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We share the same sky, the old chosen wielder once said.
One sky, connecting all the worlds, all the worlds sharing the same stars, from Kingdom Hearts to the depths of oblivion.
He stumbled, faltering in his footsteps, and his Keyblade clattered to the ground, skittering out of his hand, before disappearing in a flash of light. His face connected with the ground, white-hot pain shooting up from his chin to his scalp, and he groaned, curling up to his side as his hand clenched into a fist in the loose earth beneath him.
He tiredly turned his head to look up above him, past the looming Darksides and Neoshadows, and he could spot twinkling lights high above him.
Crystals of concentrated darkness. Shards of broken hearts.
He sighed, and turned his face back to the earth.
In the realm of darkness, the stars were not visible.
And yet.
He slowly got up, gritting his teeth as he summoned his Keyblade back into his hand, and Raijinto’s blinding light as it materialised in his hand dispersed the shadows that had begun surrounding him. Its keychain, a golden symbol of his home, Hoshido, swung in his face as he inspected the blade, admiring the lightning and the swirl of cold chrome metal. It’d been ages since he saw a different Keyblade.
He had another keychain around his neck, but he did not know if it would let him use it.
Ryoma straightened up, and brushed his clothes off. Concentrated for the briefest moments, before his Keyblade armour appeared on his body once more. Its red shine had dulled in his time in the Realm, his power dwindling ever since he got there. Still, it did its job; and Ryoma pressed on, his steps heavy as he progressed.
Still fatigued from his last fight, he only barely manage to fight off another wave of Heartless that assaulted him as he approached a river, firing off Triple Firagas and protecting himself with Firaga Bursts until he managed to cross it with a burst of Aero.
He almost botched his landing as he reached the other side, only barely managing to catch himself by digging Raijinto into the ground, but the chain holding the keychain around his neck snapped at the force, and the golden chain of another kingdom’s symbol flew into the air and skidded across the ground.
Ryoma’s heart clenched with panic.
“Zero Gravity!” he choked out, and the pendant stopped short of falling off the edge, before flying up to where the small ball of magic had appeared above Ryoma’s head. He let out a tired sigh, slumping down in relief as he sat down, catching the pendant as it fell when the magic faded. He looked down at it, nestled in his shaking hand, and in the darkness of the Realm around him, it didn’t even shimmer the way he remembered it.
He caressed its smooth surface longingly, and remembered the warmth of the hand that pressed it to his.
“Ryoma, please, go, stay safe, I’ll hold him back, but—"
He grit his teeth, his eyes sliding shut as he closed his fist around the pendant.
“Xander…” he bit back a sob, as he held the pendant close to his chest. “I failed.”
The dark portal opened up behind them as Xander drew his Keyblade, Siegfried bursting into his hand in black flames as Ryoma held Corrin back, trying his hardest to ignore the way she screamed for Xander to come with them.
“Hurry, just go!” Xander shouted over his shoulder, as across him Takumi lifted from the ground, eyes that sickeningly golden yellow Nohr knew of, and Ryoma’s heart sank at the sight.
Takumi had fallen into darkness, just as Leo had fallen into light.
“Make your way straight through the portal, I've connected it to Twilight Town. You'll find help there, I'm sure.”
A roar from Heartless rushing in cut Xander off and he deflected a bolt of darkness Takumi shot at him with a barrier. “Get Corrin out of here, Ryoma!”
“Understood!” He replied with grit teeth, and he picked her up easily. His chest tightened as he heard Corrin sobbing, her Keyblade useless at her side with a dull sheen, but he turned around and ran right into Xander’s corridor of darkness.
He hadn't been running in the Betwixt and Between for long when Heartless came and attacked them, and while he was incredibly proud of seeing Corrin finally able to wield her Yato, he regretted not being able to stay with her for the rest of her journey.
“Go,” he told her, pushing her towards the exit. “Find Queen Azura. She can help you out.”
“Big brother, not you too—”
“Don't let my and Xander’s sacrifices be in vain, Corrin.” He gave her one last smile over his shoulder. “Just believe, and we’ll see each other once again.”
“I…”
“Our hearts are connected, even in oblivion.” He stole a kiss to her forehead, and mightily pushed her through the exit to watch it shut as she made it through.
He didn't make it safely. At least Corrin did, but his promise to Xander…
Xander’s keychain glinted dully in the dim light around him, and he held it close to his chest.
“I'll find a way.” He quietly said, “I'll find my way back to you again, I promise.”
The ground suddenly shook beneath him, and Ryoma hastily got to his feet. Raijinto appeared in his hand once again and he tucked Xander’s keychain into his pocket. Suddenly a huge Heartless charged at him and he only had a moment to block it, the impact sending him flying back, crashing hard on the ground and knocking the wind out of his lungs.
He winced, sitting up to look at a terrible beast with a flowing red mane, and his blood froze in his veins.
This was it, he thought. This was when he will enter oblivion.
Xander, give me strength...
Suddenly his chest sparked with a bright light, and the Heartless flew back, screeching loudly in pain. Ryoma staggered to his feet shakily, and much to his surprise his Keyblade shimmered with brimming power. His eyes widened.
Warmth blossomed in his chest, and in his pocket, and he quickly pulled Xander’s keychain out to see it glowing with a golden light.
“Xander…”
It burst in flames of light and darkness, and Ryoma’s hand curled around a handle, and when the flames died down he realised he was holding another Keyblade in his other hand.
Siegfried.
He smiled, tears coming to his eyes.
No matter how far apart they are, they were always connected.
He took a deep breath, and steadied himself into a stance, his strength growing as Siegfried and Raijinto thrummed with power in his hands.
“Come at me!” He dared the beast, “I will fight to escape from here!”
As he approached the ruins of a world fallen into darkness, he sighed softly.
“If only I made it across in time,” he murmured. “If only…”
“Ryoma.”
That voice.
Ryoma’s eyes widened at the sound of it behind him.
His hands lost their grip on Siegfried and Raijinto, and they fell to the ground, disappearing in flames of darkness and light.
It was…
He turned around, hope blossoming in his heart, and a familiar smile and warm eyes and golden hair greeted him.
“It's been too long.”