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[KH] The Thirteenth Changeling, ch. 6 (Stash ver.)

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The Thirteenth Changeling, a Kingdom Hearts fanfic by Raberba girl
The Sixth Day

Hovering in midair, body made light as a feather by the pixie dust.  Two loyal friends at my side, ready to fight with me to the very end and protect everything we care about.  Kairi is waiting for me.  I want to make the future a place where everyone can live happily.

Xehanort facing us, his body grotesquely misshapen by the darkness.  I will never understand him, never see why he is so desperate to destroy everything that is precious and beautiful.

"You're wrong," I tell him.  "I know now, without a doubt.  Kingdom Hearts...is light!"

<3<3<3

The two of them did not speak until they were out of the house.  Out on the street, they paused, glanced up at the dark windows, then continued on without looking back again.  "Do you think Aqua heard us leave?"

"No.  I drugged her last night, and Naminé, too.  They're out cold."

Roxas stared at him.

"What?  You're the Unseelie here, why are you so surprised?"

"I...I dunno, I guess I...didn't expect humans to be as ruthless as us...."

"You haven't been to Earth much, have you."

Roxas shook his head.  "Mostly just ice cream raids with Axel and stuff.  I never really got to know humans until I came to Twilight Town...."

Riku glanced at him questioningly.

Roxas frowned.  "I kind of like it better.  People are so nice here.  And...unsuspecting.  I like not being on edge or having to look over my shoulder all the time."

"Guess I don't blame you.  So, how are we gonna pull this thing off?"

"If I call them, they'll come running," Roxas mused.  He smiled a little.  "What the heck.  Let's go meet them at school."

They were about two blocks away when Roxas finally sensed that they were being watched.  He stopped and looked at Riku.  "Do you feel it?"

Riku stared at him, then frowned and glanced behind them.  "Oi.  We know you're there."

There was a pause.  Then, "Dang it, Pence, I knew they heard you fart!"

"I told you, that wasn't a fart!  My shoes squeaked!"

Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Xion came out of hiding with varying degrees of sheepishness.

"I can't believe you were gonna run off to Fairyland after all, without us," Hayner stormed.  "You're not allowed to have adventures without your buddies!"

"Hayner...it's not gonna be like you're thinking."

"We still want to go with you, Roxas," Olette said softly.  "I mean, maybe we won't be fighting in battles or anything, but Roxas, we're your friends.  We want to be there for you."

There was a lump in Roxas's throat.  "Guys...I don't want you to get hurt."

"Don't worry about that," Pence said confidently, holding up his backpack.  "We've got all sorts of stuff in here - salt, rowan, silver, crosses, everything I could get my hands on.  We'll be fine!"

"Go home," Riku snapped.

"Aw, come on!"

Roxas shook his head.  "If you're going to come, stay behind us.  Hide, don't talk to anyone, don't eat anything or tell anyone your real name...."  This was hopeless.

"Don't worry, Roxas, we've been studying hard," Olette assured him.  "We know Faerie's tricks."

Riku rolled his eyes.

"And plus, we've got Xi here to help!" Hayner asserted, throwing his arm around the girl's shoulders.

She looked down at her shoes.  "I...I don't know how much help I'll be...I've never actually been there, after all--"

"Oh, don't be so modest!"

Although a few sports teams and such were on campus that Saturday morning, there was an open field behind the school that suited their purposes.  With his friends and allies ranged behind him, Roxas, feeling strangely solemn and formal, stepped forward and began calling their names, one by one, in order of rank.  "Xemnas...Xemnas...Xemnas....

"Xigbar....

"Xaldin.. ..

Vexen...."

They stepped out of thin air.  Most of them seemed to grasp the situation at once.  Demyx started to prattle before he realized what was going on, and Larxene muttered something sarcastic under her breath, but otherwise they all fell into place with grave expressions, not saying a word.

To Roxas's dismay, Vanitas appeared as well, although he had not been called.  Silently, he drifted down behind him and laid his hands on Roxas's shoulders.  Roxas was very tempted to fling him off, but the despite the ugly, oppressive feel of the replica's touch, he sensed that it was necessary.  After all, his magic belonged to Sora now.  Roxas had nothing to give except his presence, and whatever connection he had to his lost magic though his dreams, and through the dark creation behind him that truly had no right to exist.

Roxas took a deep breath and instinctively began.  "My king.  His loyal retainers.  I, Ventus, offer to join my power with yours for this common purpose, to accomplish this shared goal.  Let us return home."  He reached out, holding his arms outspread.

Xemnas, standing directly across from him, responded in kind.  "My heir.  My good vassals.  I, Xemnas, command you to join your power for this common purpose, to accomplish this shared goal.  Let us return home."  He lifted his arms in a majestic gesture.

The others all spoke in chorus, raising their arms as they did so.  "Our revered king.  Our good prince.  We offer to join our power with yours for this common purpose, to accomplish this shared goal.  Lead us home."

Until now, Roxas had felt just the smallest bit silly, knowing that what they were doing made sense and yet aware of how ridiculous it looked on the surface.  Now, however, it all became real.  Something began to flow through him from Vanitas, and the invisible force spread through his arms and out past his hands, toward Zexion on one side and Saïx on the other, until the torn remnants of their magic merged into a collective power.

For the first time, Roxas was able to sense things he hadn't before - the fractured, darkly glimmering essences of the immortals around him; the dull glow of Xion's fey heritage; even a spark of magic within Riku, who must have had a faery ancestor long ago, and had been the only one able to recognize his best friend's changeling for what it was.  There was also the roiling, ugly mess that was Vanitas, bits of Terra's magic mixed with traces of Ven's own, all corrupted and darkened and magnified so that the weight of Vanitas's hands still on Roxas's shoulders was making him feel sick.  Yet he had to hold on, had to stay strong until they were all through....

The transition was dark and yet peppered with glimmers of light, as if they were moving through the celestial realm.  Roxas could sense the others clearly, though it was difficult to see them.

There were many paths.  The brightest led to Faerie, which existed on a completely different plane than all the other worlds of Earth, but there were so many others, so many enticing roads that invited him on, promising joy and excitement and adventure....

'I don't want to go to Faerie.'  The realization surprised him.  'I was never happy there.  Not like I was on Earth.'  The Unseelie court had been dark, sometimes stifling.  The Seelie had been unspeakably cruel.  His friendships were all that he had valued - otherwise, he would have been content to live out the rest of his days on Earth, with or without his memories intact.  'I never want to go back there again.'

His vision was filled with a warm light.  Someone seemed to be calling out to his wounded soul, gently beckoning.  Roxas forgot about his fear, his anger, all his worries.  He wanted to find the light.

<3<3<3<3<3

Roxas stepped into a landscape right out of his dreams.  He looked around at the looming castle surrounded by a bound sea.  "This is Hollow Bastion," he murmured.  There were Heartless here, but after rediscovering his own strength and having fought twelve elite Unseelie warriors, they were easily dealt with.

Roxas made his way to the castle and ended up in the library, where he found several young women wandering among the shelves, talking to each other, or curled up comfortably with a book (in the case of a dark-haired lady in a golden ball gown, an entire stack of books).  His sensitivity from the ceremony was gone, but somehow he knew that he had found what his heart was looking for.

"Oh, hello!  I'm Cinderella.  What's your name?"

"Roxas."

"I'm delighted to meet you, Roxas!  These are my new friends...."

There were seven names and faces to learn, which was a little difficult - except for one.  Roxas knew her instantly.  "You're Kairi."

"Hi!  Have we met before?"

"Well...not really...maybe kind of."

She giggled.  "What does that mean?"

The other princesses eventually returned to their chatting or reading, and Roxas was able to talk to Kairi alone at one of the tables upstairs.  He explained his situation as vaguely as possible in regard to her and Sora's roles in it, but from the expression of dawning horror on her face, he could tell that she was able to read between the lines.

"Wait, no.  That can't be right.  You didn't - you didn't give Sora your magic willingly, did you."  She drew in a breath.  "Your magic was stripped."

"Well...."

Tears were filling her beautiful blue eyes.  "My father knew about this, didn't he.  You're the Unseelie heir.  He had to have known.  He ordered it done to you, didn't he."

"Kairi."  Roxas spoke gently.  "It wasn't a bad life on Earth.  In fact...."  He shook his head.  "I wish so much now that I could have it back.  I don't want to go to Faerie anymore.  I want to live on Earth, even without magic if I have to.  There's nothing for me in Faerie, except my friends.  It's not home to me anymore...in a way, it never was."

She met his gaze seriously.  "That may be, Roxas, but I can't just sit here and not do anything.  I have to make amends for what my court - for what my family did to you."

"You don't have to do anything," Roxas assured her.

"No.  I'm going to fix this, Roxas.  I promise."

She was just like her sister.  "I told you, I don't want to go back," he insisted.

She smiled, a conspiratorial hint creeping into her face.  "I know.  I'm not dumb."

Just then, the castle began to shudder, and light blazed through the cracks under the doors and the previously dark passageway on the upper floor.  The princesses gathered together, tittering anxiously.

"What's happening?" Roxas asked.

Kairi was staring into the distance, her expression increasingly hopeful.  "I think...I think that Sora--"

Then everything was consumed by light.

<3<3<3<3<3

When the light faded, Roxas found himself and Kairi standing on a brightly sunlit beach, with waves rolling as far as the eye could see and seagulls crying overhead.  The other princesses were gone - instead, a small group of kids nearby was noticing them and then jogging over with shouts of greeting and questioning exclamations.

They turned out to be friends of Kairi.  She made introductions, and then everyone's attention was caught by another voice.  They looked up to find Sora bounding toward them, yelling joyfully and somewhat unintelligibly until Kairi got him to settle down and say things in a chronology that made sense.

"Kairi, it was amazing!  I knew it, Kingdom Hearts wasn't full of darkness after all!  When the door opened, Xehanort was, like, totally swallowed by light, and I barely got to tell Donald and Goofy good-bye before we were all sucked back home--  Kairi!  Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, the Heartless are gone!  They're never gonna show up again, we totally shut the door in their faces and locked it up tight!"

This announcement seemed to call for celebrations consisting of high fives, makeshift cups of coconut juice, and some good-natured butt-kicking.  Kairi laughed and Roxas watched in bemusement as Sora and the other three kids challenged each other to duels.

Eventually, as the sun began to set, Tidus and the others set off for the main island, and Sora began asking Kairi about returning home to Faerie.  "Sora," she gently, "there's something we need to talk about first."

Roxas endured another round of explanations, of watching the same horror growing on Sora's face as the truth began to sink in.

"Wait, what?  You mean--  But that can't be right, they said that they wouldn't take a Seelie faery's magic by force!"

"I'm not Seelie," Roxas pointed out.  "I was their prisoner.  They could do whatever they wanted to me."

Sora stared at him.  "Then, I'm...I...."  He suddenly shoved both palms against Roxas's chest, nearly knocking him over.  "Take it back!  Take it back, I don't want your magic if it means you got hurt!"

Roxas cried out in pain as his own magic writhed and scratched at him like a frightened cat.  Sora did not know how to return it properly.  "Stop it!"  He shoved Sora's hands away.  "You can keep it.  I don't care.  I can live without it, and you and Kairi...I want you to be happy."  He was surprised to find how much he meant it.  Sora had somehow become important to him, after dreaming about his life for so long.

"No.  We'll never be happy knowing that you got hurt for our sake.  Right, Kairi?"

"Of course," she said firmly.  "We're not gonna let this stay on our conscience, Roxas.  We're going to give your magic back!"  Then she looked at Sora.  "That is, after Father and the rest get a piece of my mind."

Sora smiled and held out his hand.  "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Kairi took up his fingers, kissed them, then entwined them with her own.  "One step ahead of you."

<3<3<3<3<3

They found the Seelie court in total bloody chaos when they returned.

"Whoa!"  Sora threw up a magical shield over the three of them just in time.  A broken axe-head bounced off and went spinning into a corner, leaving a huge dent on the wall.  "What-- What's going on?!"

Roxas looked around in horror.  The Unseelie warriors he had aided in coming here were now wreaking havoc in the bright court.  Having a vague idea of the consequences had not prepared him for actually seeing it play out in real life.

Lexaeus, Marluxia, and Xaldin were carving out deadly circles around them with their weapons.  Vexen and Larxene cackled like maniacs as they sent crackling spells out in merciless waves, and Demyx and Luxord were callously treating the whole thing like a game, even as people were killed around them.  Xigbar whooped as he sent blast after blast into the crowd from his safe perch above.  Zexion, difficult to detect, slunk around the room in the guise of his own enemies before dealing mind-shattering blows from behind, and Saïx was in a berserk rage near the throne, cutting his way ever closer to the figure of the Seelie king.

Ansem himself stood sternly but almost motionlessly with both hands held high, cradling a globe of light that seemed to be drawing most of his power.  Roxas did not even want to imagine what would happen when Saïx reached his target.  Across the room, Xemnas stood just as motionlessly, though he was laughing in triumph as he surveyed the battle.

"Where are--?" Roxas choked out, and then he saw them:  Xion and his friends, looking terrified as they huddled in a corner.  Axel raged protectively before them in a flurry of dancing flames.  Any soldier who managed to get past him was savagely assaulted by Riku, who seemed to be holding his own quite well despite wielding nothing but a battered sword hilt.

"Sora!"

Roxas whirled at the sound of Kairi's cry.  A bizarre sight met his eyes.  Sora was suddenly fighting desperately for his life against a boy whose face mirrored his, down to the last dimple, in every feature except the color of his hair and eyes.

"Vanitas!" Roxas shouted.  "Stop it!"

"I've been waiting for you," Vanitas hissed at his opponent.  "I'm going to make you the copy, the fake.  I'll kill you and drain the very essence of who you are.  I am going to be the real 'Sora'!"

Roxas did the first thing that came into his head.  "Terra!" he screamed.  "Terra!  TERRA!"

Then, for the first time in his new existence, he came face to face with the loyal friend who had risked so much for his sake.  Terra stared at him in amazement.  "Ven?" he whispered.

"Terra, there's no time!" Roxas cried.  "It's Vanitas--"  He pointed.  "You made him, didn't you?  Stop him!  Stop him before he kills Sora!"

The tall warrior looked around, his eyes widening as he took in the carnage.  Then, to Roxas's dismay, he summoned King Eraqus and the entire Unseelie army.  "No, Terra!  You don't understand!"

It was too late.  Waves of Unseelie soldiers poured into the writhing court.  They were met by King Ansem's powerful, field-wide blow, which had been released at last; yet, although a great many of the dark warriors were struck down, the survivors howled back immediately, driven into a fierce battle rage.

"Terra, please!  You have to stop them!  Terra, don't let him kill Sora!"

Terra's attention moved back to where it was supposed to be.  With a few swift steps, he was suddenly between the hero and his doppelganger, fixing Vanitas with a glare as he caught the replica's blade with his own.  "Vanitas, what are you doing?  I thought you said the trail had gone cold again!  But Ven's right here in Faerie, why didn't you tell me?!"

"You are no longer my master," Vanitas hissed, his golden eyes darkening with rage.  "Once I defeat Sora...once I become him...I'm going to kill you."

Terra's eyes widened.  "How long have you been like this?" he asked in bewilderment.

"For months," Kairi called to him.  "Vanitas was corrupted by your fallen king.  He's been feeding you false information for a long time."

It was Terra's turn to let his expression darken with anger.  He ripped his Keyblade up and out, throwing Vanitas back.  "I don't want to believe it, Vanitas, but it seems to be true.  I can't let you continue to exist."

"Just try and put an end to me!" Vanitas screamed.  "I'll run you through first!"  He flung himself savagely at his former master.

They struck brutally at each other until Terra's movements had noticeably begun to slow.  Yet, despite both that and the blood running down his armor, Terra's face and voice betrayed no sign of pain as he finally held his blade to the replica's throat.  "I regret this, but it has to be done.  I'm sorry, Vanitas.  Farewell."

"Sentimental fool," Vanitas hissed.  Instantly, the Keyblade had disappeared from Sora's startled grip and materialized in the replica's.  "Die!"

Terra choked in surprise and pain as the weapon met his flesh.  He stumbled back, but before he could defend himself, or Vanitas could even strike another blow, another blade came driving straight through the replica's chest.

Shuddering, Vanitas weakly turned his head, trying to glance behind him.  "You...."

Roxas withdrew Oblivion, and the dark replica slumped forward.  "I," Roxas said in a steely voice, "am really sick of standing by and watching my friends get hurt."

Vanitas's eyes closed, and he fell.  His body completely dissolved away before it hit the ground.

"That was really creepy," Sora remarked.

Kairi ran forward and laid her hands on Terra, casting a healing spell.  He looked at the Seelie princess in surprise for a minute, then said with a hesitant smile, "Um...thank you."

She smiled back.  "We're not enemies, the two of us."

He bowed his head.  "I believe that."

With Vanitas gone, Roxas's priorities shifted.  He began making his way as fast as he could to his helpless friends.  He sensed Terra and the others trying to follow him as he pushed through the battle, trying to defend himself with his Keyblades without damaging anyone else too badly.

Behind him, he sensed the fabric between the worlds parting, and heard Naminé's voice.  "No!  Oh, no, Aqua, stop them!"

"Princess--"

"Please help Riku and the others!"

Aqua was at his side.  For a moment, their eyes met.  "Are you angry at me?" Roxas asked, his voice coming out unintentionally casual.  For the first time in a long time, he remembered what it was like to be a heartless fey creature.

"Of course I am," she growled.  "But unless you are planning to hinder me now, there are orders to follow.  I have no time to waste on you."

"Suits me fine."

Roxas had a bad moment when he approached Axel, who was almost too fried to recognize him, but then the flaming chakram halted just in front of Roxas's face and withdrew.  Axel, even his flesh and hair completely ablaze, met his eyes.  "Go help them!  I can't last much longer, at least not without pulling tricks you'd really, really hate me for!"

Roxas nodded and charged on, throwing himself to his knees next to Olette.  "You guys okay?"

"Y...Yes, but...oh, Roxas...."

They had never seen war.  They were so, so innocent.  "I'll protect you," he promised.

Naminé grasped his sleeve.  "Roxas, I think I can stop them, but I need a diversion!"

He looked around wildly and saw Kairi hurrying up to them.  Sora was trying to break up the fight that had ignited between Axel and Terra.  "Kairi, we--"

"I know just the thing," Kairi said quickly.  She turned away.  "You two, cut it out, you're on the same side!  Sora, come here!"

A minute later, the entire battlefield was suddenly engulfed in light.  Roxas was completely blinded by it.  His eyes began to tear up, and he hid them in his sleeve for protection.  It went on and on.  He heard Naminé start to gasp, heard Kairi cry out, but could do nothing to help them.

"Xion!  Take my hand, we can't do it alone!"

'How can they see anything in this?' Roxas thought in amazement.

Then it was over.  He just had time to notice that Naminé was unconscious - and now glowing very brightly - before he was distracted by the sight of Sora collapsing backward into Riku's arms.  "Idiot," the older boy muttered.  "You didn't have to overdo it."

"Had to...do my best," Sora mumbled weakly.  Then he smiled.  "Good to see you too, Riku.  I looked for you on the Islands, but you weren't there."

"...Man, you really are stupid," Riku murmured, smiling.

"Eh?!"

Kairi, also glowing, was on her knees and looked like she was on the point of passing out.  Xion was outlined in silvery light as well, shuddering and gasping.  Whatever they all had done, it apparently had a profound impact on every single faery in the vast court.

Axel, dropping his weapons and now shedding soot with every movement, was stumbling and cursing, flapping his hands as if they hurt; not a single flame was left.  Terra held a hand to his head, wincing.  Aqua was looking around in bewilderment.  The violence below had stopped almost entirely - instead, wails of confusion and horror were rising up as soldiers waved their arms, knocked at their weapons or clutched at their heads.  Even the kings, Ansem and Eraqus, seemed slumped and exhausted, their expressions astonished.  Xemnas was observing everything with a frown, apparently no closer to understanding what had happened than anyone else.

Kairi struggled to her feet and staggered forward.  Roxas immediately took her arm to steady her, and she smiled at him gratefully.  "Listen up," she called.  Her voice rang out over the court, clearly audible.  Everyone turned to her, murmuring in surprise and anger but keeping the volume low enough to hear her.  "You all are being idiots, slicing each other to pieces.  Naughty kids who break their toys get punished, so that's exactly what my sister and I have done.  Not a single one of you has a scrap of magic left."

Howls of outrage rang out at that.  Many of the soldiers surged up toward the Seelie princess, but found their way blocked by the still formidable Terra, Aqua, Axel, Roxas, Riku, and even the battered Sora.

"Halt!" King Ansem's powerful voice thundered, the mere sound of it stopping most of the angry warriors in their tracks.  "Daughter," he went on sternly, "even for you and Naminé, this is a great feat you have accomplished."  He sounded both proud and not entirely happy.

Kairi grinned.  "We had a little help," she said, glancing at Sora and then at Xion, who shrank back in an apparent attempt to disappear into the wall.  "Anyway - here's the deal.  I'm pretty disgusted with faeries right now.  I don't want to have anything to do with people who lie," many of them winced at the accusation, "who claim to be children of light and yet prove themselves to be cold, cruel, merciless, greedy, dishonest, backstabbing cowards."

"You speak as a human would," Ansem said angrily.  "This is why I objected to your choice, Kairi.  The mortal boy and his world has damaged your thinking."

"They've opened my eyes," Kairi insisted.  "They've showed me what true love and kindness are, instead of empty fey imitations.  The mortal world may be ugly, but there is beauty to be found within.  This realm?  A sparkling illusion that covers darkness and corruption.  I would rather face the ugliness head on than know that it is there but hidden from me."

Ansem's voice had a steely edge.  "What do you intend to do?"

She planted her feet and put her hands on her hips, the shadows under her eyes the only hint of strain from containing so much captured power.  "Sora and I don't want to live here anymore.  We don't want to be like you anymore.  We're leaving...and we're never coming back."  Horrified cries went up from the listening Seelie, and mocking jeers from the Unseelie.  "You can have Faerie, but you won't have Ven anymore, and you won't have us.  Grow up and sort out your problems on your own power."

"Kairi."  Ansem looked angry and...a little worried.  "You are being rash.  You mean to leach Faerie of the very matter it survives and flourishes on?  You mean to leave a void in your own court, to destroy it?  I had not thought that you, my daughter, housed such callousness in your heart."

"You'll get your magic back," Kairi retorted.  "And I'm pretty sure you'll get a princess, too.  I'm not that mean."  She smiled at Xion, holding out her hand.  Staring, the little dark-haired girl warily reached out and allowed herself to be led forward.  "So, Xion, have you been scared off by this mess yet?"

She shook her head.  "No," she said softly.  "I knew it would be like this.  I...I'm not...like you."  Kairi's smile seemed to encourage her.  "I - I want that beauty, even if it's not pure.  I want to live in a place where feelings aren't so...strong.  Where they're not as painful."

Kairi nodded.  "I hoped you would say that.  Do you want to be a faery princess, Xion?"

Xion stared at her.

"It's your life's wish, isn't it?  Would you like me to grant it?"

"Yes," Xion whispered.

Kairi closed her eyes as a halo shimmered into sight over her head.  "I, Kairi of the Seelie, renounce my claim to royalty and convey my title henceforth on Xion, friend of my heart."  The halo vanished and reappeared over Xion, shining briefly before fading back out of sight.  Kairi opened her eyes and smiled.  "Help my sister, Xion.  Be her balance, and make our court thrive."

"Thank you," the girl said reverently.  "I am...in your debt."

Kairi affectionately kissed her cheek.  "There are no debts between us."  Then she disappeared and rematerialized in front of her father, who gazed down at her gravely.  "Good-bye, Father."  Wordlessly, he reached to embrace her.  She held onto him for a long moment, then pulled back, smiled at him, and flashed back to where her allies were gathered.  She threw her arms around her guardian's neck.  "You've been a good friend, Aqua."

"Don't make me choose," Aqua whispered fiercely, holding her close and beginning to weep.

"Take care of Naminé and Xion.  I'll miss you."  Kairi gently disentangled herself and went over to Roxas.  She laid one hand against his chest and glanced back meaningfully at Sora, who stared at her blankly until Axel dug a sharp elbow into his side and whispered something to him.

"Oh!  Right."  Sora came over and set his hand next to Kairi's.  Roxas could feel his magic being guided by hers, and then....

For the first time, he realized that the forcible removal had fractured his heart, that all this time he had been missing a central part of who he was.  Now his lost magic came flooding back in, making him whole again.  There was a strange sensation on his face, and he raised his hand to find that tears were sliding down it.

Kairi took his hand in her left, and Sora's in her right.  She smiled.  "Let's go home, guys."  She took a few purposeful steps.  Sora twisted around, reaching out his other hand to Riku, who took hold of it.  Roxas held out his other hand as well.  With one last, disbelieving look around, Hayner ran to grab it, followed closely by Pence and Olette.  Roxas's eyes met Axel's one last time.

Then they were stepping through the borders of the world.  As they went, Roxas could sense Kairi discarding every ounce of magic that she had been holding.  The resulting sounds of tumult quickly faded, and soon they were among the stars and paths of other worlds, their feet pointed toward their true home.

<3<3<3<3<3

Back in Faerie, as a host of Seelie guards came flocking to shield their princesses from the resumed battle, Xion somehow knew exactly what she was supposed to do, but she was frozen.  She could not make her body move, could not bring herself to even look anyone in the eye.

Then a black-gloved hand appeared before her, beckoning imperiously.  "Mind coughing up my magic, kiddo?"

Xion looked up into Axel's emerald eyes, and gulped.  She laid her palm over his and hesitantly tried releasing what had belonged to him.

It felt at first like a drain had been unplugged, like raw power was being painfully sucked from her body.  Axel, cursing, managed to stop it somehow.  They stared at each other.  Then he sighed and gripped her hand.  It felt reassuring.  "You trying to kill me or something?  Look, let me find it myself, you have no clue what you're doing."

"Okay," she whispered, humiliated.  As Axel worked, she looked over to see Aqua desperately trying to revive Naminé.  An idea occurred to her that she was almost too cowed to act on, but she had been so useless that she had to do something, especially now that everyone was relying on her.  She was afraid that if the unconscious Naminé could not get rid of the magic that had overwhelmed her, she might never wake up unless someone else gave her relief.

Hesitantly, Xion reached out with her magic, touching Naminé's as lightly as possible.  Even then, the sudden flood of power was almost too much, but Axel was holding her tightly, shouting something in her ear, the only thing keeping her on her feet, and somehow with his guidance she was able to control the flow just enough to where she did not pass out.  She could almost see it, so much magic from both courts rushing from Naminé, through her, and then out to its rightful possessors.  Naminé was waking up, everyone was shouting, lights were flaring and spells were igniting, and just when Xion thought she was going to die from it, Naminé's hands were on her shoulders and it was over.

Gasping for breath, Xion weakly lifted her head, wishing that she was at least strong enough to stand on her own rather than dangle limply in Axel's grip like some swooning heroine.  "Oi!" he was yelling at her, "Snap out of it!"

"I did," she mumbled.  "You can let go now."

He started to, but then promptly resumed his hold when she began to collapse.  "Dummy.  Don't try to play it tough when you're so new at this, it's not cool at all."

A part of her shrank back, but Xion found herself smiling a little, too.  "You're actually a nice guy, aren't you," she told him.

Axel glared at her, blushing.  "Knock it off."

Naminé had moved past them and was calling out to Xemnas and Eraqus, who looked ready to tear each other's throats out.  "Each of you got exactly half of the Unseelie king's magic for now.  You can decide between yourselves which of you will rule and get it all."

"And you will do this away from my court," Ansem commanded.  "I warn you both, whoever wins the Unseelie throne will contend with me next.  Once again, our people shall be at war."

"It's never going to end," Terra realized.  "More fighting, more sacrifices, more good people lost...."  He looked over at the allies who were left.  "And Ven's still gone.  Even that much, I've failed at."

"No worse than I have," Aqua said angrily, clenching one fist.  "I couldn't keep either of my charges safe."

"Yo."  Axel moved up between them, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.  "I have a proposition for you two...."

<3<3<3<3<3

"Seriously, I'm gonna make shirts!" Hayner fumed.  "I survived an insane fairy war, and all I got was this lousy T-shirt."

"Come on, Hayner," Pence pointed out.  "At least we're, you know.  Alive."

"That is so true," Olette sighed.  "I thought we were going to die."

"I'm sorry I dragged you all into this," Roxas started to apologize, then paused.  "Though you did insist."

"Who knew fairies were so evil," Hayner sniffed.  "I'm never gonna look at the little flower-lickers the same way again."

"Hey," Kairi started to say indignantly, "I may...kind of have the same opinion, but I still resent that!"

"So, Sora."  Everyone looked at Riku - perhaps with a newfound respect, after having seen him prove himself so capable during the battle.  "What are you going do now?  Stay here, or get Roxas to take you and Kairi back to the Islands?"

"Hm, I dunno."  Sora turned to Roxas.  "Hey, I was thinking.  If you can travel between worlds now like I used to be able to - you wanna go see 'em with me?"

"Sora!" Kairi scolded.  "You can't cheat and get Roxas to do magic for you now that you can't use it yourself!"

"No, it's okay," Roxas said slowly.  "I...I don't ever want to see Faerie again, but...I don't know.  Traveling around to other places - it sounds fun.  Especially now that I can."  Now that his powers were back.  Now that his suppressed curiosity had been freed.  Now that he would be able to walk miles away from Twilight Town, however far he wanted, and still live.  He thought of the keys in his pockets and smiled - he did not need to borrow Naminé's power anymore.  The iron weapons that only one of royal blood could wield were in his full possession again.

"Cool!  I'll get to see all my friends again.  I'll introduce you to everyone, Roxas!  It'll be great!"

Roxas smiled at the other boy's enthusiasm.  "Sure."

"And you're bringing us too, right?" Hayner said insistently.

Pence and Olette laughed.  "So now it's going to be I traveled to other worlds, and all I got was this--?"

"Hey, cut it out, it's not gonna be like that this time!"

The air began to ripple behind them.  "The gate," Roxas gasped.  "Someone's coming from Faerie."  Everyone grouped together, watching the emerging figures warily - then relaxed in recognition.

The tallest newcomer smiled, resting one hand on his hip.  "Hey, Ven.  You think you could stand some more company, off here in exile?"

"Terra!"  Roxas surged forward, clasping his friend's arm in greeting and smiling up at him, as he had not had time to do before.  "Really?  You really plan to stay here?"

"Yeah.  It's not worth living in Faerie without you."

"Hey!" Kairi exclaimed, "What are you doing here, Aqua?  You're supposed to be back there, guarding Naminé and Xion!"

"They have plenty of guards," Aqua said defensively.  "And I...I couldn't abandon you here, with all these Unseelie prowling around."

"Who's prowling?" the third newcomer grumbled.  "Just wanted to hang out here with the cool people, that's all."

Roxas smiled, going over to him.  "Axel.  I'm...glad you came."

The fire sprite grinned back.  "Well, you've always been hopeless without me around."

"Hey, I did okay for myself here before you creeps showed up!"

"Yeah, and it was such a drag getting your magic back thanks to us creeps, right?"

"Well...."

Pence held up his hand.  "Hey, if all you faeries are gonna live here, you're gonna have to promise to play nice."

"Yeah," Hayner broke in.  "No wrecking the town or having magic fights or whatever."

The five non-humans sized each other up.

"Oh, come on!" Sora exclaimed.  "Who cares about the whole Seelie vs. Unseelie thing, we're all friends!  We should be able to get along."

"I will not cause trouble if they behave themselves," Aqua said, frowning.

"Why should we behave ourselves when we've got such tasty temptation to fall for?" Axel purred, sliding close.  He laid an arm around her shoulders and winked, though his gaze was a bit too low to be directed at her face.

Aqua glared and reached to knock his hand away, but Terra beat her to it.  "See, this kind of thing is why the Seelie think we're all jerks," he huffed.  Aqua blinked at him in surprise.

Axel laughed and backed off.  "Hey, I was just teasing.  You want her, you're welcome to her."

Color flared in Terra's cheeks.  "I didn't mean--!"

"How dare you suggest--!" Aqua was saying at the same time.

Kairi giggled.  "Oh, why not, Aqua?  Terra seems like a nice guy, and it's not like you have a lot of other options here in exile.  Unless you can find a mortal who doesn't mind having a spellcaster for a girlfriend."

"Princess, please," Aqua said in a strained tone, as Terra crossed his arms and stared off into the distance, blushing harder than ever.

"I didn't mind having a spellcaster for a girlfriend," Sora said, a little anxiously.

"I know you didn't," Kairi cooed, kissing him on the nose.

"Hey, don't start with the PDA in front of girlfriendless people!" Hayner ordered.

Riku shook his head in exasperation.  "And here I thought I was finally done with you stupid faeries...."

"At least now we're not trying to steal your best friend," Roxas pointed out.

"Hmph."

"Who tried to steal your best friend?" Sora said in confusion.

"...."

"Hey," Olette spoke up, "who feels like celebrating?"

"Celebrating what?" Hayner grumped.

Pence laughed.  "Well, surviving that battle, for one thing."

"Getting all our magic back," Axel offered, playfully raising his hand like they were at school.

"Having life make sense again," Roxas suggested.

Riku shook his head, his mouth quirking a small grin.  "Having someone around to pwn."

Terra smiled at Roxas.  "Finding people we lost."

"Yes," Aqua agreed, giving Kairi a little hug.

"Definitely."  Kairi squeezed Aqua back and then turned to glomp Sora.  "And having amazing boyfriends."

"And girlfriends," Sora added.

"Aw, stop rubbing it in!" Hayner complained.  "But yeah, we should totally do ice cream or something!"

"Ice cream," Axel said dreamily.  "We can eat all the ice cream we want here...."

"Do they have ice cream in Faerie?" Pence asked.

"Nope.  Me and Ven used to sneak over to Earth all the time to get some."

"Oh!" Roxas exclaimed.  "That reminds me."  He pulled something out of his pocket.  "Do you still have yours, Pence?"

"Another WINNER stick!" Hayner yelled happily.  "Score!"

"Here it is," Pence announced, waving his in the air.

"What is a winner stick?" Aqua said suspiciously, nudging Kairi behind her.

"It's this weird thing humans invented with their science magic that can put you in a coma if you stick it up your nose," Axel told her.  Roxas kicked him in the ankle.  Teeeeechnically it was not a lie, but it stretched the truth pretty far.  Roxas was rather impressed that Axel had managed to say it with a straight face, since most faeries would not have been able to.

"What are you talking about?" Sora exclaimed.  "It's just an ice cream stick.  You eat ice cream off it."

"Let's just save time and show them," Olette laughed.  "Don't worry, Aqua, you can't fall into a coma from sticking an ice cream stick up your nose."

"Well, you can," Riku corrected, "it'd just be really hard."

"Would it be an effective battle technique?" Terra asked curiously.

"Uh...probably not."

There was enough room for all of them around the top of the clock tower, where they ate their ice cream and enjoyed each other's company.  As high as they were, they could see that the town's Seelie barrier against the Heartless had vanished, no longer needed now that Xehanort was gone and his shadow armies trapped forever behind the door to Kingdom Hearts.  The world beyond had been completely restored, once again bright and populated.

Sora told stories about his adventures, often eagerly interrupted by Kairi and Riku.  Terra and Aqua's frequent arguments started to take on an almost friendly tone after a while.  Pence and Olette teased Hayner every time he bragged too much, and Axel choked on the ice cream's saltiness, declaring that the recipe must have changed a little - for the better.

Roxas simply sat happily, listening to them all and basking in the presence of his friends.  Life was good.

<3<3<3<3<3

Roxas did not dream of Sora that night - the connection between them had been severed, and his sleep was finally peaceful.  Instead, it was Naminé who appeared, coming to join him where he sat alone on the clock tower.

For a while, they gazed out at the town in companionable silence, not speaking.  Then he turned to face her.  "Naminé?  Is this real?"

She smiled at him.  "What does your heart say?"

Gently, as if her hand was a bird, he took hold of it and laid it against his chest.  "You're here.  So am I.  This may be just a dream, but our hearts are still connected."

She nodded, happiness and relief spreading across her features like dawn.  "Yes.  I'm so glad, Roxas."  She left her hand resting in his, seeming content to leave it there for as long as he cared to hold it.

"Naminé.  I'm never going back to Faerie."

"Mm."

"Will you ever come here?  Even just for a little while?"

"Maybe."

"...Naminé."

"Yes, Roxas?"

He took a deep breath.  "I'd really like to see you again."

She smiled.  "Do you believe that we will meet in the future?"

He met her eyes.  Somehow, he knew that it was not really a question...or at least, not the one it seemed to be.  "Yes," he said decisively.

In the way of dreams, there was no longer a girl sitting beside him.  What he cradled against his chest was now truly a bird, with pure white feathers and deep, trustful eyes.  "Naminé," he whispered, "I...."

<3<3<3

He woke up.  For a while, he stared at the ceiling with his fist still clenched against his chest.  Slowly, he sat up and looked down at what was clutched in his hand:  a single white feather.  Roxas smiled.

"Then again, I think I'll wait to tell you that until we're face to face."

<3<3<3

Author's Notes:  Editing most of this fic was just the usual angst, I didn't hit any real problems 'til the end of chapter 5.  That's basically the Chapter of Exposition, and I realized that I had a couple of glaring plot holes on my hands, which extended into chapter 6.  I managed to fix them with some frustration, but I was very tired by that time and may not have done the best job.  Sorry about that.  I'm also not happy with Hayner and his friends' reactions at the end.  I'll try to work on those issues if I ever do a future re-edit.

Faeries can't lie, by the way.  So in this fic, accusing a faery of lying is pretty serious stuff.

For once, I actually don't have any ideas for future installments at this time.  I do, however, have several other KH Faerie AUs in the works, so keep an eye out for those if you liked this one.  The story I'll probably post soonest will focus on the BBS trio.
This is the Sta.sh version, which is properly formatted, but was originally posted before I discovered Sta.sh.

My Kingdom Hearts fanfiction index: raberbagirl.deviantart.com/jou...

Although I like how the SoKai turned out in this fic, I am in hindsight very unhappy with the RokuNami. :hmm: I shouldn't have ship-teased it like that (though, granted, it's almost the exact same thing in canon, too - RokuNami has no chemistry or development, then suddenly out of the blue, "ZOMG WE'LL BE TOGETHER EVERY DAY" :XD:).
© 2013 - 2024 raberbagirl
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