Chapter Text
You mean you’ve been[So many are waiting{Sorry, Aqua, but}for their new(All who visit)] spying on me?<Stop…Fighting[beginning. Their] back!>Sorry, but I need{I can’t go with you (will be lost)}some time alone<Just…[birth by sleep](to oblivion)>Maybe...I should{The real me(Forget about me)is lost}fade into the darkness here(Aqua{in shadow})[Tell me – how]Aqua..[does that honour our Master’s memory]{Such a terrible darkness}[Terra?{Fight it, Terra, please!}]<put an end to me>put an end to me…
You’re awful, Aqua!
Aqua awoke with a gasp, Keyblade in hand, Ven’s voice still ringing in her ears, before remembering where she was. Not in the Realm of Darkness anymore, but on a ‘gummi ship’, with Mickey and a much-older Riku, en route to the Mysterious Tower to reunite with Yen Sid, who could hopefully fill her in on the twelve years she’d missed.
Twelve years.
Light, twelve years.
She had been trapped for twelve years.
Ven had been asleep for twelve years.
Terra had been fighting Xehanort tooth and nail for control of his own body for twelve years.
They’d lost twelve years.
Aqua shook herself. This wasn’t the time to dwell on their circumstances. She still had a job to do. To find Ven’s heart and wake him up, to save Terra from his living hell, and to beg them for forgiveness stop Xehanort once and for all.
She wasn’t going to make any progress on these goals if she kept focusing on her failures.
There was a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” she called.
The door slid open to reveal Mickey, who gave her a quizzical look upon seeing the Keyblade in her hand. “Bad dream,” she offered by way of explanation, banishing the Keyblade, and he nodded in understanding.
“You’re safe now, Aqua. And we’re arriving at the Mysterious Tower! It doesn’t look like any of the others are back yet, though.”
Aqua smiled, hoping he wouldn’t see through it. It wasn’t her safety that was bothering her. But again, face forwards, walk ahead. Time enough later to deal with things when the worlds weren’t in danger, when her friends were back.
Even if everything that had happened was all her fault.
Aqua tried to pay attention to Yen Sid’s explanation of the events of the past twelve years, really she did. But her focus kept slipping, and she was really only taking in the broad strokes.
She had never really met the retired Keyblade Master before the Xehanort incident, but he had received her with a broad (though still intense and intimidating) smile when she arrived on the top floor of the Tower. During the one-sided discussion, she had noticed two more of the strange ‘gummi ships’ arrive at the Tower; one an arrowhead-esque shape, clearly designed by the same people who made the one Mickey and Riku had flown, and one an oblong rectangle shape. Upon spying the new arrivals, Riku hastened out of the room to greet them.
He returned with a group of people she recognized, a dog and duck she knew were Mickey’s friends, a red-haired man that she thought she might have seen in passing somewhere, and Sora, of course, Sora so much older and taller. But her gaze was immediately drawn to the auburn-haired girl that stood in the centre of the group, hands intertwined with Sora and Riku’s.
Impossible.
The girl stepped forwards, a look of recognition forming on her face. “Master…Aqua…?” she asked.
And yet.
“…Kairi…?” Aqua asked, shocked. “What are you doing here?”
Kairi took another step forwards, not breaking eye contact with Aqua, and raised her right hand.
A Keyblade appeared in it. A familiar Keyblade. A Keyblade Aqua had once held the Keychain to, having received it from…
But how could Kairi have…?
And she remembered. A small child, terrified, placing a hand on Aqua’s weapon for reassurance.
In her hand, she had taken the Key.
This was Aqua’s fault.
She rushed forwards and gave the other girl a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Kairi said in a reassuring tone. “You saved my life. Your spell saved me. And it brought me to the best home I’ve ever had, to people who love and care for me. This,” she hefted the Keyblade, “is a burden I’ll gladly bear to protect the people I love.”
Despite herself, Aqua smiled. “Then you really are a true Keybearer. I wish I had passed you the power more formally, but…”
“It came when I needed it most,” Kairi replied, smiling back.
They broke their hug, and Kairi cleared her throat. “We’ve, uh, got some other people you have to meet.”
Aqua had managed to pick up enough of Yen Sid’s lecture to understand that Roxas, Xion, and Naminé’s circumstances were unique. Still, it was strange to think that Kairi and Sora both had other people living inside their bodies; at least three, in Sora’s case. And something had seemed oddly familiar about the way Roxas talked.
She put it out of her mind. Other things to focus on.
“The time has come,” Yen Sid said, once the introductions were out of the way, “to retrieve the last of our Seven Guardians of Light. Master Aqua, Sora, the time has come to retrieve and awaken Ventus.”
Aqua smiled. Ven’s heart had been safe for the past twelve years, because Sora had been taking care of it. “I can bring you to where his body is, but how do we wake him up?”
“Master Riku shall handle that,” Yen Sid said. “The purpose of his and Sora’s Mark of Mastery exam was to give them both the power of Waking.”
“That’s good news.” Aqua took in a deep breath, and said, “I took Ven’s body to our home, to the Land of Departure. And I engaged the castle’s defense mechanism. It changed the world entirely; Master Eraqus once told me that, save myself, anyone who visited it in that form would be lost to oblivion.”
Her declaration was met with stunned silence from the rest of the group, until the red-haired man (Lea?) blurted out, “You’ve got to be fucking shitting me.”
Naminé couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Castle Oblivion?
The whole time, Ventus’s body had been hidden in Castle Oblivion?!
She would be screaming if Lea hadn’t been loudly grumbling to himself right beside her. After his initial outburst he had refrained from swearing, allowing Riku to let go of Sora’s ears.
“Three freaking weeks I spent in that godforsaken castle trying to find the ‘Chamber of Waking’ or whatever it was. Three weeks of my life! Well. Axel’s life. Same difference. I thought it was something Saïx cooked up to keep me out of his hair! It’s real?” That last bit was directed at Aqua, who looked completely lost.
“Well, yes? If the Land of Departure and this Castle Oblivion are one and the same, Ven’s body should be in a sealed chamber. I left him there myself.” Did Naminé hear her voice quiver on that last word? Maybe she was imagining things. Aqua was supposed to be a Keyblade Master, after all.
Castle Oblivion. To say that Naminé’s feelings about that place were mixed would be an out-and-out lie. She hated it. Hated it with every fibre of her being. True, her experiences there hadn’t been 100% horrible, considering they included meeting Sora and both Riku and the Riku-that-wasn’t-Riku. But that didn’t really make her time there any easier to bear.
She shivered slightly. Nothing that had happened in that place had been in her control, not even the process of restoring Sora’s memories. The idea that that hell of a castle had once been the same bastion of honour and stability the Land of Departure was made out to be in Mickey’s letter was an odd thought. But at the same time, there was something intriguing about the thought that there was more to know about the world that she came into being in, the one she would never think of as a home. If she were to go there now…
If she were to go there now? Where did that come from? What could there possibly be to gain from going back?
Closure, she abruptly realized. The knowledge that something good had come out of that dungheap of a castle’s existence. Not that her pain would be lessened if Ventus had survived unfound. But since the entire point of the Castle was to keep Ventus safe, there was a certain satisfaction she could get in knowing that at least one thing within its walls had gone right.
“If we’re retrieving Ventus, I’ll need to go to the Castle,” Aqua was saying. “I’m the only person who can open the sealed chamber. Only Master’s Defender can open it, and I’m very sorry, but I don’t know any of you well enough to lend it.” She looked apologetic, but Yen Sid shook his head.
“By rights, Master’s Defender belongs to you as the current Master of the Land of Departure, such as it is. However, I cannot allow you to go alone. Castle Oblivion plays tricks on the mind, and I fear sending someone in alone would be inadvisable,” he said.
“I’ll go,” Naminé said, to the shock of everyone else in the room. “I know Castle Oblivion better than anyone else here. It’s where I came from, after all,” she added with a sad smile.
Yen Sid raised an eyebrow. “While your logic is sound, Naminé, you cannot go anywhere without Kairi at the moment. And I believe your intent is to be the ‘active participant’, as it were, and have Kairi act as the passenger?”
“Yes, that’s correct,” Naminé said, swallowing the lump in her throat.
“Then considering that you have no method of defending yourself–”
“That’s not… entirely true,” she said.
Lea sucked in a breath and Kairi asked, “Nam, are you sure?”
“Only that I need to do this, Kairi,” she said. She drew herself up to her full height, short as that might have been, and held out her left hand to Yen Sid.
The stunned silence in the room was deafening as Memory’s Embrace flashed into existence with a gentle chime.
“This Keyblade,” Naminé said quietly, “belongs to me. I have the means to defend myself, though I won’t be so arrogant to claim I have the skill to do it properly. However, I will be traveling with Kairi, who does have that skill. I’m asking you, please allow me to do this.”
Yen Sid gazed at her, and as he did, he didn’t see Kairi. Instead, the girl who appeared before him, Keyblade held firmly in her left hand, was a blonde in a too-short white dress, determination writ across her face. He closed his eyes and nodded.
“Very well. Master Aqua, Naminé, and Kairi shall be the team to retrieve Ventus from Castle Oblivion.” Naminé smiled, triumphant, and dismissed her Keyblade.
“Hold on a second,” Lea interjected. “I’ve been through every floor in Castle Oblivion; I should be going, too.”
“While I do not dispute your knowledge of the Castle, Lea, I have another task I wish you to accomplish,” Yen Sid said.
“What other task?”
Yen Sid raised an eyebrow. “Once Aqua, Naminé, and Kairi return with Ventus, we will extract his heart from Sora and return it to its rightful place. I had assumed you would prefer we were ready to do the same for Roxas, Xion, and Naminé when we reach that point?”
Lea’s mouth fell open. “You… you’re serious? You’re sending me to figure out how to get bodies for my friends?”
“Yourself, and Sora,” Yen Sid said.
“Me?” Sora asked.
“I should imagine Roxas and Xion would want a say in the process,” Yen Sid deadpanned. “I had originally intended to send Kairi and Naminé as well.”
Sora flashed a grin. “Makes sense!”
“Do you mind if I tag along with them?” Riku asked. “I feel like I owe it to Roxas and Xion, since it’s sort of my fault that they don’t–” He was cut off by Sora’s hand being placed over his mouth.
“Stop,” Roxas said. “What Xion and I did, we did by choice. Us giving up our bodies was not your fault.” He grinned. “I’m still going to kick your ass once I get my body back, but that’s just for the principle of the thing. We’d be happy to have you along, if that’s all right?” The last bit was directed at Yen Sid.
The sorcerer tilted his head. “If you would prefer to forego the rest period I had planned to give you upon your return from the Realm of Darkness, then by all means you may accompany them, Master Riku.”
“What about us, Master?” Mickey asked. “What do you want Donald, Goofy, and me to do?”
Yen Sid turned a glare on him. “You will return to Disney Castle and spend some quality time with your wife. And no, young Mouse, that is not negotiable. You know she still worries, despite the faith she has in you.”
Mickey reddened. “Gosh, you’re right. Good luck, everyone! Let me know when we’re ready to regroup.”
Yen Sid nodded, and turned to Donald and Goofy. “You will ensure that he arrives,” he said in a tone that might have been conspiratorial.
Donald and Goofy both snapped into salutes. “You can count on us, sir!” they both declared.
Kairi tilted her head in thought. “Naminé, if you’re going to be in control for the trip, we should probably switch now, get you in some practice.”
“What do you mean?” Naminé asked.
Kairi hummed. “I think you’ll see in a second.” She relaxed her control of her body and allowed Naminé to take control. They promptly fell over, Naminé having not controlled their shared legs in about six months subjective time.
“Okay, I understand what you meant,” Naminé groaned. She pulled herself to her feet, a little unsteady. “This might take some getting used to.”
There was a knock on the door on the other side of the room and an older woman poked her head through. “Pardon the interruption, but before you depart, we’d like to – oh!” She caught herself, noticing Aqua. “My dear, it’s been so long!”
“Flora?” Aqua said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“Helping any way we can, dear,” the red fairy said, entering the room. “And right now that means creating Darkness-resistant outfits for all of you.”
“I wondered where Riku got the new duds,” Sora said, grinning. “Sign us up.”
Though she wondered why plaid seemed to be “in” at the moment, Kairi was enjoying her new clothes. She had been worried that the three fairies from Enchanted Dominion would use her old outfit as materials for the new one, but they had assured her she could keep her old clothes.
Her new outfit was about the same colour as the old one, but instead of a dress, it was a pink sleeveless, hooded overcoat with a black trim over a white top, and white shorts, each with a burgundy trim. It was light enough that she didn’t feel uncomfortable, but sturdy enough that it wasn’t going to tear in battle. To her smug satisfaction, both the jacket and the shorts had pockets.
The fairies had initially tried to sell her on pink-and-black plaid stockings to go with the pink and white sneakers, but she had managed to bargain them down to solid black ones. The plaid had returned as the interior of the jacket and sneakers, but since both Riku and Sora’s outfits also seemed to match the theme, she decided to let it pass.
Lea caught her admiring her new look in one of the mirrors that dotted the side room. “Great look, but really? Cat ears on the hood?”
“I’m not taking that from the creamsicle greaser,” Kairi shot back, smirking.
Lea laughed. “Fair enough.” Ostensibly to protect from Darkness, but probably more to fit the theme, Lea had been given an orange and tan plaid scarf. He wore it with charm, though like the rest of his outfit it clashed with the Organization-issue boots he still refused to give up.
On the other side of the room, Aqua had been given her own new outfit. It was almost identical to her old outfit, save for the colouring and some details. The collar was slightly higher, the lacing on her corset had been replaced with buckles, and the crossed straps across her chest had been removed. The Land of Departure emblem they had formerly held had been pinned to the left side of her chest. This, and the removal of the corset lacing, were entirely due to Xehanort. During Sora and Riku’s Mark of Mastery exam, Xehanort had used the Recusant’s Sigil to track Sora through the Realm of Sleep. Apparently, any crossed straps that formed an “X” could be considered the Sigil. Thus, the straps on her outfit had to go. She was loathe to admit it, but this did explain how Xehanort had been two steps ahead of them the entire time. She should have known better.
Her sleeves had changed colour; instead of white, they now started at an ice blue at the top, fading into a royal blue at the bottom. Golden stitching etched out a pattern around the wrists.
She frowned, shifting her weight. The heels on her boots had been shortened, and after so long living and fighting in the old ones she was finding the change odd.
And she missed that extra inch.
Due to her possessing Keyblade armour, she had managed to dodge the plaid bullet. Not that there was anything wrong with plaid, of course, it just… wasn’t her.
Riku, ever trying to be helpful, had found a well-stocked kitchen somewhere in the Tower and had brought her food. Until the first bite she hadn’t realized how hungry she was. Hopefully she wouldn’t take long to adjust to having to eat and sleep again.
“I should warn you now, time is strange inside Castle Oblivion,” Naminé said. “Sora was in there for weeks and he never had to stop to eat or sleep.”
Aqua let out a brief chuckle. “Well, that’s nothing I’m not used to.” They were standing outside the Tower, getting ready to leave. The Tower’s grounds had expanded to provide docks for the three gummi ships that were berthed there; as they watched, one of them rose into the sky, carrying Mickey, Donald, and Goofy back to Disney Town.
Sora ambled over and tapped Kairi on the shoulder, wrapping her in a huge hug when she turned to see him.
“Feels like we just got back together and we’re splitting up again,” he said, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“I know. I don’t like it either,” she said. Riku joined them and wrapped himself around both of them, resting his own chin on Kairi’s head.
“It won’t be that long,” he said. “Between the three of you the Castle doesn’t stand a chance. The hardest part about it was Organization XIII, and they’re gone now.”
Kairi nodded, tickling Riku’s chin with her hair. “We’ll be back before you know it. Still going to miss both of you.”
“We’re going to miss you, too,” Riku said, and Sora made a noise of affirmation. “When you find Ventus, bring him back to the Destiny Islands.”
“Destiny Islands?” Kairi asked. “Why not here?”
“It’s a much calmer place,” Sora offered. “Plus, I’m pretty sure Mom wants to be there when Roxas, Xion, and Naminé come back.”
“Makes sense,” Kairi smiled. “Take care of yourselves.”
They withdrew from the hug, and Lea walked up. “Gummi ship’s prepped. We’re about ready to go.”
“Are you taking a gummi ship?” Naminé asked. “Why not use..?”
“’Cause I don’t know about you two, but I don’t feel like carrying three bodies through a Corridor,” Lea said. “Easier to put them on a ship.” He held out a hand to Kairi and Naminé. “Have to say, I’m gonna miss travelling with you two. Despite everything, it was the most fun I’ve had in years.”
Kairi reached out and took his hand, then surprised him by pulling him into a hug. “You take care of yourself, too. We’re doing this to bring our friends back to life, I don’t want to lose another one in the process.”
Lea laughed. “Kairi, we’re just going over to Radiant Garden. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
“You’re going to Radiant Garden to ask for help from a scientist who probably has a grudge against you, since you killed him,” Naminé pointed out.
Lea started to object, then relented. “Fair point. But that’s what I have your boyfriends as meat shields for.”
“We’re right here,” Riku reminded him.
“And?”
“Come find us on the Islands when you have Ventus,” Sora cut in, grabbing Lea and Riku’s arms and starting to pull them towards the Gummi ship.
“Will do,” said Kairi.
“Can I ask you guys to do something for me?” Naminé called.
“Sure, anything. What’s up?” Riku answered.
“If you run across Marluxia’s Somebody, kick him in the nuts.”
Sora’s mouth dropped open. “Naminé! I don’t think that’s an okay thing to Absolutely I’ll do that,” came out of his mouth. “Roxas, stop doing that!” Sora grumbled.
Lea laughed. “Trust me, Sora, you don’t remember, but Marluxia absolutely deserves it. See you all soon!” And with that the three, technically six, people walked to their Gummi ship. The group of two, technically three, people watched them go, the two sharing a body waving.
“Are we taking the other ship, then?” Aqua asked. “You two don’t seem to have armour and Sora looked incredibly confused when I asked him about Keyblade gliders.”
“No, that one’s Merlin’s,” Naminé answered. “We’re doing something else.” She summoned and raised her Keyblade. They had discovered early on while experimenting with the Light Corridors that they could only use them to travel to worlds they had been to before. Thus, Naminé was the only person on their team who could open a portal to Castle Oblivion.
Aqua gasped as the Light Corridor swirled into existence. “It’s safe,” Naminé said. “Apparently it was a power Keybearers had long ago in the age of fairytales. Lea, Kairi, and I rediscovered them on our training trip.”
Aqua shook her head. “Everywhere I look, everything’s new and different,” she said with a faint smile.
Naminé smiled back. “Hopefully not too different.” They stepped through the glowing portal.
The imposing, beige façade of Castle Oblivion loomed over them as they stepped out. Naminé gulped, the enormity of what she was about to attempt finally hitting her.
“You okay, Nam?” Kairi asked.
“Honestly, Kairi? No, no I’m not. I’m probably going to need to stop for a bit to freak out halfway up the castle.” Naminé sighed, and Kairi regained control of her right arm long enough to give Naminé’s left hand a comforting squeeze.
Aqua was looking up at the castle, an unreadable expression on her face. “Everything all right, Master Aqua?” Naminé asked.
She blinked, having been a thousand miles away, and shook her head. “Oh, yes, I’m fine, Naminé. And please, just call me Aqua, both of you. I promise I don’t bite.”
Naminé pushed down the impulse to ask what would happen if she wanted her to bite, considering both the circumstances and the fact that, technically speaking, Aqua was literally old enough to be her mother. It just wasn’t appropriate.
Cautiously, they approached the door and pushed it open. They were greeted by the stark white of Castle Oblivion’s entrance hall. A door at the other end of the room led to the first floor, Naminé knew. The basement entrance wasn’t visible.
Aqua slowly spun around, trying to get her bearings. “This is all wrong. The last time I was here there was just a staircase leading to the chamber I sealed Ven in.”
Naminé shook her head. “These are the Castle’s defenses. Thirteen floors designed to test whoever comes through them. I didn’t understand why it worked like that when I was first here, but it makes sense if it’s to make sure the right people find Ventus.”
Aqua walked over to the only visible door and pushed on it. “It won’t open?”
Naminé sighed. “No, because right now we’re playing by the Castle’s rules. Look up.”
Aqua glanced towards the ceiling, and started when she saw a blue object slowly descending towards her. “Take it,” said Naminé. “It’s how we open the door.”
Aqua gently plucked the object out of the air. It was a card, the top cut to resemble a crown. On the face of it was an image of a beautiful castle on a mountain, secured to other peaks with giant chains.
“But that’s…” Aqua trailed off.
“That’s what the Castle does,” Naminé explained. “Every floor is created out of our memories. That’s how the Castle tests us.”
Aqua barely heard her. She spun around and pressed the card against the door, which shone brightly and unlocked itself. “Wait,” Naminé cried, “don’t–” but it was too late. Aqua wrenched the door open and ran through.
“What’s wrong?” Kairi asked as Naminé clapped a hand to their forehead.
“I didn’t explain everything! She’s not going to know how to fight!”
“Can’t we just follow her in and help her?”
Naminé sighed again. “I really wish it was that simple, Kairi. But this is Castle Oblivion. Nothing here is simple.” She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and followed Aqua through the door.