The first thing Hinata heard was the rain.
Heavy drops pelted against metal and glass. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The floor beneath her was cold and smooth, somehow familiar. Hinata's fingers curled against the ground, her eyes opening to a blurred sight. A cell, pristine and untouched, the door wide open. She blinked rapidly, taking in her surroundings. In the corner jutted out a metal slabbed bed. Over it, a thick window where captors could gaze in at test subjects..
Hinata pushed herself to sit up. "Kamino…?" she asked, her voice echoing in the empty cell.
No one gave her an answer. The sound of her voice filled the room, then there was nothing. Just the rain. She swallowed thickly, her heart pounding in her ears. Her legs faltered as she moved to stand and she stumbled into the doorway. The hall outside her cell was just as she remembered. A door to the left blocked her way, leaving only the right path open, where she could follow it and go around the corner.
She staggered forward, her steps heavy and her body leaning side to side as if she were inebriated. Her head was swimming, her sight blurring in and out. She braced herself against the wall and ran her hands over her face, trying to break through the haze.
"This feels real," she muttered, looking down at her hands as she opened and closed them. Her nails slightly dug into her palms and she could feel the sensation, as well as the humidity from the storm and the chill in the stagnant air. "Is this really a dream?" she asked.
Keeping a hand on the wall, she went further down the corridor, her footsteps reverberating around her. Turning the corner, she saw long rectangular windows lining the walls. One window curved with the hall, showing a glimpse of the raging storm outside. The rest were, as Hinata remembered, windows that looked into separate labs. Some classrooms, others experimental rooms for test subjects. However, each one was blackened and dark, with no door to go inside. Hinata's only option was to continue going forward.
She passed four sets of windows before a door hissed shut behind her. With a start, she spun around, seeing the hall disappear behind metal. "Alright, no backtracking," she noted, turning back. "Wait… What?"
She could have sworn the hall continued forward with endless windows on either side. Instead, she stood beside an open cell. A curved window overlooked the storm outside, leading around the corner to the left. It looked exactly the same as before.
"It's a dream." She shook her head and continued walking, accepting the change despite the way her heart rate accelerated. "Has to be."
Her balance came easier, her steps more pronounced. She turned the corner, sure enough seeing the same hall she had before. Nothing had changed. Past four sets of windows, the door hissed shut behind her and Hinata found herself right back at her cell.
"Just keep moving forward, I guess."
Her fingers wrapped around her locket, tracing the indentations. Turning the corner, the first darkened window to her left lit up, immediately catching her attention. Rather than a lab, a dusty old room appeared on the other side. Cobwebs hung from the corners and old furniture was piled on the floor, pushed back against the wall to make space in the center.
Hinata's hand pressed against the glass. "The old sparring hall," she murmured. "Just before we started lessons there… But why?"
Light poured into the room as a door out of sight swung open. A young Hinata came into view, spinning around excitedly as Lea and Isa followed her in. Their lips moved, but Hinata couldn't hear their words. She remembered the day though.
Neither Lea or Isa had been impressed with the old shack, even though Hinata insisted her dad was going to have it renovated so they could start sparring lessons like they always talked about. The three of them laughed together and Hinata smiled. A bittersweet warmth filled her chest. Then a silhouette appeared in the doorway, its shadow casting over the three of them, and the window darkened as if it were a snuffed flame over a candle.
Hinata's grip tightened over her locket.
Her hand reluctantly left the blackened window. She stared at it a moment longer, then turned to continue. The door slid shut behind her and she was back beside her cell. Lights flickered overhead; a bolt of lightning flashed outside. Hinata inhaled deeply, then forcefully exhaled through her mouth.
Around the corner, the first window lit up. Hinata went to it. The same sparring room appeared on the other side. Fresh coats of paint covered the walls, the floors polished. Racks of weapons stood in corners, thick mats rolled out over the ground. Lea and Isa battled in the center with wooden blades. They fought more ferociously than Hinata remembered. Dark bruises spotted their usual pale complexions, thin trails of blood ran from cuts and scrapes.
Off to the side watching over them stood their master, Xehanort. His white hair glistened from the few sun rays peeking in through the door, his amber eyes narrowed and a smirk curving his lips. His hand rested on a younger Hinata's shoulder. She was just as battered and bruised as the others. They watched the spar with great interest, talking with each other.
Hinata's jaw clenched. She could almost hear Xehanort's words in her head, promising they would be ready for his Organization. Every bruise, every cut, only made them stronger. Prepared them.
Isa kicked his foot against Lea's chest, sending him flying. His back slammed against the glass, causing the entire hall to shake from the impact. Hinata screamed, staggering back as the window's light extinguished.
Her heart pounded, her head shaking. "That—That wasn't… That's not what happened." She licked her lips, her fingers raking through her hair. "I would have known something was wrong back then. I would have—" her voice cut off with a tremble. She inhaled and blew out her breath. "It's a dream. That's all it is. Don't let it get to you."
She looked to the open doorway beckoning her. The hall beyond it was endless, going straight with windows on either side. It taunted her, daring her to enter. Every time she passed the threshold, the door would shut and everything reset.
"There has to be a way out."
Shaking out her arms, she bounced between the balls of her feet. Her gaze focused on the endless corridor and she bolted forward. Her speed spiked into a sprint. She sped past the doorway, making it to the third window before the door even shut. Her face split into a grin. She was out of the loop.
Then she blinked.
Her entire body smashed against the wall. She crumbled to the ground, coughing, struggling to take in a full breath. Looking up, she saw the storm raging outside. Behind her, the cell door slid open and shut, causing a terrible creaking sound that made her ears ring.
Hinata cursed under her breath, moving to stand. She looked down the hall, her throat going dry. Every window lit up in unison. The testing chambers in her father's castle appeared on the other side of the glass. Cylindrical tubes were lined up, thick wires and machinery wrapped around them. Men, women, even children banged against their confines, each in various stages of being turned into Heartless.
With hesitant steps, Hinata walked further down the hall. The pit of her stomach churned. Her trembling fingers found her locket, tracing every detail as she made her way to the doorway. Before she could pass through it hissed shut in front of her, locking her in.
"No! No, please!" she fruitlessly begged, banging against the door.
Her head pressed against the metal, her throat tightening as her eyes clenched shut.
"Turn around," a voice whispered into her ear.
Hinata's eyes shot open, a chill coursing up her spine. With a yell, she whirled around and punched the air. No one was there. Her chest convulsed with broken breaths.
"It's a dream," she repeated to herself with a tremor in her voice, her hands running along her arms. "You're ok. It's a dream. I'll be ok. I'm ok—" Her voice faltered on the last word.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her younger self leading Lea and Isa on the other side of the window. She looked up, seeing the memory play out in front of her. They sneaked between the tubes, yet rather than being repulsed, they were invested and intrigued. They laughed at the test subjects, mocking them.
Hinata tasted bile in the back of her throat. "That's not what happened," she muttered, her voice trembling. "Do you hear me?" she yelled at the ceiling, as if someone were watching her. "This isn't what happened!"
"Of course," Xehanort's bellowing voice filled the hall.
Hinata spun around, scowling at the sight of her old master standing in front of her. She held out her hand instinctively, summoning her blades, but nothing happened. "What?" she gasped, looking at her empty palms.
"You will find no magic here," Xehanort informed her. "Nor any escape."
Without reply, Hinata vaulted forward. She kicked off the window and threw her fist towards his face. He grabbed her wrist with unnatural speed and threw her against the wall. She gasped for air, her body collapsing to the floor. Through blurred vision, she saw him go further down the hall, serenely watching the memory play out through the windows.
"What did happen was much worse," he continued, stopping at the third window. "Do you know what became of your friends after you abandoned them?"
"I didn't"-she coughed, blood spattering over the polished white floor-"I didn't know. I had— to protect—"
"You led them," he interrupted, his voice level. "They trusted you. You, who knew of your purpose and had agreed full heartedly. Yet, in the time of reckoning, you ran. Leaving them behind."
"As if you're innocent in this." She laughed bitterly, on her knees. "I'm not the one who killed them. You are."
Xehanort hummed, a smirk tipping the corner of his face. With a flick of his wrist, tendrils of darkness wrapped around Hinata's arms, forcing her in front of him to watch the memory. She struggled against its grip, shivering as Xehanort whispered, "Are you so sure?"
"Hinata, what do we do?" Lea's voice shook, the sound so crisp and real, as if Hinata were reliving the moment.
Their master stood in front of them, a large black Keyblade at his side. The young Hinata stood in front of Lea and Isa, her chest heaving and eyes wide.
"Hinata…?" Isa asked, his own voice shaking ever so slightly.
There was no reply. The young Hinata turned and ran, disappearing completely from view. Lea cried out after her, but it was too late. She was gone. The boys tried to scramble away, realizing they were on their own. Xehanort rushed forward, gripping Lea by his neck.
"Stop!" Hinata screamed, pulling against her bindings. "Just stop!"
Xehanort slammed Lea against the glass; the entire hallway shook. Hinata looked away, her eyes shut tight. Glass shattered, liquid spattered across the floor. The bindings of darkness disappeared and Hinata fell to her knees. Everything went silent. She opened her eyes. Shards of glass surrounded her, each piece painted with red, viscous fluid.
The door to her right opened with a groan, allowing her to move forward. But she lingered. Xehanort had vanished, every window darkened. Hinata was all that remained.
She looked up, her stomach flipping. The tip of Xehanort's Keyblade remained pierced through the window, glistening with blood. Cracks webbed from the puncture, leading up to the top where a single word was crudely carved into the glass… Coward.
Tears stung her eyes, and she averted her gaze. With slow, numb movements, she shifted to stand. Her feet crunched the glass underfoot as she went through the doorway. It slid shut behind her and with a blink, she was back at her cell.
The lights dimmed, trembling in and out. Lightning flashed outside, over and over, blanketing the corridor in blue with every strike. Hinata lifted her eyes from her feet, grimacing at the sight of Thaanix standing at the window looking outside.
"What do you want?" Hinata asked, readying herself to fight.
Thaanix didn't acknowledge her. She instead turned down the hall and continued around the corner.
"Hey!" Hinata called, running after her. "Thaanix!"
She turned the corner, but no one was there. Hinata slowed to a stop. Shattered glass still covered the ground, Xehanort's Keyblade remained embedded in the window. The few droplets of blood had melded into a pool, steadily growing from the thin streams leaking through the cracks.
"This is sick," she said, her voice strained.
Running her hands along her arms, she walked further in. The second window on her right lit up. Hinata hung her head back with a whimper, eyes shut.
"Please, not another one," she mumbled, daring to peek.
The deck of the Highwind showed on the other side, surrounded by the vastness of space. It was when Hinata had taken it out for the first flight. Sam and Ben helped Hinata manage the controls while James and Riku watched from the railing. Jack floated between all of them, barking and exploring every inch he could reach.
"No, no please, not them," Hinata pleaded, shaking her head as the sob in her throat welled up. "Wherever this goes, I—I can't…" The door closed in response, locking her in as it had before. Hinata continued to shake her head. Her fingers clenched, nails dug into her palms. "No, I won't. There has to be a way out."
Turning in place, Hinata took everything in, her eyes settled on the tip of Xehanort's Keyblade jutting out of the window. She went over to it, the edges sharp, painted with blood.
"Do you think…?" she pondered aloud, her fingers hesitantly wrapping around anything she could hold onto.
Bracing her feet against the wall, she pulled. The blade dug into her fingers. New blood spilled onto the Keyblade, dripping down Hinata's arms, but she didn't stop. She clenched her teeth and pulled. The hall tremored, the cracks in the window let out a horrid crunching sound, deepening and webbing further across the glass with every tug.
The blood caused her to lose her grip and she slipped, the momentum sending her falling back against the opposite window where her memory still played out. With wild determination, she went back again and again. Crying out, she yanked with every ounce of strength she had left. Everything gave way. Shards of glass exploded into the hall, Hinata fell back as the Keyblade clanged against the ground. Her chest heaved, her body aching and hands bleeding. She laughed, her voice echoing through the hall.
"That actually worked," she cheered breathlessly, bringing her hands to her face and leaving a red trail behind on her sweat slicked skin. "Holy shit."
The Keyblade lay at her feet, the black and silver metal smeared with red. Hinata's eyes danced over it as she knelt down. She slid her thumb over the top, revealing a blue marbled eye beneath the blood. Her eyes narrowed, an uneasiness scratching at the back of her mind.
"Just like Soul Eater…" she murmured. "Is this how Xehanort's key actually looked, or is my mind filling in the blanks?"
Her mouth twisted into a confused frown. She looked at the rest of the blade. Black metalwork detailed a ram's head and bat wings around the hilt— another detail that reminded her of Riku's Soul Eater. Her fingertips grazed over the hilt, reaching the silver chain dangling off the end with another marbled eye. She examined the chain, before letting it slip from her grasp. Her attention went back to the hilt and she reached to grab it.
A pulse of adrenaline rushed through her the moment her fingers wrapped around the metal. It was such a powerful force, it stung like needles pricking her skin. Her mind spun, thoughts discombobulated as if something was forcing its way in. The air itself became heavy and thick. Hinata nearly passed out, despite the way her body pulsed with a desire to get up and fight. Anything, anyone, her muscles screamed for it.
"What's— happening?" she asked, her hand clenching against her head.
Her thoughts whispered, but she struggled to understand them. It felt dark, sinister. She looked at the Keyblade, the marbled eye boring into her, as if it were truly watching and alive. With a startled gasp, she released the Keyblade. It crashed to the ground, lifeless. Hinata's mind immediately lightened, her breaths coming easier. The sting of her wounds settled back in with sharp spikes of pain. But Hinata didn't mind. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall.
"Was that darkness?" she asked, before chuckling humorlessly. "Or at least, what I imagine it feels like…"
A light flashed in her peripheral vision. She darted her eyes over to the window where the Highwind had just been. Instead it wavered to another hallway, nearly identical to the one she was in. The lights overhead were red, Heartless scratched at the corners. James came into view, a nearly unconscious Hinata in his arms. He came to a sudden stop, a Corridor of darkness sprouted from the ground, leaving Thaanix in its wake.
Hinata's jaw tightened, her heart throbbing. She rushed to her feet and pressed her hands against the glass. The copy of herself convinced James to put her down so she could try to reason with Thaanix. Hinata banged her hands against the window, knowing what would come next.
To her surprise, James spun around at the sound. Their eyes locked. The color drained from Hinata's face. He seemed confused, looking between her and the others as he went up to the glass and met his hand against hers through the glass.
Hinata's throat went dry, tears welled up in her eyes. "You have to run!" she yelled, hoping he could hear. "Grab her and run!"
James opened his mouth to reply, but was yanked back by Thaanix gripping his collar, throwing him to the ground.
"NO!" Hinata screamed, banging her fists against the glass.
She backed up, her chest heaving. The Keyblade caught her eye, chilling her heart the longer she stared at it. Bending down, she grabbed it, crying out as the darkness forced its way back in. The Keyblade crashed against the glass, piercing through with remarkable ease. The window fractured, falling away as Hinata stepped through, emerging in the memory.
Alarms bellowed over speakers, screams echoed down the halls. Hinata barely took a moment to take it in, before sprinting forward. Thaanix stood over James, just about to thrust the final blow, before a Keyblade knocked the spear of ice out of her hand. It burst against the floor. Hinata slashed Thaanix with the Keyblade, sending her flying back several feet.
"Get away from him, you monster!" Hinata shouted, her voice cracking. Both of her hands wrapped around the hilt of the blade as adrenaline pulsed through her veins with tingling warmth.
The shock on Thaanix's face melded into a dark smirk. Holding out her hands, daggers of ice appeared, sparking with electricity. "What's a coward like you going to do to stop me?"
"I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago." Hinata's gaze narrowed, raising her Keyblade behind her head, her other hand outstretched towards Thaanix.
"Hinata!" James called out to her.
"Grab her and run!" Hinata ordered, not moving her attention from Thaanix. "I'll protect you."
Thaanix burst into a mocking laugh. "Do you really think you can change what happened? We both know what actually takes place here."
Hinata bolted forward without reply. Her blade clashed with Thaanix's, forcing her back. Thaanix stumbled back with a growl. Pushing out her hands, bolts of electricity zapped through the hall. Hinata dodged with perfect precision, the darkness leading her movements as it melded into her every action. She ricocheted off the wall and kicked Thaanix across the face, sending her sprawling to the floor, her ice daggers shattering.
"This is too easy!" Hinata laughed, a darkened warmth filling her chest. "With how confident you act, I thought you might be at least a little bit of a challenge."
Thaanix spit out a mixture of blood and black silt before jumping back up, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. She smirked, undeterred by Hinata's taunting. Without warning, she disappeared in a wisp of smoke, reappearing from behind with a blast of electricity.
Hinata cried out, sparks coursing over her body. She spun around, slicing her Keyblade through the air, it met against Thaanix's reformed dagger. From behind, another dagger came flying through the air. Hinata felt the chill of it approaching and grabbed Thaanix's wrist, spinning both of them around. Thaanix's eyes widened, just before the dagger pierced through her back.
She attempted to hang onto Hinata, but Hinata stepped back, letting her fall limply to the ground. Hinata grabbed the dagger and pulled it out of Thaanix, before kicking her shoulder and rolling her over. A lump constricted her throat, the pit of her stomach churned. But across her lips, she smiled. The darkness pulsed with pleasure inside her heart. She had bested her.
Thaanix stared up at her with hollow eyes, darkness dripping out of the corner of her mouth. Hinata stood over her, holding her Keyblade above Thaanix's chest.
"Just like me…" Thaanix whispered and Hinata scoffed.
"I am nothing like you," Hinata spat, digging the end of the Keyblade into Thaanix's chest.
Thaanix gasped for air, blackened tears pouring down her cheeks. "Are… you so sure?" she asked as darkness covered her and she melted away.
Hinata let out a heavy breath, a sob coming up her throat. She fell to her knees, her hands still gripping the Keyblade and keeping it embedded in the floor. "I did it," she rasped out, her body shaking as a sickening sense of satisfaction filled her chest. "I did it. She's dead." She laughed, her voice shrill, "I—I killed her."
"Why did you do that?"
Hinata blinked. Looking over, she saw James helping her copy appear from around the corner. She drew her gaze back to the black puddle where Thaanix used to be. "I did what I had to." She stood up, keeping one hand on the Keyblade. "I protected both of you. If I hadn't—"
"What makes you different from her?" her copy interrupted. "You said you were nothing alike, but from where I'm standing, you seem to be the same thing."
Hinata's grip tightened around the hilt of the blade and she bit, "What? You'd rather I just walked away and let it happen? Like you did?"
"You and I both know that's not true," her copy countered with a level tone. "What happened to James wasn't our fault. Neither was Sam, or Lea, or Isa."
"Those are stupid lies we tell ourselves to help us sleep at night!" Hinata yelled, pointing to James. "He would still be alive if we hadn't been weak!" She pressed her hand to her chest. "I had the chance to kill Bane! He was right there, trapped in water. It would have been so easy. Just throw him out into space like I did with all of his droids. What did I do instead? I chickened out, I let him win, and that cost me… everything." Tears choked her voice as she cried out, "And if I had killed Thaanix when I had the chance… All the people she's killed, everything she destroyed— I had a chance to stop it and I didn't. Because I'm a coward!"
"Is that you talking, or the darkness manipulating you?" her copy asked.
Hinata scowled, darkness pulsing in her chest. "Will you grow up?! How much do we have to lose before we finally stand up and do something about it?"
"What makes you different from Thaanix?" her copy asked again.
"Answer my question!" Hinata didn't back down.
"Answer mine!" her copy yelled, stepping forward. "Darkness fills your heart and the first thing you do is kill. Thaanix was down, she was helpless. What did you do?"
"I made sure she wasn't going to hurt anyone else," Hinata told her, the conviction in her voice growing with every word. "Because the moment she got back up, she wouldn't have stopped. She. Never. Stops. The longer I hide away, the more she destroys. Yes, I used the darkness to do it here, in this stupid, disgusting nightmare, but that's all I had. James is still here. By all accounts, I made things better. I don't need you trying to be some sort of conscience that I should have let it happen. When I get out of here, and I will, I'm not letting her get away with it anymore."
"Mom always said we didn't have the right to choose who lives and who dies," her copy reminded her.
"Yeah, well mom was wrong." Hinata's chest stung at the sentiment, but she stamped it down. Giving both of them one last look, she turned to leave.
"Hinata, don't," James spoke up.
"You're not even real," Hinata muttered, not feigning a glance.
She heard his rushed footsteps approaching her, but continued towards the broken window, until she was forced to a stop by him grabbing her Keyblade. Her attention darted to him, a fire in her eyes and an unnatural rage bubbling in her chest. "What is wrong with—"
"I'm real enough to know this isn't you," he interrupted, his tone gentle, yet firm. "Let it go, Hinata. You don't need it."
She looked at the Keyblade between them. Before it had chilled her to look at, but now it brought her warmth and security. It had gotten her inside the memory, out of the loop. It was her ticket to freedom, from both the dream and in her life. Everything she could do with the power to protect everyone she loved.
Her mind flashed to Riku. Everything he did… she was beginning to see it a bit differently.
"I do need it," she whispered, the rage in her chest dwindling. "Without it…"
"You'll be fine. How many times have I told you? You're one of the strongest people I've ever met. You don't need something that's going to change who you are." James' hand went over her own around the hilt. "Come on, Hinata."
Her eyes fluttered up to his. The darkness inside her fought to stay, whispering promises if she kept going. With a trembling hand, she allowed James to pull back her hand from the hilt. The Keyblade fell to the ground unceremoniously. Hinata winced from the sound, pain trickling through her body as the darkness fell away with the blade. Her chest heaved, Thaanix's hollow eyes appearing in her mind. The remnants of satisfaction remained in her gut, followed by a deep sickening burn that made her want to throw up.
"Oh God," she cried, bringing her hand over her mouth. Her legs faltered and she knelt to the floor.
James knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's alright. I've got you."
Hinata's hands clung to him, her shoulders shaking. He remained beside her, whispering he was there for her and she wasn't alone.
After a moment, he mumbled into her hair, "Thank you for saving me."
A sob came up her throat, tears spilled down her cheeks. "I wish I could have… I'm so sorry."
"It's alri—" his voice cut off and his warmth around her disappeared.
Hinata opened her eyes, finding herself back in her cell. Alone.
**Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone for taking the time to read this chapter. I know it's shorter than usual, but that's due to the fact that when it was attached with the following part, the chapter would have been the largest in the series. That can be fun, but I also want to make sure these chapters are at least easy to get through and don't take up your entire afternoon.
The good news though, is that the following chapter is nearly complete and will be posted soon! So cheers to that!
Thank you again for reading and I hope you have a wonderful week!**