Kingdom Hearts 3:Reconnect~1.1.5~Sora's Story, Book 1, Chapter 5~Beyond Mirrors and Doors~

Disclaimer:
Sora: "Eternal Symphonia is busy right now, so she asked me to give the disclaimer for today. So, I guess..." (glances at messy scrawl on sheet given by the author)

Sora: "I guess we don't own anything? I mean, I'm owned by Disney and Square-Enix and NOT Eternal Symphonia."

Eternal Symphonia: "Among the other characters in this story."

Riku: "Wait a second...isn't that illegal? It's not like we're property, or anything. What are they thinking?"

Goofy: "A-hyuck! I don't really think that's fair. Don'tcha think so too?"

Donald: "When do you ever think?"

King Mickey: "Now, now, fellas. When you think about it, I own Disney. Without me, Disney would be nothin'."

Sora: "So does that mean that you technically own us, your Majesty? Because if you own Disney, and then Disney owns us, then that means that we're your property."

Mystery Figure in the Black Cloak from previous chapter: "I don't belong anywhere..."

Sora: "Hey, author, who's this guy? He's seems kind of emo. Like Roxas emo, you know?"

Roxas: "I am not emo!"

Aqua: "Who owns Square-Enix, then? And whoever owns Square-Enix technically owns us, like the King. But then...who truly owns us?"

Donald: "This is really confusing..."

Sora: "So, whoever owns us is the person who owns Square-Enix and Disney, so that'd actually be the King and that weird Nomura guy. But then does that mean that Nomura owns the King too? And then who owns the King if it's not Disney? And who owns me? Then, whoever owns the King also owns Disney, Square-Enix, and us?"

Riku: "I am so lost."

Silver metal gleamed in the dim radiance of light settled off in the distance, far beyond the reaches of the shore the three wielders stood upon. Rapidly spinning, the blade swept through the air like a knife through butter. It eventually curved back and stabbed the center of the towering Heartless' chest. The monster threw its obsidian fists downwards and lifted its head to the skies, calling out in rage and fury to the one who had brought this fate to its doorstep. This screech sent two of the fighters stumbling backwards. But the third, who actually was the owner of the platinum weapon, stood her ground and bared a delighted smirk at this. And what impressed her small audience even more was how gracefully she had caught her blade as it came flying back; a jump up and a cartwheel in midair, grasping a hold on the handle, and sending sand flying once allowing her feet to meet the Earth again.

After the last remnants of the shadow creature had entirely dissipated, a few more sprouted up in its place. Three, to be exact, and the trio each went after the one closest and started to hack away.

The first of the three was a small warrior with round ears and a sleek, black tail, owning a sword that was blue and adorned with countless golden stars. His target had just sent its thick arm flying towards the mouse, but it was easily evaded; he sensed that it was coming out of the corner of his eye. He leaped up, spinning like a tornado. Once the Heartless passed by, he began initiating a fire spell. Amazingly, it danced around as he twirled, the balls of flame spreading farther and farther apart until they met their mark.

A silver haired wielder was also among these three, and tackling a creature even bigger than the other two's. In his right palm was a weapon that mostly resembled the crimson and black wing of a demon, contrasting with the platinum angel's wing sprouting from the top. With a hand held out in front of him and the other with the key drawn back, he charged forward with inhuman speed. A tendril of darkness slipped past him. Then a fist had almost came crashing down on the boy. But despite these obstacles, he managed to make it to the foot of his foe and started slashing back and forth, up and down, side to side, wearing down it down until it could stand no longer.

She almost had gotten thrown into the air when the silver haired boy's Heartless had fallen face down to the ground, the mighty weight against the sand causing the Earth to tremble. But nonetheless, the experienced warrior had found her footing again in no time. With the thrill of adrenaline pounding through her veins, she took her weapon, a silver key with an "E" shaped set of teeth and a boxy appearance, and raised it high above. Strength quickly shot from her heart and into the blade, and in no time, she was casting spells left and right. Lightning bolts flared up within the darkness. Ice crystals shot from the tip of the key and left devastating holes through the chest of the shadow giant. Wind barreled towards the creature and sent it stumbling. And to finish it all off, she could feel herself rising from the ground and energy gathering within. Like a bucket that had been left under running water for far too long, she could sense it starting to overflow. But the girl held on and allowed it to grow.

And in the midst of this gruesome face-off, set far behind the three accomplished fighters, was a brunette boy of the age of sixteen, slumbering peacefully and paying no heed to the cries of battle erupting in the world around him.

"How are you doing over there!" the silver-haired one called over to the mouse, watching as he guarded a blow from his Heartless.

Quickly retaliating from a defensive position, the small King thrust his weapon upwards and sliced his opponent's wrist. Darkness spilled out from the handless creature's fresh wound like thick, purple blood.

As the monster faded away into nothing, the King chuckled and gave a grin over to his friend, "Welp, I'm doing better than I was before."

Riku's Heartless, now laying face down in the darkness, roared to the heavens above at his enemy, giving a cold, yellow glare at the boy. But it didn't frighten the boy one bit. He walked carefully over to the monster. Then stumbled onto its massive back. Finally, he raised Way to the Dawn high above, the sharp tip pointing downwards.

"This ends now."

Metal met flesh in this moment. Shadows spurted up into the air, some of it brushing against the cheek of the young warrior as the fiend disappeared. A stoic, emotionless expression was carved into his face. He jumped off of the shadow, dragging his weapon in the sand behind him.

A burst of light shining in all of the seven colors of the rainbow appeared at the very end of her Keyblade. The blinding power of the move forced the Heartless to cower back in fear, a hand drawn over its face. Suddenly, it broke up into a million little pieces, like glass after being struck by a bullet, and the balls of multicolored energy homed in on her target; they relentlessly barraged the creature for a few minutes. But by the time they all faded away, it had been nothing more than a pillar of dark flames and shadows.

Noticing that Mickey was grinning with a triumphant look on his face and Riku's eyebrows had raised and jaw dropped, she humbly bowed her head down after touching the ground and hid behind a veil of blue hair. Obviously, she was embarrassed that such an easy spell, which she named, "Prism Rain", had caused so much awe and attention to pool up within her hands.

"How..." Riku began, but trailed off after Aqua gave him a rosy cheeked smile.

"It's something that all Keyblade Masters should be able to do. You've never seen it before?"

She was met with a confused expression.

I guess not...Aqua thought within the silence.

Without any words passed between the three, they all walked over to the round faced youth sleeping quietly next to the smoldering, ember filled, black pit that had previously housed a small bonfire. But it had gone out, they remembered, when the three Darksides intruded on their conversation, in which Aqua explained everything, from entering the Realm of Darkness to drawing her blade onto Sora's trembling throat.

"It was dark, and I could not see very well. That, and my once clear judgment had been clouded by the taint of this world; I could no longer see the truth. Almost every creature I had come upon desired only to rip my heart out of my chest, so I treated this boy the same."

"But what made you think our friend was goin' to hurt you?"

"Yeah. No offense to him, or anything, but Sora doesn't look like he'd give anyone trouble. Even a blind person could tell that.."

"I was blind. And, I apologize. This boy meant no harm when he came, and I truly do feel horrible about it."

"Try telling that to him."

The three glanced down at the unconscious child with closed eyes and a faint breath, all thinking different things about their situation as of now. While the King wondered when he should pull out the Star Shard and get the four of them out of there, Riku hoped dearly that Sora wouldn't be too scarred about being almost choked to death, given his sensitive person. But Aqua was remembering something quite different; how the boy looked so similar to her long lost friend, the one with blond hair and sparkling blue eyes filled with light. From what she recalled from when she first saw this child, his irises also gave off that bright glow that announced the presence of a kind heart. Not just that, but the fact that his name was Sora, the title of a savior the man with the dark cloak had given when they conversed for the first time on this beach.

In the present, Sora drew back his lips in a snarl, grimacing in disgust at something within his dream, the out of place, thin scar on his face distorting from the expression's appearance. This gave the girl a reason to smile; something that did not occur often within the darkness. And soon her heart began to race, for his eyelids peeled back to reveal the sapphire, beautiful depths that were his irises.

Riku jumped back, stumbling in the sand, startled that his friend had woken so suddenly, but the other two just chuckled at the look Sora was giving them; his face made it seem as if he were thinking, "I just knew that eating all that candy before bedtime was a bad idea; what kind of horrible, twisted dream is this?".

Push, pull...Push, pull...Push, pull...Crackle! Snap! Push, pull...

Waves gnawed a quiet, humming path into my awareness, pulling me from the dimension of silent darkness that had haunted my unconscious mind. Everything was blurring into focus at that moment. And soon, my eyes were met only by a mural of blank sky, shining with absolutely no stars.

It felt as if someone had taken a box of nails and hammered them into my skull, for when I came back into the presence with complete awareness, my head began to throb. So much that I couldn't help but groan, grasping its back with a tensed set of fingers.

"He's finally awake." I heard someone whisper.

"Took him long enough. He's always been such a bum, just sleeping the day away. You couldn't even to get the kid to move if you threatened to burn his house down."

I knew instantly that the owner of the second comment must have been Riku. So, without even opening my eyes again to look at him, I rubbed my forehead with a grimace and replied, "Like you've never slept in before."

Everyone surrounding me just peered at the teenage boy rising from the sand, almost zombie-like, with a pair of bright blue eyes twinkling with humor. To my left, there was a pitiful stack of sticks barely even burning, hissing and spitting. A silver haired young man sat cross-legged on the other side, the fire's light dancing across his features. King Mickey had his fists pooled up in his lap, twiddling the thumbs together thoughtfully. But...and this was the weird part...there was a third person, legs outstretched in front of her, gazing deeply at me with cobalt blue irises. At first her image was kind of fuzzy. Then, bit by bit, everything about the girl fizzled in, almost like a mist had been cleared.

Horror took a stake and thrust the wooden point into my heart. That same curved figure, and that oval face...not to mention those piercing blue eyes.

All of the sudden, a memory flickered within my mind's eye.

Freezing cold metal was pressed to my neck, the silver rod of the blade trembling ever so slightly against the beating of the artery in my throat. I threw up my hands to attempt pulling the tight constraint away from me. But it failed; whoever the owner of this weapon was, was not ready to let their prey escape.

Her smooth, long legs, originally crossed over each other in a relaxed twine, drew back as she recognized an expression that did the screaming for me. Eyebrows furrowed, mouth ajar, and delicate fingers tensed, the woman gawked when I jumped up and stumbled backwards. A really bad idea, might I add, when there's a pit of smoldering flame, however pitiful, behind you.

I'm actually embarrassed to admit this now, but at that moment, after planting my rear in the fire, I screamed out to the heavens. But it wasn't just a light yelp of pain. A high-pitched squeal, which should have belonged to a two year old girl, ricocheted in the air and rang in all of our heads. Riku cackled at my expense. The King squeaked and ran forward to help pull me out. Hands flailing, the girl bolted over with a look of pure horror.

Though his Majesty's help was appreciated, by the time him and my assassin were present, I had already been up and jumping around, slapping my rear in an attempt to pat out the flames.

I squealed. I screamed. The flame behind me rose higher. Riku stopped laughing and realized how serious this was, and began to follow my zigzagged path along with the other two. The taint of smoke burnt my nose hairs. The waves continued to pull at the shore. Wind stirred through the hollow. The King kept squeaking on in terror.

And the funniest part about this whole thing was how I could only think about my new outfit. And how I had just gotten it. And how it was smoldering. And how embarrassing this was.

But then it stopped.

And I was absolutely drenched with freezing water; her arms were outstretched, pointing at me with hands softly glowing. Obviously, she had shot a water spell or something at me.

My clothes clung to my skin and wet sand clung to the inside reaches of my shoes. The feeling of sore, burned skin rested on my rear. Empty silence nestled in all our ears, adding more to the cluttered pile within my heart, properly titled, "Sora's Humilation."

"A-are you...all right?" a feminine voice dove into the awkward emptiness, a concerned tone carrying the sound. The girl. It must have been the blue-haired girl. She had been standing behind me previously along with the King and Riku. But then five fingers slipped over my hunched left shoulder. I flipped around, feet set wide apart, a raised eyebrow perched on my forehead, aware of the cold breeze blowing through the hole in my pants, all at the same time.

Her expression was one of pure worry, which blended bedazzlement and puzzlement into one gross, thick, cold, sloshing smoothie within my chest. A little boy tugged on my thoughts, begging me to back off farther. Then, a mature young man pulled on the opposite reaches of my mind, insisting that I hold my ground and show no fear.

When I didn't respond, she straightened her previously cocked head and her hands started to glow with a lime colored aura. I knew this was probably a cure spell. Why would she heal me, though? What I assumed to be a few hours ago, the girl had jumped me with a Keyblade in tow.

"Whoa, hold on a second here!" I yelped after she tried to aim the spell at my...well, you know. That was extremely awkward and uncomfortable. I covered my bare boxers in the back with my hands.

"It's okay," she paused to smile sweetly. "I'm really experienced with magic, and I guess you could say it's my fault in the first place."

"Well, at least she's trying to be friendly." Roxas interrupted.

There's no way I'm going to let some crazed hag cast a cure spell on my-"

Pain, previously clinging to me like super glue, faded away instantly. She had done it. The girl just cast cure on my inflicted spot and magically repaired the hole in the pants. I grit my teeth, trying not to laugh and hold back anger at the same time. Red flickered on the sides of my mouth, embarrassment burning my skin more intensely than real flames.

Her lips pursed. "See?"

Rocks, waves, sand, my shoes... Was there anything I could look at that wasn't a trio of faces all marked with traces of a grin?

A screech pierced his eardrums as the door swung open with ease. Musty smells, similar to a mixture of wet earth and aged copper, wrapped around the man. Comforting it was, compared to the reek of darkness that drenched the hallways of this castle. He had only faintly sensed the taint of shadows within his nose a few times before. But those dark corridors were overpowered with it; the smell made him want to bend over and retch. What did this scent resemble, you ask? Well, in his opinion, it was like walking into a room filled with rotting human remains, spice, and blood. Quite a strange combination, actually.

Faint light spilled into the area he had just entered, shining through, yet again, a stained glass window brimming with beauty. Joy faintly flickered inside; was it really the rays of the Sun shining through that rectangular pane? If it was, then that just meant that it was the first time he had seen it in thirteen years. Like a moth drawn to a lantern, he soon bathed in its warmth with fingertips trembling against a lime section of the glass. The man peered upwards with a widened mouth and eyes, stricken with wonder at the picture it displayed.

A border of crimson and purple triangles sat on the outermost edges. Beyond their colors were a starry night sky holding a heart-shaped moon in its grasp. The bottom, which was his favorite part for some reason, was a knight holding a long, silver sword, trying desperately to battle the evil creatures that opposed him.

He began to feel sorrow inside for the lone soldier, replacing his awe. The young man knew what it was like to face such odds with no one at your side, and, in fact, had been doing exactly so for many years. With a strange urge to rest, an icy sensation flared in his left cheek as he leaned it against the depiction.

Where should I go next? I have no home to return to, nor anyone to guide me to where I'm headed. Well, at least I've never seen others within this castle.

As if expecting to see his prayers come true, he turned around and faced the emptiness. But that was just what it was; emptiness. Except for the door on the right side of this round room. He headed towards it without a second thought and opened the door. Within was a cluttered pile of clothing and armor that he recognized all too well along with a mirror sitting on the back wall. Terra held one of the garments, a black t-shirt made of stretchy material, in front of his sturdy body, surveying the massive amount of dust clinging to it.

Shock rippled through his heart.

Wait, is that my name? Terra, was it? He shook his head in silent embarrassment. This darkness has really gotten to me.

Glancing at the shirt again, he wondered whether he should put it on, or just keep it hidden; in that outfit, he'd surely be easily spotted by anyone. And with the past that his unwanted puppet master had given both their names, he wasn't sure if that was a bad or a good thing. But the thought of having to wear that cloak of darkness for longer wasn't something that Terra wanted.

I'll just put them on and keep the cloak, just in case I'll ever need it.

If you were to walk in this room at this point, you'd see a tall, muscular figure with bright blue eyes removing the dark coat and tossing it to the floor with disgust on his face. After, he pulled on the rest of it all with a melody of buttons snapping, zippers sliding, metal jostling, and a variety of impatient grunting. He surveyed himself in the mirror while bending over to pick up the very last part of his belongings; a golden insignia that glared in the light coming through the door. Terra scanned it over. Eventually his cheeks carried a small grin, memories of days long past flickering within.

"Why even bother trying to fill a pathetic heart like yours with such foolishness? You know you can never go back to those years. So why even yearn to remember them? We are one in the same, now, boy. Which means that you are not Terra. You are Xehanort."

I may not have many of my memories left, old man. But that doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to fall for lies like that. The young man tried to hide his surprise at Xehanort's return with a nonchalant tone. But what was the point? The elder was right; their heart was basically the same. So, he would be able to sense the blatantly obvious fear pounding through Terra's chest. With a hand held to his forehead, he tried to ignore the man's next words by staring at the mirror. But...it only brought more pain to ricochet in his temples when it wasn't his own reflection.

The golden symbol slipped out of his fingers like water, making a "plink" noise when its face met the grungy floor.

All he saw were shards of glass. All he could hear was silence. All he could smell was returning stench of darkness. All he could taste was the tingle of blood on his tongue. But everything he could feel was much; razor sharp edges grazing his cheeks, eyes burning, the carpet crushing under his fingers, head aching, body trembling, teeth grinding, heart pounding, tears racing.

"That's right. Allow your fear, anger, and pain to blacken the reaches of your heart with darkness. Only then will you embrace true power. "

Terra peered upwards to see if that horrible image would still appear in the mirror. But was surprised to see that it had shattered, some of it still intact. Of course, that must have been why shards of glass had littered the floor and scratched his face.

Cracks clawed into the profile of a young man on his knees. But his hair was not chestnut, nor his irises blue. Instead, just like it had been the first time the boy had looked into the pane, a veil of silver outlined his face, and two pools of amber glinted, replacing his eyes. Streams of darkness poured out of his back and chest. A menacing smirk sat below his nose.

No, this isn't who I am. I'm not-

"Yes, you are."

Terra began to panic, sputtering and gasping through tears and the heaving of his lungs as he cried. The darkness within his heart crept closer, drawing back, ready to pounce and overtake him. He couldn't let that happen. If he did, he probably would never see...

"Tears? Why cry, dear boy? You're only returning something that belongs to me."

I'm losing it; I'm losing control again. Another sob escaped his throat. If I go under, then there will be nothing stopping him from...

Suddenly, all the fear and sorrow dissipated, along with all thoughts of resisting the dark force within. He knew what was happening. And he couldn't stop it. There was nothing anyone could do.

All that was heard before Terra blacked out were the heinous cries of Xehanort's laughter, mocking him, gnawing at his sanity. Like a knife, it pierced his gut and twisted, tearing his hopes, dreams, and wishes in its path apart until there was nothing left to destroy. They shattered, not unlike the mirror standing before him.

Maybe there was still a chance to take those desires and rebuild them, along with gaining his freedom back; to pick up the pieces where they fell and continue following his own light.

Who am I kidding? Xehanort's right. If I were to ever walk freely again, who would even help me? What would they see me as? A lost traveler? Or some kind of monster?

"Your heart once again belongs to the depths from which it came. And it would be best for a person like yourself to just stay there. Am I clear?"

I'll get out of here once more, you horrible, cowardly bastard! You can't keep me locked up forever.

The elder only chuckled into the quiet that followed. Which, was something that was more easily able to tear the boy's sanity in half than any other thing he might have said. And Xehanort knew that he'd have to keep a closer eye on the young man, for if he were to take control at the wrong moment, all his plans would fall apart.

But then an idea started to churn in that old brain of his. Its web began to attach to all parts of his mind, putting two and two together, filling his cold heart with absolute joy. All the while, his previous outfit had been replaced once again, instead being a pair of dark, baggy pants, black boots that went up to his knees, a tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt, and two long, onyx wristbands; the exact same clothing he had worn when he was an apprentice.

"Threaten to harm his friends and that pathetic child of the Light. He'll panic and do whatever I say when I finally break their hearts in two. Then, you'll never have to struggle for control ever again! It's brilliant! Why didn't I think of that earlier? Besides, I was hoping to stab that one "hero" in the back anyways. Might just teach him a lesson about messing with powers that far surpass his own."

Now in full control of the body, Xehanort rose from the ground with a sneer on his face. Disgust filled himself when the rest of the tears streaked past his chin. As if reaching into a pile of dung, he wiped them off and shivered.

"I never thought that he'd be such a filthy crybaby."

Only the sheer warmth of the umber color could slow the frost seeping through my limbs. It felt as if I were laying in a bank of soft snow, tired, freezing, hungry, and ready to give into hypothermia at any second. But there were no snowflakes, nor was the air even accompanied by the chill of winter. Instead, I was actually sitting in a humid and cramped, bustling kitchen with a plate of food standing untouched before me.

We were back on the Gaia. Well, with an extra person this time. I still didn't understand why King Mickey even wanted to bring her along; it seemed that only he knew who the girl was, and "forgot", or didn't want to tell us. All I knew was that we had been in the dark realm, picked up this murderer, burned my rear, left the darkness with the Star Shard, went back to Master Yen Sid's tower and got on the Gaia, and decided to fix something up quick for a dinner.

The King cleared his throat, attempting to gather the attention of all seated around the table, which was only himself, me, Riku, and that sapphire haired young woman whose name I still didn't know. All in that same order, I glanced at their expressions to see if any of them were feeling the same way I was. Riku, who was next to me, was staring out into space with a somber look on his face, as if in deep thought. The only female in the room had her hands folded in her lap and peered down at them. Eyebrows were uneven on the King's face, as if his attempt at trying to get everyone's attention wasn't working all that great.

Sighing at the other's failure to give His Majesty their eyes, I glanced up again and smiled, "Yes, your Highness?"

King Mickey jumped a little bit. But then he replied, "Welp, since we're all here and no one's touched their dinners yet," he paused to sniffle. "I thought I'd introduce everybody, because we never really had a chance to back in the Realm of Darkness."

Satisfaction flickered in my chest. We were finally going to figure out what that weird Keyblade Wielder's name really was. I tried to hide a grin, but it came out anyway. I hoped no one else at the table noticed.

With a gloved hand outstretched to the silver haired and silent boy at my left, the King introduced Riku to that girl sitting right across from me, saying stuff like, "Welp, this is Riku. He's nice, and he's a great friend of ours. Blah, blah, onto the next person.". I couldn't really tell because I had been too busy focusing on my opposing dinner mate. I didn't even make it stealthy, either. I just stared at her in wonder for a while, somewhat with hostility glinting within the glare.

Head bowed, she continued to shoot unblinking eyesight at her lap in concentration. She'd move every once in a while, but only to change what leg was crossed over the other.

"And this young man is Sora," the King nudged the woman and pointed at me. She glanced up for a second, trying her best not to meet my eyes. But I didn't let that girl get away that easily. And let me tell you, if my looks resembled what they were trying to portray, icicles would have been jutting out from my mouth and nostrils, snowflakes raining from my eyes, and skin shining in a dull, azure color. Hey, I wasn't going to be mean with my words, but I was just letting her know with my eyes that sneaking up behind me and threatening to take my life wasn't really something I appreciated.

It was right after that when doubt settled in one of my thought's many nooks and crannies. What if she had just been scared? What if she just had an impression that I was a Heartless, or something? Sure, in no way did I even look evil. But I couldn't blame her for being suspicious of everyone if she had been in the Realm of Darkness for a long time.

So, that was when my icy sneer of disgusted proportions melted away, pooling up in a puddle at my feet. All of it had escaped my being, but as if it actually were water, it still left a soggy, uncomfortable feeling.

"Now that everybody knows about you two, I wanna introduce you both to an old friend of mine."

My heart sank to my knees when I heard Mickey say those words. If you had tapped into my thoughts at that time, you would have heard a medley of, "Please.", "No.", "Don't let it be.", and, "Why me?".

"I know this'll probably give you a shock and all, but this is the one we've been looking for; this is Aqua, the last Keyblade Master alive."

That was when my heart almost catapulted out of my chest, did a flip, flew into the wall, and burst into flames.

Riku glanced around the room with arms crossed. The King did the same, but tried to meet our gazes, utterly failing. The supposed "Aqua" had that familiar look of wariness about her, apparently not wanting to see the crowd's reaction.

Me? Well, I'll start with the fact that my jaw almost hit the table. A pounding heartbeat erupted from this side of the table. The toes at the end of my feet curled, digging into their shoes. Basically, this was one of those times where I just wanted to go back to bed and forget that the whole day even happened. This girl...the one who I could've called a variety of things, was Aqua. She was Aqua. That girl was Aqua. This was Aqua. Sorry for the repeating, but when you're that shocked, you don't really care about how annoying your thoughts might be.

As if to release the flurry of thoughts within, like a cloud ready to unleash a blizzard of snow, her mouth parted, eyes fixated only on me. But were those cold words she meant to speak? Maybe so, for Aqua instantly snapped her lips shut and continued handing attention into my palms.

My mouth did the same before I spoke, as well, but I had the courage to continue on. "So, you're...you're the one we've been looking for? Aqua?"

"Yes."

I was surprised that she replied so quickly, shown by my puzzled face.

If she attacked me because I had scared her, she might not be all as crazy as I thought. And if Riku and the King trust her, maybe there really is no reason to be afraid.

"Sorry I went an' told everybody who you were before you could even speak, Aqua. I thought that since it's been so long and all, you know, since you've been out of the Dark Realm, that you were a little startled and would appreciate some time to put everythin' back together." the King patted her on the shoulder with a warm smirk. For the absolute first time since I had seen her, she smiled. A genuine, gentle, and sweet smile. I also noticed that Aqua's eyes were glistening with a bright light, too. Instead of giving off a cooped up image, legs crossed and all, she now relaxed, chin resting on intertwined fingers and elbows on the table. Eyes jumped up to meet King Mickey's. "Thank you, your Majesty. You're heart is very kind. And, I appreciate that quality in people."

Very peculiarly, when she spoke those words, she glanced at me a few times. It wasn't as if to say, "You're not anything like that.", but seemed more like Aqua was trying to tell me something. I know what it was now, of course, though, at the time I didn't. It was no matter that I didn't understand, because it gave me the same feeling it would have even if I did; a trickle of thought that led me to believe that...I actually was starting to like her. Not in a crush sense. But in a way someone would before they found the most precious friend in their life.

This same sensation licked at my heart once again when she finally paused glancing and just gave up, resting eyesight completely on me. I returned the gaze. And, I saw inside this girl. Memories, dreams, wishes, hopes, emotions, fears, desires. All of it. I wondered then if she could do the same to me.

Within, there were images of herself sitting on a ledge, next to two boys about her age, watching a starry night sky. Strangely, it was similar to a dream I had had a few days ago. I shook that thought off and continued my search.

Then another memory of hers came up: leaning over the face of frozen human being, sorrow and despair chilling her veins. Afterwards, a pressure suddenly alighted upon my throat, like fingers were wrapping around it. This pain was laid across yet another vision. It included feeling my feet raise off of the ground, arms wavering upwards to grab the strong wrist, desperate for the beautiful promise of tomorrow's chance to set things right. It all dissipated away under a black fog, replaced by thick, cold, disgusting hopelessness seeping into my heart, feeling sand crunch underneath my misguided steps. And searching. Searching quietly. Searching with little energy. Wanting to find the door out of this dreary night. As fast as these came, it all faded away like the light of the setting Sun upon an ocean's teal, translucent waves.

I snapped back into the present with eyes unblinking, and muscles relaxed. Aqua seemed the same. Other than that, though, the King and Riku were quite the opposite. It was probably because the fact that we'd been staring at each other so intensely, for so long, was unsettling.

"I'm goin' to check on how the autopilot is farin'."

And with that, the mouse disappeared in a sheet of red, yellow, black, and a sleek tail.

That left just us Keyblade Wielders to bask in each other's company. Riku, still sitting next to me with his careless demeanor shining, peered out the window next to the table, admiration gleaming within those aquamarine irises when stars flashed by. Apparently he wasn't going to even talk to Aqua. So I took the responsibility of being the welcoming host with a grin.

"So," I slowed to lean forward. "You're truly the last Keyblade Master in the universe?"

"That's what I've been told." she mumbled, not looking at me.

"I've never actually seen a real one before. Can you, like, blast through walls and fly? Or maybe destroying hordes of Heartless at once without breaking a sweat? Do Keyblade Masters fight each other? Possibly, maybe, you work together? Where do Keyblade Masters usually come from? And why aren't there any around anymore? And-"

An elbow jabbed into my ribs. I turned my head instantly to see what had caused such to happen. And, as expected, it was Riku, giving that familiar glare that said, "Shut up! You're embarrassing us!". My eyes gave one back, asking what I'd done wrong. But then I realized...Aqua was horrified. Mouth slightly opened, eyelids completely peeled back, and fear seeping from her every seam.

"Y-you don't...know? What, have you been just running around your whole life without even knowing what wielding a Keyblade means?"

"Well, yeah. Nobody's ever been kind enough to tell me. I didn't even know about that whole Master and apprentice thing until recently. I just went around the worlds and fought darkness. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?"

"Well," Aqua softened her expression a bit. "Yes, but there's more to it than that. You have to understand everything about the heart, and completely devote your being to protecting the Light."

Humor glinted in a sparkle within my eyes as I folded my arms behind my head. "Been there, done that..."

"And yet you seem so casual about it." Aqua replied with a taste of hostility.

"I kind of had to be. No one even asked me if I wanted this job. It just got dumped on my lap."

"But you still defended the worlds."

I chuckled, "Was I supposed to just let everything get eaten up by darkness when I had the power to stop it?"

The blue haired girl started to open her mouth, but clamped it firmly shut after; she couldn't argue with that. But then the words must have returned.

"Don't take this the wrong way, or anything,"

I knew instantly that I was going to be insulted. You know, whenever anyone mentions, "No offense.", you usually take offense. So I prepared for some gibberish about how a "kid" like me shouldn't be left with the fate of the worlds on his shoulders.

"But it's very similar to a bad example, having an... inexperienced child like yourself up-keeping the name of the Keyblade Masters."

Fury sparked through my veins. Why did she think was her place to say that? And who cares if I didn't learn the "right" way of using the Keyblade? What are you going to do about it? Besides, it was their fault for being destroyed by some geezer. Otherwise, I probably would've been trained. Though I would've wished to say those words out loud, I didn't dare just in case I would have angered her. I soon found out that I wouldn't have to.

"I don't know where in hell you get off saying things like that," Riku jumped up, thrusting the table a little ways forwards from the force. "But I think you've got the wrong impression, girl."

I didn't understand what had made him so angry; the way he pronounced that last part was injected with so much venom, that I swore it could've killed a thousand people with one droplet. Sure, I was irritated, too, but that was amazing. Aqua seemed not to be phased by this, though, lazily letting herself drop into la-la land.

"Riku, you don't have to defen-"

"Shut your mouth." he glared at me, uncontrollable rage storming within his eyes. This sent horror to my heart, so I obeyed and kept quiet.

"As I was saying, you have no right to accuse Sora of being inadequate as a wielder. He's done more good duties than you can even dream of, so I suggest you hold your tongue and thank him. He didn't have to go into the Dark Realm and save your sorry little blue-haired ass. So stop being ungrateful and suck up."

Aqua was still silent.

"Riku-"

"Besides, if it's such a crime for him not knowing what the Keyblade was all about, then maybe you and your stupid friends shouldn't have been beaten by some crazy old bastard and taught him!" his fist pounded into the wooden surface of the table. This finally got her attention, especially the part about her companions. I half expected her to drop her eyes to ground again, with tears welling up. But instead, Aqua rose and faced the younger teen and threw deep hatred at him. Riku stood his ground, not letting that stop him. Sparks flew between the two like a crimson fireworks display.

"Don't you ever talk about Terra and Ven that way again." she hissed with teeth gritted and eyes squinted. This wicked retort stabbed through the thick armor that Riku donned, which is usually near impossible. His mouth frowned, and he finally sat down with a head hung in defeat.

Aqua glanced at both of us, shooting poison at my companion, and then looked up when the King re-entered our tension filled atmosphere. He appeared to sense that some battle had been fought here, for his words of greeting were cut short. Instead of finishing, his Majesty just scurried out of the room again.

An idea prickled in my brain: maybe we should leave, too, just in case they start fighting again. I grasped Riku's left forearm and tugged. "Come on, we should go see if the King needs any help commandeering the controls."

"But-" he started to fight against my pull, but stopped after I shot a look of urgency.

We left Aqua to bask in her own thoughts and escaped the kitchen.

"What were you thinking, going after her like that!" I screamed at him, knowing that no one would hear us in the dark quiet of the engine room. He did not answer. So, I turned around and walked through the area, discomforted by the confines of the metal walls. Many pipes intertwined above like a spiderweb, connecting wall to wall. That was about it, except for the minuscule pane of glass looking over an ocean of twinkling stars on the right side.

"That was a pretty stupid move on Riku's part. I mean, sure, what she said was really harsh, but it didn't mean he had to go and swear and diss on her like that."

I'm not so mad about the swearing. The fact that she's the last Keyblade Master in the universe is what scares me.

"It's not like Riku would kill her," Roxas chuckled.

"No, not that. Call me selfish, but she's the only one who could teach us all about this stuff, and he went and got on her bad side! I wouldn't be surprised if she comes in our rooms tonight and slits our throats."

I didn't realize that I'd said it out loud until I turned around and recognized a face of shock surrounded by silver.

"Riku, I didn't mean for that to come out-"

He sighed. "It's all right, Sora. I understand. It's just that...she went and jumped on you like that right after we'd risked our lives to save her, and it made me so...well, let's just say I didn't want to let her get away with it."

"What she said was the truth, though." I admitted.

"Not really."

"Yeah, she kinda did tell the truth."

"No."

"Maybe?"

My best friend fell silent, not wanting to continue the pointless argument. He clutched his forehead, bent over, and sulked at the floor. Guilt flickered within, consuming my entire torso. It led me across a trail, that started where I was to behind the young man. With a grin lifting my cheeks, I slapped his back and told him to stop being down in the dumps. I received a punch in the thigh in return.

"You sure know how to cheer someone up, kid."

Ignoring the 'kid' part, I grinned even wider, and questioned mischievously, "What does that mean?"

Riku chuckled. "Keep at it, or you'll fall to darkness."

"Okay?"

"Yep."

"..."

"We should probably go now."

I nodded my answer. He stood up again and we headed for the door, side by side.

"What happened to you two? I was wonderin' when you'd appear again."

The small mouse king sat on his chair, in the middle of the other two control panel seats, head peeking around the leather with a raised eyebrow. Riku just slouched in one of the recliners next to the fridge of the cockpit.

Walking towards King Mickey, I responded. "Oh, we were just having a private conversation. Nothing more than that."

There were numerous Gummi Blocks floating the dead air of space outside the Gaia. Cerulean, gold, vermillion, jade, violet, and even brown. This rainbow passed by our ship, but not before my dark blue eyes could admire their weird shapes. It was kind of like watching the clouds and trying to see what they resembled; some looked like wise owls, some looked like strong eagles. A few resembled the sleek otter,or a seal, and I even saw one once that looked like a slithering, long, winding dragon. Kind of like the burn scar on my right arm. That's right! I had forgotten completely about it until now. All of my other scars, including the three claw marks on my back, had faded and were only crusty scabs. Well, except for the one running from my forehead to the bottom of my chin.

I randomly wondered then, with a droopy expression, if my food had been cleared. Call me a stereotypical teenage boy, but the only thing that sounded great at the time was to dive in a plate of calories. Almost as if I had been possessed, I instantly found myself digging in the fridge for something to inhale for a snack.

Cheese slices? Crackers? Nah, doesn't sound too good right now. Cupcakes? Too sugary for me right now. I wonder...

And that was when I found the container of lunch meat tucked neatly underneath a clutter of other stuff.

"That's meant for our lunch sandwiches, Sora." the King squeaked with concern, watching as I lifted a thin slice of turkey into the air, over my mouth, and dropped the meat into my gullet.

"Sorry, I'm 'ungry 'cause I didn' eat dinn'." I garbled through food.

There she was again. Lurking over in the corner closest to the King's right. Like a shadow left behind by some other, Aqua just stood perfectly still, staring, questioning my presence with a look that could stop a murderer in his deathly tracks. It seemed as if there was a hint of joy in her eyes, like watching me eat was funny, or something. So, being a kind gentleman, I held out the plastic box covered with labels.

"Want some meat?"

She busted out in a rain of laughter. I didn't understand why, though, but at the time it made me chuckle too. Then Riku joined. And soon King Mickey handed us another instrument to our concert of jubilation. All past comments and tension and prejudices were lost in our elevated hearts.

Don't ask me why, but I felt that soon we were all going to get along great. Though, Riku and Aqua still needed some time to get used to each other after their fight in the kitchen. But that didn't matter. All that was on our minds at the time were just us four on the Gaia and setting off on a thrilling adventure together. And it would remain that way.

Until the closed door in the cockpit began to tremble, dents appearing on every inch of the metal. Everybody's expression was one of shock and fear as we all looked onwards.

It jerked. It rumbled. It shook. It even started to bend inwards from the force brutally beating it open. Finally, the space between the top of the room and the tip of the panel blew apart.

Keyblades formed in the hands of everyone on the ship as our invader was revealed. And, if I can recall correctly, the first thing I made out was lengthy, thin, platinum hair, shining in the dim light of the stars outside, and a pair of amber irises gleaming with a hatred beyond that of a human's capacity.

King Mickey squinted his dark eyes, as if recognizing the mysterious, tall, and shadowy creature. Riku glared with hostility seeping out of his every seam. Aqua held up her silver blade in a defensive stance, horror swimming about her appearance.

Me? I was a mixture of all of those things. I could only sense one name racing through my head at the time. One that was all too familiar. One that made my stomach churn with fear. One that could stop the heartbeat of even the bravest warrior.

It was...

His name was...

Xehanort.

–-

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Oh my God, I'm so sorry that it's been so long since I last updated! Truth be told, I had lost my muse and/or my inspiration. Going back to school at the end of Summer always is a bummer. But I made my way through it all. And here is the fifth chapter. I know it might fluctuate from humorous to serious quite fast, but I feel that it's all right. As always, please review and leave a comment. Your critique and praise is always wanted and accepted, no matter if it says, "YOU SUCK REALLY, REALLY BAD!", or "I LIKED SORA LOTS!", or "THIS PART MADE ME SAD!", or "I WANT MORE!". Go on ahead and say it, my readers. All is appreciated.

~CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS~

Aqua Lagrimas
Age:18
Eye Color: Dark Blue
Hair Color: Dark Blue
Astrological Star Sign: Virgo
Birth Date: September 2nd
Weapon: Rain Fall(Keyblade)/Eraqus's Keyblade
Universal Symbol: Water Drop
Key Fighting Skills: Grace and Accuracy
Titles: None
Home World: The Land of Departure

Personality: Faithful and intelligent, Aqua Lagrimas is a young woman of eighteen who is the last surviving true Keyblade Master in the universe. Originally, she was a student of the infamous Master Eraqus, but surpassed the Master Qualification Exam and became one herself. Ten years ago, she was sent out into the worlds to find Master Xehanort and destroy the Unversed, but this quest cost her very much. Her friend Ventus is in a coma-like state, and Terra's whereabouts are currently unknown. Master Eraqus had been slain by Master Xehanort, and she'd been trapped in the Realm of Darkness for thirteen years. But one day as she sat on the shores of the Dark Meridian, a boy named Sora found her and offered her a way out and a chance to save her friends. Now, Aqua travels alongside him and his best friend, Riku, as they continue the search for Ventus and Terra, and to finally put an end to Xehanort's dark reign. She is very level headed and owns more common sense than most people, and is very caring and kind. Aqua often worries about Terra and Ven, and to some extent Sora. Because Sora is so aloof and nonchalant, the young woman fears that the boy is going to one day pay for having that gullible heart. And, she even lets Sora know this. But her worries are silenced with each and every moment she's around him. In fact, Aqua senses something strange about the boy that is quite different than the rest of the Keybearers she's met: a radiant Light that never seems to die, no matter what. Why is Sora's heart so much stronger than everyone else's?