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They were working their way through Port Royal, doing a quick check of the town to clear Heartless, as well as any more of those pesky pirates. Actually, Sora and Donald and Goofy had split up, hoping to cover more ground faster, knowing they’d each be okay on their own for a couple minutes. The area Sora was checking, actually, didn’t seem to have a lot of Heartless? That was weird…
But… it was nice being so close to the ocean, he couldn’t help but think. The smell of salt and surf hung heavy in the air. (It’d been so long since he’d last seen his home.)
While he was pondering that, something caught his attention, bringing him to a halt.
“Oh great, you again…” he said, at the sight of a figure in a black cloak. He still didn’t totally get this Organization 13 business, but he thought he recognized this one. He’d run into her before. A couple times, actually.
She didn’t say anything, like usual, but she did toss something his way. Something round and blue and sparkling, which bounced a couple times across the ground before stopping near his feet.
Sora stared at the cloaked figure. She didn’t move.
Knowing what she wanted from him, Sora bent down to pick it up. It was a magic element, he recognized. Just holding it brought an image to his mind, and a feeling to his chest. The image of a barrier, a complete 360 around him. The feeling he could reach out his hand right now and if he just pulled at his energy the right way…
The cloaked woman shot a blast of Fire at him.
Instincts kicking in, Sora rolled out of the way.
“H- Hey!” he stammered.
She followed up with a Blizzard.
Sora brought up his Keyblade to block this time, it materializing in his hand just seconds before the Blizzard hit. He grit his teeth at the cold jolt that went through him as it did. Blocking magic with his Keyblade always had this side effect.
“What are you doing!?” Sora called. She’d never attacked him before! She’d always run every time he’d tried to initiate battle. He wanted to rush forward and attack her now, but she was already shooting another Blizzard.
Sora prepared to roll, but then he remembered the spell he just learned. He hastily, fumblingly held his left hand out and pulled at his energy. The barrier of light and magic burst forth around him, and the Blizzard shattered uselessly against it.
“That’s the way!” the cloaked woman called.
Sora squinted at her, surprised. That was what she wanted? Why would she—
She cast Thunder.
Sora nearly rolled, knowing he couldn’t block. Then he remembered the new spell he’d learned. Reflect. He cast it again, and the Thunder cracked against it above his head.
This… was a pretty nifty spell, actually.
The barrier dissipated around him, and then there was a rumbling beneath his feet. Yelping, Sora leapt into the air, just in time to avoid the spikes of ice that jutted out from the ground beneath him. He turned to the cloaked woman who’d no doubt cast the spell, eyes going wide as he saw her cast a very, very powerful looking Fire spell right in his direction.
Sora reached both hands out and cast Reflect, unsure what else to do.
For a few seconds he hung suspended in the air, protected on all sides by the barrier. He could watch as the Fire—well, it was too strong to be just a Fire, but the spell was definitely Fire-based—hit and separated at the Barrier, flowing around him. It was amazing to watch? And, a little terrifying. But mainly amazing.
The Fire stopped, and so did the Barrier, and Sora dropped to the ground. He landed lightly on his feet.
“Good job,” the cloaked woman said. She tossed an item up in the air—an ether, Sora realized, as the effects settled into his veins. Why had she used it on him, though? Wasn’t she…
“Hey,” Sora began, brow furrowing hard.
She turned and opened a dark corridor behind herself.
“W- wait a minute!” Sora called, reaching out after her.
She was gone.