Aqua thought things were going...rather well, all things considered.
Really well.
There were a surprising amount of voices out there in the crowds that were...actually cheering for her. Encouraging her. Calling out to her with- with support and happiness and...
Of course, she heard the other voices, too. The ones that were buzzing and angry, howling and yelling. A blur of insults or obscenities. A lot of them...probably in languages she'd never heard before, and couldn't even understand.
Thankfully, no one had broken the unspoken line at the forefront of the crowd. No one was crowding her. No one was grabbing at her, or throwing things at her, or anything else terrible she had been expecting.
And as long as she just tuned them all out, and focused on what was right in front of her...she thought she could make it through this night in one piece - and with her sanity intact (and dignity).
That one thing in front of her being little Izalla - Izzy.
A little girl that just- reminded her of Scarlet.
The girl had caught her eye immediately, at the forefront of the crowds, her face shining with such an excitement and eagerness, despite the dirtied, worn clothing or messy hair...or the actual dirt.
Aqua had felt the stirring of emotions in her Heart - and she couldn't have just ignored them. Not with this. Not when little girls like Izzy were...exactly the reason she was doing any of this at all. Girls like Izalla, and like Scarlet...and even, a bit, herself...
"Can you do the mallini with me?"
Aqua blinked, looking down at the girl again. "I'm sorry - the what?"
The girl stared up at her, frowning. "The mallini!"
"Sorry," Aqua said again, sincere. "I don't really know what you mean. I have been a lost princess for a long time..."
"What about before that? How can you not know what it is? Every demon does!"
Aqua sighed, flashing an apologetic smile. "Well, believe it or not, I didn't grow up knowing...what I was. All of this...I didn't know about any of it until I was about your age. I just thought I was a human girl." And, after, of course, she had been desperate to keep pretending she was one. "Do you think you could explain it to me, please?"
The girl looked her up and down critically - or, well, no, more like she thought Aqua was actually stupid. She stepped back, then looked back at herself, her thin tail twisting forward. The tiny little, arrowhead-shaped blade on the end was pointing straight at Aqua. "Take your tail and do this first," she instructed primly.
Aqua breathed in, nodding. She looked back at herself, the same way, focusing her mind and furrowing her brows. Her tail curved itself outward in a big, sweeping motion, then finally found itself in the right position. More or less... "Like this?" she asked the girl lightly.
The girl gave her another up and down look. She nodded. "It'll work."
"Okay. What next?"
"Your tail has to wrap around my tail, then we..."
As Aqua saw movement on the edge of her vision, as she saw three figures emerge from darkness into the light, her heart stopped beating. Everything froze, around her, and inside of her. Sight and sound were gone.
It was only those faces, those images...coming toward her across the grass.
Here. Right here.
Right now.
Was she losing herself again? Was she seeing things again? Was her Heart deciding to just...manifest her worst fears, on the worst night it could happen?
Aqua slowly walked forward, her gaze fixed to those two visages. Specters. Phantoms.
She reached out a hand-
And her fingers touched them.
Her long, clumsy new claws poked into Terra's chest.
No. No...why. Why...? It can't be...They can't be! I...
They couldn't be here. They couldn't be standing in front of her. They couldn't see her like this.
They-
"Aqua...are you alright...?" his voice came to her, distant and echoing. "Aqua..."
"Aqua - hey!"
"Aqua?"
Aqua felt a hand on her arm. She turned slowly, blinking. Red lips and eyes, dark hair...Natsumi. Right... Fingers caressing her sleeve, stroking at her...a soft voice speaking... Something...
Where was she? What was she doing? What were they doing-
"What are you doing here?" Aqua's voice came out of her, sharp and quavering, bringing the whole world itself back into sudden reality and focus. A coldness filled her chest, spreading through her body.
"We didn't exactly mean to come here," Sora said quickly. "We just- uhhhh-" He stopped suddenly, glancing around them. Then, up at the viewing portal, which was still very much focused on Aqua - and on all of them, too, now.
The reminder of an audience caused Aqua to freeze, as well. She was sure that wonderfully embarrassing reaction was also caught by the Scryer's Eyes for all to see. That in mind, she immediately did her best to compose herself, schooling her features and drawing herself up tall. She looked straight at Terra with an icy glare. "Whatever you're here for, we'll discuss it up at the castle - if it's important."
Terra held her gaze, his face the perfect picture of sincerity and earnestness. "It is." He glanced around them, pointed, as he added, "It concerns the safety of everyone here - not just in this city, or kingdom...but the world. You know we wouldn't be here if it didn't."
Aqua let out a quick breath at his words, catching the incredibly-obvious-to-them-alone meaning. She turned her head and body, looking at Natsumi. Then, past her, to where a confused and lost Izzy was standing. Ravamar was standing near her, an arm held out to hold back the other Serene Rose members who had come forward now.
Aqua felt it again. Her Heart's guilt. The pull of things like duty, honor, responsibility. Her gaze found Izalla again...
"...Alright." She turned away from them, striding over and holding out her hand to Izalla.
Izalla came forward and took it, clinging to it surprisingly tightly.
Aqua gazed down on her, sighing. "I'm sorry, but I think I am going to need this back now, just for a bit," she said quietly, eyeing the crown.
The girl looked upset at having to part with it, now. But she gave it back, all the same.
Aqua took it in hand, cancelling her spell and letting it return to its normal size. She pulled it down onto her head, took the girl's hand again, and looked to Ravamar. "Please get us the fastest way back to the castle. It's apparently a matter of...national security?" she said tersely - and painfully vaguely, she was aware.
"Of course. Come with me - Your Majesty."
Oh. Right. Of course.
Aqua was no longer Her Highness, but Her Majesty now.
She really was...Queen, not Princess.
Demon Queen...
And now the last people she ever wanted to know about it...were standing right in front of her.
Seeing her here, like this...
But, funnily enough, she just felt so cold and numb in that moment that she couldn't even feel the shame or embarrassment. The need to hide herself, to try to turn away from them with it all.
She was sure it would all come flooding back into her Heart sometime later, though...
She blinked, looking around her again. At the crowds. She raised her head to look at the scrying orb floating high above. She breathed out. "I'm sorry to cut all of this so short, but everyone should go home now!" she said loudly. She paused. "Thank you for how many of you even showed up tonight - it was...more than I could have ever imagined, and I'm grateful for it! Truly! And...and in the coming days I'll do my best to make it up to you - that's a promise!"
As gracefully as she could, she bowed her head, then turned to follow Ravamar across the grass - down a curving path that led away from the stage, and the masses of her citizens.
With Izzy by her side, and Natsumi, Terra, Ven, and Sora behind her.
And a rear guard of Roses trailing in their wake, now looking extra alert and tense.
Wonderful... Aqua thought wryly. It was going so well...but they had to come here and ruin it.
The fastest way back was an empty-of-anyone-but-them express train journey across the city, which stopped a few streets away from the gates of the castle's stone forecourt.
They passed through the gates together, and then through the plaza - of statues, fountains, and decorated pillars.
Aqua led the way through the halls of the castle, silent, until they reached the Queen's chambers - her chambers, now...
She directed Natsumi and Izalla inside the room (promised the girl she'd see her again in a few minutes), then strode away again. She went to the empty room of a castle maid (there were a lot of empty rooms in this castle), opened the door, and gestured for Terra, Ven and Sora to enter. After they had, she looked to Ravamar and the other Serene Roses that made up her personal guard.
"Go and...stand guard at the end of the hall," Aqua said firmly. "I'll be having this conversation in private."
"Your Majesty, if it really is something that concerns the security of the kingdom - or worse-" Ravamar began, respectfully.
"I'll give you all the important information and...relevant details, later," Aqua interjected, holding the woman's gaze. "But this is probably going to be extremely sensitive information. Choosing who to trust with it...will be something for me to carefully consider. We both know not everyone in this kingdom is going to be a fan of me; I need to be careful here." She had spoken no lie. She was pleased with herself for that, at least.
Ravamar gazed back at her for a moment. Then, she nodded. "Of course - My Queen."
Aqua watched the Roses go - then, she flicked her wrist, creating a magical barrier in the middle of the corridor, cutting it in half. She turned and strode into the maid's quarters swiftly. She turned and shut the door behind her (very, very carefully, as, at the last second, she remembered her absurdly long tail was something she had now)...and then she took a breath, and finally turned back around again to face them. The last people she wanted to face in her life now.
She looked at Sora, first. Then, to Ven. And finally - Terra. She felt it, then - the sudden wave of embarrassment, shame, self-consciousness, anxiety and panic. Oh, yes, there it was now. She did her best to breathe normally - and to curl her tail up behind her body. She shrugged her shoulders; her great wings half-opened, bristling, before snapping shut again. Painfully audibly, in this little room.
"So, hey, did you just get those, or have you always had them?" Sora spoke up, beaming at her. "I think they're awesome, either way!"
Aqua stared at him, cringing, holding her hands at her waist. She looked down over herself again - at her ornate, ridiculous gown. Then, she let out a shaking laugh. She raised her head again, shaking it as she became conscious again of the new weight dragging it down that were her horns (did her kind live with neck problems from those?). She reached up a trembling hand to brush at her hair. "Th-thank you, Sora...but you came here for a reason. So let's hear it," she said, looking to Terra alone.
Terra nodded, shifting his stance and crossing his arms. "Has there been anything happening on this world that seems odd, first of all? Like, for instance, strange dark monsters that cause people to fall asleep - or spawn from them?"
Aqua shook her head instantly. "No," she said, unhesitating. She paused. "Not that I've heard, at least. What kind of monsters are you talking about? Those don't sound like the Heartless - or Unversed."
"They're not," Terra agreed. "They're a different kind - called Nightmares. They're being spread through the worlds by a...being called Chirithy. A Nightmare Chirithy."
"Chirithy..." Aqua looked to Ven, frowning. "Like...from-"
"Yeah," Ven said quietly, nodding. "Amaya thinks it might be hers - I guess she had two Chirithies somehow. A Spirit and a Nightmare. The Spirits are good, and the Nightmares...not so good."
"Okay, then," Aqua said. "That's...something to keep an eye out for." She gave the boy a small, thin smile. "Thank you, Ven."
"There's more," Terra spoke again.
"Of course..." Aqua murmured, sighing. "Tell me."
He told her. All about some ancient, terrible Keyblade, called "Ultima Weapon", which they were all searching the worlds for - a weapon that stole the Hearts of its victims, using them as fuel for its power! They were trying to find it before an even more ancient being of Pure Darkness found it first, one from the Keyblade War era (Ven's true origin). A being that was now inhabiting Kairi's stolen body. Because Kairi...had lost it. She'd been lost, her Heart gone to the Realm of Sleep! She'd been lost there for almost two weeks now, by this point!
Aqua felt so many emotions on hearing the news. Guilt, regrets, remorse...the desire to just cast everything aside and go and rescue the girl - her former apprentice! Her abandoned apprentice...
But apparently Luxu was already on it. Sent in to save her.
Aqua had scoffed hard at that part, not bothering to hide any of her feelings about him.
"Yen Sid believes he can be trusted," Terra said in response.
"And Masters can never be wrong? Make terrible mistakes?" Aqua retorted. She paused, tossing her head. "How is Xehanort doing, by the way? Is Master Eraqus still fawning over him?"
Terra looked at her, frowning intensely. "The Xehanort of the past...he hasn't done the things that the one we know has. In fact, he saved Skuld from his current self - and Riku, more recently, from his own Heartless."
"Obviously it's all just deception and lies from him - that you're falling for again!" Aqua said firmly. "When he finally shows his true colors, who's going to have their life ruined this time? Maybe Sora will be the one lost for a decade in the Realm of Darkness! Or Kairi's Heart will stay lost like this for ten years! She can wake up and realize everyone she knew and loved are ten years older, that ten years of her life were lost to her! Maybe that Darkness using her stolen body will go on to ruin her name and image, the same way Xehanort did yours for the people of Radiant Garden!"
Terra flinched horribly at her words.
She didn't regret them - or the ones she said next.
"Honestly, Terra: I thought you would have learned something from all of this! That you couldn't possibly still be this stupid - but I guess I was wrong! You moron."
Terra closed his eyes, his head dropping. His arms fell away from his chest. Then he breathed in and gave a nod. He opened them again, and looked at her with a small, crooked smile. "Heh...thanks, Aqua."
"W-what..?" She blinked, utterly confused.
"For telling me how you really feel - thank you," Terra clarified, light and amused now. "And you might be right...but I do know what manipulation looks like now. And what I've seen from this younger Xehanort...it looks like the truth. Don't get me wrong, I can easily see in him...the qualities that make him the kind of guy who'd go on to become the one we all know and hate - but his Heart seems to be truly set on avoiding that fate, going down that road of destiny. It's rough, it's precarious, and it's small and new...but I know it's real. And that's worth giving him a chance over. Because if we don't give someone the chance to change...they'll never take it."
"Believe what you want - just don't come back to me begging me to help fix your mistakes when it all goes to hell again," Aqua said coldly. "Now, was that everything you had to tell me?"
"Well, I got my body back from current Xehanort; he's locked away, and had a lock put on his Heart by Yen Sid, and others," Terra stated evenly. "So that threat is over, at least."
"It's not over until he's gone - for good," Aqua refuted flatly. "But I can guess that the reason he's still around is that Eraqus thought it was too hard to erase him from this World. He's just weak like that, I suppose."
"No, it's because Keyblade Wielders aren't executioners. Not of defenseless prisoners."
"A man who can raise mountains with a wave of his hand is never defenseless!"
"He can't do that right now."
"He's Xehanort - he'll find a way to break the lock - and then everyone's going to pay for it," Aqua snarled.
Terra nodded to her. "Well, until he does, I'm not just going to walk up to him and cut him down like that."
"Then you're weak, too!" Aqua burst out. "I had faith in you once, Terra, that you weren't as weak as the Master so clearly thought you were - that you could prove you had what it took to be a Master - but I was wrong! I was very wrong about that."
"I'm sorry I've caused you to lose faith in me, then, Aqua," Terra said quietly, nodding again. Just- accepting it! "But I'm glad to hear that you once thought differently - even in defiance of the Master."
Aqua's jaw quivered. She shut her mouth tight, turning her head away. "If that's everything, you can go now."
"Yen Sid gave us all a list of worlds to investigate that were believed to once be places where the Ultima Weapon was sighted...and used," Terra spoke, slow and careful. "This world was the last world on my personal list. I didn't know it was yours, Aqua, I swear - I never would have come barging into your life this way if I had. And I suppose i just want you to know, too, that...it wasn't like the Master told us to come here or anything like that. He never betrayed your trust. He's kept this secret for you, for all your life, even from me, and Ven. Even now."
Aqua looked at him, her lips parting. Then she pressed them tight again. "Tch. So he didn't betray me like that, no. But that doesn't make anything else okay between us. Or between you and me."
"I know," Terra said softly. "But just because things are broken, and hurt, with you and me...doesn't mean that we can't still do what's best for this world, does it, Aqua? For your...people?"
"What would you know about my people?" Aqua said, pointedly spreading her arms - and her wings, in a rush of motion and snapping air.
"Nothing," Terra said, shrugging. "But I know you're strong, and good, and kind, and I know that no matter how much you're hurting, you're not going to let that get in the way of doing the right thing for those in need. So I'm asking you, Aqua, not even as a friend, or a Keyblade Master - just as one person to another: please, help us figure out whether or not this Keyblade is here...on your homeworld. Help us...help you...to keep them all safe. After that, we'll leave - and leave you be - if you want that. That is what Keyblade wielders do, after all - we're discrete in our ways, never doing more than we have to."
Aqua's rigid body eased, as she let loose a long woosh of air. Her arms fell to her sides; her wings collapsed behind her back again, settling. She looked to Ven and Sora... "Okay," she said quietly, finally. "Come with me, then."
She strode out of the room, the three of them behind her. She turned and saw her barrier was still there - and so were the Serene Rose members, on the other side of it. So they'd respected her rule, trusted her choice, even if it was probably a little unorthodox for a queen...that boded well. She raised a hand and dispelled the barrier in a shimmer of crystal, striding down the hall toward the Roses. She stopped before them, looking squarely to Ravamar. "Overseer Ravamar," she spoke. "These are Keyblade Master Terra, and Keyblade Wielders Ventus and Sora. They're very accomplished, but very discrete, wandering warriors. And the information they've come to me with tonight is of the utmost urgency."
Ravamar simply nodded, gazing at her attentively. And very seriously now.
"Somewhere in this world of ours, at some point in our history, there may have been an ancient Keyblade that was wielded by someone, who used it to cause...devastation - mass scale loss of life," Aqua spoke on. "It was an extremely powerful, extremely mystical blade - which also had the power to steal and trap the Hearts of its victims, as well as anyone it found unworthy of wielding it. Now, just...off the top of your head, does that sound in any way familiar to you? It would have been used in some kind of battle, or war, in a way that would have left a...very large and obvious scar on the world in its wake. As testament to its power."
"There have been many battles and wars in our past, many of which left great scars on the land - sites of death and destruction," Ravamar said, considering. Thinking. "Mostly, these come from times when large numbers of mages came together to wreak havoc on their enemies, in ways they couldn't have done alone. But...for a single blade to do such a thing...that's more the realm of fairy tales and legends."
"Well, sometimes those can be true," Aqua stated. "More true than you'd think, at least. And that is why I'd like for you and the Roses to give these three your full support in their investigations into this matter. I also want them to be given full...access to any old, secret, or well-guarded scrolls, tomes, or anything of that sort that might be here, or in libraries or museums, or even over at SR Headquarters. Anything that can help them track down this old weapon faster. Once it's found, no one is to touch it, and it's to be destroyed immediately - understood? I don't want anyone getting the stupid idea that they're somehow going to be worthy of picking the thing up...and paying the price for it. It's a weapon of mass destruction, and if it does exist...it's better that it winds up in no one's hands again."
Ravamar stood for a moment, processing, perhaps. Taking it all in. Then she nodded, bowing to Aqua deeply. "Understood, Your Majesty."
"Good." Aqua paused. She pressed her lips tight. "The only other thing left to inform you about is...to be on the lookout for a- a girl of fourteen, with short red hair, and scars on her face. She's...pursuing this blade, this- Ultima Weapon. She is an incredibly powerful...dark magic-user. She would also have the ability to summon- creatures of darkness, as well. But she isn't a real girl at all - it's a very old, dark...spirit inhabiting the empty body of the girl's. She's very dangerous, so I won't tell you to make this a priority over your own safety, but...if it's at all possible to secure her, or banish the spirit from her body somehow, without destroying that body...please try. The girl might have a chance of getting it back again - reuniting her lost Heart with it."
Ravamar was silent again, for a minute. She bowed again. "We'll do our best to uphold your wishes, Your Majesty. And I want you to know that I truly appreciate your concern for our well-being."
Aqua gave a small smile, nodding. "Of course." She nodded to Terra, Ven, and Sora, and spun around to walk away.
"Aqua-" Ven's voice came calling out to her.
She stopped. She composed herself before turning around again. "Yes...?"
Ven gazed into her face, for a long moment. His own shifting, his eyes gleaming. Then he shook his head, dropping his chin to his chest. "Nevermind..." he mumbled.
Aqua's Heart twinged. It twisted, more like. She sighed. "After this is over...come back here - they'll let you in. We can talk, then, before you go. Okay?" she spoke, soft and quiet.
Ven's head came up sharply. He stared at her, blinking fast. He smiled at her. "Okay!" he agreed, nodding.
Aqua gave one last nod - flashed a smile at Sora - then turned and continued on her way to her royal chambers.
To keep hiding from her past, to avoid remembering it for as long as she still could - until the moment came when she finally just wouldn't be able to anymore.
Xion wandered the basement of Radiant Garden's castle alone.
She walked the halls, looking at all the broken stone and twisted pipes.
She took a turn down a new hallway, in an area she hadn't been to before. She saw dirty, stone stairs leading down into darkness.
She stopped at the top of them, looking down.
Where did this go...?
She knew the underground lab went down a lot further than the basement, since the...artificial Heartless chamber was so- vast and deep that you needed an elevator to get down to the ground floor of it, but...
But there were parts of the actual castle that went down further, too?
Xion bit her lip, thinking hard. Furrowing her eyebrows as she looked down into the dark. She had to analyze, like Even always said to. Observe, and theorize. Well, this was stone - not metal or glass, like the lab. That meant it was older, not new. It was...dusty and broken in places, too, which probably meant...no one had been here in a while? If it went so far down like this, then did it lead to another area of the lab? Or did it lead into some other place, like the...Water Purification Facility beneath the outer areas of the city?
She didn't know. She...needed more data to...make a conclusion!
So she started down the old, stone steps, her shoes echoing in the silence.
She walked down until even the light of the basement was gone, and it was just pitch black now. She put her hand out on the wall and stopped. How long were these stairs? And how was she supposed to observe if she couldn't see anything?
Xion frowned, thinking again. Then she conjured her Keyblade and raised it up. She focused her magic. "Fire!"
The fireball grew and glowed brightly on the end of her weapon - but it stayed there, just like she'd hoped it would! Like she wanted it to!
She looked down the stairs now, but...she couldn't see that far, really...
At least it was better than before.
Xion continued down the stairs, until she finally reached the bottom.
She stepped into a new hallway. It was dustier and dirtier than the ones in the basement above her. But it looked...similar? She walked down the new hallway. Soon she found an intersection, that went left and right, both. She thought about it, then went to the right. She walked forward down the hall...and came to another intersection. This one had three different ways to go: left, right, and forward. She chose left this time.
As she walked on, she realized she hadn't really been- observing. Analyzing!
There didn't look like there was much to analyze though...
It was just dark, and dirty, and dusty. It was more broken pipes and pieces of stone on the floor, or chipped off from the walls.
Xion was starting to think she wouldn't find anything interesting here at all-
Her Keyblade suddenly flashed with a golden light, and then it vibrated in her hand and swung out to her right! It pulled her whole arm with it. She stared in shock and confusion - but she tried to calm down when she remembered this was just how Terra had said Keyblades worked. They had minds of their own, and "sometimes they like to help their wielders out. You should try to be in tune with your weapon - to listen to it."
So Xion breathed, and turned toward where the weapon was facing, keeping her arm out. She could see a lot better now that her Keyblade had this golden light around it; it was lighting up a huge section of the hallway, better than her fireball had been doing! But why was it trying to point her...here?
It just looked like a blank wall to her.
There was a broken, twisted pipe, and a...a black spot on the wall, like - a burn? Fire? Magic? Had someone hit the wall here before?
Xion frowned. She tilted her head down at her Keyblade. "I wish Keyblades could talk," she said quietly. "then you could just tell me what's going on here!"
"If Keyblades could talk, how would we EVER get ANYTHING done?" a voice suddenly echoed in the hallway! "Can you imagine if I ACTUALLY gave them the ability to do that? It'd just be chattering in your ear, twenty-four-seven!"
Xion whirled to her left, startling and swinging her weapon arm around! She felt her heart beating in her chest fast. Her arms were shaking again. She held her weapon down in front of her, in both hands, staring into the dark. "Who's there?" she called out.
From out of the dark, Xion heard footsteps, and then saw a...a figure in a long black coat walking into the area lit by her Keyblade! They had boots and gloves, and a hood up - hiding their face in some magic darkness her Keyblade's light didn't even break through...
"Why are you wearing that?" Xion demanded loudly. "Are you- from the Organization...?" But the Organization didn't exist now, did it? So why would someone wear that?
The figure stopped. Their voice came to her again. It was a- a male voice. Like an adult man's, Xion thought. "The Organization?" he said, in a confused voice. Then he startled, reaching up to rub at the back of his hooded head. "Oooh, riiight, riiight! Can you believe those jokers? Give a guy a nifty new coat, and he goes and starts a whole world-wide trend with it! Ahhhh, but I suppose at least he brought them back into fashion for the first time in, ya know, forever! Though he didn't have to cannibalize the brand in the process...Noooboooody remembers who really wore it first, do they? Nope! They just think of the latest band first!"
"Um- who- who are you?" Xion asked, slightly lowering her weapon. She observed that if this man had wanted to hurt her, he could have just attacked her in the dark instead of walking up and talking to her. Right?
"Just a guy out for a stroll - like you, right?" the man said back, leaning back and putting his hands on his hips. He twisted his body suddenly, his hooded face staring at the blank wall. "Oooh, I see! Interesting! Yes, very interesting... Keyblades might not be able to speak, but I think yours was trying to get you into here." He gestured a hand at the wall, then straightened up again.
Xion stared at him, then at the wall. "What's in there? Isn't it- just a wall? Or...is there something behind it?"
The man laughed, raising a hand - a finger to her. He jabbed it at her. "Bingo! You're one smart kid, aren'tcha?"
"I'm trying to be - thank you!" Xion said, smiling now and fully lowering her weapon. This man was nice. He didn't even sound scary or threatening at all. "So, what is in there?"
"What's in there? What's in there?!" The man walked forward, and he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. He bent down, putting his hood near her ear. "Come on, sweetpea, do ya really want me to spoil the surprise for you?" he said lowly to her, in a murmur. He lifted his hand off her and stood straight again, stepping back. He flourished his arm and pointed at the wall with both his hands. "Why not listen to your Keyblade there and find out for yourself?" he said, in a loud and enthusiastic voice.
Xion stared at him again. Then she giggled, and turned to raise her Keyblade to the wall again. "Ok. What do I do? Do I-"
But her Keyblade glowed brighter, and then suddenly a beam of thin white light shot out of the end of it! It hit the wall...the wall rippled and glowed...and then there was a door there! It was a big, solid, metal door...no, double doors. It had a big metal archway around it, with swirling lines and patterns on it, and at the top, on either side, there were what looked like...crystals? Shaped like diamond decorations? Or they were diamonds?
The man gasped in shock, jumping on the spot. He put his hands to either side of his head. Then he started to clap loudly, looking to Xion. "Fantastic job, kiddo! Amazing stuff! That thing really isn't just some cheap knock-off, is it?"
Xion stopped, frowning. she looked at her weapon, then at the man. "What do you-" She stopped again. "Oh. You know I'm a Replica?" she said anxiously.
"I doooo - and it doesn't matter to me in the least!" the man said firmly, waving an arm.
Xion relaxed again, smiling. "Thanks."
"No problemo! And hey, we're kinda ignoring the elephant in the room, aren't we?"
"What elephant?" Xion said, looking around in confusion. Could an elephant even fit down here?
"The door, you adorable little munchkin!" the man exclaimed, turning and gesturing again. "Don't you want to know what's behind it? I know I do! I'm just giddy with anticipation here! The suspense, it's too much!" He raised a hand to his forehead, turning away from the door.
"Oh, right. Ok!" Xion stepped up to the big door, and she started to push it open in the middle. The two halves of the big doorway were heavy, but they moved for her, letting her step through!
Xion stumbled into a dark room - and then lights flickered on inside.
She straightened up and looked - and then she froze.
Images swam before her eyes, voices echoed in her ears! Fear filled her whole Heart- panic- terror- like when she first saw Castle Oblivion, but worse, so much worse! She winced as pain shot through her head, stumbling backwards. She raised a hand to her head, groaning.
"Grandma...?"
She felt hands on her arms - she felt fingers pressing into her skin and moving. Stroking her? Like dad always did when she was upset, and needed comfort... Daddy was always there for her when she needed him, like after she fell from that tree when she was six and-
Xion gasped, pulling herself free and turning around!
The man jumped back, raising his hands to her. "Hey, woah, woah, woah - it's just me, sweetpea!" he exclaimed quickly. "Take it easy with that thing - you could really hurt somebody!"
Xion stopped. She stared down at her arm. At her keyblade being aimed out at the man. It was shaking so badly. She lowered it and let it vanish, letting out a shaking breath. She hugged herself tight, shaking her head. "S-sorry! I'm sorry-"
"Heeey, no big deal, so don't sweat it!" the man said, waving his hands. "Come ooon, pull yourself together, little scientist. Gotta analyze this amazing new find, don'tcha?"
"Huh?" Xion shakily turned on the spot, and stared.
There was a huge...glowing glass orb of blue energy in the ceiling? With pipes leading to it from across the ceiling? There was a big machine of some kind below it, with pipes and cables leading off to the walls. There were...two...metal pods docked with the machine. On the left and the right. There was a control panel of some kind in front of the machine, too...with glowing buttons and stuff... There were glowing, greenish spikes of light around the machine, too, lighting up the room a bit more.
"T-this is...that place Kairi was so scared of before..." Xion whispered. She was scared too. But was that- her scared, or Kairi's scared...? "This is...how she got- to Destiny Islands...when she was younger..."
"It sure is..." the man said, in a quiet voice. He stepped up to her and put his hand on her shoulder again. His hood turned, leaning down to her. "You can see the missing pod, even, can't you. No doubt about it. This is the place."
Xion felt a strange feeling in her back suddenly. Not like an itch, or pain, but...something weird. she turned to the man's dark hood. She pulled away from him, closing her shaking fists at her sides. "How could you know about that?" she found herself saying loudly. "Xehanort...was the one to send her to the islands like that. And- she never told anyone except- well- us...and...I guess maybe Aerith and Tifa and all of them...but- and you said 'spoil the surprise', like you...already knew what was in here-"
The man stepped away, raising his hands and shrugging his shoulders. "Alright, you got me - no need to strain yourself putting all the clues together," he said with a sigh. His arms slowly fell, and then moved behind his back. He stood up taller, suddenly. "The Princess of Heart went on an important journey aboard this ark, once upon a time..." he spoke on, suddenly in a much different tone of voice. This one was definitely- threatening and dangerous. It was so low and cold and- "...and now I need you to take one for me, as well, Xion."
"W-what? You know my name?" Xion said, her voice high and choked. Then she froze. "W-what do you mean, me? You- you want to put me in that thing again?! NO!" The words screamed from her throat as her weapon appeared, and she jumped forward and swung it down for the man!
The man's arm came out from behind his back, his hand raising up-
Xion's Keyblade disappeared out of her hand, causing her to twist and stumble past the man, falling onto the floor, hard, in a panicked and confused mess. She gasped as she landed on her hands and knees. She twisted and looked to the man...
He turned toward her, curling his fingers - and her Keyblade appeared in his hand...?
Xion stared for a long time. She looked down at her own hand, concentrating. But nothing happened! She whipped her head up to stare at the man again. Was that- really her- Keyblade? But- "How did you...do that? You- you took it from me?"
"Irresponsible little girls don't deserve such weapons," the man's voice came, cold and quiet still. He lowered his arm, her weapon to his side. He closed his fist, and it vanished in a flash of light. He strode forward, looking down on her. "And little Replicas need to learn how to behave."
Xion raised her fist with a yell: "Firag-"
The man waved a hand, the air rippled, and she slid backwards across the floor and hit the wall of the room - really hard.
She tried to move, but suddenly she couldn't! She was frozen, stuck...
"Case in point," the man said, with a heavy sigh. "Kids these days - no respect. It's a crying shame. Why, back in my day...well, let me show you how we did things back in my day, sweetpea."
The man started forward, his boots echoing hard on the floor in the silence!
Xion tried to move again, she tried to use magic, but she just couldn't do anything! Why? What had he done to her? How...strong was he? Who was he? Why...why was this happening to her? Why here? Why?
Someone help me, please! Sora...Terra...Riku...Roxas...Kairi!
I don't want to go in a box again...
The man suddenly stopped, turning away from Xion. A strange...growling noise filled the room?
Xion tried to move her eyes, but she couldn't see-
"I knew there'd be a rat problem down-" the man said to himself.
A blue blur flew down from the corner of the ceiling, from behind some pipes, slamming into the man!
The cloaked man went flying backwards across the room, slamming into the machine! The metal broke, and sparks flew out of it as the lights flickered! He gasped and fell forward, then straightened again. "Well that's just the worst timing imaginable!" he said loudly. "What even are you, you little freak of nature, you?"
Xion stared at a small blue...creature standing in the middle of the room now. It was fluffy and had four stubby arms with claws, and big black eyes, and...antennae? Like an insect. It also had long ears too that were shaped like...tubes? Or instruments?
The creature bared its teeth at the black coated man. "Meega Stitch! Aloha!"
The man tilted his head. "...I was not prepared to deal with this today. I'm just gonna head out. See ya!"
"RAAARGGH!" the blue- person? Stitch? They jumped and flew at the man again in a blur, so fast! "Not getting away!"
A golden light suddenly shined out from the man, and he was gone when Xion finished blinking.
"Huh?" Stitch slammed into the machine - and broke it! They disappeared inside it, leaving a hole in it with sparking wires. The lights on the machine flickered and faded. But the big blue sphere in the ceiling still glowed. After a moment, Stitch came tearing back out of the machine, flipping and landing on the floor. They looked around, then clicked their fingers and swung a small arm. "Darnit..." They turned and raced up to Xion, standing in front of her. "You...Xion...okay?" they said, slow and halting.
Xion nodded. Then she stopped. She could move again? She tested it by sitting up, leaning back against the wall. She smiled at the blue little being. "I'm OK - thanks to you. Your name's...Stitch?"
Stitch nodded. "Ih - yes. My name Stitch."
"Thanks for saving me, Stitch..." Xion said shakily, her eyes going blurry. Oh no. "I- I was so scared and-"
"It okay, all okay - don't cry!" Stitch said quickly, waving their arms and stepping forward. "Stitch know...what it like to be- afraid. But Xion not have to be now. Ih. Nothing to scare now. Bad man gone."
Xion gulped in lots of air, nodding. "R-right...he's gone now."
But...who had he been?
And why had he tried to do that to her a- to do that to her?
AN: Sooo yeah...SOME STUFF HAPPENED. xD And I FINALLY DID IT: LOOK, STITCH IS HERE! YAYYYY. 3 I rewatched the movie today to get inspired for it lol!