Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She woke to the sound of bells.  Huge resonant things that reverberated right through her chest cavity as they announced the hour on the hour. 

Sable did not know these bells.

Forcing awareness past the easy sense of basking warmth, violet eyes opened, only to snap shut again as the bright light burned.  Raising a hand to block the worst of it, she tried a second time with a bit more success.  She blinked up at a sky painted with the bright colors of early evening. 

Reluctantly, Sable sat up, breaking through the last traces of that drowsy warmth.  With a large yawn, she stretched out to try and ease away sleep-induced stiffness.

She shivered, as a stray breeze tickled bare skin and belatedly realized she was distressingly underdressed.  Rather than her usual – and much preferred – layers, she was wearing only a thin undershirt and sweatpants.  Pale fingers drifted up to trace the rough scar tissue crossing over the bare skin above her collar, Sable suddenly felt horribly exposed.  Practically naked, in fact.  She needed a shirt.  Preferably one with a turtleneck.

But first: where was she?

The short answer was ‘a clock tower’.  She’d apparently been asleep on a walkway surrounded by a low wall, high above ground level.  Below the wall was the giant clock face while overhead were the brass bells that had awoken her. 

Peering over the low wall, Sable saw an unfamiliar skyline of buildings awash in the golden light of the setting sun.  Further out, beyond the city limits, she could just make out the shine of light reflecting off a vast body of water.  Upon noticing that, she realized there was the faint tang of salt on the evening air.

This was bad.  This was very, very bad.  Her city was a landlocked desert, days away from any bodies of salt water! 

How had she gotten there?  The last thing she remembered was walking down the street, intent on visiting the park.  Had she been abducted?  She must have!  But then why dump her up here rather than…many other awful options to be had? 

Was this a prank?

Taking a steadying breath, Sable leaned back on her heels and checked her pockets.  With any luck, they hadn’t taken her wallet.  Fishing around the surprisingly deep pockets of the sweat pants, Sable froze.

That wasn’t her wallet.

Very carefully, she pulled out what looked like a handmade suede leather pouch.  Dark in color, it had a thorny red sigil embroidered on the side that Sable recognized as the mark of the Emblem Heartless.  It was identical, in fact, to the same emblem that had been on her own now missing wallet. 

(Sable had bought that wallet from a novelty shop a few years prior.)

Tugging the drawstrings loose, she found a leather cardcase sitting near the top of the pouch.  Fishing it out, Sable flipped it open.  Inside the flap was a clear plastic window holding an ID card with her legal name, age, and other bits of standard information IDs tended to have, but all in an unfamiliar layout. 

It was a completely new ID that she didn’t remember getting.

Slipping the cardcase back into the pouch and pulling the drawstrings tight, Sable froze again, staring intently at the pouch.  On a second look, the stitchwork seemed oddly familiar…

Dark brows furrowing in thought, Sable glanced up at the hanging bronze bells.  Then looked back out over the city awash in twilight’s light.  Suspicious now, she deliberately braced her hands against the low wall of the ledge before leaning over to peer down for a closer look at the clock face.  A moment later, just as deliberately, she slowly leaned back and carefully stepped away.

Leaning against the building wall behind her, Sable slid down with a muffled thump.  Almost numb, she teased open the pouch and fished the ID case out for a second look.  This time she noticed a few important details that she’d completely overlooked at first glance.

“Twilight Town.” She breathed, reading the card.  “I’m in Twilight Town.”

That couldn’t be possible.  It was a video game-

Forcing herself to stop, Sable waited until her racing heart had calmed down and focused on taking deep, even breaths until it had.  Where she was didn’t actually matter just then.  What did matter was: what did she have, and what did she need?

She took a closer look at the pouch to see what else was in there besides an implausible ID.  Violet eyes blinked once then shut completely as she tried to stave off the sudden headache. 

(It was like looking at a 3D Escher painting without warning.  Ouch…)

At least she didn’t have to worry about funds.  There was plenty of cash stuffed into the pouch.  Munny with a ‘u’.  All of it had been tetris’d away nice and neat in the brain-breaking hammerspace most video games favored and which gamers took for granted.  Sable would have to count it out properly, but only after she was someplace a bit more secure. 

Another breeze tickled her skin and made her shiver. 

So, to sum up: she had the minimal clothes on her back, a possibly valid ID card, and funds to get pretty much anything else.  Next on the acquisition list would be shelter.  The canvas of golds overhead had noticeably more navy blue mixed in than when Sable had first woken up and she had no interest in spending the night out in the open.

Maybe there was a motel or something she could stay in…Wait.  She had an ID.  Was there a residence listed?  It wouldn’t be any stranger than having a brand-new ID card she hadn’t applied for.

For a third time, Sable looked over the little piece of laminated plastic.  There was indeed an address attached to her name, complete with an apartment number: X-H11

Yeah. 

That pun?  Definitely a joke at her expense.  It was just…so much more elaborate than Sable could have imagined. 

Shivering again, Sable rubbed at her exposed upper arms to try and tease back in the warmth from earlier.  It was distinctly chillier out than it had been even a few minutes ago.  It was time to go.

Climbing back to her feet, Sable sneezed as a random cross-breeze carried an out-of-place whiff of earthy herbs.  Weird, but not important.  Now how to get down from the clock tower…

Oh.

The walkway wrapped around the top of the tower.  There was a doorway with stairs just around the corner.  That made things considerably simpler.  Sable didn’t want to try freestyling down the side of the tower just yet- Her head snapped up.  The air above the ornate spire remained clear, even of shadows as sun still shown directly on it.  The smaller bronze bell hanging beneath it just kept shining innocently.

But…

Sable could have sworn she’d just seen a shadow.  A person-shaped shadow.

Fine hairs of her neck prickling, Sable massaged the hollow of her throat as she ducked into the tower and started down the stairs. 

There might well have been someone standing on that spire, and that worried her.

              ———

              ———

17 Tram Common was a set of apartment buildings a street or so away from the tram line that gave the area its name, pretty much out of sight during any gameplay.  Fortunately, once Sable noticed the various building numbers and started following them sequentially, it was simple enough to find.

Now she just had to find her specific apartment.  Not quite so easy as she wasn’t sure how the building was laid out.  So, she detoured to the front office, instead.

“Hey, you’re back.” The receptionist greeted her.  “Feeling any better?”

A little nonplussed, Sable approached the man as she answered. “Found a sunny spot and took a nap.”  As she did that regularly, it probably wasn’t even a lie. “Couldn’t remember where I was when I woke up.”

That got a wince. “Oh yeah, post-nap amnesia.  That’s no fun.” He gave a her a concerned once-over. “Need help getting to your apartment?”

“Please.” She admitted, feeling her cheeks burn a bit. “Not sure my memories are reliable at the moment.”

(Also completely true, if drastically understating her situation.)

“I gotcha.” Getting up, the man stepped out from behind the service desk.  “Right this way.”  She followed him towards the apartments proper.  “So…are you feeling any better?” At her confused look, he elaborated. “When you came in this morning…I dunno, something seemed off.  I thought you might be sick.”

“A bit nervous.” Sable allowed.  “New to the area, and all.  But…I’ll be alright.”

“Well, if you need anything, feel free to ask.” Reaching an apartment door with numbers matching those listed on her suspect ID, the man shook her head. “Have a good evening.” 

Sable watched him go before fishing the key out of her pocket and letting herself into her new apartment.  Once the door clicked shut behind her, she leaned against it and let out a rattled breath.  That had been more nerve-wracking than it should have been.  Her heart was still drumming against her ribcage.  Less now, as she inhaled the familiar scent of desert monsoon and found herself relaxing automatically.

(She should be more concerned.  It was a brand-new apartment, it shouldn’t have a familiar scent!)

Getting her composure back together, Sable surveyed her new home.  It wasn’t especially large, just a bedroom, bathroom, and a living area with a small kitchenette attached.  The space was already occupied with vaguely familiar furniture.

Frowning, Sable started a more thorough check. 

The fridge was already stocked—though not with much—and the dresser in the bedroom was filled with neatly-folded clothes that were also familiar. 

Stepping back out into the living area, she finally spotted the official-looking papers stacked neatly on the coffee table.  Feeling her frown deepen, Sable scooped up the papers and began leafing through them. 

According to the lease agreement the rent and basic utilities had already been covered for the foreseeable future, so at least she didn’t have to worry about that anytime soon.  That meant shelter wasn’t going to be an issue, leaving her free to focus on other concerns. 

Like the signature on the last page of the lease.

That was not her signature!  Her full legal name, yes, but whoever had signed for her was clearly right-handed.  That neat cursive lacked the distinctive slant of a southpaw like Sable.  Or any other unique flourish that could potentially identify the writer, for that matter.  In fact, it was as textbook perfect as writing could be without being a computer font…

Oh.  Shoot.

Was she in Ansem’s virtual Twilight Town?  Was she stuck in a simulation of an apartment with her memories modified like Roxas’ had been? 

That would explain why she didn’t remember arriving… No.  Wait.  Whoever had done this had put a lot of effort into it.  From fooling the receptionist into thinking Sable had applied to an apartment to going to the trouble of getting her a legal ID as well as funds enough to leave her set for some time.  Even the apartment itself was modeled after the layout of the one she’d grown up in and the furniture was all the same. 

(The furniture was literally the same, she remembered causing some of those stains!  Those clothes in the dresser had been her clothes, and the books on the shelves were her books!)

Roxas had just woken up in the simulation thinking he’d always lived there.  Sable just had apparent short-term memory loss.  Besides, she didn’t think Ansem would remember little details like the smell of her apartment. 

(On that note, she’d need to top off the diffuser.  Was there any more hydrosol?)

All in all, it was enough to suggest that her being there was a significant enough investment that Sable probably didn’t have to worry about being deleted any time soon.

Hopefully.

(Yeah, that wasn’t really going to help her rest any easier.) 

Flipping through the papers again revealed nothing but the lease. No hints of any kind to answer her questions, not so much as a post-it hidden between the pages.

How annoying.

Now that her initial adrenaline-fueled panic had ebbed, Sable felt tired.  Numb.  She hadn’t felt anything that strongly in quite some time.  Not since before… 

Anyway. 

Even parkour didn’t stir up that kind of rush.  Adrenaline, yes, but it lacked the emotional component to really make an impact.  Ordinarily an emotional crash of the current scale would have led to her turning in early to sleep it off.  The issue was that her mind was still too wired-up to allow it, thoughts and theories zipping this way and that like frantic hummingbirds. 

Odds were it would be a few hours before she settled enough to do more than just toss and turn in bed.

Rubbing her eyes with a sigh, Sable got up, slipped the papers into a folder left conveniently lying on the coffee table and hid them behind the books on the bookshelf. 

(Because the first place anyone else would think to look would be the drawers of her writing desk.)

That done, Sable wandered into the kitchenette.  Her stomach was still churning enough that even the thought of eating made her queasy, but she wouldn’t be getting any other answers that night so she’d be better off doing something constructive.  Fixing enough meals for the next week so that all she had to do was toss one in the toaster oven would be one less thing to worry about.

Taking a closer look through the cabinets revealed mostly bare shelves.  Save for the handful of spices that Sable preferred for her meals.

Interesting, in the ironic way.

Opening the fridge next, Sable pulled out a package of raw chicken tenderloin and had to stop a moment to eye the packaging.  She distinctly remembered buying that exact package from the grocery store some days prior.  She didn’t think Twilight Town had a Frys.

(More evidence that her own belongings had been relocated wholesale.  Who’d even do that?)

Once the prep work was done and Sable was waiting for it all to cook, she leaned back against the counter.  Thinking.  She should be more concerned than she was.  Staying in a suspiciously convenient apartment after being yanked out of her home territory was far from the brightest idea.  What Sable should have done was gotten a hotel or something with her available funds. 

Anything except hole up in the one place clearly set up by her apparent kidnapper! 

But she just…didn’t care.  Didn’t have the energy to care, and the apartment felt like home.  Someone had gone out of their way to make it feel as much.  To tailor it to give her (what felt like) a Safe Place to retreat to. 

(That was a lot of consideration and effort for a ‘simple’ snatch-and-grab.)

Sable was… kind of curious to see where it all was going.  In the meantime, she had a few concerns to see to.  Top of the list being to find out whether or not she was in the real Twilight Town.

After that?

She’d see how it went.

              ———

Chapter Text

Despite what Sable would have expected, she slept easy that night and even woke up later than expected.  Even barring potential nightmares, she would have at least expected her restlessness to leave her tossing and turning and waking up every hour or so.  That it didn’t happen was confusing, though very much welcome.  Easier to think things through after a full night’s rest.

(The scent from the diffuser had definitely helped.) 

Once her morning routine was done and she was dressed – wearing a light sweatshirt over a proper turtleneck – she took another look around her apartment and made a number of pleasant discoveries.  First of which being that, yes, she had more hydrosol.  Even more than she remembered. 

(Maybe her abductor liked that scent, too?)

Then, when rooting around the shelves of the desk, Sable made a particularly welcome find.  Grinning, she pulled out her MP3 player and then the accompanying headphones.  A second glance revealed her little portable speaker as well.  So, at least she’d have her music.

Crinkling paper had her flipping the player over to find a little note taped to the back. 

Now powered by smiles ;>

Her abductor-cum-patron definitely had a sense of humor.

Staring at the note, Sable was honestly uncertain as to whether or not she should take it seriously.  Either way, she stuck both items in her munny pouch.  Theoretically, the pocketspace would protect them from any damage if she did anything acrobatic.

After that she wandered into the kitchenette.  Her stomach still felt too unsettled for a full meal, so Sable made due with peanut butter on toast and a banana. 

Nibbling on the bread, she sat down at the coffee table to count the munny in her pouch and hash out her budget.

Like shown in the games, munny was octahedron in shape and came in three denominations of one, five, and twenty.  Unlike the games, they were considerably smaller.  Only about the sizes of a dime, a quarter, and a fifty-cent piece respectively and more 2D than 3D. 

That made sense, Sable supposed as she rolled a larger munny coin between her fingers and felt at the hard edges.  Of course, the game exaggerated the size so players had an easier time spotting the drop.  In reality they were just easier to handle if they were small and relatively flat.

There was considerably more munny in that pouch than Sable was expecting.  With that, and her rent being paid off for the foreseeable future… well she wouldn’t have to worry about a steady income for a while. 

(The wriggle room came as a relief.  Sable had spent a lot of time and energy the past few years worrying about whether she’d be able to make budget.)

After carefully shuffling the assortment of munny back into the pouch, and belatedly realizing the pouch had smaller individual compartments stitched inside, Sable left the apartment.  The morning sun greeted her as she stepped outside and Sable took a moment to stop and just bask in it, soaking in the offered warmth.  Then she looked around with a fresh eye. 

Twilight Town was beautiful.  All warm tones and clean streets and the architecture was fun to look at.  As she wandered down the streets to the main part of the Tram Commons, Sable noted all the handy nooks, crannies, and ledges.  The impulse to hit the walls and start climbing was almost too much to ignore, but she managed. 

Better to wait to get a better feel for the town’s layout.  And ‘town’ was a very poor description because Twilight Town was very much a city.  Granted, a surprisingly quiet one outside the occasional train passing by on the tracks overhead, but a city nonetheless.  There were so many more people than the game had suggested, all just wandering this way and that as they went about their day.

(Apparently, she’d come out during the morning rush hour.  Oops.)

Still, despite how much larger everything was compared to the game, Sable had played long enough that navigating via major landmarks wasn’t particularly difficult. 

Pausing at the top of a hill, Sable considered her options.  If she went down that way, she’d end up in the Sandlot, which she was curious about.  She hesitated to do so, however, because she remembered that it was also where Seifer and his ‘Disciplinary Committee’ preferred to hang out.

Remember the acerbic teenager, Sable had to ask herself whether she was really interested in getting harassed.  Possibly even pulled into a fight.  Did the prospect appeal in any way?

No.  Not it did not.  So, to the shops it was! 

If she remembered correctly there were a number of them on the other side of the Tram Commons, just before Market Street.

Folding her arms behind her back, Sable strode lazily back down the road amidst the steady stream of people heading the same way.  Violet eyes continued to scan the buildings around her as she went, noting features and possible climbing spots.  She also noted smaller alleyways that hadn’t been accessible, or just not present, in the games. 

(If she could figure out where they connected, that would be an excellent way of avoiding the crowds.)

At one point she spotted a smaller stand-alone building with what looked like a stuffed toy hovering by the counter.  The sight had given her pause before she’d recognized the apparent-toy as a probable-moogle.  It took a weight off her shoulders as, if she recalled correctly, the moogle shop in the Virtual Twilight town was replaced by a never-open candy store.

(More evidence that she was in the Real Deal and thus safe from a tantrum-throwing old man deleting her as collateral damage.)

Though tempted, Sable wasn’t able to break away to take a closer look at the moogle.  The crowds were a bit too thick to bypass without being excessively rude.  Instead, she drifted towards the edge of the people-current as they started heading up hill before finally managing to break away and duck into a shop just up the base of the steep incline that was Market Street.

The bell chimed as she wandered through the door.  Unlike what the game would have had her think, it wasn’t a tiny little stall tucked against the wall.  Instead, it was a proper store with merchandise available on various shelves.  Including a number of very familiar jars.

Curious, Sable approached the jar-laden shelf.  Were those potions?  Legit magic-healing potions? 

There was a helpful sign that read ‘healing items’ that strongly suggested they were.  How were they supposed to work in real life, anyway?  In the game it was as simple as just throwing it at the intended target and the potion reacted automatically. 

That didn’t seem very feasible to Sable.  So, gently picking up one of the star-patterned blue jars, she teased open a little slip of paper glued to one side.  It was a tiny label with directions.  Convenient…

To Use:
Either toss above the person you wish to heal, or swallow contents for maximum effect.

Huh.  You really could throw it.  Maybe it was the magic that shattered the glass when it was above a target?  Otherwise, she’d have expected the instructions to say ‘throw at the person’, which would be rather counterproductive because, ow, that’d smart.

Still.  Having it thrown at the person seemed better than drinking whatever was in the jar.  Sable shivered at the thought.  Yuck.

“Will you be buying that?

Head snapping up, Sable saw a young man watching her expectantly.  Probably the shop keeper if she remembered correctly.  Wantz, wasn’t it?

“No.” She answered aloud, putting the potion back where she’d grabbed it. “Just browsing.”

Vermillion eyes studied her thoughtfully a moment.  “You’re the new girl- Sable, right?  Just moved in at the Tram Apartments?”

Stiffening, Sable turned to face him fully.

He snorted. “We don’t get many new people moving into town.” Wantz explained, looking a little amused. “From across town, sure.  But not from out of town.” He shrugged. “So, whenever someone does, everyone hears about it.”

It made sense, though that did not make Sable feel any better.  She nodded anyway before being distracted by something furry winding between her legs.

“Oh for- Chiro, leave my customers alone.” Wantz barked, sounding exasperated.

Chiro turned out to be a cat with a white diamond pattern on its head and a red-and-white collar around its neck.  Smiling, Sable knelt down and offered a hand.  The cat sniffed it impetuously, as all cats do, then deigned to bump her palm with its head, letting out a purr.

“You’re awfully young to be living alone.”

Twitching, Sable twisted and looked up to see a woman, old enough to be her mom, standing there.  Chiro chirped a greeting before pulling away to rub lovingly against the woman’s shins as she looked Sable up and down, a concerned crease to her brows.

“You can’t be much older than sixteen.”

“Seventeen, almost eighteen.” Sable informed with practiced ease.  This wasn’t the first time she’d been called out for technically being underage.

“Don’t you have any family?” The woman asked.

“No, ma’am.” Sable shook her head. “Not anymore.”

“Auntie Elmyra.” Wantz’s tone was disapproving as the named Elmyra visibly flinched. “Please don’t be rude to my customers.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean stir up painful memories.” She sounded genuinely contrite.

Sable shrugged. “It’s fine.  If not you, then someone else would have asked.”

“All the same…” Elmyra looked her over with an experienced eye. “If you need any help at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Pausing, a thoughtful look crossed her face. “Actually…” She walked up to the healing items Sable had been looking at and plucked several right off the shelf before turning and pressing them into the startled teenager’s arms. “Here.  Consider this a welcome gift.”

“Auntie Elmyra!”

Elymra fixed Wantz with a firm look. “I’ll pay for them, don’t worry.”

As the shopkeeper threw up exasperated hands and walked away, Sable stared the older woman with wide violet eyes.

“You’re…why?”

“I know how hard it is to move into a new town all by yourself.” Elymra admitted, eyes going a bit distant.  “As to why specifically…I suppose part of the reason is that you remind me of my daughter.”

Intrigued, Sable cocked her head as she absently stuffed the potions into her munny pouch, making use of one of the empty pockets. “Your daughter?” She repeated, reaching out as Chiro wandered back over for more head scritches.

“Yes.” There was a nostalgic nod. “All grown up, now.  She was moved out by the time I decided to come to Twilight Town.”

Sable’s Heart ached. “Do you still speak to her?”

With a sad sigh, the older woman shook her head. “I’m afraid not.  We’ve lost touch over the years.”

Now it was Sable’s turn to wince.  She fixed her gaze on Chiro, the cat deciding to step up onto her knee to bump a furry head against her chin. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Elmyra reached out and offered a hand, pulling Sable back to her feet. “I’m afraid it’s just me being melancholy in my empty-nest-state.” She chuckled. “Though it is kind of funny.  I was born and raised in that town, but for the life of me I just can’t seem to remember its name.”

The fine hairs on the back of Sable’s neck prickled as she frowned.  Something about that seemed familiar.

“But I won’t bore you with my old stories.” Releasing her, Elmyra stepped back and waved her off. “I’m sure you’re eager to explore the town.  There are several children I can think of offhand that are about your age.  You might like meeting them.”

Violet eyes blinked, then Sable offered a slow nod. “Maybe…” Then, still feeling a bit guilty for prodding old wounds, she asked, “Could you tell me a little about them?”

The melancholic look faded as the older woman considered it.

“Well, there are two groups of youngsters in particular I think you might get along with.  First would be Hayner and his two friends.” A sparkle of delight appeared in aged eyes. “Oh, they get into all sorts of mischief, but they’re good kids.  Always willing to give a helping hand.  Then there’s Seifer and his friends.” Here Elmyra chuckled. “They’re a bit older, around your age in fact.  They call themselves the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee.”

Unable to help it, Sable snorted. “That’s a bit arrogant, wouldn’t you say?”

Elmyra waved her off. “Oh, they’re not so bad.  A bit high-handed maybe, but they really are a big help around town.  Most of the younger kids look up to them.  They might seem like bullies, but they’ve got good hearts.”

“I see…thank you, Elmyra.”

The older woman smiled.  “It’s my pleasure.  Now, don’t you forget, if you need help with anything please don’t be shy.  I’m here often, Wantz and his older brother all but adopted me as family years ago, but I also volunteer at the clinic down on the corner should you need anything.”

Sable felt her cheeks burn as she looked away, unable to keep eye contact. “I’ll keep that in mind.  Thank you, again.”

Turning, Sable walked out the door- yikes!

She hopped back in time to avoid being bowled over by a trio of younger kids running by.  Blinking, Sable watched them go.  They looked familiar…oh, wait.  Wasn’t that Hayner, Pence, and Olette?  She took note of the apparent absence of a particular blonde, further evidence to suggest that she was safe in the real Twilight Town.

Now, where were they going in such a hurry?

Curious, the dark-haired teenager turned and followed them at a more sedate pace.  There was no real rush, she had a pretty good idea of where they were going…

              ———

The Sandlot of Twilight Town was huge.

Granted, it was big in the game, but camera angle and ease of movement underplayed the scope of it.  Drastically.  It was basically baseball-diamond-big, with even more space around it where stalls could be put up without worrying about blocking the path.  High buildings rose up around it, keeping it mostly in shadow much of the time, and Sable noted a distinct lack of breakable windows at lower reach.

Unfortunately, the size also meant she couldn’t actually hear the heated argument taking place on the opposite side of the Sandlot.  Lots of aggressive gesturing could be seen though, as Hayner and his friends traded barbs with two older teenagers.  One was a large boy with Hispanic features and a bright red shirt.  The other was a smaller girl with wispy silver hair and a dark blue shirt. 

(Rai and Fuu, if Sable remembered correctly.)

The argument stalled out as someone else approached from the other entrance.  White long coat flaring with each step, aqua-blue eyes sharp with annoyance, Seifer kept his gaze fixed specifically on Hayner.  One could almost see the sparks flying as their gazes locked.

Intrigued now, Sable took advantage of their distraction to slip around the edge of the Sandlot until she reached a convenient patch of brick within easy hearing distance of the prospective show.

“-did you do?  Burn it?” Seifer was saying, then he scoffed. “Not that we need some photo to prove you’re losers.”

Struck by a sudden sense of Déjà vu, Sable squinted at them with furrowed brows. 

Wasn’t that what he’d said to Roxas in the virtual Twilight Town?  In the game, Dusks had taken photos featuring Roxas because they couldn’t distinguish the data of a photo from the data of the Nobody they were seeking.  Something Ansem had exploited by scattering those photos all over his data scape. 

(But that was only in the virtual Twilight Town.  There was no reason for any photo to be missing!)

“Replay!” Fuu demanded, snapping Sable’s attention back to the other teenagers.

Laughing, Seifer dropped into a loose fighting stance.  “Now you’re talking!”

Flanking him, Rai and Fuu quickly mimicked the gesture.  A tiny figure in an oversized floppy hat Sable had not noticed previously scurried out of the soon-to-be crossfire.  Hayner was quick to match their stance, but Pence and Olette both hesitated to pick a fight with the larger, stronger teenagers.

Over a photo.  It probably wasn’t even a good photo!

An incredulous bark of not-quite laughter escaped before Sable could smother it, the scene to ridiculous to take seriously.  Of course, this didn’t go unnoticed as both groups snapped around to find the source.  Because of the shadows she was standing in, their eyes passed over her initially.  Maybe she could slip down an alley…

Seifer’s eyes locked onto her, posture stiffening like a pointer dog on the hunt.

(Ah, well.  So, much for not getting harassed.)

Sighing, Sable stepped away from the wall and into the sunlight proper with an incredulous shake of her head. 

“Really?” She called over. “Posturing and hollering at each other?  Is that really the best use of your time if something’s been stolen?”

(Not the most diplomatic, but if she was going to get yelled at anyway…)

Brushing some hair from her face, Sable eyed both groups before meeting Seifer’s eye. “I was told your ‘Disciplinary Committee’ actually helps out a lot and other kids look up to you, but you’re looking more like a traditional bully to me.” She jerked her head at the visibly smaller and younger teens that made up Hayner’s friends.

Aqua-blue eyes glared at her from under the shadow of Seifer’s ever-present tuque. “You’re the newcomer?” He demanded.

Sable cocked her head but didn’t deny it. “So?”

“These thefts only occurred after you arrived.” The self-anointed leader of the Disciplinary Committee growled, taking an aggressive step forward. “So, all evidence points to you as the culprit.”

Violet eyes blinked once.  Twice.  Then a third time for good measure. 

“What evidence?” She snorted, waving a hand towards Hayner. “Weren’t you just accusing him for the same thing?” Sable dropped her hand and glared at him. “Why would I steal…whatever it was that’s been stolen?  How would I have done so?  I literally only got into town yesterday.”

The other teenager had no good comeback for that. 

Shaking her head, Sable shot them all a sharp look. “Instead of behaving like children, have you considered working together to find the thief?  All you’re doing now is wasting time.”

She could practically see Seifer’s metaphorical hackles bristle at that as he growled at her.

“You think you can just come down here and insult me?” He demanded, brandishing the blue-foam of his Struggle bat at her. “I think you need to be taught a lesson, outsider.”

Oh dear.  Maybe she should start running…

“Here, catch!” 

At the shout, Sable reflexively caught the Struggle bat Hayner had thrown her.  Neatly.  One-handed, even.  How the heck had she managed that?

“Now we’re talking.” Seifer smirked, stepping back towards the center of the Sandlot as his friends got out of the way.

This was a bad idea.  Sable had never fought someone in her life.  He was going to beat her black and blue!  Running the other way would be the smart thing.  So, why were her feet carrying her towards the Sandlot?!

(Well, it looked like she’d be needing those potions after all.  Oh, this was gonna hurt.)

Standing across from the other teenager, Sable stood with her Struggle club hung loosely in her left hand.  With effort, she kept her stance loose, ready to pitch herself aside if needed. 

Smirking, Seifer pointed his own club at her in a high grip. “Think you can beat me, outsider?”

No, the outsider did not think she could beat him.  The outsider was trying not to break out into a cold sweat.  The outsider was still debating her odds of successfully bolting for the hills.

Gazes locked, neither fighter moved as the onlookers clustered at the sidelines.

Eventually, Seifer grew impatient.  Charged forward to jab his club towards Sable’s stomach.  Direct.  Obvious.  So, pivoting back to let him careen though empty air was no issue.  But.  As he passed everything just-

…Snapped.

Into…

…Focus.

              ———

Swing up sharply, feel the padded ‘blade’ connect with her opponent’s exposed abdomen.  Hear the grunt as the other teenager rolls with it and breaks off the lunge to leap back. 

There’s barely a wince.  Now he watches her with a little more wariness.

Fear evaporates, leaving only an odd tranquility in its wake.  A tranquility that leaves the world bright and clear as anticipation stirs in her gut and blood roars in her ears.

(She isn’t going to give up.  If he wants a fight then she’ll give him one.)

Lunge again, then twist and duck down as a horizontal slash brushes the back of her sweater.  Flip her bat in a reverse grip and stab back.  Feel it connect as her opponent backs off a pace. 

(That high grip her opponent used was surprisingly good for frontal defense, she notes.  Keyword: frontal.)

Pitch forward, drop into a familiar roll and leap up behind her opponent.  Swing a two-handed smash across his back.  Watch him stumble forward a step, then spin around to leap back, lips curling in a snarl.

“Come on…” He growls. “Quit playing around and fight!”

Swing again and stumble back as both clubs rebound with a sparkling impact.

(What the heck?)

Not an accident.  More sparkles ripple out as they swing at each other, foam rebounding off foam with more force than there should have been.  What is that?  Each sparkle comes with a high wet-rubber squeak as the bats rebound.

Duck low to avoid a high sweep, then spin on ball of foot to swing up and hit- nothing but air.  Where did he-?

From above: “Isn’t this romantic!”

Impact.

Smash into ground, feel air whoof from lungs. 

(How did he jump so high?)

Glimpse motion beyond the dancing stars.  Roll back, curl legs overhead as palms brace against hard ground.  Kick out and launch- miss as her opponent twists away from the rising handspring.  Land hard, knees bending to absorb impact.  Glimpse her opponent reeling.

(Not a complete miss, then.)

Take a breath.  Spin on ball of foot to lunge before the other teenager could recover, this time a two-handed upward swing connects solidly.  Swing off hand out for balance, lean into ongoing momentum for another forehand swing.  Connect.  Twist with the motion and slide into a horizontal sweep.  Step inside his guard as he staggers back.  Grip hilt with both hands again, twist and swing up-!

Impact.

See her opponent tumble across the ground, rolling with the blow to swing back up on his feet.  Lunge again and thrust out.  Feel padded foam connect solidly with the curving plastic hilt.  See her opponent’s weapon sail through the air.  Watch the thump of dust as it lands, and smirk.  Listen to the heavy pants as her opponent eyes his fallen weapon, then stares at the Struggle club now pointed at his chest. 

Aqua-bright eyes meet dilated violet. 

A grunt sounds as her opponent yields, kneeling down with eyes closing in submission.

Straighten up and feel surging victory unravel tension coiled behind sternum.  Release a slow breath, feel muscles relax and grin.  Let that crisp brightness fade as the larger world comes into focus again.

Watch moving figures step between her and former opponent, red and blue, both sets of arms spread.

“Seifer’s not feelin’ so hot, ya know!” Red shouts.

(Not Red.  Rai?)

Blink at the sudden sense of vertigo.  It feels oddly staticky.

“Tournament decides!” Blue- Fuu declared.

Sable blinked again, remembering the posters she’d seen on various walls, then she nodded. “I look forward to it.”

Glancing past them, she teased out a potion and tossed it at Seifer as the other teen started pushing himself upright again.  To her fascination, the potion shattered mid-air to dust Seifer with what looked like a shower of green glitter.  He looked noticeably refreshed once the glint faded.

Satisfied, Sable turned away.

A sudden flash left her swaying in place, blinking back stars.  Ow.

“That was so cool!” She heard Pence shout.  She could just make out the boy cradling his camera like a precious treasure.  Then he yelped as said camera was plucked right out of his hands.

White and stretchy and fleeing-

Sable took off in hot pursuit.

“The thief!” She heard someone shout behind her.

              ———

There was something almost hypnotic, watching the Dusk dance along.  All those flips and spins and how it bounced off the walls with that rubbery bonelessness innate to them.  It certainly kept Sable’s eyes fixated on it, trained on every movement as she gave chase.

Somewhere behind her, she thought she could hear more running footsteps, but had neither the moment nor state of mind to glance back and check.

Through the Tram Common.  Through the ridiculous crack in one of the towering walls. 

(How had no one patched it before it got so big?  Everything else was well maintained!) 

Bricks and buildings were replaced by towering conifers, casting the area into heavy shadows.  Still the serpentine figure fled, swinging around tree trunks and looping through the low branches like a demented circus acrobat.  It was perfectly at home in the change of environment. 

(One could almost mistake the wriggling shape for a ghost.)

“It’s heading for the Old Mansion!”

That was Hayner’s voice, somewhere behind her.  Confirmation that the others had followed.  Still not enough for Sable to pause and look, she couldn’t turn let her gaze off her quarry. 

(She wasn’t about to let it get away!)

Absently, a distant part of Sable’s mind noted that the forest was much bigger than the game had suggested.  The burn in her legs was matched by the burning in her lungs.

The forest abruptly ended. 

Sable skidded to a halt, Struggle club lifted in a defensive reverse grip.  The Dusk swayed rhythmically in front of wrought-iron gates, facing her direction. 

(Good grief, it was almost a head taller than she was and she wasn’t exactly short!)  

Beyond the gates was a large mansion that had seen better days.  Only the giant lock on the aforementioned gates was free of rust.  In fact, it looked suspiciously new…

“What the- We can’t get through!”

At the startled cry, Sable finally glanced back and saw a glimmer of interconnected hexagons flash in the air with each slam of frustrated fists.  A battle barrier kept everyone else out; Hayner and his friends, even Rai and Fuu.

Sable blinked as Seifer strode up to her, club still in hand as he glared past her towards the guilty Dusk.

“This thing is causing trouble in my town.” The teenager growled, not even breathing hard from the run. “It’s gonna learn not to do that the hard way.” He pointed his Struggle club at the Nobody.

Nodding, Sable looked back at the Dusk.

It spasmed, the pulsing lines along its sides strobing blue.  With a loud ziiiiip its mouth snapped open in a silent snarl.  Then it lunged at them.

Sable dove forward, rolling beneath the airborne Nobody, before momentum carried her back to her feet.  Predictably, the Dusk snapped around to get her back in its sights and completely ignored Seifer.  His Struggle club swung out in a horizontal sweep that did absolutely nothing as the Dusk just seemed to melt around the club.  Completely untouched. 

The attempted assault did startle it, though, as it twitched back around to look at Seifer.  It cocked its head as if curious.  Then Sable’s opportunistic sweep from behind phased through it as if the Dusk wasn’t even there. 

Oh, that’s right, Sable remembered much too late.  Dusks were as immune to mundane weaponry as Shadow Heartless were.  Either magic or specialized tools were required.  The Struggle clubs weren’t going to do a thing.  Sable should have known that, yet she’d chased it anyway.

She didn’t have a Keyblade!

…or a target.

Shoot, where’d it-

“Look out!”

The blow slammed right between her shoulder blades and launched Sable a good several yards before she finally hit the grass.  Coughing, she heard Seifer snarl out a challenge somewhere behind her.  Along with the telltale viiip of the Dusk elastic-ing around like an animated splat toy. 

Sucking in air, Sable pushed herself back up in time to see Seifer go flying from the same coil-spring maneuver that had hit her.  The Dusk wove up into the air and advanced on him.

Her club was gone, fallen somewhere she didn’t care to check.  It was useless anyways.  Sable took off running.  With a flying leap she latched on to the one place the Dusk was at least partially solid. 

Let it be said: the Nobody did not appreciate her latching onto the zipper-teeth of its ‘mouth’.  It promptly lodged its protest by whipping back with enough force to make a bucking bronco jealous.  It was all Sable could do to hang on as any attempt to latch on with her legs was met with abject failure. 

(Something that whippy shouldn’t be that strong!  Where the heck was it getting its leverage?)

The Dusk whipped around, dragging Sable across the ground before rearing up again- The air woofed from Sable’s lungs for the second time in as many minutes as her back slammed into the battle barrier keeping them trapped with the Dusk.  The wriggly Nobody slipped free of her grasp as she slid to the ground, dazed. 

Coughing, Sable could see the indignant creature winding itself into knots like an agitated snake some ways overhead.  Ice shot through her veins as it twisted around again to give her a very good impression of a death glare.  Then it landed a short distance away and began to advance with very deliberate intent.

(Clearly, it was done playing around.)

She forced herself back up to her feet, could see Seifer running from across the open space, and knew there was little he could do against a serious Dusk.  The Struggle club was gone, her hands were basically useless, but Sable would not give up.  She refused to die here!  The ice in her veins burned as she lunged towards the Nobody with a silent snarl. 

(Maybe, just maybe, if she could meet its blow, she could set off that squeaky-barrier effect.)

Thorny shadows wove around her arm.  A sudden weight settled in her hand.  One foot slamming down, Sable pushed off it and swung up!

The Dusk went reeling back. 

Sable didn’t let it go, arm flicking around into a harsh horizontal sweep.  Again, the Nobody was sent staggering back.  Still riding her momentum, Sable drew her arm back and lunged.  The Nobody went flying before hitting the ground in an indignant heap.  Only then, did Sable dare to glance down. 

A sword’s hilt was clenched in her fist, leading up to an angular bat’s wing of red and black.  A familiar shape, just like the weapon Riku favored after the Destiny Islands fell.  Only Soul Eater wasn’t the name that sprang to her mind.

Gluttony

A slow, predatory grin spread across Sable’s face.  She could almost feel the blade’s eagerness to strike down the enemy, light and ready in her grasp. 

Violet eyes flicked up again. 

The Dusk had recovered from its tumble and the blue streaks along its side were pulsing rapidly in what was either further indignation or alarm.  With an audible hiss the Dusk took to the air once more, coiling in on itself as it homed in on her again, snapping out like a tightly wound spring.

Pivoting sharply on the ball of her foot let Sable avoid the sharp feet.  Rooting herself, she swung Gluttony up as the Dusk passed and struck it squarely in the side.  It went tumbling gracelessly skyward. 

Sable lunged to swing again as it fell.

Whipping around, the Dusk’s oversized head slammed into her and she went sprawling across the grass as it recovered itself and lunged again.  Only for Seifer to drop out of the sky, his Struggle club slamming full on into the Dusk and – to everyone’s surprised – send it crashing into the grass.

Swinging her legs like a breakdancer to return to her feet, Sable eyed the battered Dusk as she moved to stand besides Seifer.  “I think it’s about done.” She murmured.

“It better be.” The other teenager growled, thoroughly fed up with the whole situation.

“Pincer it?” Sable suggested, earning an incredulous look.

“How do you expect to do that?” Seifer demanded as the recovered Dusk approached with its boneless saunter. “I doubt it will just let one of us waltz past it, now!”

Sable just smiled.  Then charged.  The Dusk started to puff up as she approached.  Dropping into a baseball slide Sable let her momentum carry her past.  Rearing, the Nobody jerked around in confusion as she pushed off again.

“Seifer!”

“On it!”

Gluttony slammed into the back of the Dusk’s head, sending it careening towards Seifer as the other teenager swung up with all his strength.  Again, his blow connected and the Dusk was knocked into the air.  Sable leapt high with all the experience of years’ worth of parkour and swung down.

The Dusk crashed into the dirt and grass with an audible thump.

Sable landed lightly on its other side and met Seifer’s gaze.  They shared a nod, brandishing their respective weapons as their foe rose unsteadily to its feet.

“Now!” Seifer charged.

He went high.  Sable went low.  The Dusk burst between them. 

Something small and hard nailed Sable right between the eyes.  Startled, she overbalanced and crashed into the grass again.  What had just…?

A piece of munny. 

A legit piece of munny had just smacked her in the face upon defeating an enemy.  How did that even make sense?  Why was a Dusk even carrying munny to begin with?

At least the photos now fluttering to the ground made sense. 

Kinda. 

(Clearly the Dusk had been stealing them, but Sable had no idea why it would bother.  As she’d confirmed earlier: this was the real Twilight Town and Roxas wasn’t there for them to target.) 

With the Dusk’s defeat, the battle barrier trapping Sable and Seifer disappeared and allowed the other teenagers to rush in as Sable was picking herself up again.  Hayner and his friends immediately started collecting the scattered photographs while Fuu and Rai ran over to check on Seifer.

Actually, that reminded her…

Fishing out another potion from her pouch, Sable tossed it to her fellow combatant.  Watching him start as it shattered above him amused her.  (He hadn’t jumped at the one she’d tossed him earlier.)  Then, she did the same for herself.  The green glitter tickled her nose with the scent of menthol… Oh. 

That actually felt quite nice.  The forming bruises she’d collected, throbbing so hard she could probably close her eyes and chart out their outlines, immediately went cool and…not exactly numb, but they weren’t actually hurting any more. 

In fact, they kind of tingled.

“Hey.”  Sable looked up to see that Seifer had approached while she was distracted. “Thanks.”  He jerked a chin where the Dusk had vanished. “For helping deal with that thing.”

Blinking, Sable offered a shallow bow. “Glad to help.  It-”

“Hey!”  Pence’s startled yelp drew everyone’s attention.  The stocky boy had apparently found his camera lying at the base of one of the towering pine trees. “It’s gone!”

“What’s gone?” Hayner asked after they’d all exchanged baffled looks. “That isn’t your camera?”

Pence looked at him, eyes wide. “The photo I took back at the Sandlot, it’s not here!”

“Maybe it fell out?” Olette suggested, holding up the handful of photos she’d collected.

As they all started combing the area for the rest of the photos, Sable’s initial impulse was to duck out and return to her apartment, but… That would be kind of rude and more than a little childish.  So, she lingered and collected her own little stack of paper squares, sneezing loudly when she passed the tree where Pence had found his camera. 

(That weird scent of earthy herbs seemed a little out of place next to the much stronger scent of torn grass and the surrounding pine needles.) 

Between both groups, and Sable, it didn’t take long to find all the scattered photos and then flip through them for the one Pence had last taken. 

It wasn’t there, even after they combed the area a second time.

“That’s weird.” Pence mumbled, looking more fascinated than disappointed. “We got all the photos back, except that one.” He glanced at Sable. “Any idea- where’d that neat sword go?”

Blinking, Sable looked down at her empty hand.  She hadn’t even noticed Gluttony vanish.

She shrugged. “Guess it had somewhere else to be.” She glanced over the other teens.  “If…you don’t need anything, I think I’ll be going back home, now.”

They all waved, or nodded, and Sable turned to backtrack back to Twilight Town proper.  Once she was out of sight of the others, she let the pensive frown she’d been suppressing settle on her face.

While she had certain quirks in common with cats, such as scrambling up tall objects at high speeds or taking random naps in awkward places, the impulse to pounce on sudden movement was not one of them.  That hunting reflex had been new.   

That wasn’t the only out of place thing that had happened. 

Sable was a runner and climber.  Those were the instincts she had trained into automatic reflex, so she knew how to leverage momentum and how to fall so she didn’t hurt herself.  Being tossed a Struggle club should not have produced anything more complicated than the swinging of a baseball bat, yet she’d not only beaten Seifer in a Struggle match but managed to fight off a Dusk. 

Somehow, she now had the reflexes for at least basic sword play.  When she’d never been in a physical fight before in her life. 

And that scared her.

              ———

Chapter Text

To Sable’s surprise, she slept without any trace of nightmares though she woke with the weird phantom sense of something warm and velvety rubbing against her cheek. 

(She had no idea what to make of that.)

Peaceful sleep aside, she still woke up much too early.  Enough to distantly note that Twilight Town did, in fact, have a proper night cycle.  It just never reached the full dark she was used to.  Instead, the sky remained the deep navy of early morning for a relatively brief span of time until the reds and golds of sunrise came again. 

Despite being awake and not likely to return to sleep, Sable didn’t get up.  She lay smothered by a familiar lethargy that had precious little to do with the previous day’s excitement.  It was the same lethargy that left the world hazed in gray and her sense of touch far away.

So, Sable lay in bed long after she’d initially stirred, well after the blue of night had been chased away.  She knew she should get up, do something productive, but lacked the inclination to do so.  Pragmatically speaking, Sable should go check out some potential parkour routes.  Get to know the city.  It’d be fun!  She just…didn’t want to.

Not wanting to didn’t matter. 

Sable needed to get up and do something productive, even if it was as simple as getting some sunlight and fresh air.  She couldn’t just chill in bed the whole day.  That would be a waste.

Eventually, responsibility trumped lethargy and she managed to pry herself up.  She didn’t even bother trying to eat, knowing any attempt would leave her loafing on the sofa for most of the day.   Just got dressed and left the apartment.

(The sun felt nice.)

Once outside, Sable started walking.  One foot in front of the other.  Destination didn’t matter so long as she kept moving.  Maybe she should go figure out how to sign up for the Struggle Tournament.  Sable knew it was soon, but couldn’t currently remember when it was supposed to take place.  There were probably signup sheets down at the Sandlot, she was pretty sure she’d seen a bulletin board there the day before.

At some point her wanderings would probably lead her down that way.  For the time being her feet were carrying her uphill through Market Street.  There were an awful lot of signs and notices posted in between the different storefronts…

“Drat, we’re still short.”

Recognizing the voice, Sable paused and glanced over to see Hayner and his friends starring at one of the many bulletin boards.  Intrigued, she angled her course towards them.

Olette sighed. “I guess we can’t go today.”

“What’s wrong?”

All three jumped at her voice, whipping around to face her.  Clearly, they hadn’t noticed her walking up.

“Oh, Sable!”  Pence sagged, one hand coming to rest over his rapidly beating heart. “It’s nothing.  We just don’t have enough munny to go to the beach like we’d planned.”

Sable was now growing seriously concerned by how true-to-life Ansem’s virtual town was, right down to the events going on in real time.  But nevermind that.  Better to focus on the stellar opportunity that had presented itself to her. 

“I’ll help you get the munny.” She decided aloud, peering around the other teens to examine the Want Ads pinned to the corkboard.

“That’s alright.” Hayner was quick to speak up. “You helped us enough yesterday.”

Sable wondered if he realized how his words implied the opposite.  That she’d been a detriment to them, at least.  Quirking a dark brow, she stared at him until he fidgeted and looked away.

“I’ve nothing better to do right now.” Sable informed them. “And this is a good way to start getting to know people.  How much did you need?”

“About twelve hundred munny- OW!” Pence rubbed the spot where Hayner’s elbow had just jabbed him.

“I’ll meet you back here in a bit, then.” Sable informed the younger teens.  Then she turned and walked towards what she thought was the nearest Want Ad address.

              ———

Striding back to the notice board of Market Street with a dull sense of satisfaction, Sable casually tossed a cheap pouch into the air.  Up, then down, up and down, up, down.  All-in-all it had been quite productive, though a myriad of still-throbbing stings made her resolve not to take anything bee-related in the future.  Ouch.

After handling a series of different requests (the bee-extermination having only been one of them) she’d made more than enough for the younger teens’ needs.  It had also let her get somewhat familiar with a number of people in the general area.  Poster Duty had been her favorite, having been encouraged to scramble all around the commons like a gleeful squirrel.  Hearing the man who posted the add compliment her for getting the job done faster than anyone else he’d hired in the past and been very satisfying. 

The job had also given her a number of potential parkour routes that she’d have to try later. 

Hayner and his friends were already waiting by the notice board.  They all turned to greet her as she handed Olette the pouch.

The younger girl quickly counted out the total and, to Sable’s surprise, divided out a majority chunk to pass back.  Perplexed, Sable accepted the munny.  That had been the twelve-hundred Pence had mentioned, so why was…?

“We took some jobs, too.” Hayner explained, arms folded nonchalantly behind his head. “Didn’t want you to do all the work.”

“Is that so?” A knowing smirk drifted across Sable’s face. “Or was it to salve your ego for needing help to begin with?”  Again went unvoiced but apparently heard all the same as a flush blossomed across the boy’s face before he quickly turned away to hide it.

Snickering, Sable spun on her heel and walked away.  Waved without turning back.  “Have a fun trip.” 

Helping them had been good for her.  While Sable still felt the weight of the lethargy, it wasn’t quite as oppressive as it had been earlier that morning.  Funny how reaching out to help others could in turn help one’s self so much.  She was still a little listless, but getting some other things done didn’t seem quite as impossible now.

Time to go find the signup sheet for the Struggle competition…and find the exact date for it.  Missing it because she got the day wrong would be embarrassing.

              ———

As Sable had already guessed, the sign-up sheet for the upcoming Struggle Tournament was at the Sandlot.  More specifically, the giant board where Seifer’s friends had been hanging out when Hayner and his group had shown up to confront them about the missing photos.  There in a corner was a clipboard hanging on a pushpin, complete with a pen-on-a-cord dangling next to it.

Looking it over, it appeared they used full-name signatures rather than just a given name, which only made sense considering how big Twilight Town actually was.  Just glancing it over revealed several sets of people with the same given name.

For no particular reason, she looked for any familiar ones and found a messy scrawl she could just make out as Seifer Almasy a few rows from the top, which surprised her.  First on the list was actually one Setzer Gabbiani, written in much neater script. 

Sable thought she might have found Hayner’s name as well, but it was so messy she could barely guess at his first name and the last name might as well have been censored by sharpie. 

In any case, Sable picked up the pen to sign in her own name on the next open line.  As she put the final flourish to Superba, she let the pen drop and began turning away, her mind already racing ahead.  The prelims for the tournament, according to the sheet, started at Oh-Too-Early in the morning, so she’d have to check and see if her alarm clock had come with her to Twilight Town or if she needed to buy another one- Yikes!

Yelping, arms pinwheeling for balance, Sable just managed to hop and skip around the short figure that had apparently ghosted up behind her.  She didn’t actually fall over, so she’d count that as a win.

“I’m so sorry!”  Gloved fingers wringing the brim of his oversized hat, Vivi looked almost ready to cry, his big yellow eyes wide and watery.

Recovering her balance, Sable waved him off.

“It’s fine, no harm done.” Violet eyes flickered from the little boy to the sign-up sheet and back again. “Thinking of competing?”

“Oh, I…” Cue some very awkward fidgeting as Vivi looked everywhere except Sable and the signup sheet.  “I…uh, I’ve been practicing?”  He looked down at his feet and fidgeted some more. “I’m not very good…”

“All the more reason to sign up.” Sable pointed out and was amused as the little boy’s head snapped up so fast his hat almost went flying. “Get some real experience, there’s only so much you can figure out when practicing alone.” Because if Sable remembered correctly, Vivi would sneak out into the forest by himself to practice with a Struggle club.  No targets, no sparing partners, just him shadowboxing under the trees.

“You…you really think I can?”

“Hey, worst that happens is you lose, right?” Sable shrugged. “Even then, you still win because you’ll have a better idea of what you need to work on for next time.”

Yellow eyes grew bright with wonder. “Next time?”

“This is a yearly thing, right?  Why not make it a point of participating?  The important part is having fun and learning new things, if you win that’s just a convenient bonus.”

Vivi was looking more than a little starry-eyed, now.  “Alright!” He darted past her to the sign-up sheet with startling speed for someone with such short legs. “I’ll do my best!”

Curious, Sable peered over his shoulder as he signed. 

Vivi Ornitier

He had very nice handwriting for a little kid.  Better than most of the people who’d signed up, in fact.  Sable found that both funny and sad.

“Way ta go, ya know!”

At the shout, Vivi shot straight up.  High enough to completely clear the top of the announcement board with room to spare.  Sable was duly impressed.  Most people twice his height couldn’t get that kind of air.

As the little boy returned to earth, Sable turned to face the new arrivals.  Like Vivi had a few moments prior, they’d managed to approach without being noticed.  Rai was punching the air enthusiastically while Fuu and Seifer remained more composed.

“Brave.” Fuu praised with a pleased nod that had the boy shuffling in place, embarrassed. 

Then Seifer stepped forward, pointed a finger at Vivi, his blue eyes hard. “Don’t expect me to go easy on you when we have our match.” He said gruffly.

When they had their match, he’d said.  Like Seifer didn’t doubt for a moment that Vivi would make it that far.

Sable felt her brow tic up, feeling a new respect for the other teenager.  Maybe Elmyra’s description was more accurate than the game would have suggested…

Vivi must have heard that unspoken confidence as well because, rather than quail under the older boy’s stare, he actually stood taller.  The leather of his gloves squeaking in protest as he clenched his fists. 

“I won’t disappoint you, Seifer!” He promised. 

Then he took off past them, floppy hat bouncing as he ran.  He was probably going to practice some more.

The gathered teens all watched the little boy go until he vanished from sight. 

Seifer turned back to Sable before peering past her towards the signup sheet.  The pen was still swinging back and forth from its cord after Vivi had dropped it. 

“You signed up?”

Sable nodded.  “Just before Vivi did, actually.”

He nodded, his approval plain to see. “Good.  You showed some real skill against that intruder from yesterday.”

“Adept.” Fuu agreed.

“Real smooth, ya know?” Rai boxed the air a moment. “Bet’cha’ve been practicing for years.  Like Seifer, yeah?”

With an opening like that, Sable just couldn’t resist.

“Actually, I’d never picked up a Struggle club until Hayner tossed me one.” She answered. 

Silence.

“What.” Seifer’s tone was flatter than a lizard after a game of chicken with a semi-truck.  “You’ve gotta be kidding.”

With effort, Sable managed to stay impassive in the face of their comical shock. 

“No way!” Rai shouted. “Not with how you beat Seifer, ya know!”

“I’m serious.” Sable assured. “I’ve never been in a physical fight until he called me out.  I’m experienced in the Art of Running Away, so it’s honestly amazing I didn’t just fumble the club.  Or hit myself in the head.”

That got her three dubious looks.

“Art of Running Away?” Rai repeated. “Like the Art of the Sword?  That can’t be real!  There’s no art to running away, ya know?  It’s just running.”

“It’s also known as finding the shortest route between two points.” Sable smiled, glancing around at the tall buildings surrounding the Sandlot.  “Like this.” 

Spinning around, Sable sprinted at the display board.  A quick jump let her grab the top as she swung herself up onto it.  Another jump carried her over some almost-tree-sized-hedges to land on a second-story façade protruding from a building. 

Below her, she could hear a series of startled shouts and bit down a smile to continue.

Gripping the top of a window ledge, she leveraged herself up onto the roof.  Without missing a beat, she long-stepped twice before leaping onto the concrete awning of the next building.

(Why concrete? Weren’t they usually fabric or thin metal?)

 She leapt up onto a narrow façade wrapping around an upper story and meandered over it as easily as a cat before pausing to gauge distance.  Then she jumped across one of the roads leading out of the Sandlot to cling to the front of another building on the opposite side.  Her toes only just found purchase on the almost non-existent window ledge as she hugged the side of the building. 

Fingers bracing up against the underside of the tiles peaking over the roof, Sable crab-walked across two window ledges before pitching herself sideways to the next building.  She landed solidly on the slightly wider façade protrusions and kept going: one, two, three…

She dove away from the building.  Hit the ground with a practiced shoulder roll.  Let the momentum carry her back to her feet without so much as a hitch, leaving her to jog across the open space to return to the other teenagers.  The whole stunt had taken less than a minute, maybe not even thirty seconds.  As she returned, they all gaped at her, clearly taken by surprise, though Seifer was looking a little thoughtful.

“So, you really were thinking of just running away, then.” He mused, glancing from her to the surrounding rooftops and then back again.

Ah.  Oops.  She hadn’t realized he’d noticed that.

“Pretty much.” Sable admitted. “But I had some potions, and figured at least trying would net better results than fleeing outright, so…”

Seifer squinted at her. “You handled yourself suspiciously well for someone who’d never fought before.”

“In all honesty, I’m blaming that on adrenaline and watching too many action movies.”

That got a round of snorts before silence fell.  Seifer seemed to be considering something.  Very intently.  Sable was just beginning to consider taking her leave when he finally spoke:

“Wanna practice?”

Violet eyes blinked. “What?”

“I refuse to risk you flopping out of the tournament.” Seifer fixed her with a glare. “Considering I lost to you, that would reflect badly on me.  So, I’m going to make sure that yesterday’s events weren’t just a one-off fluke.” He looked to his friends. “Grab some clubs, you’ll be helping with this.”

A few moments later, Sable found herself standing across from Seifer in the middle of the Sandlot, clubs in hand.  He didn’t take his usual high-grip stance, instead holding the club from waist-level.

“We’ll do a few test bouts.” The other teenager decided, sizing Sable up. “But first, any questions?”

“What’s the squeaky thing?” Was out of Sable’s mouth before she could stop herself. “When our clubs rebounded off each other, something flashed and squeaked.  What was that?”

Seifer blinked at her before nodding. “Take a swing at me.  I’ll guard against it.  Watch what happens.”

Sable lunged obediently, her Struggle club shooting out to connect solidly with Seifer’s now upraised club.  There was the familiar light and squeaky sound effect.  Like before, the recoil was surprisingly intense for the impact.  Since she didn’t have to worry about a follow up attack, Sable was able to observe the fact more intently and, this time, managed to see an odd flicker in the air around the light.

Wait.  She knew those shapes!  Those were the same hexagonal shapes that came with a battle barrier!

“You saw it?” Seifer asked and Sable nodded, brows furrowed as she stared at the space where the shapes had been. “It’s a kind of magic that doesn’t require mana power to activate, just timing.”  The other teenager explained.  “It’s technically called ‘Guard’ and, when successfully performed, it leaves a Shell of magic around the user for a moment that wards off attacks.”

He gestured towards the space where their bats had connected. “An incomplete version happens when two weapons collide rather than hit their intended target.  That one causes both users to get knocked back and it has a shorter duration, but it’s still useful.” Cocking his head, he let his bat fall to his side. “Even the incomplete version can help someone fight against a physically stronger opponent, because the magic balances out the power involved.”

“Huh.” Sable studied her club, looking thoughtful. She remembered the Guard technique in Kingdom Hearts 2, and that it was pretty broken compared to other techniques.  Seifer’s explanation shed quite a bit of light on that.  “So, how do you do it correctly?”

“We’ll get to that.” Seifer promised.  “But first, you should figure out the combos you want to use in a fight.  Then, no matter how hectic it is, you have moves to fall back on that don’t require you to think.” 

Sable considered that, remembering Sora’s iconic combos in the games.  The same three movements initially, then others depending on how the situation around him changed.  A flexible yet reliable style that had served the untrained boy well when he was tossed headfirst into combat.

“I noticed you favor upward sweeps.” Seifer went on, miming one of Sable’s forehand swings.  His club cut diagonally through the air until his hand almost curled over his opposing shoulder.  “Any particular reason for that?”

Violet eyes blinked, recognizing the swing now that she saw someone else use it. “I played tennis back in school, before I moved here.” She admitted.  “Did a lot of drills for forehand and backhand groundstrokes.”

Seifer nodded. “It shows.  Now we just have to build off that and find what strikes come more easily to you.”  He stepped off, gesturing for Rai to step onto the field. “Let’s start by seeing how you handle someone who out masses you…”

              ———

“So…” Sable began, nibbling on her burger, “why ‘romantic’?”  In the middle of drinking his soda, Seifer shot her a quizzical look, so she elaborated.  “You use ‘isn’t this romantic’ as a mantra for your diving attack.  I’m just wondering why.”

The other teenager considered the question, taking a bite of his hotdog.  Over on the other bench, Rai was fooling around with his fried noodles, much to Fuu’s exasperation, and neither had heard the quiet question.

“You know what ‘romantic’ means, right?” Seifer asked at last.

“I know how people typically use it.” Sable answered. “But that doesn’t seem to be the context you’re using.”

Seifer snorted. “Yeah, no.”  Taking another bite, he considered her a moment before swallowing. “Romanticism was a major movement involving emotion and individualism.  Back when people still aspired to become knights and adventure was still a thing.  I’ve…” He paused, leaning back on the bench as he stared up at the golden-hued sky. “Well, it’s what I’ve always wanted to be, you know?  A knight protecting his charge.”

That…was a lot deeper than Sable honestly would have expected. 

“So, when you say ‘isn’t this romantic’,” She hummed thoughtfully. “You’re saying ‘isn’t this an adventure’?”

“Basically.”

“Clever.” Sable finished off her burger and washed it down with the rest of her drink.  Beside her, Seifer did the same.  “So, what next?  I appreciate the help and all, but I don’t want to keep you if you and the others have other things to do today.”

“As it happens, there are some odd jobs we agreed to help with.” Seifer admitted readily, leaning back in a leisurely stretch before swinging back up on his feet.  “And you’re coming with us.”

Sable blinked up at him. “Why?”

“Two reasons.  First being it’ll let you pay us back for the tutoring session.” He said this with a particularly haughty smirk, as if it hadn’t been his idea to practice in the first place.  “The second is so you can get more practical experience with using your combos.  Spars are all well and good, but it’s not enough.”

Violet eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t involve bees, does it?”

“No.” Seifer answered immediately, his tone a little too innocent. “No bees.  I give you my word.”

That did not make Sable feel any better.

              ———

Seifer had been correct.  No bees had been involved.  Only very sad wooden wagons overladen with way too much stuff that needed to get shoved up a very steep hill.  In theory, one could just shove them up, but that wasn’t the point of the exercise.

Sable’s blows against Seifer, back in their first bout, had been…less than impressive.  Startling, sure, but not particularly effective and he hadn’t hesitated to tell her so.  So, he’d had her using a Struggle club to smack the creaking carts up the damn hill.

All three of them had laughed at her as she struggled with the task while they darted up and down the hill transporting all the other carts that needed moved.

It had taken her way too much time (and she’d managed to sprain her wrist in the process) but Sable finally got the freaking cart into the shed that was its home right as the others made their last trip up.  She was pretty sure it had been sheer, petulant spite that had let her muscle through to the end. 

Then she used up the rest of the potions Elmyra had given her and spent the rest of the day with the wrist wrapped in a Velcro brace.

Of course, Seifer wasn’t done then.  Nope.  That would have been too easy. 

Next had been breaking down a bunch of old boxes.  They hadn’t needed nearly as much force to break down than the cart had needed to be shoved uphill, but it definitely got her used to leveraging actual force behind her swings.  It wasn’t just some play-game, she had to strike with the intent to cause legitimate damage.  A bit of a switch from how she’d grown up constantly hearing how she shouldn’t break things, or hurt people.

(Her injured wrist hadn’t appreciated the continued strain, but she managed to power through it.  It was mostly just phantom pain and lingering inflammation after the potions did their work.) 

That particular exercise had let her start figuring out what combos she’d favor.  Granted, she’d mostly figured that out during the earlier spars, so the Junk Sweep had just solidified her decisions.  It also revealed an odd quirk to her use of the Struggle bat.

“You really don’t like Oberhau or Zornhau, do you?” Seifer observed once the clatter of wood echoing off brick and cobblestones had faded.

Gently flexing her wrapped wrist, Sable shot him a perplexed look. “What and what?”

“Oberhau,” he mimed a high downward chop, “and Zornhau.” A diagonal slash starting above his dominant shoulder and sweeping downward. “All your blows are either upward, or mid-height horizontal.”

“Let’s me leverage my legs for more force.” Sable answered, though a frown settled on her face. “The club isn’t heavy enough for gravity to really add much.” 

Curious, she raised her borrowed club.  It was fine until she’d raised it about shoulder-level, then a sudden chill ran down her spine as her arm tried to spasm and she immediately let it drop.  Shivering, Sable tried to calm her suddenly racing heart.

Concerned, Seifer took a step towards her. “You okay?  Is your wrist…”

“No, it’s…it’s not my wrist.” Grimacing, Sable massaged her inner forearms.  “I know what the problem is.”  She didn’t need to see past the long sleeves to know where the angled lines, perfect extensions of the crisscrossing scar over her collar bone, were branded into the pale skin.

(Raising her hands too high left her body exposed.  Left her unable to react.  Trapped.)

“Can’t do chops in my combos.” She admitted. “Maybe for a one-off strike, but not a combo.  Leaves me too open.”

Blue eyes shadowed by his tuque, Seifer watched her closely.  “…wanna talk about it?”

“No.  No, not really.”

He backed off, hands splayed in a gesture of nonaggressiveness and, thankfully, let the matter drop.

After they’d piled up all the trash on carts and loaded it all to the dump, Seifer took them to the last errand of the day.  ‘Light work’, he’d called it and he was technically right.  A little kid had wanted a street performance showcasing a bouncy ball and Struggle clubs. 

It was basically hacky-sack-with-sticks, the point of the game being to keep it airborne for as long as possible.  Not much force needed at all.  Sable, a bit irritated by this point and understanding that it was meant to be a show, decided it was a perfect time to show off.

(The ball was big and light and did not fall quickly.  She was going to exploit that.)

All around, the crowd ooo’d and awww’d as Sable ran several steps straight up the rough brick wall and launched herself into the air. 

With an upward sweep she intercepted the ball before Seifer could smack it again and sent it rocketing higher over their heads.  Flipping backward midair so she came down feet-first against the opposite wall, she launched off again, absently sending the ball higher, before flipping forward to return a story up on the first wall and kicked off the top of an angled window awning.

(Had her jumping range increased?  The distance between walls should not have been so easy to leap…)

Several times she repeated this, eventually sailing up higher than the lowest roof.  Now with a bit of leeway, she let twirls and spins mix in with the flips as she kept the ball at a relatively consistent height.

Then she fell.

Screams sounded from far below, and Sable’s lips quirked up.

There was a narrow, yet sturdy concrete arch about two stories up that crossed over the road leading down to the Sandlot.  It was nothing to catch the bottom lip of it as she dropped passed, then swing up to kick the ball higher again as she flipped atop the arch like a gymnast.

Height was secondary to show by this point, so she kept batting at it with intricate beats in between dropping and flipping around the patterned concrete.

A familiar warning tremor in her limbs, especially her protesting wrist, told Sable it was time to wrap things up.

Casually gauging distance, she smacked the ball up away from the arch back towards the crowd, then casually leapt off.  She hit the ground with a roll that softened it from a potentially bone-cracking impact to merely jarring, and tumbled several times before leaping back up to her feet in time to catch the ball again.  With her offhand folded across her ribs, she casually bopped the ball over her head a few times in quick succession before coming to a sudden stop, the ball now balanced on the end of her club.

Grinning, she bowed deeply and offered the ball-on-a-club to the little girl that had made the request.  Wide-eyed, the little girl gingerly plucked the ball off.  Sable took a polite step back, twirled her club once, then offered a much showier bow to the collective crowd.

The resulting applause echoing off the surrounding brick and concrete made her ears hurt. Ow… 

“Now that was just showing off.” Seifer groused from behind her.

 “It’s grandstanding, Seifer.  Of course it involves showing off.” Still grinning, Sable turned slightly to look at him. “You’re just jealous you can’t do that.”

He rolled his eyes as Fuu and Rai both clapped with the crowd, then he begrudgingly began clapping as well though the faint smile on his lips betrayed him.

“Art of Running?” Fuu asked, a whopping record of three whole words at a time.

“Shortest route between two points.” Sable answered with a wink.

The pale-haired girl considered that. “Teach?”

“If you don’t mind more practice bouts in between, then sure.” Sable let Seifer, now fed up with the excess of people, herd her and his friends down towards the Tram Commons. “Not today, though.  I’m about done.”

“Tomorrow morning, then.” Seifer decided, glaring at a few eager people who didn’t seem to realize it was time to break up. “I’ll be holding you to that.”

Violet eyes rolled.

The trio walked her back to the apartment complex before going their own ways.  Content but tired, her wrist throbbing in persistent spite, Sable fixed one of her pre-made meals.  Took a hot shower.  Reluctantly drank the potion Seifer had shoved into her hand and almost choked on the concentrated taste of menthol.  Then went to bed.

She slept soundly and with the oddest sensation of dense hair tangling between her fingers.

              ———

The next morning proved that Seifer was true to his word.  Sable nearly nailed him with the door as she left her apartment, the blonde teenager having been about to knock.  The sheer unlikeliness of that kind of timing, especially since they hadn’t actually set a time, had left Sable snickering the entire walk to the Sandlot.

They warmed up first, then had a playful Struggle bout.  What was supposed to be a free-for-all ended up turning into a boys-vs-girls match, which had amused Sable considerably.  She and Fuu had handled the boys quite thoroughly, with her playing up close with Fuu attacking from range.  The shorter girl favored the awkward wand-shaped Struggle club design and could, somehow, throw it in such a way that it would always ricochet back in her direction no matter what it hit.

Sable couldn’t figure out how Fuu did it and ended up asking for club-throwing pointers afterwards.  In the process she learned that Fuu actually preferred frisbees to Struggle clubs, only Seifer insisted she had to be at least proficient in the latter.  It turned out the smaller girl actually carried a small frisbee in her cargo pocket.  It was a very pretty blend of white, blue, and cyan with a cloud-like pattern to it. 

According to Rai, Fuu was the champion of a Twilight Town-variant of Disc Golf.  Apparently, that was the ‘Fall Sport’ to go with Struggle being a ‘Summer Sport’. 

Did that mean there were sports for winter and spring, as well? 

Sable hadn’t had time to ask as both Seifer and Fuu had gotten impatient to try parkour.  So, they went back to the Commons.  As it turned out, putting up posters was a regular, well-paying past time for most of the kids in Twilight Town.  So, they were all familiar with the idea of scrambling around in three-dimensional space and making sure to dodge the trams.

That made things simpler as Sable walked them through the general principles of parkour.

“There isn’t any one way to do parkour.” She told her captive audience. “How you would tackle an obstacle would be different from how I choose to tackle it.  So, stick to your strengths.” She gestured to Seifer. “You’re strong and have already demonstrated excellent jumping abilities, so lean on that.”

While the toque-wearing blonde preened, Sable looked at Fuu. “You have less reach, so you’ll have to be a bit more creative.”  Pausing, Sable looked at the last member of the trio. “You, I honestly have no idea about.” She admitted to Rai. “You don’t seem like the traceur type, so we’ll see how it goes.”

“I’ll blow you away, ya know!” The muscular teen punched the air.

Nodding, Sable straightened up and looked at each teen in turn.  “Remember, an object in motion tends to stay in motion, so don’t stop moving.  Expect a lot of crashing until you get the timing down, but if you’re careful even that won’t be too bad.  The point here is to find the most direct route to your intended destination.  One that you can actually handle.”  She smirked.  “Do try and keep up.”

Before they could process the challenge, Sable was gone, dashing away to skitter up and around buildings until she reached the nearest high point.  Perched like a gargoyle, she grinned down at their gaping expressions.

Then their faces set in united determination and they took off after her.

So, it went, with Sable waiting until they were almost over the last obstacle separating them before leaping away to find another perch.  Initially she stuck to relatively close spots so that, if they were watching, they could see how she got there.  As they started finding their individual rhythms, however, Sable began to take trickier routes so the challenge became as much about finding her as it was about reaching her.

From time to time, she’d pause the game to demonstrate a more efficient way to move, jump, or land.  They all definitely appreciated learning how to better soften their landings to bleed off the force of impact.  It made them quieter, left the landings considerably better balanced, and their feet hurt less afterwards.

Seifer, as expected, was skilled at just powering past most obstacles with his muscle-powered leaps and strong hands.  However, he lacked the creativity to adapt when faced with an obstacle that didn’t allow for that.  Then he was often left stuck and fuming until he grudgingly worked out an alternative route.

In contrast, Fuu had a clear knack for creative solutions that left Sable regularly surprised.  Apparently, there was some overlap with the local disc golf games? 

(Sable would have to look into the specifics, it was starting to sound really interesting.) 

The pale-haired girl also had enough coordination and self-control to make it look easy for the most part.  Much like a cat.  You blink and suddenly it’s gone from sprawling on the ground to the top of a high bookshelf and you’re left wondering if they teleported.  She was still clearly new to parkour, though.  Often times she’d stall out at an obstacle and had to fumble through a couple of false starts before finding a solution.  Then the solutions were clean and confident.

As for Rai…well.  After the dozenth or so time he tumbled unceremoniously off some roof or ledge it was unanimously decided that he wouldn’t tackle anything above ground level.  At least not until after he developed a better sense of balance.  There were only so many times the rest of them were willing to stop and buy more potions from Wantz.

The burly teen was left the picture of dejected misery when they all passed their consensus, visibly wilting where he stood.  Then Fuu bought him an ice cream and he perked right back up. Afterwards, he made a point of shouting out encouragement from the safety of the street. 

Sable eventually called things to a stop when she spotted the tell-tale signs of muscle fatigue in her new trainees.  Fuu trying to rub feeling back into her fingers.  A visible tremor in Seifer’s steps…

“I can keep going.” Seifer insisted as Sable dropped down to join them.

“Onward.” Fuu agreed, red-eyes still sharp.

“Oh, I’m sure you both could go on for quite a bit longer.” Sable acknowledged easily, offering a nod. “But this is your first time traveling like this.  Better not to overdo it when your muscles aren’t conditioned for it.” She shrugged. “Anyway, the tournament is tomorrow and I guarantee you’ll be sore enough as it is.”

The last part was directed mostly towards Seifer.  Pausing, Sable eyed a stray food cart. 

“Besides,” she added, “I’m getting hungry.”

It was the promise of food that won them over, in the end, which didn’t really surprise Sable.  So, they made their selections.  Paid the vendor.  Then retreated back to the Sandlot to eat.

“Fun.” Fuu declared as she sipped her drink.

“Right?” Sable grinned before biting into her burger. “It gets better as you figure out your limits.  Then you can really start getting creative.”

              ———

After they’d finished eating, Seifer insisted on handling a few more job requests.  To Sable’s dismay, there were other steep hills in the city that required carts full of heavy miscellaneous stuff smacked up to their peaks.  There were two factors that assuaged her disgruntlement.

First was that she’d gotten considerably better at leveraging her strength behind her swings compared to the prior day.  While she still wasn’t the fastest at the job, she was able to relocate more than just one cart.  That did a considerable bit towards assuaging her wounded pride.

The second thing was that the self-proclaimed Disciplinary Committee had clearly started feeling the after effects of their first parkour session shortly after starting the job.  Most of the previous ease and efficiency they’d displayed was entirely absent and they were all much slower.  Not so much for Rai, but Seifer and Fuu were clearly feeling the burn.

Seifer threw a crumpled paper cup at her head when Sable dared to snicker openly about their plight.  A stray breeze caught it mid-way and blew it very wide.  The other teenager had stormed dramatically off and pointedly ignored her until the job was over. 

Really, that just made it all the more hilarious.

              ———

Chapter Text

The Struggle Tournament of Twilight Town was considerably more complicated than the game had suggested.  Sable had partially expected it, some things just didn’t make sense with the way it was shown in the—admittedly limited—scope of the game.  Still, the full scope of things surprised her.

At oh-too-early-in-the-morning, when the sun had only just started banishing the navy blue of night, the opening of the Struggle Tournament was made.  There was the hype, the shouts, the bravado…and way too much squealing of fangirls for Sable’s peace of mind. 

(Yes, Setzer was very pretty to look at and even the scars did not detract from that, but good grief would it kill them to show some decorum?) 

Anyways…

Unlike what Sable had been mostly expecting, all the would-be competitors had scattered across the city for the preliminaries.  Everyone had been broken up into separate brackets and given the location of their particular set of fights.  These locations were anywhere big enough to support the makeshift rings (really just areas roped off for the contestants to fight inside) and the various crowds that would gather to watch.

Locations included: the open area in front of the shops in the Tram Commons, the Station Plaza, Sunset Hill, the Tunnel Way, and many other places.

Sable’s bracket turned out to be down in the underground passageway where Roxas found Vivi practicing with a Struggle club during their ‘summer report’ project.  Which is how she learned that Twilight Town had a subway in addition to the surface trains she’d already known about. 

(Mind blown.  She had not expected that.)

As for the Struggle bouts, the reality was quite different from what was shown in the game.  Well, the matches only lasted sixty seconds each, that much was true to the game at least.  It actually took longer to get everyone armored up and put in their respective places.       

The rest of it, though?  That was different

Such as how, originally, Sable had wondered how all the orbs fit into the sport.  One could hardly maneuver for a fight and hold tight to all those jumping-pit balls that decided whether someone won or lost their bout, after all. 

Upon seeing the actual method behind it, Sable felt a little embarrassed.  It was so obvious. 

Velcro balls.

Each only about the size of a large marble but, while they could stick to most clothing without issue, the Velcro could be rather rough on fabric threads.  Enter the special padded armor that wasn’t even hinted at in the game.  It reminded Sable of karate sparring armor, except covered in thin matte fabric that the Velcro balls could stick to.  Each contestant had their choice of pieces, though most stuck with torso armor and a helmet.  Some forwent it entirely, apparently Setzer and Seifer both had custom coats for the Velcro balls.

The point of the game was less about beating the stuffing out of one’s opponent and more about sweeping glancing blows to dislodge as many orbs as possible while retaining one’s own.  The Velcro balls, as Velcro tended to be, were difficult to dislodge in general so rough movement by itself wouldn’t do much.  This served to deter heavier, direct blows and offered a certain element of safety to the competition.  Granted, accidents still happened, but that was only to be expected.

In any case, Sable made it through the first round of preliminaries without any real difficulty.  Most of the participants were just casual practitioners and not serious contenders.  After sparring regularly against Seifer, the contrast was rather jarring.  She’d had to make it a point to actually pull her blows, especially against her younger opponents. 

After basically sweeping her immediate competition, Sable was given the address for the next set of preliminaries.  She saw more of the city in those few hours than she had in the last few days combined.  It was very scenic.

Eventually she found her way back to the Sandlot, having officially qualified for the finals.

She was also, from what she could see, the first to make it back to the Sandlot.  Yes, there were other people around, visiting the stalls and food stands scattered along the building walls, but no one else she knew specifically.  So, Sable found a vacant bench, sat down, and pulled out a small notebook she’d brought from home.

Tugging the pen free, she started to write.

Foam clash, duck and slide

Stab, parry, pivot, wait

Clumsy slash, nimble dodge

Lunge, overbalance, an upward strike

A sloppy guard, a chiding jab

Foot to ankle - yank - upend

Unblooded, untested, weak

Striking sticks is not a fight

Let the rookies defeat themselves

“I see you were about as impressed by prelims as I was.”

Jumping, Sable’s head snapped around to find Seifer reading over her shoulder.  The other teen smirked at her, then looked back to the notebook.

“Didn’t realize you did free verse poetry.”  He commented.  “May I?”

Nonplussed, Sable handed him the notebook and he flipped through the pages a moment.  Paused from time to time as he read one or another.  She watched his brows shoot up at one in particular.

“Blue streaked swats, yellow across brick.” He read a final line aloud. “Is this that bee job?”

“That’s the bee job.” Sable answered dryly, twitching at the memory of phantom pinpricks.

He snickered. “Yeah, no one likes those ones.  Pay’s mediocre and you always, always walk away with stings.  It’s a regular job on the notice board, though.  There’s at least one opportunistic swarm somewhere in town at any point.”  He paged through the notebook, a bit more slowly this time. “You describe most of the regular jobs here.” He paused again, frowning. “This one’s that fight with the jumpsuit-thing, right?”

Sable nodded again. “I write to catch the emotion of the experience, to better stir up the memories associated with it.”

“You definitely did that.  Knew what it was right away, though the zipper mouth bit was kind of obvious.”

The sudden squawk of a loudspeaker had both their heads snapping up as the announcer stepped onto the Struggle platform.  Seifer handed back the notebook and left to rejoin his posse, leaving Sable alone on the bench.

“It’s time to introduce today’s combatants!” There was an eager glint in the announcer’s eyes. “The four bad boys,” Sable twitched involuntarily, “who struggled their way through the preliminaries!”

There was a pause as the man took a deep breath and gestured with one arm.  “Regular finalist and head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee: Seifer!”

From where she sat, Sable could see Seifer’s tuque bob up and down as he gave a satisfied nod.

“Completely out of nowhere; who knew he’d make it so far this year?  Vivi!”

Sable wasn’t the only person to turn to look at the little black mage.  She was, however, the only one who looked on with a gnawing sense of suspicion. 

“An underground favorite and local attitude problem: Hayner!”  There was a vaguer gesture towards the boy in question, on the side opposite Seifer and his posse. “It’s his first trip to the finals!”

“And last, but certainly not least is the newcomer to our humble town who has already established herself a fighting reputation: Sable!”

The following roar from the crowd took Sable aback.  Why would they- Seifer.  Turning to look in his direction, Sable stared at him.  Sensing the look, the other teenager glanced back and offered a smug smirk.  Yes, those cheers had been his doing.

Sable huffed out a breath, exasperated.

“So—who will win this sweltering summer Struggle?!” Arms stretched out, eyes bright with anticipation, the announcer continued. “Who will take home the grand prize?” He gestured towards the intricate trophy, topped by four crystal spheres. “The summa cum launde of Struggle—the Four Crystal Trophy!”

The air split with sudden shrieks that sent shudders through Sable’s spine.  Fangirls, ugh…  The cause of the shrieks strode, nay sauntered, onto the stage.

“And the chance to take on our defending champion, Setzer!”

With a dramatic flair, the champion held the championship belt aloft for all to see.  The cheers increased as the excitement grew and tension mounted.

“It won’t be long now, folks.” The announcer grinned. “I suggest our challengers go over the official Struggle Rules before we begin!”

With a final wave, both men strode back off the stage.

              ———

“Hey, thanks for the other day.”

Standing atop the Struggle platform against her first opponent, Sable smiled. “Did you have a good trip?”

“Yeah, we had a blast!” Hayner grinned, then his shoulders went rigid as he got serious. “But don’t think I’ll go easy on you!” Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he held his club lightly in one hand, his face a mask of determination.

Sable offered a smirk back, lazily flexing the wrist holding her own club. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Our first match of the finals will be between Sable and Hayner!”

To the side, the referee gripped the rope dangling from the bell.  Waited a moment.  Then yanked so the ring filled the air.  There was a three-second pause, then-

“Hee-yah!”

Sable pivoted back away from Hayner’s lunge.  The younger teen’s step visibly faltered as he overextended himself.  Seeing this, Sable swung up forehand and sent him stumbling back, not letting up she took a step and swung back in a sweep, breaking what balance he’d recovered, then used the momentum to wind up for a finishing lunge. 

That sent Hayner sprawling across the platform with considerably more empty space on his padded armor than he’d started with.  Backing off, Sable darted around snatching the red Velcro balls and slapping them onto any open spaces on her armor. 

It was a good number.

A wild battle cry had Sable casually leaning back, bangs fluttering as Hayner’s leaping swing just missed.  His guard completely gone, Sable swung in a two-handed forehand, followed up with another backhand-to-lunge that sent Hayner staggering back again, though he somehow managed to keep his feet under him.

Smirking, Sable swung low, her club catching the back of his knees and yanking them up.  Yelping, the blonde crashed down hard on his back.

Sable leaned over him with an open smirk. “Are we having fun yet, hmm?”

With a furious snarl, Hayner swung up at her head. 

It wasn’t well aimed, Sable only had to duck for it to pass harmlessly over her, but he’d swung with such force that the momentum actually yanked him back to his feet.  It was rather impressive.  Sable had to throw herself back to avoid his follow up horizontal swing. 

(Let it be said: trying to do anything other than a shoulder roll with the padded armor and attached Velcro balls was less than comfortable. Even if the Velcro balls squished, they were still lumpy.)

Planting her feet on the platform again, Sable lunged forward to meet Hayner’s next swing.  There was a familiar squeaky-flash as he staggered back.  It was still not a proper Guard, but it was good enough.  She lunged again as he was still trying to recover, her club connecting once, then twice more as she followed up with a backhand-two-handed-forehand combo that sent him sprawling again amidst a rain of dislodged red Velcro balls.

Hayner was in the middle of blinking away stars when the bell rang again, signaling the end of the match.

“And the winner is…Sable!  This fierce fighter knows no mercy!” There was a pause. “And Hayner put up a good fight, too!”

As the onlookers cheered, Sable turned to where Hayner still lay sprawled on the wooden planks. “Aww man.” He rubbed at his face. “I lost.  I can’t believe it.”  He blinked as Sable offered a hand.  Glancing up at her, he accepted it and she pulled him to his feet.

“That was the most fun I’ve had all day.” Sable grinned, letting go of his hand again.

“I couldn’t even land one hit.” He lamented, disappointed, but that didn’t stop him from grinning at her. “I guess you really are good.”

“You’ll get better.” Sable promised. “Just keep practicing.” She paused a moment as she considered him. “Your coordination could use some work.  Every time you swung you left yourself wide open.”

Hayner frowned at that, then looked thoughtful.  They turned and headed towards the steps off the platform as Seifer was making his way up.

“Out of the way.” He barked, brushing past.

“In a rush to lose?” Hayner jeered.

Sable just rolled her eyes at them.  Boys.

There was a brief intermission as Sable and Hayner got their padded armor off and the platform was set up for the next match. 

(It mainly involved sweeping up the still-scattered Velcro balls) 

Hayner got himself a corndog while Sable just got a water bottle and they both returned to the bench Sable had previously claimed.  Apparently, Pence was playing bookie for the other kids their age while Olette was acting as supervisor, hence why Hayner was currently by himself.  Sable would not have guessed that.

They watched as Vivi and Seifer got prepped for their match.  Vivi’s poor hat got squished underneath his Struggle helmet.  Seifer’s white coat was dotted with yellow Velcro balls.

(For some reason, Vivi got the same blue Velcro balls that Sable had.  Why did Seifer get yellow rather than red?)

Violet eyes locked with unblinking gold and Sable frowned.  That flat, unblinking expression was nothing like the little boy she’d encouraged to sign up for the tournament.  In fact, it was almost identical to what she saw in the game when playing as Roxas and, in that case, it hadn’t actually been Vivi, at all.

A glimmer of dread began to pool in Sable’s gut.

“Don’t mess with your elders.” Seifer’s voice drifted down from the platform and the probably-not-Vivi finally looked away from Sable. 

“Whew,” the announcer breathed through the loudspeaker, “just look at those sparks fly!  I guess Seifer didn’t expect to fight one of his own boys!”

The starting bell rang out again.

Vivi bowed his head, then lunged.  Seifer skipped back, only for the shorter boy to follow easily.

“When did Vivi get so tough?” Hayner wondered aloud from further down the bench.  He glanced over at Sable, who was watching the match with narrowed eyes.

Seifer was playing much more defensively than he had when sparring with Sable, Vivi pressing him hard with a rapid barrage of too-fast strikes.  He blocked a heavy downward chop, knocking the younger boy higher up and then sending him flying. 

A single, solitary orb was jostled loose.

What. 

“You’re mine!”  Seifer dove for it.

One moment Vivi was on the far side of the ring, the next he was crouched under Seifer’s guard.  There was a flash as the little black mage’s club swung up.  Connected.  Seifer seemed to hover in the air for a moment before crashing down on hard wood.

He didn’t get up.

A deathly hush fell over the crowd, there was not a single person present who wasn’t caught off guard by that twist of events.  Sable squinted at the little boy.  For a split second, his club had swelled several times its actual size.  Just like the imposter in the game. 

“I’m not sure what just happened…” The announcer stuttered, just as stricken.  “But…the winner is…Vivi!” His voice steadied. “With an absolutely blistering comeback!”

All at once, the spell of silence was broken and the crowd roared at the unexpected victory.

And so Vivi won by default.

Tugging a potion out of her pocket, Sable tossed it at the unconscious teenager on the platform.  It shattered over him and Seifer stirred, sitting up stiffly as his posse rushed to his side.  They flanked him protectively as he limped off stage before coming to a stop by Sable.

“That’s not Vivi.” He murmured. “Thrash ‘im.”

Sable nodded curtly.  Satisfied, Seifer strode towards the alley that, if Sable remembered correctly, led uphill to the ‘Usual Spot’ where Hayner and his friends liked to hang out.  Apparently, he and his posse liked noisy crowds about as much as Sable did, which was not at all.

One of the tournament organizers walked over. “It seems like Seifer’s withdrawn from the Struggle for third place.”

Brown eyes lit up. “So, I’m in third, now?” Hayner beat the air with a cheer. “Aw, baby!”

Bemused, Sable glanced towards the alley.  She could just make out Seifer’s form leaning against a shadowed wall.  She quirked a brow at him, questioning, and got a shrug in response.

Then it was time for Sable to get armored up again.  The fine hairs of her neck prickling in time with the dread swelling in her gut.

“Keep it clean, you two.” The referee warned, his gaze specifically focused on Vivi as he held out their clubs.

Gold eyes fixed firmly to the boards at his feet, Vivi took the club and waddled off to his starting place.  Sable watched, then accepted her club and moved to her own place.  Like before, that unnerving gaze locked with hers almost immediately, not an emotion or thought to be seen.

“And now,” the announcer spoke as the referee left the ring, “the match you’ve all been waiting for, Sable-versus-Vivi!”

Sable took a calming breath, letting the tension melt from her shoulders as she exhaled and leaving her relaxed and limber.  Whatever was going on, she’d face it one way or the other.  Worrying about it would just slow her down, and she couldn’t afford that here.

The bell rang.

The match that followed was more a game of tag around the platform than a proper Struggle match.  Vivi had a really awkward, wobbly walk normally so he got around that by relying on his still-impressive leaps.  Generally a sideways single-handspring that could carry him almost halfway across the platform like a hat-clad Yoda. 

(If Sable found herself humming Jack be Nimble while watching him, she didn’t think anyone would mind.)

He’d go high with his springs, while Sable went low with her dodge rolls and they’d dance around each other with blows only just missing.  Most of the time.  Sable had the advantage in knowing what the (probably) fake Vivi’s preferred combo sets were, and could thus dodge or block accordingly.  That weird horizontal spin he did made for perfect opportunities for Sable to cut in and send him flying with a combo of her own.

(He was way too light, even for a nine-year-old, he should not have bounced across the wood like that!)

Feeling a bit like a bully, even with her growing suspicions, Sable prioritized the fallen Velcro balls over pushing her advantage.

Then another stoop to grab a wayward Velcro ball turned into an ungainly sprawl as she threw herself flat, feeling air whoosh overhead as something considerably larger than a Struggle bat swept through the space she’d just been occupying. 

By the time she’d rolled back to her feet, Vivi’s club had shrank back to its expected size.  The whole thing happened way too fast for anyone not actively watching for it to notice. 

Vivi handsprang towards her, bringing his enlarged club down towards her head.  Sable caught it against her own and the squeaky flash had him flailing back.  She lunged forward to swung her club up hard against the boy’s exposed stomach, connected, but he recovered mid-air before he could go bouncing again.

Sable wasn’t sure how he managed to reverse his momentum to swing at her with another horizontal twist, but she still managed to dodge roll away from it anyway.  Then it was another game of acrobat tag as she focused on collecting Velcro balls while Vivi chased after her.

She heard a number of whistles and cheers, clearly they were putting on quite a show.

Then the bell ran out again and the hairs on Sable’s neck prickled.  Dropping orbs and club alike, Sable straightened up as the air around the edge of the platform flashed, hints of translucent hexagons flickering here and there.

Another battle barrier. 

Sable could distantly hear the crowd murmur in confusion, even a few cries of recognition.  That wasn’t what she was focusing on, though.  Her attention was fixed on Vivi, who was bouncing lightly on one foot.

Light flashed and Sable flinched, the little boy’s silhouette stretched and twisted within the white not-smoke.  Then it was gone, and a Dusk swayed before her.

No, Dusks, Sable corrected as she glimpsed more sinewy forms flanking her on either side.  Two more to go with the first. 

Great. 

She’d barely managed to fight off one and that was with help.

Burning ice lanced down her arm, darkness crackling from her left hand before coalescing into Gluttony.  Violet eyes narrowed as she held it out in front of her.

The Dusks twitched.

Sable leapt forward and dropped into a slide, passing the Dusk that had been posing as Vivi.  (And where was Vivi?  What had they done to him?) As it, and its cohort, twitched around in alarm, Sable lunged to her feet, Gluttony flying ahead of her to slam into its exposed back and send it sprawling.

Hissing, the further two lunged.  Planting their flat heads on the ground and winding their rubbery bodies like corkscrews.  Sable was able to dodge the first’s spring, but the second sent her crashing into the boards.  The one she’d struck first slithered out of the air, pointed limbs lashing out at her.

Wood splintered as Sable rolled back out of the way before swinging back up to her feet.  Lunged.  Then nailed the Dusk with another combo that sent it flying into the air where the other two still wriggled.

Oh.  Shoot.  Maybe that hadn’t been such a good idea…

Stretchy limbs whipped out and Sable was airborne.  Once.  Twice.  Then a third time as the blows just kept coming, the Dusks in eerie sync with each other.  Reversing her grip, Sable blocked another scythe-tipped swing and the squeaky-flash sent that Dusk reeling back while Sable landed on her feet.  She lunged in for a combo and did not let up until that particular Dusk finally burst.

(This time she managed to duck the flying coins.)

The two surviving Dusks were sauntering her way, not particularly concerned by the loss of their fellow.  Then they leapt and snaked forward, already twisting in that coiling shape.  This time Sable managed to roll out of both their ranges, then sprang back as they were trying to reorient themselves.

She homed in on one chaining combo after combo until, like the first Durk, it burst in a scattering of light and munny.

One solitary Dusk wasn’t much of an issue after that, and then Sable was alone on the platform.  She tossed a couple of potions over herself, sneezing at the overpowering scent of menthol even as she felt energy flood back into her and the aches and bruises faded. 

(Why was the smell bothering her now?  She’d barely noticed before!)

Then she looked around.  The barrier was still up, Sable could see Seifer pounding at the flaring hexagons.  A little further away, Hayner and his friends were doing the same.

Shoot.

Taking a breath, Sable almost sneezed again as a sudden, acrid smell stung her nose and the roof of her mouth.  Belatedly, she recognized it from walking by a shooting gallery.  The smell of spent gunpowder.  Who in the world would have a gun?

Wait.

Jerking around, Sable found a tall figure in a hooded black coat standing at the other side of the Struggle platform. 

(A distant part of her mind noted the very distinct contour of rectangular pads adding a bit more bulk to the slope of the shoulders.)

Blue fire danced in the figure’s hand.

“Net Silence!”

Sable felt the blood drain from her face as the fire was thrown up to ripple down the border of the battle barrier.  She had to recalibrate her expectations because that had not been the voice she’d been expecting.  Though, in hindsight, Xigbar wouldn’t smell like gunpowder anyway since he used magic, crystal bullets, and space-bending shenanigans.

No.  The reality was so much worse.

On reflex, Sable checked the sky above them to confirm that the moon had indeed set for the day.  Sure, it was only a few days past the new moon, but it’s so much better not to risk it.

“Interesting.”

And the look had not gone unnoticed and she now had the Nobody’s undivided attention.  Great.

“What the hell?” Sable demanded, opting for a verbal offensive.  Maybe if she bluffed hard enough, she could avoid getting into a fight way outside of her weight class.  She could barely manage against a trio of Dusks for crying out loud!

That hooded face tilted slightly, intrigued. “It seems our intelligence was correct.” The patron of the Berserker Nobodies noted in a mild tone. “A nascent Seeker of Darkness, appearing out of nowhere.”  He took a step forward and offered a hand. “Your presence has been requested by my Superior.  We need not come to blows.”

Sable squinted at him. “Then what was with the marauding Dusks?”

“A test to see if you were worth our time.  We have seen many with potential, in the past, yet so few are capable of living up to it.  You do.  So, our Superior believes you will do well among us.”

Was that a recruitment pitch?  It was kind of messed up considering Organization didn’t have Somebodies in their number.  Only Nobodies.  Going with the No. 7 of Organization 13 might not be the stupidest thing she could do, but it would certainly rank up there.

“Painful though it often is,” Sable answered, “I like my Heart where it is, thanks.” 

That got a visible twitch, then the man lowered his arm.  “You are suspiciously well informed.” Gloved fingers flexed at his sides. “Still, it would be a grave mistake on your part to refuse.”

“And forcing your pain on others won’t make you whole again, Saϊx.”

There was another twitch before a low growl sounded out, one that set the fine hairs of her neck and arms on end.  Sable could feel her odds of survival dwindling down to single digits.

Saϊx held out his hand.  Hard light flashed and congealed into the spiny blue-and-grey form of the claymore named Lunatic.  In its sealed form, thankfully, the short-sword length spikes that appeared on the end whenever its wielder entered his berserk-state were completely absent.

Not that it did more than slightly reduce the man’s already long reach.

“My orders are clear.  I’m to bring you back to the Superior, conscious or not.”

(Funny, that’s exactly what Axel told Roxas in the virtual Twilight Town.)

Taking a breath, Sable let the tension melt away as she focused on what she could do.  Saϊx out massed and outmuscled her?  Then she’d have to cheat and cheat shamelessly.

(Great, now the piano for Cynthia’s theme from pokémon was going off in her head which was. Not. Helping!)

Gripping Lunatic in a casual reverse grip, Saϊx swung her way. 

Why? 

He was out of range even with that ridiculous caricature of a blade-

The shockwave plucked Sable right off her feet and slammed her into the barrier wall, all the air woofing from her lungs.  Then gravity beckoned and she crashed into the wooden platform in an ungainly heap.

Distantly, she heard a low snort. “What a disappointment.”

Footsteps on the wood.  Getting closer.

No air in her lungs didn’t mean much when there was still oxygen in her blood.  Enough for a quick burst of movement.  She kicked off the barrier and swung blindly in the direction of those steps.  Not high, she had a very specific target in mind.

There was a furious snarl as Saϊx’s knee buckled under him as Sable rolled past him, swung back up on her feet, and gasped like a diver breaching the surface.  Then she spun back around to bring Gluttony down across those padded shoulders as hard as she could.

It was a solid blow, but it didn’t actually touch that dark coat.  Some kind of invisible forcefield just above it caught Gluttony’s blade.

What the heck?  What was that, some kind of Halo Energy Shield?

(…actually that would explain a lot.)

In her moment of distraction, Saϊx had recovered enough to twist around, Lunatic swinging with him.  Sable tried leaping back.  Not fast enough.  Not far enough.  The spiny length of the claymore caught her across the chest and knocked her clean off her feet.  Still snarling, Saϊx reversed his swing for a second blow that Gluttony only barely managed to intercept. 

The force behind it sent Sable flying.  Crashing.  Skipping across the hard wood.  Years of muscle memory was the only thing that let Sable come out of that upright on her feet again.  Her chest burned.  The blow had cut deep.  Sable could smell stinging copper.  It was only thanks to the Struggle padding that her physical heart hadn’t been eviscerated, though the chest piece was pretty much done for.

Saϊx had the arm holding Lunatic crossed over his shoulder again. 

Sable dove forward in a roll as the shockwave of the swing passed over her.  Twisting around on her hands, she lashed out with her feet, mule-kicking the berserker in the same knee Gluttony had already bruised.  It buckled again.  Then she tumbled away as Lunatic came crashing down hard enough to splinter wood.

Coming up too-close behind him, Sable slammed Gluttony’s pommel down on where she thought the Nobody’s jawline might be under that hood.  She definitely heard something crunch as the Luna Diviner went sprawling across the platform.  Then he twisted in an amateur’s roll to get back to his feet. 

It did not escape Sable’s notice that he was now visibly favoring one leg. 

Heh.

“I have to admit.” There was the distinct slur of someone trying to speak around mouth problems, though the pseudo-calm tone still made Sable’s skin crawl.  “You’re better than I had predicted.  But, I wonder…”  Sable could feel that cruel smirk this particular Nobody favored. “How far are you willing to go to preserve your freedom?”

The dark coat rustled as Saϊx moved sideways a step and petrified yellow eyes stared pleadingly up at her. 

Vivi!

Lunatic was hefted up and Sable lunged.  Rolled.  Came up as the claymore started to descend.  She slammed bodily into Vivi even as she twisted so the sadistic diviner couldn’t go for her spine-!

White-hot agony sluiced down her thigh as momentum carried both Sable and Vivi across the platform.  Sable hissed as her shoulder slammed into the ground, she rolled again, grabbing little boy with her free hand to drag him with her into a corner of the platform.

Her leg buckled under her when she tried to put weight on it.  Sable tried to ignore the splatter of red on the wood between her and the now-turning Nobody.

Saϊx lunged, Lunatic rising high again.

Sable knew one indisputable fact: she wasn’t Sephiroth. 

She didn’t have the raw power to deflect such an oversized blade with a comparatively thinner one.  But magic was a wonderful equalizer and timing, as Seifer had explained, was everything.

The world seemed to slow as that massive blade careened towards her.  Sable gripped Gluttony with both hands.  Just a little longer…

A little more…

Closer…

Now!

Lunatic crashed down and rebounded off Sable’s successful Guard, the recoil knocking it back up and over Saϊx’s head, leaving him completely exposed.  Her vision hazed red as Sable lunged. 

              ———

Forehand – Backhand – Sweep

(Could not let up.  Will not let up!)

Hear air squeak overhead.  Watch the moonstruck blade’s pommel bounce off the lingering Shell.  Track the opening and lunge for another combo.

Forehand – ReverseSweep – Thrust!

Connect.  Connect.  Connect.

Hear enchanted metal clatter heavily against dented wood.  Out of reach.  Sense weakness and smirk.  Step in and swing at the exposed target- Buckle over hilt and arm.  Kidney hurts.  Elbow’s sharp.  Ow… 

(Inertia exists.)

Wheeze and stare at the red-black wing caught by one gloved hand.  Glance up, eyes wide.  Flinch at twin yellow lights burning from the depths of the dark hood.  Hear a snarl.  Feel pressure.  Weight.  The target’s strength bearing down.  A leg buckles.  Collapses. 

Watch another gloved hand extend.  See claws sprouting from glove-tips. 

The world blurs.  Time slows. 

Stops. 

Veins burn with ice.  Clarity rings out, crystal-bright in its simplicity:  To lose means Vivi dies. 

(Will not, cannot lose!)

Time grinds back into motion. 

Feel alien warmth surge down right arm.  Curl fingers around sudden weight pressing against palm.  Let the world snap back into focus.  Swing so the new glowing white shape cracks against the reaching wrist.

Pressure vanishes.

Hear another snarl as the target leaps back.  See one hand now hang limp.

Glance down.  See the glowing shape coalesce.  A bird’s wing, white feathers dipped in pale blue.  A smaller complement to the larger bat wing of red-and-black.

Temperance

Feel fatigue recede under alien warmth.  A second wind.  Kin to an adrenaline rush and just as fleeting.

Lunge towards target.  Skid and block the swinging moonstruck blade.  Watch it rebound off the squeaky Guard.  Lunge again.  Swing both arms in a double combo.  Smirk again as tears finally appear in that dark coat-  Cut through empty air and stumble.

Confusion.  Where’d the target-?

Hear Vivi scream.

“Above you!”

Dive away as wood splinters under a meteoric impact.  Hiss at the bloody trail the moonstruck blade carves down arm.  Feel not-leather flap on wind as target spins.  Lunges.

Blockblockblock!

Barely.

Blink as steel blue spikes slam between black-webbed dactyls.  Feel gravity give way under greater momentum.  Fly-

Crack

Feel air woof from lungs.  Register gravity beckon as the battle barrier falls away.  See the wooden platform stretch out to catch falling self.

Note that breathing hurts.  Hear the liquid cough.  Taste flecks of copper.  Watch static dance across vision. 

Grit teeth.  Push up.  Ignore the darkness tickling the edges of vision, trying to close in.  Kneel in place, damaged leg unresponsive.  Observe that damaged arm is barely responsive.

Feel movement ahead.  The target turning their way.

Hear Vivi’s terrified whimpers behind self.

Decide that enough is enough.

Once more.

Snarl.  Will both arms up, bat and bird leveling at target.  Feel the icy-heat burning out from chest.  Down limbs.  Through hands.  See both blades crackle with dark thorns and candescent sparks.

The points touch.

They hum.

Power pools like a neutron blast.  Launches at target.  The target tips back and the power cuts through the fading Dark Corridor.  Not beaten, but still gone. 

Battle over.

Safe.

Hear the distant echo of weight clattering against wood.  Note that hands are now empty, blades having fallen.  Hear glass shattering, the barrier finally broken, as the world wavers.  Spins.  Spirals.

Battered boards jump up to catch her.

Black.

              ———

              ———

Sable woke up coughing, throat and sinuses on fire from concentrated menthol.  Twisting around, she heaved.  Then nearly kept rolling as whatever she was on came to an abrupt end.  Firm hands caught her and leveraged her back up on whatever it was she’d been laying on. 

“Easy, easy.  You’re alright.” Someone murmured. 

Wait, she knew that voice!

“E-Elmyra?” Sable rasped, blinking to try and get the world to come into focus.

“I did say I volunteer at the clinic.” The older woman informed curtly, one hand pressed firmly against Sable’s shoulder. “Now hold still, I need to make sure the staples held.”

“Staples?”

Lots of staples, as it turned out.  A not-quite horizontal line across her chest.  (Boy, was she lucky it wasn’t just a couple inches lower or it would have hurt so much worse.) A broad, jagged line down her right thigh, stopping just above the side of her knee.  Then an almost as jagged a line starting a couple inches above her right elbow and cutting down the back of her forearm to taper to a stop just beside the ball of her wrist.

“I didn’t think volunteers would be the ones stapling the in-patient’s injuries.” Sable noted after finishing the water Elmyra gave her.

Elmyra chuckled. “I’m trained for field first aid even if I don’t work full time.  I’m usually the one on call for the Struggle Tournament.” She paused. “Granted, this was a bit more severe than what I normally see.”

“A bit?”  That was oddly specific.

“You wouldn’t know it from this one,” Elmyra explained, “but we usually get a few more serious adult competitors in the tournament and they can get…a bit rough.  There’s actually a running pool on how many boards Setzer’s going to smash this year.”

Sable felt her brow quirk up.

“Anyway, drink this and we’ll see about getting you up and about again.” Elmyra handed her jar decorated with a moon in addition to the expected stars.

Grimacing, she accepted it and downed the hi-potion and gagged as it felt like menthol steam was hard washing the inside of her sinuses.  It burned like bleach.  The sensation almost distracted Sable from the chilly tingle running through her chest.  Kind of like brain freeze, if the freeze could happen in the lungs rather than the brain.

Brr…

Elmyra prodded her sides after that, apparently that cracking sound Sable had heard on her final impact with the battle barrier had been one of her ribs lodging its protest over the rough treatment.  Now the bone was basically mended though the area would be tender for a time.

“You’ll feel better in a day or so.” Elmyra told her. “I’ll swing by your apartment tomorrow evening to check on the staples.  The official medical line would be that you should go home and rest.” The older woman paused. “But you’re not going to, are you?”

“Has the Tournament been canceled?”

“No, just delayed until the stage can be patched.” There was a pause before she reluctantly added: “And for you to get back.”

“Then no.  I signed up and I have an obligation to finish it.”

Elmyra sighed. “Alright, but I’ll want to check you over afterwards to make sure you don’t tear something.  I will go on record saying this is a foolish idea.”

“Noted.”

With a little help, Sable got dressed in clean, unbloodied clothes.  Apparently, Elmyra had sent someone to her apartment for a new set after the loss of what she had originally been wearing.  Sable was too relieved to feel more than a dull roar of indignation at the intrusion. 

She did make sure to take her key back, though.

Then, under Elmyra’s disapproving eye, Sable headed back to the Sandlot.

              ———

She won.

Sable was surprised, too. 

Elmyra had to reapply a handful of staples that she’d managed to pop.  The TWANG they’d made had been startling for everyone in the Sandlot, that’s how loud they’d been.

The semi-retired nurse had grumbled under her breath while dutifully escorting the only partially conscious teenager back home, Chiro-the-cat prancing along by their feet.  The movement kept drawing Sable’s attention, keeping her from passing out entirely which is probably why Elmyra let the cat follow them right into the apartment.

Sable vaguely registered Chiro as a warm weight curled up against her hip before sleep claimed her. 

              ———

Her dreams were filled with the distant chime of hooves against glass and warmth washing over her face as a velvety nose brushed against her cheek.

              ———

Chapter Text

There was another knock on the door. 

Sable groaned into her pillow and seriously considered just ignoring it, and whoever was on the other side-  No.  She’d tried that earlier.  Rather than stopping, the knocking had only gotten more and more frantic until Sable had been honestly concerned that her door was going to splinter apart from the force of it. 

So, with a weary sigh, Sable pushed herself up and waited for the stars to vacate her vision.  Then leveraged herself up and onto her feet.  She swayed a little before finally limping out of her room, towards her door. 

Behind her, Chiro chirped farewell and stayed in his curled little ball.  After the first few times, he’d stopped following her out. 

Sable barely noticed. 

Everything ached.  It hurt to take a full breath.  Her arm, chest, and thigh all itched like there was an army of ants nibbling away just beneath the skin.  There was an intermittent tremor in her leg that left her seriously calculating the odds of her making it back to bed this time.

They weren’t the best.  Setzer would probably call it a bad bet.  At least the sofa was closer to the door.

Forehead now braced against the cool wood of the door, Sable waited for the room to stop spinning and took a bracing breath.  She reluctantly unlocked the door and pulled the damn thing open.

“Wow…” Seifer drawled.  “You look terrible.  Should we see about calling a coroner?”

Sable blinked slowly at him and the take-out cartons in his hands.  “Go lick a wall socket.” She deadpanned, dry as the most rain-deprived desert.

All the same, she wobbled back to let him in and pointed him in the direction of the fridge as she slumped against the arm of her sofa.  It helped with the tremors, but not by much.  Sable really just needed to go back to bed and stay there.  Though with how things had been going that morning, the odds of being able to do that were about as slim as the ones of her making it back to bed unaided.

“I take it you’ve had a lot of visitors?” Seifer asked, staring at the carton-filled fridge that had been empty the previous day.

Sable groaned. “Every few minutes since about six this morning.”

Strategically slotting in the new cartons, Seifer closed the fridge again. “Well, that’d explain why you look like death warmed over.”  He walked over to the sofa and leaned against the back. “And here I was thinking it was just the beating you took yesterday.”

Violet eyes squinted at him. “Both.” She admitted, “Getting up keeps agitating everything.  If I could just sleep and stay asleep I’d be better off.”

Humming an absent note, Seifer glanced between the dark-haired teenager and the door. “Rai and Fuu will be swinging by, soon.  Want us to play interference?”

Sable blinked. “I’d appreciate it, but there’s not much to do here…”

Seifer shrugged. “It’s about time we finish up the summer assignments for school.” He explained. “Vacation ends in a few days and we still haven’t done it.  Now’s as good a time as any.”  Pausing, he looked at her curiously. “Have you enrolled, yet?”

“Got my GED a couple years back.”

This time it was Seifer who blinked. “Your what?”

“Graduated early and got emancipated.”

“Oh, that explains it.  I was wondering how you were living here alone…” Seifer trailed off with a frown. “Wait, why would you get emancipated?” Now he turned an alarmed look on Sable. “Were you-”

“No!” Sable interrupted quickly, realizing where his mind had gone.  “No, nothing like that.  My parents died when I was little, so my sister raised me until…” The rest of the sentence failed to come.  Even a few years later, it still hurt too much.

“I’m sorry.” Seifer winced. “Is it…related to why you can’t do a Oberhau or Zornhau?”

Grimacing, Sable nodded as she rubbed her hands over her inner forearms and the scars hidden under her sleeves.

“I’ll drop it, then.” Seifer decided before looking her over again, brows still creased with concern.  “Want help getting back to your room?”

“…please.”

As Sable had feared, her bad leg didn’t want to cooperate at all.  If Seifer hadn’t been there she’d have just had to crash, literally, onto the sofa.  He lingered long enough for her to flop onto her mattress, prompting a noise of complaint from Chiro, and actually tugged the blanket over her and tucked her in.  Then he left the room with a flippant wave.

Already half-asleep, Sable felt warmth pool in her aching chest.

              ——— 

Sable stirred a time or two, distantly registering a knock on the door and the low hum of voices.  It wasn’t her problem, though, so she went back to sleep and eventually stopped responding to the noise entirely.

The feeling of eyes upon her, however, did end up drawing her out of the warm dark of sleep.  For a moment, she just lay there with her face buried in her pillow.  She could hear breathing way-to-close on her left side.  Steady, not all that high up, was someone kneeling by her bed?

Finally, Sable turned to look and met Vivi’s unblinking gold stare.

“Need something?” Her voice was hoarse from sleep and made the little black mage flinch and look away.

“I’m sorry,” he tried to whisper and failed entirely, “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Yawning, Sable managed to roll onto her side, injured arm curled against her chest.  “Did you want something?”

Vivi fidgeted. “I just…wanted to make sure you were alright.”

The next yawn, in addition to cracking her jaw, teased tears into violet eyes. “M’fine.” Sable mumbled, rubbing her eyes dry again. “M’on the mend.”

That oversized floppy hat wilted.  As did the rest of him.  “But you got hurt saving me…”

“And I’d do it again.” Sable interrupted. “In a heartbeat.  Your life is precious, Vivi, and he had no right to threaten it like that.”

“But…”

“I was fully aware of what the consequences could be and acted anyway.  That was my choice.  Didn’t matter whether it was you or some other kid, what Saϊx was doing was wrong and I wasn’t about to let that slide.  Understand?”

A very uncertain nod answered her.  “I want to be brave,” he admitted, looking away and Sable was pretty sure he was clenching his fists, “like you.  And strong just like Seifer!  Then I won’t have to be rescued all the time!” He shivered.  Looked back at her with wide yellow eyes.   “That guy…he just picked me up, right from my practice spot!  I was too scared to fight him…”

Suddenly Sable had to wonder when had Saϊx grabbed Vivi.  Was it after they had signed up for the Struggle Tournament?  Had Vivi been missing for two days without anyone noticing?

“Vivi.”

There was a muffled thump as Vivi’s behatted head bumped the ceiling of Sable’s bedroom.  She was once again impressed by the air he could get from a cold start.

“Seifer!” Vivi whipped around to stare up at the older boy.

“C’mon,” Seifer said gruffly, motioning towards the doorway. “Let her sleep.”

“’e’s fine.” Sable yawned again, waving him off. “If he wants to stay in here, he can.”

Seifer’s frown deepened. “You sure?”

“He’s worried.  Aren’t you, Vivi?”

“I…” Vivi hesitated again. “I wanted…to make sure you…that you were still breathing.  My Grandpa…he just stopped one morning and…”

A deeply uncomfortable look flashed across Seifer’s face.  He dipped his head in her direction, then backed out of the doorway.  Sable would have to remember to ask him for the full story, later.  She was not going to ask the distressed nine-year-old in front of her.

“You can stay.” She promised, reaching out to pat his head through his hat. “I don’t mind.”

“…okay.”

Rolling further onto her back, Sable blinked blearily at the ceiling as she reached absently out to rub Chiro between the ears.  The cat mrrrped sleepily and started purring.  

“Hey…Sable?” Came Vivi’s timid voice.

“Mm?”

“Do you…know magic?”

Sable glanced back at him. “No?  At least nothing more than calling my weapons, and the attacks I showed during the tournament.  Why?”

“It’s just…” the little black mage fidgeted, “there was a Regen spell on you.  When you were sleeping.” Those gold eyes blinked. “It disappeared when you woke up, though.”

“Really?  And you didn’t cast it?”

The floppy hat whipped back and forth as he shook his head. “N-no.  I’m no good with healing spells.  I-I barely noticed the Regen, but…” He frowned. “You…there was another spell.  When you were fighting that jerk in the tournament.  I think it was Berserk?  You started glowing red?”

Sable vaguely remembered a red haze falling over her vision and then Saϊx started reeling more when she hit him.  He’d actually retreated not long after that.

Huh…

“I’d know if I cast a spell, right?” She asked the mini-expert at her bedside. “I remember the red glow, but…I don’t know what set it off.”

Vivi nodded. “You’d feel the MP drain.” He frowned. “So…is someone else casting support spells on you?”

“Apparently?”

“I could…see if that Regen comes back after you go to sleep?  See where it’s coming from?”

“Would appreciate it.  Thank you, Vivi.”  Taking a deep breath, Sable closed her eyes.  Drifted to sleep shortly after with the sound of Vivi’s breathing in her ears. 

Somewhere in the distance, a faint baaa sounded through the dark.

              ———

              ———

Sable isn’t sure what time it was when she got restless, no longer able to sleep.  The army-ant-itch in her stapled injuries had dulled to a lesser discomfort.  It was still difficult to breathe, but that was more to do with the purring pile of fur that had decided her collar made an excellent bed.

Blearily, she prodded at Chiro with a finger.  The purring just got louder, reverberating right down her clavicle to echo behind her sternum.

Cute. 

It wasn’t until after Sable had mostly rolled onto her side, preparing to push herself up into a seated position, that the cat deigned to move.  Slowly.  With a luxurious stretch that boldly declared that moving was his idea alone and not due to his perch having gone vertical.  So, there.

With an amused huff, Sable leveraged herself up.  Getting out of bed was considerably easier than it had been hours before.  So, was walking, though she still swayed like a drunk deckhand.

Seifer and his posse, including Vivi, were all seated around her coffee table.  The table itself was covered in a scattering of papers and take-out containers.  That left the sofa free for Sable to flop gracelessly onto.  Vivi and Rai both jumped, Seifer and Fuu just watched silently as they nibbled on their noodles.

“Did the food wake you up?” Seifer asked.

Face down in a cushion, Sable considered that.  Had it been the food?  She waggled a hand, uncertain. 

“Hungry?”

She held her hand out, palm up.  Looking amused, Seifer set a carton in it.  After a moment’s struggle, Sable managed to prop herself up properly to eat, her back wedged between the arm of the sofa and the back.  Not really perceiving, or tasting, what was in the to-go box, she began to eat.

Chiro jumped up with a kitty chirp and proceeded to curl up on her lap again.

Why was the cat in her apartment, again?  Sable couldn’t remember when he’d shown up.  Had Elmyra left him to keep her company?  Kitty purrs had healing properties, everyone knew this.  She didn’t mind, though she was a little concerned that Chiro had been locked up in her apartment all day with no litter box access.

(That would be a Later problem.)

Sable was pretty sure she’d worked her way through at least three to-go cartons, but couldn’t remember what she’d eaten to save her life.  By the time she remembered setting an empty carton down on the coffee table her Person Brain was only just starting to kick into proper gear.

What time was it?

…There was no convenient clock within visual range.  There was the microwave, but that would require her twisting around to look.  It was sunset outside but it was usually sunset outside.

Sable decided she could live without knowing the exact time.

“So.”

Violet eyes blinked blearily at Seifer.

“Mind telling us what was up with the Struggle Tournament?” The Head of the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee asked with a kind of false levity, his blue eyes hard.  “No one knows anything except you and Vivi.” A nod to the little black mage, who tried to shrink into his coat. “And what Vivi knows needs you to elaborate.” He paused. “You knew that interloper?  The guy who kidnapped him?”

“Of him.” Sable corrected mildly. “Never actually met him before yesterday.”

“What did he want with you?”

“His boss wanted to draft me, apparently.” A lazy shrug. “Had to refuse, the benefits were awful.”

“Boss?” Fuu spoke up.

“Ya mean there’s more of those creeps?” Rai yelped.

“Called Organization Thirteen.” Sable explained. “Those black coats are their uniform.  They lead Dusks, those squiggly white things we fought, and other similar beings.” Pausing, she considered what else to say. “They have the same immunity to harm, unless one has a weapon like Gluttony.”

“Gluttony?” This time it was Vivi who spoke up.

On a whim, Sable held out her left hand.  Ice burned down it, coalescing into the red-and-black shape of her sword.  She was marginally surprised it came when called.  It hadn’t worked when she’d tried again after the fight in front of the Old Mansion.

“But Seifer took one on with a Struggle club, ya know!” Rai protested, punching the air. “Didn’t need some fancy sword like that!”

“Only after that one appeared.” Seifer pointed at Gluttony. “Before that, I may as well have been hitting air.”

Sable nodded. “Don’t know how it works.  Just that it does.” Letting Gluttony vanish again, she fixed them all with a hard look. “If you see anyone else in black coats, just run.  Saϊx is a lot stronger than he showed.  I got very lucky.”

“He had magic.” Vivi murmured.  “Really powerful magic.” He paused. “But it was…weaker than it should have been?” Gold yes blinked up at Sable in clear confusion.

“Moon magic.” Sable summed up. “He’s a berserker.”

There was a moment of stunned silence.  Then Seifer let out a low whistle. “Wow, you weren’t kidding, you did get lucky.”

“New Moon.” Fuu nodded.

Rai shivered, rubbing the sudden goosebumps on his arms. “Are the rest of them berserkers, too?”

“Each Organization Member has a different affinity.  Space, Time, Water, Wind, and so on, they have styles unique to them.”

“Yikes.  How’d you get their attention?”

“No idea.”

Seifer hummed, looking thoughtful. “If they’re an organization, they must have a purpose.” He looked at Sable. “What’s their goal?”

Sable grimaced. “Complicated.  Basically they’ve lost something important and they’re trying to get them back.  Started about a decade ago when a man began poking into things he really shouldn’t have.  It got out of control and that mess is still being cleaned up.  The Organization is just part of it.”

They chewed on that a moment before Fuu went rigid, red eyes wide. “Stars?!”

“What stars?” Vivi asked, bright eyes blinking in the shadow of his hat brim.

“Wait, I know what she’s-” Seifer cut himself off and stared hard at Sable. “That wouldn’t have anything to do with why all those stars disappeared a year ago, would it?  I remember people saying something similar happened ten years ago…” At Sable’s nod, the other teenager shuddered. “It was that bad?”

“Worse, actually.” Sable admitted. “Twilight Town is fortunate in being spared by that disaster.  I’m…not going to say what actually happened, just that it was really bad.”

There was a mass exchange of looks.

“We’ll take your word for it.” Seifer decided.

Any further questions were interrupted by a knock at the door.  Still in Sable’s lap, Chiro perked up with a happy chirp.  Rai got up to answer.  Apparently, they’d set up a system in the time they were camping in Sable’s living room. 

A moment later Elmyra was walking in.

Right, the other woman had promised to come check on the staples, hadn’t she?  Chiro immediately abandoned Sable in favor of winding between his owner’s legs as she approached the sofa. 

Another exchange of glances was made and, in practiced unison, Sable’s other guests got up and started clearing the coffee table as Elmyra took Sable aside to check her healing injuries.  Then to remove the staples.  Sable was rather amazed.  Those had not been shallow cuts!  Back home it would have easily been weeks before the wounds had healed so cleanly!

“Don’t let the surface healing fool you.” Elmyra warned as another staple pinged free. “The deeper damage will take time to heal up completely, so take it easy.”

“Duly noted.” Sable hummed, flexing her wrist and watching the wound move with the motion.  It was, to be sure, a very gnarly looking scar.  As were the other two. “Thank you.  For all this.”

Reaching out, Elmyra patted her on the shoulder with a smile. “Don’t worry about it.  The people of this town look after each other.”

Again, Sable felt warmth well up behind her sternum.

It didn’t take much longer for Elmyra to handle the rest of the staples.  Then she collected Chiro and left with Seifer and his posse.  The apartment felt considerably colder without their presence.  Lonely, almost.  Sable couldn’t remember the last time her living space had been so lively.

Then she went back to bed.  She had Plans for the next morning.

              ———

Confetti flew by brightly colored balloons swaying on their strings.  Laughter and shouts filled the air as people wandered from stall to stall.  Sable even glimpsed Seifer and his posse, who were almost as crowd-shy as she was, enjoying the festivities with everyone else.  There were even roped off ‘arenas’ for novice and amateur Struggle matches.

There hadn’t been any kind of festival in the game.  It made sense, considering it marked the end of summer vacation, but still…

Feeling a little overwhelmed, Sable edged along the fringes of the stall-lined roads.

“Sable!”

The high-pitched shriek had her head snapping around in time to see a myriad of other heads turning in her direction.  Her body locked up, violet eyes wide as realization sunk in.

She bolted.  Away from fangirl squeals as they gave chase.

Fights, she could handle.  Homicidal berserkers, she could handle.  This?  This was beyond her ability to handle.  So, much nope.

A stall curtain fluttered in a contrary wind and Sable didn’t hesitate, pivoting around to dive past it and into the narrow alley beyond it.  If she could coordinate enough to run up bright high enough to catch that ledge-

Hands caught her, smothering her yelp as Sable was yanked back against a warm body.  A voice hissed a sharp “Hush!” into her ear and the teenager reflexively stilled.

Beyond the alley, she watched the pursuing fans run by without a backward glance at the shadowed alley.  Several tense moments passed, then her apparent captor relaxed a bit and let go.  Stepping away, Sable spun around to face them.  Blinked as surprised violet met amused violet.

“You can handle death threats, but not a handful of over-eager fans?” Setzer quipped, smile tugging at the scar of his lips.

Face warming, Sable looked away.  Groused. “I don’t like the attention.”

The silver-haired man chuckled. “They’re reverential,” he pointed out, “not fanatical.  They’ll calm down if you tell them it bothers you.”

She shot him a deeply skeptical look.

“You’ve left quite an impression.” Setzer went on. “By now everyone knows you got hurt defending one of our own against that man in black.  You’ll probably have well-wishers coming to ask how you’re doing.”

Sable recalled her fridge, now filled almost to bursting with wish-you-well meals.

“I think I’ve had about as many well-wishes as I can handle for now.” She admitted.

Those other violet eyes blinked at that.  Then Setzer chuckled. “I had a feeling you’d say that.” He fixed her with a thoughtful look, gaze lingering mainly on her injured arm and leg. “If you think you’re up to it, I could show you how to get around without being noticed.”

“I think I can manage.”

He nodded at that. “Where were you heading?”

“The forest to the Old Mansion.”

“I see.  Alright then.” Turning deeper into the dead-end alley, he sprang up the wall in two impetuous leaps.  Perched like a cat, he glanced back down at Sable. “Well?”

Blinking back at him, she had not expected him to be a fellow traceur, Sable smirked.  Darted to the wall and pushed off, catching the small ledge she’d noted previously before leveraging herself up for another jump.  Her leg spasmed as she landed and only Setzer’s sturdy grip catching her kept Sable from an inglorious tumble.

“You sure you can keep up?” He asked as he steadied her.

“Of course,” Sable nodded, violet eyes bright. “I just won’t be quite as fast as normal.”

Setzer hummed. “Alright, follow me.”

Despite that heavy coat the man wore, he navigated the Twilight Town roofs with casual ease, balancing on narrow walls barely two fingers wide like a cat, then scaling higher walls just as easily.

Far below, the festival goers continued milling across the roads oblivious to their passage.

“You do this a lot, I take it?” Sable questioned as they ran. 

There was a soft grunt as Setzer landed on a lower roof. “I had an airship, once-upon-a-time, before I came to Twilight Town.” He admitted before darting forward to swing back up over an overhang. “Traveling like this reminds me of when I once sailed the skies.” 

“Do you miss it?”

A shrug answered her as the former champion dropped half a story and hit a lower roof in a roll that had him up and running in one fluid motion.

“Not as much as I once did.” A soft chuckle trickled back over the breeze. “A wise woman I once knew reminded me of what I had to live for after the Blackjack was destroyed.”

Though intrigued, Sable decided it was not the time to press further, curious though she was.

It wasn’t much longer before they reached the breach in the Tram Common Wall.  Setzer lingered only long enough to offer a brief farewell before leaving to rejoin the festival.  Taking the road rather than the roofs, this time.

He wasn’t so bad, Sable decided. 

Then she turned and slipped into the dark forest beyond the city limits.

She was not expecting a child’s shouts to sound beneath the pines.  Not fear.  Not pain.  Not anger, though there may have been a touch of frustration.  No, it was more like a little kid going ‘Hi-yah!’.  All energy and enthusiasm and then an oddly muffled ‘oomph’ that suggested they did not quite manage to stick the landing.

Intrigued, Sable followed the sound and peeked around the trunk of another pine.  Then she had to bite her lip to keep from cooing at the sight that met her.

Gold eyes screwed in a mask of Utter Focus, Vivi brought up his Struggle bat and lunged, only to overbalance and trip head-over-heels.

Hand slapped over her mouth, Sable choked back a laugh.  Staying in the tree’s shadow, she watched Vivi pick himself up and try again.  A different move, that time.  It only took her a moment to recognize one of the sweeps that Seifer favored.  Then, a tumble and overbalance later, she saw him try one of the forehand swings that she favored.

It was adorable, watching the little boy in his oversized hat and jacket try his absolute hardest to mimic his apparent heroes.  Unfortunately for Vivi, the moves he was trying were meant for people with longer reach.

Sable stepped into deliberate view as the little black mage was picking himself up from another tumble.  He noticed her almost immediately.

“H-hey, Sable.” He greeted, immediately going shy. “Are you…” he gestured vaguely to her arm and leg, “feeling better?”

“Better than yesterday.” Sable affirmed as she walked up to him. “I forgot to ask last night, but did the Regen show up again after I fell asleep?”

Vivi nodded. “Yeah, as soon as your breathing changed.” He wilted. “I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from, though.  I-I’m sorry.”

Reaching out, Sable gave the oversized wizard’s hat an affectionate pat.  Then she knelt to better look Vivi in the eye. “It’s fine, Vivi.  Now I know that taking a nap when injured really does help.  Where the spell is coming from…” She trailed off with a shrug. “Well, that’s a question that can wait for another day.” Sable gestured to the Struggle club. “Practicing for next year?”

“Oh.  You saw…” Vivi fidgeted and looked away, both hands wringing the grip of his club. “It’s…I’m really bad...”

“Kiddo.” Sable interrupted. “You’re trying to mimic people who are both a lot taller than you and have longer limbs.  Of course you’re having trouble.  You won’t be able to pull off some of those moves until you hit your growth spurt.”  She paused, frowning. “How tall does your family normally get?”

“My cousins are even taller than Seifer!” Vivi hopped in place, miming a very tall person indeed. “But…I don’t know if I’ll ever be that tall…”

“Then work with what you’ve got.” Sable suggested, growing thoughtful. “You’re really good at jumping.  Can you do handsprings?”

Gold eyes blinked at her. “What’s a handspring?”

“Kind of like a cartwheel, but more front-to-back rather than side-to-side.” Sable gestured with a finger. “Your doppelganger in the tournament used them to get around.  That was the key technique in their fighting style and they even managed to beat Seifer with it.”

“…really?”

“Why not give it a try?” Sable held out a hand. “With both hands, first.” 

Considering it, Vivi handed her the Struggle club and turned away.  He stared at his hands a moment, then up at where he was going to try and spring to.

“Hi-yah!”

CRASH

Sable winced.

“Whoa!” Vivi’s voice drifted down to her.  “Did you see that?!”

“I did indeed.” Sable answered, walking over to the tree the little black mage was now stuck in. “As usual, you got some excellent air.  Can you get down?”

“Huh?  Oh, uh, yeah…”

In hindsight, she probably shouldn’t have been standing right underneath him.

“Oof!”

Flat on her back, Sable affirmed that Dusks must weigh less than air or something as Vivi was considerably heavier than his doppelganger had been.  He lay dazed across her front for several moments before scrambling to get up.

“I’m so sorry!” He fretted at her side, both hands wringing the brim of his hat. “Are you okay?  I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Pushing herself up into a sitting position, Sable brushed tree debris from her hair.  Waved him off. “I’m fine.  Don’t worry.”  She smiled at him. “I’d say that was a promising start.  You just need a bit of practice.”

Those gold eyes lit up like lamps. “You really think so?”

“Why not try again?  Just a bit lower, this time?”

“Right!”

After a couple false starts, Vivi was soon bounding around Sable like a little spring-powered gremlin.  He even figured out the single-hand handspring the disguised Dusk had favored during the tournament.  The giggles were almost identical.  Very creepy, but Sable couldn’t deny that the little boy was having a grand time.

Sable stumbled back a step as Vivi caught her around the waist.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” His voice was muffled against her stomach but still vaguely distinguishable.

Amused, she pat him on the back. “Hey, all I did was make a suggestion.” She told the little mage. “You already had the capability.”

“I’m gunna show Seifer and the others!” Letting her go, Vivi bounced back.  Paused long enough to catch his club as Sable tossed it back to him.  Then he waved and went bounding away, quickly vanishing between the trees.

Alone again, Sable turned and continued on her way. 

              ———

It didn’t take her long to reach her destination. 

Then a new problem arose: how to get in?  The gate was still locked and Gluttony was certainly not a Keyblade.  Actually, could she even call it again?  The night before may well have been a fluke…

She held out her left hand.

Like it had been waiting on a coiled spring, an icy-burn shot down her left arm and purple energy crackled from her palm.  Gluttony coalesced, resting solidly in her grip.  For the first time, Sable was able to stop and really take a look at her weapon, now that she wasn’t in a fight for survival.  Or mentally addled from pain, sleep, and not enough food.

It wasn’t like Soul Eater, missing the white ‘teeth’ set around the hilt and the blue-green eyeball being replaced by the yellow-gold of a cat’s eye gemstone.  The triangular pommel she’d used to break Saϊx’s jaw was a matching yellow-gold and the hilt was braided in dark red cord.  The ‘fingers’ of the blade-wing were dark red, in contrast to the navy-blue of Riku’s blade, with the ‘skin’ connecting them being a deep, flat black.

It was certainly unique enough to warrant its own name.  Not that it explained why she even had Gluttony in the first place, or what was up with that weird sense of it being in a spring-loaded sheath like an assassin’s hidden blade.  It had definitely been given to her, though, and had been set to appear the moment she was in genuine danger.

What about Temperance?

Curious, Sable held out her right hand.  Nothing happened.  She wasn’t overly surprised but it did just keep adding to the mystery.  Perhaps it was set to appear under different requirements?  Ones she hadn’t managed to reach, yet?  She hadn’t been able to re-summon Gluttony at-will until after the second time, either...

Ah well, a puzzle to mull over later.

Taking a running leap, Sable swung at the lock holding the gate shut. 

Sparks few, metal shrieked, and the bisected mechanism dropped heavily to the green grass as the gates creaked open.  Letting Gluttony vanish again to wherever it went when not in use, Sable strode forward.  In moments she was pushing the heavy wood doors open and she stepped into the Old Mansion proper.

‘Poorly lit’ was her first observation.  It was also covered in cobwebs and what furniture remained was all broken and scattered.  It really did look like it had been abandoned for years.

Neck prickling with unease, Sable crept further into the foyer.  She expected to be attacked by more Dusks, except none appeared and the room remained empty.  Not…entirely expected, but Sable didn’t know why they would have been present anyway.  The only reason she expected a fight was because they’d shown up during the tournament.  Saϊx wouldn’t have any reason to be in the Old Mansion, though, would he?    

(If Sable had to fight him again in the basement, she would be so screwed.)

Moving with a bit more confidence, Sable ascended the nearest staircase to the upper level.  That hadn’t made much sense to her in-the-game, how you had to go to the second floor in order to get down into the basement.  Why even-

-“I’m so FLATTERED!”-

Sable reeled back at the shout, smashing into the railing as she sank down to the steps.  That fury was so heady that it made her vision swim. 

-“Let’s meet again, in the next life…”-

A pang of wistful regret doused that rage almost as quickly as it arrived.

-“Yeah…I’ll be waiting.”-

Wait a minute, she knew those voices! 

-“Silly…just because you get a next life…”-

A familiar, crushing grief.  It threatened to steal her breath away.  Groaning, Sable shook her head, barely noticing how her fingers clenched over her heart.  It hurt.  A vice of pressure in her chest and a lead weight dropped in her gut.  She shouldn’t be feeling this-!

-“Glad you could make it.”-

A new voice, arrogant and indifferent.  Hearing it set the hairs of her neck on end.

-“You should share some of that hatred with Sora.  He’s far too nice for his own good.”-

The grief of loss vanished under a wave of fury.

-“NO!  My Heart belongs to me!”-

Sable writhed on the stairs, feeling that desperate denial and that burning will to survive.  Could feel the dawning realization of being trapped, no way to escape…

All at once, the fury faded.  Sorrow welled up again, that earlier defiance spent leaving only ashes of pained resignation.

-I wasn’t supposed to feel anything.  Yet, I felt jealous of them.-

The words resonated right through Sable’s chest like a too-loud speaker.     

-“Sora, you’re lucky…”-

There was a strange shift in that sorrow, like a sardonic sort of joy.  Like giving one’s all in a fight, only to turn around and find nothing but ashes remained.

-“…looks like my summer vacation is…over.”-

As if under the drop of an axe, those invasive feelings suddenly cut off, leaving Sable gasping for breath on the stairwell, dazed and bewildered.  Wiping cold sweat from her brow, she managed to sit up.  Barely.  She curled into a ball, still struggling just to breathe as her limbs trembled.  

Breathing out sharply, Sable clawed her fingers through her hair.  Yanked.  The sensation helped ground her back in the present.  At least enough to think.

What the hell had that been?!

Forcefully shoving it all aside, Sable dragged herself back up to her feet and marched the rest of the way up to the next landing.  Now was not the time to think about it.  Later.  If ever.  Good grief…

She couldn’t remember which way was the right one, so Sable stumbled towards the nearest wing.  In moments she came to a shut door.  It offered no resistance as she tried the knob and pushed it inward.  Then she followed it and stepped through the threshold- Ow.

Blinded by the sheer whiteness that met her poor ambushed eyes, Sable froze where she stood.  Blinking back stars and tears, Sable braced against the doorway and waited until her vision stopped watering and started coming back into proper focus.  When it finally did, she was taken aback. 

Pictures coated the white walls, lines upon lines of them.  Intrigued, Sable took a closer look.  Each one was meticulously done.  The game had done Naminé’s skills no justice at all!  Except for the opening trailer which properly showed the care and detail she put in them.

Most of them, anyway. 

Some of the pictures seemed more rushed, little more than vaguely familiar blobs of color…

Frowning, Sable looked again.  Letting the door close behind her as she carefully followed the progression of images.  There was a theme behind that drop in quality.  What was…

Oh.

With a nasty suspicion forming, Sable looked the pictures over again.  She wasn’t wrong, the closer the Nobody had gotten to completing Sora’s memories, the sloppier her drawings got.  The worst ones, if Sable was gauging the apparent timeline properly, were done in the last week.  When Roxas had been stuck in the virtual Twilight Town.  Oh, Naminé…

Turning away, Sable made to leave the room only to pause as she saw a new picture taped to the back of the door.  This one didn’t fit the theme of Sora’s memories.  It was a window-view of the mansion gates with the sinewy form of that first Dusk as Sable and Seifer confronted it.

It was beautifully done, like the cross between a photo and an impressionist’s painting.  From the blades of grass to the rust on the gate to the shadow of pine leaves playing off a black coat…

Chilled, Sable reached out to pluck the picture from the door.

No.  She hadn’t been imagining it.  In the shadow of the tree, on a branch high above the fight itself, lounged a figure in the Organization’s black coat.  They had, Sable noted numbly, Pence’s camera in one hand and the missing photo in the other.

Grasping blindly for the doorhandle with one hand, Sable used the other to shove the picture into her munny pouch, trusting the pocket-space shenanigans to store it safely without creasing it.

Then she exited the room.

              ———

After being briefly distracted by the library, Sable eventually figured out how to open the hidden passage down into the basement.

(Seriously, why the second floor?)

Descending into the considerably darker depths, she was then distracted by the big honking computer nestled away in one corner.  For a moment, she was sorely tempted to poke at it, see what kind of files could be found.  Then she wrestled the impulse away and continued on to an empty room.

She hesitated, dreading even the thought of stepping through the door.  But when she finally mustered up the nerve to walk through, nothing happened.  Like in the foyer above, there wasn’t even a Dusk to be found.

Feeling a little more assured, Sable made for another door on the far side of the room and found herself blinded for a second time.  Lights on full blast and reflecting off pristine white walls, it was arguably worse than Naminé’s drawing room.  Sable was actually crying now. Owowow…

Yanking up the front of her sweater, she wiped her eyes dry.  Then kept them covered until peaking past the dense fabric didn’t spawn immediate tears.

The hallway eventually came into proper focus.  The first things to register were the large, bud-like pods.  Sable’s feet carried her past them.  All were empty, except for the two nearest the bend in the hallway.  A pair of familiar figures slept peacefully within.

Sable watched them fondly a moment before she frowned and looked back at the empty pods and the odd conveyor system leading into the wall.  Why were there so many?  Why were they even there?  If Sable recalled correctly, Naminé already had access to them at Castle Oblivion, so they weren’t Ansem’s work.  Who could have needed so many stasis pods?  And for what purpose?

The hiss of pressurized air snapped Sable out of her musings in time to see the bud-pods holding the two Disney characters bloom.  For lack of anything else to do, she stood back and waited for them to stir.

Donald twitched first.  Mumbling incoherently, eyes still glazed with sleep, he tried to take a clumsy step forward.  That webbed foot connected with only empty air. Sable caught him before he could land a faceplant on some sharp edge.  She didn’t hold him, just let him brace against her as he blinked owlishly up at her.

Then he blinked, awareness slowly sliding into place.

The royal magician leapt up as if scalded. “Who are you?” He demanded, white feathers bristling like a cat’s fur. “What’s happening?  Where are we?”

Backing away, hands raised peacefully, Sable answered in order of question. “Sable.  You apparently just woke up.  Basement of the Old Mansion just outside of Twilight Town.”

Arms now crossed over his chest, the duck glared at her suspiciously. “So, you just found us?” Enunciation alone betrayed what he thought of that. “And just what were you doing here in the first place?”

Sable shrugged. “Exploring.”

A yawn interrupted any further interrogation as they both turned to see Goofy stretching his gangly body, still suspended in his pod.  Lips smacking sleepily, he opened his eyes and smiled as he saw his friend.

“G’mornin’, Donald.” The guard captain yawned again.

“Get up, Goofy!” Donald barked. “We need’ta find Sora!” He scanned the corridor. “He’s probably sleepin’ ‘round here like we were.”

Blinking, Goofy looked around as well.  Paused as he scratched his head. “We were sleepin’?” He stepped out of his pod with considerably more grace than his friend.  Then he noticed Sable and offered a smile. “Oh, hello.” He dipped his head politely. “Who are you?”

“She says her name’s Sable.” Donald answered for her, shooting another suspicious glare in her direction. “She claims to have found us.”

“You know, I could have just let you fall.” Sable pointed out dryly.

“Nice ta meet’cha, Sable.” Goofy smiled at her, ignoring his friend’s sputtering as he put a hand to his chest. “I’m Goofy.” With the same hand he gestured to the royal magician. “And that there’s Donald Duck.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Sable bowed politely at the waist.

“You wouldn’t happen ta know where our friend, Sora, is, do ya?” Goofy asked, looking around the hallway again before holding out a gloved hand. “He’s about so high, with spiky hair.”

“Haven’t seen anyone by that description, yet.” Sable answered honestly.  Then she gestured towards the light around the corner. “But what about over there?”

The pair exchanged looks, then headed in that direction with Sable drifting along in their wake.  Even forewarned, the incandescent state of the final room still left her eyes watering.  How was it possible for the room to be whiter than Naminé’s drawing room?

Ow.

The floor was grey with pale green paneling.  It was completely barren of furniture save for the massive pod protruding from the very center.  Opened like a lotus flower in full bloom, the sleeping figure of Sora could be clearly seen floating within.

Dark brows quirked up as Sable politely looked away with a hastily smothered chuckle.  As had been referenced, but not quite shown in-game, Sora had had a bit of a growth spurt during his time asleep.  The red jumpsuit he’d worn in the first game was obviously too small for him. 

(That looked very uncomfortable.)

It also begged the question of how Sora had managed to grow several inches during his prolonged nap.  It wasn’t like he’d been eating in the pod!  Wasn’t it meant to keep him in stasis?  Or... Wait.  Roxas had been active the year Sora had been asleep.  He’d had the opportunity to grow.  Nobody’s were the physical bodies of the people who’d lost their Hearts. 

Had Sora stayed the same until Roxas rejoined with him, and then his physical form suddenly adapted to his Nobody’s physical age?

That…

There was a lot to unpack with that possibility.  It was both trippy and creepy in the extreme.  Sable couldn’t suppress the shudder even as she shoved the implications into a mental box and shoved that box into a mental closet before throwing away the mental key. 

“Sora.”

Sable glanced up again as she heard Donald call out.

“Sora…” Goofy joined in. “Wake up!”

There was a twitch.  A groan.  Sky-blue eyes cracked open blearily before drooping again as the boy tried to go back to sleep.  Agitated, Donald leapt right up into the pod until his beak was right next to Sora’s ear.

“WAKE UP!”

Jerking awake with a start, the teenager toppled over and hit the bottom of the pod with a thump. 

“What makes you think you can go back to sleep?” Donald groused, backing out of the pod as Goofy chuckled behind him.

Blinking sleepily, Sora yawned.  Stretched stiffly.  Then wobbled back up to his feet, still not quite alert.  (At the sight, both magician and knight sniggered quietly behind hastily raised hands.)  Another blink had those bright sky-blue eyes finally come into bleary focus and the teenager visibly brightened as he recognized his friends.

“Donald, Goofy!”

Sable flinched back, looking away as the teenager fell on the duo with a bear hug, all of them crying out joyfully.  Eyes stinging, she retreated back down the hallway. 

(That reunion wasn’t something for her to observe.)

She didn’t stop until she was back in the computer room, bracing against a wall and trying to figure out why it hurt to breathe.  It hadn’t been that far of a jog!

“Is someone there?”

Jumping at the quiet, muffled voice, Sable looked around.  There was a door labeled ‘cleaning supplies’ near the computers- Hang on.  Why was there a padlock on the door?

Baffled, Sable called Gluttony and used it like she had against the mansion gates.  The bisected lock thunked to the floor as Sable opened the door.  It was a mess, notebooks scattered across the floor and a noodle-stained mop propped haphazardly against a bucket in the back, but that wasn’t what demanded Sable’s attention.   

“What are-” she sputtered, “How long- what the Hell?”

In the sudden light, big blue eyes blinked owlishly up at her.  Squinted.  Then widened. 

“It’s you!”  Naminé gasped.

Sable just gaped down at her a moment, then reached out to the tiny Nobody.  A slender hand attached to a worryingly thin wrist tentatively settled in hers before Sable tugged her up.  (Good grief, the girl was bird-light.)  Once Naminé was out of the closet, Sable closed the door again.

“You alright?” Sable asked, keeping her tone gentle. “What happened?”

“They didn’t need me anymore…” The younger girl looked away.  “But Riku refused to eliminate me, so DiZ locked me in there.”

“And he just left you?” Sable felt her lips curl in a snarl. 

Oh, if she got her hands on that manipulative old coot- First he’d gaslighted a couple of teenagers into basically committing murder/suicide, now he’d left Naminé to starve to death-!  How he ever got the title of ‘Wise’ was beyond her understanding because he’d clearly demonstrated himself to be anything but!

“It doesn’t…doesn’t really matter.” The little blonde hugged herself, still not looking back at Sable. “I’m just a Nobody.  A mistake.  I shouldn’t exist anyway…”

Righteous fury could take a rein check (she’ll get a chance to punch Ansem in the face eventually) because right then there was a traumatized little girl in dire need of a hug.  She tried to ignore the startled gasp as she caught the little Nobody and pulled her close, enveloping her in as warm of a hug as she could physically manage.

“You’re alive.” Sable murmured into blonde hair. “And that’s wonderful.  Life is precious, and no one has the right to say you don’t deserve it.”

“But…Nobodies shouldn’t…”

“If you weren’t meant to exist, Naminé,” Sable smoothly cut off the protest, “then you wouldn’t be here.  Since you are, then clearly you have as much right to live as I, or Kairi, or the people in Twilight Town.  It’s as simple as that.”

There was a poorly smothered sniffle.

Pulling back enough to catch Naminé’s chin and tip her head back so watery blue met gentle violet, Sable continued. “Don’t take the lies of a bitter old man to heart, kiddo.  He denies the truth to try and soothe his own guilty conscience.  Any ‘facts’ he tried to force down your throat are about as solid as cotton candy left out in the rain.”

That got a shy giggle.  Then a hiccup as the built-up tears fell down pale cheeks.

“C’mon.” Keeping a firm grip on the Nobody’s hand, Sable pulled away. “I’ll let you borrow some of my clothes, they’re a bit big but they’ll be better than that.” A vague gesture at the white slip that was Naminé’s trademark attire.

That got a confused blink as Naminé followed without resistance.  She glanced down at her dress. “What’s wrong with this?”

“Kiddo, I’m getting freezing chills just looking at you.” Sable answered lightly as they left the computer room and entered the much better lit library. “That’s a thin little nightgown.  For sleeping in.  Not appropriate attire for a young lady to be walking around in public.”

(It was also sending Sable’s mind down the very dark train of thought involving virgin sacrifices and way too much blood and gore.  Not that she’d mention as much to Naminé.  No way, no how.  Poor girl was traumatized enough.)

“But…no one’s ever said anything before?”  She sounded so honestly bewildered that it was almost painful.

“And was anyone interested in your actual wellbeing?” Sable countered, keeping a firm grip on her hand. “Or only interested in using you?  They probably only gave you the bare minimum to still be useful.” 

Naminé stayed silent until they reached the foyer before asking in a very quiet voice: “Could we…get my sketchbook?  Before we go?”

Already a step down the stairs, Sable paused.  Backed up.   Led Naminé back around the landing to the door leading to the white room.  There she finally let Naminé go so the little blonde could collect her supplies unencumbered, staying by the door and watching as the other girl paused just inside the room.  Hesitated.  Then moved to the large dresser at the other end that Sable hadn’t bothered investigating.

“Did you…find my picture?” Naminé asked softly as she rummaged around inside, eventually pulling out another sketchbook and a packet of pencils and crayons.

Sable didn’t need to ask which picture.

“I did.” She answered, absently patting the munny pouch where she’d put it. “Will confess, it about gave me a heart attack.  Did that actually happen?”

Naminé looked at her and nodded, walking back across the room. “I…I saw the fight from the window.” She gestured to the ghostly white drapes.  “And…saw him watching you.”

“Oh, so I’m not the only one to nearly have a heart attack, good to know.” Sable quipped lightly, reaching out to accept Naminé’s offered hand.  She smiled as the little Nobody giggled quietly at the joke. “Do you know who it was?”

“No.” Naminé shook her head, letting Sable lead her out. “I…didn’t really get familiar with the ones who weren’t at Castle Oblivion.  All I know was that it wasn’t Axel.”

“Gotcha, makes sense.” 

This time they made it down the stairs without any interruptions or random hallucinations.  As they approached the door, Sable considered the situation.

It hadn’t been Saϊx, she was almost certain of that.  Xaldin probably would have said something.  Demyx would have been hiding behind a tree rather than up one.  Similar reasoning for Xemnas, who Sable did not see as one who would willingly climb a tree.  That left either Xigbar or Luxord.

(Ah well, it wasn’t like it mattered.)

Keeping a firm grip on Naminé’s hand, Sable led her out of the mansion, through the forest, and back into the throng of Twilight Town in full festival flair.  Poor Naminé quickly looked as overwhelmed as Sable had felt earlier by the sheer number of people and the noise that accompanied them.

For both their sakes, Sable kept to the fringes of the crowd and ducked down significantly quieter alleys whenever possible.  Unfortunately, Sable still hadn’t developed a proper mental-map of the area.  Granted, it was a large place and she’d been busy the last few days… 

Eventually they worked their way around the Tram Common to reach Sable’s apartment.  She was so very, very glad that the complex was in the Commons as the idea of trying to get further across the city with the poor Nobody was pure nightmare fuel.

Naminé wasn’t the only one to let out a little sigh of relief once Sable locked the door behind them.  She was the only one to sneeze, though.

“What’s that-” She tried to ask, then sneezed again.

Oops.  Sable had forgotten to turn off the diffuser before she’d left that morning.

“Sorry.” She apologized, darting across the living area to turn it off.  Then she cracked open a window to let fresh air in. “I forget it smells weird to anyone not used to it.”

Looking a little cross-eyed, Naminé blinked at her. “But what is it?”

“Desert Monsoon.” Sable answered, moving to the bedroom in order to hunt through her dresser. “I grew up in the desert and there’s this one bush that smelled like that whenever it rained.  Since we only ever really got rain during the monsoon season, that’s what it was associated with- here we go!”

Closing the dresser drawer again, Sable walked back out.  By that point, Naminé had only just made it as far as the sofa, having cautiously set down her sketchbook on the coffee table as she looked around with shy curiosity.

“Here.”

Looking up, Namine caught the wad of clothes Sable tossed at her.  Blinking, blue eyes flitted from the clothes to Sable and back again.  Clearly at a loss.

“Bathroom’s over there.” Sable gestured. “Try those on.  They should work until you get some more clothes of your own.”

Naminé nearly fumbled the cloth-ball as her face flushed a bright red of alarm. “Why- You don’t have to-” She sputtered, then looked down.  “You shouldn’t waste your munny.  Not on me…”

“My clothes.  My munny.  My choice.” Sable sang out as she approached the sofa. “Really, let me help you.” Violet eyes hardened. “Since none of the other adults in your life could be bothered.”  She waved off any further protests, gently turning and nudging Naminé in the direction of the bathroom. “Go on.  You can leave the slip hanging over the shower rod.”

Once the door clicked shut, Sable wandered over to the kitchenette and fished around for something easy to eat.  Not one of her dinners, Sable figured Naminé could do with something sweet, so PB&J it was! 

She was just finishing up the second sandwich when her little blonde guest emerged from the bathroom.

Naminé was nearly swimming in the white sweatshirt Sable had given her.  Not really a surprise, considering how small she was next to Sable.  Her hands would have vanished if not for the elastic in the cuffs and the shirt hem came down to about her knees.  The sweatpants were almost as bad.  Fortunately, that pair came with a drawstring so that Naminé could at least keep them above her waist without issue.

Sable would have to see about hemming up the pant legs, though…

“There we go.” She smiled, carrying the plates back over to the sofa as the little blonde blushed. “That looks ever so much better.  You’re properly warm, now.”  Sitting down on the cushion, she offered the other plate. “Here, thought you’d like something that wasn’t noodles.”

(No, Sable had not missed the empty noodle cups in the closet or in several of the garbage bins in the mansion.  They just hadn’t really been worth noting.)

Naminé accepted the plate and the two of them sat in silence for a moment.

“So,” Sable began after taking a few bites, “ground rules.”

“What?” Startled blue eyes flicked to her.

“When you’re done with something, please put it back where you found it.  Keeps things tidy.” Sable went on, ignoring the look. “Same thing with dishes: wash ‘em and put ‘em away.  There’s plenty of left overs in the fridge, so help yourself.” She took another bite. “Seriously, there’s way more than I can feasibly eat by myself before it goes bad.”

Pausing, Sable finished off her sandwich.  Set her plate down on the coffee table (away from Naminé’s art supplies) and brushed off her hands.  “You’ve got your pick between the sofa,” a vague gesture to their seat, “and the bed.  Doesn’t matter to me, either way.”

Naminé almost choked on her next bite. “I can’t steal your bed!”

“Sofa’s just as comfy.” Sable shrugged. “I’ll sometimes camp out on it for a few nights just because.” Swinging up off the couch, Sable went hunting for safety pins and found some hidden away in the desk.  “You can invite people over, if you like.  Just try and keep it neat.”

Moving back to kneel in front of the Nobody, Sable began rolling up the excess length of the pant leg. “Stretch your leg out, please.” After a few rolls, the blonde’s sandal-clad feet were visible once again and she was no longer at risk of tripping.  Pinning the folds in place with several safety pins, Sable moved onto the other leg.  “And…I think that’s pretty much it.”

Settling back on her heels, Sable frowned. 

“No, wait,” She pointed at the kitchenette, “there’s a pouch of munny on the fridge if you need it.  And,” she held up a finger to forestall Naminé’s next protest, “before you argue, I have an excess of funds right now.  Might as well use it for your sake.” She smiled up at the blonde, “You’re more than worth it.”

The resulting blush and stammer were very cute. 

(Also, a little heartbreaking.)

“Thank you,” Namine murmured eventually, chin tucked into the sweatshirt and her gaze anywhere except on Sable. “For everything.”

Sable moved back up on the sofa.  Pulled the smaller girl into a warm hug.

“You’re precious.” She told Naminé.  “Forget what that angry old man told you.  You’re alive and you have every right to exist and be treated with the same respect and courtesy as everyone else.” A sad pause.  “I pray that, someday, you’ll believe me.” 

Even half expecting it, Sable still twitched as the little blonde burst into tears, sobbing against her chest.  Hugging Naminé tighter, chin resting on pale gold hair, Sable let her cry it out.  The younger not-actually-a-teenager deserved a good cry.  What she’d remembered of the game hadn’t been pleasant, and Sable now suspected there’d been a whole lot more going on than she’d initially thought.

(Seriously, a broom closet?)

Eventually, the sobs died down and were replaced by the occasional hiccup.  Naminé didn’t try to pull away, though, so Sable just kept hugging her.

“You need to help Sora.” Naminé’s voice was muffled, her face still tucked under Sable’s chin.  “He’ll need someone like you…”

Okay, Sable had not been expecting that.  At all.  Sure, she may have entertained the idea, but…

“Pretty sure he and the others can take care of themselves.” She said, instead.  “Why would they want me along?”

Red-rimmed blue met violet as Naminé pulled back enough to look up at her. “The Organization…” She looked away, “they… They’ll use Roxas to try and hurt Sora.” The Nobody looked up again. “I needed Roxas to finish fixing Sora’s memories…but he had his own memories, too.  I didn’t erase them when Riku brought him in, just…buried them a while.”

“So, Sora might react to things only Roxas would have known about.” Sable mused, following the line of implications. “And Roxas was with the Organization for almost a year…they’d know what buttons to push.”

Naminé nodded almost violently, clenching her fists. “He doesn’t deserve that!  It’s not his fault Roxas had to…” Choking, she looked away again. “He didn’t even know Roxas existed.” Earnest blue eyes turned up to Sable again. “But…you know.  I don’t know how, but…Sora’s going to need that.” As best as she could while still sitting, Naminé bowed. “Please, help Sora.  Help Roxas.  I can’t…I can’t do anything more, now.”

“I can’t leave you alone, either.” Sable pointed out.  “You need support, too…I-”

There was a firm, no-nonsense knock at the door. 

Twitching, Sable spent a moment honestly entertaining the thought of homicide before she sighed and got up to answer it.  She blinked at who was on the other side. 

“Seifer?” 

With Rai and Fuu flanking him, of course.  Sable had to take a moment to just stare at Fuu, who was wearing an ornate hat for some reason.  It had the same blue and white coloring as her little frisbee. 

(Maybe it was a prize from one of the game stalls?)

The other teenager held up a to-go box.  “Brought some more food.” He explained gruffly.

“Uh, thanks.” Sable backed up to let them in and felt the spark of an idea as all three immediately noticed the blonde girl seated on her sofa.  Naminé was doing a very convincing deer-in-headlights impression.  “This is Naminé.” Sable introduced, accepting the food boxes and moving to the kitchenette to try and Tetris them somewhere inside her fridge. “She’ll be staying here for the immediate future.”

“And why’s that?” Seifer asked, eyeing the Nobody skeptically.  Those sharp blue eyes definitely recognized that sweatshirt as one of Sable’s.

Closing the fridge, with some effort, Sable walked back to the living area. “I found her locked up in the Old Mansion.”

“Disgraceful!” Fuu hissed, red eyes narrowed as she visibly bristled.

“That ain’t right, ya know?!” Rai shouted, fists clenched.

“So, be gentle?” Sable went on. “She’s had a rough time.”

Fuu immediately marched over and plopped herself down on the sofa next to Naminé.  Rai did the same thing on her other side.  The poor blonde was looking a little overwhelmed.

Sable caught Seifer’s eye and jerked her chin back towards the door.  Nodding, he followed her out.

“So, how bad is it, really?” He asked as the door clicked shut.

“Horrid.” Sable intoned flatly. “From what I’ve learned, she’s spent most of her life stuck in a really bad situation.  Princess in a tower sealed by poison thorns kind of deal.  Then, after she managed to get out of that, there was an angry old man who hated her just for existing.”

If she hadn’t before, she definitely had Seifer’s undivided attention now.

“He called her a witch and used her to hurt someone she cared for.  Then, when that was done… I found her in a broom closet with a damn padlock on the door!”  Deliberately stopping herself, Sable took a steadying breath before continuing as she held Seifer’s gaze. “Think you could watch out for her?  She could use a knight to guard her while she’s in Twilight Town-”

“Done.”

Sable caught his hand before he could open the apartment door again.  “She might leave.” She warned. “Once she’s recovered a bit, there’s some loose ends she’ll probably want to wrap up.  I don’t know if she’ll give any warning before she does, but that won’t be on you.”

“Hence why you specified ‘while she’s in Twilight Town’,” Seifer realized.  His eyes narrowed. “Why’s she wearing one of your shirts?”

“Because her previous captors had her running around in a thin little white nightgown.” Sable hissed.

Seifer stiffened. “Did they-"

Shaking her head, Sable cut him off. “No, thank God.  That never occurred to them.  But…” She grimaced. “They have her convinced that she doesn’t deserve to live.  She needs friends telling her that isn’t true, and to keep assuring her of that.”

The other teenager considered that a moment, then asked: “Why are you talking like you won’t be here?”

“She asked me to look out for someone else hurt by the same people she was.” Sable splayed her hands. “I don’t know if that would even work out, but if it does… I’ll probably be gone for a while.  It’s a mess.”

“Like the Struggle Tournament?” Seifer asked. “Does it have to do with the man who attacked you?”

Sable nodded. “Saϊx is part of the first group that had Naminé, but there’s several other problem factions in the mix.” She paused. “Be very careful if you see someone in a dark coat like that.  They command the Dusks, those white things that your club couldn’t hurt, and have a similar invulnerability…wait, I told you that last night.”

Seifer nodded, looking like he’d just sucked on a lemon. “Yeah, you mentioned needing someone with a weapon like yours to do anything.” He let out a sharp, hissing breath. “Any ideas what we can do when you’re not here?”

“I don’t even know how…” A memory tugged at her and she frowned thoughtfully, “Actually…talk to Setzer.  He might have an idea?”

Seifer blinked. “Setzer?”

Shrugging, Sable splayed her hands again. “Just a hunch based on something he said.”

Considering that, the tuque-wearing blonde nodded. “I’ll see about doing that.” 

This time when he reached for the door, Sable let him, and they both stepped back inside.  Naminé was now wearing Fuu’s blue-and-white hat and was giggling at something Rai had said.  She seemed much more at ease than she had been previously.

Seifer marched right up to her and knelt at her feet with an air of such severity that Sable was taken aback.  Rai and Fuu both went quiet and very still as their nominal leader addressed Naminé. 

“You don’t have to worry.” He spoke solemnly. “The Disciplinary Committee will guard and support you for however long you’ll have us. Whatever you need, we will provide.  You’ll be safe, here.  I swear it.”

Sable would have expected Naminé to be overwhelmed by the near-formal declaration, except she wasn’t.  Instead, an oddly wistful expression crossed her face before she glanced at Sable, who nodded encouragingly, and offered a shy smile. 

“Thank you.”

Seifer got up off the floor and sat on the edge of the coffee table, a pleased glint visible in his otherwise serious blue eyes.

“You’ll do it, then?” Naminé looked hopefully back at Sable. “You’ll help Sora?”

“I’ll head out and see if I find him.” Sable answered. “He might have already left town, though.”

Naminé shook her head. “No, he’d look around first.  Riku mentioned King Mickey would point him in the right direction, but didn’t say when.”

Sable saw Rai and Seifer both mouth an incredulous ‘king?’ and had to smother a smile.

“And with the festival out…well Sora might be well and truly distracted.” Sable allowed, nodding to the small blonde.  “If it works, I probably won’t be back for a while.” She splayed her hands to gesture at the apartment. “Mi case es su casa, as they say.  Make yourself at home.” A gesture to Seifer, then Rai and Fuu.  “They’ve agreed to keep you company.”

All three nodded.

“If you need anything, just let us know.” Seifer confirmed.

Rai nodded enthusiastically. “We got your back, ya know!”

Naminé offered a fragile smile, “Thank you, all of you.”

Sable walked over to the sofa and handed Naminé her spare apartment key.  “Here, I’ve got another one.  I wish you well, Naminé, and that we’ll see each other again, soon.”

With that, she turned and left the apartment to brave the busy streets.

              ———

Chapter Text

With the festival still in full swing, Sable knew she hadn’t a chance of finding Sora and his friends amidst all the crowds, so she didn’t even try.  Without a gummi ship, that was the only way they had to leave town, so Station Heights it was. 

That in mind, she headed towards the ridiculous hill of Market Street. 

At least she was familiar enough with that part of town to be able to reliably duck through various alleys to avoid the crowds.  Tempting though it was to shimmy up to the rooftops and travel that way, Sable could feel a warning tremor in her leg that suggested it would not be the best idea.  The run earlier had probably stressed her still-healing wounds more than Elmyra would have approved, so she’d walk the normal way.  Annoying though it was, falling off a wall would be more inconvenient.

Pausing at an intersection of alleys, Sable took a moment to check her orientation before continuing on her way, and promptly tripped over a tiny black-clad figure coming from another direction.  Yelping, Sable hit the cobblestones.

“Golly, I’m sorry!”

That voice didn’t sound like a kid, but they hadn’t been any bigger than Vivi.

“No harm done.” Sable groaned before rolling over and sitting up.  She rubbed at her right elbow, feeling a disgruntled twinge running up the wound. “Should have paid more attention...”

“Here, lemme help ya up.”

Reflex had her gripping the proffered gloved hand before she even took a second look at the speaker.  Half-way up, she froze as the black-coat-in-miniature registered.  Wasn’t that-?

Her right leg chose that moment to buckle under her.  The following hiss was equal parts pain and surprise.

“Whoa!” A second hand steadied her before Sable could topple over entirely. “Are you alright?”  From under the raised cowl, Sable could glimpse concerned dark eyes behind a pointed, mousy muzzle.

“Got attacked the other day.” She admitted, deliberately smothering her surprise. “I’m still healing.”

“Oh, gosh, now I’m really sorry for trippin’ ya.” Those big saucer-ears visibly folded back in dismay.  Then they perked up again. “I got somethin’ that could help, but it takes a bit to set up…” The incognito king glanced around the alley as he helped her up again. “Where ya headin’?”

Sable gestured uphill. “Station Plaza, friend of mine asked a favor and I figured that’s the best place to start.”

“Oh!  That’s a funny coincidence.  I’m headin’ up that way, too!”

So, they started uphill, the mouse king hovering on Sable’s bad side, as if ready to catch her if her leg gave out again.  She could see him sneaking glances up at her, the tip of his nose twitching when he did so. 

Wait a moment, was he smelling her?  Could he smell Naminé?  Or Donald, for that matter?  Sable had physically caught him when the duck had fallen out of his pod.  She wouldn’t be surprised if he’d left a few feathers behind and she hadn’t noticed…

“Say, uh…who’s your friend?” The tiny cloaked figure asked after a bit. “The one you were doing a favor for?”

Now the question was whether Sable made him work for the answer, or if she would be nice and just volunteer the information.  Both had their appeal.

Manners won out, in the end.

“You might know her.” Sable admitted at last. “Her name’s Naminé.”

The cowled king jumped like he’d been hit with a thunder spell. “Naminé?!” He jerked around to stare up at Sable. “You’ve seen her?  She’s alright?”

“Doing alright, after I found her padlocked in a broom closet.”

“What?!”

Sable offered a placating hand. “She’s fine, now.  I took her someplace else to stay and she asked if I’d help Sora.” She shrugged. “Not sure if that’ll work out.  Donald didn’t seem to like me too much when I found them last time, so…” Glancing down, she smiled at the King. “She said you’d be in the area.  Wasn’t actually expecting to meet you, though.”

“Oh, so you did recognize me.  I thought that was kinda funny…” He mulled over that a moment.  “Say, uh…when you say you got attacked…”

“The Organization infiltrated a tournament I was competing in.  It was…close…”

He jerked again and Sable saw his tail go ramrod straight.  “The Organization attacked you?  But why would they do that?”

“According to Saϊx, it was a recruitment pitch.”

The king twitched at that. “But…the Organization doesn’t recruit people with Hearts.”

“No, they don’t.”

He didn’t say a thing the rest of the way to Station Heights.  Though curious as to what was going through his head, Sable held her peace and let him think.

“Oh, that’s right, I didn’t get your name.” He said at last as the cobblestones under their feet leveled out. “Sorry, I should have asked earlier.”

“It’s fine.” Sable chuckled. “I’m Sable.  And I already know who you are.”

Mickey chuckled at that, then froze, his enormous ears swiveling around sharply.  “Oh no!” There was a blur of black, and Sable was alone.

How did someone with such short legs move so darn fast? 

Also, what had that been about?

Shrugging it off, Sable limped forward to one of the concrete benches in front of the train station proper.  For all she knew, it could be an hour or more before Sora found his way up from the Festival.

“Hey!  Is your name Sable?”

Or he could show up right as Sable sat down.  Why was she even surprised?  She twitched as the younger teenager ran up to her, and she reached up to rub at her eyes.  Why were they stinging?

“I was told you’re the best person to ask, so…” Blinking owlishly, Sable pulled her hand away in time to meet hopeful blue eyes.  “Have you seen my friend, Riku?  Or the King?”

“I haven’t met anyone named Riku.” She answered, rubbing at her eyes again. “But I did meet-”

Her neck prickled.

Sable didn’t stop to think, just dove forward and tackled Sora to the cobblestones as something very sharp whooshed overhead.  Alarmed shouts from Donald and Goofy could be heard as Sable twisted around in a crouch, keeping between Sora and their assailant.

Not an Assassin, like she’d halfway expected.  Instead, a Creeper Nobody was melting out of its sword mode, a large gash cut in the back of the bench Sable had been sitting on.

More whooshes of darkness signaled the arrival of other Nobodies.  Dusks this time, to join the scattering of Creepers.  Behind her, Sable felt Sora leaping back to his feet.  She glanced back in time to watch him drop into a battle crouch before a sudden flash of light in his hands made her jerk away, eyes watering.

(It made sense that the Kingdom Key would glow brightly, being a weapon of light, but wasn’t that a bit much?)

“Don’t worry, Sable.” Goofy’s voice, Sable felt rather than saw the trio move to surround her.  Standing between her and the Nobodies.

“Yeah, we’ll stop them!”  Sora promised, voice determined.

Their reflexive impulse to aid and protect left Sable feeling very warm inside.

“I’ll take care of these small fry!” Donald growled. “Thundaga!”

Due to having glanced back to watch an actual magic spell being cast, Sable was treated to the unique sight of power pooling on the head of Donald’s staff before fizzling out like a dud fuse.  As if to add insult to injury, the lackluster result was topped off by a very sad little bzzzt sound.

Even the surrounding Nobodies paused at that, visibly staring at Donald with interest as the duck glared at his weapon like it had just insulted his girlfriend.

Sora snorted, then laughed outright. “What was that?”

“Grr… Something’s wrong with my magic!”

“Maybe it’s still sleepin?” Goofy suggested from behind his shield. “I don’t feel quite right, either...”

“Guess it’s up to me to do all the work, then.” Sora’s grin was audible. “Like always-”

Gluttony deflected a Dusk’s sudden swipe before it could clip brown hair. 

“Don’t stop moving!” Sable barked, twisting around the smaller teen for a successful Guard-Counterguard lunge against another would-be opportunist.  That Dusk burst and Sable now had the trio’s slack-jawed attention.  “They’ll blindside you!” Gauging that her leg wasn’t up for a slide, she threw herself forward in a roll, coming up behind another Dusk as it and its fellows twitched around in alarm.  A quick combo had that one bursting like Sable’s last victim had.  “They’re easily confused.  Use that!”

“Uh, right!”

Posturing out of the way, the trio went on the offensive.  Mostly.  As Sable ducked and rolled between Creepers and Dusks, launching brutal combos as she saw the opportunity, she glimpsed Goofy hovering near Donald as the magician struggled to get his spells to cooperate.

“Firaga!”

Now a pffft sound escaped the staff.

“Blizzard!”

 This time a sad pssst.

“Oh, come on!”

Sable could tell Donald ran out of patience when he finally just wheeled around to club a stray Creeper with his staff.  That the swing was more effective than any of his prior spells only seemed to incense the duck further and Sable got to watch a full-blown Donald Duck Tantrum™ break out.

(If there were actual words mixed in with the shrieks, Sable legitimately couldn’t tell.  Those poor Nobodies…)

The very distinct sound of ripping fabric resounding above the noise of combat startled Sable as she came up from another roll.  That had not been any of her clothes.  Her clothes were Parkour resistant and such simple tumbles weren’t anywhere near the worst she’d put them through- Hang on, had that been Sora’s jumpsuit?  

Well…dang.  That sucked.

She risked a glance over in time to see the smaller teenager overextend after a swing towards a particularly illusive Dusk and go sprawling across the cobblestones.  Like sharks smelling blood, more Nobodies immediately twisted around and converged on the fallen Keybearer.

“Sora!”  Sable lunged, deflecting a slap from one airborne Dusk and then a three-part-slash from a shapeshifting Creeper before another Dusk slammed its head into her chest.

Wind woofing from her lungs, the darkhaired teenager joined Sora on the cobblestones.

“Thunder!”

The Dusk and aforementioned Creeper burst under the sudden bolt of lightning, but there were still so many wriggling forms in the air above them.  Out of reach.  Gluttony wasn’t long enough--

Another burning chill lanced from her Heart down her right arm, crackling against her palm.  Snarling breathlessly, Sable lashed out with her offhand. 

A diving Dusk spasmed, skewered on purple light, then burst.  On startled reflex, Sable flicked her wrist and the dark whip smacked a flapping Creeper out of the air before skewering another Dusk with an almost cheery snap. 

Mentally dubbing it Alacrity, Sable threw her arm and rolled to her feet with a spin, the dark whip snapping around her and Sora to ward off several other Nobodies.  One Creeper swooped under the crackle of darkness, only to go flying from a frisbee throw of Goofy’s shield.  A thunder from Donald finished it off.

By then, Sora had gotten back to his feet, letting Sable guard his back as Donald and Goofy settled in at their flanks.

Flicking her wrist, Sable sent Alacrity out again and again, less as a shield now and more as a whip-spear to skewer any hapless Nobody caught in its path.  It didn’t matter that her own mobility had dropped, the range and speed of the whip more than made up for it.

Until it didn’t.

A shield-mode Creeper flipped up like coin and slammed into Sable’s injured thigh.  Alacrity vanished in a shower of dark sparks as her leg buckled under her.  Gluttony caught a slap from an overhead Dusk, but missed another’s swipe to her bad arm.  It went numb and limp at her side.

(They were doing that on purpose.  They knew she was injured!)

That Dusk wasn’t fast enough to avoid Gluttony’s thrust as Sable struggled to recover.  She glimpsed the flapping wings of an airborne Creeper.  Twisting around with an off balanced lunge, Sable caught the Creeper half-way into its spear-form and it burst on Gluttony’s wing.  Movement caught in her peripheral, coiling-

The Dusk’s head collided with her chest.  Her vision went to static as cobblestones slammed into her back.

“Sable!”

Black.

              ———

“Healing Light!”

              ———

Sable jerked awake with a gasp, warmth flooding in from her fingers and toes up to her chest like a fire through water starved foliage.  Twisting onto her side she rubbed at her stinging eyes.  Why did that burn? 

“You four gotta board the train and leave town!” Wait, she knew that voice. “The train knows the way.”

The heel of one palm still rubbing at damp eyes, Sable forced herself up and managed to get back to her feet.  Her bad leg didn’t tremble, it didn’t even hurt.  Neither did her other injuries for that matter, beyond an itching burn that was fading even as she noticed it.

Holy…

Had Mickey just healed her?  Was that what a Keyblade Master’s magic could do?

“Your Majesty?!” Donald and Goofy, both sounded exhausted but the hope and concern was clear in their voices.  Blinking through her tears, Sable glimpsed the black-clad figure of Mickey Mouse jerk a gloved-finger to his lips.

“Shush!” The king hissed at them. “I can’t go back yet!  Here, take this.”

Somewhat surprisingly, Sora caught the hand-sewn bag before it could smack him in the face. 

Sable just glimpsed Mickey’s concerned look before the mouse king turned again vanished down an alley without another word.

“Your Majesty!” Both Donald and Goofy cried out, clearly dismayed.

“The King…” Sora murmured, studying the orange munny pouch in his hand. “Was that really him?”

“Yup, I know it was!” Goofy grinned, bobbing in place.

Donald sagged with visible relief. “Now we know he’s okay!”

“Wasn’t the King locked in the Realm of Darkness with Riku?” Sora asked, putting the pouch away. “But if we really just saw him…”

“We did!” Donald affirmed, puffing up with pride.

“Then that means Riku is around here somewhere!”

Donald nodded. “He’s gotta be!”

Sora nodded to himself. “I’m gonna look for Riku.  Then we can go back to our islands together.  Kairi’s waiting for us!” He paused.  Looked questioningly at his friends. “What are you two gonna do?”

The Disney duo exchanged looks then shot Sora equally disapproving expressions.

“Gawrsh, Sora.  Do ya have ta ask?”

Sora choked once before bursting out laughing as he pointed at the pair. “Your face!”

They exchanged another pair of looks.  Paused.  Then burst out laughing as well and, like that, the previous tension evaporated and it was like a weight had lifted from all their shoulders.

“What d’ya say, guys?” Sora asked, hiccupping a bit as the laughter faded. “Let’s stick together for another journey.”

They nodded and all three turned to the station doors.

Goofy paused then and looked back. “What about Sable?” Donald and Sora shot him questioning looks.  “Well, his Majesty said all four of us, and Sable’s the only other person around...”

That’s right, Mickey had said that, hadn’t he?  Sable had almost missed it.  He’d just given her the perfect excuse.  How much of the fight had he actually been watching?

(What had he gone chasing after, to begin with?)

“Guess I’m going with you.” She mused aloud, then hesitated, doubt creeping in.  “That is…if you don’t mind?”

“Sure!” Sora grinned at her, offering a thumbs up as he and Goofy held the station doors open. “You really helped us out there.”

Joining them at the top of the steps, the newly formed quartet entered the station. 

Glancing at the smaller brunette, Sable suddenly remembered something.  “Oh, Sora!  Hang on a moment.”

“What is-” He trailed off as he watched her wriggle out of her sweatshirt, leaving her in just a long-sleeved turtleneck. “What’re you doing?”

“Here.” Sable tossed him the sweatshirt.

He caught it but only blinked at her, clearly at a loss. 

Goofy got it first. “Oh, gawrsh, Sora.  Your pants!”

“Oh!” Face burning, Sora tied the sweater around his waist. “Um…thanks, Sable.”

“I’d offer you a change of clothes,” Sable admitted, “but I don’t think we have time to swing by my apartment.” 

On the one hand, she regretted not offering that when Sora had first woken up.  (It’s not like she hadn’t noticed how he’d outgrown his clothes!)  On the other hand, Sable probably wouldn’t have found Naminé if she had.

(Sora would probably agree that freeing Naminé took precedence.)

“Wait up!”

Sable glanced back in time to see Hayner, Pence, and Olette running up the stairs after them.  Pence actually doubled over on his knees when they came to a stop and even Olette looked a little winded, but Hayner seemed ready for a few more sprints.

“See you found Sable!” The third-runner up for the Struggle tournament grinned, offering a thumbs up.  Then he stopped and did a double take as he really looked at Sable.  “Yikes!  You look like you got into a fight with a meat grinder- ow!”

Olette discretely withdrew her elbow from her friend’s ribs.

Sable snickered.

“Hayner?” Sora asked, blue eyes visibly puzzled.

“Hey, Sora…” Whatever steam had been carrying Hayner onward puttered out at that moment, leaving him struggling with what to say next. “It’s nothing, but…”

Fortunately, Pence was more than able to pick up the slack. “We came to see you off.” He shrugged, waving a hand vaguely. “It just seemed like something we oughta do.”

“Oh, really?” Sora looked just as surprised as Donald and Goofy. “Thanks!”

A train whistle sounded.

“You should hurry and get your tickets!” Olette warned, glancing at the ticket counter.

As Sora turned towards the counter, Sable heard someone calling out her name.  Looking around, she saw Vivi waddling as fast as his little legs would carry him.  Surprised she jogged over to meet him and was surprised when he didn’t stop, instead colliding solidly with her middle, arms seizing her in a hug.

He mumbled something lost to his jacket and Sable’s shirt.

“Vivi?” Sable murmured.

“Seifer said you were leaving!” The little mage didn’t quite wail, but it was a near thing.  It plucked at Sable’s heartstrings like a Santana solo.

“Oh, kiddo.” Kneeling, Sable pulled him into a warm hug. “There’s some things I need to go take care of.  I’ll be back.”

Watery gold yes flicked up to her. “Promise?”

Ack! 

Her poor heart.  This kid!

“Promise, kiddo.” She hugged him again. “I still have a fridge full of food to clear out.”

That got a quiet giggle, as she’d hoped.  Then Vivi pulled back enough to wrap his arms around her neck in another hug- No, wait, that wasn’t a hug.  What was he…?

The little black mage pulled back again.  Looking down, Sable saw a cord now hanging from her neck with a silvery pendant shaped like a Nobody emblem. 

“I found it the other day.” Vivi admitted. “I thought it’d make a good protective talisman.”

“Thanks, Vivi.” Sable breathed, feeling out the edges of the pendant. “I’ll keep it close.”  She pulled him in for one more hug before standing up again, clapping her hands on his narrow shoulders. “And remember to give yourself some credit, alright?  You’re a lot more capable than you think.”

Emboldened, the little black mage nodded, yellow eyes bright.  He waved, then turned and waddled away again.  Sable watched him go, feeling her throat try and lock up. 

It…hurt to leave, right after she had just started connecting with people in the city.  On top of that, she was leaving Naminé alone.  Sure, Seifer had already promised to look after her, but Sable had so much to tell to the young Nobody.  It felt wrong to leave so soon…

“Sable!” Turning, the teenager saw Donald waving impatiently at her from the sliding door of a starry blue train. “It’s time to go!”

With one last glance after Vivi, Sable turned and ran to the train.  As she stepped through the threshold and the door slid shut behind her a sudden thought struck her.  Wasn’t this Roxas’ mysterious ‘Ghost Train’?  She couldn’t remember for sure.

Then Sable glanced over at her new companions and came up short. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked, wide-eyed as she watched more tears streaming down the Sora’s face. “Did something happen?”  She stumbled a little as the train jerked into motion, but didn’t pay it any mind, too focused on the Keybearer.

Looking flustered on top of his tears, the younger teenager rubbed at his face and turned away.

“Sora’s sad to be leaving Twilight Town.” Goofy explained, though he was watching his friend with obvious concern.  “But we’ll come back again.”

Sora hiccupped.

“Hey, um…” Sable edged closer to the Keybearer, a little hesitant. “It’s been a day.” She spread her arms as he blinked at her. “I could really use a hug- oof!”

Before she’d even finished speaking, Sora had latched onto her much like Vivi had.  This left her painfully aware that Sora barely came up to her chin.  He was only a smidge taller than Naminé, just a kid.  A kid who’d just been used as an instrument of murder for an angry old man’s toxic vendetta. 

(Not that Sora was actually aware of that.  Sable was going to break Ansem’s damn face!)

Smothering the sudden rise of regicidal impulses, Sable swallowed thickly and instead wrapped her arms around the younger teenager, holding him close.  Eventually, Sora pulled away on his own and finally managed to wipe his eyes dry.

“Thanks.” He mumbled. “I…I don’t know where those keep coming from.”

No, he wouldn’t, would he?  And Sable couldn’t think of a convincing explanation to give him that wouldn’t leave her in a very awkward position. 

“You’re homesick and missing your friend.” She said instead. “And Twilight Town is…a very welcoming place.” Offering a wry smile, she added. “I’d only been there a week or so, and it still hurts to leave even though I know I’ll be back.”

With a wobbly smile of his own, Sora finally settled down on one of the benches.  He looked considerably better even if his eyes were still a little red.

A flash from the windows drew their attention. 

Peering out, Sable blinked at the sea of aurora borealis colors drifting by outside.  Yes, she remembered it from the game, but it was really weird to see in person.  If she pressed her cheek to the glass, she could just make out the phantom tracks the train was traveling across through the void space.

(What was this?  Second star to the right and straight on through Treasure Planet’s Etherium?)

“Oh!” They all looked at Goofy. “Are you alright, Sable?” The captain of the guard peered over at her with clear concern. “It looked like you were hurt even before we got attacked.”

Sable blinked.  He’d noticed that?

“What?” Sora almost launched back up off his seat.

Splaying her hands in a calming gesture, Sable offered another smile. “Yeah,” she admitted, “but your King’s spell patched me up, good as new.  I’m fine, now.”

“Sounds suspicious to me.” Donald grumbled, squinting at her with clear suspicion. “First you were there when we woke up.  Then you used that creepy sword…”

“Oh, yeah.” Calming down again, Sora cocked his head. “How do you have that sword, Sable?  It reminds me of what my friend Riku uses.”

Holding out her hand, Sable beckoned Gluttony out.  The more she did it, the more convinced she was that the trigger genuinely was some kind of spring-loaded ‘mechanism’, mystically speaking.  It was there almost before she’d actually called for it.

“This is Gluttony.” She introduced as Sora looked it over curiously, as did Goofy.  Donald pretended he wasn’t interested but he was definitely keeping an eye on the bat-wing blade. “I…don’t actually know where it came from.  It showed up the first time I was attacked.”

“It’s not exactly like Riku’s.” Sora observed. “It doesn’t have that creepy eye.”

A smile tugged at Sable’s lips. “Technically it has a cat’s eye, but no literal eyeball.  Thankfully.”

Blue eyes squinted at it. “Cat’s eye?”

“I don’t see it.” Donald grumbled, cocking his head.

“It’s what some gemstones are called.” Sable explained, gesturing with her free hand. “See that white light pattern in the middle?  That’s where it gets the name.  And they’re usually the same bright colors you see with house cats.”

“Oh!” Sora tilted his head. “I see it now.  That’s kinda neat.” He glanced at her. “So, no actual cats involved?”

“Nope, just a pretty striped rock that reminded people of them.” Sable let her sword vanish back to wherever it went when not in use.

The sudden, jaw-popping yawn that escaped her took Sable by surprise.  Teetering a little on her seat, she felt a sudden rush of fatigue.  She yawned again.  It was contagious.  Sora and Goofy both yawned which then set Donald off, which had Sable yawning a third time.

She clapped a hand over her eyes to cut off the cycle. “Okay, that’s enough of that.  I’m gonna take a nap.  If you don’t have anything else to ask…?”

“Yeah…actually that sounds like a good idea.” Sora’s yawn could be heard even though Sable pointedly wasn’t watching him. “Maybe I’ll have a nap, too...”

“Lazy bones.” Donald groused without any real heat.

“Heh.  Kairi used to say that, all the time...”

Ignoring them now, Sable fished her music player out of her munny pouch and then grabbed her headphones.  Reclining back on the padded bench, she pushed play.  A moment later, with the playlist sounding in her ears and the rumble of the train’s engine reverberating through her bones, she drifted off.

              ———

“Hey, are we there yet?”

Caught between the end of one song and the start of the next, the words pierced the sleepy fog around Sable’s mind.  It was such a cliché she couldn’t help snickering awake.  Pulling down her headphones, she turned off the player.

“It’s been about two hours since we left the station.” Goofy volunteered.

In the midst of debating whether she should sit up or not, Sable paused.  Well, that had apparently been a pretty good nap.

“That long?!” Sora yelped from the other bench.  Sable could hear him fidgeting in place. “Where’s the train taking us?”

 Thus far, the brunette seemed a bit more…excitable (childish?) than how Sable remembered him being portrayed in the game.  More like an actual kid than just some generic video game protagonist. 

“I don’t know.” Donald sighed. “But it must be someplace important, or the King wouldn’t have sent us.”  There was a rustle, and Sable could imagine the magician wilting in his seat.  “The King…”

“K…I…N…G…” Goofy chuckled quietly to himself. 

Something was scratching from his direction, what was… Was that a pencil on a paper?  Curious, Sable cracked open an eye to glance over.  Was he working on a crossword puzzle?

“Look!” Sora spoke up suddenly. “I see something!” He paused, Sable could see him squinting out the window. “A tower?”

With a long stretch, Sable finally sat up to look.  The void of northern colors was gone, replaced again by the golden hues of Twilight Town’s sky.  Then she blinked, squinting at the sight coming up along the tracks. 

A tower planted on an island was pretty much what she expected, but it was the area around the island that drew her eye.  She couldn’t tell if those vaguely green masses peaking up randomly in the distance were trees or mountains, let alone whether the island sat on a gently rolling ocean…or on a sea of clouds.

Sable had read a fantasy series once where there were mountains so high that the clouds formed a literal sea beneath them.  Was the Mysterious Tower set upon a high mountain on the same world Twilight Town was on? 

(That would fit…)

The train slowed, coming to a stop alongside the little space-island.  There was a hiss of air as the door slid open.  Sora peeked out first, looking around curiously.

“Where are we?”

“This has to be where the King told us to go.” Donald leapt past Sora. “C’mon!”  He tried to run only to trip instead, landing flat on his bill.

Snickering, Sora helped him up. “Did you forget how to run after sleeping so long?”

With an indignant quack, Donald stomped off towards the oddly-shaped tower further on.  If one watched closely, though, one could note that he was taking far more care with his steps.  Goofy ambled along after his friend at a more sedate pace.  

Sable stepped up next to Sora as the younger teen glanced back at her before freezing, sky-blue eyes going wide.

“What’s wrong?” Sable murmured, flexing her fingers.

A nervous laugh answered her. “There goes our ride…”

Blinking, Sable looked back.  The train had indeed vanished, only scattering motes of light marking where it had once been.  Oh dear…

She patted Sora on the shoulder. “We’ll figure something out.”

Nodding, the Keybearer turned away again and froze as a sudden riiip broke the silence.

“Aw, man.” Sora groaned, standing perfectly still. “What was it that time?”

“Not your pants.” Sable promised, violet gaze flitting over the seams of Sora’s too-small jumpsuit. “Ah, there it is.” She pointed to his side, just under the bottom of his jacket. “That one’s not so bad…” Trailing off, she sighed. “I’m sorry, Sora.  I should have grabbed something from my apartment when I stopped there.”

Sora shrugged and continued forward after Donald and Goofy, though he took a bit more care as he moved. “It’s alright, you couldn’t have known.”

“I saw you when you woke up.” Sable corrected gently. “I knew those were too small.” Grimacing, she looked him over again from his hooded vest down to his bright yellow shoes to the borrowed sweatshirt still tied firmly around his waist. “I just didn’t realize how bad it was…”

“Well,” Sora offered a weak grin, folding his hands behind his head in a show of ease, “like you said, right?  We’ll figure something out.”

“Hopefully soon,” Sable grumbled, “I only have so many layers to spare…”

“C’mon, let’s catch up with Goofy and Donald.”  Sora broke into a jog and Sable hurried to keep up. 

To her amusement, it wasn’t a straight shot.  Partly because of the odd evergreen bushes growing in a not-quite maze between where they landed and the tower they were aiming for.  Mostly because Sora was apparently a magpie when it came to shiny things and he veered off anytime he even glimpsed a potential treasure chest.

Literal treasure chests.  Sable wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.  She hadn’t seen any treasure chests in Twilight Town, but then she hadn’t actually looked…

Were there just…random treasure chests floating around for anyone to take?  Why?  Where’d they come from? 

(Sable may never know…)

Sora seemed especially familiar with them, striding right up to tap them with his Kingdom Key (Sable was training herself to stop flinching when it showed up) and goodies came out.  Usually potions, but one of the chests had a funny blue cube she reflexively wanted to call a Tesseract but that Sora identified as an Ether. 

Eventually they got to the base of the tower to find Donald and Goofy talking to a much larger figure who was peaking in through the tower’s twin doors.

Sable took stock: rotund with blue-and-black armor, black skin, small pointy ears swiveling around atop his head.  Yup, she knew who that was.  She could almost hear the bouncy tune of the encounter music start playing in the back of her mind.

“You outta find somethin’ nicer ta do.” Goofy was rebuking the figure, brows creased in clear disapproval.

“Oh yeah?” The figure spun around imperiously.  “Say’s who?  Wha-” Recognition flared in beady eyes as he reared back. “-aaah!  It’s you!”

“Pete?” Now it was Donald and Goofy’s turn to be taken aback. 

A fat finger was jabbed in their direction. “What are you two nimrods doin’ here?!”

“What are you doing here?” Donald shot back, brandishing his staff.

Sora was glancing between the three Disney locals, clearly lost. “You know him?”

“We sure do.” Goofy glanced back at Sora and Sable, concern clear in his eyes. “Pete’s been causin’ trouble for ages!” He looked back up at the fuming bulldog-cat. “His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago.” The guard captain trailed off, looking thoughtful. “I wonder how he escaped…”

That seemed to snap Pete out of his fuming and he cackled at them.

“You wanna know, eh?” That bulldog-face contorted into a clearly smug look. “Well, Maleficent busted me out, that’s how!  And now your world-” He stopped abruptly and grinned, spreading his arms as wide as they would go. “-no, no no, no, all worlds are gonna belong to yours truly.” Here he paused, then added. “Cause Maleficent’s gonna help me conquer ‘em!”

“Maleficent…huh.”

Sable shot Sora a sideways look, deeply suspicious by that faux-coy hum.  This wasn’t helped when Donald and Goofy, after exchanging glances, started giggling behind upraised hands.

“What are you laughing at?” Pete waved a fist at them, glaring venomously at the trio. “Why, Maleficent’s power is so great-”

“She’s toast.” Sora snickered.

Pete jerked back again as if slapped, beady eyes going very wide.

“Sorry, but Maleficent can’t help ya now.” Goofy added with an almost sing-song note to his voice as Donald cackled beside him.

“Whaddaya mean?” The villain demanded, then light clearly dawned as he jabbed an accusatory finger at them. “You!” He growled. “So, you’re the ones that did it!”

“Well…” Hands tucked innocently behind brown spikes, Sora offered a winsome grin. “We mighta had something to do with it.”

Sable just—just—managed to refrain from facepalming.

The Disney villain was visibly shaking with fury. “Heartless Squad!” Pete bellowed, fists clenched tightly at his sides. “Round up!”

Shadow Heartless sprouted from the ground around them. 

Donald yelped and stumbled back away from one that nearly smacked up into his bill.  Calling Gluttony, Sable twitched as the Kingdom Key appeared in Sora’s hand, but was able to brutally suppress the reflexive tears. 

(Progress was being made!)

“Actually, this’ll be kinda fun!” Sora grinned, brandishing his Keyblade.

“Gawrsh, Sora.  I sure wouldn’t!” Goofy cautioned, glancing worriedly between Sora and Donald.

“This won’t even take a second!” Sora lunged at the nearest Shadow, squashing it with a downward swing.  Next to him, Donald threw out his staff.

“Fire!”

A little fireball shot out and sent another Shadow tumbling head over heels.  Cackling, Donald dove after it with a baseball swing.

Sable and Goofy exchanged glances, nodded, then split up to support Sora and Donald respectively.  Now Sable got her first experience with fighting Heartless.

They were an interesting study in contrast to their Dusk counterparts.  Shadows were hunched to barely hip-high while the Dusks stood erect and towered at least a head over most people.  Both were incapable of sitting still but the little Heartless definitely had a more manic twitch to them compared to the Nobody’s absent swaying.

Also, Shadows were considerably weaker, Sable didn’t even need a full combo to disperse one.  In fact, she was delighted to find she could nail up to three at once with her wider swings if she timed it right.

(Sable also thought she saw whisps from the defeated Shadows flow into Gluttony’s hungry blade, but she wasn’t entirely sure.) 

Really, the only annoying part of fighting the Shadows was on the occasion they decided to go from 3D to 2D, but then Sable could just focus on another accessible Heartless because they were not smart.  Where the Dusks would actively coordinate together to get around a target’s guard, Heartless just attacked on reflex and only worked together by coincidence.  No tactics or strategy to be had.

This was actually very helpful when Sable jumped back and tripped over a sprawling Sora, who’s coordination had failed him again.  Sable just rolled with it and was back on her feet by the time a few Shadows belatedly lunged at her.

“You okay, Sora?” She called down, shielding him until he was back on his feet.

“That is really getting old!” The younger teenager groused as he rolled his shoulders, which was when there was another pop and riiip of poor, abused thread and cloth. “Oh, come on!”

Batting away another Shadow, Sable snickered.

“Hey!”  Sora actually sounded a little offended.

“Sorry, sorry,” Sable waved at him with her offhand, flexed her wrist to send Alacrity successfully spearing through a chain of Shadows. “But at this point, it’s laugh or cry and I kinda need to see.”

That got a snort, and Sable glimpsed the tug of a little smile on his lips.

The last of the Heartless dispersed a moment later.  There hadn’t been anywhere near as many as the Dusk ambush they’d faced in Station Heights.  Sable was almost disappointed, with her injuries no longer sapping her energy she was raring to push on and see what her actual limits were.  The little scuffle didn’t even take the edge off.

“Just you wait!”

When had Pete left the doorway?  Sable couldn’t actually recall seeing him after the Heartless showed up.  Turning, she got to watch the grown bulldog-cat throw a childish tantrum, complete with much feet stamping. 

“Nobody, and I do mean nobody, messes with the Mighty Pete!”

Pfft. 

Sable bit her lip to keep from smiling. 

To her side, Sora rolled his eyes as he straightened up again, Kingdom Key vanishing from his hand. “So, mighty Pete-” Blue eyes flicked up to the looming building. “-who lives in this tower anyway?”

The question took Pete aback and he blinked at them. “Ya don’t know, eh?” He straightened up, thoughts of fighting forgotten. “Well, it’s old Yen Sid.” Ears flicking atop his head, he smirked. “Course, he’s probably a Heartless by now!”

“Master Yen Sid lives here?”

Sable blinked and Donald was just gone, the bang of the heavy wooden doors sounding in his wake.  Pete, she noticed, looked a little offended.

“Yen Sid is the King’s teacher.” Goofy explained for Sora’s benefit.

“Wow.” Now Sora looked interested, ignoring Pete and staring after Donald. “Sounds powerful!”

And then they were following their friend up the stairs and into the tower proper, leaving Sable and Pete behind.  The villain actually staring slack-jawed after them.

“Hey.” Sable called over before Pete could work himself up into another tantrum. “Mind if we postpone this for now?  We have a few, uh, issues to take care of before we can give you a proper brawl.”

An ear twitched as Pete squinted at her, then glanced up at the open doors. “So, I really did hear the brat’s clothes rip?” He asked.

“It’s an ongoing problem.”

“Thought they looked a bit small on ‘im…” Now Pete eyed Sable. “Not that hard ta find kid’s clothes, though.”

“He keeps getting ambushed.” Sable admitted. “We were hustled onto the train before we could get him new clothes.” This time Sable glanced up at the tower. “Think Yen Sid might have something that’d fit?”

That got a snort. “He’s a powerful sorcerer, if he doesn’t have somethin’ he can just magic it up.” He waved a hand at her dismissively as he turned away.  A Dark Corridor swirled into existence next to him. “I’ll let you off easy, this time.” One foot in the corridor, he twisted around to jab a finger at Sable. “And don’t you forget it!  Next time we meet I’ll show you what’s for!  Wardrobe malfunction or no wardrobe malfunction!”

“I’ll hold you to it.” Sable smiled mildly as the villain disappeared. 

Then she turned and took off after the others. 

The bottom floor was empty, but a number of empty treasure chests showed that Sora had definitely been by.  A tad annoyed at being left behind so quickly, Sable started up the staircase.  She paused a quarter turn up to just stare at the bright tear in the air before her.

Sable shivered, skin prickling under her clothes.  Standing near the portal actually stung.  Leaning slightly, she peered around it to the stairs continuing up behind it.  Not a sound could be heard, not stomping footsteps, no grumbled complaints. 

The others had gone through the portal, not around it.

Sighing, Sable braced herself and dove in and yelped at the sting as she almost toppled over from vertigo making the ground sway under her feet- Wait.  No.  It was literally swaying underfoot.  Not much, kind of like a large artificial dock on a lake, only just noticeable if one paid attention.

Regaining her balance, Sable peered over the edge and blanched at the rolling yellow-green energy filling the bottom of the tower.  Of the door or empty treasure chests she had just passed, there was no sign.  She was on a floating piece of a staircase, one that led up in a partial turn around the confines of the tower before coming to an abrupt stop at a heavy wooden door painted blue, just like the staircase. 

Peering higher allowed more partial staircases to be seen.  Each sprouted from its own distinct glow before winding up to what was probably their own matching doorway.

Shaking her head, Sable jogged to the door.  She’d delayed enough.

Though heavy, the door swung open easily into a not-quite-empty room decorated with glowing stars on the walls and domed ceiling.  It could easily be remodeled into some kind of nursery.

Her neck prickled and Sable’s hand lashed out.  The lunging Shadow twitched, skewered by Alacrity, before vanishing.  Then lightning struck another creeping Heartless and Goofy’s shield whizzed past Sable’s ear and she was a little too busy to think.

The fight didn’t last long, between the four of them, and eventually the hexagonal shapes flickering in front of the next door faded away.  Sora had also made it through the fight without another seam popping. 

(It looked like he was sticking to simple, basic movements to avoid stressing his poor, dying jumpsuit.)

They shared a glance and continued on.  Sable paused as Goofy reached for a door.  It had a legit arrow light flickering in the center, pointed up.  On a hunch, she glanced back at the first door they’d came through.  It also had a pulsing arrow, that one pointed down.

(Okay.  Fine.  She wasn’t going to ask.)

The next staircase was green.  They were met with more Shadows, easily dispersed, then they reached an orange-painted door and Sable saw her first Emblem Heartless.  The Soldier clacked and danced between the shorter Shadows as they scurried underfoot.  They were still shorter than even Sora.  Technically.  If one didn’t count the weird antenna thing atop its helmet.

They had a very impressive diving spin attack, dropping down on their target with a nasty heel smash.  They also liked charging at Sable, she’d almost gotten pincered when a couple more popped in after the Shadows went down.  As in they ignored the others, even if they were standing right next to them, to home in on the taller brunette.

Made it easier to cut them down, but it was definitely weird.

As the last Solder dispersed, Donald stamped a webbed foot. “Heartless, Heartless, and more Heartless!” Radiating indignation, he planted his hands on his hips. “Things haven’t changed one bit!” He stomped the ground again for emphasis.

“Well,” Goofy remarked practically, “it’s a good thing we’re on the job then.”

Sora’s shoulders drooped, disheartened. “So…the worlds aren’t at peace after all?” 

Reaching out, Sable patted his arm sympathetically as Donald and Goofy exchanged looks.

“Master Yen Sid oughta be able to tell us what’s goin’ on.” Goofy offered.

Sora and Donald nodded, with Sora stepping forward. “Well, let’s get to the top of this tower first!” 

He took off running, all but slamming through the wooden door ahead.  The next staircase was orange and didn’t curve like the others had.  It stretched straight ahead to another large door, this one with a visibly gold aura emanating from it. 

About halfway across they were ambushed by more Heartless.

Sable yelped as a pair of Soldiers popped, literally out of nowhere, to ram into her at full speed.  Rolling with the impact, she grunted as her back bounced painfully off the sharp stairs.  Arms snapping out, she pushed off with her hands as her legs swung over her head and her feet slammed down--

--on open air. 

Oops.

“Sable!”

Violet eyes blinked bemusedly up at the bottom of the staircase as she fell.  Weren’t there supposed to be invisible guard barriers blocking the open edges in lieu of proper guard railings?

Ah well, it didn’t matter.

Alacrity shot out of her palm like a harpoon, stretching up to latch onto the orange staircase.  Gripping the dark energy with both hands, Sable felt it stretch taut, then- Yoink! 

Like an elastic cord it snapped up, swinging her under and up the other side of the stairs.  Her momentum let her loop up and clear around so that her feet came down very solidly on the back of one of the guilty Soldiers, which had been peering down over the edge where she’d fallen. 

With no small amount of pleasure, she kicked off with all her strength, this time landing solidly on the stairs while the Heartless vanished over the edge with a clatter of metal.

Gluttony crackled into existence as she cut through several Shadows.  In moments, the remaining Heartless were gone.

“Are you alright?” Sora asked, the whites of his eyes clearly visible.  He looked half-a-second from just latching onto her.

“I’m fine.” Sable promised. “I’m no stranger to sudden falls.” She glanced at the edge and grinned. “That was kinda fun.”  With the immediate danger gone, she could giggle internally at the fact that she’d just done a Spiderman Swing!

(Could she conjure Alacrity from both hands?  Could she legitimately go webswinging?  That would be epic!  She’d have to remember to try that out.  Later.  In more conducive environments.)

“That was really cool.” Sora agreed, relaxing again as he grinned at her. “Then you just booted that Heartless right off!”

“Served it right.” Donald groused.

Goofy hummed, glancing over at the edge.  “Hope it didn’t leave a mess on the lower staircases…”

“Blame Pete?” Sable suggested. 

The trio stared at her a moment.  Exchanged looks.  Broke down into giggles.  Pleased, Sable leaned back on her heels and waited for them to get their composure back together.  Then, sufficiently cheered, Donald and Goofy led the way to the gold-painted door.

“Hey,” Sora whispered, hands tucked behind his head, “think you could teach me that whip thing?”

“I have no idea how I’m doing it to begin with.” Sable whispered back.

“Darn…”

They passed through the threshold a few heartbeats after their Disney companions and found them standing at a stiff attention before a large desk.  Sora visibly flustered when the duo suddenly bowed low, even going so far as to kneel.  Sable was more focused on the wizened eyes studying them from a rather severe, bearded face on the other side of the desk.

“Master Yen Sid,” Donald breathed reverently, “it’s an honor.”

“Hey there.” Sora waved, clearly trying to be polite.

Trying.

Donald and Goofy rounded on him in clear dismay, with Donald actually reaching up to try and grab Sora’s head in an attempt to force him down.

“What?” Sora yelped.

“Sora!” Donald hissed at him as the teenager struggled against his hold. “Show some respect!” 

Yen Sid flinched at that, both hands snapping out in a calming gesture.  “At ease.” He rumbled, looking specifically at his fellow mage. 

As Donald’s hackles settled again, the old man offered a slightly gentler look to Sora as the brunette finally managed to squirm free.  With one robed hand he reached up and flexed his wrist, and light flashed in response and coalesced into a set of chairs on their side of the table.

“So, you are Sora.” The old sorcerer began.   

Straightening up again, safely out of Donald’s reach, Sora grinned at him. “Pleasure to meet you, Master Yen Sid!”

Offering a very faint smile of approval, Yen Sid gestured to the chairs.  “You all must be tired from your long journey.”

They exchanged looks and all sat down.  Sable was amused when Sora pointedly kept her as a buffer between him and Donald.  She honestly couldn’t blame him.  She wouldn’t have appreciated being manhandled like that, either. 

Opposite them, Yen Sid made another gesture and a soft light, almost like a nightlight’s glow, swept over the table.  When it faded, Sable had to blink at the assortment of sweet cakes and other finger foods.  That…she hadn’t expected that.  Not in the least.

Curious, she reached for one of the sweet buns before freezing as she belatedly registered Yen Sid’s gaze on her.

“And you must be the Seeker of Darkness the King messaged me about.” The old sorcerer rumbled. “Sable, was it?”

“Seeker-?!” Donald yelped.

“Gawrsh, wasn’t that Ansem’s title, too?” Goofy asked, peering around to look at Sable.

“I, uh, wouldn’t say ‘Seeker’,” Sable stammered, “More like some Darkness slapped itself into my hand when I was in danger.  Honestly, I have no idea what I’m doing.  Feels like someone else just gave me some tools but no direction…” Swallowing her unease, she ignored Donald’s suspicious looks as she dished up some less sugary confections and picked up a matching utensil.

Yen Sid seemed willing to accept that, his gaze drifting across Sora, Goofy, and Donald next. “Now then, have you seen the King, yet?”

“Yes, we did, Master.” Goofy nodded. “But...”

Donald drooped in his chair. “He ran off before we could talk to him.” He shot a sideways look at Sable. “He just said Sable was to go with us.”

“Yes.” Yen Sid offered a sympathetic nod. “He still has unfinished business to attend to.”

“Unfinished business?” Donald echoed weakly, paying no mind to the random, animated teapot currently pouring hot tea into his cup.

“It would seem that the task of instructing you four falls upon my shoulders.  You have a perilous journey ahead of you, and you must be well prepared.” He nodded to each of them in turn. “Thanks to your good work…the Heartless were stopped from spilling over from the great darkness.”

Suddenly bashful, Sora nibbled at his cake as Goofy elbowed him playfully.  On Sable’s other side, Donald scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Then Sora frowned, lowering his fork to his plate with a soft tink.

“But…how come there are still Heartless around?” He asked. “I mean, we closed the Door and defeated Ansem, shouldn’t they have all disappeared?”

“Heartless are embodiments of darkness,” Yen Sid answered, “and darkness lingers in every Heart.” His voice lowered further, taking an ominous tone. “The Heartless are fewer than before, but while darkness yet exists, it will be difficult to eliminate them.”

“Then that must mean…if everybody’s Heart was full of light, the Heartless would go away!” Goofy marveled.

Remembering the way light seemed to sting and cause her general discomfort, Sable strongly doubted that.  She wasn’t going to say anything, though. 

(Not yet, at least.)

“As ever, the Heartless roam about in search of Hearts, and you must keep vigilant.”

“We’ve got that covered, Master Yen Sid!” Goofy assured.

“However,” Yen Sid went on, “the worlds are now faced with a new threat.”  Seeing that he had their attention, he continued. “The Nobodies.  Have you heard of them?”

Looks were exchanged and Sable suddenly registered the additional presence of Jiminy Cricket by Sora’s plate.  He was absolutely tiny!  When had he come out?

Then she realized Sora and the others were all staring at her.

“Do you know what he’s talking about?” Sora asked.

But hadn’t she… Violet eyes blinked as Sable actually stopped and considered it.  No, she hadn’t actually referred to the Nobodies by name, had she?  And they’d gotten sidetracked on the train so she hadn’t been able to tell them what they actually were.

Oops.

She pointed her fork at Sora. “Those Dusks back at the station, remember?  They’re to Nobodies what the Shadows are to Heartless.  The shapeshifting shoe-things were another type of Nobody, called Creepers.”

“Oooh.” Sora frowned. “That…doesn’t really help, though.”

Sable winced, that had not been her most thought-out response.

Yen Sid cleared his throat to draw their attention, then snapped his fingers.  Donald yelped as a little light flashed on his plate, revealing a teeny little micro-Shadow.

It was Very Cute.

“If one yields to the darkness in their Heart,” the sorcerer explained, “that Heart leaves the flesh and becomes what you know as a Heartless.”

A tiny little crooked antenna twitched.

“A Heartless has no power of reason.  It will attack people in an attempt to steal their Hearts.”

The micro-Shadow comically mauled one of Donald’s cupcakes, clawing at a large heart-shaped sprinkle decorating the top.  Sable slapped a hand to her mouth to muffle her snickers as Donald squawked in outrage and started dueling the illusion with his fork, the cupcake their ultimate prize.

“Now, I’ll let Sable continue with the explanation.”

Sable was not expecting that.  Sable choked on the sweet cake she’d finally managed to take a bite of.  Sora reached over to helpfully slap her on the back.  Sending him a grateful look after swallowing hard, Sable glared at Yen Sid a moment. 

Sighed. 

Then cleared her throat and began to speak.

“You’ve probably seen how a person’s body vanishes when they lose their Heart.” Sable waited as they all nodded sadly, all having witnessed that at least once. “What you don’t see is that, sometimes, that body reforms someplace else.  Generally, where Light and Darkness is relatively balanced, such as Twilight Town.”

Now she had their undivided attention.

“It takes a strong Will,” She cautioned, “but it is possible for that empty shell to get up on its own and act independently.  Most regress to a more inhumane shape like what we saw at the Station.”

Yen Sid snapped his fingers again and more light flashed, this time off to the side.  When it faded it was to reveal a trio of translucent, life-sized Dusks swaying in place.

“Someone decided to call these lingering shells ‘Nobodies’ and the term stuck but it’s as much a misnomer as ‘Heartless’ is.  Anyway, like Heartless, they come in a myriad of different forms with various abilities.  Unlike the Heartless, Nobodies maintain the ability to think, plan, and work together.”

“They kept tag-teaming us back at the Station.” Sora remembered. “I’d block one and another would slap me from behind.”

“They’re also really strong.” Goofy added. “Much stronger than little Shadows.”

“The stronger the Will of the person they came from, the stronger the Nobody.” Sable nodded, looking between them. “But even the weakest individuals are pretty darn strong and, unfortunately, they’re completely immune to conventional attacks.  You need magic, or a magical weapon, to hurt them.  Otherwise, it’s like trying to smack air.” Her tone went deadpan. “Ask me how I know this.”

“A lot like Heartless then.” Sora nodded, completely missing the bait. “I tried fighting them off with a wooden sword a few times and…it didn’t work out too well.  I’m lucky I could use magic spells by that point, though Beast could tear through them with his bare, uh, claws.”

Sable noticed both Donald and Goofy shift guiltily in their seats.  She chose not to draw attention to it.

“There are Lesser Nobodies, like the Dusks and Creepers we fought.  Then there’s Greater Nobodies, smarter and stronger, and each type has its own particular gimmick that can make them a pain to fight.  You’ll recognize them because they have actual color on their ‘suits’, like pale pink or light blue.” She paused a moment to let them absorb that. “Then you get the Nobodies with Wills so strong they don’t look like Nobodies at all.”

Aged fingers snapped again and the illusionary Dusks were replaced by three tall figures in black coats decorated by silver chains.  The coats, Sable noticed, weren’t actually identical.  There were noticeable differences in the cuts of the shoulders and sleeves. 

The one in the center was solidly built and seemed to have the standard coat design she recognized, with the sleeves loose around the shoulders for easy movement and then flaring out slightly past the elbow and stopping at the base of the thumb. 

The one on the left side had a coat design that clung tightly to their chest and had downward sloping shoulders, kind of like he was wearing a really short riding cape over the coat, with equally tight sleeves that stopped short at the wrist. 

The third one on the opposite side seemed mostly like the first one except the sleeves were plenty loose from shoulder to wrist.

The central figure was obviously Xemnas —the man was solid—but why did that last one bring to mind Luxord and his cards?  Hang on… Were those legit captures of actual Organization members? 

How’d Yen Sid get those?

“They’re…like people?” Sora asked, cocking his head at the illusions and snapping Sable from her musings.

“They are people.” She nodded. “All the rank-n-file Nobodies reflexively obey and support them.  They’re also really strong, each one is a master of a different element and weapon.”

“Like Maleficent and Pete and those other fellas with the Heartless.” Goofy noted.

Nodding again, Sable continued. “About a decade ago a collection of humanoid Nobodies formed an alliance, calling themselves Organization Thirteen.  You can recognize them by the matching coats they all wear.” Sable gestured at the projections. “Granted, other people can have a coat too, like the one your King was wearing, but general rule of thumb is that you should treat anyone dressed like that very carefully.”

Here she hesitated, uncertain whether to continue.  Then Yen Sid caught her eye and nodded encouragingly.  Sable took a bracing breath before speaking again.

“Some of them will kill you if given the chance.” She warned, making sure to catch Sora’s startled eyes. “Remember, they lack Hearts, so they’re also missing that reflexive impulse most people have that keeps them from hurting others.  It doesn’t mean they can’t choose otherwise, but it does mean when the opportunity comes up what’s going through their heads is probably less ‘it’s wrong, don’t do it’ and more ‘why not, could be interesting.”

Sora swallowed nervously.

“Is that what happened to you, Sable?” Goofy asked softly. “You said you were hurt in a fight.  Did you fight one of these Organization fellas?”

Grimacing, Sable confirmed the deduction with another nod.

“They’re apparently looking for new recruits and thought I’d be a good fit.” She explained. “One of the members caught me alone and almost murdered one of the local kids to get me to go with him.  He was so much stronger and faster than I was it wasn’t even a joke.  Only a bunch of random factors, poor timing on his part, and a very odd twist of luck let me drive him off before he actually killed me.  And trust me, I’d inconvenienced him enough by that point that he was legitimately considering it, standing orders or not.”

A shiver ran up and down her frame, leaving her feeling chilled and trying to rub warmth back into her arms. 

“So…” Sora began. “We have to fight thirteen people like that?  That’s what the thirteen stands for, right?”  This time it was his turn to shiver. “We could barely fend off the ones at the station…”

“Not thirteen.” Sable corrected. “Not anymore, at least.  Remember how I said they were recruiting?  Almost half their number died last year.  I think there’s…” Trailing off she silently counted off active Organization members, “Six?  Yeah, six left.  Technically seven, but I think one went rogue a day or so ago for…reasons.”

Sora did not seem all that reassured.

“You said they formed an alliance.” Yen Sid spoke up. “Do you know why?”

“They want their Hearts back.” Sable answered easily.  “The Lessers and Greaters follow the Organization because of that wish.” She hesitated again, mentally bracing herself. “The Organization’s under the impression that they’ll be made whole again if they seek out Kingdom Hearts.”

“WHAT?!”

Wincing, Sable gingerly rubbed at her poor ears.

“So, they are but empty vessels whose Hearts have been stolen away.” Yen Sid mused. “A spirit whose existence lingers even as the body fades… No, in fact, Nobodies do not truly exist at all.” He fixed Sora with a solemn look. “They may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse, they only pretend to have Hearts.  You must not be deceived.”

Sable stared at the man.  That hadn’t been what she’d said at all! 

“Nobodies…” Sora’s voice was so low Sable almost missed it. “They don’t exist.”

Okay, Sable could not just let that slide.

“If they didn’t exist then they wouldn’t be a problem now.” She pointed out, sending a miffed look in Yen Sid’s direction and ignoring Donald’s outraged hiss next to her. “They still have their Souls and their will-to-live, something the Heartless lack.  They’re just like you and I and have every right to live, they’re just…” she trailed off, searching for the right word. “Broken.  Hurt and desperately grasping for anything to stop that hurt.”

For several long moments, Sable and Yen Sid were locked in a battle of wills, neither willing to give ground.  On reflex, Sable smacked away Donald’s hand when he tried to poke her in the ribs, never breaking eye contact with the old sorcerer. 

Finally, Yen Sid declared a nonverbal draw and deliberately looked away to change the topic. 

“The King sensed the danger and has gone forth, traveling from world to world in an effort to discover their intent.” He told them solemnly.  Then he gestured vaguely with one hand. 

The food and silverware vanished, leaving the desk as clear as it had been before they’d arrived.

(A flicker of movement signaled Jiminy vanishing back into Sora’s hood.  Dang, he was fast!)

“So, that’s what the King meant.” Donald mused, lost in memory.  Then he blinked and stood abruptly. “Master Yen Sid!  We’re going to go help the King!  Please don’t try to stop us!”

“I knew you would say that.” Yen Sid said, almost fondly, then he looked at Sora.  The teenager was staring absently at the still-present projections. “And what about you, Sora?”

“I thought…I’d finally get to go home.” Sora murmured and both Donald and Goofy grimaced, expressions turning sad. “I promised Kairi that I’d find Riku and bring him back.  She’s been waiting all this time on the island…” Sighing, he leaned back in his seat, hands folding behind his head. “Sheesh.  Guess I’ll have to keep her waiting a little longer.”

Reaching out, Sable clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, not your fault Riku’s apparently playing hide-n-seek.  If Kairi gets upset, just blame him.”

That got a snicker. “Yeah, you’re right.” He cocked his head thoughtfully. “He and the King were together in the Realm of Darkness when we closed the door, so the King should know where Riku is.” Blue eyes flicked over to his friends. “So, I guess we’d better find the King first!”

“Before you go.” Yen Sid finally dismissed the projections and gestured to a different door than the one they’d come in from. “You will need more suitable traveling clothes.” His eyes creased in good humor as he looked Sora over. “Those look a bit too small for you.”

Blushing, Sora looked down at his poor jumpsuit and the borrowed sweatshirt still tied around his waist.  Then he exchanged looks with Sable and they both snickered.

“Gawrsh, Sora, you sure are growin’ fast.” Goofy remarked.

Donald snickered. “Still short, though.”

“Hey!”

Yen Sid ignored them and looked to the other teenager in the room.  “And yours look like they’re about to fall apart, Sable.”

“True enough.” She allowed. 

He wasn’t wrong, after all.  Hayner had been right to be alarmed when he saw her, what with all the tears and ragged edges they were now sporting.  Sable hadn’t been able to avoid every blow from the Nobodies, or even most of them.  They might not fall apart in the next fight, but they wouldn’t last much longer either…

How in the world had Sora’s clothing survived his last two adventures?  It was only now that he was literally too big for it that it was starting to come apart at the seams.  Before that, she hadn’t noticed any tears or patches.

(It left Sable with the strong impression that she was missing something obvious.)

“I’ve summoned three good fairies to take care of that.” Yen Sid continued. “They may be rather fussy about clothing, but you need only to ask and they’ll create some new garments for the two of you.” Cupping a hand to his mouth, he called out. “Flora!  Fauna!  Merryweather!”

The door he’d gestured to creaked open to reveal several curious faces, each one topped by a pastel hat-and-ribbon set of a different color.  Red, green, and blue respectively.  Their gazes flickered over everyone before settling on Sora and Sable. 

Sora in particular.

“Well, well!  Oh my, my!” The red-clad Flora breathed. “Come here, dears!”

Just like that, the two teenagers found themselves bustled out of Yen Sid’s office and into the side room the fairies had come from.  Sora yelped at the treatment, but Sable took the prodding in stride, fascinated by the rapid-flutter of the tiny translucent wings atop each lady’s back.  Little multi-hued flecks of light shivered off the wings each time the light caught them, leaving a faint trail in their wake.

Their speed wasn’t from running, after all.  Even now the blue-clad Merryweather fluttered just overhead, light and quick as a dragonfly without a single fold of her dress out of place.  Or even an errant gust of wind.  Hm…

“You can’t go around in that!” Flora was telling Sora very firmly.  In fact, she looked outright offended on his behalf. “It’s so tight, you won’t be able to move!”

“Yeah…” Sora rubbed his head sheepishly. “I’ve been noticing that.”

Flora and Merryweather exchanged looks. “Any ideas?” The latter asked.

“I’ll take care of the designing!” Fauna spoke up merrily, nimble wand flitting out. “What about this?”

Sable winced at the sudden flash, heard Sora’s indignant yelp, and forced herself to look despite the lingering sting- she nearly choked at the sight of billowing green skirts.  There was, Sable noted as she smothered startled snickers behind an upraised fist, a tiara peaking innocently out of messy brown spikes.

“Oh no, dear!” Flora scolded, wings fluttering in agitation. “You can’t put the boy in a ball gown!” Despite saying that, the next flash of light only turned the green into a delicate pink and did absolutely nothing about the dress aspect.

“Oh no, not pink!” Merryweather protested, entirely missing the point. “Make it blue!” The next flash also stung, but Sable blocked most of it with a hand, so was able to watch pale pink fabric flutter into a blue identical to the fairy’s own dress.

Flora actually palmed her face as poor Sora squirmed in place.  Then she jabbed her own wand sharply in Sora’s direction once more.

Now getting a handle of blocking out the stinging light, Sable peaked out to find the gown had been traded out for formal samurai attire complete with hakama trousers and the weird sleeveless jacket-vest she thought was called a kataginu.  Both of which were Flora’s preferred shade of light red. 

“Pink would be awful!” Merryweather insisted and another flick turned the light red into blue.

“Then what color do you want?” Flora shot back, looking miffed.

“Umm…could we do something about the design first?” Sora tried, tugging awkwardly at the enormous kimono sleeves. “What even is this?”

“You could probably make it work, Sora.” Sable quipped, still smothering snickers. “Samurai’s a good look for you.”

They both ignored the hiss of “No, this is much better!” as another flash turned the blue to green. 

“Yeah, but how am I supposed to move in this?”  Sora looked imploringly at the bickering fairies as his clothes flicked back to pink, then blue, then green and then back again in quick succession.  His eyes were visibly starting to water at the light. “Aw, c’mon, would you just decide?”

Something in his tone must have reached the trio, because they all calmed down and exchanged a series of glances.  Then they nodded in tandem.

(A soft flutter of feathers in the sudden quiet had Sable glancing up at the skylight overhead.  She didn’t see anything, though, and no one else seemed to have heard it, so she dismissed it with a shrug.) 

“Alright, then… All together now, dears.” Flora took the lead, holding up her wand as Fauna and Merryweather did the same. “No more squabbling!  Here goes-!”

Sable covered her face as all three wands lit up in tandem, the resulting flash considerably brighter than the previous individual ones had been.

“Oh my!”

“Not bad at all!”

“Oh yes, he does look dashing.”

Hazarding a look, Sable lowered her hands as she watched Sora cautiously stretch his arms.  The formal kimono was gone, revealing his official Kingdom Hearts II attire, all black with white and gold trim. 

Sable was privately amused that only Flora’s color was present, in the zip-up shirt just noticeable beneath the open vest and the matching pouches strapped over the baggy, fringe-less chinks.  Sure, they were a darker shade of crimson than the fairy’s favored pastel, but Sable didn’t see any green or blue on the ensemble. 

It all really did look very nice on him.

The door creaked open behind them and, glancing back, she saw Donald and Goofy poke their heads in.  Deeming it safe, they stepped into the room properly as Sora stretched in place and called out his Kingdom Key for a few practice swings.  He grinned brightly as he moved easily from one form to the next.

“Now those aren’t ordinary garments.” Flora told him, looking quite pleased with herself.

Fauna cradled her wand, smiling at the teenager. “They have very special powers.”

Flora flicked her wand with a complicated wrist gesture and a bolt of red-laced light shot out from the end.  It came to a stop mid-air in front of Sora.  “Take the orb, dear.”

“And watch what happens.” Merryweather finished.

Fingertips brushing the red-gold orb, Sora yelped as a magic Shell crackled around him and his new clothes bled light.  Then the light faded to a vibrant red where the black had once been.

Valor Form.

“Wow…” Donald breathed.

Goofy was, Sable observed, suddenly absent from the room. 

Sora and Donald didn’t seem to notice at first, to distracted by the second Keyblade that had appeared in Sora’s offhand.  Starseeker, if Sable remembered correctly, all gradient shades of blue with stars and moons matching the rest of Yen Sid’s general aesthetic. 

(Hadn’t Starseeker been Mickey’s original Keyblade?  Sable thought she had read that somewhere…)

“This journey’s gonna be twice as difficult as your last.” Merryweather warned.

That snapped Sora out of his admiration.  He stared at the fairies in clear dismay, posture drooping. 

Flora spoke up. “Your garments also have other powers, but you’ll have to discover what they are as you continue your journey.”

Admiring both his Keyblades again, Sora nodded. “Okay, I’ll do my best.” He grinned at them. “Thanks a lot!”  Turning away, he came up short, suddenly looking around the room. “Heya…where’d Goofy go?”

Now Donald was looking around, startled.

Sora’s clothes chose that moment to fade back to their default black and Goofy stumbled…out of thin air.  Sable couldn’t actually see what happened.  He just wasn’t there one moment, then was there the next, looking a little disoriented.

“Gawrsh,” he wobbled and Donald hurried to brace him, “that felt all tingly…”

Looking up from his now empty left hand, Sora turned and grinned at Sable. “You’re turn, now.”

“Looks like it.” Sable nodded, stepping towards the fairies.  If anyone accused her of being a little leery, she’d…not deny it so much as play it off. “Um…a few requests?”

“What is it, dear?” Flora asked with an encouraging smile.

Sable listed off her fingers. “No dresses or skirts, and I generally favor more muted tones…uh…” She trailed off. “That’s it?”

The trio fluttered around her thoughtfully.  Sable twitched as the fringes of their dresses brushed against her but made herself hold still.  After a moment they seemed to reach a consensus as they exchanged looks and fluttered away to stand in a line, wands raised.

“And one, and two, and three…”

Red and blue and green and Light flared up.  Violet eyes snapped shut as tears welled up, her skin burning like a particularly severe sunburn.  It was all she could do not to hiss outright.

“Ooh, it’s lovely.” A soft murmur.

From behind her, Sora called out: “You look great, Sable!”

“Very nice.” Goofy agreed.

Slowly blinking back stars, Sable glanced down at herself.  The first thing she noted was that, to her relief, the pendant Vivi had gifted her was still hanging over her chest.  Next was that the color scheme of her new outfit was strictly black-over-white.

There were clear similarities with Sora’s own outfit in the item pouches strapped to either leg and the fingerless gloves now on her hands.  She even had a pair of black chaps over some white not-jeans, though they reached all the way down to her ankles rather than stopping mid-calf.  Over a loose white long-sleeved shirt was a padded vest that stopped midway between the bottom of her ribs and the tops of her hips…actually.

Sable glanced back and corrected herself. 

A padded, tailed vest that came down to her knees in the back.  Very nifty.  On top of that was something else she hadn’t expected.  Reaching up, she let her fingers brush against the startlingly soft fabric of the white scarf looped around her neck, the ends hanging down her back. 

Touched, she bowed to the three fairies. “Thank you.”

“Like Sora’s, your garments have special powers and they will never tear or get dirty.” Flora told her. “But for the rest…”

“We did not give you Drive Forms.” Merryweather told her bluntly. “We weren’t sure how well they’d react with your own powers.”

“Probably wise.” Sable admitted.  The prospect of getting stuck in Anti Form did not appeal.  At all.  That would be…inconvenient. “It’d probably interfere with Sora’s, too, if we tried using them at the same time.”

“That too.” The blue-clad fairy agreed.

“Instead, we increased the defensive abilities of your clothes so you’ll be less prone to injury.” Fauna spoke up. “Poor dear…”

“You must still be careful.” Merryweather warned. “Cutting blows will still cause you harm if you are struck hard enough.”

“There are more powers, still.” Flora continued. “But, like Sora, you’ll have to discover those on your own.”

Sable bowed again. “Thank you all, very much.”

Then she pivoted on her heel to rejoin Sora, Donald, and Goofy.  They exchanged nods and left the room.  Yen Sid probably had last minute instructions to give.

              ———

Chapter Text

“Welcome to our gummi Ship!” Donald announced proudly, arms spread wide.

It was considerably larger than she’d thought it would be, filled with whirring gears and humming pipes leading into large tanks that she could only assume held the actual engines.  From the ceiling hung a number of articulate mechanical hands, each wearing the classic Disney gloves, presumably to help maintain the equipment.

“Wow…” Sable breathed, looking around with wide eyes.

Meandering across the engine room, Sora grinned back at her. “Yeah, that was pretty much my response the first time I came aboard.  Neat, isn’t it?”

Nodding, Sable drifted over to the wall.  Reaching out, she prodded lightly against it.  The substance that made it up felt cool to the touch and gave, ever so slightly, under her fingers.  Kind of like Jell-O.  So, the moniker of ‘gummi’ was actually quite fitting. 

Sticking her hands in her pocket, Sable poked around curiously.  She had no idea what most of the equipment was called or what it did, but it was still impressive.

“Welp.” Sable jumped a little at the high-pitched voice sounding somewhere at ankle level.  “At least you’ve got better manners than Sora did!”

“Hey!  I wasn’t that bad!”

“You tracked in a bunch’a mud and smeared all the windows right after we just got done cleaning!”

Sheepish, Sora scratched the back of his head.  “I did apologize and haven’t done that since.”

“Sable.” Goofy smiled at her. “These here are our navigators and gummi engineers, Chip and his brother Dale.”

Fascinated, Sable knelt down by the two tiny chipmunks wrapped in miniature denim aprons.  One was still staring hard at Sora while the other, with a Rudolph-bright nose, turned to smile up at her.  He jumped lightly up on her knee.

“Howdy, Sable!” Dale greeted with a wave. “How ya doin’?”

“To be honest, you’ve just made my day.” Sable returned honestly, brutally stomping the impulse to reach out and pet the soft-looking brown fur.

In another blur of motion, Dale’s brother—Chip—turned away from Sora and leapt up onto her other knee. 

“Pleasure ta meet’cha!” The black-nosed chipmunk told her. “If you need anything, just give us a holler!”

Then the pair spun around to salute Sora and the others.  “Ready for duty!” Then they sprang off Sable’s knees and went scampering across the floor to the other side of the engine room where, Sable presumed, their workstations were located.

“Happy flying!” The brothers called back as they vanished from sight.

Sora tugged her by the elbow as she straightened up. “C’mon, Sable. The cockpit’s this way.”

Up a ladder right next to a hand written sign taped to the wall displaying ‘COCKPIT’, complete with a big fat arrow pointing up.  Sable waited until the others ascended first, then followed up into the glass-domed cockpit of the gummi ship.

The dark blue sky hung above them while the red and gold hues of early evening painted the surrounding horizons.  Peering down towards the edge of Yen Sid’s private island, Sable still couldn’t tell if it was sitting on a sea of water or of clouds.

It was still beautiful regardless.

“Smile~”

At Dale’s sing-song tone, Sable turned to see a video feed pop up over the main console.

“Yeah!” Chip chimed in. “Don’t let me see the corners of your mouth droop!  This gummi ship runs off happy faces!”  Then the video screen shrank down to a much smaller size and slipped down to a less obtrusive side of the console.

Sable blinked at that.  Once, twice, then a third time. 

What? 

How would that even work…?  Actually.  They were all Disney characters.  It absolutely made sense when considered from that perspective.

With the original heroic trio claiming the three available seats, Sable settled herself by the window behind Goofy, watching the world fly by as Donald pulled the ship away from the Sorcerer’s Loft.  In moments, the world that was home to Twilight Town shrank beneath them as they shot up into the dark sky overhead.

The dark blue didn’t linger long, Sable watched as the ship passed through the vast empty sea as a colorful nebula swirled around them, broken up only by the monstrous meteors that drifted aimlessly through the in-between space.  Like when they’d been on the Ghost Train, the lights reminded her of an aurora borealis, rippling through the space around them like massive curtains in a light breeze.

Entranced, Sable didn’t know how much time had passed before a laugh drew her attention back to the others.

“Donald,” Goofy was chuckling heartily, “this story is funny!  Wanna read it?”

“Can’t you see I’m trying to fly this ship?” Donald snapped without looking back.  Then he yelped as Sora shoved him out of the seat.

“Take a break, Donald!” Sora chirped, squeezing into the now vacated pilot’s seat.

“What?!”  Horrified, Donald leapt back to his feet, eyes wide. “I don’t think that’s such a-”

“Oh, don’t worry!” Grinning, the Keybearer eagerly grasped the control stick with both hands.

“Sora!  The last time I let you fly you crashed the ship!”

Well…that would be a valid cause for concern then, wouldn’t it?  That didn’t stop Sable from snickering behind a politely raised hand, or note Goofy doing the same thing behind his book.

“Which way are we headed?”

Sable smacked into the wall as the ship banked sharply.  As she was blinking back stars, she heard several yelps.

“Stop!  We’re gonna hit that meteor!”

The ship spun in a tight barrel roll.  Centripetal force for the win, Sable actually managed to stay on her feet and not get tossed around the cockpit.  Didn’t help the resulting dizziness, though.  Ugh…

“That’s enough!” Another indignant squawk sounded as Donald manhandled the teenager out of his seat. “Give me back the control stick!”

“Aw…” Sora slunk back to his original seat. “C’mon, I was just getting warmed up!”

“No means NO!”

“Are you even qualified to pilot a ship like this?” Sable quipped as the dizzy spell passed.

Chip and Dale, she noted, seemed to be enjoying the whole thing and…were they eating popcorn?  Was their microwave just that fast or were spats like this between Sora and Donald a regular thing?

(Probably the latter, now that she thought about it.)

A groan from Goofy made her look away from the miniaturized screen.  He was still swaying in his seat, his book forgotten on the floor by his feet.  Reaching out, Sable patted him sympathetically on the shoulder.

“Don’t be such a spoilsport!” Sora was hollering.

“Navigator!” Donald roared above him, looking about ready to pop a vein.

“Killjoy!  Stick in the mud!”

“Shut up!” The magician wheeled on him before jerking back towards the screen. “Navigator!”

“What’s up, captain?” Dale asked innocently from around a piece of popcorn.

“Which way should we be heading?”

A thoughtful hum answered him as Chip tapped at his keyboard.  In the cockpit, another screen popped up with what was apparently supposed to be a map of their location.  It was rather sparse, mostly obscured by the aurora nebula like so many clouds, so only two potential destinations were visible.  One Sable recognized as Twilight Town, while the other…

“Let’s see…this is the only gate that’s open right now.” The furry navigator informed as the image zoomed in. 

“Only one?” Sora leaned forward in his seat, disappointed.

“That’s no good!” Donald agreed, frowning at the screen.

“Wait!” Goofy piped up, pointing at the map. “I think it’s a world we know!”

Perking up, the trio all crowded around the map until Sable couldn’t see it any more.

Sable watched Sora cock his head skeptically. “I dunno…”

“Look, there’s a castle in the middle of it.” Goofy pointed at something on the screen.  Then grunted as Donald clambered over him like a monkey.

 “It’s Hollow Bastion!” The duck quacked.

“That’s where Leon lives!”  Grinning brightly, Sora turned back to Sable. “He’s one of the friends we met on our last adventure!”

“I see.” Sable smiled. “Then why don’t we go visit them?”

              ———

It was quite interesting, watching Donald maneuver the ship to Hollow Bastion with the practiced ease of an experienced pilot.  Unlike what Sable had somewhat expected, they did not park the gummi ship in orbit and teleport down to a convenient save point.  Instead, he activated some kind of stealth setting and flew right down towards a city that had, quite simply, looked to have had better days.

“Here we are!” He announced as the ship powered down.

Sable trailed behind as they slid down the ladder and made for the exit of the ship.

“Now Sable.” Donald was saying as they crossed the engine room. “It’s important that you don’t just jump out of the ship!  You have to look around first and make sure no one’s watching!  We have to protect the World Order!”

“Just make sure to look down, too.” Sora added, elbowing the magician. “Someone forgets to actually land the gummi ship, sometimes.”

“I didn’t forget!  The ground just fell away after I parked!”

“If saying that makes you feel better…”

Ignoring the bickering pair, Goofy looked at Sable. “Donald gave Sora the same warning back when we first met.  Then he and I walked right out, not realizin' there was no ground beneath our feet.”

Sable blinked. “Let me guess, you didn’t fall until you actually looked down?”

“Yup!” The guard grinned sheepishly. “Sora noticed the problem before we did.  He’d’a been fine if I hadn’t, uh, accidentally dragged him out of the ship with us.”

“So, look before I leap, got it.”

Fortunately, Donald had landed professionally and they left the ship without any issue, stepping out onto a granite block road.  Grinning, Sora ran ahead to a gray flagstone wall overlooking the rest of the town.

“It is Hollow Bastion!” He was practically vibrating as they caught up with him.

“Gawrsh, it’s been a while.” Goofy mused as he looked around. “Things look quite different.”

Sable wasn’t sure what specifically Goofy was referring to, but what drew her attention was the large castle looming over the town.  Drawing attention like a sore thumb, it was clearly in the middle of some pretty hefty renovations.  Scaffolding was matched by heavy-duty construction cranes tipped in claws that wouldn’t have been out of place in a claw-machines, if at an obscene scale.  Some of the claws were actually holding several towers suspended in the air.

“I hope Leon and the others are alright.” Donald murmured as he surveyed the area.

Glancing around at the buildings around them, all dwarfed by the towering castle, Sable saw them first. “Looks like we’re in for a fight.”

When they all looked at her, she pointed up at one of the roofs.  They turned to look just in time to see a couple of prancing Soldier Heartless vanish from sight.  As one, the trio exchanged exasperated looks and sighed. 

They turned away from the wall and descended the adjoining stone steps.

“Last time, this place was so infested with Heartless, nobody could live anywhere.” Donald noted, looking around at the various people milling about the square.

“Look!” Goofy pointed. “They even have shops now!” He paused by a stall, studying the merchandise on display. “But they’re sellin’ some pretty scary stuff.” The guard captain hefted up a particularly spiny morning-star mace.

Donald advanced on the booth with a gleam in his eye.

Sable blinked as she saw what he had homed in on.  Watched incredulously as he took off his cloth cap to try on an equally spiny helmet.  It looked like something you’d see in a Super Mario game.  What were those enemies called…Spinys?

“How do I look?” The mage struck a pose, which was unfortunately ruined when the shell-helmet flopped down over his eyes.

“Ridiculous.” Sable answered honestly, rolling her eyes as he puffed up indignantly.

“Over there!”  They all jumped at Sora’s yell. “Heartless!”

Following his gaze, Sable blinked.  She wouldn’t have thought a Heartless could pull off a frozen deer-in-the-headlights response, but that little Shadow certainly proved her wrong…

Sable was moving before she consciously realized Sora had moved, flanking him as he shimmied up and over first one wall, then another wall, finally leaping atop the roof where they saw the Shadows.  He wasn’t a traceur, not by a long shot, but what he lacked in proper form he made up for with sheer enthusiasm. 

From below, Sable heard Donald grouse, “They’re like ninjas!”

The Kingdom Key sent one hapless Shadow flying as Gluttony skewered another.  Then, as one, they both turned to the last- Yowch!

Rearing back, Sable blinked back stars after a sudden burst of light erupted from beneath the Heartless.  Blind, she felt the prickly burn of…whatever that had just been loop around her once before vanishing.

“You okay, Sable?” Sora’s steadying hand caught her elbow.

“I need sunglasses.” Sable grumbled, squinting watery eyes at him. “Or tinted goggles.  I keep getting flashed.”

(And not by anything as cute as a pikachu, darn it.)

“C’mon, lets get back to Donald and Goofy.” Sora hesitated. “You good to get down?”

Rubbing a sleeve across her eyes, Sable checked again.  Still a little fuzzy but she’d manage.

“Should be, just a couple of short jumps.”

They got down to find Donald and Goofy conversing with one of the stall keepers.  Beside her, Sora perked up and grinned.

“So, you’re still running a store, huh?” He called as they approached.

“Sadly, yes.” The green-clad duckling sitting on a stool behind the table looked annoyed by the fact before he grinned at the teenager. “Good to see you, Sora!”

Louie, Sable thought that particular triplet was named.

“Unca Scrooge is here, too!”  Another duckling called from the other side of the market.  That one wore blue, marking him as Dewey.

Donald spun around, wide-eyed. “He is?!”

Sora leaned closer to Goofy to whisper, “Who’s that?”

“Donald’s uncle.  He’s a business typhoon!” Goofy answered. “Before the Heartless showed up, he was travelin’ on the gummi Ship with the king.  He was gonna help set up a traffic system.”

““That’s business tycoon and transit system!” Donald corrected sharply.

“He’s not technically wrong, though.” Sable couldn’t resist saying and got a glare for her efforts, to which she just smiled.

The third triplet waved from another stall, wearing a red shirt. “Unca Scrooge is right over thataway!”

Donald was bolting across the market and up the stone steps on the far side before anyone else could respond.  Sora and Goofy took off after him with matching cries.  Sable ambled along behind at a more sedate pace.  She found them standing next to an oversized freezer with yet another duck, this one wearing a blue suit with a distinguished specs on his bill and top hat on his head.

One Scrooge McDuck.

“I’ve been trying to re-create my favorite old-time ice cream.” The distinguished pekin was saying. “Thought I’d make a pretty penny…”

“Ice cream?!” Sora blurted, his entire frame lighting up at the thought as he shoved past Donald and Goofy.

Scrooge blinked up at him. “Who’s this now?”

“I’m Sora!” Almost belatedly, he pointed back towards Sable. “And that’s Sable!”

“They’re our friends.” Donald explained.

“Ah.  Do you like ice cream, lad?”

“Yeah!” Sora nodded so vigorously that Sable worried for his neck.

“What’s wrong, Sora?” Goofy asked when Sora trailed off with a confused expression.

“Oh,” Sora blinked and shook his head. “It’s nothing.  Um, Mr. Scrooge, could I have one?” The brunette offered a hopeful grin.

A heavy sigh answered him. “Well, you can have this one, but…you see…”

“Really?” The Keybearer snatched a disturbingly pavement-colored ice cream bar from the pekin’s hand. “Thanks, Mr. Scrooge!”

“Oh no, I should warn you-!”

Too late.

Sable winced sympathetically as a full body shudder ran through Sora.  Yanking the bar from his mouth, he held it at arm’s length with a deeply aggrieved and disgusted expression.

Curious, Donald pried it from his fingers, sniffed it, then took a bite for himself.  His response was almost as bad as Sora’s. 

Not to be left out, Goofy took it next.  He winced at the taste.

“Gee, that’s pretty bad…” He said mournfully, looking the bar over.  Then he offered it to Sable, who responded by taking a pointed step back.

“What is that?” Sora sputtered. “It doesn’t taste like ice cream!  It’s bitter!”

Oh, that explained the various hilarious expressions.

“I did try to warn you…” Scrooge sighed again as his whole frame slumped. “I haven’t been able to get it right.”

“What kind of ice cream is it supposed to be?” Donald asked, still shuddering slightly.

“I don’t quite remember, myself.” The older duck admitted.

“A vague memory with a strong emotional impression?” Sable guessed.  At his nod she gave him a sympathetic look. “Yeah, that makes it really hard identify it later.”  Considering it, she cocked her head. “You don’t have a name or anything?”

“Fraid not, lass, or I wouldn’t be havin’ this much trouble.”

“Aww man.” Sora actually stamped his foot before throwing his head back. “I want ice cream!”

Wincing at the yell, Sable gingerly rubbed her poor ear as everyone else stared at the teenager in surprise.  The outburst had been completely left field.

“Well, do ye mind waiting a bit?” Scrooge asked. “I think I can—no, I’m sure I can—re-create that flavor properly!”

“I guess we gotta wait.” Goofy mused.

Donald waved at his uncle. “See you later, Uncle Scrooge.”

Nodding absently, Scrooge turned back to his giant freezer.

As the trio headed down another long set of stone steps, Sora kept squirming.  “I want ice cream!  C’mon!  Ice cream!”

“You really like ice cream that much?” Goofy asked, cocking his head at him.

“Everyone likes ice cream!”

Donald squawked at that. “Ain’t that the truth!”

“See?  It’s sweet and cold and…huh?” Sora trailed off, looking bewildered.

“What?  That’s ice cream, alright.” Donald agreed.

“Hmm… Yeah, sweet and cold and…I dunno.” Sora frowned, then he shook his head. “Oh well.  That’s what makes ice cream great!”

Oh.

And then Sable understood.  While Sora may indeed enjoy ice cream, that hadn’t been Sora acting out at all.  That had been Roxas calling out.  His favorite ice cream was sea-salt which was, coincidentally, the same flavor that Scrooge was trying to recreate.

She hadn’t expected the bleed over to be quite so…blatant, though.  It was a little concerning.

They reached the bottom of the steps, Sable side-eyeing Sora and trying to figure out what, if anything, she should do.  Odds were she’d have to sit back and wait until a more opportune time showed itself-

“Gah!  My eyes!” 

Goofy caught her as Sable toppled back, eyes tearing up again.  Rubbing at her face, she felt the uncomfortable moving-burn sense that was the whatever-it-was zipped around them, several more popping up a short distance away.

“Hey, what’s going on?!” Donald demanded.

“This happened before, when Sable and I went after those Shadows.  You okay, Sable?”

The dark adept grumbled inarticulately, rubbing at her eyes as Goofy leveraged her back upright.

“We’ll get you some sunglasses when we head back to the marketplace!”

“Please.”

“Sora!” The shout came from one of the walls high above.

“Yuffie?”

There was a soft thump as something landed nearby.

“It is you!  Hey, Sora, did you get a little taller?” Sable’s vision cleared enough to see a girl her own age standing next to the younger brunette, visibly comparing their heights.  After a moment she turned to the others.  “Hi Ronald!  Hi Zoofy!”

Donald’s feathers foofed. “That’s Donald and Goofy!”

Behind her, Sable heard Goofy snickering and saw Sora doing the same.

Violet met violet as Yuffie noticed the fourth edition to the group.  “Who’re you?”

“Sable, I’m new.” Sable dipped her head politely as the other teen cocked her head at her curiously.

Flipped her a cheery thumbs up. “Nice to meet you!  I’m Yuffie, the world’s greatest ninja!”  That done, she looked them all over fondly.  “Man, I can’t believe it’s been a whole year…” The urban ninja marveled, grinning at them as she lazily spun her fuuma shuriken by her side.

“What?!”

Sable winced at the three-part shout.

“A year?” Sora echoed, wide-eyed. “We’ve been gone a whole year?”

Ah.  Right.  That hadn’t been brought up, had it?  They’d known they’d been asleep for a while, but no dates or timelines had been given.  Even Yen Sid hadn’t so much as hinted at the time lost.

Oops.

“Yup!” Yuffie answered, oblivious to the actual reason behind the outburst.  “Time sure does fly, doesn’t it?” She looked up at the castle looming overhead. “We’re fixing up the castle, too.”

“Yeah,” Donald followed her gaze, “I almost didn’t recognize it.” 

“We’ve still got a lot of patching up to do.” Yuffie murmured wistfully. “But this is our home.”  Smiling, she looked back at Sora. “And I want to make it peaceful, no matter how long it takes.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Sora asked, returning the smile.

“Yeah!  Thanks!” The teenage ninja bobbed her head. “Leon’ll be happy to hear that!”  Her expression darkened as she turned away. “We’ve been having a lot of trouble lately.”

“Hey.” Sora pointed up at the wall the other teenager had originally come from. “It’s a Nobody!”

Indeed, there was.  A Dusk was literally prancing across the gray stone.

“Yeah, that’s one of the problems.” Yuffie sighed.

Sable noted that Sora didn’t go after it like he had the Shadows earlier, looking back at Yuffie while the Dusk kept dancing atop the wall.

“Oh, right!” Sora looked hopeful. “Have you seen Riku or the King?”

(Ah, that explained it.)

“Nope.  You haven’t found them yet?”

Sagging, the Keybearer shook his head. “Nuh-uh.”

“Look!”  Donald pointed back up at the Dusk.

The rest of them looked up in time to see the unfortunate Nobody go flying as a familiar flash of light shot up from under it.  Sable winced sympathetically as it landed a few feet away with a dull splat.

More light flashed around on the group’s level and, because they weren’t popping up right in her face, Sable could actually recognize them from the game.  The Hollow Bastion security system.  How had she not noticed that high-pitched whoop that sounded whenever one shot up?

“Hey, what’s that?” Sora asked, pointing at the lights now bouncing the hapless Dusk around like a rubber ball.

“Claymore.” Was the unhelpful response. “The town’s defense mechanism, we use it to chase off Heartless, ‘cos we’re still a long way from having a peaceful town.”

The Dusk finally burst and Sable winced again.

“Wow…” Sora breathed.

Then Yuffie was jogging away from them. “Our Secret Hideout’s right around the corner.  C’mon!”

“Secret Hideout?!” And there went Sora.

“Some things never change.” Donald sighed, moving to follow.

Frowning, Sable lingered.  Looked around.  Wasn’t there supposed to be an ambush at this point?  One with Samurai Nobodies supporting the Dusks?  She’d kind of wanted to see how Sora responded to one after he’d had such a visceral reaction to the prospect of ice cream.

“C’mon Sable!”  Goofy called back to her.

Blinking, Sable moved to follow. “Coming!”

              ———

The ‘Secret Hideout’ was, of course, located inside Merlin’s house.  Sable could recognize the umbrellas sticking out of the roof from a block away.  Yuffie marched right in without any hesitation.

“Hey, everyone!” She greeted at high volume as the door banged off the wall, visibly startling the occupants. “Sora and his friends are here!”  Skipping in a few steps, Yuffie pivoted back around to face the quartet following her. “Meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!”

“Hey everyone!” Sora waved. “Did you miss us?”

“Looks like we found our ‘bomb’.” Came the gravely tone of a blonde man sitting at a massive, super-computer set up.  Cid the techno-wiz of the committee.

“We missed you.” Came the much gentler voice of a young woman holding a tray of drinks.  Aerith smiled at them in a way that just set anyone on the receiving end at ease.

Sable felt a layer of tension just melt from her own shoulders.  It reminded her of Elmyra, just with less ‘everyone’s-an-idiot’ severity.

(Wait a minute…)

Goggles glinted in the artificial light as Cid pulled his ever-present pick from his mouth as he studied them. “Well, ain’t you in top shape.”

“I knew it.” Murmured the final occupant of the room.

Sora cocked his head at the older man. “Knew what?”

“A while back,” Leon gestured to his fellow committee members, “everyone suddenly remembered you guys, all at the same time.”

The trio all jerked at that.

“You…remembered?  Wait!” Sora swelled up with outrage. “Does that mean you forgot about us?”

“Gee, thanks.” Donald sulked, arms crossed over his chest.

“So, where’ve you guys been all this time?” Yuffie queried curiously, grey eyes bright.

“We were sleepin’.” Goofy answered honestly.

“Where?  In cold storage?”

Though Cid obviously meant it as a joke, Sora, Donald, and Goofy all fidgeted and exchanged awkward glances.  Sable noticed several sets of eyes sharpen at that.

“Somethin’ like that.” She spoke up, drawing attention to her.

“Sable!” Sora yelped, blushing.

“What?  He’s not wrong.” Sable shrugged before gesturing at Sora. “You three lost a year and have no idea how that happened to begin with.  Is it so surprising that people connected to you might have been affected by that?”

Sora held up a finger as if to refute that but paused mid-motion, visibly mulling it over.  Then he drooped, hand falling back to his side.

“I can’t actually argue with that…”

Snickering at his expense, Sable looked up again as movement caught her eye.  Leon was staring at her, partially curious but mostly suspicious by the set of his brow and the slight tension in his stance.

“Who are you?” He demanded.

“Sable.” She didn’t bother volunteering further information.

“She’s the one that found us sleepin’.” Goofy offered.  “And she helped us when them Nobodies ambushed us.”

 “Yeah, she’s great!” Sable felt her face burn at Sora’s grinning declaration. “She’s got a sword and this really cool whip that lets her swing around like Tarzan!  Also, she’s really smart, too.  She’s the one that explained what the Nobodies were and what they’re after.”

Was it possible to spontaneously combust from sheer embarrassment?

“Then it’s very nice to meet you, Sable.” Aerith, having set down the tray of cups at some point, smiled directly at the younger woman.  “This is great.  Everyone’s together again!”

Sora bobbed his head in clear agreement.  Then he paused. “So, um…we’re trying to find Riku and the King.  Have you seen ‘em?” Sky-blue eyes shone hopefully, before he wilted as his question was answered by a series of shaking heads. “Right…”

Stepping over, Sable patted his shoulder. “We’ll find ‘em eventually.  They’re probably going to make us work for it, though.”

That seemed to encourage Sora.

“Right, it’s like they’re playing hide-n-seek with us.” Expression resolute, Sora clenched a fist. “They can’t hide forever!”

“Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help.” Aerith told him.  “Okay?”

“At this point, just keeping a watch out would be helpful.” Sable answered. “Let us know if you see anything, or hear any rumors that could match.”

“We can do that.”

Sora perked up. “Thanks-” He stumbled back as Cid suddenly loomed over him.

“Don’t go thankin’ us just yet.” The technician warned, wagging a finger at him.

“Hollow Bastion’s got a problem.” Leon continued, expression growing even more solemn. “A big problem.”

Sora peeked over Cid’s shoulder. “You mean, like Nobodies?” He asked. “And Heartless?”

“That’s right!” Yuffie chirped.

“Then let’s cut to the chase.” The older brunette approached them “Sora, Donald, Goofy…and Sable.  We were hoping you might give us a hand around here.”

Sora’s response was a cheeky grin as he bumped a fist over his Heart in a salute. “Like we’re gonna say no?”

That actually got a chuckle out of the dour man. “I forgot who I was dealing with.

Donald squinted up at him. “Hey… What do ya mean by that?”

“Just think of it as a sort of…’Leon compliment’.” Aerith suggested from by Leon’s shoulder.

Smirking, Leon walked past them. “Follow me to the Bailey.” He called over his shoulder. “There’s something you need to see.”

Sable was half a step behind him.  She thought she heard a poof somewhere behind her but ignored it.  As she and Leon crossed over the flagstone street, with her walking more-or-less by his side, she noticed Leon shooting her sideways glances.  Curious, clearly, but unless he actually asked, Sable wasn’t going to say anything.

“I take it you’re not another Keyblade Master.” Leon eventually said as they walked. “Sora would have mentioned it if you were.”

Sable shook her head. “Nope, just a teenager with a couple magic weapons lending a hand.”

“How’d you end up caught up with them?”

“Someone I was looking after asked me to help them out.  They knew Sora and worried that he’d need extra backup.  The Organization is not kid-friendly.”

“What organization-?”

The back of Sable’s neck prickled and she ducked as something went flying overhead.  A snap of her wrist had Alacrity skewering the opportunistic Shadow.  It dispersed a moment later.

Movement in the corner of her eye had her pivoting sharply around, Gluttony crackling into her hand as the bat-wing blade deflected the flailing claws of a Soldier Heartless.  Stepping in, she caught it with a forehand swing and it burst at the end of the following combo.

Her neck prickled again, stronger this time.

More Heartless.  Considerably more.  Mostly Soldiers rather than the simpler Shadows and thus a bit hardier.  But between Gluttony, Alacrity, and backup in the form of Leon and his gunblade (which wasn’t actually a gun) and the town security system, all that difference meant was a little more time spent.

Violet eyes glinted and a predatory grin worked its way across Sable’s face as she brandished Gluttony.  This would be fun.

It may as well have been an ambushed ambush for how long the Heartless lasted.  It was almost disappointing, really.  Sable had hoped for a bit more oomph.  The last Shadow spasmed on the end of Alacrity before dispersing

“You,” Leon began, shouldering his weapon, “are almost as much of a Heartless magnet as Sora is with his Keyblade.”

She blinked at him. “Ah, so I wasn’t just imagining it.”

Blue eyes squinted at her. “Not the first time?”

“Had a few of Soldiers flat out ignore Sora to charge me.” Sable admitted. “Thought it was weird at the time, so it’s nice to have someone else confirm it.”

After one last glance around to make sure there weren’t any stray Heartless, the duo continued on their way.

“You’re…a Seeker of Darkness.” Leon stated more than asked a moment later.  Interestingly, he seemed more neutral than suspicious or, worse, hostile.

“You’re the second person to call me that.” Sable responded mildly. “I object to being called a ‘Seeker’.  About a week ago I got attacked and darkness responded in my defense.  I really don’t know why.”

That got a blink. “You’ve only been fighting for a week?”

“Got combat instincts as a package deal with Gluttony.” She waggled her sword. “Which was really creepy when I started responding to movement with a cat’s own ‘Prey:POUNCE!’ reflex.”  Sighing, Sable glanced at the flagstone walls around them. “Before that I was just a traceur, a specialist at running away.  Had never been in a physical fight in my life.”

“Sounds like something, or someone is leading you on.”

“I’ve got proof of such, yeah.” Sable nodded. “Not a clue as for what reason, though.  Figured sticking with Sora was my safest bet on top of helping him out.  Poor kid…”

Leon shot her an incredulous look. “That ‘poor kid’ saved our world and crushed an army of Heartless.”

“That poor kid is also tripping over himself because his body grew while he was in cold storage.  That poor kid also really wants to go home and make sure his friends and family are alright but is instead being sent after more Heartless, and now Nobodies, like a convenient wind-up toy.  And everyone who should be getting him up to speed are actively denying him need-to-know information!”  Sable was growling by the time she finished, voice low and lips curled in a snarl.

The swordsman next to her looked more than a little taken aback by that.  Then he looked thoughtful.

“Put like that…yeah, I have to agree with you.” Leon frowned. “If we find anything, we’ll be sure to let him know.  Cid was saying how the city was part of a much larger grid, years ago, and that his computer is just tapping into the already existing infrastructure.  Maybe we’ll find the central computer as we keep clearing out the castle corridors…”

Now it was Sable’s turn to be taken aback. “Thanks, that’d be much appreciated.” She got a curt nod in return. “So…bet you ten munny that we’ll get ambushed again before even reaching the Bailey.”

“No bet.” Leon snorted, looking almost amused.

With the air mostly cleared between them, they picked up their pace and continued on their way.

For the record: Yes, they were ambushed. 

Constantly. 

From behind bends in the road.  Out of shadowed corners.  Even dropping down from the support beams of overhead bridges once or twice.  Sometimes there’d be a second ambush trying to creep in while they were dealing with the first one.  It made it really hard to remember that Heartless were not actually coordinating together and it was more coincidental than anything else. 

It did highlight something Sable had noticed back in Yen Sid’s tower, though.

“These Heartless definitely have it out for me.” Sable mused as she deflected overhead claws before bodily jerking away from a low sweep. “Why, though?  I don’t have a Heartless-lure that is a Keyblade.”

Being only slightly harassed by the pop-up Heartless, Leon chuckled as he moved to offer support. 

As they fought, Sable considered the situation.  Maybe her dark affinity was playing into it?  She wondered if the Heartless were targeting her because she wanted a fight and her own power was adjusting to oblige.  It was the only thing she could think of that really made sense.  A variation of how Heartless responded to the darkness in people’s hearts, only rather than falling in line with her orders they were offering combat instead. 

Actually, that would still fall under ‘obeying her orders’, wouldn’t it?  Regardless of whether it was deliberate or not.  In any case, Sable got the adrenaline rush she’d been hoping for.  Rather than leaving her worked up, all the fighting actually left her in a fairly calm, if calculating, state of mind. 

By the time they reached their destination, across several streets and up several sets of stairs until they were right up against Hollow Bastion’s wall, Sable was pleasantly warmed up.  All that was left was to wait for Sora and the others.

“The security system seemed a little slow off the block.” She observed, as they ducked into what she thought was probably the gatehouse.  “And maybe a little confused.”

They’d both seen the little ball-of-light that marked an active claymore spiraling in little circles when a Heartless pranced just a pace or so away as they fought.  More than once, even.

Moving up some stone steps to a parapet showing the desolate land outside the town proper, Leon sighed. “They’re a work in progress.  At least they’re not hitting us instead of the Heartless.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“The friend-foe algorithm was a bit…glitchy to start off with.  Homed in on anyone who used magic.  Threw me off a wall a few times, Yuffie got bounced off her bike...and Merlin was basically locked in his house after, uh... Well, Cid fixed it eventually but, yeah…” He looked over at her. “He said he’d be uploading a new patch sometime today, taking the data he’d gained so far to make them more effective.”

“Should I ask Sora to stick around a bit, then?  So, you could stress-test security and work out kinks?” Sable asked.  “I realize the Heartless seem to pop up more when we’re around, but…there were a lot of people down in the market.  You and Yuffie can’t be everywhere at once, and then there’s all your other responsibilities...”

Leon looked thoughtful. “I’ll run it by Cid.  That might be just what we need to get the claymore system up to the level we need it working at.” He gave Sable a curious look. “Will he stick around that long, though?  I remember he was always on the go when we were in Traverse Town.”

Sable shrugged. “It’s not like we have a set schedule to follow.” She frowned. “Besides, he needs more time to re-adapt to fighting again so he doesn’t hurt himself.”

“He really was tripping over himself, then?  Like you mentioned earlier?”

“At least he has clothes that actually fit now, so he doesn’t have to worry about popping more seams when he moves.”

“Wait, what…”

“Hey!” They both turned as Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran up, their steps echoing loudly off the stone walls and ceilings around them. “Sorry we’re late!  Got a little distracted…”

“Sora had to stop and investigate every chest he found.” Donald groused, shooting the teen a grumpy look, which Sora ignored.

“We also had a talk with Merlin.” Goofy added.

“Oh, that’s right!” Sora walked up to Sable and held out a hand. “Here, hold this a moment.”

On reflex, Sable reached out to accept the little blue bobble Sora was holding out.  She froze, wide-eyed as a jolt of something surged through her upon contact, sending shivers up and down her spine and sprouting goosebumps across her arms. 

Then came the cold.  In the form of an icy knot that settled behind her sternum like she’d swallowed too much ice cream at once.

“Sora.” She began carefully, not daring to move. “What was that?”

The Keybearer grinned up at her. “A magic spell!  Merlin gave it to me to help jumpstart my magic again and said you could use it, too.”

So, that must have been a blizzard spell.  Well, that explained the sudden cold…

“Awesome.”  Violet eyes blinked once, then twice as she handed the now colorless bobble back. “No clue how to use it.”

“It’s easy!” Sora flipped her a double thumb’s up. “We’ll show you, and Donald’s a great magic tutor!  He taught me all my spells last time.” As the pekin magician fidgeted awkwardly at the praise, Sora turned to look at Leon. “So, how can I help out?”  

“We’re trying to put Hollow Bastion back together...” Leon shook his head, expression wistful. “Who knows, maybe even something better.” He paused with a grimace. “But we have some…problems…” He took a steadying breath before continuing. “There’s still a lot to do, but I’m sure we can handle everything.  Except…” Grimacing again, he turned towards the stone wall beside him, “for that…”

“What?” Blue eyes followed direction Leon was pointing at.  Squinted. “Is that a fort?” 

Donald, short as he was, had to jump and heave himself up to see over the parapet while Goofy just shielded his eyes and stared off into the distance.  Despite knowing what was coming, Sable looked as well.

Waaaaaay off in the distance was indeed the shape of a fort.  A series of ramshackle towers built close together.  The Villain’s Vale, Sable thought it was called, home base of Maleficent during the first Kingdom Hearts game, though the actual fighting had taken place in Hollow Bastion’s own castle.

Sable sneezed, sinuses suddenly on fire from the sudden familiar burn of antiseptic and bleach.

“Bless you.” Several distracted voices chimed out.

“Thanks.” Was Sable’s equally automatic response, feeling a little baffled as she tried to rub the smell away from her nose.

No such luck, her sinuses were still screaming their protest.  Had a tanker of cleaning products ruptured somewhere upwind?  Was Pete trying to disinfect the entire Villian’s Vale?  Seriously, that was painfully strong.

…except no one was responding to it except her.  And Donald would complain if he smelled it, too.

Was it just her, then? 

Was she about to have a heart attack- no, wait, the sign for that was a burnt toast smell.  Whew.  At least she was safe on that front.  But why was she smelling it at all?

(Why bleach?)

Resolving to ignore it, Sable returned her attention to the far away fort and the desolate expanse between it and Hollow Bastion.  There was a great expanse of ravines and plateaus of blue-gray stone and dirt between the town and the fort, making the shadows cast by the falling dusk seem to move and sway like the waves of the ocean.

Sable squinted. 

No, she wasn’t imagining it, there was actual movement around the fort.  The distance and angle made it hard to pin down, but-

Oh.

She knew what that was.  Had already known what to expect, only…

“Sora.” Sable breathed. “Look at the base, in the ravine around the fort.  See those lights?”

The game hadn’t even begun to do it justice, didn’t come close to the sheer scale of just what they were looking at.  That was way more than a measly thousand!  More like ten thousand and even that was probably being optimistic. How the heck were they supposed to fight numbers like that with (at best) nine combatants on their side?

“Are those all Heartless?!” Sora yelped, flopping against the wall and sliding down as Goofy outright toppled down the short steps behind them. “How can there be so many of them?”

“I don’t know.” Leon stared back out over the fort. “Most likely, there’s something in that fort.”

Sable frowned.  If that really was Maleficent’s old base, did that mean it was the dark fairy that was drawing in all the Heartless?  Wait…Pete had said, word-for-word, that he was gathering an army of Heartless for his patron.  Had he brought in all those Heartless? 

If so, she had to re-evaluate his prospective competence levels.  Stars above…

“I’m getting goosebumps.” Donald shivered as he helped Goofy back up.

“I hate to ask this…” Leon hesitated as he looked them over, gaze lingering on Sora. “But… I want you to help us get rid of them.” He shot Sable an apologetic look. “I realize you need to-”

“Of course!” Sora answered immediately, much to Donald and Goofy’s dismay.

“Sora!  You’re crazy!” Donald squawked. “There are too many of them!”

Goofy floundered in place. “We’re talkin’ millions!”

“We beat Ansem!” Sora returned. “The leader of the Heartless!”

“W-well, yeah, but…”

“Besides…” Light flashed as Sora brandished his Kingdom Key.  “One sweep of this Keyblade and they’ll all be history!”  He struck a pose.

Leon, Sable noted, looked a little overwhelmed.

Sora flopped over the stone parapet, still pointing his Keyblade at the distant swarm. “They’re just a bunch of boiled seaweed!”

Violet eyes blinked.  They…kind of did look something like that, didn’t they?  At least under current lighting.

“Easy to say from back here!” Donald barked, scowling up at the teen with reproach.

“Where do you get that boundless optimism?” A deep voice resonated off the stone around them, sending a shiver up Sable’s spine.

Xemnas.

“You’re doing well.” Came another, softer man’s voice.

Sable went cold as she recognized it.

Saïx. 

“Who’s there?” Light flashed as Sora spun around, Keyblade now in hand.

“It’s a reunion.” Xemnas was speaking again. “We should celebrate.”

Sora led the charge out the other exit of the gatehouse, head snapping around for the source of the voice.  Wincing as the antiseptic smell somehow got stronger, Sable tapped his shoulder and pointed up.

Standing on a ledge well above them stood six figures in almost identical black coats.  Xemnas’ silhouette was distinct and Sable remembered it from Yen Sid’s projection.  She noted the one with the mantled shoulders and the other with the wide sleeves that may have been Luxord.  Sable also spotted the shoulder padding she’d noticed on Saïx’s coat and barely managed to suppress another shiver.

“Organization Thirteen!” Goofy shouted as he also spotted them.

“Perhaps it’s to be expected of the Keyblade’s Chosen One.” The voice of the Nobody’s Superior echoed a bit less now that they were in the open air. 

Leon caught Sable’s eye, shooting her a questioning look.  When she gave a small nod back his expression hardened.

“But many have lost their lives through overconfidence in their abilities.” Xemnas went on, then he held up a gloved hand.

SNAP

Sora cut the Dusk down before it could finish its lunge.

“Our hero grows arrogant.  We will have to teach him a little lesson.”

Gluttony cut through another Dusk as it tried to flank Sora.  Then Sable pivoted around sharply to cut a sweep through several more as Sora charged another group.  More fighting sounded off as Leon, Goofy, and Donald joined in.

“Not bad.”

Sable tentatively identified that raspy murmur as Xaldin, the words being carried down clearly on the wind despite the low volume.  That same wind also brought with it a hint of lavender, only just noticeable above the overbearing chemical burn of the antiseptic. 

(Not that it brought any relief, lavender stunk.)

Twisting after a sweeping finisher, Sable watched literal light flicker under Sora’s heels as he skated around a cluster of Dusks at high speeds.  As they were twitching around in confusion, he cut them down with a well-placed combo while Sable gaped at him.

How had…

Was that how reversal was supposed to work?

Could she do that?  Sora made it look easy so, theoretically, it couldn’t be too hard.  Now that Sable knew that it involved the actual use of their favored element…

Spotting a Dusk not already committed to an attack, Sable advanced on it with intent and felt that familiar cold burn lance down her legs and into her heels.  She lunged-

Stars.

Cackling laughter drifted down from the upper levels, from several sources, as Sable tried to blink her vision clear, crumpled in a heap by the wall.

(Let it be confirmed: granite flagstones were very solid.  And hard.  Ow.)

The Dusk she had been targeting was peering down at her, clearly baffled.

“Don’t you look at me like that.” Sable groused blearily.

It cocked its head at her, then it burst as the Kingdom Key cleaved through it.

“Sable, are you alright?” Sora asked, blue eyes wide.

“That hurt.” She deadpanned, prying herself up as Sora guarded her. 

There was a shattering of glass and the scent of menthol burned her nose, fortunately overriding the antiseptic burn.  Coupled with that, the pain of her sudden headache faded to nonexistence.  A win all around.

“Thanks.”

With a curt nod in response, Sora dove after another cluster of Dusks. 

Sable resummoned Gluttony and did the same.  A few more combos and the Lesser Nobodies were gone and she watched as Sora swung around to glare defiantly at the black-clad men above. 

“Well?” He jeered. “How’s that for ability?”

In response, that gloved hand came up again.

SNAP

Donald squawked in alarm. “There’s more!”

“Sable!” Goofy called over as he smacked away a Dusk. “Are those them Greater Nobodies you mentioned?”

“Yeah, Samurai!  Watch out if they kneel, they’ll catch you in a time stop and-”

There was a reed whistle shriek and then a squawk as Donald went flying.

“-basically that.” Sable finished as Goofy scrambled after the tumbling pekin, potion already in hand. 

Offhand snapping out, Sable sent Alacrity shooting out to skewer a pair of Dusks trying to intercept the guard captain.  Then she spun around to block a Samurai’s blade, then jerk away to avoid it’s second blade.

“C’mon kid, you can do it!” Sable recognized Demyx’s voice.

“Two can play at that game!” Sora barked, sending a glance in Goofy and Donald’s direction.  He waited a heartbeat longer until the potion had been successfully applied, then shouted:

“GIVE ME STRENGTH!”

His arms snapped out, the defensive Shell that appeared deflecting a couple of Dusks and a Samurai’s sweep.  Goofy vanished as Sora’s clothing bled into the red of Valor Form, Starseeker materializing in his offhand.  Sable let out a whistle as he sent two Samurai flying with one quick combo.

“Cheer him on like you mean it.” Yet another voice chuckled out, speaking with a distinct surfer’s lilt. 

Then Sable ducked another Samurai sword, spinning around to find it…kneeling. 

Oh shoot...

Another harsh note of a reed whistle sounded and the world faded black.  Sable couldn’t move, frozen in place.  Bound in place.  She could hear her racing pulse roaring in her ears as she strained against whatever held her.  Strained for the Dual Stance Reaction Command.

The Samurai twitched.

Sparks flew as Gluttony scraped under the two katana as Sable ducked, just barely managing to tear free of the paralysis.  She lunged, landed a harsh two-handed sweep to the Nobody’s torso.

The world faded back into focus as the Samurai slid to stop, one hand coming up to where the blow had been struck.  That visored face tilted slightly to one side as it studied her with an almost curious air.  Then it just…dipped its head and vanished.

What had just-?

Then a spear-mode Creeper tried to skewer her and Sable couldn’t afford to mull over it.  After a quick check of the walls, parapets, and otherwise hard vertical objects, she zeroed in on the nearest Dusk and took off, leaving the Creeper behind.  Again, the cold burn shot down to her heels and, as if she were on wheels, shot around the Nobody in a tight arc that baffled all the Dusks, and Creepers, unfortunate enough have been watching.  Easy prey for Gluttony as Sable pounced with a toothy grin.

Being able to use reversal—a proper reversal—made things so much easier.  Especially once Sable figured out how to chain them.  As she’d once seen in the game from Roxas, she could also use it to skate on air.  At least briefly.

The baffled Nobodies didn’t stand a chance.

There were only a few Dusks left—the Samurais all having vanished at some point—when Sora’s Drive Form ran out.  Goofy stumbled out of thin air like he had back in Yen Sid’s tower.

“That was kinda fun.” He commented, sounding a little dazed.

“The Keyblade…a truly marvelous weapon.” Xemnas’ smooth baritone sounded out again. “Were it only in more…capable hands…”

SNAP

More Dusks and Creepers. 

(Yet no more Samurai, why?)

Sable took a moment to shoot the Organization’s No. 1 the deepest, most unimpressed look she could possibly project before diving back in.  Sora was panting now, she noticed.  His sweat-painted face smeared by dust and grit.  Still, he kept swinging, his combos just as clean and brutal as before, but perhaps a touch slower now.  He was still far from being in top form and was not ready for prolonged fights.

Darn it, they had to wrap this up!

Even as she was thinking that, Leon stepped in to guard her back.  She hadn’t been paying as much attention to the gunblade-user, though she’d definitely heard the roar from both his shock-inducing weapon and his own distinctive special attacks.

“We can’t keep this up.” He murmured to her.

“Noticed.” Sable responded back just as quietly. “Sora’s about done.  The others aren’t much better.”

“I’m going to try and get some back up.”

Sable jerked her head back towards the gatehouse behind them. “Hurry, before he calls in more Nobodies.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Shouldering his gunblade, Leon took off running and vanished around the stone wall as Sable reversaled around another cluster of too-slow Nobodies.  Then, as she was bursting another Dusk, Sable heard Sora’s startled yelp from somewhere behind her.

“Sable, heads-!”

THOK

“Shostakovich!” Reeling from impact, Sable tried blinking back the resulting stars as raucous laughter, worse than after her own mishap with the wall, rang out in stereo from overhead.

What had just-?

A flicker of movement had her stepping back just in time to avoid the Kingdom Key as it clattered to the cobblestones at her feet.

Rubbing her abused skull, Sable stared at it before whipping her head around to glare at a mortified, key-less Keybearer. 

“Darn it, Sora!”

“I’m sorry it got knocked out of my hand!” Said hand stretched out and Sable twitched as the Keyblade flashed away to rematerialize back in the younger teen’s hand.

Reflex had Sable sliding back to avoid an opportunistic Dusk, which she then cut in twain with barely a thought. 

“Does the phrase friendly fire mean anything to you?”

The laughter overhead intensified and someone (probably Demyx) hiccupped.

Sable just refrained from flashing them a rude hand gesture, but only because more Lesser Nobodies were trying to converge and she was a little too busy to spare the effort.

By the time the onslaught ended, Donald and Goofy were visibly tapped out.  Sable thought she heard the magician squawk out a quiet ‘Uncle’ before flopping across the gray flagstones.

“So?!”

In contrast, Sora seemed ready for another round or two, if only due to sheer frustration.

“Who’s next?”

“Sora, don’t.” Sable warned in a low tone, stepping up to guard the younger teen’s flank. “Now’s not the time.” 

While not entirely tapped out, she didn’t fancy their odds against the physically stronger Nobodies…. And of course he didn’t seem to hear her.  Still glaring up at the cluster of six cowled figures, Sora bristled with all the fury of a foofed, back-arched alley cat.

“What a shame.” The centermost figure—Xemnas—lamented with an almost melancholy sigh. “And here I thought we could be friends.”

On cue, the rest of the Nobodies snickered.

Xemnas raised his hand for a fourth time, only to pause as the hooded figure with the cape-cut to his shoulders stepped up next to him.

“Kid.  Who taught you to use a Keyblade?” He began with a laid-back drawl one would expect from a Californian surfer. “I feel sorry for it, bein’ used like that.”

“Huh?” Sora bristled. “Shut up and get down here!  You’re next!”

“Me?  As if.”

Well, if Sable had had any doubts as to who was speaking, they were gone now. 

(Hello, Xigbar.)

“Let me give you a tip.” The Freeshooter went on. “The Keyblade has far more potential than you’re capable of drawing out as you are now.”

That startled Sora out of his bristling. “WHAT?!”

“You-”

Light flashed.

Everyone present recoiled in alarm, momentarily blinded.  As Sable blinked her eyes clear, she thought she heard to muffled thump somewhere below them.

“What’s this?”  Xemnas sounded almost affronted, going by that hiss.  Of course, he still jerked back as another, less blinding, flash went off next to him and narrowly missed the arm he’d just yanked away.  “Impudent little-!” 

More lights.  Moving.  Cowled figures flailed around to avoid them. 

All five of them. 

(Oh dear…)

“Clear out!”

A surge of darkness and they were gone.  Cid’s latest patch on the claymore security system had been ludicrously effective, if it chased them off that easily. 

“Hey, wait!” Spinning around, Sora bolted towards the ramp leading down.

“Sora!” Sable darted after him, passing Donald and Goofy where they were picking themselves back up. “Hang on a-”

Heels skidding hard across flagstone, she almost crashed into the younger teen.  Sora having frozen at the sharp turn of the ramp. 

“What…” She followed his gaze and blinked at the figure sprawled at the bottom of the ramp.

“Didn’t see that one coming.” The black cowled Nobody groaned as he gingerly picked himself up.  The gaze of his cowl tipped up towards the higher ledge. “Hey!  They left without me!” Xigbar sounded just a little bit offended by that. 

In the middle of brushing dirt off his coat, the Freeshooter finally noticed the two teenagers just as Donald and Goofy finally caught up.

“Oh, ‘sup?”

“What’s the big idea?” Sora demanded, brandishing his Keyblade.

The man cackled, the sound echoing off the masonry around them.

“That’s right!” Leather-clad shoulders visibly shaking with mirth, he pointed a gloved finger at Sora. “He used to give me that same exact look!  You’d better get better with that Keyblade.  Or else he’ll have disappeared for nothing.”

“You-” Sora’s offhand knifed through the air. “Move!”

“Now do you think that’s polite?” The tone was mocking as Xigbar gestured to himself. “Shutting me down like that?”

“Then we’ll just have to make you move!” Donald snapped, staff swinging out. “Fire!” 

The spell shot towards the Nobody, only to fizzle out before it could even singe the black leather coat.  As Donald squawked in outrage, Sable could all but feel the emoted amusement emanating from the motionless Freeshooter.

“Oopsie-daisy!” A finger waggled in their direction. “Sure, that would work, if I were just any old dude.  ‘Cept I’m not.” There was a dramatic pause. “I’m with the Organization.  Nothing ‘any old’ about me.” Then the dark cowl focused on Sable. “Haven’t you told him all about it, lil’ marten?”

“Huh?” Sky-blue eyes fell on Sable. “Sable, do you know him?”

“As if!” Sora’s head snapped back around to Xigbar, who continued with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Never met her before in my life.” He paused deliberately. “But she seems to know more than a little about us, though.  Isn’t that right?”

Sable stayed silent, violet eyes narrowed.

“Heh.” The dark cowl tilted to one side. “Boss-man was right about you.”

Brow quirking up, Sable cocked her head in kind. “How so?”

Still talking with his hands as much as his voice, index fingers flicking around like maestro’s batons, the Freeshooter explained.

“See, got a rumor of a new dark adept showing up right out of the blue.  Strong one.  Maybe strong enough to be worth lookin’ into.” A half shrug. “So, our leader sent No. 7 to bring you in for a little chat and boy was that a flop.  The ol’ werewolf came back empty handed, with only a busted jaw for his effort.”

He flashed her a cheery double-thumbs up and she could hear the grin in his voice as he continued.

“Very nice, by the way.  Haven’t seen a bruise that colorful since the last time No. 9 tried body building.” His hands dropped again. “But imagine how much more surprised we were when No. 7 mentioned that you addressed him by name.”

Oops.

Sable couldn’t quite suppress her wince.  In hindsight, that had been a serious tactical error. 

“See, the Organization’s been operating on the Down Low for years.” Xigbar went on with an exaggerated shrug as he took half a step closer.  “So, I’m wondering, just how did you know one of our names?  And what else do you know, that you really, really shouldn’t?”

Barely perceptible, the posture of the Organization’s No. 2’s posture flipped from at-ease to serious.  Like a static charge had suddenly filled the air, it set the hairs of her neck on end.  Oh, that was bad.  So, very, very bad.  Sable was tired from the earlier fight, but even if she was fully refreshed there was no way she could take him on yet.  She’d barely warded off Saϊx!  When the berserker hadn’t even been trying!

With a quick side-step and Sora was standing directly between Sable and the Nobody, Kingdom Key raised up defensively.  To either side, Donald and Goofy also stepped up, wary and tired but ready to defend one of their own.  A sudden warmth flooded Sable’s chest as she blinked at them. 

(No, those weren’t tears trying to form.  They weren’t.)

“Aww, you’re gonna give me the warm and fuzzies.” Xigbar crooned as his posture relaxed again.  “Anyway, it doesn’t actually matter.” He pointed at them. “You just-”

Light flashed, and the Nobody yanked his arm back with a yelp of, “Hey!”  There was a second flash and he cringed away, now gripping a singed shoulder. “What the-?”

By the time a third light flashed the man was ready and he leapt nimbly back out of range.

Sable wasn’t the only one snickering at the cowled Nobody’s misfortune.

“Be a good boy now!” With a friendly, if rushed, wave Xigbar ducked through a hastily raised Dark Corridor.

“Wait!” Donald lunged, but the man was already gone. “Nuts.” The grumble was partially muffled by the flagstones. “He got away.”

“That was weird.” Sky-blue eyes stared at the now vacant spot before Sora turned to blink up at Sable. “Do you know what he was going on about?”

Sable thought it was interesting that all that frustration and anger from moments before was just gone.  As in the moment the Freeshooter had vanished. 

Now that she thought about it, Sora didn’t actually have a legit, personal reason to be so hostile towards the Organization, yet.  He also wasn’t prone to being angry...  Wait.  Hadn’t Ansem the Wise said something about anger?  In the game right before Roxas found Sora’s pod? 

What had he said again?

-“You should share some of that anger with Sora.  He is far too nice for his own good.”-

Oh, shoot. 

Was all that anger from Roxas? 

That made far too much sense.  Especially when taking the earlier response to the prospect of ice cream into account.  Hadn’t Sable herself been concerned about how he’d react to the Samurais?  Seeing the remaining members of Organization Thirteen would have been so much worse…

“Sable?”

Right, Sora was still waiting for a response.  Sable opened her mouth to answer, paused, then glanced at the brick and mason levels around them.

“Ask me later.” She told him in a low tone. “On the gummi ship.”

He blinked at her once.  Also glanced around them.  Then nodded.  “Alright.  We need to get back to Leon and the others anyway.  C’mon!”

They all turned to head back up through the gatehouse as a breeze swept up the ramp behind them.  Sable paused as an out of place earthy herb scent came along with it. 

The hint of lavender earlier could have just been someone’s cologne, but there weren’t any plants to be found in Hollow Bastion!  Also…

Why did that earthy herb scent seem familiar?

Frowning, Sable looked back at where Xigbar had been standing.  Where the breeze had just swept through.  Then she filed it away for later consideration and turned to continue up to the gatehouse.

              ———

 “Man, how long’s it been since we all sat around the table like this?” Laughing, Cid ladled out another portion of stew into Donald’s bowl. “Now eat up and build your strength!”

“Might I ask…what this is?” Merlin asked, using his chopsticks to poke dubiously at the contents of his own bowl.

Not quite across from them, Sable did the same.  Eyeing the probable Deadly Soup of the Day, she identified dumplings of indiscernible type, noodles, and…it looked like Leon’s bowl had a crab leg.  Sora’s had a suspicious set of fins, which Sable resolved not to look at too closely but they didn’t seem to bother Sora in the least.

Actually, he didn’t seem to be paying too much attention to anything going on around him.  Too lost in thought.

Keeping a partial eye on him, Sable tentatively tried her own mystery soup.  Hm…that wasn’t too bad, actually.  She’d just have to be careful in case any unwanted fish bits had found their way into it.

“So…” Leon began around a mouthful of crab meat. “Organization Thirteen.  You’re gonna have a hard time with them.” Swallowing, he panned his gaze from Sable to Donald and Goofy. “You’d better be careful.”

All three offered solemn nods in return.

“Are they, like, unionizing the Nobodies?” Yuffie asked suddenly.  “They’re up to something, I just know it!”  She swallowed a spoonful of rice. “I mean, those Nobodies are big trouble!”

(Unionizing the Nobodies, that was a hilarious mental image.)

“Yeah!” Cid agreed from where he was carting away the bowl that had originally had the soup. “Just the other day, they stole the seat off my bicycle!”

Nibbling on noodles, Sable blinked at him.  Wasn’t it Yuffie that had a bike…?

“It’d be so cute if it didn’t get worse than that.” Yuffie sighed. “But we don’t know what their plans are.”

“What?” Bristling, Cid spun on her. “You sayin’ you want me to ride a seat-less bicycle?  I almost got stabbed in the behind!”

“I never said that!”

Apparently used to the pair’s bickering, everyone else at the table calmly ignored them and continued digging into their own meals.  Following their lead, Sable did the same, still keeping an eye on the distracted Sora. 

She wasn’t the only one.

“Are you okay, Sora?” Aerith asked gently, pale green eyes concerned.

“He’s probably down on himself ‘cos Organization Thirteen beat the tar out of us.” Leon theorized, sipping his drink.

“That’s not it.” Sable disagreed. “One of them thought it’d be funny to drop a bunch of really cryptic hints based on inside jokes Sora doesn’t have the context for.”

Leon made a face. “Oh, one of those.”

“Yup.”

“We’re all staring at him, and he’s completely oblivious!” Cid noted, peering around and waving a hand in Sora’s face.  “He is depressed, isn’t he?”

“I only hope that this will make him a little more careful in the future.”

Blinking at the voice, Sable belatedly registered the presence of Jiminy Cricket at the table, casually nibbling on a slice of cucumber almost as long as he was tall.  His usual top hat was nowhere to be seen, probably for manners’ sake, the little chronicler was a bit old fashioned, that way.

“I can feel it in my antennae.” Jiminy went on, flicking the aforementioned antennae. “I think our journey is going to be another long one.”

“I GOT IT!”

Everyone present jumped as Sora shot out of his seat.

“MAYBE THE ‘HE’ HE WAS TALKING ABOUT IS RIKU!”

Silence fell as everyone stared at the teen.

“Uh, ‘he’?” Donald tried, looking lost.

Goofy, on the other hand, looked thoughtful. “Now that ya mention it, that Organization fella did say somethin’ about you gettin’ better with the Keyblade or ‘he’ disappeared for nothin’.  A-hyuck.”

Watching the color start to flee from Sora’s face, Sable reached over to tap a knuckle against his head.

“Not Riku.” She promised as Sora flinched back.

Cerulean blue eyes blinked at her. “But…Riku’s the only he that I know.”

“What, they’re not ‘hes’?” Sable pointed a chopstick at Donald and Goofy. “Leon’s not a ‘he’?  King Mickey isn’t a ‘he’?”

“Uh, well…” Now Sora blushed, shrinking back down on his seat and poking at his soup.  Then he blinked and looked at Sable again. “Do you know who that guy was talking about, then?”

Sable nodded. “Organization Thirteen had a Keyblade wielder of their own.”

“WHAT?!”

Wincing as she rubbed at her poor ears, Sable continued. “No. 13, their Key of Destiny.  Only they lost him a little before you three woke up again.  Now they’re focusing on you as the only other accessible Keyblade Wielder around.” She snickered. “Not like they can catch up to Mickey, after all.”

Weak though it was, the joke did get a quiet snicker from Sora.

“Because they’re after Kingdom Hearts, right?” He asked after a moment.  “Then…Riku’s alright?”

“Didn’t you say he’d probably be in contact with the King?” Sable returned, looking between the three of them.  When they nodded, she continued. “That’s why you’re looking for Mickey first, right?  If Riku had disappeared, like was specified, then the King would have told you even if he was in a rush.  Or he’d have asked Yen Sid to tell you.” She hesitated and glanced at Donald and Goofy.  “I mean…he would, right?”

They both nodded.  Vigorously in Donald’s case.

Sora sagged in his seat, relieved.

“You know more than you’re saying.” Leon pointed out, staring at Sable.

“I do, yes.” Sable admitted. “No, I’m not sharing much more now.”

“Why not?” Sora asked.

“Because Dusks are sneaky little spies and I don’t want to clue the Organization in.  Bad enough they already set Saïx after me once, I do not need a repeat of that!”

“What?” Yuffie gasped. “But the white guys don’t talk!  They don’t make any sounds at all, except hissing sometimes…or that zipping sound from the slinky-ones.”

Sable shook her head. “Nobodies have a language all their own, one the Organization knows as well despite looking human.  Yes, they would hear every detail of whatever a Dusk reported in.  Same for the rest of the rank-n-file Nobodies.”

Silence fell as everyone chewed on that little tidbit.  Only the sounds of eating, with various levels of decorum, could be heard.

“Oh, Leon!” Merlin spoke up suddenly. “Did you give them the cards, yet?”

The man in question twitched. “Not yet.” Setting his utensils down, he started looking through his pockets. “Here.”

“What’s this?” Sora asked, accepting the card as Leon handed out the other three. “Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, Honorary Member.”

“A-hyuck!  Membership cards!” Goofy grinned.

“Cool!” Donald agreed.

Leon chuckled softly. “Use that in the Marketplace, and you’ll get 5% off all purchases.”

That- what a lousy…

“What a deal!”

Sable palmed her face at Sora’s delighted tone.  Looked up as he suddenly yelped.  Glowing like a nightlight, the card in his hand plucked itself free and sailed towards the open window.

“Hey, come back!  My 5% off!” 

He dove out right after it, Donald and Goofy a step behind him.  Sable followed at a more sedate pace, arriving in time to hear Sora yelp again.

“A keyhole?”

A flicker of movement had Sable glancing at her shoulder.

“That keyhole…” Jiminy Cricket pointed out the window. “I’ll bet it opens a gate!”

“A gate?” Goofy repeated.

“Remember?  We have to open gates or we can’t go anywhere.”

A flash of light signaled the Kingdom Key appearing in Sora’s hand.

“Sora!” Donald barked. “Use the Keyblade!”

“Already on it!”

Sable ducked back inside to avoid getting flashed again.  That didn’t stop the sudden surge of ambient light energy from sending uncomfortable prickles up and down her arms even through her long sleeves.  Brr.

“Alright!” There was a tiny flutter of paper, probably the membership card coming down again. “We’re going to find Riku and the King!”

Sable poked her head out the window. “Sora, hang on a sec.”

Four sets of eyes turned to look at her.  Jiminy being on her shoulder made that a touch awkward strictly from proximity.

“Why don’t we stay here a bit?” She continued. “It’s not like we actually have a schedule to keep.”

“But…” Sora visibly hesitated, glancing up at where the keyhole had been.

“Why don’t we stick around long enough to help them stress-test the claymore system?” Sable suggested.  “They get to accelerate the next patch, and you get more live experience in a relatively safe environment with allies to support you if something goes wrong.”

“Actually…”

Sable glanced back as Leon approached the window.

“That’s not so necessary, now.” The former mercenary admitted. “The last patch pushed the system above what we were expecting by quite a bit.  It should be enough to protect the people living here from what Heartless show up from here on out.  Nobodies, too.” Leon looked at Sora, a sympathetic look in his eyes. “Go, find your friend.”

“What about all the Heartless at the fort?” Sora asked, visibly torn as he fidgeted in place.

Leon shrugged and waved him off. “We have to get everything ready before we’ll need you.  There’s no rush.” A pause. “Right, Cid?”

“Right.” Came the somewhat forced response.

“We’ll be waiting.” Leon told Sora.

“Leon…” Looking back in through the window, the Keybearer looked at everyone in turn with bright, watery blue eyes. “Thank you, everyone.  We’ll be back!”

Sable had to scramble out the window to keep up as he took off back towards the Marketplace, Goofy and Donald in hot pursuit.  Through the Borough, up the stone steps leading past Scrooge’s giant freezer.  Towards the smaller set of stairs leading down into the Marketplace proper…

“Is that- ohmygosh, Sora! Over here!”

Sora skidded to an abrupt halt.  Not expecting it, Sable slammed full-speed into his back.  Then Donald and Goofy slammed into her and they all went down in a groaning heap.

“Oh, uh…oops?”

“I know that voice.” Sora’s voice was muffled by the granite flagstone he was pinned to, buried at the bottom of their impromptu pile as he was.

Wriggling, Sable managed to leverage herself and Donald, who was flopped across her back, off the younger teen.  Sora pushed himself up on his arms, wriggling out from under the dazed Goofy, and was back on his feet to face the speaker.

Sable cocked her head at the red pompom.  It was practically vibrating on the tip of the…antenna thing it was attached to.  Otherwise, the moogle hovering by the wall seemed fairly unmoved.

Sora squinted at the moogle.  “You’re…Mog, right?”

The pompom whipped around in a pleased circle. “I am indeed!  It’s great to see you again, Sora.  Me and the others started getting’ worried when you stopped showing up!  And Stiltzkin passed along some really weird rumors this past year about…anyway, none of that matters, you’re here!”

The moogle did a little twirl, tiny wings beating furiously.

“How’s it goin’ on your quest?” Mog asked. “Any luck finishing the recipe?”

“Ah…no.” Sora wilted where he stood. “Some of the ingredients are really hard to find.” 

Mog hovered up to pat him consolingly on the shoulder.  Then retreated back to his original spot.

“Uh…Sora?” Sable asked, a little uncertainly.

“Oh, right.” The younger teen snapped back up and offered her a sheepish grin. “Sable, this is Mog, he’s part of the Moogle Synthesis Guild.  We met him back in Traverse Town during our last adventure.”

Eyeing the soft, creamy fur, Sable pointedly kept her hands to herself and instead offered a polite bow. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Never seen a moogle before?” Mog asked, cocking his head.

“Only from a distance.” Sable admitted. “Back in Twilight Town, though I didn’t get a chance to say hi.”

“Twilight Town?  Oh!  That would have been Elmina.”

Sable mentally filed the name away for later use should the situation arise.  Then she waved at Donald and Goofy as they passed by to continue on to the gummi ship but stayed where she was.  She was curious to see what business Sora had with the moogle. 

What recipe?

Mog turned back to Sora.  “So, any new synthesis material you wanna drop off?  We can see if there’s any more we can put towards that recipe of yours.”

“Recipe?” Sable echoed as Sora started digging through his pockets.

“Yeah, there’s this really neat enhancement for my Keyblade.” Sora explained.  “Called the Ultima Recipe, so I’ve been saving up materials to use it!”

“He came to us so often he earned access to the recipe on general principle.” Mog admitted as he sorted through a number of stones Sora had handed him.

Sable considered that.  It made sense that Sora would keep the good relationship he’d developed with the moogles, rather than having to start from scratch again. 

(At least that worked out better for him than his hard-earned combat abilities had.)

Mog pulled a very old and tattered looking piece of paper out from…somewhere.  Probably the same place where he was putting all those stone pieces.  In any case he seemed to squint at the paper and then checked a notebook he’d also pulled out.

“Right,” The moogle murmured, “Forgot about that.  Okay!” Mog looked up at Sora. “So, the union re-did all the materials lists, translating the old recipes into the new format.  Also, some of the materials we used to synthesize we just don’t use anymore.  It’s alright!” He added quickly as Sora looked about ready to panic. “I kept you in mind after the revamp went through.  Let’s see, where’d I put it…”

Fishing through his apparent subspace pocket, Mog rifled around.  He pulled out a few notebooks, checked them, then shoved them back in.  Eventually he pulled out one with a bunch of post-it tags sticking out from between the pages.

“Here it is!”

Curious, Sable peered over to a look as he opened up the pages and…ow.  A mistake was made.  Those were worse than physics equations.  She didn’t recognize even half those symbols!  Blinking back a headache, she leaned away again as Mog settled on a page near the end and turned it around for Sora to see. 

“There, see?  We can still use what you’ve found so far and…here are the rough conversions…there, the basic equivalents of what you have left to bring in.”

Nodding along, a thoughtful expression had settled on Sora’s face. “Huh, they’re all gems and crystals, now.”

“Yeah, pretty much.  The oozes, matters and the like weren’t all, shall we say, proving very cost efficient with our Synthesis?  So, we cut them from the list and re-catalogued everything else.  Lemme tell you, it’s saved a bunch of time.  Though Stiltzkin’s been doing tests on gears and ores.  The results so far have been promising, so those might be added into the main materials list in the relatively near future…”

“Gears?”  Sora sounded as baffled as Sable felt. 

How were gears a synthesis item?

Mog waved them off. “Not important right now.” Flipping to the very back of his notebook, Mog tore out a sheet and handed it to Sora. “Here, you can keep this copy.”

“Thanks!  This’ll help me keep track of everything.”

“Anything for my favorite customer!”

Sora put the list away and then put in a bunch of orders for other basic supplies.  Potions, ethers, and a few accessories for Donald and Goofy to go with their new weapons.  Sable didn’t see just what the moogle did, only that he moved the materials from one bag to another and then she and Sora left with all the new supplies.  It was almost instantaneous.

She wondered if Mog had just made them, or if he’d had the items in stock and just set Sora’s materials aside to make more later.

Sable was just cresting the top of the steps leading to where Donald had parked the still camo’d gummi ship when she paused.  The vantage point where they’d parked was high enough to let her see pretty much all of Hollow Bastion, save for the bits directly behind the castle itself. 

It also let her see over most of the walls.  She could pinpoint the gatehouse part of the Bailey where they’d seen the Organization, and bits of the dark mountains beyond it, but that wasn’t what caught her attention.  The water, was. 

Beyond the wall not-quite-opposite the gatehouse, Sable could see an ocean, stretching as far out as the eye could see.

(Well, that explained all the seafood…)

But Hollow Bastion, and Radiant Garden before it, was a seaside city?  Sable hadn’t realized that.  Had it been a major trading port before the World fell?  Was that where all its wealth had originally come from?  Ansem the Wise may not have been particularly wise, but if he’d been a canny businessman then that would make a whole lot more sense…

It registered then that she was alone, which snapped Sable out of her musings.  Where had Sora gone?  Not to the gummi ship, she thought he’d slipped away before that.

Where’d he go?  Wait, there he was, jogging up to meet her then.  What had he…

“Here Sable.” Sora held out a pair of goggle-glasses. “Saw these on a display and I remembered how much you tend to rub your eyes, so…”

Feeling rather touched, she’d actually forgotten her earlier comment about getting shades, Sable looked them over.  They were padded goggles disguised as a pair of sunglasses.  Very sleek and impressive, if she said so herself.  After adjusting the strap a bit, she slipped them on, letting the goggles rest further up on her head until she needed them.

Heh.

Sable was now, officially, a gogglehead.  Now she just needed a symbiotic, shapeshifting psychovore to attack enemies on her behalf and eat all her junk food and the picture would be complete.

She kept grinning even after the gummi ship had taken off.

              ———

Donald parked the gummi ship safely in orbit above Hollow Bastion before Sora tugged Sable’s sleeve as she dozed against the wall and led her back down to the engine room.  Claiming bits of open floor, they all sat down and Sable twitched slightly as three sets of expectant eyes fixed on her.

Just because she’d been expecting it didn’t mean it wasn’t still startling.

“So, what couldn’t you tell us in Hollow Bastion?” Sora asked.

“More than I can say in one sitting.” Sable answered honestly. “It’ll have to be done piecemeal so I don’t overwhelm you.  A lot of what I know is…mind screwy.  Enough so that some of what I’m holding off on for now is so I can try and verify whether it’s right or not.  I don’t want to give you misinformation.”

“Misinformation?” Sora cocked his head.

“She means something that’s not quite true.” Goofy answered for Sable.

Sora considered that, then nodded. “Okay, I think we can live with that.  You’ll tell us everything eventually though, right?”

Sable nodded. “That’s the plan.  I’m also hoping to get other people to back up what I say, but from their perspective.  So, they’re not just parroting me.”

Donald scowled at her. “How’re you gonna do that?”

“Not entirely sure, yet, but it’ll be obvious if I manage it.”

“So, we watch out for when ya get someone talkin’.” Goofy summarized. “Then we listen to what they say and compare it with what you’ve told us.”

“Trust but verify.” Sable nodded, looking at Sora. “I want to get you enough correct information, so you can make your own informed decisions.  The Organization is not going to want that, so I’ll save most of the info dumps for when we’re here, or when I can get someone else to share the information.”

They all nodded again.

“Now…I’m guessing you want me to start with the Key of Destiny?” Sable asked, looking mainly at Sora, who nodded again. “Alright, then.  About a year ago the leader of Organization Thirteen found a Nobody capable of using a Keyblade and inducted him into the Organization, giving him a name, number, and epithet.”

“No. 13, the Key of Destiny.” Goofy recited.  “And…you said they lost him a little before we woke up?  Was that when they lost the other six Nobodies they were missin’?”

“But…” Sora frowned. “Sable said they died about a year ago, right?”

“Yes and yes.” Sable nodded. “Numbers 4, 5, 6, 11, and 12 died a little after No. 13 joined the Organization.  No, he ran afoul of something else.”

“Why aren’t you saying his name?” Donald asked pointedly.

“Because I was waiting to see if any of you would actually ask for it.”

Sora and Goofy looked a little ashamed at that.

“So, what was his name, Sable?” Sora asked, rubbing the back of his head.

“His name is Roxas.”

Goofy perked up. “You mean he’s still alive?”

“What?” Sora looked at him, wide-eyed.

“Well, she said ‘is’, not ‘was’.  She also said that the Organization lost him.  Didn’t say anything about him, well… ya’know.” Goofy answered reasonably.

Sora’s head snapped back around so he could stare at Sable.

“He’s right.” She answered. “And this is where it starts getting complicated.” Sable held up a hand. “There’s what actually happened.” She held up the other hand. “And there’s what the Organization believes happened, or claim they believe.”

No one spoke as she dropped her hands again and she looked them over.

“I also know what other people claim happened, but what evidence I’ve found so far suggests that the reality is much more… ah, head screwy.”

“So, you’re not going to tell us, yet.” Goofy guessed.

“What actually happened to Roxas?” Sable shook her head. “No.  But I’m hoping to get some verification on that soon.  What I am going to share is what the Organization believes happened, because that’s what’s immediately relevant to Sora.” Here Sable paused in case any of them wanted to say something. 

Donald looked like he was about to, but Sora clapped a hand over his beak.  The Keybearer then shot her an encouraging, if slightly shaky, grin.

Taking a breath, Sable continued.

“So, far as they claim to know, Roxas left the Organization and then was dispersed shortly after.  You know what happens to Dusks when we fight them?  Same thing happens to Humanoid Nobodies.  However.  They’re also under the impression he pulled off a miracle in the process.  That he was reincarnated as a complete being at the cost of his memories as a Nobody.” Sable paused for a beat, then continued. “And they think that reincarnation…is you Sora.”

“Me?!”

“That’s ridiculous!” Donald burst out. “Sora is Sora!  He’s never been anyone else!”

“It kinda makes sense, though.” Goofy’s tone was thoughtful, if disturbed.  “Sable said they found him a year ago, right?  And we went ta sleep about the same time and everyone forgot about us.  Then Roxas disappeared and people suddenly remembered us again.”

“Then…” Sora swallowed.  “What that guy said, about someone fading away for nothing…”

“He was referring to Roxas, yes.  But.” Sable held up a finger. “I’m pretty sure he knows that’s not what happened.  Him and his boss.  The others, though?  They probably believe it.  Expect them to refer to you as Roxas and to not actually answer you when you ask about it.”

“Why do they even need me, anyway?” Sora demanded. “Ansem didn’t!  Well, except for the fact that I had Kairi’s Heart and she was the last Princess of Heart, but that was different.”

“Yeah, Ansem didn’t have a Keyblade but was able to make Kingdom Hearts and the Final Keyhole!” Donald agreed.

“How did he make Kingdom Hearts, then?” Sable asked.

“He used the Hearts of the Worlds the Heartless got to.” Sora answered. “When we stopped him, the Worlds were brought back and Kingdom Hearts disappeared.”

“That’s not the method the Organization is using.  They’re using the Hearts of people, rather than Hearts of Worlds.”

They all blanched at that, staring at Sable in horror.  Belatedly realizing her error, she held up both hands in a soothing gesture.

“Not like that!” She promised. “They’re targeting the Heartless.  The leader of Organization Thirteen figured out how to redirect Hearts freed by a Keyblade to the framework for Kingdom Hearts he built outside their base.”

They all relaxed at that.

“Oh, that’s not so bad…” Sora breathed in relief.  “So, most of them think I’m their missing friend?  Except for those two jerks you mentioned?”

“Basically.”

“And I’m guessing telling them I’m not won’t help.”

“Not if it’s just a straight denial, they’ll think you just forgot or something of that nature.” Sable agreed. “If you’re in a civil conversation, though, you might have better luck getting that point across.  Just don’t hold your breath.”

Silence fell then as they all mulled over it.  Sora seemed a little emboldened, Donald seemed frazzled, and Goofy was looking especially thoughtful.

 “Heya, Sora?” He began, looking at his younger friend. “Back in Hollow Bastion, didn’t the man on the wall sound familiar?”

“Huh?” Sora blinked at him. “What’d’ya mean?  The guy who got knocked off and postured at us?”

“No.” Goofy shook his head. “The first fella in the front.” He frowned a moment. “Didn’t we meet him right after rescuing the Princesses of Heart from Ansem?”

Frowning, Sora cocked his head.  Then he jerked upright, eyes wide. “The ghost guy!”

“The what?” Sable asked, baffled.

Sora turned to her. “It was right after Ansem possessed Riku!  We were gonna go after him, but the princesses said they sensed somebody really powerful in Hollow Bastion, so we went to check it out.”

“…and it was a ghost?” Sable hazarded.

“I mean, kinda?  He started off invisible and he walked right through me!” Sora shivered. “The whole thing was really weird.” He cocked his head again, frowning. “But…yeah, now that Goofy mentions it, he sounded just like the guy on the wall!”

“What was it he said?” Goofy spoke up again, “When we asked if he was Ansem?  He said the name sounded familiar but that he was just a shell.”

“The Nobody to Ansem’s Heartless.” Sable nodded. “So…you weren’t technically wrong?  They’d just been two separate beings for over a decade by that point.” She paused, considering that, then asked: “Did he say anything else?  Things that probably didn’t make sense then but might now that you have more information?”

All three of them thought about it.

“He said I reminded him of someone.” Sora said at last. “I thought he was talking about Ansem, it was right after we asked that, but then he said I was…incomplete?” He sent Goofy a questioning look.

Goofy nodded. “That’s right, first he said you weren’t whole, then he said you were incomplete.  Then he attacked us.”

Donald shivered. “That was an awful fight.”

“Yeah,” Sora nodded, rubbing his arms. “We didn’t even win.  He just backed off after a while, said more cryptic things, then turned invisible again.  He didn’t use those black portals at all…”  He looked at Sable. “He’s that strong?”

“Stronger.” Sable admitted. “It’s why I was trying to get you to stop heckling them.  You’re still tripping over yourself and all of you lost a lot of stamina after sleeping for so long.  We can’t face even one of them, yet.  Not seriously.  Not if we want to walk away afterwards.”

Donald grumbled under his breath, glaring at his staff like it had personally betrayed him.

“So…we need to get stronger before we try.” Sora mused, ignoring the magician’s antics.  “You think we can win?”

“Once you shake the dust off, absolutely.” Sable nodded, violet eyes fierce. “You’re a year older now, and that makes a big difference in a teenager.  You just need time and practice to hone what you’ve already got.”  She leaned back, smirking a bit. “The Organization knows that, too.  They’re going to give you that time.”

“Big mistake!” Sora grinned, visibly lighting up. “I’ll take ‘em all on!”

“An’ we’ll be right there with ya!” Goofy promised.

“Hey guys!’

Something light impacted Sable’s back and scrambled up her long hair with tiny little claws before perching atop her head.  Violet eyes wide, she sat perfectly still and didn’t dare move.

“Our scanners picked up a new route!”  Dale chirped from his perch.

“Coordinates are being added to the systems now.” Chip added by Sable’s knee.  Then he turned and glared up at his brother. “Dale, get down from there!  That’s rude!”

“Aw, Sable don’t mind.” A Rudolph-red nose came into view.  “Do ya?”

“A, uh…little warning would be preferred.” Sable managed. “Maybe not on my head?”

“Okay, then!”

He dropped down on her shoulder and sat there with a grin, his little legs hanging off.  Chip audibly slapped a hand over his face, grumbling in a teeny tiny voice.  Then he looked up, pointedly ignoring his brother, and turned to Sora again.

“Corresponding Keyhole has also been found.” He saluted. “We’re ready to head towards the next world whenever you are.”

Sora shot up to his feet, grinning brightly. “Alright, then, off I go!”

As Sable watched, he moved over to a hatch she hadn’t really noticed before, opened it, and drooped down with a whoop like a little kid going down a slide at McDonalds.  Dale sprang off her shoulder as he and Chip scrambled gleefully back to their stations.

“Uh, what’s going on?” She asked Donald and Goofy as they got up again. “Didn’t Sora already unlock the Keyhole down at Merlin’s house?”

“Well, Sable, ya see…” Goofy began.

“The pathway between Hollow Bastion and the next World hasn’t solidified, yet.” Donald picked up, tone matter-a-fact, he even held up a finger as he went on. “Right now, it’s still mixed up with the routes the Heartless use.  Sora has to clear the way before it can split apart completely.”

Sable considered that as they climbed the ladder back into the cockpit.  Goofy smiled and gestured to the seat Sora usually claimed, which Sable cautiously sank into as more screens popped up.  In one were the chipmunk brothers as they ran through a checklist.  On another was Sora, in a little one-person cockpit, also going through a list of ship-prep as he activated whatever he was sitting in.

“So, he’s…going to fly through the Realm of Darkness?” Sable asked, still trying to wrap her head around it.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Donald scoffed.

“The way the King explained it.” Goofy spoke up. “There used to be lots of different roads between Worlds, but when Ansem sent out all those Heartless, the roads got washed away.  Like a flood washin’ out a bridge.”

“Darkness being the flood?” Sable guessed.

“Yup!  But the darkness has gone down, so the space that used to hold the pathways can be reached again.  But it’s all just one big mess.”

“So, what happens once Sora clears a path?”

Donald answered. “Then we can pass between the next World and Hollow Bastion anytime we want.”

“Unless another surge of darkness washes it out, again.” Goofy added.  “It’s all a lot nicer than it used ta be, though.”

“Yeah, we had to go through the paths the Heartless used, back then.” Donald shuddered as, on the screen, Sora flipped the chipmunk brothers a grinning thumbs-up.  “It was awful.”

Sable noticed a countdown appear on the screen as she asked her next question. “Then how did we get to Hollow Bastion without having to do this?”

They both shrugged. “The King probably cleared it for us.” Goofy reasoned. “Remember how he left us the gummi ship?  Well, it had to get there from somewhere.  Anyone with a gummi ship can open a gummi route, but people with a Keyblade are fastest about it.”

The countdown dropped to single digits.

“Then shouldn’t we be able to use the other paths he’d have had to make?”

There was a screeching whoop from the speakers as the little gummi fighter was launched from its ‘mother ship’.  Sable saw the flash of a keyhole from the window and just managed to catch a glimpse of the fighter itself before it struck the keyhole and vanished.  On the screen, it showed Sora flying through a dark space dotted with comets and meteors and other ships marked with the Heartless emblem.

“Oh, His Majesty can travel between worlds without the paths.” Goofy explained, gesturing absently with a gloved hand. “He has a Star Shard.”

“A what now?”

“It’s like a piece of a gummi.” Donald waved to the ship around them as explosions lit up the screen. “Part of a World Barrier that shattered when the World fell to the Heartless.  Only a Star Shard can carry people between worlds without needin’ a path.”

“But it can be kinda particular.” Goofy added. “The King went on some mighty interestin’ adventures before he learned to use it right.”

Sable considered that.  It explained a lot.

Then she blinked and jabbed a finger at the screen. “That was a Nobody!”

“Wha?”

Donald and Goofy both squinted at the screen.

“It was mixed in with the Heartless ships, Sora’s already blown it up.” Sable frowned. “Can Heartless and Nobodies craft their own paths the same way?  Is that why it’s so crowded?”

“Master Yen Sid did say they had their own pathways.” Goofy agreed slowly, still squinting at the feed from Sora’s fighter.

“So, that’s more of a universal in-between place where…anyone could start shaping paths between Worlds?”

Donald scowled at her. “That’s what we just told you.”

“Not that specifically.”

The magician rolled his eyes and focused back on the screen.

They watched as Sora continue to carve a massive swath of destruction through any and every Heartless battalion that went after him, and a few more random Nobody ships for flavor.  He was good, even with such a clearly basic fighter. 

That brought to mind something else.

“So, another question.” Sable started, watching Donald huff and roll his eyes again. “Sora is clearly qualified to fly a ship, so why all the fuss earlier when he tried to pilot this one?”

An almost literal dark cloud stewed over the pekin’s head as he refused to look at her.

Leaning over, Goofy put a hand to his mouth and whispered loudly. “That’s the comfiest seat.”

From the way white feathers were floofing under Donald’s collar, Goofy was probably right on the mark.  That was…so very petty.  Yet very Donald.

“Sounds like something to take up with engineering.” Sable deadpanned, staring at the royal magician and taking some amusement at seeing him start sweating.

“We’ll get right on it, Sable!” Chip chimed in over the speaker. “Next time you guys are World-side, me an’ Dale will make sure all three seats match.”

“And we’ll add another seat for you!” Dale added. “So, ya don’t have to stand the whole time!”

Violet eyes blinked, surprised. “That would be much appreciated, thank you.”

A pair of tiny thumbs-up answered her before the brothers returned to navigating for Sora.

As they continued to watch Sora make the Heartless armada greatly regret being in the same spacelane as him, Sable frowned.  Chip and Dale had only mentioned a Keyhole.  Singular.  After Hollow Bastion there were supposed to be two; one to the Land of Dragons and the other to Beast’s Castle.

She really hoped it wasn’t the Beast’s Castle, the idea of being in close proximity with Xaldin was not a nice one.  His fight had been one of the ones to give Sable the most trouble in the game and the Nobody himself was a creep. 

Also, there’d been no mention of Twilight Town vanishing from the map, which was also concerning.  Sable wondered if, because they were specifically looking for newly opened routes, the chipmunks hadn’t actually checked old ones yet.  They’d probably added Hollow Bastion to their World Map when Mickey had first taken the gummi to Twilight Town.

Sable would wait and see if they said anything after they got back from…whichever World Sora was leading them too.

              ———

Chapter Text

Shoving her new goggles down over her eyes at the glare of mid-day sun reflecting off white marble, limestone, and gold statues, Sable looked around in amazement.  They were in a huge city and the architecture was very familiar. 

Anyone even remotely familiar with world history would recognize it.

She followed absently in the wake of the others as they started down the broad paved road.  There was a crowd’s roar somewhere in the distance and it seemed that was where they were heading.  Sable let her feet carry her on autopilot as she mulled this turn of events over.

If it was the World she thought it was, shouldn’t they have ended up in a dark cave?  Also, how did they manage to bypass two other worlds to get to this one ahead of schedule? 

Clearly events in the game were not going to be a clear one-to-one. 

Sable wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that.  She’d already somewhat expected that to be the case, there’d been other divergences from ‘canon’, but this one was just…bigger than she was expecting and it threw her off.  Being more upfront with Sora would definitely be a good idea since she suddenly wasn’t sure how well she’d be able to influence things otherwise.  Not if she couldn’t predict ahead of time what was going to happen.

(Ah well, knowing the exact future would be boring, anyway, and take some—most—of the joy out of it.) 

“Hey!” Sora pointed as they rounded a corner. “We’re back at the Olympus Coliseum.”

Goofy laughed as Donald grinned with Jiminy perched atop his blue cap, all three being just as delighted as their friend.  Ahead were massive stone pillars and doors leading into what was definitely a coliseum.  On either side of the double doors a pair of absolutely massive statues of Greek soldiers stood guard, gladius-blades crossed just above it.

There was a hefty boooom like a mountain had just fallen off a cliff beyond the high walls.  Then an absolute roar of cheers split the air.  Sable could only imagine how bad the volume was inside.

“Sounds like there’s a match goin’ on inside.” Goofy observed.

“A match!” Sora bounced in place. “I wanna fight!’

WHOOSH

Sable watched Jiminy’s tiny top hat go flying from Sora’s wake.

“GUESS WHAT?!” Sora shouted from a distant counter where a very amused clerk sat watching him. “THEY’RE STILL TAKING ENTRIES FOR THE AFTERNOON TOURNAMENT!”

“NO!!”  One would almost think the magician had warped with how quickly he seized Sora by the hood and yanked him back. “We’re not here to play around!”

“I’m not playing!” Sora’s hands scrabbled weakly in the direction of the counter.  Still amused, the clerk waved after him but made no move to help. “This is serious business!”

Ignoring them as Donald started dragging Sora back to her and Goofy, Sable moved forward and retrieved Jiminy’s top hat before anyone could potentially step on it.  Now sitting on her shoulder, rather than Donald’s cap, the little cricket accepted it back with a smile.

“Much obliged, Sable.” He tipped his hat at her.

Sable chuckled. “No problem.”

A much larger wake of air suddenly buffeted down on them as something huge went flying out of the coliseum.  Sable wasn’t the only one cupping a hand over the top of her eyes to follow its trajectory. 

Over the city.  Across the horizon.  Out of sight without losing even a fraction of its launch speed. 

That was impressive.

“That was Hercules fighting!” Sora grinned, wriggling free from Donald’s grip as he peered up at the limestone walls.

Donald snickered. “He’s still everyone’s favorite.”

Snickering, Sora began edging towards the coliseum doors. “Let’s go heckle the hero!”

“I know!” Goofy pointed at a nearby, and very green, stall. “Why don’t we bring ‘im some flowers?”

Sable squinted.  Was that a moogle?

Grinning, Sora jogged over to the stall and bought a bouquet of white flowers.  As he was handing over the munny he stopped.  Frowned.  Cocked his head and turned to look away from the coliseum.  Sable followed his gaze but saw nothing of note.

“A scream?” The brunette murmured.

Then he was gone.

“Wak!  Sora!” Donald squawked as he took off after him, Goofy and Sable right behind.

“Someone’s screaming for help over here!” Sora called over his shoulder, vanishing around a corner.

Eyes narrowing, Sable took the direct route and ran a step up some sturdy bricks before heaving herself over the top and leaping off without hesitation.  Greek architecture, for the record, was quite parkour-friendly.  It only took a few moments before she caught up with and landed just behind Sora, matching his pace as they ran.  Donald and Goofy were still far behind.

“I didn’t hear any screaming.” Sable called.

“There’s someone in trouble, I know it!”

Electing to trust Sora’s intuition, Sable let it go and just focused on maintaining her pace.  A good thing, because it was turning into a marathon, rather than a simple sprint.

(No wonder Sable hadn’t heard anything!)

Away from the coliseum.  To the edges of the city.  Out of the city in the general direction of the looming silhouette of Mount Olympus. 

Where was Sora going?

Sable thought she knew but, well…it was all so much bigger than the game!  It had always dissatisfied her how the entrance to the Underworld was setup right outside the coliseum doors.  Why hadn’t the game makers shown the rest of the city?  All the amazing nooks and crannies to explore!  All the treasure chests Sora could hunt down!

(Sable actually glimpsed several chests as they ran, which Sora completely ignored.  Good to know the kid had priorities when it came to his magpie tendencies.)

“Over there!”

Sora pivoted mid-stride and dove towards some rocky craigs before literally diving into an almost camouflaged cave mouth that only became visible on approach.  Shoving her goggles up, Sable dove in after him. 

“Knock it off!” White petals flew as the Kingdom Key slammed into a Rabid Dog Heartless.

(Well, there went that poor bouquet.)

Gluttony crackled into existence as Sable collided with another Heartless, which yiped in a way that made her wince (poor doggo) and dispersed.  Then she spun around and Alacrity crackled out to bounce off the skulls of several consecutive Rabid Dogs.

Minimal damage, but it knocked them away from their intended victim which is what Sable was going for.

“Take that!” Almost snarling like a dog himself, Sora went after the scattered pack.

“Oh no!  The flowers!” 

And there were Goofy and Donald.  They’d made really good time.  Did they have some kind of Sora-radar that worked even if he wasn’t in immediate sight?  That’d explain how they could keep up with him whenever Sora took off…

The pack of Rabid Dogs didn’t last long after that.

Immediate area now secure, Sora turned to look at the woman he’d ran across half the city to rescue, one very battered looking bouquet still gripped in his off hand. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” The woman brushed dirt off her purple robes.  Then she paused to pick up one of the flowers that had been knocked free. “Fighting off monsters with a bouquet of flowers?  How romantic.”

Now Sora blushed, finally looking down at the poor flowers.  Then he shrugged and let them fall to the ground.  Sable supposed they could always buy another set once they left the Underworld.

“You kids are pretty tough.”

“Kids?” Sora echoed, glancing at Donald and Goofy, the latter of whom was tipping his hat politely in the woman’s direction. “Do I really look just like a kid?”

“Yes.” Sable answered immediately.  “You are an adorable kid.” 

Sky-blue eyes turned to her, utterly betrayed.  “I’m not adorable!”

“Oh, sorry,” The woman apologized, a smile on her lips. “I meant you big strong men.”

Sable snrked, bringing up a hand to hide her snickers.  Sora gave her a very unimpressed look, then deliberately looked away to blink up at the woman.

“I’m Sora!” He greeted. “And this is Donald, Goofy, and Sable.”

“I see.  Names Megara, my friends call me Meg.” Waving, she turned to start heading deeper into the surprisingly cavernous cave they were standing in. “See you later, flower-boy.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Sprinting passed her, Sora spun around and held out a hand. “You can’t go that way!  You’ll run into more Heartless!” 

 “I have to go that way.” Meg shrugged and continued past him. “I need to talk to Hades.”

“Hades?” Came the stereoed response.

“We could escort you?” Sable offered as the others recovered from their shock.

“Right!” Donald agreed, puffing up with his hands planted on his hip and head held high. “Because that’s what heroes do!”

“A-hyuck.  You mean junior heroes.” Goofy corrected, seemingly oblivious to the dark look his friend shot him.

Meg made a show of quirking a brow and looking them all over. “You’re heroes?”

“Yup!” Sora nodded with a grin. “We know Hercules, too!  We came by for a visit when I heard you calling for help.”

The other brow shot up to join the first. “You know Wonderboy?”

“Yeah!  He helped train us up a while back.”

“Looks like we have a friend in common.” Meg chuckled, blue eyes softening as her posture became more relaxed.  Then she sighed. “Hercules is actually why I need to talk to Hades.”

Sora frowned. “Why?  What’s wrong?”

“Well…Hercules spends all day, every day, duking it out in the coliseum up there.” Meg rolled her eyes. “You know, ‘a hero’s work is never done’ and all that.  But even Wonderboy has his limits, though.  Hades just keeps sending him tough customers.  Monster’s, really…”

“Hence why you’re going to see him.” Sable surmised, not all surprise as at least this much was sticking to script. “To ask him to stop?  Or at least put it on hold for a bit.”

Meg nodded. “I’ve dealt with Hades before, maybe I can get Hades to give Wonderboy a breather.  If anything happened to him…” She trailed off, looking grim.

“We’ll go have a little talk with Hades.” Sora volunteered cheerfully.  “We’ve dealt with him, too!”

Sable wasn’t entirely sure if that was accurate.  Hades had been lurking on the sidelines in the first Kingdom Hearts, and had set Cloud Strife on them, then Cerberus on Cloud, but Sable wasn’t sure if Sora-and-company had actually had direct contact with the lord of the Underworld.  But then she hadn’t actually played that game, so who knew?  She might be wrong.

(She was likely wrong.  She hadn’t known about Xemnas popping up in the first Kingdom Hearts to knock Sora around for kicks, either.  So what else did she not know?)

“We’ll move faster if we don’t have to focus on guarding you.” Sable told Meg. 

For a moment, the woman looked torn.  Gnawing on her lip, her gaze flitted from them to the deeper parts of the cavern, then back again.  Eventually she offered a reluctant nod.

“I guess I’ll have to take you up on that offer.  But…” She hesitated. “Let’s keep this whole chat-with-Hades thing our little secret, okay?”

They all nodded.

“Our lips are sealed!” Sora promised.

“Will you be fine heading back to the city on your own?” Sable asked as Meg turned back towards the cave mouth.

A shrug and a wave answered her as Meg continued walking. “I’ll be fine.  Only had trouble once I got in here.”

They watched her go, then the three Junior Heroes and one tag-a-long turned and headed deeper into the Underworld, mission set in their minds.

              ———

“Gee, Sable, I think that one liked ya.” Goofy observed, eyes bright.

Wincing as she rubbed her throbbing, canine-bruised arm, Sable let out an unimpressed snort.  Then shot a dark look at the snickering forms of Donald and Sora.

“You have to admit,” Sora managed, “it was pretty funny.”

“So, you think a Heartless almost taking off my arm is funny, do you?” Sable drawled.

“Well,” Goofy reasoned, eyes still bright, “it wasn’t so much the bite bit, so much as your expression when it happened.”

This set Donald and Sora off into fresh peals of outright laughter.  For at least the third time since Sable’s little mishap.  Sora recovered first, shooting Sable a grin.

“That Rabid Dog just appeared out of nowhere.” More snickering. “Then you screamed as it dragged you across the floor and threw you into a wall!”

“I did not scream.” Sable corrected. “I yelped, there is a difference.”  Naturally that just set Sora off again and all three of them started snickering again.

She wasn’t really upset with them.  A little annoyed, maybe, but the whole thing had been funny in hindsight.  Sable really had no idea where that extra Rabid Dog had come from.  As Sora had said, it had literally just popped up out of thin air without even the usual pop of darkness that usually heralded a Heartless leaping out of the Realm of Darkness.

There was an odd flap like heavy fabric in the wind, making Sable frown.  Where had-

“The Organization!”

Laughter forgotten, Donald bolted forward after the retreating figure and, coincidentally, right into several squads of awaiting Heartless.  At his outraged squawks, the rest of them shot forward to back him up.  Sable rolled her eyes, but eyed the Rabid Dogs warily before letting Alacrity fly.

Once the way was cleared, they descended down a tunnel where mist pooled heavily around their legs.  Sable had to yank Donald back before the pekin could get smashed by a falling rock, one of many falling at semi-regular intervals.  It made fighting the Heartless ambushes a bit more annoying, with them having to keep an eye overhead as well as on their opponents, but it also made it easier at times.

Amused, Sable watched one such loose boulder roll almost innocently off the twitching, pancaked form of one of the new Lance Soldier Heartless.  Evidently, when it came to a contest between metal and stone, the stone would win hands down.  Heh.

“At least those rocks are good for something.” Donald sniffed as the squashed Heartless dispersed. 

The royal magician was mainly grumpy because, aside from his own close-encounter with falling rocks, Sora refused to just chase after the dark-coated figure they’d glimpsed.  Nope.  Sora insisted on investigating every single side tunnel and crevice they encountered on the way down.

Sable personally didn’t mind, it was great watching how excited he got whenever he found a new chest.  They got some pretty nifty stuff in the process, all of which he gleefully shoved into his hammerspace pockets.  As he did so with the latest treasure, Sable turned and headed back to the main passage-

“Run!  Run away!”

The air woofed from her lungs on impact. 

Clunk

Stars.

Pinned by a surprisingly heavy weight, Sable heard several alarmed cries echoing off the walls.  Though they weren’t nearly as loud as the pained groans currently sounding in her ear. 

Blinking her vision clear again, bemused violet met shaded turquoise.

Hello Demyx.

From the depths of his hood, the Nobody stared at her, clearly not quite processing the situation.  Then he blinked, looked down, and belatedly registered their rather awkward position.

“Oh!” He jerked back. “Ow!  Sorry, really sorry!”

He yanked away, and promptly crashed into mist-damp dirt with a high yelp as his legs only tangled further with Sable’s.

(His ankle-length coat was not helping their situation in the least.) 

Dragged along like a sack of flour, Sable crashed into him this time and they were both promptly reminded that they were, in fact, on top of a very steep incline.  Wherein the unforgiving laws of gravity and locomotion kicked in and they went tumbling down in a tangled mess of flailing limbs at high speeds until the bottom came happily flying up to catch them.

Face pressed against black maybe-leather, Sable thought it smelled of something sweet with a hint of peppery-spice. 

(It was nice.)

Groaning, Sable rolled off the dazed Nobody in order to flop onto the ground next to him.  She blinked owlishly up at the cave ceiling, trying to banish the second wash of stars. 

“Sable!”

Sora came to a skidding halt at the bottom of the incline and darted over.  Waving at him, Sable sat up with another groan.

“Okay, that hurt.” She rubbed the new egg growing on her temple.

Glass shattered and the smell of menthol filled the air and the new headache eased away.

“Oh, thanks, Sora.” Sable offered a smile before turning back to the Nobody still sprawled next to her. 

She noted that his hood had fallen back at some point during their tumble and his trademark mullet was in visible disarray.  Reaching out, she nudged him.  A pitiful whimper was the only response she got.

Concern warring with his reflexive hostility, Sora stepped around Sable to crouch down next to the Melodic Nocturne.  He hesitated a moment, then pulled out another potion. 

“Here you go.”

“Wha-?!” Came Donald’s outraged squawk as Sora poured the potion down the Nobody’s throat. “Sora!”

“I know.” Sora looked up at his friend, sky-blue eyes distressed. “But we can’t just leave him like this…”

A black-gloved hand clamped down on Sora’s shoulder, making everyone jump as a squinting Demyx leveraged himself up.

“Roxas…”

The Nobody pounced.

“You saved me!” Demyx wailed, sobbing in relief. “Thank you, Roxas!  I knew I could count on you!”

Sable coughed quietly to disguise her snicker as, making a sound like a strangled cat, Sora tried his level best to wriggle free of the Nobody now clinging to him like a particularly stubborn octopus.

“Are you still asleep?” The Keybearer shoved at him, but to little effect.  “I think you’ve got the wrong guy.  I’m Sora!”

The blonde finally let go and Sora skuttled backwards like a crab, taking refuge behind an amused Sable.  Demyx leaned forward to peer around the dark adept and fix the younger brunette with an unreadable look.  Then his shoulders drooped with a heavy sigh.

“Aw, man.  It’s no use.” 

Then he sat cross legged and shoved both hands into his pockets before pulling out a handful of index cards a moment later, squinting at them in the gloom of the cave.

“Lessee here…’If the subject fails to respond, use aggression to liberate his true disposition’.” Turquoise eyes blinked at the cards, incredulous, then he sagged where he sat. “I’m so not the guy for this one.” Shoving the cards back into his pocket, he grumbled: “Stupid lying Xigbar…”  Sighing, he held out a hand. “Well, I guess we’re gonna do this…”

“Sora remembers.” Sable spoke up quickly to forestall the intended fight.

Hand still extended to summon his weapon, Demyx froze and blinked at her with wide-eyed confusion. “What?  No, he doesn’t!  That’s what everyone else says.  I’m supposed to-”

“Pick a fight to try and draw the memories out.” Sable finished, she’d heard Demyx reading his orders just as clearly as the rest of the group.  “That won’t work, because he does remember, just not actively.”

Cue a bunch of lost expressions from everyone present.

“But Sable,” Sora began cautiously, “I have no idea what he’s talking about, or what that jerk back in Hollow Bastion was talking about, or…any of it.  Because my name’s not Roxas.”

“But you recognized Twilight Town.” Sable countered, holding up a finger. “And when it was time to leave?  Saying goodbye to Hayner’s trio brought you to tears.” Shrugging, she splayed her palms. “Those weren’t the only times you responded viscerally to something without knowing why.  You acted oddly when Yen Sid summarized Nobodies back at his tower.  Then there was Hollow Bastion, where you outright lost your temper.”

A flicker of realization passed between them as the trio finally caught on to what Sable was doing.  Donald and Goofy exchanged a quick look then moved a bit closer before sitting down with them.

“It did seem a little strange.” Goofy agreed, playing along as he looked to Sora. “Was kinda wonderin’ why you got so mad at the time.  But…” The Disney Guard Captain cocked his head, baffled.  “Gawrsh, but how could Sora have done any of those things if he was asleep in the pod like me and Donald were?”

“Because he was a Nobody like me, duh.” Demyx answered like it was obvious. “I know our boss said he’d been ‘down to see him’ to Roxas at one point.  I, uh, may have overheard him complaining to Axel about how our boss was being cryptic and not actually answering his questions?”

Sora blinked at the Nobody, and when he next spoke it was with obvious skepticism.

“I was…in two places at once?”

“Did you ever lose your Heart?” Sable asked him, for pretense’s sake. “Remember?  When someone loses their Heart but has a strong Will then their body just gets back up and keeps going.  And you definitely have a strong will.”

Spiky brown hair whipped about as Sora shook his head. “No, never I-” Blue eyes widened. “Kairi!”

“What?” Demyx blinked.

“That’s right!” Goofy backed Sora up. “Ya used the Keyblade of People’s Hearts ta free Kairi’s Heart when it was hidin’ inside yours.”

Donald shuddered at the memory. “You disappeared afterwards.”

“Then Kairi brought you back!” Goofy looked at his long-time friend and co-worker. “Remember?  Kairi found Sora’s Heart, but it just looked like a little Heartless.  Then she hugged him and Sora changed back!”

Now Sora was looking a little sick.

“Whoa.” Demyx looked downright awestruck. “Does that mean you were a Heartless during the whole Castle Oblivion thing?”

The three heroes all paused.

(Thank you, Demyx for bringing up one of the topics Sable didn’t want to be responsible for sharing.)

“What ‘Castle Oblivion thing’?” Sora asked carefully. “What’s Castle Oblivion?”

“Oh, man, I am not the guy to ask about that.” Scratching the back of his head with visible discomfort, Demyx offered an awkward smile. “But basically, like, half our members got stationed there…and only Axel came back.  That’s literally all I know about it.”

“Is that why there were only six of you in Hollow Bastion?” Goofy asked. “Even though yer called Organization Thirteen?”

“Yeah, pretty much.  Though I heard from Xigbar that our boss is gonna try a recruitment drive or something to bump our numbers again…”

“We’ve gone a little off track.” Sable cut in. “So, basically, Sora can feel Roxas’s memories.” Reaching up, she rested her palm against her chest. “But he lacks the context to make sense of them.” Violet eyes met disturbed blue. “It’s been bothering you right?  Suddenly feeling a strong sense of distress or worry but having no idea as to why?”

Sora grimaced at that, but nodded.

“Then why not let Demyx add some context?” Sable suggested before looking back at Demyx in time to see a blonde brow tic up as he gave her an odd look.  “So, if you’re supposed to draw out those memories…maybe you could tell Sora about Roxas, instead?  And see if some of the context snaps things back into place?”

The Organization’s Melodic Nocturne looked torn. “I mean, that sounds so much better than my actual orders, but…”

“We could always spar afterwards,” Sable suggested, “and you could legitimately say you picked a fight, if they ask you.”

Demyx visibly brightened. “Right-o!  So.” His palms clapped down on his knees as he fixed his gaze on Sora. “About a year ago, our boss found you in Twilight Town and brought you back to our base, only you were kinda a zombie for a while.  All blank eyed and unresponsive, y’know?  You got better.  Eventually.  Well…you did collapse a few times after that.  Never figured out why.  You’d just randomly topple over and then not wake up for a few days.  The Dusks were supposed to take care of you when that happened, and they did…” Demyx snickered a little. “They just like scribbling on your face in marker, or putting clothes pins on your nose for laughs.  They really like pranking people.” 

Unable to help it, Sable snickered as Sora twitched, one hand coming up to gingerly prod at his own nose. 

“Axel and Xi-” Demyx paused, confusion flashing for a split second before he continued like nothing had happened. “-well, sometimes me, we’d chase them off and clean you up.  That was mostly Axel, though, ‘cuz the boss put him in charge of you.”  The blonde grinned at the memory. “It was so cute!  Before you figured out the whole ‘react to things around you’ thing, you just followed him around like a little lost duckling!  But what was really surprising was seeing Axel go all papa-swan over you.  Oh, you should have heard him hiss at the Dusks!”

“But that doesn’t make any sense.” Sora cut in. “If you’re Nobodies, then you can’t care about other people.”

“Right.” Donald agreed, eyes narrowed at Demyx. “You don’t have Hearts!”

Before Demyx could do much more than start swelling up with genuine offense, Sable put a calming hand on his shoulder and fixed her gaze on Sora.

“Sora.” She said gently. “Anyone can make the conscious decision to say someone else is important and that they would look after them.  That’s a choice.” She tapped her sternum. “You don’t need a Heart for that.”

As Sora mulled over that, looking like his entire world view had just gotten turned on its head (again), Sable realized Demyx was staring at her with a very odd expression on his face.

She blinked at him. “What?”

Demyx looked away. “Oh, nothing.” He stuck his arms up in a long stretch before he folded them behind his head. “Just…kind of nice to not be…dismissed outright, y’know?  Maybe we Nobodies don’t really exist like you do…but we’re still people.”

From the corner of her eye, Sable saw Sora flinch guiltily while Goofy looked a little ashamed.  Only Donald looked unrepentant, but he was demonstrating a startling amount of sense by holding his peace.  Good.  Sable wasn’t sure she could resist the urge to smack the duck over the head with Gluttony if he mouthed off again.

“Anyway,” Sora began, somewhat awkwardly. “What happened next?”

The No. 9 of Organization 13 gave Sora a level stare for a long moment.  Long enough for the brunette to start fidgeting where he sat.  Then Demyx’s countenance softened and he leaned back on his hands.

“Well, once you started getting less zombie-like, you and Axel became best friends.  If you found one, then the other was probably nearby.  I was…kinda jealous, actually.” Demyx scratched lightly at his cheek, not actually looking at anyone. “Anyway, you started going on missions and our boss had you work with all of us at least once.  According to the higher ups, you were the most valuable person in the Organization, ‘cuz you had the Keyblade.  So, we were all told to do whatever it took to back you up.  Axel did it best, but we all made sure to look out for you.”

Sora looked rather nonplussed, not entirely sure how to take that.

“Why would it matter that I…that Roxas had the Keyblade?” He asked carefully, clearly remembering Sable’s words about verifying what she’d told him.

“To destroy Heartless, obviously.” Demyx teased, reaching out to poke Sora’s forehead. “See, whenever me, or anyone else, destroys one…well it just vanishes and turns into another Heartless someplace else.  But when someone with a Keyblade does the deed?” Demyx splayed a hand palm-up in front of him. “Then that Heart is set free and it returns to Kingdom Hearts.  If we free enough of those Hearts, then maybe we’ll be rewarded with Hearts of our own.” Looking wistful, Demyx rubbed at his chest. “At least, that’s our hope.”

“But.” Now Sora looked frustrated. “Why didn’t you just say that?  In Hollow Bastion?  Did you think I wouldn’t want to help you get your Hearts back?”

Ouch.  Sable couldn’t help sympathizing with her friend’s frustration.  Put that way, the Organization’s whole little show on the wall demonstrated itself as hurtful, offensive, and downright counterintuitive.  More than likely it had just been Xemnas deliberately yanking Roxas’s chain to goad Sora on.

Looking more than a little chagrined, Demyx fidgeted in place before scratching the back of his head awkwardly. 

“I can’t say.  No really, I have no idea what’s the higher ups are thinking.” He started listing off his fingers. “Saϊx is a jerk, hands down.  Xaldin’s a creep.  Xiggy…well, Xiggy’s alright but he’s our boss’s No. 2 and always follows his lead.  Our boss?”

Here Demyx hesitated a moment before shifting uncomfortably.

“Well, let’s just say I do my best to stay below his notice.” He frowned.  “Actually, most of the Organization’s founders who would have probably just asked for your help…well they were all annihilated in Castle Oblivion.  And Lexaeus and Zexion would definitely have asked.  Maybe Vexen, too, but, uh, it wasn’t generally a good idea to get near Vexen, even if we all liked mocking him.”

For a moment, no one spoke, not wanting to poke that potential wasp nest of implications even as they exchanged uneasy looks.

Suddenly Demyx clapped his hands.  Loudly. “Sooo one time, Roxas and I got sent on a mission together, well not technically a mission.  Saϊx basically called us slackers and said we needed to ‘gain some levels’ to keep being useful.  I was all ‘no way, dude!’ because, ugh, work.  But then Roxas heard Saϊx say he’d give us a day off if we performed well enough and he just lit up and next thing I knew? He was shoving me into a Dark Corridor without so much as a by-your-leave.”

Leaning back on his hands again, Demyx’s eyes went distant in memory, a fond smile on his lips. “So, I asked, ‘you already got vacation plans?’ Cuz he was just so excited and chanting ‘Day off! Day off!’ as we went through the corridor.”  Demyx snickered. “Turned out you wanted to take Axel to the beach.  First time I heard you say you were best friends.  And, well, how could I not wanna give you guys a hand?  Even if it meant a work out.”

Gloved hand drifting up, Demyx pointed to the cavern ceiling. “Came here, actually.  The Coliseum up there?  People can work with an actual trainer to get stronger and become real heroes.  You’d already worked with the old goat once.  Xigbar had told everyone how you’d gotten caught when on a reconnaissance mission with him and boy did Xiggy think that was hilarious.  So, Saϊx figured it was safe enough for you to go back and polish up your skills.”

Without warning, the Nobody flopped back dramatically and wailed. “It was awful!  The old goat wanted us body building!  With weights and, like, a thousand sets of everything-!”

“Well.” Sora looked thoughtful, tapping his chin. “I think muscle power is important, too. I mean, ack-!” He flinched back as Demyx’s finger jabbed hard his way, the Nobody having snapping back up to a seated position like a jack-in-the-box.

“You said that then, too!” Demyx cried frantically. “Word for word!  That wasn’t what the old goat was talking about!  He wanted us to bulk up like Lexaeus!”

Recovered from his surprise, Sora just blinked at Demyx.  Of course he couldn’t remember what Lexaeus looked like.

“L-l-like Hercules!” Demyx sputtered. “Have you seen how big that guy is?!”

“Hercules?”  Sora considered that, then blanched as his eyes slid out of focus.

“See? Now you get it!” Collecting himself, Demyx went on in a calmer tone. “So, I tell the goat, we’d have a contest and if I won, we could skip the body building.”

Wide-eyed, Sora leaned forward, hands braced on his knees. “What happened next?”

“I challenged Hercules to a wrestling match.”

“WHAT?!”

Sable winced, carefully rubbing out one ear at the three-part shout.  Ouch.

“That’s right, Hercules.  Him and me in the ring, no holds barred.” Demyx puffed up, boxing at the air. “I put up quite a fight—”

“Put up a fight?” Sora cut in abruptly. “You shoved Herc in the back and sprained both your wrists!  Then Saϊx showed up and beat the stuffing out of you-!” He froze. 

Everyone froze. 

For a long moment, no one dared to move.  Didn’t even dare to breathe. 

Then a jubilant grin broke across Demyx’s face.

“Aw, Roxas, you do remember!” Sora yelped as the taller man lunged and snatched him up in another full body hug. “This is great!” 

The Nobody couldn’t quite swing the brunette around from their still-seated position, but he gave it his best effort.  Then he remembered himself and Demyx let the dazed Keybearer go and settled back again, still beaming like the sun after a day-long storm.

“But I didn’t- I don’t…” Looking shaken, Sora frowned. “But...I remember how bright it was that day.  Picking up weights.  The smell of sweat…” He trailed off, looking baffled.  He met Demyx’ eyes. “Who’s Saϊx?”

“Ho boy…”

Demyx and Sable traded glances.

“I think I’ve heard that name before.” Goofy spoke up, tapping his chin thoughtfully. He glanced at Sable. “Didn’t Sable mention it?”

Sable nodded. “Yeah, he tried to abduct me a few days before I found you three.” Reaching over, she pulled back the sleeve of her right arm to reveal the angry red line of scar tissue stretching down the back of her forearm.

Demyx whistled. “Oh man, ouch.  That had to have sucked so bad.”

“Got another one on my leg.” Sable offered, tapping the aforementioned area. “But I’m not going to show that for what I hope are obvious reasons.”

The musician Nobody shuddered in sympathy before looking at Sora. “Saϊx is the scariest guy in the organization.  I’d steer clear of him as long as you can if I were you.”

 “Yeah, I kinda got that impression.” Sora mumbled, eyes still fixed on the ragged mark. 

Tugging her sleeve back down, Sable looked the brunette over with an analyst’s eye.  He was looking a bit overwhelmed, all sorts of micro expressions flitting across his face without properly setting in.

She looked at Demyx. “I think that’s probably enough for now.  Better let what you’ve shared so far settle in before trying to stir up anything else.”

Demyx looked conflicted. “But I need to take him back to base.” It came out sounding more like a question as he stared at Sora. “We’re not mad, Roxas.  We miss you.”

“Does he have to go back?” Sable asked as Sora reeled again. “I mean, what would he be doing if he did?”

“Ah, well.” Demyx thought about it. “You’d get your room back and…uh, Saϊx would send you on Heartless hunting missions to release more Hearts.”

“So, basically the same thing that Sora’s already doing?”

Demyx froze, a look of dawning realization crossing his face. 

“Oh my gosh, you’re right!” The Nobody perked up, gesticulating with both hands. “You could just keep going around beating up Heartless and you’d get to avoid Saϊx entirely!  But…” Frowning, he folded his arms across his chest. “Xiggy told me I had to keep an eye on you.  And…” He grimaced. “I can’t disobey.  Axel’s already got a death warrant on his head because he didn’t bring you back after that imposter kidnapped you.  If I flub this then Xemnas would step in and that…that wouldn’t be good.” 

Sora sat up, looking alarmed. “They’d kill you?”  He didn’t seem to notice the way his clenched fist came up to press against his chest at the mention of Axel.

“If only it was that simple.” Shuddering, Demyx rubbed at his arms as if chilled. “You think the Organization were the only cases of human-looking Nobodies?  There were others!  And I say were because our boss decided they weren’t qualified to join us so he just…” The musician mimed a sharp back-hand gesture. “Bam!  Turned ‘em into Dusks.  All their memories, everything that made them them.  Gone.  Just like that.  I don’t want that to be me, man!”

“Into Dusks?” Blue eyes wide, Sora’s complexion had taken a distinctively ashen tint.  Donald and Goofy didn’t look much better.

Sable doubted she looked much better.  A cold sweat tickled her skin and her Heart was a constricted knot in her chest even as her stomach flipflopped like a bucking bronco.  She had to keep her mouth clenched shut or run the very real risk of throwing up outright.

“Oh man.” Clutching his head with both hands, Demyx made a miserable sight. “I don’t know what to do.  This is so messed up.”

“Can’t you just…” Sora fumbled a bit, waving vaguely with one finger. “Keep following us?”

Demyx blinked at him.

“Sora!” Donald squawked. “We can’t have him just spying on us!”

“Why not?” Sora returned. “I mean…when haven’t the bad guys been spying on us?  It’s not like the Organization is any different.  So, why not have that spy be Demyx?” 

“It could work.” Sable mused aloud. “When we’re on-world, Demyx could follow in a Dark Corridor.  You can watch through those things, right?  Without actually opening a portal?”  At Demyx’s nod, she continued, picking up momentum. “So, you could stay there and away from any fighting and…I suppose you could come out to visit if nothing’s going on?  And when we’re back in the gummi ship, you could go home for a break.  Come back once we open another path.”

The Nobody was nodding along, now.  “Hey, that could work.  Would let me catch up on my reading, I’ve got like…a dozen different manga I’m trying to get through.” He flashed a toothy grin. “And it would get X-Face off my back.  I swear he has it out for me and he finds all my hiding spots.  I have no idea how.”  He drummed his fingers against his knees. “But if I’m on a mission, and I’m actually doing it like I’m supposed to, then he can’t just keep breathing down my neck!  Thank you!”

Before either Sable or Sora could react, Demyx had caught them both around the ribs, dragging them all to their feet in a crushing hug.

(For such a skinny guy he was strong!  How did he even- Was it because he was a Nobody?)

Just as quickly, Demyx let them go and as both were staggering in place, the musician skipped away a few steps and did a euphoric little spin, fingers raised in celebration.

“Oh man, this is great!” He was saying. “Thank you so much.  You won’t regret this, I promise you!”  Darkness bloomed into a Dark Corridor.  Already half-way inside, Demyx waved back at them. “If you need me, I’ll be around!”

And then he was gone, leaving them all to just stare at the place he’d just been.

“Well.” Sable blinked owlishly. “That was a Thing.”

“Uh-huh.” Sora nodded.

She glanced at him. “After we talk to Hades and head back topside, wanna just…sit in the sun for a bit?”

“That sounds nice.”

They got up, brushed the dirt off, and turned to head deeper into the Underworld.  Sora glanced up at Sable as they walked.

“Hey, Sable-”

“Oh!  I almost forgot!”

Sable wasn’t the only one to jump as Demyx’s voice sounded from behind them again.  They all turned back to the Nobody, now sticking partway out of another Dark Corridor.

“So, word around the castle is that there’s these Absent Silhouettes,” gloved fingers curled in quotation marks as he spoke, “of those that were slain.  They come in all shapes and sizes.  The items all belonged to their original owners who are now nothing more than a shadowy presence.  But you can still fight them, of course.  And as you do, it’ll slowly awaken the ‘real’ you.”

“What are you talking about?” Sora asked, sounding a little impatient.

Shrugging, Demyx offered a grin. “You’re the hero.  You figure it out.” He made a show of looking around. “Anyway, I brought it up because there’s supposed to be one around here.” Shrugging, he waved and pulled back into the portal. “Later!”

Gone again.

“Absent Silhouettes?” Sora repeated, turning to look up at Sable. “Do you know what he meant?”

Frowning, Sable folded her arms under her chest as she considered it. “From the context, I think he was referring to the Organization Members who’ve already fallen and that you can…somehow fight them to get stronger?”

“And the ‘items’ he mentioned?”

“Probably their weapons, the silhouettes are often used as a sort of personal crest for each member.  In this case be on the lookout for: a scythe, a set of kunai—those are ninja throwing knives, Sora—a book with the Nobody sigil, a spiky edged shield bigger than what Goofy uses, and a big axe-sword.”

“This is a waste of time.” Donald groused as Sable finished. “Let’s just go, already!” Turning he stomped deeper into the Underworld. 

Everyone else moved to follow him.

“And what about what Demyx said?” Sora asked softly. “About it awakening the real me?”

“Roxas knew each member of Organization Thirteen, some better than others.  If you fought those Absent Silhouettes then it’d probably stir up more of his memories.”

A pensive look crossed Sora’s face and Sable belatedly remembered he’d been about to ask a question before Demyx had interrupted again.

“What were you going to ask a moment ago?”

“Huh?  Oh…” Sora looked around them, still frowning. “Nevermind, it can wait.”

              ———

They felt a sudden breeze sweep up through the tunnel before it opened up into a massive canyon.  Unlike the earlier gloom, all the stone was illuminated by a sickly green glow coming from somewhere below the ledge they stepped onto.  Sable watched as another swirling gust sent literal shudders up Donald and Goofy’s spines.  They shrank in place, looking around anxiously.  Donald made a distressed noise.

“I’m scared too, Donald.” Goofy whimpered, hunkering down behind his shield.

Sable and Sora exchanged looks before the former moved over to put a comforting hand on their shoulders.  Both jumped and stared up at her, wide-eyed and looking equally queasy.

“We’ll be alright.” She soothed, offering a smile.

(She had a niggling sense that she was forgetting something.  Something important, but for the life of her, she couldn’t recall what.)

“Hades!” Sable jumped as Sora’s yell actually echoed around the cavern. “Come out!”

There was no response, save for the wind circling the cavern.  Sable pointed higher up at another ledge where the mouth of another tunnel could be seen.

“Maybe he’s deeper in the cave?” She suggested.

Exchanging nods, they followed the precarious looking path winding up to the ledge she’d pointed out.  As they moved, Sable peered down and saw the swirling green whirlpool, source of the current ambient light, swirling in the depths. 

Why green when Hades’ colors were alternatively blue-grey and red-orange?  Green was the color of the Elephant Graveyard in the Pride Lands. 

(Wait, graveyard- Okay, that was kind of funny.)

Of course, they were ambushed at the next platform they passed as they traveled up the winding path.  No real surprise, there.  Sable even got to see new varieties of Heartless that weren’t of the Shadow, Soldier or Rabid Dog flavor.  That plant thing reminded Sable of a triffid before Donald flash-fried it with a thunder-spell.

Before long they reached the top and Sora, of course, wandered right up the winding stone steps.  In the more contained space they could hear voices echoing down the stone walls to them.

“No wonder no one wants to die.” Someone snickered softly.

“You are fired!”

Sable’s entire body seized at the sudden scent of sulfur and a dark pressure crashed down around them.  Thick and suffocating like a thunder cloud.  A furious wave of dominance-denied and I-am-master!  Her own darkness seemed to yip under the pressure, pulsing with the sudden impulse to yield against that greater darkness, seek its aegis and follow its lead…

Gritting her teeth, Sable shook her head. 

No!  Absolutely not!  Even if Hades wasn’t going to be their enemy, Sable would not bow to a Greek Olympian.  Clamping down on the yipping impulse, she struggled against that pressure so as not to lose herself to it.  Reaching- Then something reached back. 

Like shelter in a storm, an anchor, something helped her brace against that torrent.  And just like that, the gale she hadn’t even realized she was caught in…quieted.  Not gone, she could still feel it howling away beyond her shelter-from-elsewhere, but it could no longer reach her.  Could no longer try and suck her in. 

Free of the sudden paralysis, Sable took off after Sora up the winding stone staircase.

(But where had that support come from?)

“Hades!” Sora shouted again.

Startled, Hades’ head jerked around, his yellow eyes fixing on them as they entered a new chamber, his previous angry-red fading to blue-gray. 

“You again?” Was the Olympian’s incredulous bark.

A man in red ripped his heavy blade out of Hades’ grip and swung, only for the blow to bounce off upraise gray-skinned forearms.  The force behind the swing sent Hades skidding back but didn’t do much else.  Then that same heavy blade swung back to rest on its wielder’s shoulder as a scarred, one-eyed gaze flicked back at them.

“Fight!” The man lunged, his long ponytail trailing in his wake as his blade swung up at Hades.

Watching the mercurial Olympian just catch that massive sword, bare-handed, was so much more impressive than it had been in the game.  Just…wow.  The sheer ease of it.  Then Hades just shoved him back and fire flared up-

Sable winced sympathetically as she watched the swordsman crumple against the far wall.  Then swirling green, flecked with dark purple, drew her attention to a pit in the floor.  If one listened, low murmurs could be heard coming from it. 

Hades’ pit of the dead, she realized.  Smaller than the larger one they’d glimpsed outside, where the lord of the Underworld could call in deceased souls for a talk.  Or even, as illustrated by the hostile swordsman trying to take off Hades’ head, grant them physical form once more.

A jolt of familiar, well-worn grief made Sable’s Heart ache.  A raw, aching sense of longing welled up at the prospect of being able to speak with a departed loved one.  A chance to embrace her sister once more… 

No.

Old pain raw and bleeding anew, Sable sighed and forced herself to let the poisoned hope go and felt it evaporate like smoke.  The pit couldn’t help because her sister wouldn’t be there.  Her soul—both their souls—were destined for a very different place.  One where Greek mythology wasn’t even a footnote. 

(Turning away still felt like she was tearing her own Heart out.)

“That all you got?” Hades jeered.

The fight had started without her, Sora’s Kingdom Key bouncing off rippling air as every blow he landed on Hades failed to do any damage at all.  A Thunder from Donald, and a shield-throw from Goofy, met with the same result and all three fell back, looking frustrated.

Sora glanced at Goofy, who nodded.

“Give Me Strength!”

Sable saw the drive form try and take effect, only to sputter out impotently.

Donald squawked as he watched. “Something’s wrong!”

“I feel kinda funny…” Sora teetered in place, looking dizzy. 

A faint blackish-red miasma rippled over them like a heat shimmer, vanishing again a moment later.

(Now Sable realized what she had been forgetting.)

“That’s right!” Hades grinned viciously at them. “See, that’s the thing.  Here in the Underworld, heroes are zeros—comes with the territory.”  He almost lunged at them, fire blazing in his hands, only to poof away in a cloud of smoke as the recovered swordsman took another swing at him.

“We can’t fight him here!” The swordsman barked.

Seeing Hades reappear further down the chamber, Sable snickered at his silent, splayed hand gesture of ‘really?’ he directed at the swordsman.

Then she darted forward and caught Sora’s other arm as she and the swordsman dragged the Keybearer back towards the exit.

“We have to go- now!”

“But I’ve gotta talk to Hades!” Sora insisted.

“What was that?”

Seeing Hades unplug his ears, Sable shot him a very unimpressed look and a deliberate eye-roll.  Then, with a hard yank, she and the swordsman hefted Sora out of the chamber just ahead of crackling fireballs.  Sora stopped resisting and ran with them once they got around the first bend.

They fled back down to the green glow of the Lazarus-Pit-Cavern where Sora and Goofy promptly slid to a halt and forced the heavy stone doors shut.

“Is he gone?” Donald panted.

Sable and the swordsman looked up in unison. “Don’t count on it.”

Puzzled, Sora turned to look at where Sable was pointing.  He leapt back in wide-eyed alarm as Hades quirked a brow down at him, large arms crossed over his chest.

“Leaving so soon?” The lord of the Underworld quipped.

The light of a battle barrier flashed over the closed doors and the only path down as Hook Bat and Shadow Heartless popped into existence around them.  Sable could almost see the faint violet threads of darkness connecting the Heartless to the Barrier.

Huh.

That made sense.

“Destroy the Heartless to break the barrier!” She called as Alacrity cracked out to impale the nearest Hook Bat and just kept going.

(One- three- seven at once.  A new personal best!)

The barrier shattered and the others didn’t hesitate to take off running.  Sable didn’t follow them.  Instead, she turned to the observing Olympian, Gluttony coalescing in her hand as she lunged.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” Hades jeered as he sidestepped the first blow. “Heroes are zero- eeeaaagh!” Clutching his now-wounded arm, the Olympian stared at her in wide-eyed astonishment.  “How?”

Smirking, Sable flicked her blade in his direction as she lowered it from her upward swing. “Gluttony’s always hungry, doesn’t matter who its meal is.”

Alacrity shot through nothing but smoke (darn it) but Sable was already moving, skidding across the dirt as she felt where Hades would re-appear.  A fire-gloved hand knocked the blade away but that didn’t deter Sable as she spun with the deflection and dove in again-

Air woofed from her lungs as she slid down unforgiving stone after the sudden backhand had sent her flying. 

“Wait…” Yellow eyes narrowed, studying her intently as Sable wobbly picked herself back up again. “Dark, moody, powerful, well aren’t you a bundle of surprises?”

“Glad to impress.” Sable shot Alacrity at him again.

With the same speed he’d shown earlier against the swordsman, Hades caught the dark whip.  He peered at it with open intrigue, then yanked.

No fool, Sable let Alacrity evaporate, but not fast enough to avoid being dragged almost halfway across the platform.

“A true-blue darkness adept!” Hades cackled. “And not some wimp like that Terra kid a decade back.”

The name stole Sable’s breath away and only the slight difference in enunciation kept her from locking up entirely.  Hades wasn’t talking about her sister. 

(He’d said Terra, as in earth.  Not Tayra like the weasel.)

“You’re not trying to put the kibosh on your darkness.”  Hades continued as he cocked his head at her, the pressure of his aura swirling curiously around her, prodding at Sable through her bulwark-from-elsewhere.

Shoving the pain back down with practiced effort, Sable let her brows furrow at the new mystery.  Who was Terra-like-earth?  And…a decade back?  That would put it either during Ansem’s experiments, or right before…

“Now let’s have some real fun!” Darkness surged with the scent of sulfur. “Feel The Heat!”

The air between them exploded in a spray of searing flames and flying stone shards.  A cold-burn ran down to Sable’s heels as she leapt away, skidding to an unsteady halt clear on the other side of the platform as the slide ability stuttered out. 

Her darkness had responded without her conscious choice.  She’d learned a new technique!

(Could she jury-rig more?)

More deliberately this time, Sable willed that cold burn to move and felt it lance down her arm and into Gluttony, the blade thrumming in her grip as darkness crackled down its length.  Stepping forward, she swung down hard and the darkness surged off to pulverize stone and leave three deep gouges in its wake like claw marks.

Rending Claw, Sable decided to call it.

“Whoo-hoo!  Vicious and ruthless, my kinda girl!”

Swinging back at the voice behind her only resulted in another smoke cloud, not that this surprised Sable.  Hades was many things, but an idiot was not one of them.  He knew better than to stick around and get hit by something that could actually hurt him. 

Of course this meant he was flinging fireballs at her instead.

“Sable!”

Glancing over at Sora’s call was a mistake.  Another nearby poof was just enough time for her to begin to swing, but not enough for her to actually land a blow.  Gray-blue fingers pinched the bat-wing blade, stopping it cold as Hades leveraged a casual amount of force down on her.

“Hey, kid, noticed you eyeing my Pit of the Dead, earlier.  I’m sure I could, uh, pull a few strings.  Make a deal.” He gave her his best used-car-salesman grin. “Whaddya say?  Why don’t you ditch those losers and come work for me?”

Sable twitched in spite of herself, her Heart lurching at the offer.  It was tempting, so very tempting, and the way the Olympian’s aura crooned around her didn’t help.  Encompassing and inviting like a siren’s song, offering support anything she could possibly want-

But Truth trumped emotional impulse—which is what those feelings were—and the truth of the matter was that Sable couldn’t accept the offer.  Hades couldn’t bring her sister back, as she’d accepted earlier, and his modus operandi was at odds with her own. 

So, no matter how tempting it was to just relax into the supportive pressure of Hades presence and let him run the show, Sable steeled herself against it.  Took a breath.  Willed her darkness into a shape she’d partially glimpsed from Hades himself and could feel it struggling to comply.

“Well?” The lord of the Underworld pressed expectantly.

Sable smiled up at him, part regret part mischief as she released Gluttony’s hilt and stretched her aura in the direction of that Light that was Sora. 

“Sorry,” she told him, “it wouldn’t work out.”

With that strange ephemeral sense, Sable felt it catch and with a mental command, she yanked on it.  The world blinked and she was falling.

“Ooomph!”

Oops, she’d landed on Sora, both of them now sprawled on the ground outside the ascending tunnel mouth. 

World spinning with vertigo, Sable groaned as she rolled off of him and flopped to the ground like a wet rag.  She felt awful, her stomach churning in time with the spinning and it took effort not to let the contents fly up.

“How’d you do that?” Sora sounded excited, as if he hadn’t just gotten squashed by the older teenager without warning.

“Saw Hades do it.” Sable murmured, squinting up at the spinning ceiling above. “Couldn’t be that hard…” Violet eyes blinked as a gloved hand entered her field of vision.

“Perhaps we should continue?” The swordsman suggested.

Sable looked between that one-eyed face and the still-extended hand before reaching out and letting him yank her up as if she weighed no more than a feather.  That same hand clasped her shoulder firmly as she wobbled at her first step, then fell away as she steadied and they hurried into the tunnel they’d previously descended from.

She snuck a glance back to the higher platform.  It was empty, Hades nowhere in sight.  Turning her attention inward, she found Gluttony back safe-n-sound in its metaphorical ‘sheath’.  Not quite as convenient as Sora’s ability to actively call his Keyblade back when dropped, but certainly useful.

Critical checks made, Sable turned her attention back to her companions.

Donald and Goofy were both visibly flagging, she noticed.  Even Sora looked almost spent, though he was managing to press on through the sheer power of Determination and Endless Optimism.   Not that it kept him from collapsing like his friends did once they reached the chamber where they’d talked with Demyx

Now she could tell it wasn’t just their drained state after sleeping for so long, which is what she would have originally dismissed it as.  The Curse of the Underworld wasn’t just blocking Sora’s Drive Forms, it was actively draining them now that they’d earned the ire of the Underworld’s lord. 

It confirmed that her impulse decision to linger behind to keep Hades occupied had been a very good idea beyond her successfully learning three new techniques on the fly. 

But…as comfortable, as Sable was realizing the Underworld’s atmosphere was for her, she had to get the others out ASAP.

“You’re really good, mister.” Panting, Sora stared up wide-eyed at the red-clad swordsman. “Are you some kind of Hero?”

(Sable belatedly wondered if the recent uses of the title were meant as hero, or Hero.  Like a title or rank.  It probably was and she’d just ignored the subtext.  Her mistake…)

“No, I’m no Hero…” The swordsman denied, looking away from them. “I’m just an…” He trailed off.

Sora cocked his head, concerned. “Huh?”

“Auron.”

Sable snickered as Goofy and Sora exchanged puzzled looks.

“His name, Sora.” She clarified. “Auron is his name.”

“Oh!” The smaller teen pointed. “So, that’s what the ‘A’ on your shoulder’s for!  Auron!”

Sable and Auron both looked at the swordsman’s pauldron.  Yes, there did seem to be an A-shaped pattern to the front of it.  That was funny, she hadn’t noticed that before.  Neither had Auron, for that matter.

“It wasn’t made to look like an ‘A’.” Auron grumbled, glaring down at the bit of armor like it had betrayed him. “It’s just part of the design.”

“Aw, he’s blushing!”

“I am not blushing!” The swordsman shot back. “Who are you?  No one has ever commented on that before.”

Sora bolted up right, grinning at the older man. “I’m Sora-!”

In a flurry of white feathers, Donald was perched on Sora’s shoulders, thrusting out his hand. “Donald!”

“Goofy!” Not wanting to be left out, the guard captain leapt up onto Donald.

As Sable watched, Sora wobbled and the trio-tower collapsed in a tangle of jumbled limbs.  Snickering, she shook her head before looking up to meet Auron’s eye.

“Sable.”

“Pleased to meet you, mister!” The tangle of limbs called up cheerfully in a three-part harmony.

With a glimmer of amusement clear in the man’s one good eye as he watched the tangled trio, Auron nodded and then looked back at Sable.

“It seems we were fated to meet.” He mused, then looked down again. “Maybe you need a guardian.”

“Guardian?” Sora finally wriggled free from his friends. “Thanks, but no thanks.” He strode off towards the opposite end of the chamber, head high as if he hadn’t just collapsed a few moments prior.

Sable and Auron exchanged another glance, then chuckled.

“Maybe not a guardian.” Sable murmured. “But he could probably use a sparring partner.  He’s recovering from a prior injury and isn’t up to his actual strength.”

With that, Sable jogged forward to catch up with Sora, leaving a thoughtful Auron to follow behind.

Almost to the other side of the cavern, Sora abruptly paused mid-stride and pivoted sharply and advanced on the wall.  Perplexed, Sable slowed down to watch him.

“Hey Sable?” He called back, peering around a rocky craig. “You said to watch out for a book with the Nobody sigil, right?”

Uh-oh…

Sprinting over, Sable peered over her friend’s shoulder.  It was indeed a book with the Nobody sigil.  Three sigils, in fact.  Dictionary-thick with a fancy leather cover, it floated just above eye level with an ominous purple aura and a cage of white Nobody thorns around it.  As she watched, it seemed to flicker in and out of reality.  Blink, it was gone.  Blink again and there it was.

Sora was cocking his head and squinting at the spine. “It literally says ‘Absent Silhouette’.”

So, it did.  How not subtle.

“Who did this belong to, Sable?” Goofy asked.

“The Organization’s No. 6: Zexion the Cloaked Schemer.” Sable answered immediately, eyeing the Roman numeral for ‘6’ embossed in gold along the side in the same place as an encyclopedia number would be.  “Not much of a physical fighter, he specialized in illusions…and his book could apparently capture people in its pages?” She looked at Sora. “Not a bad opponent to test yourself against first.  Your intuition could probably let you bypass the illusions as long as you didn’t let your eyes fool you.”

Sora was looking thoughtful.

“I don’t recommend trying right now.” Sable added quickly.

The shorter brunette shot her a sour look. “I’m not that dumb.”

“You can be impulsive, though.” Sable retorted, then snickered softly. 

“She’s gotcha there, Sora.” Donald smirked as Sora shot him a betrayed expression.

Still snickering, Sable wrapped an arm around his shoulder and tugged him away. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

              ———

“What?  It’s closed!”

Donald looked about ready to cry as he stared up at the jagged, chain-sealed doors separating them from cavern leading out of the Underworld.  He, Donald, and Sora were all looking quite ragged after making the trek back up.

Reaching out, Sable tapped Sora’s shoulder and, when he looked at her, she pointed up. “Think the Keyblade can do something with that?”

Looking up, Sora saw the same thing Sable had: a Keyhole set high into the door, sealing the binding chains in place.  Holding out a hand, his Kingdom Key flashed into existence.

“Will that open it?” Auron asked.

“It should…”

In the distance, a snarling howl sounded and the whole cave shook.

“Hurry!” Auron barked, hefting his blade up at the ready.

“Wait, don’t attack!” Sable yanked out her munny pouch. “I wanna try something!”

By the time the massive form of Hades’ favored guard dog dropped down—from the ceiling, of all places—Sable had her MP3 player out and synched to her speaker and the volume turned as high as it could possibly go.  Internally bracing herself, she hit PLAY as Cerberus advanced on them. 

Three pairs of cropped ears perked up as the sound of Philip Wesley’s piano began echoing gently off the walls.

“Sable.” Sora hissed behind her. “What are you doing?”

“Probably something stupid.” Sable hissed back as she approached the three-headed canine.

Politely avoiding eye contact, she sat down cross-legged in the middle of the floor.  In her periphery, she glimpsed at least one of the heads cocking at her in pure doggy bafflement.  But as Soul’s Lament continued to play, that long, ropey tail began to slowly sway back and forth not-quite in time with the piano’s rhythm, but close.

Cerberus sat down, tail now thumping happily against the hard stone.

Soul’s Lament eventually segued into Far and Away and Sable heard Sora belatedly remember to unlock the door.  She felt the prickle of his Keyblade at work and the rumble of massive stone grinding apart.

The Guard Dog of the Underworld ignored the opening door, instead opting to rest all three heads on the ground in front of her, glowing red eyes half-closed in sleepy delight.  To Sable’s surprise, his breath didn’t actually stink.  In fact, there was something distinctly fresh about it.

(Did Hades brush his dog’s teeth?  The image was oddly adorable…)

The giant dog chuffed gently at her, the eyes of his central head still somewhat open while the two other heads seemed almost, if not actually, asleep.

Aw…

Unable to resist, Sable scooted forward and reached out to gently scritch that giant chin.  It was surprisingly soft…

Slurp

Now dripping, she stared up at laughing red eyes. “Funny, very funny.”

Another chuff answered her, Cerberus’s tail thumping harder for a few beats.  Sable sighed, then reached out again to scritch the dark brown fur. 

(At least the slobber smelled nice.  Though it would probably be a pain to wash out of her hair later…)

By the time Far and Away had finished and the following Lamentations of the Heart was coming to a gradual close, she was almost certain that the gigantic hellhound was sound asleep.  Even his tail had stopped wagging and there was the distinctive rumble of snoring coming from at least one head.

Carefully standing up, speaker in hand, Sable backed away towards the exit.  When she got close enough, she felt Sora latch onto her elbow and guide her through the partially opened door.  Once they were clear, Donald and Goofy somehow managed to push it shut again with minimal noise beyond a low rumble.  They all waited a moment, listening carefully beyond the piano music for any aggressive thumps or snarls.

When none came, Sable turned off the music.

“How’d you do that?” Sora asked, amazed.

“Yeah.” Donald agreed. “How’d you know it’d work?”

Putting the speaker and mp3 player away, Sable shrugged. “I’ve heard stories of Cerberus.  In most, he can be overpowered by a Hero, but in some?  Music and sweet cakes could soothe him without a fight being needed.  I didn’t have any sweet cakes on hand, so…”

“Neat.” Sora’s cerulean eyes grew thoughtful. “Say, think you could do something about Hades?  He seemed interested in talking to you earlier.”

“Yeah, with a job offer.” Sable shook her head. “I doubt he’d really humor a request to leave Hercules alone.  Even if Meg had gone, he probably wouldn’t have listened.”

“You knew it wouldn’t work from the beginning.” Donald accused.

“I did.” Sable admitted. “But if we hadn’t gone, Meg would have.  Unless you wanted to hogtie her and drag her back to the coliseum?”

They all blanched and shook their heads.

“That’s what I thought.  Besides, we may not have talked Hades down, but I’d say this was a pretty successful little side-quest.  Wouldn’t you?”

“We got some of yer information verified.” Goofy nodded. “And we made a new friend!”  The guard captain paused.  Looked around. “Hey, what happened to Auron?”

Blinking, everyone else looked around.  There was no sign of the red-clad swordsman.

“He can take care of himself.” Sora decided after a moment.  “Let’s go find Meg.  Maybe she knows a way around the Underworld Curse, then we can try this again!”

Heading back up out of the Underworld, Sable found herself puzzled.  Their descent hadn’t been that long when she and Sora had first gone down, had they?  She could have sworn it had just been a short drop and no stairs whatsoever…

              ———

They didn’t stop and sunbathe when they finished climbing the stairs out of the Underworld.  Sora was chomping at the bit to go check on Hercules and make sure Meg had gotten back alright.

So, back to the city they went.

After the cool comfort of the Underworld, Sable came to two realizations as they entered the city limits. 

First was that she could actually feel the coliseum as they got closer.  Someone could probably blind fold and spin her until she couldn’t tell up from down, but she’d still be able to point exactly where it was. 

Second was that it burned, leaving her skin stinging like someone had rubbed her down with chili pepper extract.

In all honesty, she really wanted to just turn tail and run back down to the Underworld, but Sora needed to go to the coliseum and she wasn’t about to ditch him.  So, Sable just grit her teeth, made sure her goggles were snug over her eyes, and tried to ignore the sensation.  Unfortunately, it only got more intense the closer they got to the snow-bright building.

(To quote a certain cowardly dog: “The things I do for love.”)

When they crossed the threshold into the coliseum courtyard, her temples started throbbing with a sudden headache.  Lovely, just what she needed.

“Gawrsh, this sure brings back memories.” Goofy commented as they scaled the steps into the front atrium.

Rubbing at her aching temples, Sable followed along behind them.  It was clear that they were familiar with the building because they immediately ducked down a corridor away from the mingling fans and, after some twists and turns and going down at least one flight of stairs, they reached what was apparently the equivalent of the coliseum locker rooms.

The private locker rooms, meant for one coliseum participant in particular.  Bleary blue eyes flicked up as they walked in before widening as delighted recognition chased away the weariness.

“Sora!” The one-and-only Hercules leapt to his feet. “Donald, Goofy!  When did you get here?”

Headache aside, Sable felt warm to see how just being there had made someone’s apparently lousy day a little bit better.  Sure, she wasn’t quite a part of that, but she could feel pleased on Sora’s behalf.

“Hey, Herc!” Sora waved.

“Hi!”

“Howdy there!”

Hercules swept them all up in a (gentle) bearhug, prompting laughter and muffled protests at once.  After a moment, the Greek Hero set them down again and stepped back, grinning.

“You on another adventure?” He asked.

Sable noticed a flicker of movement and saw Meg standing in another doorway.  She offered a slight wave and got a nod in return before the older woman continued watching Hercules with concern clear on her face.

“Yeah, trackin’ down friends, wipin’ out some Heartless.” Sora was saying.

“Junior Heroes, always busy!” Hercules agreed, reaching out to clasp hands with the grinning teenager.

“You know it!” Sora paused. “Actually, I was hoping to talk to Phil but, uh…that can probably wait.”

Sable blinked.  Phil?  The squat little satyr that trained Hercules from ‘Zero-to-Hero’?  The ‘old goat’ Demyx had mentioned that was willing to train other people?

Oh.

Now she felt dumb. 

Sora really did have a legitimate reason for trying to sign them up for the games earlier.  In fact, it was probably why they’d homed in on this World specifically.  He’d taken Sable’s comments about shaking the dust off seriously and had gone to the one place where he knew he could find a professional trainer who could help him do just that.

That was an incredible display of good sense and Sable was a little ashamed to realize she hadn’t expected it from Sora.  He’d accepted her advice and then proactively acted upon it.  The only issue with the whole thing was his failure to properly communicate his intent.

Otherwise?

Too many people dismissed Sora as anything beyond a convenient hammer to swing at the nearest Problem.  Sable among them. 

(She’d have to work on that.  He deserved better.)

“…o’s this?”

Feeling eyes on her, Sable dragged her worn focus back to the immediate present.  The throbbing headache almost made her regret it, though.

“This is Sable.” Sora answered for her. “She’s a new friend who’s been helping us on our adventure.”

Not quite up to talking, Sable offered a weak wave.

“Gawrsh, are you alright, Sable?” Goofy looked her over. “Yer not lookin’ too good.”

“Headache.” Sable croaked. 

Stepping closer, Sora looked up at her. “Me, Donald and Goofy were gonna do a few rounds in the coliseum until Phil gets back.  Maybe you should take a nap while we do that?”

That sounded like a wonderful idea, provided she did so anywhere except the coliseum itself.

“Have fun.”

It felt like she’d just blinked and then they were gone, but Sable was almost certain she’d just spaced out again.  A hand on her arm had tugged her back to the present.

“Hey, tall-dark-and-broody.” Meg looked almost as concerned as Sora had been. “I’m heading out to gather some medicinal herbs, and maybe something for dinner tonight.  Why don’t you come with me?  We could find some willow bark for that headache.”

Well, Sable wasn’t about to say no to that.

              ———

Willow bark was bitter, not all that different from chewing up an aspirin.  Still, Sable kept chewing the strips Meg had shown her how to break off and peel.  The headache had stopped getting worse after they’d left the city, but hadn’t faded either.  Her skin was still stinging, too, and even potions hadn’t seemed to do anything, unlike when Sora had used one to heal the bump she’d gotten after the collision and consequent tumble with Demyx. 

Honestly, it was starting to concern her.  That is, when she could actually think between the pounding throbs in her head.  As it was, Sable was having a hard time focusing at all.  She would definitely need Meg to find her way back to Thebes, the city the coliseum was built in, because Sable kind of blanked out at some point during their walk to one of Meg’s favored gathering spots.

Leaning against a tree, grinding poor bark-strips into a frayed mess, Sable watched Meg poke around edible bushes and other plants.  Or tried to, she’d blink and find time had passed by how the shadows of the trees had shifted like natural sundials.

Her chest felt tight, Sable noted numbly, almost like it was constricting in on itself.  Breathing was harder and took more effort.

(It was scaring her.)

Sable jerked as sharp pain lanced down from her temple, under her collar, and sank its fangs deep into the space behind her sternum. 

Breathing hurt.

Very, very belatedly, Sable wondered if she was having an allergic reaction to something.  But to what?  And wouldn’t a potion have helped ameliorate the symptoms?  Or did they only work on trauma-based injuries?  She didn’t think she’d actually thought about that before…

When had she lain down?

“Hey-” Slender but surprisingly strong fingers pulled Sable up into a sitting position. “What happened?”

“H’pp’n’d?” Sable slurred, vision growing fuzzy and indistinct. “S’m’thn’s ‘r’ng’…”

Colors twisted around her, melted together and bled into a constant…

Searing…

…Light.

              ———

She should probably be breathing, but Sable didn’t quite…feel the need?

Not to breath.  Not to move.  Not to do anything, really.  She would be quite content to just continue laying there in the black and never do anything again.

(The prospect appealed.)

Curiosity still beckoned, though, and looking around didn’t actually require much movement.  Just shifting her gaze a bit.  Not that there was much to see, everything around was a solid and unchanging black.  It was so quiet she should be hearing her blood roaring in her ears.

But no, there was only a smothering silence as complete as the black…wait, no, that wasn’t quite true. 

Sable could see herself just fine, as if she gave off her own light.  It reminded her of a story where a girl lost in an enchanted darkness discovered that light, the dark’s beloved twin, had hidden away in her heart.  She befriended them both, Light and Dark, and returned to the regular world.

This…didn’t feel nearly so benign.

Blinking, Sable’s vision seemed to blur- no, it wasn’t blurring.  It was coming into focus.  Gossamer strands of light were draped over her.  Pinning her down.  She probably couldn’t move even if she wanted to, unlike Gulliver when he’d been caught in a similar state.

The strands were knotted over her chest, anchored.  Rooted, even.  Maybe that was why she didn’t feel like breathing… 

Footsteps. 

Echoing in the dark expanse. 

A pair of boots coming to a stop right beside her. 

It took effort to look away from the gossamer knot and up at a familiar figure.  The ambient gloom cast brown hair into a dark, steely gray as he stared down at her and his usually sky-blue eyes now shown like the gold of a cat’s eyes in the dark. 

He wasn’t smiling.  Or showing any expression at all.  It left her feeling chilled. 

“S-Sora?” Sable rasped.

Cold metal gleamed unnaturally in the dark with a hint of bright blue.  Even if she couldn’t see that distinctive silhouette Sable would have recognized a Keyblade being held up with deliberate intent no matter what.

“Sora, please…” She had to move.  Had to fight back. 

(But this was Sora.)

Reaching its apex, that shadowed metal caught a flicker of source-less light.

“D-don’t, Sora…”

The blade fell, teeth sinking into the heart of knotted gossamer.

Something snapped and air filled her lungs.

              ———

“Jeeze Louise, Kid.  Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Burning, everything was burning.  A searing blanket entrapping and smothering her.  She couldn’t move, she could barely breathe.

“Not that I’d be complaining if you did, but that whole stunt definitely fell under the category of a majorly Bad Idea.”

A voice?  She knew that voice, didn’t she?”

There was a hiss, like water on a fire.  Something cool slipped neatly beneath burn, leaving her blissfully numb.  Her lungs could work again. 

Sable tried to lean into it, but still couldn’t move.

“I mean, you can’t just go waltzing from a Dark saturated area to a Light one like that.  You have to brace yourself first so you don’t get swamped!”

Hazy memories trickled back.  So, it had been an allergic reaction, of sorts.  Had it been Sora’s light that she’d been flinching from since Twilight Town?  The reason why her eyes would just tear up for no apparent reason?  Why she hadn’t stuck around in the mansion basement when Sora had first woken up again?

With the burning doused, the pain was fading away.  That cool blanket had been darkness—someone else’s darkness—reaching out to offer support. 

It felt familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it…

“Light has the nasty tendency of trying to ‘purify’ novice dark adepts by dispersing their darkness with extreme prejudice, know what I mean?” There was a pause, then a physical snort that Sable definitely heard. “Sheesh, what am I doing?  You can’t hear me…”

Distantly, Sable thought she could feel something press up against her forehead.  Was that a hand?

That other darkness thickened, swaddling her up nice and tight and sank into older aches and burns that Sable hadn’t realized were there until that pain chilled away.  She felt lighter, almost as if she was floating.  Drifting away…

Sable slept, dreaming of the clop of hooves across glass.

              ———

Chapter Text

There was a grumpy looking gumball machine sitting on the smooth stone by Sable’s head.  Glaring at her like she’d just declared that its mother smelled of elderberry. 

Bemused, Sable stared back. 

There seemed to be a faint tick-tick-tick coming from the machine, like that of an analogue clock.  Or a timer.  Probably a timer because the ticking seemed to be getting faster. 

(If the thing up and exploded by her head she was going to be annoyed.)

More on lazy whim than for any real reason, Sable reached out and poked the Big Red Button just beneath the glass dome.  The ticking stopped.  A handful of crystals got spat in her face as the gumball machine vanished with an affronted poof.

Okay.  That had been kind of funny.  If painful.  Ow…

Rubbing the impact sight, Sable leveraged herself up and then paused.  No headache, she noticed immediately.  Now that she was paying attention, Sable took a breath to gauge everything else. 

Her chest felt loose, breathing came easily, and she could actually focus.  Her skin wasn’t burning anymore, either.  She felt considerably better.  Not even a hint of vertigo.  Whatever allergic reaction she’d been suffering earlier was completely gone. 

That had been an allergic reaction to light?  In hindsight, maybe she should have considered that.  Should have heeded her body’s warnings when approaching the coliseum made things worse.  Sora would have understood.

Oh.

If she hadn’t gone to the Underworld first, then would she have noticed the problem at all? 

That was a scary thought.  A very scary thought.  She’d have just keeled over right in front of Sora.  As if the poor kid hadn’t already seen a bunch of traumatic stuff already.  Watching a friend collapse for no apparent reason and there being nothing he could have done would have been horrible.

Sable sent a quick, heartfelt prayer of thanks that events had not turned out that way. 

Movement had her looking towards the stone passage out of the chamber she was currently in. 

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” Hades quipped, fingers of his hands pressed together. 

(So, that had been his voice she’d heard.  Really, she should have guessed.)

“You…said something about…bracing against light?” She hedged, looking for any information so she could avoid a repeat experience.  That had been beyond miserable.

“Huh, so you did hear me.” He sounded amused.

The lord of the Underworld meandered over and plopped down on the stone next to her.  Logically, Sable knew she should be at least a little worried.  He had her at a complete disadvantage and she already knew she couldn’t take him in a straight fight.  But…she found she honestly couldn’t care less.  There was an odd sense of certainty that said the Olympian meant her no harm.

(At the moment.)

Good, because she still felt shaky, like when getting over a really bad fever.  Which…wasn’t too far from the truth, actually.  A fever was the body fighting off infection or foreign contaminants, after all.

“What did you do?” She asked when it didn’t look like the fast-talking dealer-in-death was going to answer.

He shrugged. “Real simple.  Any half-way competent darkness user can do it.”

Sable squinted at him.  That was not a proper answer.

“Enlighten me.”

“Sheesh, impatient much?” Hades snorted. “I just lent you some of my darkness.  Like I said, easy.  A child could do it.”

“Then how do-?”

A gray-blue hand waved her off. “Oh, you’ll figure it out, sooner or later.” He pointed at her with one sharp finger. “What you need to know right now is how to shield yourself in a light-saturated area, like that kiddie pool upstairs.”

He was right.  That did take precedence.

“And I do that, how, exac-”

Suddenly nose-to-nose with the mercurial Olympian, Sable twitched.  Hades didn’t laugh, though.  He didn’t even smile.  He just stared her dead in the eye as if looking for something.  Part of Sable wanted to lean away, the other half was quite happy with the close proximity which was kind of concerning-  Oh, right, her darkness liked Hades’ aura.  That answered that.

Finally, Hades straightened up again, a frown on his face. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“Would I be asking if I did?” Sable returned flatly.

“Your Master should have taught you that first thing-”

“What master?  Darkness only started responding to me about a week ago and everything I’ve figured out this far comes from a mix of instinct and personal peril.”

Hades looked impressed.  “You figured all that out just by extrapolating off your instinct?”

“And watching you.” Sable couldn’t resist adding.

That got a low whistle.

“Kid, you must be some sort of dark savant or something.  Everyone else I’ve seen had some kind of prior training before touching darkness.  That kid I mentioned earlier?  Terra?  He’d been training as a light wielder for years and even then, he didn’t pick up on the nuances of darkness anywhere near as quickly as you have.” Pausing, Hades frowned before shrugging. “Granted, he was trying to ignore that his darkness existed, but that’s not the point here.”

Those hooded yellow eyes looked her up and down as if for the first time. “Thing is…now I have something of an obligation to make sure you live long enough to actually reach your potential.  If you die from something as plebian as light overexposure, why, I’d be the laughing stock of the dark community!  I have a reputation to maintain!”

(Sable mentally filed ‘dark community’ away for later consideration.)

“Sooo, it works like this.”

Sable’s back thumped against the stone bench as Hades’s hand pressed flush against her chest.  Her darkness stirred at that, welling up almost like some kind of field.  She felt the pressure she identified as Hades’ own aura…poking at it.  Shifting it in some places, folding it in others, treating it like some kind of cloak or robe.  It felt very weird.  But not in a bad way. 

(Actually, she’d compare it to learning how to exercise a muscle she hadn’t realized she even had.)

Then Hades drew back again and the feeling vanished, but the odd folded-sensation in her own darkness remained.  If looser and starting to unravel.  Owlish violet eyes blinked up at smug yellow.

“See, your problem is that you radiate your darkness, just sticking it out like a metal rod in a lightning storm.”

As the brother of the self-proclaimed god of lightning, Hades would be intimately familiar with the concept.  Mostly from personal experience of being said rod.

“So, whenever you’re near a strong presence of light?  Well, ever watch a bit of cloth go up in flames?  Starts burning the ends of your aura and working its way in to your Heart.  Not pleasant, as you experienced.”

Sable winced as she sat up again, massaging her sternum.

“The trick is to fold your aura back over itself like a robe.” Hades continued. “Don’t wanna go streaking through a light area, after all.  Beyond modesty reasons, folding it reinforces things so the light slides right off like water and a duck’s back.  It’s a fundamental exercise for any aspiring dark user.”

Thoughtful now, Sable took a deep breath and tried focusing on that new sensation Hades’s had brought to her attention.  Her aura, not just her darkness.

Yeesh, it really was just flapping loose like an unbound robe, wasn’t it? 

Stubbornly ignoring the rising heat in her face—thank you, Hades, for that lovely metaphor—Sable focused on trying to manipulate it.   Her power was a cloak.  She just needed to wrap it close-  ack, a breeze caught it.

Shooting a snickering Hades a sour look, Sable took another breath and tried again.

It got more responsive the more she tried.  Or rather, she became more aware of the nuances to it.  Also, yikes, those were a lot of frayed ends.  A simple wrap wouldn’t be quite enough.  Maybe some kind of double fold?  Could one pin one’s own aura in place like Greek robes were? 

Interestingly, the more she got it under control, the less like a cloak it felt and more like some form of leather armor.  There was something significant about that, but she’d have to consider it later. 

Another shrill whistle startled her out of her musings.

“Got it in record time.  Your first try, even!”

Sable looked up at the grinning Olympian.

“Seriously, Kid, you sure you won’t come work for me?  You could be great!  Little training, bit of experience… We’d have people falling down at your feet!”

Sable had been vaguely aware of it before, the sense of dark-tinted and sulphuric pressure that Hades’ emitted.  An aura flaring out like a flag in the wind to convey intent.  The intent in this case being a coaxing, wheedling sense of invitation and open-ended promise.

That had to be deliberate. 

No wonder her own aura was responding so strongly, especially if she’d been projecting as much as Hades had said.  It would have left her extremely susceptible and with no real guards against it.  If Sable hadn’t drawn her own lines in the sand regarding what she would and wouldn’t do years ago…she might have capitulated.

(Realizing that left her feeling like she’d just dodged a sniper’s bullet.)

“Tempting, very tempting.” She admitted as she met his looming gaze, because it was true and believing a lie hurt less than accepting the harsh truth, not that it in any way changed her answer. “But I have obligations right now that take precedence.”

That wiped the smile right off Hades’ face as he frowned at her.

“What, with that key-brat and his little sidekicks?” He asked, tone incredulous. “Kid, hanging with them is a bad idea.  Users of Light and users of Darkness historically don’t get along.  It gets messy, lemme tell you…”

“Sounds like there’s a story there.” Sable noted, curiosity welling up again. “About Terra?”

“Well, yes, but that actually wasn’t what I was thinking of.  See, your little pipsqueak ain’t the first key-slinger to drop into my Underworld.  Been seein’ ‘em pop in-n-out for millennia.  Granted, had no idea what that key could actually do, ya’know? So- eh, nevermind.” 

The Olympian settled back where he sat, hands dancing through the air as he spoke.

“About a century or so back a whole brat pack comes down, has the gall to ask for a favor.  Seems they were all a bunch ‘o schoolkids and a whole ‘nother class had up an ‘disappeared’.  So.  They wanted to contact their spirits and figure out what had done ‘em all in.  Me?” Hades shrugged. “I say ‘sure, whatever, one of you has to stick around and do a few favors for me in payment’.  So, they agree, I get them the lil’ reunion they asked for and what do they do?  They try to renege on our deal!”

Sable casually leaned back from the sudden pillar of fiery fury, admiring the new scorch marks now decorating the stone work overhead. 

(Very nice touch, she thought.)

“But the joke was on them!” At once, red and gold calmed to Hades’s regular gray and blue. “Not a single one walked up those steps!  As it turned out?  One of their own classmates had gotten a bit high on darkness.” Hades waggled a finger by his temple. “Deep-sixed the missing class then decided to go for a clean sweep.  I got my favors after all, with a handy lil’ Inconvenience Fee on top.  That’s what they get for trying to get one over me…”

Knowing what she did of Hades, Sable doubted it was quite that straight forward.  But he’d given her quite a bit to chew on by what he did and didn’t say.  After all, Demyx hadn’t exactly walked up the steps, either.

“What happened to them after you got your favors?” She asked instead, morbidly curious.

Hades shrugged, one hand sweeping back flaming hair before he cracked his neck. “Sent them on through the Pit of Death, they were still dead after all, and it’s kinda my whole schtick.  My friggin’ job.”

“How many times did you change the deal conditions before they just went screw it, we’re done?”

“Maybe once or twice…oh come on!  They come down here expecting the Underworld to be some interdimensional lost n’ found!  Even did the whole ‘looking for someone who’d disappeared’ garbage.  It’s called dead brat!”

“Not saying they were right to try and snub you.” Sable began. “But they may have legitimately thought their classmates were just missing, not dead, and were grasping at any straws they could find for answers.”

Holding up a finger, Hades made to argue.  Then he stopped, thinking it over before letting out an annoyed huff a moment later.

“Okay, you may have a point.”  He clapped his hands together. “Anywho, like I said, didn’t end well for them.  The nutso kid got sent my way literally hours later after a whole bunch of other new stiffs.  You would not believe the waterworks.  The poor furies may have gone a little hard on the ambrosia afterwards.  Not that I blame them, even signed off on poor Megaera’s vacation request.  She was overdue for one, anyway…”

Megaera? 

On a vacation? 

The names matched too closely to be a coincidence.

“Dude.” Sable squinted at the Olympian.  “She’s gonna break your face.”

“Eh, probably.  I’ll deserve it.” Hades shrugged, giving her a crooked grin. “What’s a few pranks between long-time co-workers?”  The grin fell off as he shot her a very flat look.  The flattest look in the history of the world. “Besides she’s kinda stretching it on the whole vacation thing.  Tisiphone and Alecto have been nagging me about it.”

Reaching out, Sable gave his arm a consoling pat.

“So, why’d you really help me?” she asked the lord of the Underworld. “And don’t say it’s because I use darkness.  I was just some kid with a few tricks who’d already told you ‘no’ once.  You’ve not only gone out of your way to help me, but you’ve given me freebies.”

Hades held his hands up in surrender. “You got me.” He leaned back on the cool stone. “I wanted to get a better look at someone who managed to No-Sell the Fates’ Decree.”

Sable blinked at him. “…What?”

Hades looked back at her. “By all rights, you should be one of mine already.”  He shrugged. 

Then.  Faster than Sable could track.  One of Hades’ sharp fingers was there, tapping lightly the front of her scarf.  Just over her collar.  Right where the lines of her scar crossed

“That should have killed you.  The Fates cut your string and everything.” He told her, yellow eyes boring into startled violet. “Only you’re still kicking, and there’s not a lick of divine blood in you.  How could I not want someone like that on my payroll?”

Fingers clawing at her collar, Sable blanched as that familiar, smothering grief surging up again like a kick in the chest, threatening to choke her even as she struggled not to react.  She didn’t succeed very well but…Hades wasn’t looking at her now.  Was that deliberate?  Did he know what had happened?

(The only reason she was alive, was because someone else had died.)

Tayra!

Sable let out a silent, near choking breath and then forced her lungs to take in more.  After a moment, she’d managed to wrestle down the worst of it.  With another careful breath and she managed to redon her tattered composure.

Barely.

It was a thin façade and she knew it wouldn’t take much to break it.

“I wouldn’t have.” She managed to say without choking.

Hades turned back to her, looking confused. “Pardon?”

“Come here.” Sable clarified. “Even if… I wouldn’t have come here.  When I die, I know where my soul is going.”

For a moment, the lord of the Underworld just stared at her with clear incomprehension.  Then understanding dawned and he snapped to his feet, face twisted into a look of such disgust that it was almost comical. 

“Are you KIDDING ME!”

A sudden wave of heat flashed as dark skin and blue hair both burned red.  Then it was gone just as fast, leaving Hades storming to and fro like a caged tiger.

“Oh, that’s just my luck.” He fumed, smoke trailing after him. “Most promising dark adept in generations and they follow The Way?!”

Sable blinked at the archaic phrasing.

“Of all the- How does that even work, anyway?!” Hades spun back to her.  “No, seriously, how?  Isn’t, that-” He gestured vaguely at all of her. “-against your teachings or something?  Is that even legal?  You can’t be serious.”

“Am I lying, stealing, murdering, or otherwise tearing down anyone who isn’t already causing others harm?” Sable asked, starting to feel morbidly amused by the situation.  

Jabbing a finger at her, Hades opened his mouth to answer.  Stopped.  Thought about it.  Then visibly deflated. “Alright, I can’t argue that.” Straightening up, he ran a hand back through his flaming hair. “Good grief, no wonder you just brushed off the Fates.  You’re not going anywhere until the Big Guy’s done with you.”

She couldn’t resist. “You could say I’m divine by adoption.”

“That’s. Not. Funny.”

“Eh, it’s kinda funny?”

“Your sense of humor needs to go burn in the pit.”

“I’m aware.”

That got a reluctantly amused snort from the temperamental Olympian.  Letting his hand fall to his side, he returned to the bench Sable was still sitting on and retook his seat and gave her a considering look. 

“Well, I just suppose I made the right choice.” He decided.  Then smirked. “You die and you’ll be outta reach.  Can’t make any future deals with you that way.” Yellow eyes squinted at her. “Just don’t forget that you owe me one.”

“You did me a major solid.  I definitely owe you.” Sable agreed. “Thanks, by the way, I should have said that earlier… But, for the immediate future, my obligations to Sora right now take priority.  I’ll swing by afterwards at some point, if possible, and see if we can’t work something out.”

“Why are you even traveling with the brat, anyway?” Hades asked, clearly annoyed but also grudgingly curious. “Like I just told you: Keybladers and Seekers of Darkness don’t mix well together.”

Sable offered a wry smile. “I have my reasons.”

She wasn’t about to admit that the current quest gave her purpose.  Made it a little easier to get up each day, knowing she was making a difference against a very real problem. 

(She may have even saved Demyx from getting brutally murdered in the near future.)

Sable also wasn’t going to verbalize that being around Sora was like being around the sun after being frozen in deep water.  Everything seemed…just a little lighter.  A little brighter…

From the narrow-eyed look on Hades’ face, Sable grudgingly acknowledged that he probably caught at least some of that.

“There’s one more thing I don’t get.” Hades spoke up again, tapping his fingers together. “You ascribe to The Way, and teamed up with some goody-two-shoes friend of Hercules.” He splayed his hands in question. “Why aren’t you all fire and brimstoneing me right now?”

Sable blinked once.  Then twice, because there was a lot to unpack in that lovely choice of phrasing, but she didn’t have time to really poke into it.  Then she blinked a third time in an attempt to recalibrate her brain because that, for some reason, was the hill her Suspension of Disbelief decided to die on.

“It’s not like yelling that you’re ‘evil’ and ‘wrong’ would actually do anything, would it?” She asked, brain still struggling through its ongoing dial-up impression.

That got a snort. “Not like that’s stopped people from calling it a ‘crime’ or a ‘sin’ or what-have-you.”

(…okay, Sable couldn’t just let an opening that perfect go.)

“I mean, yeah, you’re missing the mark and that’s hurting you in the process, but that’s your choice to make.” Sable shrugged, waving vaguely with one hand. “It hurts seeing you let it steal your peace, though.”

Sulfur-yellow eyes squinted at her, Hades pointing a finger in a ‘I see what you did there’ gesture.  Sable just blinked up at him, violet eyes wide in a butter-wouldn’t-melt expression.

Hades snorted. “Okay, I’ll admit, that was a good one.” An odd smile crossed his face in lieu of his usual oily smirk. “I like the way you think, kid.  Real shame you won’t work with me, though.”

Sable shrugged again but didn’t respond.

For a moment, the unlikely pair sat in silence.  Then Hades stood without warning, staring at something beyond the immediate stone walls as a pleased expression across spread his face and his smirk returned.

Then his hand shot out.

“Oi!”  Scruffed firmly by the back of her vest, Sable couldn’t help the flash of indignation that shot through her.  She wasn’t some little kitten!

“Such a shame to end this charming chat, but I have some ‘missing marks’ to correct.” Hades grinned, projecting both mischief and malice.

“Let go–! “

Poof

Black, gray, then white followed by a brief feeling of weightlessness before she had an abrupt collision with something black.  A familiar yelp sounded beneath her.

“Hey, Sora.” Sable greeted blearily, breathing in and registering a sweet, floral scent that brought to mind green leaves floating atop a tranquil pool.

“Sable!  You’re okay!”  More than one voice cried out.

With a hint of vertigo making her wobble, Sable rolled to her feet.  Reaching out, she caught Sora’s hand and pulled the younger teen up with her.  Dark brows furrowed as Sable paused and sniffed in his direction.  Yes, that watery, floral scent was definitely coming from him.

“Why do-?”

The question died on her lips as Sable suddenly smelt sulfur.

“Well, if it isn’t everyone’s favorite heroic washout.” Hades jeered at them, arms crossed over his chest. “You really blew it this time, didn’t you?”

Ah.  It seemed that Sable had completely missed out on the quest to rescue Meg.

Oh well.

Moving to stand between Sable and Hades, Sora glared up at the looming Olympian. “No one likes a sore loser, Hades!”

Aww. 

That was precious.  She couldn’t help grinning at Hades over her friend’s head.  Seeing a vein visibly twitch over the lord of the Underworld’s brow was amusing. 

“Can it, Keyboy!”

“Then let me.” Hercules walked right up to his uncle.  “No one likes a sore loser, Hades.”

Hades waved him off and began to pace. “Yeah, yeah. Styx and stones.” Looking back he gave them a sly smile. “Hey, why don’t you check on that Hydra you neglected to finish off?  I hear things are really falling apart up there, champ.”

With another poof of smoke, Hades vanished.

“Hate to run,” his disembodied voice drifted around them, “but I’ve got another little diversion to attend to.”

There was a sudden gust of wind, and Sable belatedly realized that Hercules was gone.

“To the coliseum!” Phil-the-satyr shouted. 

He and Meg leapt upon the back of Pegasus as the (absolutely gorgeous) winged horse took off at high speeds.  Sable took half a heartbeat to admire the beautiful animal before taking off with Sora, Donald, and Goofy. 

They had a city to get back to.

              ———

Hades had been right on multiple accounts.  First and foremost being that being able to fold in her aura would protect Sable from a light-saturated area.  There was still an uncomfortable stinging at first that left the hair along her arms standing on end, but none of the earlier burning.  So, yay!

He also hadn’t been kidding that things were falling apart in the coliseum.

A shrill whistle escaped Sable as she eyed the deep gouges in solid stone and the various bifurcated statues, the upper halves of which had been pulverized.  Then there were the poor walls that were now full of holes and the area around the coliseum that had basically been leveled.

Good grief…

“Herc!”

Head snapping around, Sable quickly moved to follow Sora through the rubble.  They found Hercules sitting on the stone steps with Meg, Phil, and Pegasus (whose flight had drastically outpaced Sora-and-Company’s running speed) gathered around him.

“I let you down.” The half-Olympian murmured. “I’m just…no use.” Even the golden glow that burned in Sable’s newfound senses had dimmed until he seemed almost grey.

“It’s not your fault.” Meg told him. “Hey, even a god would be exhausted.”

Sora was quick to agree.  “She’s right!  Give yourself a chance to rest!”

“There won’t be any games for a while, anyway.” Goofy added optimistically, which only seemed to make Hercules droop more as he looked around at the destruction.

“I left everyone unprotected.” Those large blue eyes were dull with despair.

Sable thought she could perceive a hint of wispy purple flickering around the edges of that diminished gold glow, which was not going to help matters.  Now, which took precedence here: manners or results? 

Yeah, results.

Everyone else trying to be polite and encouraging didn’t seem to be doing any good.  Time to shock the half-Olympian out of his slump.

Hopefully. 

(This might backfire painfully if she was wrong.)

“Are you done marinating in your melodrama yet?” Sable asked dryly, violet eyes hard.

Sora spun around to face her, looking visibly appalled. “Sable!”

Donald, Goofy, and pretty much everyone else were also shooting her alarmed and disapproving looks.  Ignoring them all, Sable kept her gaze on Hercules, who’s head had snapped up to look at her.  He legitimately looked bewildered at her words.

(Good.  Maybe he’d listen.)

“Yeah, you messed up.” She allowed. “It happens.  Half-Olympian you may be, you’re still human where it matters and humans make mistakes.  Learn from it.  Get better so it doesn’t happen again.  Or is your ego so fragile that your first major setback will snap your resolve entirely?”

“But…” Hercules’s eyes dropped. “I’m just a…a wash out.”

Sable snorted at that. “You’re young.” She took care to stress the word with enough force that those despondent blue eyes flickered up to hers again. “You’re learning.”  Spreading her arms she gestured to the broken stone around them. “This?  Would probably have happened anyway, Hades just upped the timetable considerably.” Pausing, she considered that a moment. “Probably for the better, in the long run.”

Now everyone was looking at her in surprise.

“But Sable…” Sora looked at the destruction around them. “How could it be better?”

“Buildings can be rebuilt.  Pretty quickly if Hercules helps get the stones in place, but people aren’t as replaceable.” She jerked her chin at Hercules, who was looking more baffled than despondent by this point. “You’re tired, yes, and definitely need a vacation, but your spirit hasn’t been ground down to inert powder after years of trying to live up to unreasonable expectations.”

“Hey!” Phil puffed up, outraged. “The kid’s a true Hero!  He protected this whole city beautifully until now and this is only because Hades was sabotaging him!”

“Yes, but how long could he keep it up?” Sable returned evenly. “The lone hero standing against all the malicious forces threatening a city is a great story…but it’s not really practical.” She looked at Sora. “How long would you have lasted if you hadn’t had Donald and Goofy fighting right beside you?”

That got some awkward fidgeting.

“…not long.” Sora admitted. “I…I don’t fight well on my own, without my friends.”

Sable looked back to Hercules. “You were taking the whole load onto your shoulders and that’s not feasible.  You need a chance to, you know, eat, sleep, and breathe.” She gestured to Meg. “You were so busy you neglected Meg and her trying to take matters into her own hands to help you almost got her killed.”

Tanned skin blanched as Hercules, suddenly wide awake, stared in horror at Meg, who shot Sable a very annoyed look.

“So, what are you gettin’ at, kid?” Phil pressed, frowning. 

“Get help.  Get a team, so you can afford to take breaks and you can have support to stay in top condition.” Sable looked at Phil. “He can’t be the only half-Olympian running round.” She looked back at Hercules. “And don’t tell me you haven’t made friends through all your heroics.  There has to be someone you can at least train up as a side-kick.  The world’s not short of potential heroes, they just need a bit more support to start out with than someone like you.”

Phil was looking very thoughtful, now.  Arms folding across his rounded chest as he considered that.  Hercules seemed to be only half-way listening, though.

“But…it’s my responsibility.” The hero’s protest was not as ardent as it had been previously. “I failed to finish off the Hydra, just like Hades said…”

“You were half-asleep on your feet and worried about Meg.” Sable shrugged. “So, you made a mistake, which Hades has been pushing for since he began this little gambit.  Yes, you’re responsible, but you’re not solely to blame and this is a mistake you can learn from.” Serious violet eyes locked with bright blue. “So, long as you’re alive, you can make a difference.  Change how things turn out.  Use this whole mess as a learning experience and make sure it doesn’t happen again.  Don’t let your pride at being the sole hero keep you from actually protecting people.”

That put a determined set in the half-Olympian’s shoulders.  He sat straighter a moment, wobbled, then slouched again.

“Maybe get some sleep first.” Sable suggested wryly.  Then she stopped, frowning.

“Somethin’ wrong, Sable?” Goofy asked.

“It just occurred to me, but, uh…what happened to the hydra?  Hades said it was running amuck and there aren’t any other major hero-types in the area, so unless Hercules finished it off while we were running to catch up…”

Looks of dawning horror rose on everyone’s face right as a watery hiss sounded out.

“Ah.  Darn it.”  Sable jabbed a finger at Hercules, who had half-way risen from his seat. “You stay put!  We’ll take care of the hydra!”

She turned and looked at Sora, Donald, and Goofy and got determined nods in return.  As one, they turned in the direction of the hissing sound and charged, weapons in-hand. 

“Sable,” Goofy called, “do ya know anythin’ ‘bout hydras?”

“Yeah, like you knew about Cerberus.” Sora added.

“Giant two-legged lizard with a long neck and a bad attitude.” Sable answered immediately, followed by, “Please tell me Donald’s got his fire magic working again.”

“Yeah, and I’ve got it, too!”

“When did- nevermind.  Hydra can regenerate: cut off one head and it immediately sprouts three more.  Unless you burn the stump with fire.  Immediately.  We do that and it’ll save us an obscene amount of trouble.”

“Oh, this’ll be easy then.”

“…Why did you have to say that?”

              ———

Plip. Plip. Plip.

Still dripping with gunk she was trying not to focus too hard on, Sable stared flatly at the sniggering Keybearer.  Next to him, Donald and Goofy weren’t much better.  Practically rolling on the floor, in fact.

“At least we beat the Hydra.” Goofy offered with a wheeze.

Sable squinted at him, not at all impressed. 

“S-sorry, Sable.” Sora tried, then almost collapsed again under another snigger-fit. “But hey, you managed to cut the head off!  Then Donald burned the stump.  That’s the important thing, right?”

“Next time, you can be the one getting eaten.” Sable deadpanned. “Lemme know how that goes for you.”

“Oh, we’ve gotten eaten before.  Our whole gummi ship got eaten, once.” Goofy informed, still snickering at her.

Sora shuddered. “Yeah, that was…yeah.” Then another snrk escaped him. “The hydra-chomp topped the dog-bite you got earlier.  By a mile.”

Oh, that little snot.

Eyeballing the three of them, Sable marched into their midst.  Rooted her stance.  Then set her shoulders.

“Uh, Sable?  What are you-?”

She shook, relishing the disgusted cries as they all got splattered by the green hydra gore.  Not as much as she’d have liked—the stuff was annoyingly sticky—but it still left them looking like they’d gotten splattered by paint.  That done, she marched off to find the nearest water trough. 

(Her clothes might slough off any filth, as the fairies promised, but her skin and hair were another story.)

“Oh!  Wait!  Sable, hang on!”

Sable paused as Sora hurried to catch up with her, his blue eyes wide with concern.

“I forgot to ask earlier, but are you alright?”

Violet eyes blinked back at him. “I mean, aside being disgusting at the moment, I’m fine.  Why?”

“You weren’t looking too good earlier.  And Meg said you…” He swallowed. “You collapsed.  And then Hades took you and we couldn’t find you!”

Oh.

“I’m better now,” Sable promised, “turns out I have a light allergy.”

“A light allergy?” And Donald and Goofy had caught up.

“You know how I kept getting blinded in Hollow Bastion and flinching whenever you called your Keyblade?  Those were symptoms.  Anyway, Hades recognized what was going on and showed me how to keep that from happening.” Sable paused. “He did me a solid, so now I owe him a favor.  I did warn him up front that my obligations to you take precedence, so that’ll be something future-me has to deal with.”

“But…a light allergy?” Sora repeated weakly.

“Gawrsh, is it because you use darkness, Sable?” Goofy asked.

“Pretty much.” Sable nodded. “Apparently there’s some basic skills a novice, in light or dark, is expected to learn that I didn’t because I’m self-taught and originally from a world without magic.”

“So…it hurt you, just being around me?”

Uh-oh, better nip that in the bud.

“It was an accident, Sora.” Sable told him with deliberate emphasis. “Neither of us knew it was a problem, and the only reason I reacted so badly here was because the Olympians put light-based protections around the coliseum.” She paused and glanced around at the rubble as they headed back towards the front where they’d last seen Hercules and the others. “…Which seem to be rather defunct, now.”

Goofy hummed considerately. “That was awful nice of Hades ta help ya.”

“But why would he go and do that?” Donald asked and, glancing back, Sable saw him squinting at her suspiciously. “You said you owe him a favor?”

“To be decided at some point in the future after the Organization is dealt with.” Sable assured. “Oh, he gave me some trivia that you’ll be interested in, Sora.  Apparently, he’s met Keybearers before.”

That snapped Sora out of his current funk and his head swiveled around to her, wide-eyed.

“The king was here?!” Donald almost shouted.

Rubbing her poor ear, Sable shot him an unimpressed look. “Not Mickey, no.  He said it was about a century ago, so anywhere between sixty and a hundred and twenty years ago, give or take.  Apparently, there was a school for Keybladers.”

“You mean…with actual teachers?” Sora asked, blue eyes wide.

“Surprised me too…but I don’t think it’s still around.  Apparently one of the students went ‘high on darkness’, as Hades put it and, well…decided to indulge in some mass murder.”

The younger teen went gray at that, Donald and Goofy didn’t look much better.

“Yeah, even Hades was a bit unsettled by it though he tried to play it off.” Reaching out, Sable ruffled Sora’s hair, smearing more hydra gore into the spikes. “But it made me think, there might be records on how to train Keybladers.  I thought, maybe we could try and find that place at some point?  I mean…it’s not as good as having an actual teacher, but something’s better than nothing, right?”

“That…” Either oblivious or choosing to ignore the sticky mess she’d made of his hair, Sora stared up at her with an oddly watery expression. “I think…that’d be great.  Thanks, Sable.”

Sable wrapped an arm around his shoulder and gave him an affectionate squeeze. “I’m going to do everything I can to help you, lil Magpie.  I promise you that.”

“Magpie?”

Letting go, Sable sped up a pace as she waved towards Hercules and Meg as they came into view.

“Scratch one hydra.” She called. “Please tell me there’s a water trough nearby, this stuff is disgusting.”

              ———

With the hydra dealt with, it was safe for people to enter the area again.  Phil took the lead in making sure cleanup operations were organized and plans for repairs were started.  On the satyr’s insistence, they all went with Hercules and Meg back down to the ‘locker rooms’ for a rest.  And baths.

Greek baths were interesting.  Of the sort Sable didn’t really want to experience again but could tolerate if necessary.  At least it got rid of all the hydra blood. 

(She hoped it hadn’t damaged her hair…) 

Meg arranged an early dinner for them, after bullying Hercules to a Greek kline for a nap.  Despite his protests, he was out the moment he laid down.  While they were waiting for that, Sora caught Sable up on what happened after she and Meg had been abducted by Hades.

“So, he tricked you into unlocking a Keyhole?” Sable asked, combing her fingers through her still-damp hair to help air it out.

Sora nodded. “There was a carving of Meg around it, we thought he’d turned her to stone!”

“But it was a trick.” Goofy added. “She was just tied up in the room behind the keyhole.”

“Was it the World’s keyhole?”

All three shook their heads.

“Not.  Actually, that’s back in the coliseum lobby.  I thought it was a lock like the one on the doors when we tried getting out the first time, but then the whole cavern started to shake and we had to run before the ceiling came down on us!” Frowning, Sora cocked his head. “Did Hades say anything about what he was doing when you were talking to him?”

Sable shook his head. “It didn’t come up, I was more focused on making sure I didn’t collapse like that again, then trying to milk all the info he had on Keybearers.  Sorry.”

Reaching out, Sora patted her shoulder. “It’s alright, Sable.  That information is important, too!”

“Maybe the King knows about a place that used to teach Keyblade Users.” Goofy suggested. “We could probably ask him when we run inta him again.”

They all nodded at that.

“We should probably check out the Underworld again, tomorrow.” Sable suggested. “See what was up with that Keyhole.  And no-” She pointed a sharp finger at Sora before he could speak. “-we're not doing it tonight.  We need to eat and rest.  Hercules needs to eat and rest, because you know he won’t let us go alone now that he has something to prove.”

“You don’t sound happy about that, Sable.” Goofy observed.

“I’m not.  He needs at least a few days to recover his strength before I’d feel comfortable letting him do any Hero work.  Problem is that I don’t think Hades will give him that time.”

“So, we’re gonna have to make sure we back him up.” Sora declared. “And that’s why you want us to take it easy tonight, right?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“Alright.  I wanted to talk to Phil, but I think that can wait until we figure out what Hades is up to.”

“About him training you three back up to speed?” Sable asked.

“Well, that too.” Sora nodded. “But…Demyx said he and Roxas trained here, right?  I kind of wanted to ask him about that.”

Sable blinked at him.  Then reached over and clapped a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him. “That’s a very good idea, Sora.  Verify what you’ve been told.  That’s a habit that’ll serve you well all your life and, hopefully, keep you from getting led around by the nose.”

Sora grinned at her.

“By the way, when did you get fire magic?  I thought you only had blizzard.”

“Oh, shoot.  I forgot to tell you!” Digging into his pockets, Sora pulled out the familiar little magic bobble, now pulsing gently with red and gold light. “Hey, there’s another one!  Anyway, the fire charged up after the ambush in Hollow Bastion.  The thunder spell’s new, I think it charged up after we beat the Hydra…”

The sensation this time was nowhere near as jarring as the blizzard had been.  A sudden rush of warmth and a jolt like static.  The main difference was that Sable could kind of feel the spells imprint themselves on her aura. 

Not that it helped her understand how to actually cast anything.

“I still have no idea how to use magic.” Sable deadpanned as Sora pocketed the now-transparent bobble again.

“Well, you-” Sora yelped as Donald shoved him away.

“Leave this to a professional, Sora.” The royal magician sniffed. 

In the lecture that followed, Sable was forced to remember that, yes, Donald was a professional magic user.  Complete with official training.  He understood how the magic worked and, while much of it went over Sable’s head, enough stuck that she could taste the potential there.  More than just the generic samples shown in the games. 

According to Donald?  Magic users could repurpose spells so they manifested differently, which explained quite a bit.  It wasn’t like enhanced skills or the raw light or darkness manipulation she was used to.  For the first time, it really sunk in that Sable was in a realm of wonder and magic. 

That moment when he walked her through how to tap her mana pool for the first time to conjure a low-power fireball in her palm had stolen Sable’s breath away. 

              ———

As Sable anticipated, Hercules didn’t let them leave without him the next morning.  Even though they’d tried being sneaky and waited for him to lay down for another nap, there he’d been waiting for them just outside the ruined lobby of the coliseum.

(Personally, Sable suspected Pegasus had snitched on them.)

Reminding the half-Olympian that he was still burned out and in dire need of rest was shrugged off.  Instead, Hercules had told them how there’d been rumors of earthquakes all throughout the night outside the edge of the city.  Roughly in the direction of the fissure leading down into the Underworld.

Even if Sora and company hadn’t been leaving, Hercules would have gone to investigate for himself.  Sable had fumed silently at that.  She’d gotten some odd looks from Sora when she’d muttered sourly about ‘toxic machismo’ and ‘self-mythologizing narcissist’.

Granted, that last one might not have been entirely fair to Hercules, but it had been like spending almost half an hour talking to a wall.  Every point she’d made had been shrugged off or ignored for the sake of the narrative the hero was clearly playing up in his own mind.  Sable had the right to be a little salty about that.

In any case, they all headed back to the Underworld with Meg and Phil riding on Pegasus overhead while the rest of them walked.  It didn’t take long for them to get there.

“Is it brighter down here than it was before?” Sable asked immediately as they descended the steps.

Sora looked around. “Hey, you’re right!”

“Gawrsh, look over there.” Goofy pointed.

They all looked.  Across the ominous, purple-tinted lake that bracketed the path they took to and from the Underworld proper, light could be seen in the distance.  They looked like spot lights framing a massive skull-themed arch with two giant double doors they could see even across the distance and gloom.

“Is Hades throwing a rock concert?” Sable asked after a moment.

“No!” Everyone jumped as Hades poofed into existence. “But that’s a great idea for next time!” He flipped her a thumbs up and a wink before throwing his arms high.

“Lades and gentlemen of the dead!  Your long wait is over!  The Underdrome is back in business!”

(Dang, the man had some lungs.)

The world around them swirled in a cloud of smoke as Hades relocated them from Point A to Point B.  From everyone else’s startled reactions, Sable had been the only one to notice the actual warp.

“In this arena, it makes no difference if you’re a hero or a villain, living or dead!  Here in the Underdrome, we’ll finally answer the age-old question: Who Deserves the Title of ‘Ultimate Hero’?”

“Wak…what’s going on here?” Donald sputtered, spinning around to stare at the massive arena around them. “What do we do, Sora?”

“I’m so ready for this!”

…Yup.  That was Sora.  Sable could see the literal fire in his eyes even as Donald squawked in protest.  She couldn’t blame the Keybearer, she was kind of interested in this as well.  Fighting in the Underworld?  What kind of new techniques could she come up with on the fly this time?

“I call it the Hades Cup!  Any stiff who proves himself here goes back to the world of the living, guaranteed!”

“OOOOHHHHH!”

Belatedly, Sable registered that the stands high overhead were filled to bursting with formless sheet spirits.  It was going to be a proper coliseum montage, after all.

Wait…where’d Sora go?

“And I assure you the ‘Great’ Hercules will be there.  Right, your Hero-ness?”

Uh-oh, Hades had apparently snatched Meg again while everyone was distracted.  The visibly fuming woman was huffing around the smoke gag wrapped around her face.

“After all, your fans won’t settle for anything less than a certified hero.” Hades went on, speaking through a mic that he’d literally just magicked up. “And if you don’t do as I say, you’ll never see your girlfriend again.”

“KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF HER!”

As Sable watched, Donald and Goofy both latched on as Hercules stomped towards the base of the stadium to glare up at Hades.  They may as well have been bits of confetti for all the effect they had.

“Sora!” Donald shrieked as he was dragged across the stone. “Stop him!”

The sound of running footsteps had Sable turn to see Sora rushing back from…wherever he’d vanished to, a determined set to his face.  Donald and Goofy both heaved sighs of relief.  Until Sora came skidding to an abrupt halt and flashed a victory sign at the trio, blue eyes bright.

“I signed us both up, Hercules!”

Sable blinked, then squinted at him. “What about me?”

“I signed you n’ me up as a tag-team!” Sora grinned at her, then looked up at the stadium where Hades was watching them, Meg tucked casually under one arm as the Olympian’s brows hovered near his hairline. “We can do that, right Hades?  The two guys at the counter weren’t sure.”

“Eh, I’ll allow it.” Hades pointed his mic at Sora and Sable. “You two just better give me a good show, ya hear?”

Both teens snapped to attention and saluted the lord of the Underworld in perfect unison. “You won’t be disappointed, SIR!”

“Are you crazy!” Donald howled. “Hercules is too tired!  Fighting in this tournament could kill him!”

Well that certainly took the wind out of Sora’s sails.

“Oh yeah!  What do I do?” Gnawing his lip, the brunette peered back to the sign-in tables. “Should I cancel?”

Sable palmed her face.

“It’s okay.” Everyone turned to look at Hercules, who was still glaring up at his uncle. “Hades would do anything to get rid of me.  This is a good chance to show him what a hero can really do.”

Sable grumbled incoherently into her palm. 

Men.

Sora lit up again. “Yeah!  We can do this!”

“Don’t get so excited, Sora!”

———

Much like the Struggle tournament in Twilight Town, the Hades Cup took a bit to set up.  Yes, they signed up, but then there was the ‘randomization’ to decide which participants would face each other in what order.  Hades’s little minions, Pain and Panic she thought their names were, were being run ragged but managing everything quite well.  Sable was genuinely impressed.

The delay gave them all time to grab snacks, Sora talking Sable into trying some fried dango.  It wasn’t bad.  She was probably going to go after the meat kebabs next, though.  That much sweet wasn’t her thing.

“So.” Sora mumbled around a dango ball. “I saw Auron’s name on the list of contestants.  Why don’t we go see how he’s doin’?”

“Says here he’s in the first bracket.” Goofy informed, reading a pamphlet he got from…somewhere.

How had they gotten printed so fast when Pain and Panic were barely getting the brackets posted?  Did Hades just magic them up like that microphone he’d been using earlier?

“Which bracket are Sable and I in?” Sora asked.

“Uh…lessee here…”

“Why’d you just sign up the two of us, anyway?” Sable wondered, biting off another dango ball. “Why not Donald and Goofy as well?”

Donald grumbled darkly under his breath as he nibbled on his fried potatoes.

“Oh, they don’t like these tournaments.  They’ll compete with me because I want to do them, but they’d rather not.” Sora gave her a grinning thumbs up. “So, it’s extra great that you’re with us, Sable!”

Sable swallowed and returned the grin. “Probably better for us, anyway.” She looked at Donald. “You know this tournament isn’t going to be that straightforward.  You and Goofy can poke around and see if you can’t figure out Hades’ trick.  He’ll be focused on the actual fights and probably won’t pay the ‘side-kicks’ any attention.”

Scowling, Donald gave her curt nod as Goofy let out a victorious sound.

“There ya both are!” He pointed at the pamphlet in his hand. “Right here.”

Sable and Sora both leaned in for a look.

“Cool, we have time to go back for seconds.” Sora grinned, then he blinked and pointed. “Oh, hey, there’s Auron.”

They all looked up to see Auron fighting against Cerberus.  Sable winced as the giant guard dog was smacked all over the arena by Auron’s giant blade.

“It says here that each bracket competes in a gauntlet run of fights.” Goofy told them, nose buried in the pamphlet. “Ten rounds in’a row, then it’s the next bracket’s turn.  Once all the brackets have gone, then the winners compete in the next round of gauntlets.”

“Better for us.” Sable decided. “Gives us a push, but it isn’t an endless wave so we will be able to have breaks.” She looked at Sora as he finished up one of his dango sticks. “Think you can manage that?”

“Have you forgotten who you’re dealing with?” Sora winked up at her.

Reaching out, Sable knuckled his head. “Little snot.”

Batting her hand away, Sora skittered away a few steps and stuck his tongue out at her.  Then he pointed again.  “Look, I think his bracket’s done!  Auron!  Hey, Auron!  Over here!” 

And off he jogged, tossing his empty stick in a random garbage bin.  Sable, Donald, and Goofy sped up to follow him.  The red-clad swordsman turned as they approached, offering a curt nod of greeting.

“Hercules’ bracket is next.” Goofy pointed at the arena.

They all watched the half-Olympian mow through his opposition with relative ease.  His final opponent being a large rock monster that was promptly pulverized.  Sable wondered if that had been some kind of record time for a ten gauntlet run.  She could hardly tell there had been ten rounds, Hercules had gone through them that fast. 

“He did it!  That’s our Hercules!” Sora cheered. “I guess this is what they mean by ‘quality is quality’.”

“I think you mean ‘quality over quantity’.” Sable offered.

“Yeah, that!” As Hercules moved off the stage, Sora looked back at Auron. “Hey, wait a minute.  Hades said the winner gets to live again…does that mean you’re dead, too?”

Auron looked away. “…yes.”

Immediately Donald and Goofy both pounced on Sora.

“Pardon our friend.” Donald said awkwardly. “He doesn’t know his manners.”

Sable saw the faint ghost of a smile settle on Auron’s lips. “That’s alright.”

“But how?” Sora gasped, shoving his head up off the ground. “You’re so tough!  How could anything kill you?”

“Stop it, Sora!” Donald hissed, yanking on Sora’s arm. “Quit sticking your nose in other people’s business!”

“I’m not as strong as you think.”

The tug-of-war with Sora’s arm paused as the participants all blinked up at Auron.

“I lived to protect my friends…and I failed.”

“…So, are your friends here, too?”

Donald looked like he was legitimately considering extreme measures to get Sora to stop being an innocently thoughtless young boy.

“No…” Auron turned away from them. “I’ve said too much already.” There was a soft clink of chains as he started walking away.

“No, no!  He was the one prying!” Donald argued, catching Sora by the back of his neck and dragging the squawking teenager down again.

“Hey, cut it out!”

“That’s a bad habit, you know!  Stay out of people’s personal lives!”

Still not deterred, Sora struggled away from Donald’s grip. “Hey!  We’re on a quest to find our friends, too!”

Auron stopped walking.

“I hope you can get out and see your friends.” Sora finished, tone almost gentle.

Sable eyed the shackle around the swordsman’s ankle, and the chain dragging from it. “Hades said the prize is a return to life.  But Hercules, Sora, and I are all alive.  We could tell Hades to give it to you, instead.”

“Will the next round’s fighters please come to the arena?”

“Oh! That’s us!” Sable yelped as Sora latched onto her arm and took off running. “Cheer us on, guys!”

The dark adept had just long enough to wonder where in the world had Donald and Goofy gotten those folding fans and flag with her and Sora’s faces painted on them, before she got yanked up the steps to the arena.

              ———

It was fun.

The Heartless set against them were tougher than Sable had faced yet, but with Sora at her side, and the two of them getting better at coordinating together in a fight, their opponents didn’t last long.  Sable could definitely feel a major boost to her own attacks.  Not just from being in a dark-aligned area, but also something about having her aura under control had a clear effect.  She wasn’t getting tired, even after the first couple of rounds. 

(In fact, she was barely warming up!) 

It was almost enough to forget that Sora wasn’t getting the same benefit.  Glancing in his direction at the end of another round, she realized he was looking almost as drained as after the ambush at the train station back in Twilight Town. 

Not good.  They weren’t even halfway through their bracket, yet.

“Sable, I’m gonna try for a Drive Form.” Sora murmured as their next round of opponents popped into the arena.

Drive forms restored health and mana when used, Sable remembered.

She flipped him a thumb’s up. “Go for it.”

Then her brain caught up with her.  Sora only had Valor Form.  Which was tied to Goofy.  Who wasn’t currently on the team.  Leaving only her…

“Wait, Sora, don’t-!”

Too late.  She felt something tug at her.

“Darkness!”

Staring at the darkness streaming over Sora’s now blackened form, Sable swore.  Loudly.  Then swore again as their opponents descended upon them.  Gluttony deflected and cut into them easily enough, but Sora’s Keyblade had vanished when he’d entered Anti Form…

Which…

Apparently didn’t matter.  Sora’s Anti Form was gleefully shredding hapless opponents with wicked talons now sprouting from the ends of his fingers.  Every attempt at a retaliatory blow was nimbly dodged by some tumble or a neat hovering ability that let him zip across the arena in a dark streak. 

There was a distinct nyah-nyah-nyah in Anti Form’s posture whenever it darted away from frustrated enemies.  Like a mocking cat.  Even the dark streamers trailing off him flicked back and forth like playful tails.

“You good, Sora?” She called, knocking away another Heartless before finishing it off with another lunge.

Those bright yellow eyes flicked at her and that shadowed head bobbed eagerly.  Sable could almost imagine a playful chitter-chirp to go with the gesture just before Anti Form pounced on another Heartless.

“Okay.  I think we can work with this.” Sable decided. 

Agility and ferocity were what Anti Form specialized in, but it couldn’t use healing items or magic, so she’d have to make sure to top him off as needed.  Provided anything could actually touch him, that is. 

Heh.

Sable fought more cautiously, so as to keep a weather eye on her darkened friend.  Then she got caught in a dark magic burst he threw down at the end of an air-combo.  Suddenly the world was hazed a lovely red and there were so many toys to break and Sora didn’t need her worrying about him in this game.

Play-play-play!

Then something exploded. 

Sable’s back slammed down into the ground as the air woofed from her lungs.  Dazed, she wheezed and tried to figure out what had happened. 

Then she blinked and realized she was being glared at by a grumpy gumball machine.  She stared at it.  It stared back at her.  Glancing around revealed it had siblings, one of which Anti Form was cocking his head at.  First one way.  Then the other.  Almost enough to mimic a particularly baffled owl.

“Hey, Sora!”

That black head snapped around.

“Push the button!” Sable punched her gumball in the button nose for emphasis.

It sputtered. 

Spat some rocks at her. 

Vanished in an affronted poof.

Snickering, Sable rolled back to her feet as she watched a gleeful Anti Form follow her example.  She was almost certain there was chittering involved somehow.  Then she blinked, and her brain itched, as Anti Form seemed to glitch, reappearing at the other gumball machine to bop that button.

(Ow.  Ow.  Ow.  Her brain did not like trying to parse that.)

More Heartless popped in and Sable shut it aside.  Not Important.  And now that she was a little more acclimatized to the rush of happy-happy-killer she could try and play with her skills a bit.  Like using Rending Claw on cue.  It took a few attempts to figure out how to repeat it.  Then she had the stray thought of: what if she used Alacrity to spin Gluttony like a slungshot?  Could she fire continuous claws that way?

The answer to that?  Yes. 

Ho-boy was the resulting mayhem glorious.  Anti Form cackled silently as he flitted between the dark claws that shredded whatever hapless enemy was in the way like a storm of starving sickle weasels had descended upon them. 

Heheh.  Weasel Wind.

Then she stumbled a step and her momentum had promptly fallen apart.  Whoa, hello vertigo.  Okay, maybe she’d need to treat that particular attack with a bit more moderation.

Then a cold breeze sent a shiver up her spine and Sable looked up in time for-

Ice.

That...

What had just…

Did something just flash freeze her?  Not cool, dude!

Yanking on that not-quite-familiar sense that Sable recognized as her mana pool, she matched it to the spell imprinted on her aura.

“Ignite!”

Ice cracked, steamed, and shattered as fire whorled up around her.  Brushing frost off her shoulder, Sable hunted for the perpetrator.

Just one.

A rotund thing in blue with a scepter, floating lightly above the ground like a balloon.  Anti Form seemed to be having trouble with it. 

Growling deep in her throat, Sable pulled on her magic again, running her off-hand across the back of Gluttony’s blade. 

“Burn.” Fire engulfed the blade.

The world blinked.

Oh, the ice Heartless did not like getting shish-kebabbed by a flaming sword.  No siree. 

Good. 

Teach it to turn her into a Sable-sicle. 

Its floating trick didn’t help much when it wasn’t particularly fast and she could just warp after it.  After a few rounds of that, with Anti Form sneaking in a few hits of his own with his glide ability, the Heartless thought it would be a great idea to burst into a bunch of mini-ice cubes that ran around like a flock of headless chickens.

Why?

No, seriously, why?

Ah well, at least Anti Form had a great deal of fun smashing them.  Boing-crunch-boing-crunch-boing-crunch.  Like watching a dog splat some fleeing packrats, which Sable had actually witnessed once.  This left much less mess, though.

On a whim, an anime scene playing out in her mind’s eye, Sable tried coating the fingertips of her off-hand with darkness like she’d coated Gluttony with fire.  Then she swung out at the few remaining ice-cubes.

The darkness shot off in arcing mini-blades that seemed to home-in on convenient targets, tearing into them with less cutting power than Rending Claw but with considerably more precision.  Anti Form actually stopped to shoot her a disgruntled look as one of the mini-claws took out the ice-cube he’d been about to pounce.  Oops.

Since it had nothing to do with blood or iron, she’d call that one Shrapnel.

One more round ended.  How far along were they?  She’d lost track.  No matter, they were handling things just fine.  Nonetheless, Sable took the precious moments between rounds to toss several potions over herself and Anti Form, which got a startled, back-arched response from her darkened friend as the glass shattered.  Now what would pop up next…

Sable ducked a pink bullet.

Nobodies!

Snipers and Gamblers, if she remembered correctly.  Well, that threw off her groove a bit.  Nobodies could actually think.  And both variants had annoying gimmicks.  Gamblers especially.

She needn’t have worried.

In between playing crystal ping-pong with the Snipers (surprisingly fun) she saw Anti Form in what looked like a very odd rendition of Slap Jack with the Gamblers.  Then one of the Nobodies would explode into munny and he’d turn to the next one.

(She still wanted to know what was with the random munny-splosions.)

“Winner: Sora and Sable!”

Aww, over already?

Probably better for Sora, though.  Sable took a calming breath and felt the red haze fade from her vision.  Then she took another breath to be sure.  Then she turned her attention to Sora. 

When she approached the twitching Anti Form the dark wisps evaporated and the color faded back into his clothes, hair, and skin.  She caught him as he wobbled, letting the shorter teen lean against her.  Sable led him off the arena to the nearest convenient stone bench and sat down with him.

“You doin’ alright?” She asked, watching him sway in place.

“That was weird.” Blue eyes blinked like a light-dazed owl. “Fun, though.  It was all a big game.”  He flopped against her. “Could kinda go for a nap…”

“Sable!’

“Sora!”

And they were set upon by two very worried Disney characters.  Though they backed off a bit when Sable shot them a dark, squinty-eyed look when Donald’s overenthusiastic investigations jostled the half-asleep Sora.  Or maybe it had been the low growl that had left her throat.  Either way, they gave them space.

That didn’t stop Donald from tossing them both a potion, which was appreciated.  For the refreshing effect more than anything else.

“Are you both alright?” Goofy asked softly as Sable wrapped her arm snuggly against the smaller teen now snoring against her side.  “What was that?”

“We’re fine, he’s just a little worn out.” Sable assured. “As for that…side-effect of attempting to use a Drive Form with me, I suppose.  I realized the potential problem a little too late to stop him and it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Refreshes Sora and refills his mana pool.” Donald nodded, staring at their sleeping friend. Then he shivered, white feathers fluffing.  “He looked like a Shadow.”

“Like after he released Kairi’s Heart.” Goofy agreed.  “Only bigger, this time.”

“He recognized me and followed my lead, so it wasn’t as bad as it looked.”  Sable frowned. “It might be a side-effect of using Drive Forms, so it might not just be me setting it off.”

“You mean it could happen again?” Donald cried, aghast.

“Possibly, I don’t know for sure.  But if he recognized me, he’ll probably recognize you, so just think of him as a big, aggressively playful cat when he’s like that.  The…let’s call it Anti Form, is just as temporary as the other Form.  It might need a safe spot before he’ll change back, though.  I noticed it ran a bit longer than usual.”

“Quite a bit more.” Goofy nodded. “Do ya think it had to do with being in the Underworld?”

“Probably another factor playing into things.”

The Disney pair exchanged disgruntled looks as the announcer declared the next bracket.  Auron -vs- Hercules, the match Hades had been chomping at the bit to arrange.  From where Sable sat, Hercules was definitely not looking to good but he still held up well against Auron’s powerful blows.

That probably wouldn’t last, though.

“Be ready.” Sable murmured to Donald and Goofy. “If anything’s going to happen, it’ll be during this match.”

They both nodded, their expressions severe.  Then worried, as their gazes flickered back to the still-sleeping Keybearer pressed up against Sable’s side.

“Flower-boy!  Dark-n-Broody!”

Sora didn’t even twitch as Sable twisted around to see a still-bound Meg hopping in their direction.  That was impressive, she had to give the other woman props for sheer grit.  Alacrity cracked out and scattered the smoky bonds.  Meg stumbled, then sprinted the rest of the distance to them.  She almost tripped as she registered Sora’s snoozing form.

“Excellent escape.” Sable praised with a smirk.

“You and Flower-boy made the perfect distraction.” Meg returned the smirk. “Hades was so busy crowing over the bets he won he didn’t notice me getting away.  Or that I took this.” She held out a hand, showing miniature red-clad swordsman. “Hades uses these dolls to control the dead.”

“Gawrsh, that looks just like Auron.” Goofy noted, taking the figure.

“Hades is controlling him!” Donald fumed, brandishing his crackling staff with both hands.

A meaty thump yanked all their attention back up to the arena in time to see Hercules go sliding across the hard stone.  He seemed to be having difficulty getting back up.

Meg bolted towards the steps. 

“Meg, wait!” Donald took off after her, Goofy half a step behind. “What are you doing?”

“Throwing in the towel!” Was shouted back. “If we don’t stop this, he’ll die!”

What towel?  Sable wondered, still seated on the bench.  She was going to give Sora as much down time as she could squeeze out of it.  If she was right, there would be a bit of grandstanding before anything really serious happened.  Nothing ate up time quite like a good drama, with a villain monologue coming in close second and there’d likely be both.

Oh.  Goofy had a towel.  The ‘Olympus Hot Springs’ embroidery flashed gold in the spotlight as Meg threw it across the arena.

“Hercules has thrown in the towel!  Auron wins the round and will be progressing to the next match!”

From her vantage point, Sable couldn’t see or hear whatever went on between Meg and the fallen Hercules.  What she did see, however, was Hades poofing onto the arena a few moments later and his voice carried just fine.

“Geeze Louise.  You really shouldn’t go around raining on people’s parades like this.  And then you go all P.D.A. on us.”

Sable snorted at that, one hand coming up to muffle her snickers.

“Just look at the disappointment in that crowd!”

While the crowd had indeed gone silent from its earlier dull roar, Sable doubted it was because of some public displays of affection.  Either they were holding their nonexistent breath for Hades to absolutely blow his top, or they were waiting with baited breath to see what the finale was going to be for this new live-reality-drama playing out before them.

Heck, it could probably be both at once.

“We have to let this fight play out to the end.”

Wow.  Hades hand really did turn into smoke, reaching out to snatch…Ho-boy.  Sable glanced down at Sora and chewed at her lip.  Then she settled down and waited. 

“Now prisoner.” Hades grinned, brandishing Auron’s voodoo doll. “Finish off Jerkules!”

“Uh, ‘scuse me, Hades, sir.”

Violet eyes blinked at the almost timid, if familiar, voice sounded out.  That’s right, Pete was in the Underworld, wasn’t he?  Sable had kind of forgotten about that with everything else going on.

“I kinda need him alive, if’n ya don’t mind.”

“Can it!  This is my once-in-a-millennium chance to trap Hercules in the Underworld.”

“WHAT?  No fair, changin’ the plan!”

“The fight is over.” That was Auron’s voice.

Sable felt Hades’ darkness flare up, every inch the Olympian lord of the Underworld that he was.

“Who cares?  Do as I say!”

“Sora.  You need to wake up.” She murmured, nudging her friend.  He mumbled incoherently.

Snap.

The tiny little sound, like that of cracking plastic, wouldn’t have stood out if there hadn’t been an absolute dead silence that fell in its wake.

Sable nudged Sora again. “Hercules and Auron could use our help.”

“Mm…Herc?” Unfocused blue eyes fluttered open. “Auron?  Waz goin’ on?”

“Oops!”

Sora blinked again, looking more alert. “Was that Pete?”

“Yup.”

“What the Tartarus do you think you’re doing?”

“Hades?” The shorter brunette sat upright, then swayed a little as vertigo struck.

“Shut up!” Pete shot back, his earlier timidness gone and his accent much thicker than normal. “I told’ja we were gonna make Hercules into a Heartless, ya idjit!”

“Idiot?!” Furious smoke washed over the edges of the arena. “Fine!  Have it your way, but count me out!  I’m a busy god!  Leave me out of your stupid little plot!”

“I’d be happy to!”

“Uh…” Baffled, Sora blinked in the direction of the arena. “What’s gotten into them?”

“You lied to me.”

Sable would not deny it, the cold fury in Auron’s tone sent actual shivers down her spine.  Sora’s too as he visibly shuddered next to her.

“Liars get their tongues pulled out in the Underworld, you know.” Auron went on in the same tone. “Would you like me to do the honors?”

“C’mon, I wanna see this.” Sable murmured, helping Sora up with her as she stood.  If his hand came up to brace against her shoulder she didn’t draw attention to it.

Swoosh.

The sudden gust of air nearly sent both teens toppling back down the stairs.  Sable recovered in time to see Hades catch Auron’s blade as easily as he had caught Gluttony the day before. 

Well…

Not as easily, she could see a faint tremor in the Olympian’s arms as he held the very angry blade away from his face.  Then he poofed into smoke and reappeared on the far side of the arena.  Sable could feel the way his aura was swirling up like a gathering storm. 

She could also feel the ambient darkness of the Underworld rising up in response to its lord’s fury.  Yeah, she wasn’t about to pick a direct fight with him in his own domain.  That’d be stupid.

(Sable could blame her doing just that earlier because she hadn’t known better.  Now she did.)

“Hey numbskull!” Hades shot out. “Turn Hercules into a Heartless already!  He’s weak enough, isn’t he?”

“G-good idea!”

For the first time since realizing he was there, Sable finally saw Pete.  Violet eyes blinked at the pink hearts set into white boxers.  What in the world had-?

“Stay away from him!” Meg snarled, bristling like mother cat over Hercules’ unconscious form.

Unfortunately for her, Pete was both considerably stronger than her and much faster than his size would suggest. 

“Look at ‘im, sleepin’ like a baby.” Pete scoffed as he knotted the also-heart-themed kerchief over Meg’s mouth.

“Oh no you don’t!”  Keyblade flashing into his hand, Sora lunged, Donald and Goofy immediately falling into step behind him.

“Heh.” Smirking, Pete snapped his fingers. “You can keep my minions company!”

And just like that, the stadium was filled with Heartless.

“Pete!” Donald howled as a thunder shot from his staff. “You’re using the power of darkness?”

Pete cackled. “You bet yer tail feathers I am!  Why, I can even do thi- gyah!”

Now standing between Pete and the unconscious Hercules, Sable gestured awkwardly at the villain’s less-than-clothed state.

“So, uh…what happened to you?”

Those pointy black ears flattened against Pete’s skull. “Don’t ask.”

“Uh-huh…” Sable looked him over again.  “Do you wanna postpone this until later?  That’s a little…” She trailed off.

“No!” Pete swelled up indignantly, stamping bare feet hard enough she could feel tremors. “I told ye the next time we met I’d show ye what for!  Wardrobe malfunction or no wardrobe malfunction!”

(Well, she had to give him points for consistency even when it was at his own expense.)

“Alright then.” Gluttony crackled into Sable’s hand. “Show me what you’ve-”

The smell of sulfur filled the air as something latched onto Sable’s scruff and yanked.

Sable had a split second to fume that Hades had been on the other side of the arena and he’d still scruffed her like a troublesome kitten, before his smoke hand became flesh again and stars flashed before her eyes as he nailed her with a point-blank back-hand. 

Slamming across the arena floor wasn’t any nicer than crunching into a wall had been.  The side of her face where Hades had struck her felt like one solid bruise.

Blinking owlishly at the ceiling, Sable could feel Pete’s darkness trying to snuff out the light she recognized as Hercules.  Heard the sounds of combat as Auron went after Hades while Sora, Donald, and Goofy tried to fight through Pete’s Heartless.

Okay.

She was annoyed now.

The world hazed red as she sat up.  Darkness crackled from her palm as Alacrity wrapped around Gluttony’s handle.  Then she started swinging.

Weasel Wind.

Screaming claws of dark energy scattered around as Sable spun on the ball of her foot while her impromptu flail whistled through the air around her, creating a full 360-range-of-effect. 

(Not random, though it probably seemed that way.  She was making sure not to aim towards allies.)

The weaker Heartless buckled and shattered under the onslaught while the stronger ones were visibly damaged.  But why should Sable stop with just that?

She pulled on her mana pool.

“Discharge!”

While Fire was definitely going to be fun to play with, Sable had to say her favorite combat spell so far had to be thunder.  It simplified things so much and neatly complimented the claws of her Weasel Wind.  It also obscured everyone else’s line-of-sight so attacks of opportunity were more likely to miss, which was a bonus.

Feeling the last of the Heartless burst and fade, Sable swayed under a sudden wash of vertigo and flopped to the ground in a dizzy heap as Alacrity and Gluttony both vanished.  Ooooh her stomach had not liked that.  Not at all.  All rolling and churning yet feeling strangely empty in a way that felt like a kick to the gut.

Was this what a drained mana pool felt like? 

Gross.

“Whoa, Sable, was that a Limit Break?” She heard Sora from somewhere nearby.

That…hadn’t been what she’d done, was it?  It had just been combining magic with a technique.  She’d have to ask later what a Limit Break actually was.  Sable suspected it was something different from the battle mechanic with the same name from Final Fantasy VII.

“What’s taking so long?”

Sable glanced up to see Hades glaring over his shoulder while smacking away Auron’s sword again.

“It ain’t workin’.  He won’t change!”

Pete had his darkness propping Hercules up like a limp puppet, the hero was still…sound asleep?  Yes, Sable was pretty sure he was actually snoring.  Also, completely unaffected by the villain’s apparent attempt to turn him into a Heartless.

“Maybe these hero-types…don’t have enough darkness in ‘em?”

Ear flicking, Pete cocked his head.  Then both ears perked up at something Sable couldn’t hear. 

“Oh, I get it!” 

Reaching out, Pete gave the hero a sharp slap across the face to do a jigglypuff’s double-slap proud. 

“Snap out of it!  Wakey-wakey!”

Or, in this case, wake-up slap, heh…

(Sable knew she should really get up and go interfere, but she didn’t think her legs would hold her at the moment.)

“Whu…?” Sprawled out over the stone, Hercules jerked awake.  “Am I…in the middle of a match?”

Thoroughly fed up with all the nonsense, Pete planted his hands on his hips.  “Would ya wake up already?  The fight’s long over!”

Sable saw the exact moment Hercules’s brain clicked into gear.

“Meg!  Why are you gagged?” He jerked back up to his feet. “What did you do to M-” The half-Olympian stumbled, limbs not quite responding like he expected them to.

“Could you hurry it up!” Hades fumed.

“Hmm, how do I go about getting’ more darkness in his Heart?” Pete wondered, still absently gripping the captive Meg.  “Maybe if I flipped up the girlie’s skirt…”

“Pete!” Sable yipped, appalled.

Vein visibly pulsing at his temple, Hades finally lost his patience.  Sable watched his arm turn to smoke once more before lashing out clear across the arena.

“He pushed Meg over the edge!”

Sora was already running, Donald and Goofy with him as Pete stared numbly over the abyss.  Okay, whether her legs would cooperate or not, Sable would get over there.  Oi, vertigo, but she was moving.

“Now was that really so hard?” Hades deadpanned.

“Ohhh!  Good idea!” Pete swung around to Hercules with a nasty grin. “How d’ya like them apples?  Feel the despair, Hercules!  Go on, feed your hate!  Fill yer heart with darkness!”

“MEGGGGG!”

Aaand there he went. 

Heroes.

“HERCULES!” Sora screamed, skidding to a stop by the edge.

“What the-” Pete gaped over the edge. “What happened?  How could he just jump after her like that?  He’s off his rocker!  Inconceivable!”

The phrase ‘I don’t think that word means what you think it means.’ zipped dragonfly-quick through Sable’s mind as she caught up with Sora.

“Of course he jumped!” Sora snarled at Pete. “He’s gotta save Meg!”

“What kinda hare-brained- There ain’t no savin’ nobody from a fall like that!”

(Ow.  Listening to that sentence actually hurt.)

“If anyone’s hare-brained it’s you!”

“Gawrsh!  He is the Mighty Hercules…” Goofy bit at his gloved hand. “Maybe he’ll be okay?”

“But we don’t know what’s at the bottom of this thing!” Donald argued.

“Hey!” Pete looked back at Hades. “What happens when someone falls down there?”

“What else?  They join Club Dead.” Hades deadpanned, gesturing to the cliff edge where Sable could vaguely glimpse the same swirling green magic that had been outside the lord of the Underworld’s chambers. “That pit leads to a whirlpool that resets the souls of the dead.  If a live person were to fall in, well…”

A choked sob escaped Pete. “My whole plan…down the drain.”  Then, growling, he lunged at Hades with shocking speed as the Olympian was distracted catching Auron’s blade again. “YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!”

“What!  Now this is my fault?” Hades shot back indignantly, smacking back the black hands trying to strangle him.

“You can’t just play with people’s lives like this!” Uh-oh, now Sora was mad. “I’m gonna make you pay!”

Pete wasn’t having it, turning away from Hades who didn’t seem any more impressed.

“Quit yer yappin’!” The dog-cat snarled as darkness flared around him. “It’s time for Plan B!”

Another surge of Heartless popped into existence all around the arena.  Half-expecting it, they all deflected the initial rush without much difficulty.

“Since I lost Hercules, I’ll just hafta turn you mugs into Heartless!”

Cutting through another Heartless, Sable saw Hades quirk a brow as he absently caught Auron’s blade again.

“Hey, he’s more competent than I thought…” The Olympian’s low tone just barely carried over the clamor of combat.

“You.” Auron’s voice was almost lost as well, but Sable could just catch it. “You can revive the dead.  Can’t you bring them back?”

Hades snorted.

“Look, even the gods have to play by the rules.  I can’t go bringing people back willy-nilly.” He chided. “And in case you were wondering, that thing about winning the tournament and coming back to life?  That was a lie, too.”

“Because you’re the final contestant, right?” Sable called, having drifted their way while fighting. “The final round was always going to be you against the winner-to-that-point. That’s why it’s the Hades Tournament.”

“Bingo!  Got it in one.”

Auron grimaced when pressing harder on his sword didn’t even make Hades budge, the Olympian apparently growing tired of feigning vulnerability now that the show was over.

“It’s your Underworld.  No one can fight you here.”

“Now you’re catching on!”

A startled squawk tore Sable’s attention from the two men.  Sora’s frantic scream of “Donald!” had her whipping around to see that one of the Hook Bat Heartless had managed to snag the flightless pekin by the ankle before taking off.

Briefly.

“I’m falling!” Donald shrieked as the Heartless let go.

Right over the abyss to Hades’ Pit of Death.

Auron reacted faster than Sable did.  The red-clad swordsman ripped away from Hades (who let him go) and swung.  Caught by the sudden wind, Donald bounced across the edge of the stadium.  Safe.

Wow. 

That hadn’t been a technique, Auron had created that shockwave through sheer force.  No wonder Hades had chosen him to combat Hercules out of literally everyone else in the Underworld. 

“Thanks, Auron!” Sora grinned, though the relieved expression was strained.

Jaw clenched, Auron nodded back. 

Even if they could handle Pete’s Heartless, they were all painfully aware that there wasn’t much they could do if Hades decided to just Smite them.  Sure, most of them could try and run like they had before, but Auron was stuck in the Underworld.

Noting that her earlier queasiness was gone, Sable let the world blink around her. 

Auron and Sora both glanced back as she joined their formation, back-to-back against the Heartless horde while Donald and Goofy fought nearby in practiced tandem.

“I have an idea.” She told them as she casually cut down a Hook Bat. “Sora, think you could manage without us for a bit?”

Sora nodded, brown spikes bobbing with the motion as a determined expression fixed on his face.  He lunged away from the formation to join the Disney pair, who reflexively adjusted to his presence in their fight.

“What’s the plan?” Auron asked softly.

“You have the raw strength.” Sable answered. “And my power can affect Hades.”

The swordsman’s resulting smirk was almost lost behind his collar as he caught on.  As one, they turned and advanced on the villainous duo.

Pete immediately cringed back, almost cowering behind his current partner-in-crime.

“Don’t let them scare you!” Hades spat as dark, roiling smoke rose up from his shoulders. “We just need to work together on this!”

Sable flared her aura and felt Auron’s reach back.  Connect.  Merge as all their collective mana pooled together then flowed back with a visible crackle of power around them. 

Flexing his left arm, Auron shrugged off half his haori, leaving him free to use his sword with both hands.

Yelping, Pete shrank away from their advance.

“Hey!  What happened to your tough-guy act?” Hades demanded.

“He really scares me!”

“Getting your clothes shredded was that traumatic, huh?”

(Well, that answered the question of why Pete was running around in his underwear.)

Dark energy crackling down their respective blades, Auron and Sable smirked at the two villains.  Then lunged. 

“Know Your Place!” Auron snarled.

Pete’s scream reached a pitch most opera singers would envy.

What Sable and Auron did wasn’t the Overdrive Limit as shown in Kingdom Hearts 2, though it was definitely similar.  Auron still threw explosions off his blade with Shooting Star like it was going out of style, and Sable complemented them with fire-laced Rending Claws as they crashed down on Pete and Hades.

Even the Olympian’s smoke-trick didn’t help much when the darkness Sable shared with Auron lit it up like a spark in a cloud of fine flour.

Then Auron leapt back, Sable following his lead. 

“Your Pain Shall Be Two-Fold!”

Winds roared to life around Auron as he spun once and hefted his blade with a brutal two-handed swing as a tornado swept both Hades and Pete clean off the stage and up high overhead.  Then he glanced over at Sable as she ran a hand over the back of Gluttony’s blade, darkness coating it like fire.  He nodded once and Sable gripped her blade with both hands, pointing it at the tornado.

A dark orb congealed at the tip, swelling up as it absorbed all the dark fire before shooting out at high speeds at her silent command.  The spinning sphere connected with roaring winds and exploded.  Like fire splashing over an oil spill, the entire tornado burned with darkness, purple sparks crackling all along it.

Then it faded as their joint Limit came to an end.

Vertigo and nausea left Sable heaving on the cold stone.  Fortunately, her earlier snacks did not decide to come up for a second visit.  Wobbling to her feet when it finally passed, Sable finally turned her attention to the others.  Then she had to wonder where they’d found those chains now tying Pete and Hades together in a miserable, black-n-blue heap in the middle of the arena.

“It doesn’t matter how we punish them.” Sora was saying, voice tight. “It won’t bring Hercules and Meg back.”

“A-hyuck!  I know!” Goofy held up a finger. “He said he’d bring the winner of the tournament back to life, didn’t he?  If he can do that…”

“Right!” Sora perked up, then he rounded on Hades. “Bring them back!  Now!”

“So, sorry, but there’s a little thing called the ‘Laws of Nature’.” Hades snickered. “And bringing people back to life is against the rules.” At their collective looks he went on. “Didn’t you know?  Any wizard or genie can tell you. Far be it for me to break such an important law-”

Movement at the edge of the arena caught Sable’s attention.  She smirked, but stayed quiet.

“And we’re supposed to believe that?” Everyone’s heads snapped around as Hercules glared at his uncle. “You’ve done nothing but break the rules!”

“Wha- I-impossible!  How?” Hades gaped.

“The gods must have seen how much I wanted to save her.” Hercules answered, Meg’s limp form cradled in his arms.

“WHAT?!” Hades flared red, to Pete’s yelping dismay. “That’s not fair!  I’M the god here!”

“You’re right, you are a god.” The half-Olympian agreed, glaring harder. “So, bring her back.”

“And Auron.” Sable cut in. “He and I beat you in the official tournament, we were all in your arena.  I don’t need revived, so I’ll give that prize to Meg.”

“You gotta be kidding!  That’s not how that works!”

“You said Sora and I could tag-team.” Sable pointed out. “You didn’t say we couldn’t trade partners.”

Hades looked outright mutinous.

“Hey, Fast-talker.” Sable spoke gently, pausing Hercules’ angry advance with a wave of her hand. “You’re the one who sets the standard here, as the Olympian lord of the Underworld.  You can’t complain if people renege on a deal if you don’t honor yours.”

The mercurial Olympian sputtered at that.  Then sagged with a weary sigh. 

Sable couldn’t honestly say what happened next.  Only that something in the world around them seemed to flex and twist.  A sound not unlike a sewing machine sounded out in a rapid staccato.  Twice.  Then things were back to normal, with Sable swaying in place from more than just mana exhaustion.

Everyone seemed focused on the bleary-eyed Meg as she stirred in Hercules’ arms, but Sable was watching Auron.  The swordsman seemed a little stunned, fingers coming up to press against the pulse of his throat.

Taking half a step forward, Sable almost spoke up before something else drew her attention.

“This is all your fault!  If you hadn’t come to me with your madcap schemes-!” Hades peeved voice carried across the open space. “Heartless, my pointy teeth!”

Turning away from the relieved couple, Sable saw Hades and Pete, still bound in the chains, trying to make their escape while everyone was distracted. 

It was kind of like watching toddlers during a three-legged race, but worse.

“Oh yeah?” Pete shot back. “Well ‘scuse me for thinkin’ an all-powerful god’d be able to help me out!” 

The links of their chains jangled together as they struggled.  They were getting awfully close to that ledge…

“H-hey!  Don’t push! Stand up straight!”

“Then stop pullin’!  I’m losin’ my balance!”

Sable was running towards them even before they began to teeter over the edge.  Alacrity crackled out, latching onto one of the chains as they dropped from sight with a joint scream.  Boulder, boulder, she needed a boulder!

Flat ground all around her, nothing to anchor her end of the whip. 

Oh sh-

Alacrity went taut and yanked Sable right off her feet.  Dragged her across the open ground in moments.  She threw out her other hand.  Purple sparks crackled over her palm, but no second whip materialized.

She had a split second to glance back and register Sora’s horrified expression before the ground vanished beneath her. 

“Sable!” 

Down into the black she went. 

Blood rushing through her ears, Sable silently acknowledged that she had not thought this through very well and that it was time to switch to a hastily improvised Plan B. 

With a flex of Will, Alacrity immediately retracted, yanking her faster down the abyss towards the falling pair.  Reaching out she latched onto cold chain links.  Ignoring the stereo yelps, Sable closed her eyes and reached for what dregs of energy she had left before pooling it together for one last warp.

Anywhere but here! She thought.

The world blinked.

Impact ripped the chains from her hands as ice-cold water washed over her. 

Limbs frozen and unresponsive, Sable sank into the depths.

              ———

“What do you seek?”

That was an odd question, Sable thought blearily.  Also, one lacking in quantifying context.

“What is your vow?”

Another context-less question.  It could be referring to many things, and each one would warrant a different answer.  Was it meant to be short range?  Her immediate focus and goals?  Or was it meant to be longer, as in years?  A lifetime?

“Answer!”

Impatient, much?  Also, rude… 

What did she seek and what was her vow?  Probably better to assume they were meant to have the same answer.  Also better to err on the side of caution and answer in the most literal sense.

“The Way the Truth and the Life.”

Wait, she didn’t actually speak that…

 Something spasmed, almost like a person reeling back.  Then a sudden turbulence swirled around her, yanking and pulling yet not quite reaching her as if she were in the eye of the storm.  What was…?

The storm faded out as her awareness scattered.

              ———

Chapter Text

Sable choked and sputtered as a large hand seized her by the scruff and yanked her out of the water.

Water clashed with air as she tried to suck in a desperate gasp of breath.  Her lungs did not appreciate that and made their displeasure known.  Wheezing, she barely registered being tossed through the air.  Or landing with a wet splurch.

“That was stupid.  Did you even stop to think for one second?  You’re lucky you didn’t get smote to ash for trying a transgression like that!  Don’t you remember those poor stiffs from the plains a millennia or so back?  What were they called, again?  Started with an ‘S’…”

…she knew that voice.  It felt warm, but like fire rather than sunlight.

“Don’t take that tone with me!  It’s your fault you tried to punch above your weight class.  Even I wouldn’t have tried something like that!  The Big Guy ain’t one you can test all willy-nilly!”

Who was he talking to?  Because that context was not directed towards her.

“Fine, go sulk in a corner.  When you’re ready to act like an adult… Oh nevermind.” Sloshing sounded nearby. “Jeeze louise, what. A. Day.  Totally ruined my ‘do…brr…” 

There was a sigh.  Sable felt warmth scruff her again and heft her up.

“Okay, I’ll admit it, after a stunt like that?  We’re square, kid.  You hear me?” A pause. “I’m just gonna assume you’re listening now even if you’re as cold as a stiff yourself.  So, yeah.  Square.  Don’t come back down for a while, whole place is gonna be ringing like a gong for months…”

What happened?

“This is what I get, Karma and all that.  Way-folk are more trouble than they’re worth…”

More words washed past Sable, growing more and more indistinct as consciousness slipped away again.

              ———

Grumbling at the prickle against her aura, Sable marched up cracked marble steps. 

The lobby of the coliseum was still not much more than a cracked foundation with a few sad pillars and no roof to speak of, but it was actually looking better than the last time she had seen it.  Phil must have started the basic repair work while they’d been down in the Underworld.  Still, it was a long way from being ready to host more games or tournaments.  Hopefully that would give Hercules ample time to get some actual sleep.

Crossing the not-quite-there threshold, Sable glanced around.  Sora had mentioned getting back into shape, so they should still be world-side.  If she was lucky. 

(Sable really didn’t want to be marooned in an AU of Ancient Greece.) 

Now, where could the trio be…?

“Sable!” A black-red-and-gold blur slammed into her. “You’re okay!”

Now blinking up at the nonexistent ceiling of the lobby, Sable patted her friend on the back. “Told you I was familiar with sudden falls.  Would take more than that to really bother me.”

“We figured you’d be okay.” That was Goofy, somewhere beyond the spiky brown mess covering Sable’s field of vision. “We saw you an’ Hades an’ Pete disappear.  Figured you warped yourself someplace safe.” 

“That was reckless!” Donald groused. “Your magic was spent!”

“And you didn’t appear back atop the cliff.” Goofy noted.

“What happened?” Sora demanded, leaning back so Sable could sit up.

“Warped without a set destination in mind.” She admitted, rubbing the back of her aching head. 

(Marble hurt.)

Donald was gaping at her.  Looked to be seriously considering smacking her over the head with his staff.

“Are you crazy?” He demanded. “That…!” Throwing up his hands, the mage stormed off with an almost literal dark cloud over his head.

“Why’d you do that, Sable?” Looking back down, she felt her eyes reflexively try and water in the face of those big, big blue eyes. “Hades and Pete…they’re the bad guys.  They tried to hurt Herc and Meg!  Why’d you go diving after them?”

“I…” Fidgeting, Sable looked away.  Looked up at Goofy.  “Does Pete… have a family?” She asked.

She felt Sora stiffen as a surprised look crossed Goofy’s face.  The Disney guard nodded an affirmative. “Yup, P.J.’s been my Maxie’s best friend since they were tiny fellas.”

“Pete has a kid?” Sora’s head snapped around. “You’re a dad?!”

“That’s…awful considerate of you, Sable.” Goofy cocked his head. “What made you think of it?  I know plenty of folks don’t realize Pete was married.”

“Married?!”

(Was married, he said.  Not is.) 

Sable swallowed, then answered. “I didn’t want to leave a kid without their parent.  It breaks something inside that…never really heals.”

“Sable?” Sora was staring at her with a far more knowing look than she was comfortable with. “Where are your parents?  Were you in Twilight Town alone?”

“They died when I was little.” Sable admitted. “My sister raised me.”  Hearing an approaching clopclop somewhere behind her, Sable cleared her throat and tapped Sora’s shoulder. “Lemme up, will you?” Blinking, the smaller teen helped her back up and Sable glanced around. “Is Phil around?  He has a guest.”

“Someone say my- Chiron!” The grumpy satyr bolted past them to the centaur now standing at the top of the steps. “Old pal, you got my message!”

Kneeling on his forelegs to better shake Phil’s hand, Chiron smiled. “I did indeed and as I was on my way I was asked to escort this young warrior back.” He gestured to Sable. “Now, I believe we have some private matters to hash out?”

Phil nodded and yanked a scroll out from…somewhere. “Yup!  I’ve got a handful of possibilities here but more’s always good.  Some might not work out because when’s it ever that easy?”

“Then we shall see what we can come up with when we put our heads together.” Straightening up again, Chiron nodded towards Sable. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Sable.  I hope we shall have the opportunity to speak again in the future.”  Then he and the diminutive satyr walked away.

“…what was that about?” Sora wondered.

“Remember what I told Hercules?” Sable asked. “Seems Phil took it to heart and is trying to make it happen.”

“Oh…” Light dawned in sky-blue eyes. “Oh!” He grinned up at her.  “That’s great!”

“We might even see the fruits of it before we leave.” Sable noted. “We are still sticking around for combat training, right?  How’s that gonna work?”

“Well, it’s like this…”

              ———

Pegasus, Sable was delighted to discover, didn’t actually have hair like the ground bound examples of the eques family.  Nope, he was covered in the softest feathery down she had only ever seen on baby chicks.  His mane and tail?  Also feathers.  Similar to a greater bird of paradise, except a very rich blue rather than yellow-white.  So, it was with considerable glee that she rode the beautiful winged horse to the training ground Phil wanted them to use, seeing as the coliseum was set to be under Intensive Reconstruction. 

The little island, the satyr was pleased to boast, was the same training grounds where he’d gotten a teenage Hercules up to snuff.  Sable could admit it was a very nice set up.  Very Greek.  But not completely Greek.  There were bits and pieces that reminded Sable of more modern-day equipment.

She wasn’t able to go investigate because Phil immediately had them set to work.  Having been told the general situation while Sable was MIA, the old satyr had already come up with a regime.  As soon as they landed, Donald and Goofy got directed to a very fun-looking obstacle course and told point blank that they were to ‘run ‘til they dropped’.  Donald’s complaints could probably be heard across the island.

In contrast, Sora and Sable were taken to an open platform and given a bunch of spinning-top pots to break.  This matched what Sable had seen in the games, but she couldn’t help but wonder how the pots kept spinning.

(And wonder whether Phil had met Merlin at some point…) 

“Growth spurts are the pits.” Phil had commiserated, shooting Sora a sympathetic look. “Everything suddenly goes too short or too close and every sharp corner and edge within a mile suddenly has it out for you.  You should’a seen Herc back during training.  Anyway…best thing to do is just keep moving until you get your balance back.”

Needless to say, Sora was left kissing the stone more often than not. 

As the Keybearer needed practice the most, Sable spent most of her time snickering off to the side as Sora tried to re-master the moves he’d favored in his previous adventures.  That he never tripped up the same way twice kept it interesting.

Of course, Sora did get her back for laughing at him.  Whenever he had to wait for the pots to reset themselves, he’d challenge her to a sparring match, which was enriching for both of them.

(The one time he used Strike Raid on her head she’d immediately retaliated by nailing him in the face with Alacrity.  Then he’d figured out Slide Dash to tackle her directly instead and things had only deteriorated from there.)

They did take breaks, sitting on a bench and drinking water from earthen mugs, trading tips and observations and had a particularly fascinating discussion regarding their respective light and dark affinities and how they personally felt.  After Sora’s experience with Anti Form, they both agreed that tapping into darkness was basically like letting out your inner cat while someone else held a laser pointer.

“Hey, kiddos!”

At Phil’s shout they both turned to see the satyr jogging in their direction and just behind him at a more casual long-legged stride was-

“Auron!” Sora grinned jumping up to wave at the man.

Standing up as well, Sable could admit to some surprise.  She’d thought the red-clad swordsman had left on his own after they’d escaped the Underworld.  He hadn’t been at the coliseum when Phil had agreed to Sora’s training request, anyway.

“Is everything alright?” Sable asked, looking from Auron to Phil and back again.

“Came to check up on you both.” Phil answered as he came to a stop and looked at Sora. “How’s training going?”

“Great!” Sora bounced on the balls of his feet. “I can use more of my abilities, now.”

“Coordination is still hit-and-miss.” Sable added, smiling. “But his blows are definitely stronger.” Gingerly, she shook out a hand. “Not quite Auron’s power sweeps, but you can see the air getting sucked into the wake of his swings, now.”

The satyr nodded. “Yeah, about what I expected.  Don’t worry kid, you’ll be back up to snuff in no time.”  Then he turned to Sable. “Got a regime figured out for you now, too.”

Now why did hearing that send a sliver of dread down her spine?

“Herc and Meg told me ‘bout the Underdrome tournament.” Phil went on. “Your stamina’s great ‘cept when magic’s involved.”

“Yeah, she flops over like a fish whenever her magic runs out.” Sora volunteered, giving Sable a winning smile as she shot him a dark look.

“And that’s no good for a Junior Hero!” Phil declared. “Yeah, mana-depletion is awful, but you have to be able to work past it or you’re a sitting duck.”

Yeah, that sliver of dread was a bit more than a sliver now.

“What did you have in mind?” Sable asked carefully.

“I’m guessing you only just started using magic?”

The dark adept nodded. “The tournament was the first time I’d used it in combat.  Donald showed me how to use it the night before.”

“So, like Sora needs to get used to his new reach, you’ll need to get used to spending your mana pool.  I hear you figured out a Limit Break?”

“I’m…not sure?  I thought it was just a combo technique.”

“If it blew through your mana pool,” Sora chimed in, “and started nibbling at your aura reserves, then it was definitely a Limit Break.”

“Okay, I suppose that answers that…”

“You can use it on cue?” Phil pressed.

“…yes?”

“Good!  Because that’s where Auron here comes in.” Phil gestured to the swordsman. “You’ll be using your Limit Break as often as your mana replenishes and he’ll encourage you not to flop over whenever you run dry.  And don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of ethers.”

Sable stared at the satyr, then up at Auron and, if she hadn’t been looking for it, she would have missed the ghost of a smirk almost hidden by the swordsman’s high collar.

“Yippie for me.” She deadpanned.

              ———

Sable’s initial impression of mana-depletion didn’t fade.  It sucked.  So much so, that she sicked-up repeatedly across the platform.  Not that Auron was the least bit sympathetic to her plight.

Any time Sable didn’t move fast enough there he was to smack her around with the flat of his blade.  Then there was the way he just shrugged off Sable’s Weasel Wind with next to no effort.  That was basically insult to injury.  It had been ridiculously effective in the Underworld, so seeing Auron no-sell it stung Sable’s pride.

The only bright side to that was at least he was considerate enough not to send her tumbling through the various messes she’d made.  She had to give him credit, though, as the whole thing definitely encouraged Sable to shunt away the reflexive queasiness that came with mana-depletion.  Not as quickly as she’d like, but enough that she could at least duck some of Auron’s swings. 

(When she didn’t get distracted by the flick of his long dark tail of hair, that was.  And wasn’t that embarrassing?)

By the time her muscles dutifully lodged their respective protests (and launched a Strike when she proceeded to ignore them) Sable was able to at least dodge and counterattack a prospective blade-slap.  Not well, granted.  Nowhere near up to her preferred standards, but she was no longer completely helpless when her mana pool ran out.

“I’m done.” Sable groaned, flat on her back.

The sound of footsteps coming to a stop near her head had her cracking open one eye to stare up at Auron.  The man looked amused as he stared down at her.

“You’ve still a way to go.” He pointed out.

“I know, but I need a bit before my limbs cooperate again.  Ethers or no ethers.”

Accepting that, he offered a gloved hand.  Sable eyed it a moment then forced her own hand up to clasp it.  He hefted her back up on her feet in one fluid movement, then caught her when her knees gave out.  Chuckling softly, he let her lean against him as he moved over to one of the benches off the platform.

“Perhaps a break would be wise.” He acknowledged as he sat down beside her.

Humming in response, Sable took measured sips of water as she studied the man.  There was, she observed, a distinct lack of gray in his hair.  It left him looking only a handful of years older than her, rather than a grizzled veteran in his apparent forties.

“Are you younger?” She asked once the cool water had calmed her unhappy and very empty stomach.

Mid-sip of his own drink, the swordsman went still.

“Auron?  You alright?”

The swordsman slowly lowered the cup.

“This is…how I was before I died.” He admitted softly, not looking at her. “I looked older because I didn’t want to give away that I was Unsent, and the pyreflies accommodated me.”

“And you existed like that for a while, I take it?”

“I’m not sure how long it’s been since I ended up in the Underworld, but back on my world it was over a decade before I was able to rest…”

“And then rather than rest you got yoinked into Hades’s schemes.”

“Sadly.”

Reaching out, Sable rested a hand on his shoulder. “How’re you doing, now that you’re alive again?”

“I’m not sure what to do with myself.” Auron admitted, shifting a little under her hand but not brushing her off. “Hercules invited me to join the team he’s putting together, but…”

“Being a show-chocobo doesn’t really appeal?” Sable guessed, feeling a smile tug at her lips as Auron grimaced. “Lemme guess, Phil asked you for some help with something else and you leapt at the chance to get away from the hubbub?”

That got a tight nod.

Knowing that, she would have been very surprised indeed if he’d accepted Hercules’ offer.  The half-Olympian might live for the show-fights in the Coliseum, but Auron was a warrior not a performer.

Letting go of his shoulder, Sable fingered her mug and considered the situation.  She wasn’t as familiar with the story of Final Fantasy 10 and, with them being in the Kingdom Hearts verse, it wouldn’t help anyway.  The locals were scattered between several different worlds: Destiny Island for Tidus and Wakka, Hollow Bastion with the Gull Wings, Twilight Town for Wantz and O’aka, then there was Auron himself having been in the Underworld. 

Sable would have to lean more on character than story if she wanted to offer any practical advice.  So, she dug up what she knew of the warrior monk. 

Strict.  No nonsense.  One who preferred practical action to showmanship and politics.  If she remembered correctly, his career as a warrior monk had been sharply curtailed when he refused to accept a political marriage.  If he hadn’t joined with Braska and Jecht then he would have been a disgraced outcast.

“You mentioned being a Guardian when we met you the first time.” Sable began thoughtfully. “Is that limited to body-guard duty or could the aegis be broader than that?”

“I doubt there are any more summoners requiring escorts.” Auron returned, somewhat bitterly.  Then he turned and looked at her. “You have an idea?”

“Some of Sora’s friends are trying to rebuild their city.” Sable answered. “It was destroyed by Heartless about a decade ago and only just recently became habitable again.  Problem is that there’s still Heartless threatening them and they only have a handful of actual fighters to protect all the civilians.  They could use more help and Sora can’t stay in one place for long.”

“Would they accept an outsider?”

“If it’s Sora introducing you?  They won’t care as long as you can fight and defend people.  A warrior monk would fit right in, their current roster is: a healer, a former mercenary, a ninja, a wizard, and a technician.”

“So, few?” Auron asked after a moment, sounding a little appalled.

“I did say they needed more help.”

The swordsman considered that, but Sable could see that he was clearly tempted. 

“You’d have to travel with us for a bit.  We’re probably going to hit whatever other worlds are on our current circuit and then loop back to check up on Hollow Bastion.  If you don’t mind that, then I’ll bring it up to Sora when we’re getting ready to leave.”

“You won’t ask before then?”

“Donald is going to say no on general principle, catching him last minute should let us bulldoze him without too much hassle.  He’ll sulk but will be outnumbered.”

Auron chuckled at that. “I’ll…consider it.”

“If you stay close when we head back to the coliseum then I’ll bring it up.  If you decide to leave before that then I won’t bother.”

“I’ll make my decision by then.”

              ———

Greek klines were surprisingly comfortable, especially after a hearty meal and a hot bath. 

Though physically spent, Sable’s mind was still a little to wound up to really let her sleep.  So, she settled on her side with her headphones on and let the music gradually settle her own racing thoughts.  Eventually she would drift off…

Something tapped her arm.

“Sable?” She felt more than heard. “Are you awake?”

Sighing, the dark adept pushed her headphones off one ear and looked back at Sora.  The younger teen was fidgeting uncomfortably next to her kline.

“What’s up?” She asked.

“Do you, um…have a few minutes?”

Yawning, Sable sat up and dropped her headphones down to rest over her shoulders.  Turning off her player, she patted the empty space beside her.  Sora sat down, leaning lightly against her side.  In the dark of Phil’s abode, the silence stretched.

“Whenever you’re ready, Sora.” Sable prodded, yawning again.

The brunette twitched. “Oh, right, um…”

He hesitated.  Sable waited patiently for him to collect his thoughts.

“When…when we were talking to Demyx before, you sounded like you understood what it was like for Nobodies?” She could see Sora fidgeting with a keychain in his hands. “I was wondering if…”

“If I could explain what life’s like for them?” Sable finished.

He nodded.

“Heh, ask the easy ones, why don’t you?” Humming softly, Sable leaned back on her hands and stared up at the dark ceiling high above. “Think about how it is for you, when you wake up in the morning.  You’re excited for the day, you’re eager to see what surprises are in store, even if it’s as simple as trying something new for breakfast.”

Sora was nodding along as she spoke.

“Now think about how it is when you’re sick.” Sable went on. “Fever or the flu, when you’re just tired and you really don’t want to do anything.  It could be a perfectly beautiful day but you’re miserable and just want to curl up in a ball until the ickiness goes away.”

She could imagine the frown furrowing his brows, but Sora kept nodding.  If slower now.

“Existence as a Nobody is worse than that.  You wake up in the morning and you’re just there.  Staring at the ceiling.  You know you should get up, but you don’t really feel the need to get up.  The day doesn’t interest you, food doesn’t really appeal, it all seems like a big waste of energy and you’re tired.  Logically, you understand you should get up and be productive, but at the same time you also know that you don’t have to get up.  You could just lay there forever and not be bothered.  It is an option.”

Sora wasn’t nodding now.  In fact, he’d gone very still.

“You don’t have any reason to get up and do anything.  It’s all just gray and cold.  But.  You also know that to keep existing you have to get up, and some part of you screams into the void that if you don’t get up and move, you’ll die.  So, you have to fight the lethargy, even though there’s no purpose to it beyond continuing to exist in that dull apathy.  Even that is preferrable to oblivion, though, because existing is and always will be important.  So, you force yourself to keep moving, even when it would be easier to just…stop.”

“Is…is that why all the Lesser Nobodies squirm?” Sora asked, voice faint. “To keep moving?  To keep existing?”

Sable shrugged. “Probably, but I couldn’t say for sure.”

“But…Demyx didn’t seem like that at all.” The younger teen sounded like he was having a low-key freak out. “I wouldn’t have noticed anything off if I hadn’t known he was part of Organization Thirteen.  He…seemed like just a regular person.”

“And that, I believe, is the major difference between the general Nobodies and the Humanoid Nobodies.  They usually remember what they used to be and what it was like.  So, using those memories, they have to consciously decide how they’re going to act and who they want to be.  If they hear something funny, they don’t laugh, they first think ‘oh, that’s funny, you’re supposed to laugh at funny things’, so their responses might be delayed and awkward and, if they miss the cue, you’re more likely to get a blank look.  As time progresses, they get better at mimicking emotions in various situations.  Ever hear of the phrase ‘fake it until you make it’?  That’s pretty much what they’ve been doing ever since they woke up without a Heart.”

“That’s a terrible way to exist!”  Sora looked legitimately heartbroken by that description. “To just be…going through life like it’s a role in some play and trying to stick to a script you only kind of know?  There’s so much more to living than that!”

That was actually a very good metaphor for what they were doing.  Sable would have to remember that.

“You know that.” Sable agreed. “I know that.  And they know that.  Hence why they’re so set on getting their Hearts back.  Problem is that they’re so desperate that they’re willing to tear down others in order to do so.  Something we both agree is wrong and does have to be stopped even if you understand why they’re doing it.”

Sora looked down at his lap, where his hands were clenched into fists.  Sable waited patiently in case he had more to bring up.

“Fake it until you make it.” Sora murmured after the silence had stretched for some time. “Pretend to be something until you’re not pretending anymore.  Does that mean they could, I dunno,” he looked up at her, “grow a new Heart?  If they tried?”

That brought Sable up short.  It was a very valid question and it made sense.  Though never discussed up in KHII, if one went by how certain people had acted…

“I don’t see why not.” She said at last. “Losing a Heart, especially to a Heartless or a Keyblade, is a wound and wounds can heal, even if scars are left behind.  You hear about it all the time, stories of people suffering a broken heart and learning to love again.  So, why couldn’t a humanoid Nobody grow a new Heart if treated like a real person?” 

“Oh…” Sora breathed out in realization. “That’s why you were so mad at Master Yen Sid.”

Sable growled, low and deep in her chest. “Most of the surviving Organization are victims who need help.” She bit out. “Maybe some choose to be monsters, but others are trying not to be.” Forcing herself to stop, Sable took a breath before she could go into a full rant. “Oh, and Sora?”

Blinking again, he looked up at her.

“Don’t mention this to anyone else for now.”

“What?!” He whisper-yelled, then slapped a hand over his mouth and glanced in the direction of Donald and Goofy’s own klines.  When no movement stirred from that direction, he whispered properly. “Why not?”

“Bias against Nobodies, the general assumption is that they’re not people anymore and can’t feel anything.  Like with Yen Sid, and you know Donald won’t hesitate to parrot him.  Remember how quick he was to try and force you to show ‘proper respect’?”

That got a frown as Sora did indeed remember.

“But what about Demyx?  He…”

“Probably won’t believe you.” Sable cut him off. “Think about it.  He and the older Nobodies have spent years having ‘you don’t have Hearts and can’t feel real emotions’ drummed into their heads.  That and that they need to get their old Hearts back before they can be ‘real people’ again.”

Sora blanched. “Pretend until it becomes real…is that stopping them from getting new Hearts?”

“Probably.  I bet one of the main conditions to re-grow one is connecting to others and positive reinforcement.  If they’re convinced that’s impossible, then they’re probably smothering what little progress they have made.”

“That’s awful, why would-?” Stopping himself, Sora took a deep breath.  Let it go with effort. “What can we do?”

“Watch and see if the evidence supports our theory.  We might be completely off track, after all.”

“I know we’re not!” Sky-blue eyes were steely with determination.

“Like Yen Sid knows they’re just monster mimics pretending to be people?”

That brought Sora up short.  He hunched in on himself and grumbled under his breath.

“Also,” Sable went on, “we need to make sure no one sabotages our observations.  If we let on that we suspect Nobodies can regrow their Hearts, and that those we meet might have done so, then they’ll act differently because the propaganda will be ringing through their heads.”

“I guess that makes sense…” Sora looked up again. “But how can we be sure?”

Sable wrapped an arm around her friend and tugged him close.  He let her, resting his head against her shoulder.

“You’re not stupid, Sora, no matter what people around you might think.  You’re also very insightful and compassionate when you try.  I know you can spot the differences between genuine and fake responses.  Maybe you can’t define it yet, but you will pick up on it.  You can always ask me if you’re not sure.  Between us, we should be able to figure out what the truth is.”

“Thanks, Sable.  That means a lot.”

Sable gave him another squeeze before letting her arm drop.  Then come up to her mouth as another yawn escaped her.  Hopefully Sora would go back to his own kline soon so she could get some sleep…

“Do you…” Sora trailed off, seeming almost hesitant. “Do you think Roxas had a Heart?  When he left the Organization?”

“I’d be very surprised if he hadn’t.”

Sora peered up at her. “How come?”

“Remember how Demyx described him?  A zombie that had to learn how to interact with people, a blank slate that needed taught from scratch.”

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with him growing a Heart?”

“If he was a blank slate, how would he know what a Heart was?  What feelings were?  He’d only have stereotyped descriptions from other people and those can be misleading.  If they described it one way but he felt something different...”

“He wouldn’t have smothered them.” Sora realized.  “He would have grown a Heart without realizing it.  Because emotions aren’t something you can just describe because they’re meant to be felt.”

“Exactly.”

“Then…” Looking distressed, Sora pressed a hand to his chest, fingers clawing into her shirt. “He… I…”

“It’s probably like Kairi.”

“Huh?”

“You said her Heart hid inside yours for a while, right?  That’s probably what happened to Roxas.  What do we know about Keyblade Users, anyway?  This might be a normal thing for them when they’re trying to protect someone.”

“But…what can we do, then?  We found Kairi’s body and her Heart was able to return to it, but I’m using Roxas’s body now…”

(So, he had picked up on that.  Oh dear.)

Twisting around, Sable caught and yanked Sora against her in a bear hug before he could start hyperventilating.  He shivered against her, pressing his face against her shirt with a strangled sob. 

“We’ll figure something out.” She promised. “Might not be right away, but we’ll keep our eyes out for ways to make bodies for wayward Hearts.  The world’s an amazing place, who knows what we’ll find.”

Shivering again, Sora hugged her back. “Do you know any stories about that kinda stuff?”

“Yes, actually.  Did you know people are just piles of dust that life was breathed into?  Granted, no idea how to replicate that, but it’s a place to start and we’ve only just figured out what the problem is…”

Sora didn’t end up going back to his kline that night. 

Donald and Goofy teased and snickered at them the next morning when they found Sable curled around the smaller teenager.  This left her annoyed and Sora sputtering but, oh well, Sora had needed the talk and Sable didn’t regret comforting him.

              ———

They ended up staying about a business week.  It was very productive and, by the end of it, Sora was no longer tripping over himself and was gleefully reintegrating his various modifiers into his overall fighting style.  He then tutored Sable in those same modifiers even if she wasn’t quite as comfortable with the air-combos as he was.  He also showed her how to use her darkness to passively reinforce her attacks which gave each blow considerably more power.

A single swing from Gluttony could now bisect an Assault Rider Heartless.  In fact, she could OHKO most of the casual mobs, which was delightful and lit a competitive fire in Sora’s eyes.

(Future Boss Enemies be afraid.  Be very afraid.)

The only real downer was that Sable had a Low Day about mid-way through.  Nothing overly problematic, it just left her quieter and more subdued for the day.  She didn’t think Sora and the others had noticed, but Auron had, and promptly called her out on it. 

He was very understanding once she explained.  The sparring matches that day had been very cathartic.

Eventually, however, Donald got impatient (and probably fed up with the obstacle course) and announced that it was time for them all to move on to the next world.  Sora was a bit disappointed but agreed.

It took a few trips to get everyone back to Thebes.  Pegasus, though more than strong enough to carry everyone, wasn’t large enough to hold everyone.  There was only so much space on his back.  The winged horse looked very thoughtful when Sable made an offhand comment about a flying chariot or carriage to carry more people at once, but she didn’t know if anything would actually come of it.

Sable and Auron were the last ones to be brought back.

“Wow.” Sable whistled as she looked at pearly stone through her goggles as, behind them, Pegasus shook himself once before taking flight again. “That’s a lot of progress for just a few days.”

“Before Phil took me to the island, I heard it being said that Hercules would help with the reconstruction.” Auron offered, single eye squinting at the bright stone.

“I figured he would, but it’s still a bit different to see the results.”

The statues were still down… actually, they were gone entirely.  The once looming walls of the coliseum itself were still but a shadow of their former glory.  But the lobby had been restored and what had once been broken rubble was now cleaned up and at least half rebuilt.  At this rate, given a few more weeks at most, the repairs would likely be done.

Had this been Sable’s home world it would all still be a cordoned off mess and likely would have remained such for months.

Again: very impressive. 

“Sable!  Auron!”

Both fighters turned to see Hercules waving at them.  The grinning hero, flanked by two unfamiliar men, jogged up to meet them.

“What do you think?” The half-Olympian gesturing around them. “Phil says we’ll have it all back to normal by the turn of the season.” He flexed his muscles. “I bet him we’ll be done in half the time.”

“Either way it’ll be fixed a whole lot faster than I would have thought possible.” Sable admitted, then looked curiously at Hercules’ companions. “Who’re your friends?”

Hercules turned and gestured to one of the men. Unlike the half-Olympian, who was rather top-heavy, the man was a solid wall of muscle from his shoulders to his ankles.  He looked like the statues of Hercules that Sable had seen in her art history classes, right down to the short curly hair and beard.

(Fortunately, he was fully clothed, unlike most of the aforementioned statues, for which Sable was grateful.)

“This is my brother-in-law, Polyphemus.” Pausing, he glanced back at Sable. “Not to be confused with my cousin, who’s also named Polyphemus.”

“Obviously.” Hercules’ brother-in-law rumbled, gesturing to his face with a large hand. “Not a cyclops, as you can see.” 

Hercules rolled his eyes, then gestured to the other man. “And this is Hylas, we went sailing together a while back.”

Hylas was considerably slighter than both Hercules and Polyphemus.  He had the look of a serious athlete, a swimmer’s build, Sable thought it was called.  He was also pretty.  As in anime bishounen levels of prettiness, only he was still clearly a guy. 

“Hi there.” Hylas smiled at her. “Heard you were the one to knock some sense into the big lug’s head.”

“Hylas.” Hercules complained.

Ignoring him, Hylas stepped up and offered a hand, which Sable shook.

“My wife and I have been telling him for ages that he needed help.” With a snort, he released Sable’s hand again. “Lone heroes are great for stories, but not really practical in the long-term.”

“That’s pretty much what I told him, word-for-word.” Sable admitted.

“Oh really?” Hylas turned to stare at Hercules, who studiously avoided eye contact.

“So, where’d Sora go?” Sable asked after a moment of letting Hercules sweat.  She looked around to confirm that there was no short, spiky-haired brunette in sight. “I was kind of expecting him to be here when Pegasus got us back.”

“Oh, he said there was something he had to do outside the city.” Hercules answered, looking at her and still avoiding Hylas’s stare. “They left as soon as they landed.”

Something to do outside the city?

Oh.  He didn’t…

Violet eyes narrowing, Sable resolved to give the little snot a noogie for not inviting her.

“Hey, Dark-n-Broody.”

At Meg’s voice, Sable turned to find the other woman standing near the arch leading out of the courtyard and into the city proper.  She wasn’t alone, two other women were with her.  One was probably Hylas’ wife, judging from the moon-eyed looks the two shot each other.  The other was unfamiliar, a tall and very solid woman with…

Sable blinked.  Yes, that was indeed a scaly tail curling slowly by her feet.  Feet with long talons, like a dragon.  Now that she was looking, she saw the glint of more scales on the woman’s face. 

Very neat.

“We have some errands in the city.  Want to come with us?” Meg called.

Sable turned to check with Auron, only to find the man no longer there.  A glance around revealed him stepping into the lobby just behind Polyphemus, his heavy sword now resting lightly across one shoulder and his ponytail flitting through the air in his wake.

Okay then…

Turning back, Sable jogged to join the other women and they headed out into Thebes.  It wasn’t long before she realized why Meg had invited her.

“Oh, you just brought me along to be your pack mule.” She groused good naturedly as Meg put another purchase on the large basket Sable was hefting on her back. “I see how it is.”

“There there.” Smirking, Meg patted her shoulder before walking away. “You’re not the only sucker we caught.”

Rolling her eyes, Sable glanced over at the other ‘suckers’ and got wry smiles in return. 

Iolaus was a young man trained as an archer and charioteer who’d helped Hercules with some of the half-Olympian’s earliest trials.  He’d gotten stuck carrying Lethe’s (Hylas’s wife, who’d introduced herself as a naiad) shopping, his bow tucked over one shoulder while his own basket was slung over the other.

Abderus was another young man that Dracaena, the half-dragon woman, had claimed as her own pack mule.  He had a suspiciously bite-shaped scar just visible beneath the sleeve of one arm.  Not a trained combatant, he’d been quick to explain that he was going to be serving a more supportive role.  Which, he’d added, included helping with the shopping.

Sable wasn’t sure if he and Dracaena were already familiar with each other or if they were just fast friends but they’d been making horse puns and related jokes the entire trip.

It was kind of nice listening to them.  Be it the jokes or Meg snarking with Dracaena or Iolaus whispering a quiet commentary as they walked.  Mild mannered as the archer seemed, he had a very snarky sense of humor.  Sable approved.

Gradually they made their way through the market, the three other women going through a good-sized list with the air of practiced routine, even if they did stop to admire the various Shinies scattered between the stalls. 

Perfectly content to just drift in their wake, Sable meandered along the streets.  There were various oddities and curiosities to see, but she wasn’t quite interested enough to do more than glance over them as she passed.  The various fried food sellers made her stomach rumble but she resisted the urge to try some.  Then a breeze stirred up from a different direction and she stopped.

Sniffed the air.

Turned towards the breeze and took a deeper breath.  No, she wasn’t imagining it.  There was a definitely familiar smell coming from that-a-way…

“Everything alright?”

Ignoring the question, Sable angled away from the group, nose still in the air.  Weaving her way through the crowds she eventually narrowed the source down to a handful of stalls.  Then the wind got a little wild and her ability to follow the scent disappeared.

Annoying.

“We were going to come here last.” Meg commented, catching up to the teenager. “But I suppose now is as good a time as any.  Were you needing perfume?”

“I recognized one of the smells, but I don’t know what it’s called.” Sable admitted, glancing between the various prospective stalls.

Megara hummed thoughtfully then took her by the elbow. “Alright then, let’s see if we can’t figure out your mystery smell.”

She led Sable not to an open stall, but a tent with a couple small tables set up outside it with small incense burners on top of them.  Ignoring the burners, Meg walked right through the open flap.  Sable noted the presence of a boy with a large fan, waving it towards the door to tease out the scents permeating the tent.

“Alright, Harehound.  Go see if you can find the one you’re looking for.”

After a moment’s bewilderment (so. Many. Smells.) Sable started wandering the surprisingly large tent and the various tables with earthenware pots and lids scattered across them in a form of organized chaos.  It was extremely difficult to narrow down the one she was looking for and she had to make several circuits before she finally isolated one.

The only problem was, once she’d honed in on it, Sable realized it didn’t quite fit the smell she was looking for. 

A little too bitter.

“Is milady finding everything alright?” the tent-keeper asked as he meandered over to her as she hovered over a specific bird’s-nest-pot.

“I’m trying to find a particular scent.” Sable answered. “I don’t know what it’s called, though.” She gestured to the pot. “This one smells mostly right, but it’s like it’s only half the scent…”

The perfume seller looked between her, the pot, and her again with a thoughtful expression.  Then he reached out and picked up the little pot.

“I believe I know what you’re looking for.” He told her as he moved away. “Right this way, milady.”

He took her over to another table and set the pot besides another bird’s-nest-pot.  Then he took off the lids of both and fanned them gently in Sable’s direction.  A new sweet scent muted the bitter scent and, a moment later, the two seemed to meld together in a familiar way.

Earthy Herbs.

“That’s it.” Sable breathed.  “What is it?”

“This one,” the man gestured to the bitter pot, “would be myrrh, and that one,” he gestured to the sweet pot, “would be frankincense.”

“Myrrh and frankincense?” Sable echoed.

“Is milady perhaps unfamiliar with the two resins?”

“I’ve heard of them, but this is the first time I’ve actually smelled them properly.  They’re used in funerals, right?”

The merchant nodded. “As well as for religious ceremonies when used together, or simply for personal wear in the case of frankincense.  Myrrh is less popular by itself but is often mixed in with other fragrances to extend the shelf-life.”

“What’s it usually mixed with?  I’m sorry, I’m not very familiar with perfumes.”

“That’s quite alright, right over this way is…”

              ———

Sable ended up with quite an education on different perfumes, and scents in general, but did not purchase any for herself.  She had no need for the large pots-worth of the various resin and extracts and when she’d asked, the merchant had admitted to not having any of the smaller pendant-sized containers for sale. 

She still paid the man for his time, of course.  Identifying the average price for the less exotic perfumes and making sure to thank him, and apologizing for not actually purchasing any of the myriad of scents he’d educated her on.

He didn’t mind, accepting the payment with good humor. 

Sable stuck with Meg and the others until their shopping trip was done and they’d dropped everything off at the coliseum, then she went her own way.  She found out the hard way that, while she could warp to the edge of the city, the effort started pulling from her mana reserves in addition to her aura and left her with a quickly encroaching headache.

So, drinking an ether and shuddering at the taste, she walked the rest of the way to the entrance of the Underworld.  Not that Sable went in, of course.  Hades had asked her not to.  Instead, she sat down outside the cave and pulled out her speaker and a book and settled in to wait. 

She hadn’t been there long enough for more than a handful of songs to play before she became aware of a low whine. 

Blinking, Sable twisted around to peer down the steps and squint into the Underworld.  Three pleading sets of red eyes gleamed back at her in the gloom.

“Aww, hey puppy dog.” She crooned at the hellhound. “You wanna listen to more music?”

At least two of the heads chuffed in response.

Chuckling, Sable turned up her speaker and set it several steps down so the music could carry off the stone walls of the passage.  Hopefully it would be enough for Cerberus’s doggy ears to be able to catch and enjoy the tunes.  After a few minutes of listening closely, she heard a familiar thump thump thump sounding just beneath the sound of the music.

With a grin, she settled back against the rock besides the entrance and resumed reading.  A little while later a flickering shadow fell over her.

“You’re reading that outside the Underworld?  Really, kid?”

“Hey, Hades.” Sable looked up at the mercurial Olympian. “How’re you doing?”

Leaning against the rock wall, arms folded across his chest, Hades shrugged. “Eh, you know how it goes.  Plots come and go but work just keeps piling up.”

Beneath that nonchalant tone, Sable thought she could pick up a hint of tension.

“Have you considered taking a vacation?  Go to a sunny beach somewhere and work on your tan or something?  Get away from it all and come back all nice and refreshed?”

“Huh…not a bad idea, kid.  I’ll keep that in mind.” Hades gave her a curious look. “What are you doing out here, anyway?  There are more comfortable places to read the Book.” He held up a hand before she could respond. “No.  Wait.  Don’t tell me.  You’re waiting for the key brat to come back up.  Am I right?”

“On the dot.” Sable closed her book and put it away again. “Pretty sure he’s going after something that probably shouldn’t be in your Underworld to begin with.”

“He is, which is why I’m leaving him alone.  Less work for me.  Doesn’t explain why you chose to wait right here of all places.”

Sable shrugged as she stood up again, leaning against the rock. “You asked me not to head back down for a while.”

“So, you were listening.” Hades paused a moment. “You sure you won’t reconsider?  There’s basically a spot on my payroll with your name on it.”

Sable rolled her eyes as she settled back against warm stone. “I thought Way-folk were more trouble than we’re worth?”

“Hey, you cause chaos everywhere you go, upsetting the status quo hither and yon.  Can’t blame me for wanting to point that at my various annoyances.  Heck, I could sell tickets.”

“Why are you so set on that?” Sable asked, honestly curious.

“Hey, I’m a persistent guy.” The Olympian flashed her a winning grin.  Then he glanced down the steps leading to his realm. “Besides, you’re nice to my dog.  Do you have any idea how rare that is?”

“To be fair, Cerberus is your guard dog and he’s very good at his job.”

“It’s still important!” Hades insisted. “Doesn’t matter if we have differences of opinion, when a guy finds a gal who can properly bribe the pets you have to keep ‘em!”

Sable stilled.  Slowly turned to the Olympian who had also frozen in place.

“Hades…” She said warningly.

“Nononono, I didn’t mean it like that!” Hades waved his hands rapidly. “Extremely poor phrasing on my part, I swear.”

“Good.  Because the answer to that is an emphatic no.” Sable told him bluntly. “Power imbalance aside, we want very different things from life and that dissonance would make us both miserable.”

“You’re not my type, anyway.” Hades shrugged, though Sable noted an odd bit of color on his gray cheeks. “Waaaay too young for one thing.”

“Nice to have that cleared up.”

“Still nice, though.” Hades went on. “You get that Cerberus is a working dog.  Everyone else just thinks he’s a rabid monster!  I can count on one hand how many people have treated him nicely with fingers left over.”

It struck Sable then that it probably wasn’t just about Cerberus.  Something told her Hades was projecting.  That cast the whole conversation in a very different light.

“Hades?” She began carefully. “Do you have anyone you can just…visit with?”

The Olympian stilled.

“Why do you ask?” He asked instead, tone carefully neutral.

“Because you have a very demanding job, kept away from most other Olympians, and it seems like very little personal time despite your various shenanigans.  It sounds to me like that would be…a rather lonely way to live.”  She looked up at him, violet eyes earnest. “Human or Olympian, we’re social beings that don’t do well when isolated.”

Hades laughed, but it sounded a little forced.

“Lonely?  Hah!  Why would I be lonely?  All the stiffs in the Underworld, I’ve got the Furies, Cerberus.  Heck, I even have Pain and Panic.”

“But the stiffs are your subjects.  The Furies, Pain, and Panic are your employees and servants.  Cerberus, lovely dog though he is, is your pet and not quite up to person-level conversation.  Don’t you have anyone that…” Sable rolled her wrist, straining to find a decent term. “Aren’t equals, per say, but are more removed from your chain of command?  Or even have the role to challenge you and question your choices so you have to defend them and thus figure out if it’s really thought through or not.”

“What, like a professional buffoon?” Hades sounded thoughtful now.

“Something like that.  Maybe not with all the bells and scepters, but the idea remains.”

“Sure you don’t want the job?”

Fed up, Sable reached up and smacked his elbow.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop.” He made a great show of rubbing the area she’d hit as if trying to ward off a bruise. “Say I take that lil’ idea of yours seriously, any thoughts of what I should look for?”

“Maybe a professional apologist?” Sable suggested. “A genuine one specializes in Truth and we always need more of that even if it can and does sting.” Another idea struck her and she cocked her head thoughtfully. “Or you could try befriending a story teller.   Someone whose works make people think, rather than just vapid tales meant to stroke men’s…egos.” She cleared her throat as Hades quirked a brow at her, then continued. “A good writer has an interesting, diverse viewpoint of the world.  Chat with one and they might surprise you.”

“Oh, there’s an idea…” 

“Doesn’t have to be a live one, either.” Sable went on. “If you can conjure up people caught in your domain, if you find one willing to give it a try, you could give them special permissions to go with the role.  Not a return to life, of course, but a limited amount of freedom-of-movement.  Bringing them with you when you visit topside, for instance.”

Hades hummed thoughtfully, one of his long and pointy fingers tapping rhythmically against his jaw.

“Does that help?” Sable asked.

“You know what, I think it does.” The Olympian answered, then he looked at her. “Hey, if I hadn’t already decided we were square after you yoinked me away from the ol’ Pit of the Dead, I’d say that definitely covered the debt.” He gave her a toothy grin and a pointy thumbs-up. “I already have a few ideas of where to look first.  Thanks, kid!”

Poof

Aaand he was gone.  Sable gave a short, silent little prayer that his efforts would be fruitful in the long-term.

Then she sat down and pulled her book out again.

Eventually, Sora, Donald, and Goofy emerged from the Underworld.  Having first heard Cerberus’ disgruntled huffs, then the footsteps on carved stone, Sable had plenty of warning.  Perched like a gargoyle on a ledge just above the exit, she waited until she finally glimpsed spiky brown hair. 

Then pounced.

“Ack!”

Caught in a headlock, the smaller teen squirmed to try and get away. 

“Little snot!” Sable rubbed her knuckles hard against his scalp, making him yelp and try yanking harder. “Going down there without me!”

Standing out of reach, Donald and Goofy sniggered at their friend’s plight.

“Sable?  Let go!” Sora wriggled. “I needed to make sure Phil’s training was enough!  You said Zexion was the weakest fighter, right?  I had to make sure I could take ‘em!”

“And I wanted exposure to illusions in a relatively safe setting in case we face them in the future.” Sable shot back.

The struggling stopped.

“…oh.” Craning his neck awkwardly, Sora tried peering up at her. “I’m sorry, Sable.  I didn’t think of that.”

“Obviously.” Sable gave him a Deeply Unimpressed look, then reluctantly let him go.  Watching him rub his aching head, she sighed. “Ah well, what’s done is done.  Get anything good?”

Sora pulled out what, at first glance, seemed to be some kind of crystalline figurine with large arching wings.  Some kind of synthesis material, she realized.  A high level one, probably, because synthesis materials got more exotically shaped the stronger they got, though that was usually a star-shape with some floating pieces.

Squinting at the crystal in Sora’s hand, Sable cocked her head.  Maybe it kinda looked like a star?  To her it mostly looked like a little chibi figure with beedrill limbs and an angular bobble on top reminiscent to a moogle’s pompom.

“I’m gonna ask Mog about it next time we’re in Hollow Bastion, see if he knows what it is.” Sora added as he put the crystal away again. “We also got a new recipe.”

“For the new crystal?” Sable guessed.

“Probably, but I won’t know for sure until Mog confirms it.”

“C’mon!” Donald shoved passed them. “We’ve wasted enough time on this world!  It’s time to get moving!”

Sable shrugged. “You heard the duck.”

They all began the trek back towards Thebes and their awaiting gummi ship.  Sable waited until they were most of the way there before speaking up again.

“So.  Had an idea.”

“What kinda idea, Sable?” Goofy asked.

“You know how Leon and the others seemed a little understaffed when we were there?”

“Yeah.” Sora drooped beside her, though he still kept pace.

“Why don’t we take Auron to Hollow Bastion so he could help them out?”

“WHAT?!”

Sable winced.  Ow.  Surely what she’d suggested wasn’t that shocking was it?  Certainly not enough for a three-part shout like that.

“Absolutely not!” Donald shouted immediately. “We are not a taxi service!”

“And doesn’t Auron need to go find his friends?” Sora asked. “The ones he mentioned during the Hades Cup?”

“Auron isn’t from this world, Sora.  I asked him.  There was some kind of mix-up when he died and he ended up in the Underworld rather than someplace he called the ‘Farplane’.” Sable glanced back at Donald. “You’re the one so fixated on the world order.  Doesn’t that make it our duty to get him off this world?  Hollow Bastion is more an in-between world, right?  Maybe he can find his way home from there once things settle down.”

The pekin glared mulishly at her.

“Maybe yer Uncle Scrooge could take him if they ever find it.” Goofy suggested. “He’s got refreshments in Hollow Bastion, don’t he?”

“Investments.” Donald corrected sourly. “And I don’t like it.  We’re not even heading back to Hollow Bastion, yet.  We’ve got the rest of this circuit to investigate.”

“Then we have extra backup to make sure there aren’t still any lingering issues after you all woke up from your year-long nap.” Sable reasoned. “You’ve got clothes that fit.  Had some aggressive physical therapy to get your strength back.  We just want to make sure there isn’t any other side-effects we haven’t noticed yet.”

Silence answered her.

“Gawrsh…Sable does have a point.” Goofy mused, looking a little worried and shooting glances at Sora.

“And Leon and the others sure do need the help.” The Keybearer added, missing the glances entirely. “I feel really bad that we can’t stick around longer to help them… That army of Heartless outside the city makes me really nervous.”

Donald squinted up at both of them.  Glared at Sable.  Then jogged passed them while grumbling low under his breath. 

Sora and Goofy exchanged knowing looks, Goofy even starting a silent count down.

“Oh fine!” Donald spat, not looking back at them. “But this isn’t gonna be a habit, you hear?”

Sable and Goofy exchanged grins as Sora let out a victorious whoop.

              ———

Chapter Text

True to their word, Chip and Dale had installed a fourth seat in the cockpit of their gummi Ship, which meant they were rather dismayed to learn they’d picked up a fifth passenger.

“Gee, even after adding a new one, we’re still a chair short.” Chip sighed as he scratched at one furry ear. “Maybe we should just install a bunch of pop-up chairs next time?”

“Yeah!” Dale agreed with a nod. “Folded right into the floor outta the way until someone needs ‘em!”

“It’s fine.” Auron assured, settling back against the wall of the cockpit like Sable had done previously. “I don’t need a seat.”

“It’s the principle of the matter!” Chip shot back, looking annoyed. “We might be ferrying other passengers in the future!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Donald grumbled in the pilot’s seat.

“Well, you’re out voted.” Dale told the royal magician cheekily. “Besides, what if ya’ll find the King and Riku?  Ya want them to stand the whole time?”

“Gawrsh, Donald, they have a point.”

The pekin sank in his seat, looking mortified.

With all the banter, Sable couldn’t help but notice that there was still no mention of Twilight Town.  She was starting to get a touch concerned but, with how much everything else seemed to be diverging from the original ‘canon’, she couldn’t tell whether it was actually a problem.

Also, she was tired.  Which was strange considering she hadn’t actually done much and had been feeling just fine earlier…

Oh.

Mid-day Low. 

Darn it.  She hated it when that happened!  Worst of all was that there was nothing she could actually do but wait it out.

Well.  Nothing immediately important should be happening that needed her participation, so she could probably be forgiven for sleeping through the low.  Fishing out her MP3 player and headphones, Sable checked the charge.  The battery showed mostly full, despite how much she’d been using it.

(Maybe it really was powered by smiles, now.)

Settling back in the decidedly comfier seat, Sable closed her eyes and let the lyrics of Owl City’s Galaxies wash over her.

Dear God, I was terribly lost
When the galaxies crossed
And the sun went dark…

              ———

When Sable finally stirred, not really feeling better but apparently done sleeping, she reluctantly turned off her MP3 player and put it away before looking around.  Goofy had followed her example and was snoozing in his chair, Donald was still piloting the ship, and Auron was seated in Sora’s chair.

She couldn’t resist.

“Don’t need a seat, huh?”

Auron reached back to swat her.  Fortunately, she was sitting on his blind side and was able to duck under his hand.  Nonetheless, she slipped quietly out of her chair in case he decided to twist around to try again. 

A glance at the consoles revealed that Sora was not in the fighter clearing another path for them.  Had she missed it?

Stretching, Sable got up and went to find the Keybearer.  Descending the ladder into the engine room of the ship, she passed Chip and Dale’s workstations as she looked around.  She found Sora seated on the ground a deliberate distance from any delicate machinery.

“Hey Sable.” Sora greeted around a sandwich.  “You hungry?” He gestured at a plate stacked with them.

Sable hadn’t even realized there was food on the ship.  Eating probably would be a good idea, but she just wasn’t feeling hungry.  That apathetic haze still clinging to her made the prospect unappealing. 

“Not at the moment.” She demurred, moving over to sit across from him. “Had a thought I wanted to bounce off you.”

“What is it?”

“Well, the Keyblade always comes back to you, right?  Just reappears in your hand if you drop it?”

That got a nod. “Yeah, pretty much.” Swallowing, he took another bite so what he said next was more than a little muffled. “Except for that one time when Riku took it.  But that was only for a little while.”

“Does it work in reverse?”

Perplexed blue eyes blinked at her as Sora cocked his head. “What do you mean ‘in reverse’?”

“I mean could you…” Sable waved a finger vaguely. “Call yourself to your Keyblade?  Like, you teleport to it instead?”

Sora stared at her.  Then set his mostly eaten sandwich down and held out a hand.  Sable twitched as his Kingdom Key appeared in a familiar flash of light.

“You know,” he mused wonderingly, “I never really thought about it.  But it would be so cool if I can.”

“Wanna try?” Sable suggested.

A bread-flecked grin answered her. “Sure.  Here!” Sable almost flopped back in surprise as Sora offered her the hilt of his Keyblade. “I don’t think Donald would be happy if I started throwing this in here.”

No.  No, he would not.  The duck mage would probably set them both on fire if he caught them doing anything potentially damaging to the engines.  Still…

“I thought it doesn’t like anyone else handling it.”

Sora shrugged. “Leon was able to lean it up against the wall back in Traverse Town.  He’d knocked me out and Heartless kept swarming as long as I was holding it, so...”

Sable glanced from the weapon-of-light to Sora and then back again.  Well, if Leon had been able to do it, Sable should be able to do the same. 

(Maybe it was only the ‘intent to steal’ that caused the Keyblade to teleport away?)

It was, Sable realized a moment later as she cautiously let it rest on her open palms, very warm to the touch.  Warm and friendly.  If Sable didn’t know better, she’d think the Keyblade was almost as excited to try the experiment as Sora was.  Rising to her feet, she moved to the furthest bit of open area in the engine room and turned back to Sora who already had an arm outstretched, eyes closed in concentration.

“Alright, let’s see-”

Stars.

Flat on her back with a new headache, Sable tried to puzzle out what had happened.  Then realized she wasn’t the only one groaning.

“Ow.” Sprawled over her, Sora rubbed his bruised forehead. “Well, that hurt.”

“No duh.” Sable croaked, shoving him off even as she blinked away the lingering lights. “What happened?”

Wobbling up into a seated position, Sora flashed her a woozy grin. “It worked!”

“…That easy?”

“Apparently!  It was like being yanked by a rubberband!” He pantomimed firing a slingshot. “And then there I was!”

Both teens glanced down at the Keyblade currently balanced across Sable’s stomach.  Then they glanced back at each other.

“Wanna try again?”

“Oh yeah, I wanna get it right!”

              ———

The crisp mountain air was fresh and clear. 

Smiling, Sable took a deep breath and felt the venomous fangs of her earlier apathy dissolve like smoke.  It was freeing, though some of the weariness remained. 

(As did the headache, but that didn’t matter so much.)

“Where are we?” Sora wondered, staring around the grove of bamboo where they’d parked the gummi ship.

“Well…” Donald looked around as well, Jiminy Cricket perched on his cap. “I’d say we’re deep in the mountains.  No sign of civilization anywhere.”

Standing off to the side, Auron hummed thoughtfully.  His good eye slid closed as he, like Sable, basked in the mountain air.  Sable suspected he was more likely to play shadow than really participate in whatever discussions came up.  He wasn’t really one for words in most cases.

“A-hyuck!” Goofy laughed and pointed. “A bamboo shoot!  We can make soup!”

That sounded enticing as Sable was beginning to regret not having taken Sora up on his offer of a sandwich.  She’d never had bamboo shoots before…

“Whoa!”

Sable stumbled as Sora backed into her.  Recovering, she nudged him away and then blinked at one very unimpressed panda as it strolled leisurely past them towards the same shoots Goofy had just pointed out.

Well.

So, much for soup.

“Hey, is that a moogle?”

Sora nudged passed her while she watched the panda tuck in with a lazy gusto.  Then she paused as his words belatedly registered.

“Oh, hey, Kupo!”

A sudden tug on her scarf had Sable backing up after Sora.  Only when he let go was Sable able to turn around and actually see the moogle he was addressing…

She cocked her head.  First one way, then the other before blinking once just to make sure. 

The visage before her remained the same.  Yes, it was a definitely a moogle stall, similar to what Mog had in Hollow Bastion.  That wasn’t what was throwing her for a loop.  That particular prize went to the glowing figure of a life-sized moogle hologram.  Had it been like that in the game? 

If so, how had she missed that?

“Sable,” Sora’s voice snapped her out of her startled introspection. “This is Kupo, he’s the one who introduced me to the guild back when I was in Traverse Town.”

“Pleasure to meet a friend of one of our best customers, kupo!” Was the slightly staticky greeting from the hologram.

“Likewise.” Sable returned. “Um…if I may ask…” She trailed, of, gesturing at the translucent figure.

“Oh, you mean the hologram, kupo?”

“Yeah.”

“This helps me keep track of my stalls all at once, kupo.  I’ve got several on this world, kupo.” There was a slight pause as the holographic pompom on the moogle’s head flicked irritably. “Also means people can’t touch my pompom.”

“Is that a common issue?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe, kupo.”

Sable glanced over at Sora, who seemed to be perusing a menu of what she assumed was the goods Kupo had available.

“You going to ask about that crystal?” She asked him.

Sora’s head snapped up. “Oh, yeah!” He dug into his pockets and pulled out the crystal figurine. “Here, do you know what this is?”

From one of the projectors generating Kupo’s hologram, an additional beam of light scanned the crystal.  Sable twitched as the crystal then proceeded to vanish, probably into whatever storage space Kupo had attached to his stall. 

After a moment’s silence, the moogle’s pompom swung in a sudden circle.

“Golly, Sora!  I don’t know how you keep finding all these rare synthesis materials, kupo!” He looked up at Sora. “This here is one of the Illusion-type gems, called Lost Illusion.  You can make some really dangerous weapons with one of these, kupo!  And some really potent accessories, too, kupo.”

The hologram flickered and another window screen popped up in front of the brunette, who peered at it curiously.  He frowned.

“Why’s most of the list crossed out?”

The pompom shot straight up. “What?” Then it dropped until it was hanging off the hologram’s forehead. “Oh, that’s right.  My records are incomplete because the archives are still being shuffled, kupo.  I’ve only got what I’ve been able to piece together, kupo.  I’m sorry, kupo…”

“Sora, what about that recipe you got with it?” Sable suggested.

“Right!” He dug into his pockets again and pulled out the magic parchment that was a moogle synthesis recipe. “Does this help?”

The recipe was promptly scanned by the same little light.  It also vanished.

“Okay, says here this is the Book of Shadows recipe, kupo.” The moogle informed after a moment. “Used to make the Shadow Archive accessory.”

“What’s it do?” Donald asked, he and Goofy moving closer to the stand.

“Gives you magic-types a boost, kupo.  Also, this particular piece can be upgraded further to have the MP Rage ability on top of the aforementioned boost, kupo.”

The greedy glint that appeared in Donald’s eye did not go unnoticed.  It may as well have been marked by a neon sign. 

“Do we have enough for one?” Sora asked.

“Uh, lemme check…yeah, kupo.  You even have enough to upgrade it.” A third screen popped up. “Here’s your current store of synthesis materials, aaand I’ve just added the cost for the Shadow Archive as well.”

Sora studied the listing with a slight frown.  Then he nodded. “Alright, we’ll take one.”

The pompom swung around again in clear delight.

“Excellent, kupo!  It’ll take a bit to make, though.  Come back in a few days, or stop by one of my other stalls, kupo.  Either way works.”

Donald walked away, snickering under his breath in clear satisfaction.

 “Now, is there anything else I can do for you, kupo?” Kupo asked, his pompom flicking curiously.

Sora ended up restocking their various healing items and got a handful of different bracelets which, Sable learned, had various elemental resistances.  The one Sora handed her was called a Thunder Trinket.  Meant to help protect against thunder-based attacks.

Huh.

That brought something to mind.

“Hey, Kupo?” Sable spoke up and she saw the hologram turn in her direction. “Could you appraise something for me and let me know if it has any special properties?”

“Sure, kupo!  For a fee, of course.”

“Naturally.”

Sable began rifling through her various pockets for her munny pouch.  Once found, she then hunted through that for something she’d stuck in there back in Twilight Town and promptly forgotten about.  When her fingers brushed worn leather, she knew she’d found it.

“Wow, that’s neat, Sable.  Did you win that?” Sable asked, wide-eyed as Sable held out the Struggle Championship Belt for the moogle to scan.

“I did.  It was one of the competitions back in Twilight Town.  I almost forgot I had this…”

“How could you forget something like that?”

“Because that was also the day Saïx attacked me and I wasn’t entirely lucid by the time the day was over.” Squinting, Sable tried to remember. “I think I just shoved it in there because I was worried I’d overbalance on my way home or something…I don’t really remember.”

“Well, this is some fine craftsmanship for something that isn’t moogle-made, kupo.” Kupo spoke up before Sora could respond. “Doesn’t do much for physical defense, but it offers resistances to thunder, fire, and blizzard type attacks, kupo.  Almost as much as the thunder trinket does against thunder, in fact.”

So, Sable had remembered correctly.  Good to know.  She hadn’t been very good at paying attention to the different armor and accessories in-game.  At most she checked if it boosted strength and that was about it.

Turning, she handed the belt to Sora. “Here.  I want it back by the time we stop by Twilight Town again, but it might be useful in the meantime.”

“Oh.” Sora blinked wide blue eyes at her. “Are you sure?”

“Well, I’m sure not going to wear it.” Sable answered as she paid Kupo for the appraisal.

Sora squinted at her. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means it’d cut into my gut if I tried my usual tumbles while wearing it, so I’m not going to bother.”

“Oh…” Sora said again, hackles settling.  “Thanks, Sable.”

“Thank me by using it to stay safe.”

“Look!” Donald called out suddenly. “I think there’s people over there!”

“I thought you said there wasn’t any civilization around here.” Sable teased as she and the others moved over to look.  She got a sour look in response.

“I said there was no sign.” The pekin shot back. “And now there is.”

“It looks like…” Sora squinted, shading his eyes with one hand. “A campground?”

“Looks like a military camp.” Sable observed, drawing all eyes towards her and she pointed at the few fixed structures amidst the otherwise cloth-collection of buildings. “You can see some soldiers training from here.  Also, see that large tent with a flag?  That would be the military commander’s tent.”

Looking over everyone’s heads, Auron nodded. “That does resemble most campaign setups I’ve seen before.”

“Really?” Sora looked between them, then back at the camp, with visible intrigue.  “Let’s go check it out!”

“Have fun with that.”

Already marching towards a path out of the bamboo grove, Sora froze mid-step as his head jerked around. “What?  You’re not coming?”

Sable gestured towards the camp. “I recognize that building style and some of those symbols.  They don’t approve of females in military camps.  It’s a cultural thing and I don’t feel like dealing with the hassle.”

“But…”

“That’s really mature of you, Sable.” Donald cut in. “Respecting the World Order like that.  Unlike some busy-bodies I could mention…”

Both teenagers ignored him.

“I’ll be hanging around here or otherwise someplace higher up where I can keep an eye on things.” Sable promised after rolling her eyes at the royal magician’s tone.  “Flare your aura or something if you want to get my attention.  Otherwise?  Have fun in boot camp.”

              ———

After asking Kupo if he sold any binoculars, Sable ended up with a nifty new accessory for her goggles.  One that applied telescopic vision to the lenses, which could zoom in or out independently.  The function was controlled by Sable’s own focus-of-attention, so it required a good amount of self-discipline to use it without getting vertigo.

(It reminded her of Kopaka’s Mask of X-Ray Vision from Bionicle.  Only more discrete.)

So, finding a decent overlook not far from the bamboo grove, Sable got to watch the glorious trainwreck that was Sora’s investigation of an ancient Chinese military camp in high resolution.  The show started with them immediately getting caught by a stuck up, paper-pusher type. 

(That particular flavor of body posture was apparently universal.) 

They promptly got yelled at and verbally chased off to join the new recruits, apparently being mistaken for recruits themselves?  How?  By their clothes alone it was obvious they weren’t local!  Donald and Goofy weren’t even the same species!  

Was it something to do with the ‘world order’ Donald was always going on about?  Was it a legit natural phenomenon?  She’d have to ask, later…

After the initial mishap of one of the recruits landing on Sora after falling off a large wooden column (apparently trying to get a single arrow sticking out of the top) the trio fell in line with the rest of the trainees.  Where they proceeded to do…pretty well, actually. 

In fact, they were on the better end of the competency scale when compared to the majority of the local recruits.  Good grief…

As Sable had expected, Auron was doing just fine.  Being a former warrior monk, the concept of a bootcamp scenario was probably an old hat for him.  His showing with the bow had left more than just Sable gaping at the hapless targets, splattered with fruit guts.  He was a master swordsman, who would expect him to be such a deft shot?

He also had a very effective death glare.  One which gave more than a few would-be troublemakers second thoughts.    

(As well as third and fourth thoughts.)

Auron also seemed to have taken one of the recruits under his wing, in between keeping a keen eye on Sora.  To the point of actively shielding them from attempted sabotage by their fellow recruits.

When he casually crushed a large beetle-bug another recruit had dried dropping down their collar during staff training, Sable realized that said recruit was probably Mulan- sorry, Ping.  It was kind of funny, really.  Of course, Auron would pick up on that.

All-in-all, the whole venture was very entertaining and Sable had a great time.  Even when the training moved away from the camp, she just warped to another vantage point.  Line-of-sight mitigated some of her distance limitations, so long as she could see a specific landing point.  With her new telescoping accessory, that meant she had a very wide array of potential vantage points to choose from.

(So, much comedic gold.)

That day’s training ended with an absolutely spectacular fiasco that was Evasion Training just after dusk.  It involved flaming arrows.  More than one hapless trainee ended up running around with their pants on fire.  Hilarious from a distance, but ouch. 

(Hopefully the quartermasters of the camp had a large enough supply of replacement uniforms available.)

As the exhausted and singed trainees (some still trailing smoke) made their way back for the evening meal, Auron somehow managed to home-in on her current perch despite the distance involved and the poor lighting.  He deliberately caught Sable’s eye and signaled a desire to meet her after everyone else was settled.

Curious, Sable did so and found Auron just outside the camp boundary with his little protégé.  Said protégé was looking a little awkward.  This close, Sable could see, rather tellingly, the distinctive lack of an Adam’s apple. 

(It was dark, even with a gibbous moon overhead, and the flickering of the torch fires around the camp didn’t help one see fine detail.  Despite that, Sable could see everything just fine.  That was rather odd…)

Sable now had a pretty good idea of where this was going.

“Thank you for coming.” Auron greeted, drawing ‘Ping’s’ attention to Sable’s arrival.  “This is Ping.  There were some…difficulties today and I figured you’d be the best person to turn to.”

“A woman?” The recruit asked, baffled, in a clearly forced faux-deep tone.

“Rude.” Sable rolled her eyes. “And a bit hypocritical, don’t you think?”

The disguised woman froze, dark eyes widening.

“How did you-” She coughed and forced her voice deeper again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Right.

“There’s other tells beyond just the obvious.” Sable gestured to her chest and waist. “Such as your Adam’s apple, or lack-there-of.” She looked at Auron. “Mind showing her?”

A dark brow quirked up at that, but the swordsman humored her and tugged his collar down and tipped his head back to reveal a very prominent Adam’s apple.  Then Sable tugged her scarf lower and showed her own lump-free throat.

Wide-eyed, ‘Ping’s’ hand snapped up to her throat in dismay.

“Most people don’t think about that one.” Sable assured.  “It’s not like they make a point at staring at other people’s throats.  Other places, maybe, but not the throats.”

Auron snorted and ‘Ping’ let out a weak snicker.

“But you both noticed.” The disguised woman pointed out.

Sable shrugged. “I knew something had to have caught Auron’s attention so I started looking for anything out of place.  That’s what stood out to me.”

“I’ve often traveled in groups that included women,” Auron offered, “so I recognized your posture.  And I wouldn’t worry about the other recruits noticing.  They expect everyone else to be a man so will tune out any hints that suggest otherwise.  And Captain Shang has other things on his mind than looking to closely at the reluctant recruits he has to whip into shape.”

That seemed to mollify Mulan somewhat as her anxious expression faded to a more thoughtful one.

“Still, having two people figure it out is to many.” She glanced between them. “Do you have any suggestions on how I can be more man-like?”

“Stop trying so hard, for one thing.” Sable deadpanned with a wry smile. “The more relaxed you can act, the better.  The stiff walk and fake deep voice are more likely to draw attention to you than just walking and speaking normally for pretty much the same reason Auron listed.”

“But…”

“You can still deepen your voice, you just want to be able to maintain it even when distracted.” Taking a breath, Sable let her own voice drop a few octaves. “Something like this would be more practical.  Side-benefit is it helps refine your breath control.”

Mulan took a breath of her own. “Like this?”

Sable nodded. “Definitely better.  Can you feel the difference?  Also, keep in mind that not every guy has a deep voice.”

“Indeed.” Auron agreed. “I’ve noticed several recruits with voices higher than yours.”

From the startled look, ‘Ping’ hadn’t really noticed that.

“You are also not the worst recruit in training.” Auron went on.

‘Ping’s’ head jerked around. “But the Captain-!”

“Singled you out to stir up the rest to perform better.  I’ve seen it before, it’s a common ploy with military trainers.  That some of the others were harassing you already is probably what drew his attention in the first place.”

“Oh…”

“Let’s be honest, here.  All the recruits are pretty terrible.” Sable snickered. “The kind of physical demands the military requires is very different from the demands of civilian life.  You’ll adapt before long.”

“But Auron and his friends…”

“I’ve been on campaign before.” Auron interrupted. “The other three are also experienced fighters.” Even in the faint light his smirk could be seen. “You could say we have an unfair advantage.” He jerked his chin towards Sable. “Sable, on the other hand, has only been an active combatant for about a…month?”

Sable waggled a hand. “Give or take.”

Auron acknowledged that with a nod before looking back at ‘Ping’. “I figured she could help you find your rhythm, as she was recently in your position, albeit in a non-military scenario.  So, she can sympathize and warn you of what to expect.”

“That…” Turning, ‘Ping’ bowed deep at the waist. “I am Fa Mulan, daughter of Fa Zhou.  For your aid, I am in your debt.”

“No debt.” Sable denied. “Someone helped me back when I found myself flung from civilian life, best thing I can do is pay that gift forward and help you.”

Mulan straightened up again, dark eyes surprised.

“I’ll start off with a warning.” Sable held up a serious finger. “It’ll be a few days minimum before your body adjusts to the physical demands and you can expect to feel worse before it gets better.  Don’t be discouraged, and remember everyone else is struggling the same as you.  They just have the apparent advantage of greater default strength, courtesy of being men.”

“But strength isn’t everything.” Auron added. “Most of them lack the coordination to do anything other than trip over themselves.”

“Men also tend to throw their muscles at everything.” Sable added, smiling. “But for you and me?  Fight smarter, not harder.  Sometimes the best way past an obstacle involves a little creative thinking.”

That got another thoughtful look from Mulan as she considered that. 

“I’m not a master swordsman, and I’m more accustomed to fighting monsters than people.” Sable admitted. “I can show you how to hold your sword and how to figure out which basic combos work best for you.  Then it’s just a matter of getting your body used to the motions.”

Gluttony crackled into her hand.

“Oh, I didn’t bring my-”

“Here.” Auron tossed Mulan a sheathed jian.

Sable snickered as Mulan almost fumbled her sword before getting a grip on it.  The other woman took a steadying breath and shoved it through the sash around her waist before drawing it in her right hand.

“Alright, so the first thing we’ll do is…”

              ———

“Hey Auron, had a thought.” Sable said a short while later as Mulan panted on the grass.

“Oh?” Was the mildly amused response.

“Do potions work on muscle-tears?  Or just general injuries?

“Potions?” Mulan wheezed quietly.

Auron nodded. “If used in moderation.  Using them was standard procedure when I was training with the warrior monks.”

Sable grinned and pulled out a potion and tossed it over the other woman.  It was, as always, very odd to see it shatter perfectly on cue right as it reached its apex above her, and without a single speck of glass landing on the ground.  How did that even work?

Mulan jerked upright as the green, menthol-scented glitter washed over her. 

“What was that?  That- I feel better?” She stared down in amazement at her no-longer-trembling hands.

“When stressing your muscles,” Sable explained, “they develop miniscule tears that heal quickly and provoke further growth.  It’s why everything aches so much when you’re first starting.  As the process repeats the pain recedes as long as you don’t overdo it.  Our bodies are adaptable like that.”

“Potions speed up the process and reduce inflammation.” Auron took over. “Allowing you to recover and improve faster.  One must be careful not to take to many at a time though, otherwise your body will grow dependent on them and not grow under its own power.”   

“That was a magic potion?” Mulan asked, dark eyes wide as she looked at Sable. “Like that technique you taught me earlier?”

In addition to basic handling of the sword and figuring out what combos felt more natural for her, Sable had also managed to teach Mulan how to use Guard.  Or rather, when they were doing some practice bouts, Mulan had the same reaction to the ‘squeaky effect’ Sable had when she’d first sparred with Seifer.  One thing led to another and by the end of it the other woman could successfully pull off the full technique most of the time.

She certainly handled it better than Sable, who preferred to dodge rather than block.

“Pretty much.” Sable answered. “Don’t ask me how they’re made, I just buy them.  If you find a moogle you could probably ask.”

“…what’s a moogle?”

Before Sable could answer, another voice called out.

“Hey!”

They all turned to find Sora jogging towards them from the camp with something in his hands.  His grin was bright even in the poor lighting as he came to a stop by Sable.

“Here, Sable.” He handed her a bowl. “I figured you’d be hungry.” Sora sent an apologetic towards Auron and Mulan. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you two were out here or I’d have brought bowls for you, too.”

“We’ll manage.” Auron shrugged.  He’d clearly known bringing Mulan out would result in missing dinner.

“Yeah, we can handle it.” Mulan, back in her ‘Ping’ persona, nodded.  She was still using the not-as-deep speech Sable had helped her figure out earlier and it made a big difference in her apparent guise.

“So, how was your first day in bootcamp?” Sable asked, curiously poking at the not-quite soup with her chopsticks.

It was some kind of rice, but not one she was familiar with.  Millet rice, maybe?  Wasn’t that a big staple in ancient China?  Larger chunks of not-rice were mixed in with it…

Oh.  Those were dried fish flakes. 

Yum.

Topping it off was a large chunk of dark bread that was already soaking in some of the soupy-ness.  Taking a bite of that, she decided it was quite good.

“It’s been interesting.” Sora informed, cocking his head slightly. “But some of the other guys are real jerks.” He seemed to prickle like an affronted cat. “I got slugged in the face while waiting in line for food!”

“Ouch.” Sable agreed between bites. “Did you give as good as you got?”

“Yeah!  That black eye isn’t gonna heal anytime soon unless he gets a hi-potion…” Sora trailed off and sheepishly scratched his head. “But, uh… Captain Shang wasn’t too pleased with me and Donald.  Then Donald got annoyed with Goofy, who was the one who went to get the captain…”

Sable snickered. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

“So, how was your day?” Sora asked.

“I had a grand time watching you all try and keep up with the training regime.  You and the others did fine, but everyone else was hilarious.  Poor Shang, needing to whip ‘em all into shape.”

More sheepish head-scratching.

Sable eyed her bowl and bread.  She’d had…maybe a third of it.  Satisfied, even if she was still hungry, she went and handed it to Mulan, who was still seated on the grass.  The other woman was still clearly tired, but not quite as miserable as she’d been before Sable had tossed her the potion.

“Here.  You’ll need this more than I do, right now.”

“Oh!  You don’t have to…” Mulan stopped as Sable shoved the bowl into her hands, only just shy of spilling some of the broth.

“I’m serious.  You need proteins and carbs, and lots of them, when you’re trying to build up your strength.  Otherwise, all your gains are lost as your body cannibalizes itself for the energy it needs.”

Mulan wasn’t the only one looking disturbed at that as she grabbed the chopsticks.

“You sure know a lot, Sable.” Sora noted, expression both alarmed and intrigued.  “How do you know so much?”

“I have a proper college-level education, thank you.” Sable answered dryly.  Then she belatedly remembered that Sora hadn’t been able to continue his education for two, probably closer to three years by that point.  Then a bit of guilt sunk in.  “But then I also like randomly researching topics that catch my interest.  Maybe not in depth, but enough to get the general gist of something.”

“Oh.” Sora made a face. “I’ve never been all that good at school lessons.”

Sable snickered at him. “All that energy you’ve got?  They’d probably have had to staple your butt to the chair to make you sit still.  I bet you were a terror for your teachers.”

“Maaaaybe.” Sora sang out with a grin, clearly hearing the tease in her tone.

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions.” Sable told him. “If I know the answer, I can at least give you a summary.  If it’s a topic you’re interested in, I can go further in depth.  If I don’t know, then I can keep an eye out to find an answer.”

“That…that’d be great Sable, thanks.”  Then Sora frowned and looked around them before looking at her in concern. “Will you be alright out here?” He asked. “Donald said you could go back to the gummi ship if you want and use the hammocks there.”

(…there were hammocks on the gummi ship?)

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Sable acknowledged. “But I may just rough it in the forest.  Find a tree to snooze against or something.”

The weather was actually quite nice.  A bit chilly, maybe, but Sable had thick clothes and her scarf.  She’d be fine.

(Now that she thought about it, her clothes might actually have heating charms woven into them.)

“Be cautious if you do that.” Auron warned. “I heard mention of monsters lurking in the area.” He smirked behind his collar. “Maybe something productive for you to do rather than just snicker at the floundering recruits all day.”

Well.  That was interesting, and definitely something to consider.

“I’ll look into it.  Thanks for the heads up.” Sable smiled at Mulan and Sora, the former of which just about done with inhaling the contents of her bowl. “Good luck with training in the morning, both of you.  Don’t forget: the first few days are always the hardest.”

That got matching nods.

Then the trio of Sora, Auron, and Mulan returned to the military camp.  Sable waited until they were gone from sight before warping away.

              ———

After a bit of a walk Sable found a nice elevated spot away from the camp.  There were enough obstructions (large rocks, trees, and such) that she was mostly hidden from sight.  Anything trying to approach would make obvious noise, even if it was a cat. 

(Didn’t China have tigers?  Big tigers?  They were one of the animals on the Chinese Zodiac, after all…)  

Identifying a decently comfortable (ie: slightly slanted) tree, she settled against it for at least a nap.  Pulling out her MP3 player, she considered her headphones and her speaker for a long moment before ultimately deciding to go with the headphones.  She turned the player’s volume up to full but did not put the headphones on.  Instead, she settled them on one of her legs. 

It would be a Bad Idea to be deaf to the world around her, and a worse idea to do something to draw attention to herself.  But even at full blast the sound wouldn’t carry all that far from the headphones.  Only barely reaching her own ears, in fact.  Which meant she could still enjoy the (lesser quality) music without worrying about anyone else coming to investigate-

To the side, darkness wooshed. ­­­

Gluttony appeared in hand as Sable pitched herself away from the sudden portal.  Then she froze mid-swing as she smelled a familiar sweet scent with a hint of peppery-spice.

“Sorry!  Sorry!” Demyx cringed back away from the wing-blade’s tip, still half in his Dark Corridor. “Just, um…you’re gonna play some music?”

In hindsight, Sable should have expected the Organization’s Melodic Nocturne to pop up if music was involved. 

(She’d kind of forgotten that he was following them…)

“Yeah.” She answered belatedly, letting Gluttony vanish again as Demyx crept forward to sit in front of her. “Might not be all that good, I can’t have it too loud and risk someone else coming to investigate.”

“Oh!” Tugging his hood back, Demyx visibly brightened. “I can handle that.” He lifted up a gloved hand and Sable watched water coalesce above it. 

“Net Silence!”

The water burst, like rain off a glass dome, and splattered in a radius just large enough to encompass the space where the two of them sat without a drop actually getting them wet.  It was an eerie reflection of the fool’s flames Saïx had tossed when he’d ambushed Sable in Twilight Town. 

Of course, Demyx wasn’t done, yet.  Rolling his wrist around, he let his fingers dangle towards the ground as another water orb formed.  Then he flicked it upwards.

“Lateral line!”  

For a second time, the water burst, this time in an expanding ring.  The ring stretched several times further than the first spell.  Looking pleased with himself, Demyx lowered his hand.

“That should do it.” He gave a satisfied nod. “First one will trap any sound we make.  Second one will warn us if anything bigger than a squirrel gets close.” Bright turquoise eyes settled on Sable as he grinned at her. “You can use your speaker, now.”

Nonplussed, Sable pulled it out again, watching the Nobody from the corner of her eye. “So, if you can do that…”

“Why don’t I do it back at base and save on all the traveling?” Demyx finished.

Sable nodded.

“Man, I tried.  They’d notice my magic and come investigate.  Found that it was better to just duck someplace out of the way.  Well.  At least until X-face started homing in on me like some big were-bloodhound.  I have no idea how he does it and it’s driving me nuts!  I get all settled in for some music practice and then he just pops up out of nowhere to yell at me!”

“Yikes.” Sable sympathized, now scrolling through her playlists.

“Hey, got any songs with good strings saved?”

Considering the question, Sable backed out of one folder and started perusing another.  Eventually she found some and set them in their own playlist before hitting play.

“Aw yeah,” Demyx pumped a fist as the music drifted into the air. “That’s what I’m talking about!”  Bright eyes sliding closed, he bobbed his head in time to the rhythm.

Amused at his enthusiasm, Sable settled back against the tree again and closed her own eyes.  A couple steady breaths later and she was well on her way to dozing off.   Then, as the song wound down, a tap to the shoulder made her crack an eye open to look at an only somewhat apologetic Demyx.

“Hey, could you replay that last one?”

Blinking both eyes open, a little disgruntled, she poked at the player.  It was only after clicking the button that she realized Demyx’s sitar was now propped up against his lap.  After the initial notes began, the Nobody began to strum along.

Fascinated, Sable forewent trying to sleep and instead settled in to enjoy the show.

Despite what appearances would suggest, a sitar sounded nothing like a guitar.  Whenever someone made a reference to ‘Indian Music’ they were most likely referring to the rapid strumming of a sitar.  It was a complicated twang that could, in the hands of an expert, even pass as multiple instruments at once.

Demyx was definitely an expert.  In music in general, not just with his sitar. 

As Sable watched, he successfully identified the notes from whatever song had played and then replicated them on his own instrument so as to play along when she looped the song.  Not perfectly, even Sable had been able to notice the odd mistake here and there, but considering how quickly he’d figured it out at all?  Perfection wasn’t all that important.

Let it be known: listening to Master of Puppets as played on sitar was both fascinating and surreal.  So, was Nothing Else Matters and Sweet Child O’ Mine, for that matter. 

“You wanna try?” Demyx asked as the last song came to an end.

Startled, Sable looked at him. “What?”

He offered his sitar. “Wanna give it a go?”

Bemused, she reached out to accept the instrument.  Touching it was like touching wet glass, though not as slippery.  It made her wonder what the weapons of the other elemental Nobodies felt like.  Setting that thought aside, Sable awkwardly settled the sitar across her lap, carefully gripping its neck as she surveyed the many, many strings.

(Another divergence from the original game.  In the game graphics and art, Demyx’s Arpeggio only had three strings.)

“I’m not sure how to translate notes for a sitar.” She admitted, reaching out to pluck one of the strings and feeling the resultant note thrum out.

Demyx lit up. “So, you do play!” He declared. “I was wondering.”

Sable felt her face warm as she avoided eye contact in exchange for continuing her inspection of the sitar on her lap.  “Not…not for a few years.” She admitted. “And I wasn’t particularly good to begin with-”

“What’s your instrument?” He interrupted.

“Oh.  Um.  It was an ocarina.”

“Oh yeah!” Demyx fist-pumped the air. “Obscure instruments for the win!  I mean, how many people even know what an ocarina is?” Blonde brows creased as he frowned. “Like how people just assume a sitar is just a funny looking guitar when it’s really, really not.” Then the frown vanished as he grinned at her. “How many holes did you play with?”

“Uh…mine was a 12-hole, but I know my way around a 6-hole, too.”

“Was?”

“Life happened.”

“Ah, gotcha.”

He reached over and plucked a string.  On a whim, Sable plucked a different string for a contrasting note.  Smirking, Demyx plucked a few strings in quick succession, silently challenging Sable to match it.  That went on for a bit before she realized that the Nobody was actually teasing her through a series of scales, as done on the sitar. 

Alright, challenge accepted.

An indeterminate stretch of time passed with them just fooling around with the 16-string sitar that was also the Nobody’s primary weapon.

“Soooo…” Demyx hummed when Sable eventually handed the sitar back, her fingertips red and aching. “Why’re you out here alone rather than down in the camp with Roxas and the others?”

Sable shrugged. “That’s a military training camp down there.  I’d probably get yelled at just for showing up.  No women allowed, you see.”

“Say what?” The Nobody looked genuinely appalled.  “Duuuude, isn’t that, like, super sexist?  That’s messed up!”

Sable shrugged again, not all that concerned. “I understand, for the most part.  This world doesn’t have the latest in med tech and it’s important in their culture to have big families to help support one another.” Violet deliberately caught offended turquoise. “Having kids is hard on the human body.  Then there’s raising the kids, a full-time job in and of itself, and then a whole slew of other chores that need done regularly.” 

Leaning back against the tree, Sable splayed her hands. “That’s not even considering the other lovely things that come part-n-parcel with being a female.  Things men don’t have to worry about on top of being generally stronger than women.  So, generations back, this culture decided to opt for a division of labor between the sexes.”  She cocked her head. “It does make sense, it’s just that they’re really rude about it.”

“That doesn’t matter!” Demyx argued, jabbing a finger at her. “You can fight just fine and you’re a girl!  You’re even scarier than Roxas right now!  And Larxene was way stronger than most guys I’ve seen!”

“Not a lot of people are like Larxene.  Thankfully.” Sable pointed out. “Or me, for that matter.  We’re outliers.”

“Fair point.  But!” Demyx jabbed a finger into the air. “It still doesn’t matter!  Men.  Women.  They’re all beautiful and capable and- and- getting shoved into a little box like that for something so arbitrary and then expected to just conform is just wrong!” He splayed his palms, turquoise eyes wide. “Everyone deserves the right to choose who they’re gonna be and what they wanna do with their life!”

As he finally wound down, breathing hard, Sable stared at him in astonishment.  That explained so much about his actions in-game that had always confused her.  Especially that disaster of a fight (that will hopefully never come to pass) during the eventual 1000 Heartless Battle. 

Sora, in-game, had apparently smashed a bunch of Demyx’ very personal buttons with the equivalent of a sledgehammer.  That made way too much sense!  The Melodic Nocturne clearly had a temper under all that chill patience.

The musician was finally getting his breathing back under control again, composure settling back into place as if it had never left.  Sable continued watching him, then she smiled and reached out to give a playful shove to his ridiculously padded shoulder as she chuckled.

“You are such a hippie.”

“Hey!” He drew himself up indignantly.  “Nothing wrong with being a- oh.” Now it was his turn to blink. “You’re not mocking me?”

“Just calling it as I see it.” Sable answered, then paused as his words registered.  “Wait, you’re really…?”

“Uh, yeah.” Demyx gestured to his sitar, then at himself.  Specifically at his hair. “I mean, kind of obvious, right?”

“I’ll confess the black uniform and overall lack of color threw me off.”

“You know what?  That’s fair.”

              ———

Sleeping outside at night in China, Sable discovered the next morning, was a terrible idea.  Sure, none of the larger predators had been a problem, but she’d overlooked one very important thing: Mosquitos.

And midges.  And predatory flies.  And various other bite-y things.

Demyx, who’d ended up falling asleep lounging in front of another tree, was equally miserable when they discovered the local parasites had decided they were a free buffet.  Unexpectedly, he had some spells to mitigate the worst of it. 

(Sweet, sweet relief.  Sable would definitely be sleeping in the gummi ship next time.)

Sable did note that the spells Demyx had used were built around leveraging his water affinity.  The results being considerably more precise and controlled than the game suggested he was capable of.  Considering he was shown capable of generating independent water clones with an apparent invincibility shield tied to them…

Yeah.  The Organization’s Melodic Nocturne wasn’t nearly as inept as he pretended to be. It was probably only because he’d been miserable and half-asleep that he’d given away that much. 

(Not that Sable was going to call him out on that, though.  That would be rude.)

Still yawning, Demyx had offered a final wave before ducking back into a Dark Corridor to do whatever it was he did when he was on spy-duty.  Sable highly doubted he watched them the entire time.  Or even most of the time, for that matter.

(Maybe she’d get the chance to ask later?)

While Sable did poke in to check on Sora, Mulan, and the others periodically over the course of the day, she spent most of her time following up on Auron’s little tip.  There were Heartless in the area and Sable had a great deal of fun tracking them down.  She even had a stare down with another grumpy gumball machine.

She’d swear it had been challenging her as she crouched in front of it, the Heartless ticking away ominously.  Sable had still reacted first, though, nailing it right in the button nose.  Like previous encounters, it had spat more rocks at her before vanishing with an offended rattle.  Sable could almost hear a high-pitch squawk of ‘I’ll get you, my pretty!’ when it poofed away. 

Heh.

It wasn’t until later that afternoon that she realized she was basically doing the ‘missions’ that had been used in-game rather than the actual troop-training that happened in the Mulan animated movie.  It was kind of funny in hindsight.

When evening fell and the trainees returned to the base camp Sable met with Auron and Mulan later to continue tutoring the latter in sword play before providing another potion at the end.  Sora arrived around then, this time with three servings of food.  They parted ways once the food was gone and Sable met with Demyx again. 

Not wanting to risk more biting insects, they’d avoided the little clearing they’d stayed in before.  Instead, Demyx had cheerfully led her to a pond he’d found earlier to show off his water manipulation in time with his music playing.  It was certainly a sight to behold, but Demyx hadn’t been content with that and had teasingly goaded Sable into playing with her own magic in tandem with his. 

Specifically: fire magic. 

While he’d snickered at how the flames sputtered and sometimes did the opposite of what Sable wanted, he’d also talked her through refining the control of it.  The results weren’t even slightly battle-ready, but it was definitely fun.

And pretty.

The fox-fire sparks had danced between the streamers of rippling water, in complex patterns.  The flickering light reflected and scattered in a wash of different colors. 

Sable also tried playing around with blizzard, and Demyx had a startling amount of advice to offer regarding fine control, but it hadn’t been nearly as satisfying to freeze the water streamers into messy sculptures.  Thunder had been more entertaining to use, but Demyx had kept twitching whenever the crackling energy lanced around the water.

It had taken Sable an embarrassingly long time to realize it was probably because the bolts reminded him of Larxene, which held some unpleasant implications.  So, Sable had switched back to using fire instead, and had watched him relax almost immediately.

About moon-high they’d both called it a night and went their separate ways.  Demyx…probably to his bed back at the Organization’s HQ, while Sable backtracked to where the gummi ship had been parked.  Like Sora had said, there were hammocks that could be strung up on strategically placed pegs.  Two high, in fact, kind of like bunk beds.  Chip and Dale were more than happy to show her where they were stored, where they hung up, and where the extra blankets were.

The end result was both cozy and warm as the hammock swung by one of the engines.  The thrumming had quite the soporific effect.  Sable had been asleep almost before she’d properly situated herself.

              ———

She woke up to something warm and fuzzy curled up just under the corner of her jaw.  Was that…?

Violet eyes blinked blearily open to see a rather horrified looking Chip perching on the edge of her hammock.  The little chipmunk froze wide-eyed when he realized she was awake.  Sable blinked at him once.  Then twice.  Before carefully reaching up to brush her fingertips against the soft fur tickling her neck.

Dale murmured sleepily at her touch and stretched.  Even stretched out, he wasn’t even as big as the full span of her hand. 

Aww…

Letting her palm rest against him, her thumb absently stroked the fur of his back.  She could feel his tiny heartbeat, so much faster than hers, as he kept sleeping.  There was no need to disturb him, it wasn’t like she really needed to get up just yet.

Taking a deep breath, Sable fell asleep again with a smile on her face.

              ———

              ———

Waking up without that tiny warmth under her jaw was disappointing, but understandable.  It was nice Dale had cuddled with her as long as he had.  After prying herself out of the hammock and wandering around like a zombie until she’d found Sora’s leftover sandwiches, Sable found she had pulled a Rip Van Winkle.  She’d slept so long that the moon was rising high into the sky.  

Oops.

A bit too late for Heartless hunting.  In fact, she should probably go check in on Sora, Mulan and the others.  Sable had no idea what all might have happened while she’d been having her lie-in.

A short while and series of consecutive warps later, Sable learned that Mulan had apparently reached the lowest point of adapting to heavy physical exertion.  The other woman had been left behind when the rest of the recruits were taken on a mountain run.  By the time Sable found her, Mulan was making her slow and painstaking way back towards the camp with an air of abject misery.

“I did say it would get worse before it got better.” Sable pointed out as she materialized besides the Disney not-actually-a-princess.

It was a testament to Mulan’s exhaustion that she barely twitched at the dark adept’s arrival. 

Sable nudged her gently with an elbow. “You are doing very well considering your circumstances.  As long as you don’t give up, you’ll get past this.” She talked over an attempt at protest. “Remember what Auron said?  You’re being singled out to spur the other trainees into working harder.  Not because you’re the least qualified trainee.”  Pausing for a moment, Sable considered it further. “Also, Shang’s awfully young for a military leader, isn’t he?  This is probably his first solo command and he’s likely fumbling almost as much as the rest of you, if in different ways.  With that up-tight paper pusher breathing down his neck…”

“He might try to over correct himself.” Mulan murmured, not reassured so much as sympathetic. “Before the draft…I was supposed to meet with the matchmaker in my village to find who my husband would be.” She hesitated. “I’ve never been as…gifted with the traditional womanly pursuits as my mother might have wished.”

“Ah.  Didn’t go well, I take it?”

“It was a disaster.” The trainee buried her face in her hands for a moment. “I made a mess of things and she called me a disgrace and declared that I’d never bring honor to my family.”

“Ouch.”

Mulan glanced over at her. “You think the Captain is in a similar situation?”

“At least a little.  Have you noticed how the paper pusher is always taking notes and looking down on literally everyone around him?”

“Oh.” Mulan considered that, then shivered. “I only had to deal with the matchmaker a short time.  I can’t imagine being under such extended scrutiny.”

“He’s probably more than a little stressed.” Sable reasoned. “So, if he seems extra harsh on you, don’t take it personally.  It’s probably not you he’s seeing.”  Seeing the camp coming up, she slowed her pace. “I’ll linger around here a while, if you need anything.”

That got her a startled, though thankful, look as Mulan continued on without her.

She was intercepted before passing the first tent.  Shang had been waiting with a fully tacked horse.  Sable saw them exchange words before the man handed Mulan the reins and turned away.  Disheartened, Mulan retraced her steps back to Sable with her head hung low.

“He said I was unsuited for the rage of war.” The other woman intoned softly.

“Well, you’re going to have to prove him wrong then, won’t you?”

Mulan looked up, expression lost. “How?  These past few days I’ve only stood out as a disappointment.”

Sable considered her, then jerked her chin up. “What’s with the arrow?  Atop that pillar?  I saw you trying to get it when we first arrived, right before you fell on Sora.”

Turning to look at the aforementioned pillar, Mulan answered: “On our first day, Captain Shang challenged us to retrieve the arrow.”

“Not as simple as just climbing up for it, I take it?”

“We’re required to climb carrying weights he called ‘Discipline’ and ‘Strength’.  So, far, no one’s succeeded…” Pausing, Mulan looked back at Sable with a thoughtful expression.  Then turned back to the pillar. “You said…it was better to fight smarter.  And that men always throw their muscles at their problems…” She cocked her head. “We’ve all tried climbing the pole with the weights hanging off our wrists…but the Captain said we’d need them to reach the arrow...”

“Sounds like you’ve got an idea.”  

Rather than answering, Mulan marched back towards the camp with a determined set to her shoulders.

Amused, Sable warped to a good vantage point to enjoy the show.

              ———

“So, you saw the Hades Cup?” Sable asked as she and Demyx followed a game trail. 

Though night had fallen, the full moon slowly rising overhead meant Sable could see her way just fine.  In rough grayscale, perhaps, but otherwise clearly.  Demyx was likewise able to navigate even though he kept the hood of his coat up. 

(Or perhaps because of the hood, he could see just fine?  He got a little cagey when Sable had asked about it so she’d let it drop.)

Around them, the oblong ring of water that was the mobile version of the musician’s Net Silence spell moved with them, silencing the sounds of their passage.  It was kind of neat how casually Demyx maintained the spell. 

“Oh, heck yeah, man!” The grin was audible in his voice as he gestured absently with his hands. “Soon as I realized what was going on I sprinted back to Control to let everyone else know!”

(That was interesting.  She wasn’t going to tell Sora, though.)

“Did any of them come watch?” Sable was legitimately curious to know.

“Weeeeell, our boss just gave me that 1000-yard-stare until I left, No. 7 sneered down his nose at me, and No. 3 wasn’t even in the castle.  No.’s 2 and 10 both decided to come, though.”

“You all had a good time, I take it?”

“It was great!  The way you and Roxas responded to the Bulky Vendors was priceless, they looked sooo offended.” The hood of Demyx’s coat bobbed up and down with his enthusiasm. “And Xiggy choked on his popcorn when Roxas shouted ‘Darkness!’ and went all Neoshadow.  We certainly didn’t expect that!”

The forest gave way to open skies and tall grass, though the game trail still offered relatively clear passage.

“None of us did.” Sable agreed. “But it turned out alright.”

Demyx snickered. “He was like a giant kitten.  Him all pouncing on those ice cubes…then he got that same vexed look cats get when you take away their toy!” 

“I get like that, too, when my darkness is surging.” Sable admitted.

“Ah,” Demyx waved a gloved finger, “but do you snuggle like one?  We all saw how Roxas flopped on you afterwards.”

Sable shrugged. “If I felt safe with the person in question?  Yeah, I would.”

“Oh.” Clearly the Melodic Nocturne hadn’t expected that answer.

“I do like hugs.” Sable told him dryly. “And affectionate contact.”

“Gotcha!” He flipped her a double thumbs-up. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Rolling her eyes, Sable asked: “So, did Xigbar and Luxord send those Snipers and Gamblers at the end of our bracket?”

The game trail narrowed and Sable held back a step to let Demyx take the lead.  His hooded head turned back to keep her in relative sight as he kept talking, hands swinging in time with his words.

“Yup!  Two bet his Snipers would nail you in the face and Ten was certain his Gamblers would baffle Shadow-Roxas.”

Sable snorted at that.

“They sure lost those bets!  I can buy the next few volumes of the manga I’m following, now.” The seemingly-lazy musician sounded so pleased by that.  “So, what happened when you-” 

The Net Silence water ring around them popped as Demyx came to such an abrupt halt that Sable walked right into his back. 

“Oh, man.” The man whimpered as more water splooshed somewhere up ahead.

Distracted by the sudden sweet peppery smell, Sable almost didn’t duck out of the way in time as Demyx suddenly backpedaled, both hands covering the front of his hood.

“Iamsosorrydon’tkillmeIsawnothingBYE!”

Whoosh

Baffled, Sable stared at where her friend had been.  That had been the fastest use of a dark corridor that she’d seen yet.  Just what had spooked him so badly…?

Oh.

“Sorry, Mulan.” Sable looked away again, this time noticing the robes hanging off the branch of one of the few trees growing near the water. “Didn’t realize you’d be here or we’d have gone somewhere else.”

Now chin-deep in the pond, Mulan was looking very alarmed. “Sable, who was that?”

“A friend of mine-”

“Didn’t I warn you?” Sable jumped at the knee-high shout from just beyond some foliage. “I told you your dumb girly habits were gonna get us caught!  But nooooo you just had to go take a bath!”

“If it helps,” Sable tried, peering at the surrounding foliage to try and pinpoint the familiar speaker. “Demyx is probably sprinting for the biggest rock he can hide under, right now.”

“Oh, he’d better run!” The shouting continued. “’Cuz when I get my claws on him it is on!  How dare he take a peek at Mulan like that!”

Ah-hah!  There he was.  The little bell-ringer posing as Mulan’s family guardian.  He was a spindly little thing.  Very cute, though, despite the attitude, and his red-and-gold scales were so bright they nearly burned in the dark.

“Mushu!” Mulan hissed, eyes wide.

“Wha-” The not-a-lizard looked up and his ears flopped back as he saw Sable staring down at him. “Ah, oops?”

“I’ve never met a dragon before.” Sable admitted as she navigated around the bush, with as little noise as possible, before crouching down in front of him. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Oh, uh, yeah, that’s right.” He glanced at Mulan. “See this is how you show some proper respect to a family guardian!  You could learn some lessons from her.”

Sable and Mulan exchanged amused looks, the latter relaxing enough to start focusing on the reason she’d gone to the pond in the first place and started scrubbing her skin.  Then Sable looked back at Mushu.

“Anyways, it was an honest mistake.” She told him. “He won’t breathe a word to anyone.  I told him about your culture’s stringent social roles and he was appalled.”

“What?  Why?” Mulan sounded surprised.

Straightening up again, Sable glanced at her. “The culture we hail from practices equal opportunity for men and women.” She shrugged. “Hearing how stratified yours is was a bit of a shock.”

“Equal opportunity?  I can’t even imagine that…”

The snapping of a branch had Sable moving before the sound had even faded.

“Whoa!” Sora managed to stop just before he could collide with her. “Oh, hey Sable!  Looks like you had the same idea we did.”

Sable blinked. “What?”

Her moment of distraction cost her.

“Hey there, Ping!” Donald called.

“Ping’s here, too?” Ducking Sable’s arm, Sora darted around, nimble as a dragonfly.

“Sora, wait!”

“Hey, Ping, you did great today… Ack!” Blushing, Sora slapped a hand over his eyes. “I’m sorry!  I didn’t realize you were a girl!”

Palming her face, Sable sighed.

A sudden rush of heat had her peak through her fingers.

“Foolish mortals!” Mushu roared. “You have beheld Ping’s nakedness!”

“Hot! Hot, Hot, HOT!”

(Ouch.  That had to sting.)

Sploosh

Steam hissed as the pond water doused the furious flames. 

Still spitting sparks, Mushu spun around to where Mulan was hiding her face behind a lotus pad.  “Now how exactly do you propose we keep these guy’s mouths shut-”

Curious fingers plucked him from the ground, effectively cutting off the rest of the tirade.

“Mushu?” Sodden clothes still steaming, Sora stared the dragon in the eye.

“Yeah, that’s me.  I’m lethal and legendary!” The writhing serpentine body froze. “Hold on just a sec…Sora?” And just like that, the temper vanished. “Sora, my man, is that you?  Oh!” Mushu’s head swung to where a pair of disgruntled figures still sat in the pond. “And Donald and Goofy, too!”

Twisting around, Mushu perched on Sora’s wrist like a particularly scaly parrot.

“Oh man,” He grinned at them. “It’s been, what, like a year since I last saw y’all?  How y’all been?”

“You know them?” During the distraction, Mulan had retreated back deeper into the pond and was now near a large boulder sprouting out of the water.

“Oh, yeah.” Mushu offered a toothy grin. “We used to whoop all kinds of bad guy butt together.  I helped them out of some really tight spots.”

Oh.

Right.

Mushu had been a summon in the first Kingdom Hearts game, hadn’t he?  That hadn’t really been a function Sable had used much.

(What summons were available in Kingdom Hearts II, again?  She couldn’t remember…)

Smothering a sudden yawn, Sable meandered into the tall grass.  Oh.  There was a horse grazing over there.  Very handsome stallion, mostly black with a white blaze down his face.  There was a towel across his back…wait, that was Mulan’s horse.

Did he have a name?

As she was deciding whether or not to see if the horse would let her approach, a three-part harmonious whoop sounded out back towards the pond. 

Uh-oh.

That wasn’t Sora.  Or Donald.  Or Goofy.  Or even Mulan.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose with both hands, Sable stayed solidly where she was and tried to ignore whatever was going on back at the pond.  Until someone yelped.

“Something bit me!”

Sable slowly pulled her hands away from her face.

“SNAKE!”

A shrill whistle had the stallion’s head snapping up from where he’d been grazing.  Sable reflexively warped out of the way as the horse galloped past. 

She took a breath and let the world blink around her as she stubbornly tuned out the chaos.  Reaching out, she plucked Mulan’s robes from the tree branch they were hanging from before warping in the direction where she could hear the clop clop of hooves.

“Boy that was close.” Mulan breathed, wrapping her towel tightly around herself as they walked away from the pond.

“No.” Came Mushu’s gargle-y disagreement. “That was vile!”

Glancing past the horse’s legs, Sable saw the dragon point a toothbrush at Mulan.

“You owe me big!” Mushu proceeded to squeeze an enormous glob of toothpaste directly onto his tongue before continuing to scrub out his teeth.

(Did Mushu have any connection to Aladdin’s Genie?  They both used modern-day props in non-modern settings.)

“Got your robes.” Sable murmured, keeping pace at the horse’s side as her elbow brushed the tall grass bracketing the path.

“Thanks, Sable.” Mulan reached up to wring water out of her hair. “I never want to see another naked man again.”

The horse actually huffed in agreement.

Many voices suddenly whooped and Sable and Mulan both froze mid-step.  Countless bare feet stampeded down the path past them.

Urk.

Mulan’s horse shuddered and gave a disgusted snort.

Feeling her face burning as more splashing came from the pond, Sable pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“Hey don’t look at me.  I ain’t bitin’ no more butts.” Mushu stomped off.

Mulan and Sable exchanged looks and quickly followed suit.  Were they abandoning Sora and company in the process?  Maybe.  Did Sable really care at that moment?  No, not really.  They’d be fine and Sable wasn’t even supposed to be in the area to begin with.  Also…

So. 

Much. 

Naked.

Sable had to agree with Mulan in that regard, she could go the rest of her life without ever seeing that again.

              ———

Not long after that lovely night, orders were sent to deploy Shang’s new recruits. 

Personally, Sable suspected Mushu had something to do with it because there was no way boot camp lasted less than a week.  The recruits were only just starting to get accustomed to the physical requirements!

In any case, after collecting Sora’s order from Kupo-the-Moogle, Sable shadowed the troop as they marched towards the mountains.  It was interesting.  And not just because of how most of the recruits broke out into song about a ‘girl worth fighting for’.

Ugh.

(It was nice to see some camaraderie between Mulan and some of her fellow recruits, though.)

Anyway, while the lower lands where the training had taken place had been more on the chilly side of comfortable, their route took them up to where snow painted the mountains.  Not that the snow was a problem, watching Sora stare at it with wide-eyed wonder had been a delight.  So had watching some of the troops cheerfully make a quick line of snow-women (yes, snow-women) before moving on under the captain’s exasperated eye.

No, the problem was some of the other things that came with freezing temperatures.

Fortunately, she was pretty sure Auron was the only one to see her inglorious flip-n-slide after she stepped on an ice-slicked rock.  He always seemed to figure out where she was and made a point of catching her eye each time. 

With a smirk.

But the levity wouldn’t last.  Not when the scent of smoke eventually reached them.

In the game, the ruined village had been…sanitized.  Burned pillars, blackened shells that had once been buildings, a tattered flag barely attached to a pole.  The child’s doll abandoned in the snow…

(No blood.  No bodies.)

That wasn’t the case now.  Distantly, Sable noticed Auron plant a hand on Sora’s shoulder as he firmly led the teenager away from the worst of it.  Sable didn’t shy away, instead ghosting around the edges of the massacre as if on autopilot, taking it all in with numb horror.

The Huns had been brutal and utterly indiscriminate. All those people.  The noncombatants.  Butchered like animals.  Like their lives didn’t matter…

Sable saw a number of bodies far too small to be adults.  Too small to be any sort of threat, yet butchered all the same.  She knew war was hell and neither side were innocent of atrocities, but she couldn’t help but wonder whether Shan-Yu, the leader of the Huns, had razed the village for sport. 

An almost white-noise-like sensation began ringing in the back of her mind.

Then they found the remains of the Chinese battalion that had tried defending the pass.  The one led by Captain Shang’s honored father.  Slaughtered to a man, with not even the pack beasts being spared. 

They marched further up the mountain, unable to stop for proper burial rights with the danger still so close.

Sable continued shadowing them.

“It’s the Hun army!”

(Innocent children, murdered.)

“They’re the ones that did this!”

The ringing grew louder until it drowned out everything else.  Ice, colder than the snow of the mountain pass, burned through her veins as the world around her seemed to sharpen. 

Figures came to view, cresting the rise above.

So. Many. Targets.

“Ready the cannons!  Let’s go, men!”

The world bled red.

DIE!

———

Forehand-ReverseSweep-TwoHandedSpin-Discharge!

Duck below divebombing orange streaks.  Sidestep spinning rotors as one of the goldfish-crackers-from-hell plays at being clever.  Fails abysmally.  Bursts into dark sparks as the hungry blade feeds.

The world blinks.

Duck-Thrust-PommelStrike-Shrapnel!

That target goes down screaming, toxic purple energy eating away at leather armor down to the vulnerable flesh underneath.  A dismissive downward stab cuts the sound off.

The world blinks.

Spin and throw.  Alacrity crackles around Gluttony’s hilt.  Lashing out, flying and blurring.

Chain Rave.

Heartless burst on impact.  Pop-pop-pop... 

Taste iron on the wind.  See white stain red.  Flick wrist.  Reel in the dark whip and grasp the red-woven hilt.  Watch dark thorns crackle along the bat-winged edge.

The world blinks.

Gravity beckons.  Slam down into no-longer-pure snow, blade-first.  Feel and see darkness screaming out in a wave of black. 

Dark Hazard

Note the sudden empty space amidst the squirming, howling mass that is soldier and Heartless alike.  Feel lips curl back, more snarl than smirk.

The world blinks.

The dark whip crackles out.  Hear a target choke from a strangled throat.  Yank and observe chokes gurgle out as the hungry blade slides home.  Let the deadweight fall.  So, many targets to choose from…

Ozone-notozone splits the air.  Sensation scatters into static.

Feel the snowy ground vanish from underfoot as arms yank taut, muscles burning and spasming.  Glimpse an arcing discharge from self to writhing column of red-and-purple.  Not lightning.  Electricity?  Flickering light illuminates the spiny red brand of the Emblem Heartless. 

Recall the Bolt Towers complementing the demonic goldfish crackers and recognize its favored Catch Laser.

(Inconvenient.)

Let aura crackle out.  A visible shield to catch jolting arcs.  Yank wrists free and swing, energy catching on the hungry blade’s point in a spasming sphere.  Fling.  A pointed Return-to-Sender.

Feel the fine hairs along neck and arms prickle as the hot-nothot explosion washes out.  Gravity works.  Still-twitching muscles utterly fail to respond.  Snow cushions fall.  Blink and observe chittering streaks of orange-and-black swoop down.

Snap-Crack

They fall in twain as the dark whip responds where the body does not.  More demonic goldfish crackers swarm above the mountain in a buzzing mass that blots out the sky.

Take a breath.  Push up out of the snow.  Throw and swing! 

Weasel Wind

Watch the dark claws fly.  Snow scatters and buried earth crumbles.  Smirk and leap up.  Note that the countless not-a-goldfish-cracker Heartless made excellent stepping stones.  Flare aura again, drawing power from the roiling mana pool.

Supercell

Watch, breathless, as the skies clear.  Feel gravity beckon.  Let it pull- DANGER!  Twist hard mid-air as searing heat scores a line across side. 

“You missed!” The words dopplered back on the wind. “How could you miss?!  He was three feet in front of you!”

Dazed, Sable blinked at the sudden lack of red in the world.  Her stomach lodged its habitual protest at the sudden mana drain, but it was ignorable.  Groaning, she struggled to sit up in the upturned snow, it wasn’t time for a leisurely break…

Wait. 

Had that been Mushu?

Far in the distance, something poped.  Then the whole mountain shook as the entire icepack visibly shuddered where the weaponized firework had struck.  There was an ominous rumble, shivering right down through her bones, then the rock — the snow — the whole damn mountain just…

Slid free.

As close as Sable was to the top of the pass, running did next to nothing.  Feet churned the snow of the incline as hundreds of other figures tried to outrun the towering tsunami of white.  The shadow fell over her and she could feel the cold at her back, then-

“Dance water, dance!”

Snow turned to slush turned to water beneath her feet then surged to carry Sable on a winding wave ahead of the roaring avalanche.

A flicker of movement let her spot the black-clad figure surfing atop another winding wave at even greater speed.  Rapid-fire notes from his sitar could only just be heard over the thunder of crashing snow and rock as more snow melted into surging water currents.

Her own wave crested sharply, rebounding off the cliff wall to form a towering plunging wave that any surfer would drool over.  Then it crackled to ice.

Suddenly airborne, Sable belatedly remembered she could warp. 

A blink and she was still airborne, her momentum continuing to carry her forward.  Not nearly high enough.  A rapid warp-chain later took her high above the pass and snow.

Re-orienting herself—and trying to control her churning stomach—Sable looked down just in time to watch the avalanche collide with the now-frozen wave she had been riding.  There was a minute shift in the white tsunami’s flow as the angle of the sculpture funneled it into a slightly different direction. 

The sculpture was lost from sight in moments, but that didn’t matter.

Almost invisible against the white background, more torrents of water crashed into the cliffs on either side of the pass, ricocheting off to form more frozen waves.  Anchored to the unyielding stones the massive ice constructs formed hard right-angles to the oncoming surge, funneling the snow off center and bleeding off momentum in the process. 

Each one was quickly buried, but for each one the surge of snow cascading over the waves was markedly less, hard ice arresting part of the huge quantities of snow and rock.  A laughable amount, really, compared to the total mass of the avalanche, but it was still a noticeable difference. 

Bit by bit, the breaker field of ice sculptures winnowed down the mass of the avalanche.

Still ahead of it all, Demyx surfed his own foaming current, drawing up yet more torrents of water to replace those lost.  Not all crashed into the cliff walls, though.  Thinner waves crested up down the center of the pass like a maze of ski ramps.  The avalanche struck them and split, divided, breaking the once unified mass into smaller currents of gushing snow.

Seen from above, the scene strongly resembled a mass of writhing snakes.  All of which was being funneled towards the sharp drop at the end of the pass.

Tiny figures raced along the cliff edge. 

Sable glimpsed the bright colors of Sora’s Valor Form and Auron’s coat just before they vanished with the others under a protruding rock.  A chill ran down Sable’s spine as she realized the rock was much too small to shelter all of the soldiers from the oncoming surge of snow and rock.

Demyx saw it too.

Cutting down the center of the path, the Nobody swung his Sitar above his head and a massive wake of water sprayed up behind him.  Twisting on his wave, Demyx brought his hand down for a hard riff and all that water surged past him.  Crashed up against the rock and froze into a massive wedge pointed back towards the pass.

Then the avalanche crashed down.

The ice wedge did its part, sheltering Sora, Donald, Auron, as well as Mulan’s people.  The thundering snow split against it, spraying off the cliff like a waterfall.

Still falling-with-style high above the pass, Sable thought she heard a high-pitched shriek.

Oh.

Shoot.

Demyx had gone right over the cliff, hadn’t he?

Tension headache already forming behind her eyes, Sable warped and reappeared just past the cliff and fell, violet eyes wide and searching- There!

At a flicker of black amidst the wash of white, she warped again and collided hard with black not-leather.  Inhaling a lungful of sweet peppery-spice, Sable gritted her teeth and locked her arms around Demyx’s ribs.

The world blinked again.

Her stomach flip-flopped.  Vertigo spun her vision in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Static.

              ———

The sound of moans reached her ears as awareness swam in again.  Only some of those moans were hers.  Blinking, world still swimming as she watched, Sable just.  Lay there.  In the snow.  Of which there was a lot.

Ow.

“You still alive?” Sable croaked.

“Today sucks.” The warbly response drifted back. “I wanna refund.”

It hurt to laugh, her ribs creaked like one big bruise under the shakes. “Thought ice sculptures was Vexen’s schtick.”

“Hey, water’s water.” There was a low crunch of snow somewhere to her right. “’n it’s below freezing up here.  Not like it was hard.”

A black gloved hand filled her vision and Sable blinked again.  Reaching up to clasp it, Sable let Demyx heft her out of her own personalized snow-angel.

“Thanks.” Sable wobbled, trying to coax her equilibrium back. “We good?”

Not quite doubled over his knees, Demyx chugged an ether with one hand while offering a weary thumbs up with the other. “Yup!  After that we’re even.” Fumbling in his pocket, he tossed her a second ether. “But, uh…you should probably get back to Roxas.”

She nearly choked mid-sip.  Sora.  Mulan!

Inhaling the rest of the ether, Sable vaguely registered the whoosh of a Dark Corridor but didn’t look back as she started sprinting back up the slope.

              ———

Chapter Text

Sable got there to find Mulan stripped of her armor kneeling on the snow with her horse (Khan, Mulan had called the stallion) a warm wall behind her, his long legs folded neatly underneath him.  Auron’s familiar red coat was draped across the woman’s shoulders, the swordsman standing guard a few feet away seemingly unbothered by the cold despite his arms being completely bare.  A despondent Sora sat near her, along with Donald and Goofy.

“Those are the rules in this world.” Donald was saying with a shrug. “There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Right.  Mulan’s status as female had gotten discovered after the avalanche, hadn’t she?  In the game, her cover had gotten blown by a loud-mouth Mushu, but in the original movie she’d gotten injured by Shan-Yu right before firing that rocket and the truth had come out when the wound was being treated.

From the silent sense of fuming emanating from Auron, Sable wondered how things had played out here.  She probably wasn’t going to ask, though.

“None of you thought to toss her a potion?” Sable called instead as she made her way over. “Or have Donald cast cure?”

“Sable!” Several voices cried out as every head whipped in her direction.

“You’re alright!”  Sora leapt up to his feet and ran over.  “What happened?  You just disappeared when the avalanche crashed down!”

“We thought you’d gotten buried like the Heartless did.” Goofy added.

Sable gestured towards the cliff edge.  “Nah, just took a short flight- Oomph!”

She stumbled back, Sora’s arms wrapped tightly around her middle.  The younger teen looked up with a reproachful look.

“You keep falling off things!  Stop doing that!”

“I told you, I’m not a stranger to sudden falls.” Sable patted his back as he squeezed her again.

“But you can’t fly!”

“I can warp, though.  You don’t have to worry, Sora.”

“Except you don’t warp back to us!” Sora finally let go and stepped back, fists planted indignantly on his hips as he glared at her.  “You always vanish for a bit and we have no idea where you go!  First in the Underworld, then just now with the avalanche!”

“The Underworld was my poor planning.” Sable admitted easily. “But I couldn’t warp back up the cliff with the avalanche still ongoing, so I had to choose a lower ledge.” She shrugged. “I’d used up my reserves, so I had to walk back up.  Really, Sora, I’m fine.”

Bright blue eyes squinted at her suspiciously, clearly not inclined to believe her.

“Seriously, though.” Changing the subject, Sable jerked her chin back towards Mulan. “Did no one think of using a curative?”

“We were too far away.” Auron spoke up. “The avalanche left us scattered and by the time we realized Mulan was injured…” He shook his head.

“Captain Li got her out of her clothes so fast, there wasn’t time for curatives.” Sora sighed. “The captain sure was quick…”

Sable noticed how the faces of every adult present twitched at the teenager’s poorly phrased observation.  There was an exchange of glances as they all unanimously agreed not to say anything.  She had to bite her lip to keep from snickering.

Walking around Sora, Sable approached Mulan, untying her scarf as she did so.

“Here.”  When the shivering woman hesitated, Sable knelt down to wrap the thick material around her head and shoulders like a makeshift hooded poncho.  “I’ll want it back, but this should help keep you a bit warmer.” 

“Thank you…”

Stepping back, Sable eyed the snow around them.  Her mana pool had regenerated, but she still had hints of that stress headache from too many warps, just waiting to surge up again if she pushed it.

Ah well.

It was for a good cause.

Remembering Demyx’s advice over the last few days, she drew out her magic for something not quite fire, not quite blizzard.  Yelps echoed around them as a chunk of snow surged up like a wave, arching over them before freezing again in a makeshift cave.  One deep enough to hold all of them—plus horse—comfortably.

Sable grimaced as her head throbbed sharply.  Then she pulled out a Hi-Potion, one of several she’d won from the hapless Assault Riders she’d bisected over the past few days, and tossed it to Mulan.

The woman flinched at the glitter, but immediately her dark eyes cleared from their previous glaze-of-pain.

“Whoa, Sable, how’d you do that?” Sora asked from where he was poking at the wall of the cave.

“Demyx was giving me some pointers.” She shrugged, drinking another ether just to be on the safe side.

“What?” Donald yelped. “The Organization is here?” He looked around as if expecting the Nobody to pop out of thin air.

(Not an entirely unjustified concerned, she could admit.)

“He did say he’d be following us.” Sable pointed out dryly. “We’ve been visiting in the evenings and talked a bit about magic.  Also.” She jabbed a finger at Sora. “If you spar with him, make sure to pop all his water puppets before the timer runs out.  He’s got some kind of Sleep spell woven into them that knocks you out for hours.”

“Timer?” Donald frowned. “That sounds more like a Doom spell, than a Sleep spell.”

“Well, whatever it was, it got me good.” A sour look crossed her face. “Demyx said something about me being more susceptible to it than normal.  Apparently, it got me before the timer actually ran out.” Sable paused as something else occurred to her and she dug into her pockets. “Oh, forgot about this.  Here, Donald.”

The pekin accepted the Shadow Archive+ with a toothy grin, letting out a hissing laugh any Donald fan would recognize.

“So, we should stock up on curatives for status effects.” Goofy reasoned as his friend slipped on the accessory.

“A note for future preparation.” Auron spoke up. “But what should we do, now?  We may have shelter, but we can’t stay on the mountains forever.” He glanced pointedly in Mulan’s direction, drawing all attention back to her.

“I guess we’ll just go home.” Mushu spoke up for the first time since Sable had arrived.  The little dragon patted Mulan’s side. “Did our best, saved China and all that.  And no one got beheaded!” His attempt at levity fell more than a little flat.  And that last comment seemed a little too on the nose considering the awkward fidgeting that followed it.

“I have tainted my family’s honor with dirt and shame.” Mulan murmured, curling deeper into Auron’s coat. “And now…my father has lost face.  I am nothing but a woman.”

“Excuse me.” Sable’s lip curled. “I resemble that remark.”

Mulan’s head snapped up, eyes wide as Sable shot Donald, who’d opened his mouth to speak, a withering look.  Surprisingly, the king’s magician’s beak clicked shut again.

“I didn’t mean…”

“Yes, you did.” Sable deadpanned, looking back to her. “Just because your culture has a skewed perception on what women can be capable of doesn’t erase your actions.”

Flinging out a hand towards the opening of the makeshift cave, Sable continued without missing a beat.

“You thought around the problem and dealt with the Hun army.  No one else thought of that!  They’d already destroyed a fully trained and seasoned army, there’s no way your captain’s half-trained collection of conscripts would have fared even remotely better.”  Sable’s lip curled again in an unimpressed sneer. “If their pride as ‘men’ won’t let them acknowledge that.  More fools are they!”

“Shang isn’t a fool!” Mulan immediately defended her crush and former superior officer.

“Yeah.” Sora agreed. “When that paper-pusher guy wanted to execute Mulan, the captain refused, and no one else even suggested hurting her.”

“So, they just left her, and you, alone in the snowy mountains with no supplies.” Sable shot back.  “I’m surprised they left the horse-”

Said horse interrupted with a very offended snort, shooting Sable a stink eye.

“Couldn’t get you to leave, huh?”

There was another snort and a head toss for good measure.

“You are the paragon that other horses should strive to be.”

If horses could smirk, Khan was definitely smirking at her.  Then he twisted his head around and nuzzled Mulan’s shoulder affectionately.  That got a smile as the woman pet the velvety nose.

The interruption let Sable rein in her own indignation.  She took a breath, belatedly registered an odd feeling tickling her senses, and frowned.

“Besides, I doubt this is over yet.” She continued in a calmer tone.  “I’m feeling an…upwelling of darkness right now.”

“But…the avalanche destroyed all the Heartless!” Sora protested.

“Reinforcements?” Auron suggested, also frowning and turning to watch the mouth of the little cave.

“Why did he have all those Heartless anyway?” Sable wondered. “A few I can see, but so many?” She looked at Sora. “Can normal people do that?”

“No.” Now Sora was frowning. “Heartless may show up when strong Hearts are falling to darkness, but they’re not really controlled.” He glanced at Donald and Goofy. “Remember Clayton in Deep Jungle?”

They both nodded.

“But remember Jafar and Cap’n Hook an’ those other fellas?” Goofy spoke up. “They could control Heartless, though not as many.”

“Because Maleficent gave them to ‘em.” Donald pointed out.

“That old witch?” Mushu asked, sparks flying from his muzzle. “I remember her, and her goon squad.  They causin’ trouble on my world now?”

“Someone gave Shan-Yu those monsters?” Mulan spoke up, appalled.

All three paused at that and exchanged uncomfortable looks.

“That…might be what happened.” Goofy answered hesitantly.

Sora cocked his head. “But Maleficent’s toast, though.  Who else would do something like that?”

“What about the Organization?” Donald suggested.

They all looked at Sable.

“Demyx did say that they were having a recruitment drive.” The dark adept admitted.  “Remember?  That means finding people with strong Hearts and…” She shivered suddenly. “The darkness just spiked.”

The trio exchanged looks and darted out of the cave.

“Someone with magic was helping the Huns?” Mulan asked, looking at Sable. “Magic like you all have?”

Sable nodded. “Seems like it.”

A piercing shriek sounded outside.

“Shan-Yu’s falcon!”

Auron’s coat still wrapped around her shoulders, Mulan darted out, Mushu clinging to the flapping hems with Sora, Donald, and Goofy right on her heels.  Exchanging looks, Sable, Auron, and Khan-the-Horse followed after them.  They’d barely stepped into the fading light of early evening as something roared.

“Oh, that doesn’t sound good.” Sable muttered.

The clamor of ringing metal echoed so loudly across the surrounding cliffs that she was honestly surprised it didn’t set off another avalanche.  Accompanying the sound was a low boom like that of a massive flag catching the wind. 

(Or massive wings.)

Joining the others at the cliff, Sable looked down.  Storm Rider, she identified, the massive dragon Heartless that appeared late-game during the second visit to the Land of Dragons after the 1000 Heartless Battle.  And perched between the massive horns of its head… 

“He’s alive?” Sora yipped.

With a roar of his own, Shan-Yu urged his new mount away from the mountains.

“He’s heading for the Imperial City!” Mulan cried, leaping onto Khan’s back. “We have to warn them!”

“Did you just see that, Mulan?” Mushu hissed. “That was a dark dragon, girl!  He has a dark dragon workin’ for him!”

“Dragon Heartless.” Sable corrected. “Those are our specialty.  We can take it.  Right, Sora?”

“Yeah!  We’re with you, Mulan!”

Mushu hesitated, glancing between them, then he punched the air.

“Then let’s go shove that ox back in its prison!”

              ———

While Khan was a strong, healthy stallion, he could only fit so many people on his back at a time. 

“It’s Pegasus all over again.” Donald had grumbled.

So, Sable had eyed the city, far off in the distance but still within line-of-sight, and decided she and Auron would warp ahead and wait for them.  Wait, she’d specified, because she’d probably need a bit to recuperate.  She’d never tried crossing that kind of distance before.

(She also still had that lingering headache from her last warping-binge)

To her own surprise, she was able to get them to the city outskirts and about ground level before the world finally went black on her.  For how long, she didn’t know, but she blinked awake to the smell of menthol burning her poor sinuses.

She groaned. 

Her head felt like a wedge was being hammered through it.

“I see you’re not dead yet.” Came Auron’s amused rumble.

Sable debated for a moment whether to flip the swordsman off before deciding it wasn’t worth it and instead tried rolling onto her hands and knees.  This turned out to be a mistake as her stomach lurched.

Chuckling, Auron patted her back as she heaved up everything she’d eaten in the last few days.

(Let it be stated: NO, it did not taste better a second time!)

“To be fair,” Auron mused as he half-dragged her to an unspoiled patch of grass a little upwind, “that was considerably farther than an arrow-range technique is really meant for.”

Sable groaned again and closed her eyes, trying to will down the continued queasiness.  It would probably take a while…

Auron nudged her awake sometime later.

“Ngh.  Have they caught up, yet?” Sable grumbled.

“Depends on which they you mean.” Auron jerked his head skyward.

Whoosh

“Oh for…”

Forcing herself up, Sable coughed.  Rather than bile, there was a metallic aftertaste on her tongue.  While briefly bewildered by that, she flinched as wet fabric tickling her cheek.

“Here.”

Blinking, she accepted the sodden rag and wiped her face.  She didn’t bother checking to see if it stained the rag afterwards.  Instead, Sable got back to her feet, wobbling slightly as a wave of vertigo tried swamping her.  Auron’s firm hand on her shoulder was the only thing that kept her upright.

Then it passed and they were both running, following the screams that erupted in the wake of the clamoring Storm Rider Heartless.

Fortunately, the Hun leader wasn’t interested in the panicking citizens, instead fixating on the imperial palace at the heart of the city.  Unfortunately, it meant Sable and Auron were stuck trying to head upstream in a flood of panicking citizens trying to head away from the imperial palace. 

It didn’t take long for Sable to shimmy up the nearest convenient building and resort to parkour.  Auron followed her and, while he certainly lacked the agility Sable favored, his raw strength was more than enough to leap from one building to the next so he didn’t fall to far behind.

They were still several ‘blocks’ away when a whistling shriek pierced the air.  Then the first dragon-headed rocket slammed into the Heartless with a fiery explosion that staggered the massive beast.

Sable had not expected that.  Nope.  Maybe she should have, though.  It’s not like a giant flying dragon was exactly subtle.  The guards would have seen it approaching from a long way off.  Maybe not fast enough to properly evacuate the city, but certainly enough to ready the heavy artillery.

All the fireworks.

She had to yank down her goggles to mute the brilliant flashes of light.  The whistling was worse because it was all at pitches a dog would howl at and it itched inside Sable’s skull right alongside that persistent wedge still trying to cleave her brain apart.  And that was on top of the ridiculous cymbals that functioned as the Storm Rider’s feet, which the Heartless rang together almost constantly.

(Why couldn’t it be like a Berk dragon that got dizzy from loud clanging noises?)

The courtyard, unlike the rest of the city, was thankfully devoid of any civilians.  Instead, soldiers were scattered around, all armed with the firework-cannons that the world was famous for.  Unfortunately, while the explosions rocked the Heartless as it flew, the damage dealt was minimal.  If not nonexistent.

The mere thought of trying to warp made her headache spike, so Sable resorted to other methods.  

As the Storm Rider strafed the palace steps soldiers went flying from the gusts of its passage.  Then the Heartless looped back across the courtyard.  Sable ran to meet it, throwing out her hand as she went.  Alacrity snapped out and latched onto one of the ringing cymbals and up, up and away she went.

If she’d had to climb the dark whip she’d have been in trouble.  Fortunately, as she’d learned previously, she could will Alacrity to reel her in until she was just beneath one of its cymbal feet.

(Was it a dragon or a flying centipede?  There were way too many noisy feet!)

Then the Storm Rider swung up.  Recognizing the oncoming backward flip, Sable let Alacrity unravel and fell.  Only to land squarely atop the dragon’s back as it swept underneath her.

That sucked for the Heartless as Sable latched on, called Gluttony, and started swinging.  The raging turbulence and aerial acrobatics of the disgruntled Storm Rider would have made doing anything other than clinging on for dear life a trial, if Sable hadn’t had Alacrity at her disposal.  Best climbing-rig/lasso a person could ask for, even if it did keep one hand occupied to use. 

Gluttony only needed one hand as she whaled away at the crackling Heartless.

As her target of choice was the giant maned head, Sable was quick to notice a distinct lack of Hun leader.  He’d left behind a pungent scent, though, reminding Sable of the worst kind of black licorice.  Excessively sweet and just… yuck.  Had Shan-Yu leapt off when the Storm Rider had strafed the palace steps? 

Not her problem. 

Someone else could deal with the brute.  Sable was kind of busy- Lightning flashed.  Everything went mostly numb.  Suddenly Sable could barely cling to one of the twisted horns sprouting from the Heartless’ back.

Ow.

Storm Rider favored thunder magic.  She’d forgotten about that.  It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, though.  The thunder trinket still wrapped snuggly around her wrist must have made a difference. 

(She’d have to remember to thank Sora for it later…)

This time, Sable felt the ozone stinging the roof of her mouth.  Trinket or no trinket, she wouldn’t be able to take another jolt like that without also taking a very long tumble afterwards.

(Yeah, no, Sora would probably kill her.)

Snarling, Sable flared her aura with intent.  The malicious thunder spell crackled off the paneled bubble barrier that had snapped around her.  The barrier faded just after the deflected spell did.  That had not been Reflect!

Oh well.  She’d take it.

Partial paralysis wearing off, Sable used her grip on Alacrity to yank herself upright again.  Gluttony crackled back into her hand and she continued swinging.  She belatedly realized the onslaught of rocket-fire had stopped at some point.  When, she couldn’t say. 

(Had they run out of fireworks?)

Eventually the Storm Rider arced up, looped back, then spiraled down for another strafing run against the troops below.  Or it tried to.  A sudden jolt of gravity sent Sable crashing into the maned head as the Heartless bucked and shot straight up. 

(Unwillingly, judging by the hapless flailing and flips.)

It fell and crashed hard enough into the courtyard to shatter the flagstones and sent Sable flying.  Fortunately, her landing wasn’t quite that rough.  Pushing herself up, realization struck and she smirked.

Auron.

The foolish Heartless had apparently strafed right over him.  Big mistake, as it had just discovered.  Now the warrior monk was swinging his massive blade at the stunned dragon and obviously cleaving away huge chunks of health.  Not wanting to be left out of the fun, Sable joined in a moment later. 

“Hey, guys!”

As the Storm Rider stirred again, Auron and Sable glanced back as Sora ran up with an almost wild-eyed expression on his face.

“Have either of you seen Riku?”

Auron frowned. “Who?”

“Riku?  Here?” Sable asked, a little bewildered.

Sora thrust up what looked like a yellow star-shaped mango- no, not a mango.  That had to be a paopu fruit from the Destiny Islands. 

In China. 

“Captain Shang said a man in a black hood gave him this.” Sora said all in a rush. “And we passed a guy in an Organization coat when riding into the city!  It had to be Riku!”

A gust of wind buffeted them as the Storm Rider fled to the skies again.

Sable and Auron exchanged looks.

“We’ll help you find him.” Sable promised, then gestured skywards. “But we need to deal with that first.  Mind lending a hand?”

Expression impatient but resolute, Sora nodded.

Cymbals rang out as the Storm Rider swooped down for another strafing run.  That would be the last mistake it would ever make.  The three warriors flared their auras, pooling their mana together in a crackling display of power.  Smirking, Auron advanced on the oncoming dragon, hefting his blade in both hands.

“Your Pain Shall Be Two-Fold!”

Familiar winds roared to life as Auron swung and the howling tornado caught the Heartless in the belly, flinging it higher into the air just like earlier.  Then, exchanging vicious grins, Sora and Sable coated their weapons with their respective elements and pointed them at the tornado.

Complementing orbs of light and dark shot out to ignite the twisting winds like a spark catching on spilled alcohol.  The dragon roared as opposing energies tore at its being.

“Light Glide!”

An incandescent aura flared up around Sora as he leapt skyward.  Flaring her aura to match, Sable followed him.  Shooting up they slammed through the falling Heartless then, at the apex of their flight, they twisted and shot down through it again even faster.

They slammed back into the ground in matching crouches, weapons outstretched from their last sweep.  The Storm Rider’s body dissolved before it could reach the cobblestones. 

Headache spiking again and nausea churning her stomach, Sable looked up in time to see a massive Heart drift free from the evaporating darkness before vanishing itself.  Then glass shattered and Sable blinked at the blue glitter falling around her.  An ether, courtesy of Sora.

The nausea faded almost immediately though, sadly, the stubborn headache continued to linger.

“Thanks.” She straightened up, rolling her neck to try and ease some of the tension pulling across it and her shoulders. “Now, where did you see Riku?  Maybe I can-”

A colorful explosion drew Sable’s attention to the palace roof and signaled what was probably the messy end of Shan-Yu.  She could just glimpse the colorful fabric of Mulan’s new robes rippling in the wind after the other woman had successfully led the Hun leader into a rather nasty set of crosshairs-

Darkness spiked, furious and frothingly rabid.

Mulan!

The world blinked and Gluttony caught the crooked edge of the Hun’s blade before it could come down on the other woman.  The hulking brute of a man holding it was almost lost from sight, so dense was the toxic-licorice aura whipping around him.  It was enough to make her stomach churn, but she had plenty of experience now ignoring that in the heat of the moment.

Shan-Yu snarled down at her, leveraging his greater height and mass.

Unafraid, Sable snarled back as her own darkness flared up in response as she willed Gluttony to feed.  Clearly not expecting that, she felt the Hun’s surprise even as his aura visibly thinned.

“Demon…” He breathed, sounding almost awed.  Then he sneered at her. “You can’t overpower me!”

“Wanna bet?” Sable hissed at him, lips curling back until all her teeth were bared. “Take this!”

Twisting Gluttony out from under the crooked blade, Sable spun sharply as her now-bloated aura contracted around her-

“Conviction!”

-and exploded out, spinning dark columns roaring up in its wake.  Caught and battered by the spiraling area attack, Shan-Yu went flying off the roof even as the last of his aura drained away.

The screaming winds calmed as Sable landed on slanted tiles.  Her foot slipped. 

“Sable!” 

Hands clawed at her clothes as she went over the edge, turning the fall into a swing.  All the air woofed from her lungs as Sable’s middle slammed into smooth ceramic.  More on reflex than deliberate intent, she latched onto the dragonhead waterspout.

“Thanks.” She wheezed.

“I told you to stop falling off stuff!” Sora hissed, sprawled on his belly across the roof tiles, both hands still tangled in Sable’s vest.

“’m sorry…”

At that, Sora let out an exasperated huff before letting go and pushing himself up into a crouch at the anchor point of the waterspout.

“You alright?” He asked.

“Head hurts.” She responded honestly. “World’s spinning.  Feel sick.  Donald’s gonna yell at me…” 

“We’ll get you a panacea when we get down…” Sora trailed off.

Twisting atop the ceramic waterspout, Sable squinted in the direction her friend was looking. 

Down.  Far down.  In the untouched minor courtyard that Shan-Yu had gone crashing down into.  Shockingly, even sprawled on the cracked flagstones as he was, the Hun was still moving.  If weakly.  Of his previously sickening aura, barely wisps remained.

That wasn’t what had drawn Sora’s attention, however.

“Riku?!”

The black cowled figure with a sloped cut to his shoulders loomed over the beaten warlord, not even twitching at Sora’s call.

“What a state you’re in.” They drawled instead, a light surfer’s lilt to his words.

Sable smelled earthy herbs on the wind. 

(Myrrh and frankincense.)

“Once more…” Shan-Yu wheezed, Sable was amazed she could hear him at all his voice was so faint. “I…n-need more…Give me more power…”

“With a little more power you think you’ll be the best?” Darkness crackled in the black coated figure’s hand, coalescing into an angular purple arrowgun. “As if.”