about Thaanix."
Riku crossed his arms, looking Sam over in surprise. "Yeah, of course."
Sam looked over at Hinata. "I know it can't be easy… going after a copy of yourself, especially watching what she did to James." She felt her heart twist as Hinata sent her a sad smile. "I-um… I don't know how I know this, but-um, I know that Replicas can be forced to be different than you, like Darkness— wise and shit. So… I know she isn't actually you, and I'm not going to hold what she did against you."
Hinata's smile grew as tears stung the corners of her eyes. "I know you don't remember me, but I'm going to hug you," Hinata told her as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Sam.
Sam chuckled, hugging her back, feeling an odd twang of familiarity in her heart. Clearing her throat, she pulled back, sending Hinata an uneasy smile before she looked over to Riku and gave him a nod. Riku nodded in return, reaching over and pressing the button beside the door, causing it to slide open.
They walked into the dark room together, their eyes taking a moment to adjust to the bright computers contrasting with the rest of the room. DiZ paused his typing, turning his chair around as he looked the three of them over, his eyes momentarily resting on Hinata.
Riku cleared his throat. "So, you said you found out where Thaanix is?"
DiZ nodded. "Indeed I did. She seems to have already begun wreaking havoc."
"Great." Sam sighed, crossing her arms. "How bad is it?"
Spinning his chair back around, DiZ performed a keystroke on his keyboard, changing all of the computer screens to show the sandy streets of Agrabah. Colorful fabrics draped over the multitude of shops and in front of the doorways of tan stucco buildings, as people scurried from place to place with their arms full of random goods. At the corner of the street was a quaint inn. Fabric with elaborate patterns hung in front of the doorway, seemingly welcoming any passersby to enter.
"Where is this?" Sam asked.
"Agrabah," Hinata informed her, stepping forward to get a better look at the screens. "Riku and I went there on a mission over a year ago…" She looked at DiZ. "Thaanix isn't going after the Princess, is she?"
"It appears that her appearing on this world was entirely by accident," DiZ informed her, glancing over his shoulder. "I have eyes on several worlds throughout the galaxy. It was reported that Thaanix appeared on Agrabah over forty-eight hours ago. She was found unconscious by a couple that owned a local inn." He zoomed in on the screen, focusing on a small quaint building at the edge of the market, before continuing. "They took pity on her and brought her back to their inn, where she has been unconscious until just recently and I was informed of her arrival."
Hinata felt her stomach twisting with dread, shaking her head and letting out a breath. "And I'm guessing everything began falling apart once she woke up?"
Without replying, DiZ clacked a few keys on the keyboard, flickering the screens to a new video of the same street. He heard the three teens gasp behind him. The inn was crumbled to the ground. Dark flames consumed the bright fabrics that had been draped in welcome to visitors and edges of the walls were blackened and charred from the heat. Guards surrounded the scene as people tried to get through, yelling and clamoring for answers
"Oh my god…" Hinata brought her hand to her mouth, feeling sick to her stomach as she looked over the carnage.
"She just… destroyed it?" Sam asked in disbelief. "But why? Why would she even want to do that?"
"She's obsessed with killing," Riku answered, his voice dark and firm as he stared at the mayhem with a hard to read expression. "She lashed out without reason and at the slightest provocation."
"Exactly how much Darkness did they put in her?" Sam moved her gaze to Hinata.
Hinata shook her head, unable to look away from the screens. With a quiet voice, she replied. "More than any sane person can handle…." Letting out a breath, she shut her eyes, feeling them stinging with tears. Clearing her throat, she asked DiZ, "Do you have any idea why she was unconscious for two days?"
"I have my theories, yes." DiZ nodded, bringing his hand to his chin. "From reviewing the data Ben sent me from the facility, it seems that Thaanix relied heavily on her new found Darkness in every battle, whether or not she needed it. Her power was refilled when she would absorb the lifesource from her enemies, however, not enough to counteract the drain from the constant use of Darkness."
"So she exhausted herself," Riku surmised. "She overestimated how much Darkness she could handle and kept going until she literally collapsed from exhaustion."
DiZ nodded. "Precisely."
"But why Agrabah?" Sam motioned towards the screens.
"She disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness right after her confrontation with James and Hinata," DiZ explained, turning his seat to face them. "Since a Corridor can only be formed once a connection is made in the caster's mind, it's possible she went to Agrabah merely due to Hinata's memories."
"With the state she was in after leaving Kamino, I wouldn't be surprised if she appeared on a few other worlds too, before getting to Agrabah," Riku added. "Her Corridors were really sporadic and unstable, so who knows where she ended up before finally making it to Agrabah?"
"Which would also make her even more exhausted and drained, I'm guessing." Sam turned towards Riku, barely glancing towards the screens anymore.
Riku nodded, still looking towards the screens. "Then when she woke up in that inn, she freaked out and just destroyed everything." He shook his head. "She's just a storm of destruction."
"Do you…" Hinata spoke up, her eyes opened once again as she stared at the floor. Blinking a few times, she swallowed the overwhelming emotion swelling in her gut and looked back up towards the screens. "Do you know how many people were killed?"
The others looked towards her in surprise. Riku shook his head. "It won't help to know."
Hinata swallowed hard, the emotion obvious in her voice as she barely glanced over at him. "I'd still like to know... That couple was just trying to do the right thing… now everything they had is just gone."
DiZ released a sigh, before informing her. "I am unsure of the number of casualties. However, I do know that the couple that owns the inn survived, if that brings any consolation."
"Are we sure Thaanix is still even there?" Sam asked, trying to move on. "She could have already used a portal thing to get out of there, couldn't she?"
"I doubt she has the power," Riku pointed out. "Especially after wrecking that inn. She's probably trying to lay low until she regains the energy."
"So we better get going." Sam pointed behind her towards the door. "We can just teleport there with a Corridor, right?"
DiZ shook his head. "Unfortunately no. Hinata must be disguised by the magic drive on the Highwind. With Thaanix's actions, the entire royal guard is on the lookout for her."
"I didn't even think about that…" Sam sighed, looking over at Hinata. "Alright then, let's get to the ship."
"Indeed, it is important you make haste," DiZ agreed, looking over to Hinata. "On the way, make sure to inform them of Thaanix's fighting patterns. With her weakened state, she will no doubt focus on her skill with weapons rather than magic."
Hinata nodded wordlessly, before turning and leaving the office without saying another word. Sam and Riku exchanged a look before following after her. Riku informed Ben where they were heading as they made it onto the Highwind and within minutes, the engines were roaring to life. Hinata escaped below deck, shutting herself in her room as the ship took off. Riku looked at her closed door with a frown, barely noticing as Sam came up beside him.
"So how long till we get there?" She asked him.
He barely glanced over at her as he replied, "About an hour and a half. It will give us enough time to learn about Thaanix's fighting style, if Hinata comes out of her room…"
Sam followed his gaze to the door, letting out a sigh. "She's taking what her Replica did pretty hard, huh?"
"She blames herself for it." Riku shook his head. "But she's going to have to learn to cut that out."
"She'll figure it out." Sam assured him.
They fell silent as Hinata's door opened and she walked out in her sparring outfit. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, not a piece out of place. Her gaze was downwards, her eyes reddened and hard, but she stopped short as she noticed Sam and Riku staring at her.
Meeting their eyes, she strained a smile and spoke up with a soft voice. "Sorry, just had to get ready."
Sam nudged Riku with her elbow. "Told you she was fine."
"No you didn't," he mumbled to her, slightly glaring her way as she escaped into the sparring room. With a sigh he looked back to Hinata, noticing her staring at him. "You alright?"
Hinata looked away, her smile diminishing as she admitted, "I will be. I'm just… a bit angry."
"Angry?" he repeated, crossing his arms. "About Thaanix?"
Nodding, she replied, "She just takes life like it's nothing… it's disgusting." Her voice rose a bit as she continued, "And all the while she's wearing my face, being the exact thing I strive so hard to never be… it just, it makes me sick."
"So let's take her down." Riku smirked as she met her gaze with his.
"Yeah," Hinata chuckled, smirking back. "I'd like that."
Riku patted his hand on her shoulder and went towards the sparring room with Hinata in tow. He moved to the wall as he entered, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed so he could watch. Sam was already in the center of the room, spinning her staff as Hinata went to the weapons racks and chose a pair of dao blades. Hinata spun them in her grasp with ease, a look of contentment apparent on her face.
"It's been way too long since I've held these." she whispered to herself, letting out a wistful sigh. As she went over to Sam, she explained. "Thaanix has been trained in a lot of different types of weapons, but dao blades are what she specializes in. And unfortunately for us, there's tons of them in Agrabah."
"Dao blades," Sam repeated, looking over the weapons in Hinata's hands. "I feel like I've fought against someone with them before."
Hinata laughed softly as she got into position across from Sam. "It was probably me. I used to spar with you when Riku was busy."
"Oh," Sam realized, smirking a bit as she got into her fighting stance. "Well at least I remember something, sort of. Would I win?"
"How about we just start sparring?" Hinata avoided the question, hearing Riku snickering behind her.
"Fine then," Sam grumbled, wasting no time to step forward, swinging her staff towards Hinata.
Riku was instantly interested as he saw the way Hinata blocked Sam's blow. Her footwork and technique was near perfect. She attacked slower than she would in an actual fight, as if trying to give Sam time to decipher how to properly retaliate and defend against them. As the clash continued, he noticed Hinata's movements quickening as she rose the difficulty level for Sam. She memorized Sam's attacks, knowing what Sam was going to do before she did it. Sam jabbed her staff forward and Hinata turned out of the way, clicking her blades together to form a single sword. As she spun, she grabbed Sam's staff with a firm grasp, pulling Sam forward and causing her to lose her footing. Sam yelped as she fell forward, stumbling to the sparring mat. She scrambled to get up, but stopped short when she saw Hinata pointing her staff straight towards her, realizing she had lost.
"Shit," Sam groaned breathlessly, falling back and staring at the ceiling as her chest heaved. "So I take it I never won?"
Hinata giggled, changing her grasp and angle with the staff to hold it down to Sam. "To be fair, you've only been training for a few months." Sam glanced up and grabbed the staff, allowing Hinata to help pull her up. "While I've been training most of my life."
"Heh," Sam took back her staff, wiping the sweat from her brow as she turned away and went towards the wall. "That does make me feel a bit better." She slid to the floor with her back against the wall, glancing up to Riku. "Your turn."
Riku shrugged, "I don't really need to spar, I got a pretty good idea how Thaanix will fight."
"Are you trying to back out cause you're nervous I'll beat you?" Hinata goaded, a smirk growing as Riku looked back at her in surprise.
He smirked in return, letting out a scoff as he pushed himself off the wall and took off his cloak. "Fine then, don't think I'm going to hold back though."
"I'd be hurt if you did." Hinata retorted, spinning her blades in her hands as she caught her breath. The familiar adrenaline from a good fight rushed through her, making her feel lighter than air as she watched Riku get in position.
His smirk grew as he held out his arm and summoned Soul Eater. It didn't take long before both him and Hinata went forward, attacking and defending in perfect sync. Sam leaned forward, entranced as she watched them fight. It was as if she was watching a dance rather than a battle. Both of them knew each other's techniques and tricks, as if they had sparred dozens, if not hundreds of times before. It seemed as if it could go on forever, but as the minutes passed, it was clear they were nearing their limit and becoming short of breath. Hinata was more exhausted than Riku, beginning to make simple mistakes and missteps. Riku took notice of them immediately, waiting until she reached too far and knocked one of her blades out of her hand.
Sam jumped as the blade hit the floor, watching as Riku grabbed Hinata's wrist. He pulled her close, blocking her other blade with Soul Eater and placing it right against her neck. They froze, knowing Riku had won the fight. Their chests heaved from breathlessness, sweat gleaming on their skin. Sam looked between them, suddenly feeling invisible as Riku stared back at Hinata. A warm flush covered his cheeks as a wave of nerves fluttered through him. His eyes darted to Hinata's lips, before he shook his head ever so slightly and dispelled Soul Eater. He released her wrist and stepped back, keeping his eyes glued to the floor as he hurried out of the room.
Hinata let out a shaking breath, releasing the butterflies in her heart as Riku left. She quickly looked at Sam, before averting her gaze to her blade on the mat. Sam watched with a slight frown as Hinata picked up her blades and put them away on the weapons rack.
"Wow…" Sam broke the tense silence, pulling herself up to her feet as she walked over to Hinata with her staff in hand. "That was… electrifying."
Hinata's face burned red as she avoided Sam's prying eyes. "Y-yeah?"
"Um, yeah," Sam put away her staff and crossed her arms. "You and him used to be a thing, didn't you? Like before we all forgot."
Hinata couldn't stop the smile that curved her lips. "Yeah, we were." She finally turned towards Sam, letting out an awkward laugh. "Almost two years together."
"Geez," Sam shook her head, looking towards the doorway. "I don't know how you could put up with him."
Another laugh escaped her. "He was different around me, but I love the way he is. Confident in everything except relationships… it's really adorable."
Sam looked back to Hinata, seeing a loving, yet saddened expression on her face. "He'll remember." Sam assured her. "I mean, he can't deny that chemistry. He'd be an idiot to." Sam snickered, turning and making her way out of the room. "Actually, on second thought, he's probably thick enough to have no idea."
Hinata snorted a sudden laugh, catching herself and clearing her throat; but not before Sam noticed and laughed with her. "I'm sure he has some idea," Hinata assured her, trying to wipe the smile off her face.
"Yeah, well I'm going to get cleaned up and rest a bit." Sam motioned her head out of the room.
Hinata nodded, sending a small wave as Sam left the room. She released a sigh once she was gone and replayed the spar with Riku in her mind, her heart swelling as she remembered his eyes darting to her lips. "Was he thinking about kissing me?" She whispered, feeling a giddy flutter of butterflies in her stomach. She giggled to herself, running her hand through her hair to undo her bun. With a spring in her step, she turned and left the room. Her mind raced with romantic daydreams until she slowed to a stop in front of her room, knowing Riku was inside. "But… that wasn't really him." She realized, lowering her hand from knocking on the door. "Just the part of him that remembers me."
She felt a lump growing in her stomach, destroying the giddy sensations she had only moments before. Taking in a deep breath, she lifted her hand again and knocked on the door. Within a few seconds, Riku opened the door, his eyes averted from Hinata's.
"Sorry," Hinata nearly squeaked as she ran her hands along her arms. "Um, I was thinking of taking a quick shower and needed to get some clothes."
"Oh, yeah," he opened the door wider, allowing Hinata to come in. He waiting silently, his arms crossed as she went over to the wardrobe.
She opened the drawers, glancing over at him as she rummaged through her clothes. "Um… I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable at all. We used to spar a lot, so it probably felt really familiar."
"It's fine," he assured her a bit short. "I just got a bit carried away."
"It's fine," Hinata repeated the same words to him, closing the wardrobe with an outfit in her arms. "We should probably tell Sam about Thaanix's magic before we land, too."
"We will." Riku nodded, his voice sounding nearly exasperated.
Hinata instantly noticed the tone, darting her eyes to him. His gaze was averted, his expression hard to read. "Are you alright?"
Riku finally looked up at her, his eyes softening a bit the moment their gazes met. He nodded. "Don't worry about it."
Hinata smiled softly, nodding in return. "Alright. I'll be quick, so you can take a shower if you need to after me."
"Thanks," he simply replied, watching as Hinata went past and closed the door behind her.
It wasn't long until Ben was calling below deck that they had reached their destination. Hinata was the first up, standing at the railing and gazing down at the tan planet below. She took in a deep breath, the knot in her gut tightening as she remembered why they were there.
"So," Sam's voice cut into her thoughts Sam leaned against the railing beside her. "What sort of world should I be expecting?"
"Definitely hot," Hinata informed her, glancing her way with a slight smile, "and lots of sand."
"Great…" Sam sighed, looking over as she heard Riku coming up the stairs. "So what's our game plan?"
Riku shrugged. "Ask around, follow the trail of destruction until we find her. Then take her down."
"Sounds promising," Sam replied.
"Before we head down, you should probably know about her magic, too," Hinata said. "We both have water magic, but she absorbed electricity and ice powers from a couple Organization Replicas, as well as Dark magic."
"Sheesh." Sam crossed her arms. "And you're just now telling me?"
"She probably won't be able to use it as much with the state she's in," Riku pointed out. "Just be on your guard."
"Will do," She nodded, looking down at the planet with a growing frown.
"Alright Ben, send us down," Riku called back.
"Are you sure you don't want us coming along?" Ben asked, Jack floating beside him with a slight whine. "Jack and I could be pretty helpful!"
"It's too dangerous, guys." Hinata stepped in, looking specifically at Jack. "I don't want either of you getting hurt by Thaanix or anything else we might run into down there."
"But—" Ben began to object.
"If you want to start coming along on missions, we'll start with something smaller and safer, alright?" Hinata cut him off. "But I don't want to risk it right now."
Ben sighed wistfully, his eyes dimming a bit as he nodded. "Alright…" He clicked his fingers along the control board, surrounding the group in a bright light and beaming them down to the planet.
A sudden heat surrounded them the moment they appeared on the planet, and the unmistakable scent of dust and sand hit their senses. Hinata stepped forward, looking around at the towering dunes of sand in front of them. As she turned around, she saw a tall stone arch, with carvings etched into every inch, leading the way into a town. The town was filled with people, their voices mixing in an uproar, making it nearly impossible to hear anything else. From where they stood, they could see a dark smoke billowing in the sky from further in the market, making Hinata's heart twist.
"Looks like we know where to start," Hinata commented as she turned around. She stopped when she noticed Sam and Riku staring at her.
Both of them were in completely new outfits. Sam's hair was pulled back into a bun, a thick black cord tying it in place. A white opened vest that was embroidered with swirling patterns of green and maroon, cut off right below her chest. It had a single oversized sleeve that concealed her mechanical arm. The vest partially covered a maroon top that wrapped tightly around her chest, exposing her entire midriff. Her pants were the same white as her vest, puffing slightly, before tucking into boots that went up to right below her knees.
Riku's hair was also tied back, falling loosely from the red cord that was tied around it. A sleeveless black trench coat draped to his knees, with a dark red cloth wrapped around it at his waist. The ensemble almost completely covered the off-white puffed pants that went down to the black shoes on his feet.
Neither of them seemed to notice their looks as they stared at Hinata. She appeared to be an outsider from another village or even a tribe, rather than blending in with the town itself. A dull gold, almost copper paint marked her body, creating tribal marks along her arms and neck. A single line of paint went over the center of her lips and down her chin, with tiny dots along the sides of the line. Her tattoo along her cheek was thinly outlined, as if to bring more attention to it, rather than allowing it to blend in. Her red hair was braided in several pieces, some of it falling freely, while other parts were braided with beads and thin cords. It fell over a thick navy blue fabric with gold lining that fit like a vest, tying in the center over her chest and a bright blue fabric that appeared soft and made of cotton. The light fabric crossed over her shoulders and chest, bunched together as it exposed a majority of her midriff.
The same type of light fabric was draped over her hips, reaching to the backs of her knees before being tied up by a thick tan belt that held the sheaths for her blades. Underneath the fabric, her legs were covered with navy blue pants, diamond cutouts along the sides from her thighs to the boots that went up to her knees.
Hinata followed their gazes, examining her new look and letting out a bit of a sigh. "Leave it to the magic drive to make me look ridiculous."
"Are you kidding me?" Sam scoffed, barely glancing down at herself as she walked forward and patted Hinata on the shoulder. "You look badass. I couldn't pull off all that body paint."
Hinata smiled half heartedly at Sam's assurance, but fell back to a frown as she adjusted the thick leather arm guards on her forearms and looked over to Riku. "What do you think?"
"Doesn't matter what I think," he avoided the question, walking past her to go into town. He felt her looking after him, but kept himself from peeking back at her.
Riku led the way through the busy streets towards the dark billowing smoke. He occasionally glanced over his shoulder at the others, his gaze resting on Hinata before he would look back forward. Something about the clothes made her seem more sure of herself, or perhaps it was something he hadn't noticed before. She carried herself with straight posture, a soft yet still strong look on her face as she gazed around at the shops and peddlers around them. Passerbyers glanced at her with uncertainty, seeming uneasy as if she appeared familiar.
Catching his gaze, Hinata smiled gently and asked. "It's weird being back here, isn't it?"
Riku's heart jumped as he simply nodded and focused on the path ahead. Turning the corner, he came to a stop, realizing they were at the inn. The fires had since been put out, but the scent of ashes and smoke still wafted heavily through the air. Guards were posted around the perimeter as an older couple stood near the carnage, the woman crying into the man's arms, a singed blanket over her shoulders.
"Those must be the owners…" Hinata surmised with a soft voice as she came up beside Riku, looking over the destruction.
"Yeah…" Riku agreed, taking a deep breath.
"I was wondering when you guys were going to get here." Axel's voice cut through the moment as Hinata froze and shut her eyes with an inward groan.
"I forgot he was coming…" Hinata muttered to Riku as she turned around to see Axel standing just a few feet away.
His hands were on his hips as he looked right at Hinata with a mischievous smirk. Hinata strained a smile as she darted her gaze to Sam, immediately noticing her stepping back, her hands clenched tight and her eyes narrowed. Reaching over, Hinata lightly grabbed Sam's arm, gasping as Sam whipped away from her grasp and glared over at her.
Sam nearly growled, "You know that son of a—"
"He's here to help, Sam." Riku cut her off, stepping between her and Hinata.
"Of course I am," Axel assured them, looking over to Sam. "And I don't believe we met." He placed his hand to his chest, "I'm Axel, A-x-e-l." He pointed to his head, "Got it—"
"I know full well who you are," Sam snapped with a quiet voice, struggling to keep under control. She looked over to Hinata and Riku. "I'm not working with him."
"Sam, he can help against Thaanix," Riku reminded her, not bothering to hide how annoyed he was becoming. "Swallow your pride and just deal with it for the mission, alright?"
"Swallow my pride?" Sam stepped back, glaring up at Riku.
"Ok, ok." Axel moved forward, noticing Sam scrambling back from him. "We obviously got started off on the wrong foot… somehow." He held out his hand. "Let's say we start over?"
Sam looked between him and his open hand towards her. As she hesitantly came closer, Axel relaxed a bit more and his smirk grew. Once Sam was right in front of him, she looked up at his face with a smirk of her own, clenching her mechanical hand into a tight fist and slamming it into his face. Axel groaned, slurring out a slew of curses as he stumbled back and brought his hand to his face, blood seeping through his fingers. Sam scoffed at his reaction as she spun around and walked away, ignoring the startled murmurs and gasps from the villagers surrounding them. Riku simply shook his head as Hinata went forward to Axel, crossing her arms as he healed his broken nose.
"What's going on here?" A guard began to stalk towards Axel, before Riku stepped in and began talking him down.
Hinata watched Riku talking with the guard for a moment before looking back at Axel. "She was the one I was worried about you meeting," Hinata informed him a bit awkwardly. "Figured she'd try something like that."
"Thanks a ton for the warning," Axel bit, trying to clean away the blood from his face. He sent a wide fake smile to everyone around them, as if to show that he was fine. Then glared over at Sam as she strutted away. "What did I do to her?"
Hinata sighed, "You-uh, sort of burned off her arm… when you took me from Montressor."
Axel blinked as he recalled the occasion, suddenly letting out a groan. "That was one of your little friends that was trying to keep you back?"
Hinata nodded, patting his arm. "Yeah, that's sort of why I didn't stop her from hitting you. You kind of deserved it."
Axel scoffed. "Yeah whatever. You're lucky I'm still willing to help you after that."
Riku came up to them once he saw that everything was settled. "Sam wants to split up. Me and Axel search one side of the town, you and Sam the other."
"No." Hinata shook her head, turning towards him. "It's way too risky. We need to be sticking together to take Thaanix down."
"We know she's weaker than usual," Riku reminded her. "We don't need to be so cautious—"
"Uh, yeah we do!" Hinata objected, frustration rising in her voice. "Riku, you saw the recordings! She's insane. You told me that you would make sure nothing happened to me or Sam."
"I'm not some babysitter." Riku rubbed the bridge of his nose with his hand. "You can clearly take care of yourself and if you find anything, just call. Axel and I will be there in time to help with Thaanix, or anything else you run into."
"I never said you had to babysit us," Hinata placed her hands on her hips, undeterred from her stance. "But it'd be better if we stuck together. You know, like an actual team, rather than splitting up because we can't get along."
"Look, take it up with Sam if you want to fight about it." Riku waved her off, turning and walking away. "You're just wasting time."
"Yikes," Axel said under his breath, making a face to Hinata. "He been like this since he forgot about you?"
"No, this attitude is new." Hinata rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she looked after him. "This is going to go south so fast and after what happened with Kamino, I promised I'd never not go with my gut again." She threw up her hands in exasperation. "But what happens when you don't have a choice? Just go with it?"
"That's what I do," Axel nudged her, going after Riku. "I'll try talking to the big guy, alright? Have fun on your scavenger hunt!"
Hinata half-heartedly waved after him as she turned and went to Sam, who was waiting further down the street, leaning against a shop. Sam shook her head as Hinata approached and looked away.
"Do I even want to know how you and that guy know each other?" Sam asked with a tone of disgust.
"We grew up together," Hinata muttered, motioning her head further into the town. "Come on, let's get moving."
Sam rolled her eyes as she pushed herself off the wall and walked with Hinata through the streets. They continued further and further into the town, where the shops became fewer, the buildings were spaced further apart, and the villagers had dispersed. Down the darker alleys, they could see the occasional glow of Heartless' eyes lurking in the shadows. It wasn't until they reached an empty courtyard that they were confronted with a group of them, blocking their path.
"I don't have time for this," Hinata grumbled, stepping forward and placing her hands together in front of her chest.
A tall wave of water grew behind the Heartless, thrusting forward and forcing them under the currents. Most of them exploded in a smoke upon being smashed to the ground, but the few that remained were blasted from Sam's arm. The girls absorbed the green orbs, feeling their energy replenish. Sam continued on without a word, but Hinata paused, a sick feeling itching its way into her heart.
"Sam, wait." Hinata put out her hand towards her. "Something's wrong."
Sam stopped but didn't bother to look back at Hinata. "What, can you sense her or something?"
"I'm not sure…" Hinata scanned her surroundings, turning around and stopping short with a gasp.
On the other side of the courtyard stood Thaanix. Simple tan clothes covered her chest and legs, black burns and specks of blood along the fabric. Her hair was messy, falling freely past her shoulders, random pieces with singed ends. The gold in her eyes that had been nearly glowing in the labs was completely enveloped in black, making her appear as if she were possessed. As she slowly stepped towards the girls, Hinata realized Thaanix didn't have the tattoo along her cheek. The sight began to make her smile before she looked towards her hands, noticing a thick black sludge was beginning to meld into Thaanix's skin, turning her own veins black.
"Sam, she's here…" Hinata whispered, stepping back uneasily. "Call Riku."
Sam spun around, freezing as her breath left her body. "She's creepy as hell…"
"Call Riku," Hinata ordered her again, but paused when she felt a chilling air surrounding them. She spun around, seeing Thaanix hurling blades of ice straight towards them.
"Get back!" Sam yelled, stepping in front activating her arm's shield. The fabric on her sleeve instantly burned away as it appeared. Sam skidded back a few inches with each impact the ice made with her shield.
Hinata summoned spirals of water, sending them towards Thaanix from every direction. She dodged them with ease, able to dispel any that made it close to making an impact. Hinata came out from behind Sam as the shield deactivated, pulling out her blades from the sheaths.
"I should have known DiZ would find out where I was," Thaanix said, holding out her hands at her sides, a mist of ice surrounding her arms, thickening until they formed long thin blades in either hand. "Sent his little motley crew after me and everything."
Sam held out her mechanical arm, powering it up as she bit, "You're going to pay for what you did to my brother."
A sudden laugh escaped Thaanix as she held out her hands at her side. "Oh Sam, you can't tell me I wasn't doing you a favor with getting rid of him. All he did was try to hold you back." She shrugged with a smirk, noticing the tears filling Sam's eyes. "Sort of like the way everyone in your life does."
"Shut the hell up!" Sam barked, her voice quivering. "You have no idea what my life is like!"
"Sam," Hinata whispered, keeping her gaze locked on Thaanix. "Don't listen to her, she's just trying to get in your head."
Sam nodded, sniffling as she tried to refocus. Without warning, she sent a blast of energy towards Thaanix, but she disappeared in a cloud of smoke before the energy could hit her. Sam looked around frantically, "Where did she go?!"
Hinata slowly turned, scanning the area until she saw the same black smoke appear mere inches from Sam. She ran over, pushing Sam out of the way and raising her blades, blocking the ice daggers Thaanix already had at the ready. Sam scrambled to her feet, firing a barrage of energy bolts towards Thaanix.
Thaanix jumped back, hissing as a single blast hit her arm and ran towards Sam, who frantically pulled out her staff. Hinata interjected again, kicking Thaanix back and blocking her with her blades.
Thaanix growled and finally fought Hinata back with her daggers of ice. They exchanged blows, each matching the other in skill and technique. Everything Hinata did, Thaanix knew exactly how to counter. Sam powered up her arm, trying to figure out if and when she could fire a shot without hitting Hinata.
"Enough of this!" Thaanix yelled, kicking Hinata back and shooting a blast of electricity towards her.
Hinata cried out as she fell to the ground, the bolts of electricity coursing over her body. Sam shrieked at the sight, scrambling back as Thannix stalked towards her. She blocked her daggers with her staff and fired a blast from her arm. Thaanix dispelled one of her daggers and grabbed Sam's mechanical arm, a freezing mist surrounding her hand. Sam yelled out as she saw the shards of ice forming on her arm. She pulled back, but couldn't get free from her grasp. Dropping her staff, she grabbed Thaanix's shoulder with her free hand and activated her electricity. Thaanix gasped, the bright lightning absorbing into her body and refreshing her. A smirk curved her lips as she looked back at Sam.
"Shit," Sam whispered, yelping as Thannix threw her against the wall. Her breath left her body from the impact and she slid to the ground, trying to regain control of her racing heart as the corners of her vision blurred.
Thaanix turned back towards Hinata, hearing the familiar ring from the communication device. She saw it in Hinata's palm, as she desperately tried to call Riku. Thaanix let out a loud breath and rolled her eyes, walking over and yanking the device out of Hinata's hand. Right as it made the connection she zapped it with her electricity and destroyed it.
"You really rushed into this little confrontation," Thaanix sighed wistfully. "Did you really think you'd be able to take me down so easily?"
Hinata pushed herself back to her feet, holding out her blades at her side. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to stop you."
"Oh?" Thaanix asked with intrigue, a smirk teasing her lips. "Even kill me?"
"If I have to," Hinata shifted uneasily.
Thaanix laughed mockingly. "See, that's what makes us different." She stepped back, blocking a sudden slash from Hinata's blade. "I do what you don't have the stomach for."
"Like killing innocent people and destroying everything you touch?" Hinata asked, thrusting her hand forward with a spiral of water. "You're proud of that?"
Thaanix met her motion with the same spell, the water pressure only growing between their hands. "I never got to see," her voice strained as beads of sweat began forming on her and Hinata's skin, "how long it took James to die." Hinata nearly squirmed from her words, causing a smirk to twitch on the corner of Thaanix's lips. "Did you even get to say goodbye?"
"Shut up," Hinata nearly growled, her eyes focusing on keeping the water from exploding.
"Want to see what happens with Sam?" Thaanix's lips curled into a full smirk, as she added her other hand, summoning even more water.
Before Hinata could counter, she was barreled with the water. The pressure forced her against the wall, pummeling on her chest and making it almost impossible to take in a breath. She fell limp to the ground when the water had ceased, barely able to hear Sam calling her name as her vision tunneled to black.
"Hinata," Riku's voice echoed through Hinata's mind, yet not the deep tone she had been growing used to with his new form. It was his old voice, ringing light through the darkness in her mind. "Hinata, come on, wake up."
She felt a pair of warm hands along her shoulders, before her hair was gently pushed out of her face.
"I should have listened to her…" Riku lamented.
"Hey, don't blame yourself for being a jerk." Axel's voice caught Hinata's attention as she slowly came back to consciousness. "Actually, wait, yeah, that's your fault."
"Just shut up," Riku grumbled, his hand resting against Hinata's cheek. "Any sign of Sam?"
"Sam?" Hinata's eyes flashed open as she shot up, startling Riku as he scrambled back. She blinked rapidly, bringing her dust covered hands to her eyes and rubbing them to clear her blurred vision. "Where's Sam?"
"We were hoping you could tell us." Axel sighed. "But apparently you were knocked out before she disappeared."
"Are you alright?" Riku asked, placing his hand along Hinata's shoulder, his voice still sounding the same to Hinata.
Hinata opened her eyes, her vision clear enough to see the worried remorseful look in his eyes. She tried to strain a smile to assure him, but she couldn't think of anything else other than Sam. Tears welled up in her eyes as she told him with a shaking voice, "I-I think Thaanix took Sam. But I don't know where."
"Leave that to me." Axel walked over to them, sniffing the air. "I thought I smelled some Darkness around here. She probably used a Corridor."
"Can you follow it?" Riku asked, pushing himself to stand and pulling Hinata up with him. She stumbled into him, but he caught her.
Axel paced around, following the scent in the air as if he were a dog. "Yep!" He snapped his fingers, disappearing in a Corridor. "I'll bring her back." His voice echoed around them as he left.
"Axel will find her, she'll be fine," Riku assured her.
"This is my fault." Hinata shook her head as she struggled to stay calm.
"No, it's mine." Riku told her, his hand tightening around hers. "I should have listened to you in the first place. I was being an idiot."
"Riku, please," Hinata turned towards him, looking up at his softened eyes. She couldn't hold his gaze and glanced away, trying to keep her emotions under control. "I-I wasn't strong enough against her and I should have known it. She knows all of my techniques and is more powerful in her magic… There wasn't anything I could do."
"We'll talk about it with DiZ when we get back." Riku assured her. "You can learn something new, something she doesn't know how to do. And I'll help anyway I can, alright?"
Hinata nodded, sniffling and wiping away a stray tear. "I'm such a wreck…" she whispered under her breath.
"Yeah," Thaanix's voice made them both tense up as she appeared out of a Corridor a few feet from them. Her arms were placed on her hips as she flipped back her hair. "I seriously wonder sometimes if you ever do anything other than cry all the time."
"Where's Sam?" Hinata demanded, stepping forward before Riku pulled her back and stood protectively in front of her.
"Oh don't worry, she's still alive, you big cry baby." Thaanix told her as she looked Riku over. "Who are you supposed to be?"
Riku smirked, disappearing and reappearing right in front of Thaanix. She gasped and stumbled back a step, summoning an ice dagger. A yelp escaped her as she saw a large black and blue creature appear behind Riku, its glowing eyes boring into her. Its giant hand reached forward, wrapping around her and lifting her off the ground.
She shrieked, looking back at Hinata and seeing her widened eyes of pure surprise. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
She squirmed in the creature's grasp, crying out as its hand tightened around her, making it difficult to breathe. The corners of her vision began to blur as she looked back down at the attacker, staring back at the amber eyes glaring up at her.
"R-Riku?" she realized, her breaths becoming ragged as she grunted and winced from the pressure.
Her vision was beginning to tunnel, before suddenly letting out a loud yell. A burst of pure darkness and electricity exploded around her, causing the creature to suddenly release her. She fell to the ground with a cry, trembling as she forced herself to look back up at Riku. The burst of Darkness had little effect on him, but it had thrown Hinata to the ground and he was knelt beside her.
"So this is your new form…" Thaanix whispered, her eyelids incredibly heavy. She tried to push herself back to her feet, but stumbled back to the ground.
"I had a Replica made of me once." Riku stood from beside Hinata, and began walking towards Thaanix with the creature of Darkness summoned behind him once again. "It was made to accept the Darkness, like you were."
Thaanix spit out some blood pooling in her mouth. "Don't compare me to some puppet. I'm not… not a toy."
"Yeah, he said the same thing." Riku came to a stop in front of her. "You watched me fall into the Darkness. Do you really think it will go differently for you?"
"Go to hell," Thaanix growled, summoning a bolt of electricity around her fist and thrusting it forward, but Riku caught her hand, absorbing the power. "What the—"
The creature behind Riku grabbed Thaanix once again, lifting her off the ground. It began to shake, before hurling her towards the marketplace. She shrieked as she flew through the air, skidding across the ground into a pottery stand in the middle of the marketplace. Screams and gasps from the crowd erupted as the dust settled, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"She's gone…" Riku let out a breath, making the creature disappear as he turned back to Hinata.
She was pushing herself into a sitting position, her head throbbing from the rush of Darkness Thaanix had hurled at them. "W-Why did you throw her?"
Riku frowned, looking back towards the marketplace, "I didn't… I think she was able to use her own Darkness to make it throw her."
"Are you serious?" Hinata asked, her hands clasped in her lap as she tried to make sense of what just happened. "What was that thing…? Could you always summon it?"
Riku came and knelt beside her. He was about to talk before he noticed a few of the villagers looking their way from the marketplace hundreds of feet away. He surrounded him and Hinata in a Corridor, reappearing in an alley off to the side and out of sight.
"It's something that came with becoming Ansem," he explained, brushing his hand along her arms to get off the sand caked to her skin. "I'm still learning how to control it, but it's how I was able to bring Roxas back."
Hinata looked back at him in surprise, blinking as she registered his words. "So… if you're still figuring it out, how was she able to control it herself, then?"
Riku shook his head, "She's stronger with the Darkness than I expected. That blast of pure Darkness was more than she should have been able to handle, especially with how weak she already was… But it didn't seem like something she expected to do either. Like she wasn't the one doing it." He mulled it over for a moment. "I don't know, I guess we'll talk ti DiZ about it. Maybe he'll have some ideas."
"Hmm…" Hinata hummed, closing her eyes and leaning her head against Riku's shoulder. "Thank you, for taking care of her."
"Yeah," Riku nodded, placing his hand along her hair. He let out a breath, allowing himself to relax a bit as he looked around.
"You know…" Hinata mumbled, her head feeling scrambled and light. "Your voice is different."
Riku paused, his eyebrows knitting together. "Uh, yeah, my voice changed when I transformed into Ansem."
Hinata shook her head. "No, no, I mean… you sound like your old voice, from before you changed."
Riku was quiet for a moment before chuckling, "I think you hit your head a bit harder than I thought." His smile grew as Hinata giggled softly. He let out a breath as he looked outside of the alleyway they hid away in. "Axel should be back with Sam by now."
As if in answer, a Corridor of Darkness appeared in the center of the courtyard outside of the alleyway, leaving Axel and Sam in its wake. Sam uncomfortably leaned against Axel for support, her mechanical arm in pieces and blood drenched along her leg. Hinata sat up, her eyes widening at the sight. She scrambled to her feet, despite Riku telling her to stay still, and rushed over.
"Sam!" Hinata exclaimed, running towards her. She slowed in front of her, her vision slightly blurring together, but she pulled Sam into a hug. "Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine," Sam pushed her back, her eyes averted as she stumbled back away from both her and Axel.
Riku placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder, pulling her back gently. Hinata looked up at him in confusion as he shook his head.
"I healed what I could see," Axel informed them, his usually upbeat attitude more solemn now. "She wasn't in the best shape when I got there. And there were Heartless all over the place."
Hinata's heart sank as she looked Sam over. Sam refused to look her in the eyes, dried tears caked on her cheeks and scratches her along her skin. "Sam, I'm sorry," she whispered.
Sam simply shook her head, biting her bottom lip.
"I didn't see the Replica," Axel added.
"She showed up here, but she got away," Riku told him, pointing back towards the marketplace. "Used a Corridor to get away, you should still be able to follow it if you hurry."
Axel smirked, giving a nod. "Yeah, I think I will." He looked to Sam, but she had her eyes locked on the sand at her feet.
Riku looked up to Axel. "Let us know if you find anything."
"Definitely." Axel half-saluted as he turned to leave. "Thanks for the invite on the little mission. I already look forward to next time."
"Be careful," Hinata called out to him.
"When am I not?" he called back, smirking over his shoulder before he disappeared in a Corridor.
Once he disappeared, Riku looked to the others, "Ready to head back?"
Sam nodded wordlessly, but Hinata told him, "Actually, there's something I want to do before we go. Can you bring us to the inn?"
Riku gave her a confused look, but nodded, making them disappear in a Corridor. They reappeared a few stores down from the inn, where guards were still posted as the carnage was finally beginning to be cleared away. The couple that owned the inn were still standing out front, watching their livelihood being carried away.
Holding out her hand, Hinata asked Riku, "Can I see your communication device?" Riku reluctantly handed it to her, and she held it in her palm as she made a call.
Within a single ring, Ben's hologram appeared above the device. "Hiya Hinata!" he chimed, seemingly over his earlier disappointment. "What's up?"
"Hey Ben," Hinata smiled softly. "Do we still have some of the treasure from Atlantis below deck?"
"Sure do!" Ben assured her. "I made sure we added a treasure room to the third floor. There's all sorts of chests filled down there."
"Third floor…?" Hinata repeated, before shaking her head. "Um, okay good. Can you send down a satchel full of gold pieces?"
Ben laughed, "You know, I'm not even surprised when you ask that anymore."
"This… this is literally the first time I've asked, but alright." Hinata chuckled, cutting the call.
As she handed the device back to Riku, he asked. "Satchel of gold?"
Hinata simply nodded, waiting patiently for a few minutes until a plain looking satchel beamed down in front of their feet. She reached down and lifted the heavy bag, peeking inside and smiling at the sparkle of gold that met her gaze. Taking in a breath, she walked forward, approaching the couple in front of the inn. Riku crossed his arms as he watched, smiling as he realized she was giving the gold to them.
He glanced over at Sam, his smile diminishing. "Hey, you alright?"
Sam shook her head. "I… I don't know…"
"If you need to talk about it—" Riku began.
"I don't ever want to talk about what happened…" Sam cut him off, tears straining her voice. "I'd do anything to forget it…" She took in a sharp breath, closing her eyes. "S-sorry, I know it wasn't your fault… or Hinata's… I just, I just can't look at her without being reminded… Their voice is the same…"
"Whatever Thaanix said, try not to let it bother you." Riku turned towards her. "She's just trying to get in your head."
"She had no right to say what she did…" Sam whispered. Taking in a deep breath, she told him. "I-I'll be alright…"
"You will," Riku agreed, looking at her broken mechanical arm. "Will you be able to fix it?"
Sam nodded, "Yeah… That guy found the crystal, so it will be fine."
"That guy?" Riku repeated, before understanding. "Right, Axel."
Sam nodded again, not replying further.
"Alright," Hinata came back over, tears glazed over her eyes and a smile on her face. "I'm ready."
Sam looked away as Riku met Hinata's gaze and smiled. "They didn't recognize you?"
"Thankfully, no." Hinata's smile grew before it fell as she glanced over at Sam. She opened her mouth to say something, but Riku cut in.
"We should probably get going then." Riku got her attention, pulling out his communication device. "DiZ will want to hear about everything that happened."
Hinata looked back at him, realizing he was trying to keep her from talking with Sam. Her heart sank as she took in a breath and nodded. "Yeah… let's get going."
***Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. So we're already through with Agrabah! It was more of a setting, rather than having an entire mission involving the characters from the world. I won't be doing this often, but in reality, it is something that would happen! Agrabah is a pretty big world!
Our little team needs a lot of change and training to take on Thaanix again. And I'm so looking forward to it!
Also, the outfit Hinata wore in this world was heavily inspired by the Cajun armor for Aloy in "Horizon: Zero Dawn"! Jackie surprised me with the game a while back and I absolutely fell in love with it! So I really wanted to put a little nod towards it in the story. I gave it my own little spin obviously, but it was close enough that I wanted to make sure I put a little note about it here.
I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and huge shoutout to my husband and Jackie for their support!
Have a great week!***