Luxu's whole body burned, stuck in that damn vice-grip of his Master's.
Former Master's.
In a flash of light, they reappeared in an all-too familiar location: the good old Keyblade Graveyard, atop a high plateau.
Immediately, Luxu slammed his foot back into the man's shin and shifted his weight, twisting and sending the man over his own shoulder. He was surprised, for a moment, just stunned that he'd actually done it (maybe the part of him that was still that introverted, nervous kid, with absolute deference for the man); he saw his Master's black coated form go flipping forward, hitting the ground and rolling to a stop in front of him.
He stalked forward, raising his Keyblade with burning energy-
The Master clenched his fist in the dirt, and suddenly Luxu's weapon vanished out of his hand with orange sparks. The man rose up to his feet like a damn ghost, turning his head slowly to look at Luxu. Then he raised his arm, stretched out a gloved hand...and No Name appeared in his grasp.
"What the hell?" Luxu gaped, stumbling back. He raised his hand, trying to summon the thing back - but the weapon didn't come. By all damn rights that thing was his: it couldn't have been passed down if it wasn't - and he couldn't have summoned it back, in Twilight Town, all those months ago now, when he'd defended Namine from Xemnas and Saix...if it wasn't his. But his Master had just taken it back like it had always been...his, not Luxu's?
"I'm disappointed in you, Luxu," his Master said, harsh and low, as he lowered the Keyblade to his side. "All of my apprentices. What disappointments you all turned out to be..."
"You're disappointed? I'm the one who's disappointed!" Luxu exclaimed, clenching his fists. "The sentences you passed on us - the roles you gave us, gave me...and you were here the whole time? What - just watching? No, not just watching, were you, considering you decided to take a personal hand in pushing Xehanort onto the path you wanted him to take. 'Wait for someone with an interest in restarting the Keyblade War,' my ass. If you were just going to jump ahead and put things into motion yourself, why the hell was I even needed?! Why did I have to go through...so much?"
He sounded pathetic at the end now, he knew it. He was begging. Pleading. Not sure why, with this guy...would he even get a straight answer, after all this time?
Had he ever gotten one, truly?
The Master stood silently, a statue cloaked in darkness.
"Come on, please - Master - you owe me! After- after all this t-time, you owe me something real for once in your life! In MINE!" Luxu was begging again, dammit. Like that stupid, weak, nervous wreck of a kid... "I have lived for so damn long, I can't even remember half of it. So long, day after day, marching forward, a hollow shell of a man, that I don't even know who I am outside of it! Daybreak Town just seems like a dream to me, or a fantasy. WHY? Why did you DO THIS TO ME? TO US? Was it really all just for your personal revenge - taking out those Darknesses? That's all? A millennia of suffering, all those dead kids, a whole World obliterated - and that's all it was for?! I was right back then, and I'm right, now: the sacrifices were too much. But were we even sacrifices to you? Because that implies you're giving up something of value, doesn't it? And we were just your tools, to take, use, and throw away. No value at all, in your eyes..."
"You-"
"If you're going to tell me something, like I said, it better be something real for once," Luxu interrupted, harsh and shaking, taking a step forward. "I don't give a shit about your grand designs anymore, I don't care about your fancy, pompous title - I want you...to just be a human fucking being and talk to me, man to man. No embellishments, no jokes, no tricks, no lies or half-truths. Because that's all you are to me now, you know that, right? You're just some guy - no different from Xehanort. An asshole who ruined my fucking life, and who keeps trying to ruin it further, apparently. And I am going to be straight with you: Keyblade or not, I'm going to fucking kill you after I get my answers from you. With my bare hands, right here, right now, if I have to. I'm going to choke the life out of you...but not before I rip that damn hood of yours off so I can watch the light leave your eyes while I do it."
The Master sighed, bowing his head low. His hood fluttered in the winds. "Why don't I save you some of the trouble, there, then... Don't say I never did anything for you."
His Master's arm slowly rose up - he grasped his hood, throwing it back...
And, for the first time in his long, long life, Luxu gazed upon the face of his Master.
"You want to talk, man to man?" the Master spoke. "You want a straight answer? You're going to have to do something for me first-"
"Oh, fuck off!" Luxu hissed. "I'm not your pawn anymore. I'm not doing a damn thing for you - not one more thing! We're through. I'd rather continue on with no answers than become your errand boy again. Get that through your head. You mean nothing to me, you're nothing to anyone! You're no one's Master, and you're not half as important to the World as you think you are! You're just another in a long line of genocidal, self-justifying psychopaths across history. Hell, you're the precursor of self-justifying psychopaths!"
The Master simply gazed at him...with a visible face of just...cold, hardness. Unaffected by Luxu's words. Unmoved. "That Nobody girl's really done a number on your Heart, hasn't she. She's got you wrapped around her little finger."
Luxu froze. He clenched his fists at his sides as he gazed back at the man. "Choose your next words very carefully."
"You want something real, but real and fantasy sometimes have a very messy line between them. Sometimes you can't even tell what's real or what's not, can you?"
"I told you to cut the bullshit, too. God, can you seriously not say a single thing without sounding like a fortune telling vending machine-!"
"I was hoping to use the Replica, Xion, to bait the Princess of Heart across worlds," the Master's cold, flat tones cut across. His eye bore into Luxu's... "But that went sideways, both with her, and with the Princess herself...considering - and the only machine capable of the feat is now damaged beyond any timely repair. But, I suppose I was using the wrong bait, for the wrong person. You've already been there before, and you didn't even know where you were - when you and Lauriam went to retrieve his lost sister. The Power of Waking can get you there again, now...if someone with a powerful enough connection to your Heart is sent over."
"You stay the HELL away from Namine! From any of these people! Just leave everyone else out of your shit, for once! You're clearly more than capable of doing it all yourself, so why not just fuck off and save us all the headache? Do it yourself, whatever you're even trying to do here, over all this time!"
"What I'm trying to do is to find a way to put a permanent end to this war between light and darkness."
"Like that isn't the vaguest shit I have ever heard in my life, dude."
"Well, I tried being specific with you once before - if you'll recall, you didn't take it too well, did you? Which leads us all...to here. To...this." The Master raised No Name before himself, gazing down on it. "I told you once before - this isn't some heroic tale. The things that have happened, and will happen, are terrible, and I take no joy in them. But it's what has to be done. So-"
"Stop talking," Luxu snapped. He opened his fists and spread his arms from his body, conjuring twin, thin, long black swords to hand. "I am really sick of hearing your voice, dude."
"You really think you can kill me?" the Master said idly. "Right here, right now? Just like that? Luxu, kid...you're not that guy. You were never that guy. You were never going to be that-"
"I said SHUT UP!" Luxu flew forward in the blink of an eye, swinging his blades for the man with all he had.
A man with an incalculable body count. A man proven to be the worst danger to the World ever seen - and would see again. A man who'd just admitted to trying to use Kairi's sister, Xion, for something (whenever that had happened)...and who'd just said he was going to use Namine the same way - just to try to control Luxu. Get him back under his thumb again.
Whoever this man even was - Luxu found he just didn't even care. It didn't matter who he was, or where he came from, or what his boohoo crybaby kiddy backstory was. All that mattered was whatever plans he still had, spanning time and space, with all its layers and intricacies...
All that mattered..was that he couldn't be allowed to see them come to fruition again.
Not here, not now. Not with these children.
No more innocent deaths. No more being a bystander.
Luxu was going to do what was right: cut the head off this man and end all his plans, before they could start to affect the people in Luxu's life now. The people who didn't deserve to get saddled with his shit. Namine, Roxas, the Foretellers, the Dandelions, Kairi and her pals- no, just Kairi's friends (the girl herself was probably, now, gone...lost...). Then there was good old Eraqus, and even the likes of Terra and Aqua... People who had all already suffered enough.
Of course, part of that was Xehanort's fault, and part of it was also Luxu's fault...
Like he'd said once before, in total truth and honesty: time to clean up his mess - once and for all.
Kairi leapt and slashed for Maleficent, flipped to the side and cast out with several Light blades!
Maleficent blocked them all with a barrier wall of crimson crystal; Kairi's blades exploded against it, leaving the woman herself unharmed.
Kairi quickly threw herself out of the way of a retaliatory blast of multiple purple lightning bolts-
And felt the air leave her lungs as she smacked into someone else. She bounced off, stumbling back to the right and twisting on a heel.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, you clumsy idiot!" Vanitas was glaring at her as he righted his own footing again, too.
"What, afraid if you touch me for too long you'll catch cooties?" Kairi said, laughing. "Is the ancient Darkness actually scared of-"
A barrage of several dozen green fireballs, arranged in the air above Maleficent and let loose on the cavern, caused Kairi to cut herself off and backflip away!
Kairi jumped back, left, then cast Reflect as fireballs flew past her. One struck her barrier dead on, exploding in green flames; her dome held against it...but she had to put a lot of power into it, really fast! She'd have to be quick with that, she thought, if she didn't want to take a really bad hit.
She let it fall as the fireball onslaught ended, relieved - and refocusing.
Maleficent flew forward with a shroud of darkness around her, orbs of purple materializing around her and blasting out with beams of intense dark energy for all of them - Kairi, Sora, Ven, Terra, Riku, and-
"Hey, here's an idea!" Vanitas was shouting out at her as he popped up nearby, from out of a dark pool on the ground. "Why don't you summon that scary light monster of yours again and set it on the witch? Give us some real backup here - or at least a distraction!"
"Why don't you summon your monsters?" Kairi shot back, as she twisted her body out of the way of an energy beam like a dancer. If I try to call out mine, I don't think I'll be able to stop them from just going after you and Cognis instead of Maleficent! The two Pure Darknesses will be more of an irresistible snack to them than the dark-Hearted witch with just one Pure Darkness inside her! How good are you at directly controlling your Unversed, anyways? Could you even keep them from attacking the rest of us?"
Vanitas's face...actually showed hesitation. Doubt. Uncertainty. An energy beam lanced out for him; he flickered and teleported a few feet away, leaving an after-image behind. "I don't know," he admitted, grudging. "I've never had to care who they went after or not - I just let them loose, and let them do their thing."
"Would you like me to summon some Heartless?" Cognis spoke, appearing near them suddenly in a shimmering of dark purple energy. "I could bring some powerful ones here to send against Maleficent and-"
"No, no! It's fine, thanks!" Kairi said swiftly. "No Heartless! We already have them around here, don't we? Terra said you guys already got into some fights before I showed up, so...let's not make that worse! Besides, do we even know who they'd listen to, between you and that other Darkness girl? I mean, who has the higher rank or whatever in this situation, you know?"
"Hm...good point - it was just a thought, anyways," Cognis replied. She teleported over to Vanitas, reforming right next to him. "Hello. Vanitas, yes? I-"
"What the hell is your deal? Get out of my face!" Vanitas snarled.
"I was just getting a closer look at you - there's no need to be so-"
"Did I ask for more information? Get lost!"
"-rude," Cognis finished, irritation in her voice. "Really rude!"
"I don't care!"
"And the World doesn't care about you - you're nothing but a scab on it!" Cognis paused. "Hm. I guess your color scheme fits you perfectly, doesn't it? A black and red, disgusting, shriveled, dead waste of human flesh!"
"Wow! Awesome burn, girl!" Kairi exclaimed, grinning at her. She twirled and raised a hand for a high-five - then put it down again in embarrassment when she realized the girl wouldn't be able to even touch her, right?
"Thank you," Cognis said, practically purring with pleasure.
"Whatever," Vanitas snapped, whirling away. "I'm so hurt - you got me! I'm just going to go cry in a corner like a weak little moron!"
"Please do - it's not as if you're contributing much to this battle as it-"
"Hey - you three - less talking, more fighting!" Terra's voice called out. "Keep focused!"
"Sorry," Cognis said immediately, disappearing into thin air.
Kairi transformed her Keyblade into her blasters, aiming them out at Maleficent and firing them off with a rapid spray of energy bolts.
Vanitas slashed his Keyblade out, sending a triple Firaga for Maleficent.
Darkness swirled around Maleficent like a cyclone, rising up toward the ceiling; their attacks just disappeared into it completely, like debris caught in a tornado.
Then, that cyclone suddenly burst outward, expanding in a powerful wave of crackling purple energy and fires.
Kairi leapt up high in nearly the same moment that Vanitas did. She flipped forward and squeezed the triggers of her blasters, sending out twin, powerful beams for Maleficent.
Maleficent raised the Ultima Weapon, a barrier wall appearing to block Kairi's attack again.
Kairi dropped down to the ground again, landing easily on her feet. Vanitas came down beside her, letting out a huff.
"Stop being a bunch of cowards who are too afraid to get up close," Vanitas spoke. "I doubt the witch has ever held an actual sword in her life before today; she's using it like a long range mage weapon. So press the attack and throw her off balance! Have some guts!"
Kairi stared at the boy, her mouth opening. "That's actually a good point!"
"That's because I'm not a total moron, unlike you," the boy sneered.
"Well I don't see you taking your own advice!" Kairi snapped out, rolling her eyes.
"I'm not going to run in and do it alone, and get myself destroyed again," Vanitas retorted. "Like I said: I'm not an idiot!"
"...Okay, another good point," Kairi admitted. She looked around for Sora, catching sight of him rolling out of the way of one of Maleficent's lightning blasts nearby. She saw Riku teleport between blasts in flickers of air, a blue aura around his body, like it was just nothing to him in that moment. "Hey! Sora, Riku! Let's rush her on three!"
Sora turned, giving her a surprised look - then a smile and a nod. "Got it!"
"Ready when you are, Kairi," Riku agreed.
"Okay!" Kairi said loudly,breathing in and out, and reverting her Keyblade to normal again. "One...two...THREE!" She threw out a hand to create an array of a dozen burning orange orbs of light around herself, and then she transformed her body itself into pure light and flew for Maleficent! Her magic orbs streaked behind her like a trail.
Kairi flew straight past Maleficent, rematerializing behind her; all of her floating orbs of power came flying in toward Maleficent in a barrage!
A dark barrier dome rose up around her with a flash of light, as Kairi's attacks struck it and the ground around Maleficent, exploding in rapid succession.
Riku and Sora appeared on Maleficent's left and right, their Keyblades slamming against the barrier to little effect either!
Darkness shimmered out from Riku, a wispy stretch of flowing tendrils that bypassed the barrier...and made contact with Maleficent's body.
"WHAT?" Maleficent gasped, her face overcome by panic and fear. She whirled toward Riku - and the barrier suddenly collapsed!
Kairi took the chance instantly, lunging forward and slashing her weapon for the woman's flank!
Sora twirled his Keyblade and fired off a Blizzaga at her backside!
Darkness surged around Maleficent, a swirling orb of dark energy catching Kairi's Keyblade precisely in some mini vortex - trapping it! The dark wave rose up and deflected Sora's attack, too, sending his spell toward the high ceiling.
Riku held his weapon firm, and leapt forward with a horizontal slash, his blade covered in blue energy!
He cut through the dark aura of Maleficent's - and then cut through her!
Maleficent cried out, green flames shimmering around her as she vanished into thin air.
"Where did she go?" Vanitas's voice came, annoyed.
Kairi looked around in confusion at the boy's words - but they were true.
Maleficent hadn't even reappeared yet.
Ven and Terra were standing back to back, their weapons raised, a flaming aura around Ven, and a golden aura with lightning around Terra.
"Enough with this!" Maleficent's voice suddenly echoed out in the cavern, from nowhere and everywhere. "This Keyblade will do. I have all that I need now. And now...it is time I retook what belongs to ME! My old castle, my old WORLD! And wiped away the vermin infesting it, once and for all! As well as the gang of miscreants that felled me once before! Come, Princess of Heart - heroes of light! I want to watch you fail so miserably to save your 'Capital of Light!' AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The woman's insane laughter faded into a heavy, shocking silence in the cavernous chamber.
"Hah. Well, good luck with that, heroes," Vanitas spoke, raising a hand of darkness, and conjuring a Dark Corridor. He lowered his Keyblade and strode toward it.
"I thought you wanted the Ultima Weapon?" Kairi said. "You're really just giving up? You really are a coward - and a bully. The first sign of any resistance, and you bail out! Weakling!"
Vanitas stopped, on the edge of his portal. "What, you want me to stick around and act like some do-gooder - save some stupid world, full of stupid little helpless people? Get real. I'll just let all of you handle her for me, and the second that Keyblade's out of her hands - it's going to go to mine."
"We're going to destroy it - her and the Keyblade," Kairi refuted. "You won't get a chance at it!"
"Heh...we'll-"
A bright white light suddenly flashed nearby - and a figure appeared, flying forward to slam onto the hard rock ground with a thud.
Kairi whirled, staring. Then she was rushing forward, raising a hand for a Curaga spell. "Luxu!" the name tore from her throat on reflex, instinct, horror and panic fluttering in her Heart.
"And that is my cue to get the hell out of here!" Vanitas exclaimed, rushing into his dark portal. It snapped shut behind him immediately.
"Luxu, are you okay? What happened-" Kairi said, falling to her knees beside the man.
The man rolled himself over, gazing up at her with a pained grin. His whole body was burned, with magic, with light, and his clothes were a tattered mess. "What's it look like? I got my ass kicked, thanks, princess- Kairi, sorry..."
The others came over, too, hovering around Luxu and Kairi. Sora and Ven cast Healing spells too - then Terra joined in, casting a powerful one of his own. A much more powerful one.
"So...what happened with you guys?" Luxu gasped out, staring up at them all.
"Maleficent has the Ultima Weapon, and she's going to destroy Radiant Garden!" Kairi said quickly, passionately. "She wants to take 'her' old castle back...and destroy the people who beat her last time, there, too."
"Really...? That sucks..." Luxu said vaguely, turning his head aside and giving a pain-wracked laugh. "Hey, Kairi-"
"What?"
"Why are you still here? Last I saw, you'd just grabbed Ultima Weapon...were you actually worthy of it?" the man spoke quietly.
"It's complicated," Kairi sighed. "It did take my Heart...but I came back."
"Oh...of course you did. Some new trick you pulled out of your- hat?"
"Something like that..."
"Awesome. Well, glad you're not lost forever to us. I would have missed you. I never doubted I'd come back and just find you standing there, right as rain, you know - that's just what you do. Hey, why don't you help me up, here, and we can get back to the Realm of Sleep..."
"What? Why-"
"Because we've still got promises to keep, don't we?" Luxu rasped. He looked at her again, meeting her gaze directly. He sucked in a breath, blinking up at her. "And I think while I was being beaten senseless by my old Master, he actually knocked an idea into my head. Might be a long shot, but..."
Kairi gazed down on the man. She looked to the others. To Sora. Her Heart was torn, twisting, her head a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts...and then it settled. She bent down and grabbed Luxu's arm, using magic to help her pull him up to his feet again (thankfully, he also helped a little, himself). She looked to Sora again, and opened her mouth. "I can't come back just yet - not fully. There's still...something I have to do."
"What?" Sora said, confused. "Kairi, what're you-"
"There are a lot of lost people I need to help, in the Sleeping Worlds," Kairi said. "I'm not finished yet - not until I find them! I made a promise, and I'm seeing it through to the end."
Sora stared into her face. He raised a shaking fist...then he lowered it, fixed a grin, and nodded firmly. "Okay. See you soon, Kairi!"
"I promise you will," Kairi replied, just as firm. "Just - go to Radiant Garden. Keep my home safe for me, Sora. Don't let it fall to her a second time...please!"
"I promise you I will," Sora said, determined. "I'll protect it with everything I've got!"
"I know you will," Kairi said, smiling at him brightly. Warmly. With all her Heart (with the memory of a moment of clarity after a long dream, of her lips against his...).
Sora was probably thinking about the same moment, because he suddenly was blushing hard and looking away from her.
"Alright..." Luxu's voice came, rough and coughing. "Realm of Sleep Express, now departing the station...haha..." He raised an arm, and his Keyblade appeared in hand. He aimed it out, its end glowing...and a pink, crystal orb with spikes around it appeared in a flash of light.
"Are you going to be okay...?" Kairi said, worry worming in her Heart.
"Good thing about being in my original, twenty year old body again - I'll be able to sleep it off," Luxu replied, with another painful looking grin. Less pained, but still...so really pained.
"Okay," Kairi said simply, nodding. Focusing...as the light from the orb glowed brighter, and particles of energy began to stream off of both her and Luxu, flowing into the orb itself...
After passing into a world of light and fluffy warmth...Kairi found herself emerging out of it into sharp clarity again.
In a familiar place.
"Traverse Town?" Kairi gasped, staring around the Second District in confusion. "But...why is it still here? I thought you said it would have gone back to the Realm of Light?"
Luxu stared around himself, too, holding an arm across his stomach. He took a limping step forward, then stopped, wobbling slightly. "It should've. Unless...it knew it was still needed here again?"
"Needed for what? Us...?" Kairi said quietly, pondering. She shook her head, looking to Luxu. "So what's your idea - for finding Ephemer, right? And the other Dandelions?"
Luxu turned to stare at her, for a long moment. Then he exhaled, and limped over to fall onto a bench near the fountain. He leaned back against it, breathing in and out shallowly, just...sprawling his limbs there.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Kairi demanded, hurrying over to sit next to the man. She raised a hand and cast another Cure as she spoke. "You're not going to- d-disappear, are you...?"
"Eh...if I did...I'd just drown my Heart in darkness and turn myself into a Nobody again..." Luxu said, breathless, and strained. Laughing. "Of course, the coming back from that part would be trickier, but it'd still save my hide to make the transition in the first place...and we all know I'd grow a nice little new Heart back, of course. Hacking the universe - isn't it great when you know the rules?"
Kairi leaned over, placing a hand on the man's leg with a frown, gazing up into his face...
Luxu turned to stare back at her, a strange look on his face. He scooted away from her, actually shying his whole body from her. "H-hey - I appreciate all this concern and whatnot, but I don't need any accusations, thanks. I already almost helped Xehanort destroy the world, I'm not trying to add that to my rap sheet-"
"Huh? OH! S-sorry - no - EW! It just really seems like you're about to die on me here!" Kairi exclaimed, shrinking back now as well, holding her hands to her chest.
"I'm not going to lie, I'm probably closer to it than I've been in a looong time...but I'll pull through, thanks to all your Healing spells," Luxu replied. "You'd be surprised how big a difference some prompt medical treatment can make."
"So-"
"My idea - yeah, right. I should probably tell you before I die on you, huh?" Luxu flashed another grin, then sat up straight with a heavy groan. "If you'll recall, back during our battle against that giant devil that might or might not have actually been a Heartless...or a dream of a Heartless, at least...one of your little Spirit friends summoned a bunch of other Spirit allies to help out, yeah?"
"Yeah. Comet," Kairi agreed. "What does that have to do with finding Ephemer? He's not a Spirit."
"Nope, he's not - but all those other Dandelions are fused with Spirits, aren't they?" Luxu said.
Kairi stared at the man, disbelief and hope growing inside her.
Luxu smiled. "There you go...now the gears are turning, eh? We might not be able to find Ephemer himself again just yet...but what he wanted to do - what he wanted people like us to help him do...We might be able to do that for him, even if he won't see it just yet."
Kairi jumped to her feet, calling out: "COMET!"
The Spirit appeared in a puff of smoke before her, floating on their magic broomstick/magic wand.
"Hey - Comet - you know how you summoned those other Spirits before, in our fight on that volcano mountain?" Kairi spoke quickly, immediately. She stepped forward, grasping the Spirit's big, green wing arms. "There are some really special, really old Spirits I'd like it if you could try to summon here for me. They're...different from the rest of you. They're not- natural Spirits. They were called...Chirithies? They should have...human Hearts sleeping inside them. Can you find them, please? Bring them here? At least some of them. As many as you can find!"
Comet stared back at her, tilting their head. Then they let out a bird caw noise and pulled out of her grasp, fluttering their wings. They raised their magic wand high, glowing with power on the end...
Magic circles began to appear on the ground, all around them, littering the stone...their centers glowed and pulsed...
Then, from up out of them rose dozens of Dream Eaters, of all kinds - cats and tigers and cute bunnies and birds and owls and fish and even crabs and insects...
They all spilled out onto the world, in a symphony of high squeals and barks and caws!
They just kept coming, more and more, bouncing off each other and squishing together - until the magic circles flashed closed in puffs of smoke at last.
Kairi stared all around her, across the plaza, and in the air above her.
She tried to do a count, but it came out to dozens and dozens. A hundred? Two hundred? More?!
Luxu was looking around as well - overwhelmed, just like she was.
"Okay, that's a lot." Kairi looked to Luxu, frowning suddenly. "How are we supposed to know whether or not these are the Dandelions or just...random Dream Eaters, though?"
As Kairi stood there, the answer came to her. The obvious answer! She held a hand to her chest, turning and striding toward one, specific Spirit - a Meow Wow.
Kairi gazed at the Spirit, into their eyes. She raised her hand to her chest...breathing out...and fell to her knees.
A swirling image formed in front of the Spirit, hazy and shrouded in a rainbow of colors: a girl - her age - with light blue hair in pigtails, and icy blue eyes to match...freckles and an off-center nose...wearing a pleated green mini-skirt and a matching green sports top. There were three glinting, different colored gemstone bracelets on her wrist - amber, ruby, and sapphire...
A name, a whispered voice in her ear, came to her from everywhere and nowhere...
Cynthia...
The girl's image gazed back at Kairi for an eternal moment...and then her eyes closed, and the image faded away in a wash of multicolored light.
"...Hey? You okay, pr- Kairi?" Luxu spoke, striding up beside her.
Kairi startled, turning to Luxu. She looked back at the Spirit. No, at the GIRL. "I saw her Heart - sleeping, in the dark!" she spoke. "Her name is Cynthia!"
"Eh? How...? And are you saying this Spirit is-"
"Yes! She's a Dandelion! Anyways, I don't know how I do what I do. It's just- something I can do - I guess from being a Princess of Heart," Kairi said quickly. "I haven't done it in a while, though, and I didn't even think of it when Ephemer told me...that he needed people who could identify which Spirits were Dandelions and which ones were just - normal creatures. But I can do this! And you...you can help her - right now!"
Luxu gazed into her eyes. He nodded, looking to the Meow Wow and raising his Keyblade slowly. "Okay, Cynthia...Get ready for one hell of a culture shock..." he murmured, as his weapon was shrouded it in a pink light...
That strange, pink crystal orb appeared to float in the air again, with those floating spikes around it.
"Let's call this a test run. Start with just...one...kid." Luxu glanced over at Kairi. "See you soon."
Kairi nodded silently, letting her arms fall to her sides.
The orb glowed brightly, and Luxu began to- disintegrate into a stream of light particles, which flowed into the orb itself. It was the strangest method of travel Kairi had ever seen, really...
Kairi stared at the floating orb for a few moments, alone now. Well, not alone. She looked to the Spirit - to Cynthia - and saw a glistening of light and golden motes on her chest.
He went...into her Heart.
Kairi knelt there, watching the Spirits all around her - keeping an eye on the one specific Meow Wow.
Waiting...
After a minute or two of time...something happened.
The Meow Wow's body glowed pink, energy particles drifting off of them, and then a light burst from within, blinding Kairi.
Crystal fragments flew off in all directions, from a great puff of smoke!
Luxu sort of- reappeared, falling backwards...stumbling back into existence again. He almost lost his footing, but regained it quickly. He glanced down at Kairi, then looked ahead - the same as her, in that moment.
The Meow Wow was gone - in their place now was the girl herself: Cynthia. The girl was floating a foot off the ground, in front of Kairi. Her eyes were closed, her face...full of peace and a smile. Then, slowly, she drifted down and landed on her side on the ground...still sleeping?
"Is she-" Kairi started, quiet.
"She should be good to go," Luxu said, just as quiet - his eyes rapt to the girl. "Just...give her some time. Her Heart probably has to do a full reboot or something. But she'll wake soon enough...fully and completely."
Kairi nodded. The man didn't sound too confident, but...she wanted to believe he'd succeeded. That they could do this. For Ephemer. And for these kids, themselves, of course.
Suddenly, in front of the sleeping girl, another, smaller puff of smoke poofed in the air. A small, grey, cat-like little creature appeared on the ground. With big eyes of blue, a little nose, stubby arms, and a cape! They were also wearing a little bracelet on their left arm, that looked similar to one of Cynthia's own.
The creature gave a high yawn, stretching their arms and arching their back. They put a stubby arm- hand- to their face. Where their mouth would be. Or...was? Maybe? Somehow?
This had to be one of those Chirithy beings Ephemer had talked about before, Kairi realized. The description definitely fit.
"Oh, FIIINAAALLYYYY!" they- she? exclaimed, in a high, girlish voice. They hopped forward on two feet, raising an arm to point right at Luxu. "What the heck took you so long, Master Luxu?"
Luxu stared at the being, visibly, extremely confused.
As confused as Kairi felt, probably, in that moment.
"What- what're you talking about?" Luxu said.
"The Master told us it was all going to be okay...to trust in his plan..."
Luxu continued to stare down at the creature - the being. "Are you saying...that all of it - the Dandelions, the Data World, the trap for the Darkness - all of it was done with the foreknowledge that what happened would happen? That the trapped Hearts would fuse with you little guys, and that you'd escape into this realm, leaving the Darkness safely behind - all to allow you to wait to be rescued one day in the far, faaaar future...?"
"Of course!" the being said with a huff. "You didn't really think he'd do all of this without a backup plan, did you? He told you himself, didn't he?"
Luxu blinked. His mouth twisted. His jaw worked, grinding his teeth together. "You know...if you pre-plan a resurrection ritual, then go off and commit murder, then bring your victim back to life - it doesn't invalidate the fact that you committed the murder in the first place, you little shithead! Did you even think about the trauma and pain and terror that was going to engulf your wielder's Heart - your PARTNER'S? Did you even care? My Master sure as hell didn't, if he thinks it's all right as rain, just because he thought he had some clever little idea to not make it permanent in this instance! But you know what is still permanent. Fucking. Murder? All those other kids, hundreds of them, thousands, who went off to fight and die in that Graveyard! All for what they thought they believed, all against each other, caught up in strife and conflict and years of spite and anger that they probably all forgot the reason for it in the first place! Not that there ever was one! So you...YOU - and HIM - can go to HELL!"
The Chirithy stumbled back, clutching little arms to their chest. Their big head fell, their cat ears dropped. They sniffled, their eyes brimming...
"Unless you're going to tell me he actually had some grand scheme to save them, too..." Luxu whispered out.
Kairi saw the undisguised, raw emotion on the man's face in that moment. The desperation, the pleading, the- HOPE...such hope, on the face of a man who had said he didn't DO hope...yet here he was willing to do so again, after so long.
The little Chirithy raised their head, looking up at Luxu. They raised an arm, pointing up at him directly. "You..."
Luxu's mouth dropped open. His eyes shuddered in their sockets. "Me...?" he rasped.
"He said...he sent you there to watch for a reason...didn't he?"
For a long moment, there was silence.
Then, Luxu gasped outright, stumbling back from the Chirithy. His weapon vanished from his hand. "That- clever...b-bastard...IT WAS SO SIMPLE! All along! And he set it right up, right from the start - with those simple, long-standing instructions of his. Tied right into my fucking role, and it just passed me on by without me even realizing...!"
"What?" Kairi demanded.
Luxu turned to her, his face lit with- honestly kind of a frighteningly manic grin. She wanted to be generous and say excited, though. "Everything that anyone could ever need to bring all of those kids back...it's right there. It's always been right there. And - right here." He raised a hand, and sharply tapped a finger to his own head.
Kairi shook her head, uncomprehending. "Are you saying you can save...the people who fought in the actual Keyblade War? Not just these Dandelion survivors...?"
"That is exactly what I'm saying. And that is exactly what I'm going to do, first thing we get out of here! I'm saving them all: I'm bringing them all back again. Because I'm the only guy who can!"
Kairi smiled at him, nodding. "That's great!" She paused. She looked down at the Chirithy. At the girl still laying there... "But we need to save all these Dandelion kids first. And then we need to get to Radiant Garden!"
Luxu's face froze. Faltered. Then he nodded, growing serious. "Yeah...Right. Of course. And it's not like they're going to lose out on the chance, if they wait at least a few more days...and we'll probably need the time to even figure out what to do with them all - can't just dump a couple thousand kids into the worlds, right?" he murmured on. "Gonna need to find them all nice places to stay - some good homes, and- hell, an army of really good therapists! Can't just spit them all out and say, 'Okay, you're here, good luck with life - P.S: here's all the shit you missed out on, and have fun with all that PTSD!'"
"Right..." Kairi said faintly, as the realization set in for her, too. She was just glad to be a kid, herself, in that moment; all that incredibly complicated planning and such could be left to actual adults.
"Ooookaaaayyyyy..." Luxu said, looking around himself, at all the several hundred odd Spirits milling about the Second District plaza. "Our test run went perfectly, so let's hunker down and do this for real. This is going to take a while. Luckily, we're in a place where time has no meaning, and I'm also a dude with loads of experience at doing the same shit for a really, reaaally long time." He took a breath, cocked a grin, and gave his Keyblade a twirl with a flick of his wrist (and a wince of pain). He looked to Kairi, his dark eyes glinting. "Don't get bored without me, kid."
"Oh, I won't. I think I have enough to keep myself occupied now - for a while," Kairi replied, grinning at him.
"Have fun, then. See you in a minute...or thirty." He paused, and he smiled. "With all of these kids being Dandelions together, spending those two years in the Data World after the war...they're bonded to each other. Which means I should be able to just go from one Heart to the other, by following those connections between them. So, you know, you won't see me actually pop out again for a while."
"I'll be waiting for you," Kairi said simply.
Luxu nodded, and turned to set his gaze on a nearby Spirit. He shrugged, raised his Keyblade, and summoned a new Dream Portal...disappearing into it in light.
Kairi sighed to herself, and situated herself comfortably on the ground, looking to the Chirithy. "Hey - I'm Kairi. It's nice to meet you, by the way. I'm a Keyblade wielder."
Chirithy looked back at her, slowly relaxing. They hopped forward and stared up into her face. "A Dandelion?"
"No," Kairi shook her head, smiling. "I'm a...new wielder - from this era." She paused. "I guess, then...the Dandelions did succeed in their mission - right? To see the Keyblade's legacy endure, and to see light live on? Because I'm also kind of a Princess of Heart..."
"WHAT?!" Chirithy threw their arms up in shock. "You're not kidding?"
"Nope." Kairi beamed.
She felt bad about it, next moment, when Chirithy just started bawling their little eyes out in front of her!
AN: Some big stuff happened this chapter, yaaay! 333
If you know the rules of KH time travel, you will be able to figure out how Luxu's gonna save all the Keyblade War victims/fighters. xD When I as the author came up with the idea, it honestly shocked me how perfectly plausibly it fit with the canon rules, and also the plausible way in which the MoM could have set Luxu up to be able to do it! It's probably not going to be canon, but it fits so well I'm taking it and using it. :D Of course, it might just work because Nomura made the rules so loose and overpowered that you can do anything if you set it up right...
*Points to that BULLSHIT that is Ansem SOD going back in time, then TRANSFERRING HIS TIME POWERS TO HIS YOUNGER SELF TO ENABLE HIM TO MOVE FORWARD SEPARATELY as a haxy loophole* xD
Buuut either way! :D