Chapter 31
Chirithy sat along the windowsill in its shared apartment with Lupe. The calmness in the apartment was a welcome change of pace to how busy things had gotten lately. Resting there in the quiet, Chirithy watched the bustling nightlife in the town below, drifting in and out of sleep.
The sound of keys jangled on the other side of the door and one of Chirithy's ears perked up.
"He's back earlier than usual tonight," it said to itself amidst a yawn. "Must be tired, too."
The latch unlocked and light from the porch poured into the dimly lighted apartment.
"And here we are!" Lupe presented. "Make yourselves at home."
Chirthy blinked. "Yourselves…?" It turned its round head to see the group coming around the corner into the living room. "Lupe," it groaned under its breath, rolling to get up onto its stubby feet.
It watched as everyone filled the apartment. There was enough room for everyone in the one bedroom flat, though a little cramped. Everyone spread out, inspecting the admittedly bare bones place. It took an entire minute before anyone noticed Chirithy groggily staring at them.
"Oh, hey Chiri," Lupe greeted, kneeling down to its level. "We were thinking of having a movie night!" His excitement paused when Chirithy rubbed its eyes. "But if you're beat, we could do it another time."
"We certainly don't want to intrude," Velcia added, leaning forward and placing her hands along her knees.
"No, no," Chirithy assured them, waving its paws. "Just—" it yawned again with a little squeak that both Lupe and Velcia found adorable, "surprised is all." It batted Lupe's head. "You should give me a heads up next time."
Lupe sheepishly grinned, rubbing his hair as he stood back up. "Yeah, you're right. I got excited. Sorry about that, Chiri."
"Talk to three new people today…?" Sam read off a post-it note stuck to the fridge, cutting through their discussion. Looking at another post-it, she read, "Ride the trolley around town with Chirithy today."
Ben excitedly hopped beside her. "Oooh I've always wanted to do that. Can I come too?"
"Heh." Lupe's ears warmed as he walked over to the kitchen and snatched up the notes. "I-uh, need reminders sometimes. Gives me something to do everyday, you know?"
"Nothing wrong with that," Hinata pointed out.
"Yeah, I can't say I blame you," Sam agreed.
Lupe smiled warmly, then noticed Ben still expectantly waiting for his answer. "Yes, Ben," he replied with a chuckle. "Of course you can come along on a trolley ride."
"Yes!" Ben pumped his fist, making Sam and Lupe laugh.
"These are beautiful, Lupe," Hinata said, looking at the various colored pieces of glass dangling in front of one of the windows. She gently held one of the pastel pieces in her hand.
"I bet they look wonderful under the light of the sun," Velcia added.
Lupe nodded, his hands in his coat pockets as he walked over to them. "Yeah, especially at sunrise." He motioned his elbow towards the barren wall on the other side of the room across from the window. "It casts all sorts of colors over there."
"Oh, that sounds lovely!" Velcia chimed, her hands clasped in front of her.
"I'll definitely show you guys sometime," Lupe promised.
"Well, if it's a movie night we're doing, we should probably get started," Chirithy said as it climbed up onto the couch to join Riku, who had been sitting since shortly after they arrived. "Or I'll fall asleep during it."
"You'll be hard pressed to do that if it's as bad as Lupe says it is," Sam said.
Chirithy sighed, plopping onto the cushion. "As long as it's better than the last one he put on."
Lupe laughed, ushering the group to the large L-shaped couch nestled in the corner of his living room. He smiled to himself, seeing everyone settle in before he went to the kitchen to gather snacks and drinks. Hinata realized what he was doing and got up to help him gather things, bringing all of it out to a round coffee table in front of the couch. It didn't take long for them to find their self designated spots. Ben and Velcia sat on the floor, despite there being enough room for them on the couch. Velcia was polite about it, but admitted she didn't want to be distracted by their comments during the movie. Lupe relented as long as she took the largest pillow on the couch to keep herself comfortable.
With all of them settled, Lupe put on the movie.
The credits to the second movie rolled across the large screen. Velcia hugged the pillow just a little bit tighter, her mind reeling with the incredible stories she'd just experienced.
"That was beautiful," she said softly, but no one replied.
She peeked over her shoulder and softened with an adoring smile. Everyone else seemed to have fallen asleep. Hinata was lying down, a blanket curled up around her and her head on Riku's lap. Riku sat up straight, but his head was lolled to the side as he softly snored, his loosely tied hair falling over his shoulder. Even Ben had his eyes shut, though Velcia was unsure if the robot was actually sleeping or simply talking with DiZ. To the other side of her, along the long side of the couch, she saw Lupe sitting up with his long legs stretched out across the cushions. Sam's legs were tangled up with his while she snored from her little nest of pillows on either side of her.
Velcia pushed herself to stand, wincing at the way her stiff muscles ached from sitting in the same place for so long. She stretched her back, taking a deep breath that ended with a yawn.
"I suppose we are staying here tonight," she whispered, looking around the dark apartment.
She walked out of the living room, careful not to bump into anything. It thankfully wasn't too difficult as Lupe didn't seem to have much furniture or excess decor in his place. The dangling glass over the window dazzled under the starlight, beckoning her. She went over to it, running her fingers along the smooth glass. She imagined its color sprawled across the wall under the morning light and wondered if it would be similar to when she'd wake up early on Thebes and see the sunlight shining through the shelves of potions.
A soft smile tipped her mouth before she moved onwards to the kitchen. She summoned a faint glowing fire in her hand to illuminate the cabinets and searched for a mug to make some tea. Normally, she wouldn't dare intrude on anyone's kitchen, but Lupe had insisted they make themselves at home. Opening a cupboard beside the fridge, she saw the mostly empty shelves with two black mugs sitting right in the center. She grabbed one and placed it gently on the counter before reaching for her satchel to gather the herbs for a tea.
She set out the herbs on the counter, but one of them slipped off the edge. Velcia was quick to react and caught it before it hit the ground, but then she spotted a tattered post-it note crunched between the fridge and the counter. She placed her herb back on the counter then grabbed the paper, about to throw it away before she noticed the writing under the glow of the fire.
Find someone to talk to.
Velcia glanced back towards the living room where she could hear the credits of the movie still playing over her friends' snores. All of them. Together. She looked at the note and found the trash to throw it away properly.
"I'm glad he found us," she whispered.
With a whisk of her hand, the mug filled up with water and Velcia gathered a little pouch of herbs to steep into it. Putting out the flame in her hand, she grabbed the mug and her palms glowed. A comforting steam rose from the water, warming Velcia's cheeks.
She walked out of the kitchen and found a door that led out to a balcony. Quietly opening it, she slipped outside and welcomed the cool night air. Leafy vines curled around the metal railing, climbing a stairwell to the left that led towards the roof. Velcia went up the steps, careful not to spill her tea.
The rooftop was mostly empty, but Velcia noticed a seat in the far corner and made her way over to it. A round table stood beside the chair, with a black porcelain bowl in the center of it. Velcia glanced into the bowl, confused by the piles of gray ash inside, but she didn't pay it much mind. Whatever the reason for it, she was sure it wasn't her business. Moving aside a couple of empty bottles cluttered on the seat, she sat down.
A chill wind swirled through the air, but even as Velcia felt it against her skin, she knew it wasn't authentic. The magical properties weren't present within it, at least, not as strong as they were in the real world. Still, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and enjoying the calm.
Minutes passed. Velcia's tea was well steeped and she sipped on it. Another set of footsteps against the stairwell caught her attention and she looked over to see Lupe coming into view. She smiled, tilting her head as he came over.
"I see you found the roof!" he greeted her.
Nodding, she replied, "I hope I didn't wake you."
"Nah, don't worry," he assured her, leaning against the railing and looking out at the empty town. "I don't sleep much."
Velcia looked into her tea with an understanding hum. Neither of them said anything for a beat. "Thank you for hosting us here tonight," she said.
Lupe glanced over his shoulder, seeing her looking up at him. A smile spread across his face. "Absolutely! It was nice to have everyone here."
"It was," she agreed, taking a sip. "I think everyone needed it."
"What did you think of the movies?" he asked.
"Oh," Velcia looked up at the stars, sighing softly. "I thought they were incredibly interesting. The second one especially so. The connection between the wolf and Pia was beautiful. I don't believe I've ever seen an animal act in such a way. Well, perhaps maybe the chocobo in Eos."
Lupe laughed, stifling it when Velcia looked at him in confusion.
"Were they really that bad?" she asked.
"I mean—" he struggled to reign in his laughter and shrugged. "It's all up to the eye of the beholder, as they say."
"Oh?" she asked. "Who says that?"
"I don't know, I'm sure someone does." He ruffled his hair and Velcia chuckled along with him. "But-um, actually I came out here to have a smoke. Do you mind?"
Velcia blinked, she wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Her mind went to someone burning incense, as she had done with her Papa at altars for the gods in Olympus. She looked Lupe over, he didn't seem like someone who would burn such a thing, but she supposed there was much she still didn't know about him.
"Of course," she said with a smile. "I don't mind at all."
He smirked and reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette. Velcia watched him with interest, taking a drink of her tea. With another hand he brought out a lighter and flicked it on, igniting the end of the cigarette. He noticed her intent staring and held it out for her.
"Want one?" he asked.
Velcia looked between him and the odd smoking stick. The scent of it wrinkled her nose and she coughed, shaking her head. "U-Um, n-no thank you."
Lupe chuckled. "I can put it out—"
"Oh, please don't worry," Velcia assured him, coughing again but softer.
He smiled, putting the cigarette to his mouth. A puff of smoke plumed out between his lips and Velcia watched, completely fascinated. "It's supposed to smell like strawberries, but I think I got jipped," he told her, giving it a whiff and shaking his head. "I'll find a better quality brand next time so it won't bother you again."
Velcia nodded, not quite understanding. She watched him smoke in silence while she sipped on her tea. The smell of the smoke was a new scent to her and not entirely pleasant, but she was too intrigued and polite to say anything about it.
After a few minutes, she looked down at her nearly empty mug. A calm quiet had settled between her and Lupe. It was the first time since meeting him that she had seen him in such a way. Taking in a breath, she held her mug in her lap and looked up at him.
"I've been wanting to say," Velcia started, running one of her fingers along the smooth ceramic of the mug. "I'm thankful to you and Chirithy for helping us."
Lupe looked over at her with a soft smile, his cigarette held between two of his fingers.
"I hope it doesn't interfere too much with your life here," she continued.
He chuckled softly. "Nah, you don't have to worry about that." Looking out at the town, he blew another puff of smoke. "You know"—he glanced back at her with a smirk—"it's funny, cause I could say the same thing about you."
"Could you?" she asked.
He nodded and turned around, leaning his back against the railing. "Well yeah, you left your entire life behind to help. Chiri and I sort of fell into it, but you made the choice to leave your world."
"It just seemed like the right thing to do," she admitted.
"What was your life like back on…" his voice trailed off and his mouth scrunched in thought. "Thebes, right?"
She laughed softly. "Thebes, yes." Her gaze wandered over the vine twisting along the railing, her thoughts wandering. "My life was…quiet. At least in recent years. I ran a potion shop near the coliseum, so I had the privilege of seeing a wide variety of visitors and battles. Tournaments were always the busiest times of year." She smiled to herself, a bit sadly. "It was nice."
"Coliseum," he repeated, taking another puff of smoke before bobbing his cigarette, remembering something. "Hey, that's where they pit fighters against each other, isn't it?"
Velcia nodded. "Yes! I used to take part in it myself when I was younger. Though, I did help Sam during her battle with the Hydra when she competed."
"Man, I wish I could've seen that," he said wistfully, leaning his head back to gaze up at the stars.
"It was quite the sight," she laughed. "Sam got herself purposefully eaten by the Hydra, then used her arm to shoot her way out!"
Lupe coughed on the smoke, sputtering into a coughing fit mixed with laughter that Velcia joined in on. "What was she thinking?" he asked as he recovered.
"I still don't quite know," Velcia admitted, shaking her head. "But it worked in the end."
"She's something else." Lupe shook his head with a fond smile.
"She certainly is." Velcia smiled, refilling her mug with a twirl of her finger.
Lupe watched as Velcia prepared another brew. "So…if you had all that, what made you decide to leave?"
She paused, glancing up from her cup.
"If you'd rather not answer, that's fine," he quickly added.
"No, it's fine, actually," she replied, taking a breath.
Her palms glowed as she warmed her new batch of tea. Lupe patiently awaited her. He turned around and lit another cigarette, blowing the smoke towards the town, rather than on the porch. Velcia sipped on her tea for a moment, allowing it to linger on her tongue and savor the herbs. Swallowing it, she gazed into the drink, seeing her reflection amongst the stars.
"I know what it's like to lose everything to the darkness…" she said softly. "And I want to do everything I can to make sure nobody else has to go through that. Back home, nobody needed my help…not for anything important." She looked up at Lupe, seeing him already looking at her. "If I can make a difference here and help stop whatever darkness is responsible for what happened to Keres…" Her voice trailed off and she inhaled deeply, averting her gaze before adding with a whisper, "I'd give anything to help stop it."
Lupe looked at her a moment longer, then his eyes gradually drew back out to the town. He blew out a puff of smoke. "You want to be part of something important. Something that could prevent others from going through what you did."
Velcia nodded.
A half smile tipped his mouth. "That's really admirable, you know."
Velcia softly laughed. "Thank you. Though I feel as if we could express that same sentiment to everyone in our group. I feel honored to be part of all of this."
Lupe's smile grew into a full one. "I do too."
Their conversation lulled. Velcia fell into her thoughts, each sip of tea lingering on her palate. Puffs of smoke from Lupe's cigarette danced in the night air, swirling in the wind and clouding the light shining from porches. The bottom of the mug greeted Velcia all too soon. She gazed down at the empty cup, letting out a breath. Even with multiple cups, she didn't seem any closer to being ready to sleep. Glancing up at Lupe, he seemed similar.
Lupe tapped his cigarette over the black porcelain ashtray, bits of dusty ash fell off the tip before he brought it back to his lips. "You've met Keres, right?"
Velcia's chest stuttered from the sudden question and her hands tightened around her mug. "Only in the dream, I'm afraid."
"Sorry," Lupe quickly apologized, closing his eyes tight and inwardly cringing. "That probably seemed really out of nowhere."
She remained quiet for a moment, a free hand fiddling with the fabric of her dress. "Are you considering how to feel about her?" she asked.
"How do you feel about her?" He turned it around on her.
Velcia took notice of the deflection but didn't acknowledge it as she looked towards the town. "For a while…I thought Keres was a darkness we needed to stop. To me, she seemed very much like the Wielder that destroyed my family when I was a child. But after those nightmares in Halloween Town…I just can't help but see her as another victim." Her gaze drifted away, her brows furrowing. "I…I don't know what the right thing to do with Keres is, but I do trust in Hinata and that her heart will lead her in the right direction. I don't think it's for me to decide, so…I'll instead do everything I can to support Hinata."
"...She's lucky to have you."
With a soft shake of her head, Velcia admitted, "I wish there was more I could do. Everything weighs so heavily on her, even more so now after her nightmare."
"Yeah…" Lupe sighed, ruffling his hair. He glanced back at her with a supportive smile. "But that isn't something you should put on yourself. You've got enough on your plate."
Velcia half returned his smile, before her gaze fluttered away. She felt his expectant stare on her a while longer before he turned back around.
"All of you make a really good team," he said after a moment.
Velcia's smile grew. "As…eventful as Halloween Town was, I do think it brought all of us closer in many ways.
"I've been an outsider in all this, but everything DiZ shared with me about your journey altogether…" He chuckled. "It's kinda weird finally meeting the real things. Like a fish outta water deal."
"A fish out of water?" she repeated thoughtfully. "I have never heard that phrase, but it does seem to fit. I felt similar when I first joined. And still do, at times." She motioned her hand in a circular motion. "Such as when we discuss DVDs or when I see new technology that everyone else seems entirely accustomed to."
Lupe laughed. "Yeah, I can't imagine how weird that must be for you."
"It is both incredible and overwhelming at the same time," she said with a chuckle, noticing Lupe nod. "I'm sure you understand the feeling."
"Hmm? Oh, uh-yeah." He scratched the side of his face. "Yeah, I totally get it."
Velcia broke into a sudden yawn and Lupe snickered.
"I suppose it is getting late," Velcia said, her voice still strained from the yawn.
"It is," he agreed, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Where are you wanting to sleep?"
With a soft frown, she said, "I admit, I haven't thought much about it."
"My bed's open," he offered, wincing with a groan before Velcia could even react. He ran his hand over his face. "That came out wrong. What I mean is, the couch is filled with people. Do you want to sleep on my bed, by yourself, while I sleep on the couch with everyone else? Well, Chirithy's on the bed, but they take up a pillow at most. But mostly by yourself."
"Oh!" she realized. "I couldn't possibly take your bed. I admit I haven't been sleeping well lately and would hate to cause you an uncomfortable night on the couch. I will be perfectly fine on the floor."
He stared at her for a moment. "The floor?" he repeated, putting his hands on his hips. "No, I'm not pushing you off to the floor. Maybe you could squish in on the couch, but you'd be a lot more comfortable with your own space. Or I can walk you back to the portal so you can head back to the Highwind or something. But if you're staying here all night, I'd feel better if you were comfortable."
She nodded in understanding, chewing on her bottom lip in thought. "Perhaps then…I could sleep on that long cushioned bench beneath your window. Where we saw Chirithy when we arrived."
Lupe thought about it for a moment. "Alright, I'll accept." He held out his hand.
Velcia looked between him and his hand, hesitantly reaching forward. She smiled, amused, when he gently grasped her hand and shook it. "I'm glad we reached an agreement."
"Psssst, Riku…." Ben whispered. "Are you awake? Psssst!"
Riku's shoulder flinched, his face scrunching at Ben's voice right at his ear. His dreams wavered, his head throbbing and neck aching. A thin metal finger poked his cheek and he shook his head, waving the hand away. He groggily opened his eyes, his vision blurry. Gradually, the quiet apartment came into view. Soft morning light cascaded through the windows. It couldn't have been long since sunrise. Riku yawned and rubbed the back of his sore neck. He had fallen asleep sitting up in the corner of the couch with Hinata's head resting peacefully in his lap. Her soft hair was tangled between his fingers and he absently toyed with it as he woke up.
"Riku," Ben whispered again.
Copper appeared in his peripheral vision and Riku looked over to see Ben inches from his face. Riku jumped with a sharp breath, groaning the moment he realized it was Ben.
"Hey!" Ben greeted with a hushed, yet excited, voice, his dimmed eyes brightening. "Sorry to—Woah!"
Riku's hand planted against Ben's face, shoving him back as far as he could reach. "Can it wait two minutes, Ben?" he asked, bringing his hand over his eyes as he leaned his head back against the couch.
"Oh, um…" Ben's voice got even quieter and he looked away. "Can it?" He went silent, listening to something that Riku couldn't hear. Turning to face Riku again, he put two thumbs up and pretended to zip his mouth shut.
"Thanks," Riku muttered.
He stared at the ceiling, fleeting moments of his dream still playing in his tired mind. His exhaustion clung to the dream, attempting to coax him to fall back asleep. And if it weren't for Ben and apparently DiZ awaiting him, he would have considered it. The soft snores of the others made it difficult to want to wake up. He lazily looked around the living room, seeing Velcia laid out across a bench beneath a window and the others scattered across the couch. Riku smiled to himself, appreciating the cozy atmosphere around them.
Looking down at Hinata, he detangled his fingers from her hair and gently shook her shoulder. She hummed, sliding her hand over his.
"I have to get up," he told her softly. "You can keep sleeping once I'm gone."
She breathed in deeply, her hand tightening over his as she nodded. Riku's smile grew and he helped her sit up just enough so he could stand. She sleepily mumbled something sweet or other but her words were intelligible as she curled up and fell right back asleep.
He looked her over, then the others, before turning to Ben and motioning his head towards the door. Ben stood at the ready with a quick hop, keeping true to his mimed zipped up mouth and didn't say a word. As Riku led the way out of the apartment, he noticed a colorful array of light dancing over him. He paused and looked towards the window, seeing the dangling bits of glass Hinata had noticed the night before. Stepping out of the way, he saw the color splash over the blank wall, just as Lupe said it would. Glancing back towards the living room, Riku spotted a framed picture hanging above the couch. It matched the colors of the glass, but appeared fuzzy and glitched as if he were viewing it in the other digital environment DiZ created.
A tap to his shoulder brought him out of his wandering thoughts and he turned towards the door, seeing Ben beckoning him with his hand. With a quick nod, Riku followed and left the apartment entirely. The moment the door shut behind him, Ben let out a loud breath, as if he had been holding it.
"Good grief that was hard!" he exclaimed and Riku chuckled.
"Thanks for giving me a chance to wake up." Riku started to head down the stairs. "What's going on?"
Ben grabbed his arm and Riku glanced back at him just in time to see Ben press a button on his opened chest compartment and a bright light flashed around them. They reappeared in DiZ's lab in the new digital environment. Riku stumbled from the sudden even ground compared to the stairs, but quickly caught himself.
"Sorry!" Ben quickly apologized, closing up the chest compartment. "DiZ and I didn't wanna wake everyone up with the sudden flash, you know?" He chuckled. "Talk about a rude awakening."
"It's fine." Riku straightened his clothes. "I'm here now."
"And with not a moment to spare," DiZ said, glancing over his shoulder from where he stood in front of a set of computer screens. "I detected her approach but struggle to comprehend it." He looked back to the screen, shaking his head. "Yet here she is."
"Keres?" Riku asked, coming up beside him. His voice died in his throat at the sight of Maleficent standing in the foyer of the real Twilight Town mansion. Chills crawled up his skin. "But…I thought Sora—"
"As did I." DiZ replied with a level tone. "No one has seen her for quite some time."
Riku's skin went clammy. "What does she want?"
"We have no idea," Ben admitted, his fingers fidgeting nervously in front of him. "She hasn't said a single thing since showing up! Just poofed inside with a bunch of green flames."
Riku sighed. "Why do I get the feeling she's there for me…?"
"That is unfortunately my assumption as well," DiZ replied, studying the recording. "Which is why I sent Ben to awaken you."
With a nod, Riku turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Ben asked.
Flicking his wrist, darkness covered Riku and his Organization coat appeared over him. He pulled up the hood to conceal his face. "I'm going to find out."
"Are you sure goin by yourself's a good idea?" Ben pulled on his fingers. "I could get Hina—"
"Leave him be, Ben," DiZ said. "I will send for Hinata if the situation calls for it. Riku is capable of handling this on his own."
"Well…alright," Ben sighed, turning to watch the screen alongside DiZ. "We'll be watching from here."
Without another word, Riku left the lab entirely. He made his way to the foyer where DiZ had the portals eternally swirling. Going through the left one, he reappeared on the Highwind floating peacefully in orbit around Twilight Town.
"Hey, be careful Riku!" Ben called from behind the Navigation.
Riku spun towards him.
Ben put up his hands. "I'm the real me! The one you've been hanging out with in the digital world is still me too. Mostly the same me, but a little teensey bit different. Probably is a little more crazy, cause its mind isn't all there like mine is keeping track of everything up here…That makes sense right?"
Riku hesitated, but nodded.
"Good, good." Ben grinned. "Well, good luck with Mal!"
"Th…Thanks," Riku slowly replied before he summoned a Corridor and disappeared inside it.
He reappeared on the second floor in the mansion. Even though it had only been a few weeks since he'd been inside the real mansion, the thick scent of dust made it difficult to breathe. He'd forgotten how decrepit it really was. The deep cracks in the wall that webbed from the ground up to the decaying rafters. Rubble broken across the floor and pushed into precarious piles in the corners. This was what he called home the past year. And Maleficent was standing right in the center of it.
She turned at the sound of Riku's Corridor. A smirk curved her thin lips and Riku breathed in evenly, suddenly reminded that she was the very one that taught him to create Corridors in the first place. He curled and straightened his fingers in an attempt to force himself to focus. Now wasn't the time to get caught up in the past.
He faced her in his nightmares. He could face her here.
"Well, well," she spoke up first, her slender fingers tapping rhythmically along the glowing orb of her scepter, "it has been quite some time, has it not?"
His face twitched. Oh the things he could say. Comments and jabs raced in his mind, the sort of aggressive banter that would rile her up and prove she held no power over him anymore. A slight burst of amusement rose in his chest at some of the thoughts, imagining her smirk transforming into a scowl at his apparent insolence. But now really wasn't the time. She had a reason to show up unannounced…back from the dead.
"What do you want, Maleficent?" he settled with being straight to the point.
His deep voice resonated through the foyer and Maleficent's brow arched along with her growing smirk. She didn't reply right away, but instead turned, whipping her long robes around with her dramatically. Riku watched her walk, her footsteps echoed and he grit his teeth. She disappeared beneath the stairs and Riku hesitantly walked downstairs. He found Maleficent stopped at the fogged glass leading out into the garden, gazing outside.
Looking past her, he saw the weeds protruding from the unkept flower beds. Wilted flowers hung over the wooden frames of their plot, dry petals blew away in the breeze. It was a far cry from the beauty Hinata and Namine had cultivated the past year and a half. Riku looked back at Maleficent, bothered by her silence.
"If you don't have a reason to be here—" he started.
"It seems some time has passed since that petulant pet of yours was clung to your side," Maleficent said with a bitter taste in her voice.
"Pet..?" Riku repeated, stepping aside as Maleficent turned and went past him to the center of the foyer.
"What was her name?" she asked in a sort of way that Riku could tell she already knew the answer. "Oh, yes, Hinata. That infernal child."
Riku breathed in deeply, closing his hand tightly and releasing it. She was trying to get a reaction out of him and he wasn't going to give it to her. Instead he remained silent. If Maleficent believed Hinata wasn't around him anymore, he wanted to know why.
"When I returned, I must say the last thing I expected was to find her succumbed to darkness," Maleficent said.
Riku couldn't help but smile, suddenly thankful his hood concealed his expression. He could have laughed if he wasn't attempting to keep a ridgid disposition. Even the self titled Mistress of All Evil was fooled by a Replica. Swallowing the amusement, he asked plainly, "Why do you care?"
"Why Riku"—she turned towards him, placing her hand over her heart—"you are like a son to me—"
"Get to the point," he cut her off. His gut tightened at the memory of her calling him her son back in Hollow Bastion. The chill of her fingers against his cheek, that fake sickly sweet voice. He shuddered.
"As you wish." She turned, whipping her robes around with her. "That girl of yours has taken residence in my kingdom."
His brow furrowed. "Hollow Bastion?" he asked.
Maleficent's grip tightened over her scepter. "Don't be a fool. Hollow Bastion was simply the castle used to gather the seven lights. My rightful place is at the throne of the Enchanted Dominion."
"How would Hinata know where that is?"
Maleficent glanced over her shoulder, brow arched. "So you do not know where she is? How interesting."
Riku crossed his arms. "You came here to figure out if I knew what she was up to." He let out a breath. "If it bothers you so much she's there, why don't you take care of it?"
"I would desire nothing more," she replied. "However, there is a spell placed upon the entire world. It is frozen in time, devoid of life and magic." Her nails scraped into the orb on her scepter. "My powers are useless."
He looked at her back, surprised she actually admitted to something like that. "...You're asking for help?"
"The girl is your responsibility," she said, her back still to him. "You made that fact clear during your time in Hollow Bastion."
Riku huffed out a breathy laugh. "Guess I did."
"I trust you will take care of it," she told him. "Meanwhile, I will find a new place of residence. Much has changed during my absence."
Before Riku could get a word in green flames burst from the ground, swirling around Maleficent in a bright display. Then she was gone, leaving scorch marks and green embers that both eventually faded into shimmering magic. Riku stared at the disappearing remnants, arms still crossed. His chest was still tight, even with her gone.
After a couple minutes, he summoned a Corridor and disappeared. He stopped shortly on the Highwind then beamed back into the lab where DiZ and Ben awaited his return.
"Is a spell of that magnitude truly possible?" Velcia's voice poured through a speaker. "To freeze time and magic in an entire world…it seems only comparable to something the gods of Olympus are capable of."
DiZ stroked his chin in thought. "Such a spell has been placed on Enchanted Dominion in the past…however, it was of a lesser degree. Time stood still, yet Maleficent's power remained intact and upon her defeat, the spell was undone."
Riku pushed back his hood and joined DiZ and Ben at the desk. Two holographic screens glowed in front of them. One of the empty mansion foyer back in the real Twilight Town. The other showed Velcia, Hinata, Sam, and Lupe all huddled in front of a computer back in Lupe's apartment. Riku smirked to himself. He shouldn't have been surprised that all of them woke up right after he left.
Hinata's gaze found Riku and she smiled, her eyes softening in a way that wordlessly conveyed her concern, adoration, and pride all bundled together into a single expression. The tension in Riku's chest fell away and he smiled back.
"It is good to have you back, Riku," DiZ greeted, glancing over his shoulder. "You did an admirable job."
Riku nodded. "Thanks."
"Do ya think she really believes Keres is Hina?" Ben asked, tapping his cheek. "And how does she remember Hina?"
"She mentioned things changing in her absence," Lupe noted. "And from the stuff Chiri and I read about her, she was supposedly destroyed by that Sora guy. Maybe she wasn't around when the spell to make everyone forget Hinata went out."
"So what, she's back from the dead?" Sam asked. "Is that sort of thing even possible?"
DiZ leaned back in his seat, humming and closing his eyes. "There are many possibilities. I was cast into the Realm of Darkness and managed to return to the Realm of Light. As did Riku."
"And I was in the Realm Between for years," Hinata added.
"And then there was Chiri and I, somehow a bunch of code in a medal of all things," Lupe said with a shrug and a laugh.
"Got it, lots of ways to cheat death apparently…" Sam looked away, chewing her bottom lip. "Do you think there's a way James could of done one of those things?"
Everyone fell silent.
"I've thought about it," Hinata whispered to her. "But—"
DiZ cleared his throat. "It is a query for another time."
Sam winced. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."
She got up and went out of range for the screen. The others looked after her, Hinata the longest, before getting back to the task at hand.
Hinata let out a breath. Riku could tell she was fighting the urge to go after Sam. The way her eyes struggled to focus and her fingers traced her locket. Still, she pushed through and said, "Whatever Maleficent believes or what really happened to her, we have a lead on Thaanix—"
"Keres," Ben corrected.
"Not the time." Hinata half-heartedly pointed at Ben before continuing, "Dad, what do you know about the spell that was cast on that world before? Do you know who cast it?"
DiZ nodded. "It was three fairies that protected the world and watched over its Princess of Light. Maleficent released a curse and the fairies combined their magic to put the entire world to sleep until the darkness was dealt with."
"That is truly incredible," Velcia said in awe. "Are we safe to assume it was also those three who cast this new spell?"
"That is my assumption," DiZ agreed. "Though this one appears even more powerful than the last. It is possible they have received outside aid to keep Maleficent from returning."
"That's what I was thinking," Riku said, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "They heard Maleficent was back and wanted to keep the world away from her."
"But what about all the people that live there?" Chirithy asked, its head popping into view from the corner of the screen. "Are they ok with being frozen like that?"
"I'll admit, I've wondered that as well," Velcia sighed. "But I'm sure they weighed the possibilities and came to what they believed was the best decision. It does bring to mind another question however…" Her voice trailed off.
"Are we sure helping Maleficent is the right call?" Lupe asked and Velcia nodded.
"She is known for being manipulative," Chirithy agreed.
"I don't know we have much of a choice," Hinata said. "If Thaanix is there, especially in a world where no one is able to defend themselves…" She blew out a breath and looked at DiZ. "Any idea where we can find these fairies? I can't imagine they'd stay on a frozen world."
"I am unsure of their whereabouts," DiZ admitted, turning in his seat to face Riku. "However, I do recall a mutual friend of ours telling me about them. Perhaps he may know."
Riku tilted his head and then smiled, letting out a breathy chuckle. "Mickey."
DiZ smiled. "Precisely."
"Alright, I'll get in touch with him."