AN: It's time...
End of AN...
Even appeared at the "Land of Departure's" castle entrance in a flash of light and a very discombobulating sensation. Magical transport was definitely not his preferred method...
But, nonetheless, he turned to wave off - and thank - the old wizard, Merlin, for his assistance, before striding up the stairs to the front doors.
In the entrance hall, he was met rather quickly by the Keyblade Master, Eraqus (who, upon recognizing Even, relaxed somewhat).
"What brings you to this world?" the man asked, not mincing words. "I sense it's not for a social visit."
"In a sense, actually - yes, it is," Even responded airily. "I'd request to be allowed to speak to the 'Master Xehanort' you have here - it's of great importance...and a certain urgency."
The man's face showed surprise. Hesitation. "What is this urgent matter?"
Even explained, in quick and in basics, the recent discovery in Radiant Garden - and Xion's attack by an unfamiliar man in a black coat.
After he had finished, Master Eraqus sighed heavily, and nodded. "I see...come with me."
Even was led down the hall - where the Keyblade Master stopped before the wall. Said Keyblade Master conjured the weapon, and aimed it out ahead; a section of the wall vanished in a flash of light, revealing a door. Double doors of pristine white, with pulsing chains on them.
A very familiar door indeed...
The door was opened, and Even stepped into an even more familiar chamber. This one was not the barren, reclusive hideout of a king with a throne - but instead, a pristine, tidy prison room.
And the prisoner himself...
A wizened old man, in long coat and boots, seated at a desk - writing something on a sheet of paper.
The old man - who could only be the true, complete Master Xehanort - turned and looked up at their entrance. The writing utensil was set aside, and he pushed back his chair and stood slowly. His arms hung at his sides, his gaze flickering between Eraqus and Even.
"Now this is truly a surprise..." his voice came, croaking and gnarled. "I admit, you are the last person I would have ever expected to come to visit me - in fact, you were not even on the list...Even."
"I'm sure," Even said flatly, squaring his shoulders and striding forward into the room. He stopped before the man, gazing on him, closely and personally now. He examined the man a moment, then gave a small scoff, shaking his head. "Look at you - a locked away, feeble old geezer," he continued on, with a wide sneer. "You were never half as clever as you thought you were - were you, Xehanort? Nor as impressive. No...for all that you tried to present yourself as...this is the truth of you, for all to see."
Xehanort's aged lips quirked into a twisted smile, as a chuckle escaped him. He moved his hands behind his back, turning his head aside. "Is this truly why you've come all this way? To take such petty shots at me in my helplessness and isolation? I suppose your egotistical need for the satisfaction could no longer be ignored..."
"Not that it doesn't bring me great satisfaction," Even admitted freely. "but that isn't the reason I'm here, no."
Xehanort looked him in the eye, nodding, his smile fading. "Then by all means...continue."
Even turned away, taking up a slow pacing, and crossing an arm across himself. The other raised a lecturing finger. "Oh, certainly. It's the strangest thing, you see. There I was, minding my own business, when my little Xion comes to me out of nowhere, out of breath and scared out of her wits, with a tale of a hidden room down in our castle's sub-basement level...contained within which was a vast and complex piece of machinery - some energy source above, and three...no, two strange pods flanking it. According to her, this machine was the means by which Kairi was transported from Radiant Garden to the Destiny Islands - by you."
Even stopped, turning sharply, and letting his free arm fall across the other, over his chest. He narrowed his eyes at the old man.
Xehanort simply blinked his golden eyes back at him. He bowed his head, letting out a small breath. "Is that all?"
"Oh no, no, not at all," Even went on, his fingers tightening around his own arms. "She also claimed to have been attacked by a mysterious man in a black coat. As it is your trademarked uniform-"
"Obviously you would suspect I had a hand in these events," Xehanort interjected, straightening up tall now.
"Did you not?"
Xehanort met his gaze, his face falling into neutrality. "No. With every power available to me locked away, with my Keyblade destroyed, with myself being locked away in this chamber for every hour of my days now...do you truly believe I could have orchestrated some attack on your failed Replica? And even if I had somehow been able to do so - to contact someone outside this place, this world - what purpose would it serve me, rather than devising a plan to enact my own escape?"
"Her name is Xion, and she is a living girl!" Even snarled, stepping forward swiftly, shoving his face into the old man's. "I see you still have zero value for human life! A point of consistency between all versions of you! Why would you order something like this done? I know the answer, and it's really rather simple!"
"Oh? Do tell."
"Petty revenge and cruelty," Even snapped. "You could never resist yourself, could you? And it's been clear for anyone to see that there are no limits to your depravity! So why wouldn't you find a way of striking at us now? At her, simply because you can - because you know it will hurt?"
Xehanort gave a snort, and he turned away, striding off across the room of white. "You still haven't let it go, then?"
"Haven't let it...NO!" Even shouted, throwing his arms down and stalking forward. He seized the old man's arm and spun him around forcefully. He looked him in the face, the blood coursing in his veins. "No, I have not let go...of what you did to little Ienzo!"
"You will need to be more specific - in my old age, my memory fails me-"
"Don't you dare play stupid with me now!" Even hissed, shaking the man. "I can never forget the look on your face that day - that damn smirk you gave me as you cut Ienzo down in front of me! You deliberately waited, you struck him down first, just to make me watch it happen! Just so you could relish in the pain and horror you inflicted on my Heart...while I still had it. He was a child and you stole his Heart from him...his very CHILDHOOD itself! And all to wound me - because your pride stung too great from how I was a much better, more intelligent scientist than you ever were...or would ever be!"
Xehanort gazed at him with an infuriating calmness - no, a void of expression at all. He lowered his gaze to Even's hand, then looked up at him again. "This is not what you came here to discuss with me. Or is that discussion over? If so, I would very much like you to unhand me - and leave me be."
Even quivered, he saw red, he wished to tear this frail old man apart with his bare hands - but reason won out, as it always did. The Keyblade Master, Eraqus, would hardly let him beat down his defenseless prisoner...and Even would rather not suffer the humiliation of having to be restrained, himself, like some wrong-doer. Some common thug. No, he was a scientist. A man of intellect, of...
And Xion, and...yes...
Remember why you're here.
Even released the man, whirling away and stalking off. He pushed a hand through his long hair, shoving strands from his face. He let out a long, shaking breath, and adjusted his lab coat meticulously. He drew in another breath as he smoothed his uniform out, before finally turning back again.
"This machine of yours - we triggered its function quite by accident, when we went to investigate it," Even spoke coldly. "The results were rather perplexing. Honestly, I've no idea what to make of it. Hence, I am here for answers. And you will give them to me."
Xehanort gazed at him from across the room. "I truly don't know what you refer to."
"Let me explain, then. No - let me ask you a very simple, direct question: why did a five year old girl bearing the appearance of the Princess of Heart materialize within one of those pods?"
The old man's face showed pure shock now - to Even's immense satisfaction. Yet...that did not tally up, did it...? "What...?"
"What do you mean, what?" Even said loudly. "It was your machine, your hidden room, your secretive little plans! Are you seriously going to attempt to tell me that you don't know-"
"This girl - what is her level of stability, in body and mind? Does she possess consciousness - self-awareness? What is her physical state of being?" Xehanort's suddenly eager, swift tones came, interrupting Even.
Even gazed at the old man, seriously considering telling him he wouldn't tell him a damn thing - purely out of pettiness and spite. To deny him answers, deny his curiosity. Leave him with nothing! Yet...he needed answers. They needed answers. He was a true scientist - and he could not let his Heart's emotions get in the way of the search for truth. For the knowledge...that would benefit them, and bring clarity.
"Her body is as human and stable as can be," Even said tightly. "As for signs of consciousness - yes, we have observed that she has an active mind, albeit while still asleep; she's either dreaming or remembering something. Though, curiously enough, we did not detect a Heart."
"I see. And how long ago was she...discovered?" Xehanort asked promptly.
Even suppressed the urge to deny him, again. "Hardly an hour ago now."
"Hm..."
Even glared. "Now that I've sated your horrid sense of curiosity, you are going to explain to me exactly who and what she is, and where it is she comes from. And, of course, you will tell me what it is you have planned for her."
"In this instance, I can freely admit that there is no plan," Xehanort said, chuckling to himself. "Her existence...was never meant to be. Not yet, at any rate...not like this. She was a mere possibility - a possibility, it seems, that has become a certainty, after all."
Even narrowed his eyes. "Elaborate."
The old man certainly obliged - though how much of it could be trusted...was very suspect...
But it did make...logical sense, in many ways.
Still, as the old saying went...
Trust but verify.
And Even very much intended to verify.
The big, metal airship finally landed again, to Sora's relief!
"Is this it?" Sora said, jumping off the side of the metal ramp onto the ground.
He glanced around, but it didn't look like much of anything to him...?
It was just a bunch of grassy fields, and hills, under the starry night's sky. There were mountains in all directions, surrounding the area. But...
"This weapon we're looking for, if there is some trace of it, will be somewhere over there," came the voice of the woman, Onterosa Ravamar, as she came striding up to them from out of nowhere! She turned and pointed out across the fields, the hills, up to a really tall one - where it looked like there was some kind of...rubble, or ruin atop it...? "Or, more specifically, under there..."
"What's that?" Sora asked, frowning into the distance. "It looks like some old castle?"
"It is an old castle," Onterosa nodded to him. "This used to be the capitol building of the nation that pre-dated Zitol - over six hundred years ago. They held less than half the territory we have now, and they weren't well-liked. There were constant battles, wars, and struggles - for everyone, in those times, to be fair. But a night came when an opposing nation reached far into the kingdom, making it all the way here, to the castle. A siege was held, one that lasted for weeks on end. Until..."
"Until what?" Sora said eagerly, eyeing the woman.
""Well, legends and exaggerated tales talk of a curse or calamity that was unleashed on the land - something that destroyed the castle, obliterated both sides' armies, and scarred it for ages to come," Onterosa went on slowly. "It's said that it took generations for life to return - all of this greenery, the flowers, the trees, that stream over there...none of it existed a few centuries ago. It was a barren, blackened landscape where nothing at all could grow or live. So, for a long, long time...no one ever tried. The site of defeat was abandoned, and eventually forgotten. But the stories don't end there: the legends also say that this calamity spread across the land in wake of the castle's destruction, claiming the lives of hundreds upon hundreds, in village after village, in burning flames of goddess-like wrath."
"...And - t-that's really what we're out here looking for?" Sora said, with a nervous laugh.
"You can always go wait at home," Terra said seriously. "This might be too dangerous for you - even for Ven."
"Huh?! No - hey - I'm good, Master Terra!" Sora said quickly, standing tall and raising a hand in a salute. "Let's get this Keyblade! But, uhhhh...where are we supposed to start?"
Onterosa nodded her head toward the distant hill, and the old crumbling castle. "There were tunnels built beneath the castle, that stretch out in every direction - into deep, carved caverns of stone. Some were for storage, others for shelter - and others were for hidden escapes. If anything about this old weapon survived, it would have likely been hidden somewhere down there. A record, a simple image or message on a wall..."
"How well-explored are these tunnels?" Terra asked.
"Not very - not until recently," Onterosa replied, with a small smile. "Most people still fear the wrath of a goddess, or the 'curse' of the lands. No one's wanted to come poking their head around the place. And for good reason: for centuries, around the area, there have been constant claims of 'mysterious disappearances.'"
"Well, let's hope it's mostly just superstition and coincidences," Terra said, giving a nod.
"But we don't believe in coinci-" Ven started.
"Quiet," Terra said, with a small shake of his head as he crossed his arms. "You'll jinx us."
Ven went quiet, wide-eyed. He glanced away and crossed his own arms. "Think we're already pretty darn cursed by this point...considerin' our lives so far..." he murmured.
"It can always get worse," Terra said lightly.
"Or better!" Sora remarked, grinning. "Skuld came back and everything, right, Ven? And you found Lauriam and Elrena again, too."
"Right," Terra agreed, smiling. "Good attitude, Sora. Let's go, then, and hope for the best." He looked to the Onterosa woman, giving her a nod. "Are your soldiers around, too?"
The woman nodded back. "My operatives are already searching the tunnels, yes. Some, in person, and others...they felt safer just using remote viewing magic. I would have ordered them all into the tunnels, but we might need a reserve guard hidden around the place - just in case."
"We'll join the search, then. We might be able to find something your people can't," Terra replied.
"You know, I'd heard of those ancient legends about the Keyblade - weapons of ruin and destruction, according to some, or protection and salvation according to others," Onterosa spoke casually. "But I never could have imagined there were any active wielders still in the world today."
Terra eyed her for a moment. He shrugged, flashing a grin. "We're a very discrete group - we only appear where and when we're needed. Otherwise, we have a policy of non-interference with...world events."
"So discrete as to have the whole world believing you haven't existed for thousands of years..." Onterosa said, smiling thinly and raising her eyebrows. "I'd love to know how you pull that trick off."
"Well, hang around us long enough and you might find out," Terra said lightly. "Now, I think we have a search to get on with."
Onterosa sighed. She shook her head, then reached up to throw her hood back. "Right." She stretched out her arm away from her body - and in a flash of purple light, a thin, long black scythe appeared in her hand! She twirled it around and held it down low, facing outward, like it didn't weigh anything to her!
"Cool weapon!" Sora remarked, eyeing it with excitement.
"Thank you," the woman said, with a small laugh. "I don't get much occasion to use it..."
Kairi walked back into the cabin on the high hill, striding across the living room to stand before the girl on the sofa.
She lowered herself down to her knees, watching the girl's face.
Ozma.
Ozma's strange eyes opened again, and looked back at Kairi with fear and uncertainty.
"Hey," Kairi said lightly. "How are you doing in here?"
The other girl gave her head a small shake, her dark blue curls rustling.
"Ozma, listen, what you said earlier, about the Power of Waking, and me being a Heart..." Kairi went on, taking a breath. "Are you from the Realm of Light, like us?"
Ozma blinked at her with her two differently colored eyes. Her lips pursed into a frown. Then she shook her head again. "No...I live here. This is my home. I belong here."
"Okay. But you're not a- someone that this world's Heart dreamed up?" Kairi said quietly, slowly. "It doesn't matter to me if you are, I just-"
"I know I'm not real," Ozma interjected, in a quavering voice. "I'm imaginary - just a dream."
"But you know you're...in a dream? From a dream? Why? How?" Kairi whispered. "I mean, I've been to a lot of dream worlds by now, and no one else ever...knew that. Why do you?"
The girl's face scrunched, looking confused. "I don't know...I've always known..."
"Okay..." Kairi took another breath, nodding. "Hey, Ozma, do you want to go outside? We could lay out in the grass, look at the stars together. How long were you down there in that basement?"
"I don't know..."
"Well, it seems like it was a really long time. Can I help you up? Get you outside?"
"To see the stars...?"
"Yeah."
"...Okay."
"Okay! Up we get, then!"
Kairi smiled at the girl, and helped her to her feet. She supported her as they left the cabin behind, stepping out onto grass and dirt. Into a cool breeze, and a light of the moon...and all the stars above. Kairi led the girl a few feet away from the house before stopping, setting her down there. Kairi sat down with her, joining her in the grass.
Luxu strode out behind them, standing on the top steps of the cabin's entrance - faux casual, for sure. His arms were crossed, his eyes were fixed to Kairi...no, to Ozma.
Kairi refocused. She drew her knees in and put her arm around them, turning to smile at Ozma.
"This is a lot better, isn't it?" Kairi said, warm and encouraging.
The other girl sat there awkwardly, her legs sprawled, bracing herself on a shaking arm. Her head turned toward Kairi, her lips quivering. A soft gasp escaped her. Then she fell backwards suddenly, landing flat on her back in the grass with a thud.
"Hey - are you okay?" Kairi exclaimed.
Ozma blinked up at her - no, past her. "T-the stars..." her trembling voice came, awed and- tinged with sadness.
Kairi watched the girl a moment. Then, she nodded, and she lay down in the grass next to the girl. She wanted to just take the girl's hand, comfort her, talk to her - but she knew the girl wouldn't react well to it. The girl had warned her twice, after all...
She focused on the night sky, herself, taking in the sight of a full set of stars, bright and beautiful... "They're beautiful, aren't they?" she whispered out, glancing over at Ozma.
"Y-yes..." Ozma quavered. She closed her eyes, turning her head away.
"What's wrong?" Kairi asked.
"Everywhere I go...the stars burn. They burn, and I leave scars on them - like yours..." Ozma's lips exhaled shakily. "I always hurt them. I don't want to - but I do. Like I'm going to hurt you."
"Why do you think that?" Kairi said, taking a calm breath. "Ozma? You said something like that before, about not wanting to hurt me? This - curse of yours, right? What are you talking about? Please?"
The other girl was silent, her curls licking at her face in the breeze.
"Are you a Keyblade wielder, too?" Kairi asked quietly. "Did you used to know a Keyblade wielder? Is that how you knew about the Power of Waking?"
Ozma's lips parted, her eyes opening again. She glanced over at Kairi, sidelong - afraid. So, so afraid...but of what? "Me...wield a Keyblade...?" She sounded so- baffled, in that moment. Then- she laughed. A high and shaking sound. But a real one.
"What's funny?" Kairi said, with a light smile.
Ozma suddenly froze; her laughter died instantly, her mouth slammed shut. She looked away from Kairi once more.
Kairi cursed herself. She was sure she'd almost been- on the verge of something. The girl had really been...relaxing! Opening up, there. Or at least about to! She-
"You're so nice to me...no one's ever been this nice to me," the girl whispered suddenly, tears falling down her cheeks anew. Glistening, under starlight. Falling to the grass, streaking down the blades like morning dew. "I w-wish I didn't have to hurt you - I really do! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"You keep saying that, but how? How are you possibly going to hurt me?" Kairi said, pushing herself up on an arm now and turning toward the girl. "Ozma. Please! Please just talk to me - I can help you! That's all I want to do here: so help me do that!"
Ozma shook her head fiercely, her arms wrapping around herself, her eyes shutting tight. Her whole face screwed up, as her head slammed back into the ground suddenly! Once - twice - again, and again! "Stop, stop stop! I don't deserve you, and you don't deserve me! You're just going to make it worse!"
"Ozma, listen: whatever happens, I'm here for you, okay? I'm here, and whatever bad thing you think is going to happen - we can face it together! We can-!"
"I'm going to burn you!" Ozma shouted, shaking her head and slamming her hands down over her face, covering it. "I'm going to burn this entire world again! And you can't stop it - you won't be able to stop ME!"
"I don't believe that!" Kairi said firmly, shaking her head. "You haven't shown me a single thing about you to back it up, for one, girl. But, for another, you haven't done anything terrible so far! All you've shown me is a girl who's hurt, and afraid, and confused - but not a girl who could do anything close to...something like that! So unless you've got something to back it up, you've got to stop it with this talk of-"
Ozma's large, diamond-shaped, ruby inset pendant necklace suddenly began to glow - a faint orange, in the core...to a full, burning red in the night. The girl gasped, sitting upright with more speed and strength than Kairi would have thought she had in her right now. She dropped her head, staring at her gemstone necklace in shock. Then her lips closed, and she seized her hair in her hands and started furiously shaking her head - her whole upper body! Twisting left and right...writhing! "No! No, no, no...! Please no, please, I'm s-sorry, Kairi, I'm sorry-"
"Hey! It's okay!" Kairi said, reaching out to grab the girl's shoulder without thinking. "It's okay-"
"I can sense them, they're here - I'm sorry-"
"What are you even sorry for?!" Kairi shouted, seizing the girl's face now, forcing her to just look her in the eyes. "Ozma - hey! Come on, girl, work with me here - talk to me! Just tell me-"
"Your friends!" Ozma suddenly screamed in Kairi's face - causing Kairi to jerk back, both in shock at the volume and the contents of her words. Tears were streaming down the girl's face in full now, smearing the last of the dirt left on it, passing over little black freckles. "Your f-friends, and her-"
"What do you mean, my friends?" Kairi demanded. "Ozma, please-"
The world around them suddenly changed; the air warped and warbled - the distant mountains drew closer in - the moon and the stars shifted colors...to a burning red, streaked with orange, almost like an aurora. Like flames dancing in the air. Like...
"OZMA, WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Kairi yelled out, jumping to her feet.
The other girl whipped her head up, flinching back from Kairi on the ground. Then, her eyes fluttered, as she stared into Kairi's face... "I'm the ultimate weapon...and they found me."
"Ultimate weapon?" Luxu's voice came, as he suddenly appeared in a flicker beside Kairi. "What're you talking about, kid? Come on-"
"The Ultima Weapon!" the girl exclaimed, fast and high, looking terrified of Luxu. More than she was of Kairi. "I kill and I destroy, and I ruin, and it's what I was made to do!"
"What?" Luxu gaped, looking more shocked than Kairi had ever seen him before. Truly shocked.
"Are you saying you're a- you're that old Keyblade?" Kairi questioned intently. "But how can a person be a-"
"You have to get out of here - please!" Ozma spoke over her, as if she hadn't heard her again. Her eyes glistened, staring up at Kairi - pleading. "The m-mirror - in my room - it can get you out! Go to your friends, and get away from this world, please-"
Suddenly, the ground itself split open beneath Ozma. A multitude of- of twisted arms burst out of the earth, seizing onto Ozma...and starting to pull her down into the black pit!
"No!" Kairi summoned her Keyblade in an instant, slashing down fiercely! A blade beam cut through an arm, severing it with a flash of light - and then the whole arm evaporated in a smattering of golden light motes... She slashed again, and again, reaching down with her free arm to grab for Ozma-
But more and more arms kept coming, half a dozen more, a dozen- a mound of chaotic limbs! Their combined strength wrenched Ozma from Kairi's single-handed grasp-
And the girl disappeared down into the darkness.
"NO...no..." Kairi cried, backing away from the black pit, staring down into it in horror. Then she clenched her teeth and stepped forward, lifting a foot over the edge-
"HEY!" Luxu was tearing her backwards violently, almost off her feet! "What the hell were you just about to do?"
"I'm going in after her - I'm going to get her-!" Kairi exclaimed, whirling and struggling in the man's grasp.
"She wanted us to save ourselves! And it sounds like, your friends, too - probably Sora, maybe Ven? Who knows? But if she thinks they're in some kind of danger, are you really going to just let them stay that way to go chasing after this girl...instead of honoring her final wish?" Luxu spoke urgently, almost rambling. His dark eyes gazing down on her. "I'm sure as hell not! I made a promise to those kids, and I'm going to damn well keep it!"
Kairi stood on the edge of the pit, staring down into it. She looked at Luxu. Then, away - to stare at the distorted, red world around them... She breathed, she closed her eyes and turned her head aside. I'm sorry, Ozma...I'm sorry. She opened her eyes again, giving Luxu a simple, tense nod.
He gazed at her still, for a moment - then he let her go, stepping back and raising his hands to her.
Kairi spun on her heel - and raced for the front door of the cabin.
She burst inside, flying through the living room, down the hallway - into the girl's messy bedroom! She looked to the makeup table immediately, hurrying over to it. What was she supposed to even-
"Keyblade wielders, remember? Key- oh, would you move out of the way?" Luxu's voice came, as his hand roughly pushed her aside. His arm rose up, with that black Keyblade in hand; its end glowed and sparked, and a thin beam of light flew out to strike the mirror...
It rippled, it began to glow - and then it suddenly grew. It expanded out in all directions, forming a tall, wide, almost liquid-like...was it a doorway?
"Hey! Come on - stop screwing around!" Luxu snapped, his hand prodding her in the back.
Kairi wanted to turn and glare at the man, but-
She squared her shoulders, took a breath, and threw herself forward into that rippling mirror of a doorway.
Thankfully, she didn't just embarrassingly slam head-first into an actual, solid mirror.
Instead, she passed through it, a cold and wet sensation passing over her skin and clothing, as a bright pink light enveloped her...
She felt the light's warmth, she felt herself floating, drifting across a void of space and time-
And then Kairi flew out into a dim, cold place, and found herself landing in a heap on some very solid ground.
"Ow..." she groaned.
Luxu came flying into view past her, stumbling and staggering - but he twisted and stopped himself from falling over completely. "Woah! Haha, that sure was a trip. Oh, hey..." He stepped forward and stooped down, offering a hand to her.
Kairi took it without hesitating, letting him pull her up again. "Thanks. But where do you think we-"
"K-KAIRI?!" familiar voice exclaimed.
"Master Luxu?" stammered another, in disbelief.
Kairi whipped her head around, staring across the dimly lit, large cavern she seemed to have appeared in. She blinked in the low light in disbelief. "Sora, Riku?!" she exclaimed, taking in the sight of them - and Ven and Terra, too! She raced forward, and she threw herself at Sora, wrapping her arms around his neck!
Sora hugged her back, after a moment of uncertainty, his warm hands on her back. "Kairi..." he said happily. "It's really you this time!"
Kairi drew away, trailing her hands down his arms - to take his hands. She gazed at him, smiling a moment. Then she tilted her head, registering his words. Her hands slipped from his as she stepped away. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Uhhhhh...it's kind of a long story?" Sora said, hedging, grinning at her. "So, what's been going on with you?"
"It's kind of a long story," Kairi repeated, raising a hand to her mouth and laughing into it with all the emotions in her Heart right then. She turned to Riku, stepping forward and hugging him, too.
"H-hey! Uh...I guess you really missed me, too, huh?" Riku said awkwardly, turning his head away and raising his arms to the air.
"Of course I did, you dummy!" Kairi responded, pulling away. "You're still my best friend, too, you know!"
"I am? Great..." Riku blushed pretty hard - but she saw the smile on his face, all the same.
Kairi looked to Ven, and Terra, and then- to the new girl? Wait, there was a new girl? "Hey - I'm Kairi - who're you...?" she said, letting Riku go and turning to this new girl.
The girl - a girl who looked startlingly similar to Riku, really - froze on the spot. She looked back at Kairi, blinking deep blue eyes. Then she looked to Luxu. "I'm...Cognis. I'm-"
"It's a long story for us, too!" Riku interrupted loudly. "And we have bigger things to worry about right now!"
"You too, huh?" Luxu spoke. "What's the situation?"
"That Darkness is around here somewhere - looking for the Ultima Weapon still - and she's swarmed the place with powerful Heartless in hopes of slowing us all down," Terra stated. "What's the situation with you two?"
"We might have found this Ultima Keyblade of yours," Kairi said hesitantly. "In the Realm of Sleep, we found this girl...well, I'm not really sure she is a girl- I'm not sure how it could even be possible, but she said she was-"
"She's some kind of avatar or personification or what-have-you of the Ultima Weapon," Luxu interrupted. "Anyone familiar with the term 'Collective unconscious?'"
"Nope," Ven said instantly.
"Uuuhhh..." Sora trailed off, baffled.
"I can't say I am," Terra admitted, shrugging.
"Nor can I, sadly," spoke that- girl Riku look-alike. Cognis.
"Beats me, too," Riku said with a shrug.
"Well, whatever - all you need to know is that it means this Keyblade's got a real mind of its own," Luxu said, waving a hand, exasperation and frustration alike passing over his face.
"But that mind didn't seem to want to do anything awful..." Kairi said firmly. "She was so sad, and scared, and-"
"She also said she was going to burn the stars, and nobody was going to be able to stop her," Luxu interjected, hard. "Maybe she feels bad about it, maybe she doesn't - but she didn't make it sound like she had any choice in it, either way, did she now? So I say we take her warnings seriously here, and-"
"Oh, by the way, Ven!" Kairi said suddenly, turning to the boy.
"What-?" Ven started, tilting his head at her.
Kairi threw herself at him and hugged him tight before letting him go again. "I really missed you, too!"
"Haha, I missed you too..." Ven replied, blushing and beaming at her, giving a laugh.
Kairi drew a breath, looking to Master Terra.
"You don't have to hug me, too, if you don't-" Terra started.
Kairi hugged him anyways.
He gave her a single pat on the back before gently pushing her away.
"Alright, you've literally hugged everybody in the group by now - did you get it all out of you yet?" Luxu spoke, sighing and raising a hand to gesture. "From the sounds of things, we're all down to the wire here - let's lock in and do this, alright? That girl said she could sense you guys - so the Ultima Weapon must be somewhere nearby," he went on, looking to Terra.
Kairi finally looked around herself again in more detail, taking the world in. Not that there was much of anything to really take in...
It was a huge cavern, of smooth, carved stone and rock. Rounded on its edges. There were stone pillars interspersed around the place, and tunnel entrances leading off into the dark, ringing the vast cavern. In the center of the great cavern, Kairi saw...
A set of stairs on all sides of a raised, round stone platform, thin and wide. And atop the platform, there was a pedestal. A faint, red glow surrounded it, seemingly coming from nowhere.
"What about there?" Kairi said, pointing.
"We were just about to look into it," Terra remarked, with a small grin. "Before someone came flying out of a spontaneous doorway of light right in front of us."
Luxu nodded, turning and immediately teleporting across the great cavern - reappearing directly on the platform, in front of that pedestal of eerie red light. He set his hands on his hips, turning and twisting, examining it with exaggerated motions.
Kairi ran and kicked off from the ground, flying across the cavern after him. She touched down on the platform behind him, watching him up close now. Sora and the others came up behind her (Sora being the first to reach her, after going into a glide, himself). Kairi turned and gave him a light, affectionate smile for a moment, before focusing again. Terra, Ven, Riku, and the new girl who might possibly be either a hidden twin sister or a brand new Replica (not that Kairi would care; she was the last person who'd care, considering Xion), named Cognis...stepped up onto the platform last, after a minute.
"So, is this Keyblade here?" Sora asked Luxu, gesturing.
Luxu straightened up and turned, looking at him. He flashed a little grin, shrugging. "My ancient and well-honed powers of observation all say: no clue."
"Thanks for being useless," Kairi said, with a grin of her own. "You're a huge asset to the team! What would anyone do without you?"
"Hey, you want to take a crack at it, be my guest," Luxu responded, waving an arm and stepping away.
"Gladly." Kairi stepped past him, approaching the empty pedestal. She set hands on her hips, leaning down to stare at it closely. She straightened up again, then closed her eyes and brought her hands in to her chest. She breathed. She sensed, she concentrated, she...
Ozma...if you really are somehow connected to this Ultima Weapon - or if you ARE the Ultima Weapon - then talk to me again. If you can still hear me, wherever you are...show me where you are, and let me help you again. Please.
A burning, orange light suddenly flared behind Kairi's eyelids - lighting up the dark. A warmth fluttered over her, a blast of hot air! She opened her eyes again, and stared at the pedestal with a soft gasp.
Orange and red flames were forming in the air above the pedestal - twisting and flickering...like a candle. It flared, it grew, it cast off sputtering tendrils and orange embers...
And then, in a flash of orange light-
A Keyblade appeared out of thin air, floating there above the pedestal.
It was a...beautiful Keyblade, as much as it looked- deadly and dangerous. It was a weapon with a white, orange and red color scheme. Its handle guard was comprised of white spikes, or mini swords arranged around the grip like wings. Two long, orange spikes jutted down past the hilt, enclosing it, meeting with two smaller, white spikes on the very end of the hilt that pointed upward. The handle itself was black, with diamond-shaped links in a chain, that shifted from red to orange colors. Where blade met the top of the handle, there was a narrow, elongated orange Heart shape set into the metal.
The blade itself was long and thin, and made of dark steel or iron. It ended in an arrowhead of a point. It wasn't too remarkable on its own, Kairi supposed. But the rest of the design...wrapping around it was a beautiful mess of metal filigree, all pointing downward along the blade, and colored that orange and red hue, like burning flames (they were also sparkling).
Up past that, white and dark grey filigree stuck out at an angle, looking almost like a wing or something? And at the top of the blade, forming the "teeth" that stuck out to one side...was a half-circle of pristine white metal filigree, with orange diamonds on an array of spikes. In the middle of these diamond-shaped spikes, there was another Heart symbol - but this one was empty. It had an orange, inner lining, separating the empty inside from the white outside.
Finally, there was one last, orange-diamond spike sticking down out of the bottom - sticking out to the right side of the blade, all on its own.
Well, no, that wasn't it. There was one more thing: the keychain hanging from the end of the hilt. It was several interlinked arrowheads of white, like chains, leading to a little charm of swirling yellow and orange. Like an amber gemstone?
Terra strode forward quickly, his hand seizing Kairi's shoulder and pulling her back. His gaze fixed to the Keyblade...then, it turned to sweep over them all.
"No one touch it," he said clearly, firmly. He looked to that girl, Cognis, specifically, as he added, "I think even a formless being like you might get trapped inside it, too."
"The same thought did occur to me," Cognis replied simply, in such a low, lofty sort of voice. "Don't worry; I'm not nearly that stupid."
Terra smiled. "Glad to hear it."
"What the hell do you mean 'formless'-" Luxu startled, whipping around to stare at the girl, his mouth twisting, his eyes-
Darkness suddenly flickered on the other side of the pedestal - billowing out into a large cloud - and out of that cloud...
The mirror image of Kairi herself appeared?!
A twisted, dark version of her - with some dark suit on of purple and silver trim, all tattered. Her eyes were a glowing purple, and the scars on her face were emitting darkness itself, like the stuff was just leaking out of her!
"W-what- who-" Kairi gasped.
"It's that Darkness - she's been using your empty body, since you fell into the Realm of Sleep," Terra said quickly - tersely.
Kairi stared in shock. Then, anger quivered in her Heart. Outrage. Her hand closed into a fist at her side...and she summoned her Keyblade.
The other her- the Darkness, she gazed back at Kairi, and she scoffed. Her eyes swept over them all, across the pedestal. Through the haze and glow of the floating weapon... "Do any of you really think your blades are going to be enough to defeat me and mine? None of you will have the strength to defeat me - not even you, Master Luxu," she added, with a specific look at the man. "I will destroy you all, I will destroy your worlds, I will rip this future apart and make it my own! You pathetic, irritating, persistent little gnats!" Her voice rose with anger, her face etched with it all - with hate, disgust, frustration and impatience! All things Kairi didn't like seeing on her own face too much.
"Is that right? Well then, we've just got to cut you down before you lay a finger on it, don't we?" Luxu hissed, twirling his own weapon and raising it up.
"And destroy the Princess of Heart's body?" the Darkness said, looking right at Kairi now. Then, she looked to Sora. "Condemn her to a life as a mere Heart?"
"There's no way you're going to do that to her!" Sora said instantly, whirling on Luxu. "You can't-"
"He won't," Terra said, in a hard voice, looking to the man as well. His Keyblade appeared in his own hand in a flash, held at his side, large and powerful. "Will he?"
Luxu turned, glancing at Terra. Then, at Sora...and then Kairi. He froze. His teeth gritted, his eyes screwing up. "Grrrr...are you people kidding me?! We can have Even cook up a new body for her, right as rain! If it's good enough for the others, it's good enough for her. But you are not going to just pass up the chance to destroy one of these damn parasites because of a little-"
"You have your arguments, you humans - I'll be taking what is mine," the Darkness said idly.
"Try it!" Luxu snarled, whirling and thrusting his blade out at her instantly. "I'll obliterate you before you can blink."
"No, you won't," Terra ground out, turning now to fully face Luxu, stepping forward. Intimidating. Threatening. Not that Luxu looked very threatened by the move...
For a long, frozen moment of time, no one moved. No one breathed. They stared at each other. That Darkness, at all of them...and them, back at her.
Standing on either side of that pedestal - that Ultima Weapon between them.
Luxu and the Darkness.
Kairi and the Darkness, with her own face...
Then-
A dark barrier flew up between them with a flash of purple light - and the Darkness flew forward with a trail of dark smoke behind her, her hand outstretched!
Luxu vanished in a flicker of air-
Terra acted too slow, passing through empty air as he made to grab the man-
Suddenly, a large, green flaming fireball slammed into the Darkness from behind, exploding against her.
She went rigid, fingers inches from the Ultima Weapon's handle, a pained scream escaping her. Her eyes were wide with shock and confusion - and then she fell backwards with a thud, her arm falling to her side.
What...?
"Oh, dear - were you planning to betray me?" a horribly, instantly familiar voice echoed out around the cavern...
Green flames flashed on the platform, and a black cloaked figure materialized in a woosh. A staff with a glowing green orb on the end in her hand.
Kairi stared in horror.
"Maleficent?" she gasped. "We beat you!"
"Son of a bitch," Luxu's voice came, flat and hushed. He stepped forward, his gaze locking with Maleficent's. "So this is where - when you come back, is it?"
"What?" Kairi said, turning to him in confusion. "What are you-"
Maleficent appraised Luxu, raising a hand to her mouth, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "Oh, no, no, no! I returned some time ago, actually...Master Luxu, isn't it?"
Luxu's expression flickered with surprise.
Maleficent gave a wide, twisted smile. She tapped a finger at him on the air, giving her staff a flourish. "Yesss...I know it all - and so much more. More than even you could imagine! Ah, for instance...would you like to know the true name of your 'Master of Masters?' Who he really is...where he comes from? I could tell you. Muhahaha...Oh, I think I will. The look on your face will be worth spilling that man's dirty little secrets! It will be simply delicious. Your all-seeing Master's name is-"
A torrent of intense, crackling Light energy roared in from the side, hurtling toward Maleficent!
She vanished in a flash of green flames - reappearing nearby. She turned sharply in shock. "Who dares to attack me?! Reveal yourself!"
Heavy footsteps echoed across the cavern, as a tall man in a black coat strode out of the dark corners, into the orange-red light of the Ultima Weapon. His hands were behind his back, as he ascended the steps...coming to a halt in front of them all. His hood turned to look at Maleficent, from inside a dark, inscrutable shroud. Then...to Luxu.
"Hey now..." came a cold, drawling voice. So quiet, so controlled - yet it was so clear in the cavern. "No spoilers."
Luxu paled, stepping back, and actually dropping his Keyblade. His hand twitched at his side uncontrollably, before squeezing into a shaking fist.
"Master...?"