346Heyyyy everyone! Sorry for the long wait. Again. I know. I'm doing my best! Life isn't giving me a ton of time to work on this. But this chapter is another long one, almost thirty pages! So hopefully that makes up for the wait a little?
So, as I mentioned before, this is where I start… deviating from the exact KH3 plot a bit and changing things that I feel don't make a lot of sense in the game. I hope you're all cool with that? I mean, if you want the EXACT chain of events you can play the game again lol. I'll try not to stray too far! Hopefully it comes across as me just expanding on the outline the game gave us, like in the last story but… more. Haha~
Hence, alas, more work for me. But I think I'm doing okay so far! I've got the rest of this world outlined, it's just a matter of filling in the gaps with words that don't suck. I think it'll be good! I hope you guys like it.
Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, I appreciate you all more than you know! As long as people are enjoying my story, I'll keep finding whatever time I can to keep writing~
Let's jump into it! Hope you like it!
"Cupid bribed Harpocrates, god of silence, with a rose, not to divulge the amours of Venus. Hence a host hung a rose over his tables that his guests might know that under it, words spoken were to remain secret."
—Gregory Nazianzen "Carmen Vol II"
Chapter 14: Under The Rose
The city of Thebes was in horrible shape.
Aila and the boys did their best putting out fires around the town's main square and rescuing trapped civilians with Hercules, but it felt like they were barely making a dent in all the destruction. Thankfully, it looked like most people had managed to evacuate before things got really bad, but it was nerve wracking whenever they heard a call for help from somewhere nearby, all of them rushing to figure out where it was coming from and how to get to whoever was in trouble.
On the plus side, Aila was getting a lot of practice in with a new spell Merlin taught her a couple of weeks ago: Water! At the time he'd taught it to her, she had felt like the spell was one she probably wouldn't use very much, unless she was wandering in the desert with Aladdin or something. But now, having been literally thrown into a city on fire, she was extremely grateful to have it in her roster; she made a mental note to thank Merlin for teaching it to her next time she saw him.
She was in the process of dousing a particularly stubborn bit of flaming debris, her lungs working overtime from the adrenaline and heat and stress of the situation, the smoke in the air making her throat feel itchy and dry. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sora emerge from a building he had been checking for civilians. Pieces of his bangs were stuck to his forehead, his shoulders seeming tight as he leaned against the doorway for a moment. He was tired. Aila couldn't really blame him: she was tired, too. But the amount of fatigue radiating from him was… worrying. She couldn't really remember him ever seeming this worn out, even after they'd fought off literally thousands of Heartless at once. She'd thought maybe Yen Sid had been being dramatic about Sora's power being stripped from him, but now… it was looking like maybe it was more serious than she'd realized.
Sora looked up and they locked eyes for a second before he quickly straightened his spine and rushed off to check the next building. Aila frowned and looked back at the smoldering bricks before her, the fire pretty much out at last. If Sora wanted to act normal, she'd let him for now. It wasn't worth pointing out anyway, not when they all already knew what was up. But… she puller her staff in close to her chest and glanced over her shoulder to watch him emerge from the next building he'd checked, his usual confident air back in place. Her fingers tightened a little around her weapon and she mentally counted how many Ethers she should have left in her pouch. Her Light shields were getting stronger every day, but she'd make sure to maintain enough mana to ensure she could cast some good Reflect spells if Sora needed her to.
"Sora, anything?" Herc called, finishing repositioning a damaged pillar on a nearby building to make sure the structure didn't crumble.
"Seems like we're clear!" Sora called back, emerging from the final building in the area.
"Phew," Donald sighed, letting his staff fade and collapsing into a sit on the ground. He and Goofy had been putting out some more fires a bit to Aila's left. They both seemed exhausted.
Herc wiped his brow. "Let's take a second to catch our breath, but then we gotta keep moving. There are more areas we need to check for civilians."
They all agreed, everyone eager to take a breather for at least a few minutes. Aila sipped on an Ether and wandered toward the center of the square, keeping her guard slightly up in case any more Heartless appeared. Thankfully, so far, there had really only been Soldiers and Shadows to deal with. She stopped at the base of a giant statue of Hercules in the center of the square, craning her neck as she looked up at the sculpture of the man standing just a few feet away from her. It was massive. Not as massive as the Zeus statue on the mountain, but still pretty impressive.
"Heh, it's… a little much, right?" Herc said, rubbing the back of his neck a bit sheepishly as he realized what Aila was looking at. "Phil insisted… and the town wanted to make it, so…"
Aila smiled. "I think it's cool! They really love you here, huh?"
Herc smiled and looked away awkwardly. "Hah, yeah, I guess so…" His expression fell and his brows tightened as he looked at the still smoldering remains of the square. "Wish I'd done a better job for them today…" He shook his head and attempted a smile again, changing the subject. "So, is there a reason you guys are visiting? I'm guessing it's not just for the cheese and olives."
Aila smiled at his joke. "Ah, well yeah…" She turned to Sora, wondering if he'd want to answer since he was the whole reason they'd come to this world. He'd taken a seat on the floor with Donald, the two of them resting back to back. Sora was breathing pretty hard, his eyes shut tight as if he were concentrating on each breath, Goofy fanning him with his shield. Aila frowned, concerned again. "Sora?"
Sora's eyes immediately snapped open. "Huh? Yeah?"
"Herc asked why we're here…"
Sora's brows disappeared beneath his bangs and he immediately clamored to his feet. "Oh yeah, right!"
"It sounds like somebody forgot," Goofy said, smirking a little at Sora.
"That's Sora," Donald taunted, not seeming in a huge hurry to stand up himself.
Sora crossed his arms with a huff. "I just… took my time remembering." He smirked at Donald and Goofy and the three of them chuckled together. Aila rolled her eyes, but smiled along with them. He must be okay if he was still joking around.
Sora turned to Herc, his smile fading into a more sincere expression. "Herc, I came here so I could ask you something."
"Huh? Me?" Herc replied, seeming like that wasn't the answer he'd expected.
"Yeah," Sora nodded. "Do you remember the last time we were together? You were feeling… down and out. How'd you get your strength back— when you jumped in and saved Meg?"
Herc put a hand to his chin. "Hmm… that's tough. All I know is that… she was in trouble. Suddenly, I wanted to save her with all my heart, but… it's not like I could tell you how."
Sora's shoulders drooped. "Oh, man…"
Herc quirked a brow. "What's wrong?"
Sora hesitated a moment before lifting his hands and staring at his palms, his face contorted into a frustrated frown. "All my strength is gone from me, too…" Aila was a little surprised to hear him admit it — he'd seemed like he'd been trying to put on a brave face up until now. But, she supposed this was the reason they came here: to get Herc's advice on the whole debacle. So it wouldn't do anyone any good to lie about it. Sora looked up at Herc, his brows knitted together with a deep concern that was unusual to see on him, but a glimmer of his regular underlying determination still remained. "That's why I need you — because I was hoping you might have a solution, or something."
Herc frowned deeply, hesitating as well before finally answering. "I'm sorry, Sora…"
A light sigh escaped everyone in the gang at once. Aila and Goofy shared a worried look. If Herc didn't have a solution, then Sora was kinda stuck… Aila wracked her brain, trying to figure out what Herc had done last time they were here. He'd sacrificed his life to save Meg by jumping into that pool, so that was why his strength came back, right? Because putting her life before his own made him a 'true hero'.
But she couldn't say that out loud — the last thing she wanted was for Sora to try sacrificing himself for anyone. She knew he'd do it in a heartbeat, and not even necessarily to get his strength back, but just because that was who he was; he didn't need another reason to try it. The thought scared her. It was very specific circumstances that had prevented Herc from dying when he dove into that pool, and there was no guarantee Sora would come out on top if he tried to replicate something like that. He might be a little weaker than usual right now, but at least he was alive. She shook her head, doubling her resolve to keep herself sharp on this journey, to pick up any slack so Sora wouldn't have any reason to try something so stupid.
Though, hang on… Aila turned to Herc. "Hey, random question… You're a 'true hero' now, aren't you?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess," Herc replied.
Aila frowned, looking toward the mountain Hades had blown her and the boys off of. "So you're able to fight like normal, right?"
"Yeah…? Am I missing something here?"
"I think I'm missing something here," Aila mumbled, thoroughly confused. Hades had released the Titans, but… in the movie, he knew that if Hercules fought against the Titans, his plan would fail. In fact, that was the entire PLOT of the movie. So… this timeline was way off. Herc was fine! But Hades didn't even seem worried. Was he planning something else…?
Sora elbowed Aila lightly to get her attention. "You know something?"
Aila scrunched up her face. "Yes…? No? Kinda? I'm so confused. This makes no sense." She shrugged and turned to Hercules. "I mean, we need you to fight the Titans, but I assume you knew that already…?"
Herc nodded. "Right. As soon as I know everyone in Thebes is safely out of the city, that's where I'm headed."
"Right…" Aila replied slowly. There had to be SOME kind of catch she wasn't seeing, right? Hades had been way too confident about his plan on the mountain.
"Is there something else?" Sora probed.
Aila hesitated, but then decided to just tell them what she knew. The timeline was already off anyway, right? "Well—"
"Wak?! HEARTLESS!" Donald shouted, pointing frantically at the sky. Everyone looked up in time to see what at first glance seemed to be a dozen fireballs heading directly toward the square, but when Aila looked harder she saw the distinct bodies of some round, molten Heartless hidden within the flames. Goofy held up his shield and Aila summoned a wide strip of Light to try and protect the group as the Heartless came crashing down, a few of them hitting the statue of Hercules at the center of the square. The statue trembled and then toppled forward, shaking the area with a massive crash. An ember landed on Aila's shield and she yelped, feeling a dull sear from the flames deep in her bones. She immediately dismissed her Light and gritted her teeth as she fell into a defensive stance. Okay, her Light shields weren't great against fire, good to know.
"Let's talk later," Herc said, falling into a defensive stance as well.
"Right," Sora agreed. "Once we've dealt with these guys."
The group sprung into action, most of them dodging out of the way to assess these new enemies while Goofy held his ground and pushed back against a couple Heartless with his shield. Looked like his shield didn't conduct heat — nice! Aila rolled away from a stream of fire that the Heartless closest to her was trying to nail her with and stopped in a crouch, studying it as quickly as she could. She'd never seen this type of Heartless before — it looked kind of like a living cauldron with flames burning on its head, and skinny, sharp wings on either side of its body. It floated above the ground, a jagged opening about two thirds up its body (its mouth?) preparing to spit another bout of fire. Its beady yellow eyes just above the mouth locked emotionlessly on to Aila, closely following her every movement.
'Okay, fire, floaty, likes to spit,' Aila listed in her head. 'So the best plan would be…' She waited a beat for an answer she knew wouldn't come from Celina before answering herself. 'Water, probably. Maybe if I put out the flame on its head it'll go down?'
She nodded to herself before replying aloud, "Worth a shot." She cringed a little — if she'd felt like she looked crazy for talking to herself when Celina was around, she probably looked extra crazy now that she was… literally just talking to herself. But whatever! No time for to feel dumb!
The Heartless shot another stream of fire at her and she deftly dodged again before quickly holding up her staff. "Water!" she commanded, summoning the spell. Two streams of water encircled her for a quick second before slamming into the Heartless, the fire atop its head hissing as it was doused by Aila's spell. The Heartless let out a scream and hit the floor, writhing as it tried to shake the water away from its dimming flames.
Aila rushed it, hitting it with a few quick slashes before the Heartless managed to rid itself of enough moisture to allow its flames to burst back to full glory. It rose from the ground and charged at Aila, who blocked with her staff. She immediately regretted such a tactic — sweat beaded along her brow from the close proximity of the Heartless, her entire body immediately feeling way too hot. She summoned some Light to her heels and hurried around to the Heartless's opposite side, leaving the Heartless looking confused about where its opponent had just gone. She didn't give it time to solve that mystery, slashing at its back and then casting another Water spell before continuing her assault. This time, the Heartless went down for good, fading into nothing as the flames on its head went out again. Aila wiped her forehead with the back of her arm; these guys were kind of tough. She filed them mentally under the 'Heartless I find annoying' tab in her head.
Aila spotted another Flame Heartless nearby and hurried to attack it, taking quick note of how everyone else was doing. Donald was making good use of his own Water spells (his were much stronger than Aila's — she'd need to ask him to train her a little later), and Goofy's shield gave him a pretty good advantage against these guys. Hercules was just flat out punching enemies in the face, as if the flames didn't even register on his skin. That was impressive. And Sora…
Sora was struggling.
He had his back to a pillar, three Flame Heartless gearing up to attack him all at once. "Deep Freeze!" he shouted, a sheet of ice rising before him just in time to catch three streams of fire aimed at his face. The ice melted immediately and he rubbed his eyes, like maybe he'd accidentally gotten some fragments of ice in them? The Flame Heartless saw an opening, and all three of them charged.
Panicking, Aila abandoned the previous Heartless she'd been going for and summoned Light to her heels, dashing for her friend as quickly as she could. She skidded to a stop between Sora and the Heartless right before they reached him, lifting her staff high above her head. "DEFEND!" she cried, the honeycomb shield of her Reflect spell bursting forth from her and sending the enemies flying back.
She let out a sigh of relief and glanced back at Sora. "You okay?"
Sora blinked at her. "Um, yeah… thanks…" His expression shifted into a frown. "Don't jump into danger for me, though!"
Aila cocked her head, her spell fading around the two of them. "What am I supposed to do, watch you get hurt?"
Sora clicked his tongue and looked past Aila, hefting his Keyblade. "I'll be fine, just worry about yourself, okay?"
"Sora, you said yourself that your strength is gone — you need backup!"
Sora glanced at her, some sort of complicated emotion in his eyes. "I'll be fine. I don't want you in danger."
"What danger? This is nothing compared to some of the bad guys we fought before."
"Yeah I know, but…" Sora threw his Keyblade at the three Heartless, who were making their approach again. It connected and pushed all three of them back once more. Sora looked at Aila. "Things are… different this time!" He caught his Keyblade and pulled Aila to the other side of the pillar, to give them a little more shelter from a majority of the enemies. "And you're right, I'm not fighting as well as I'm used to, so that means I can't cover you. So just… stay out of the way, okay? Maybe you should wait somewhere safe."
Aila's jaw dropped. "What, you don't think I can handle a fight without you there to cover me?"
Sora glanced worriedly around the pillar at the enemies. "No, that's not what I'm saying, I just…" He glanced at the pillar, some kind of idea seeming to spark in his mind. He shoved Aila away. "Stand back!"
Aila was too caught off guard to argue for a moment, watching as Sora leapt toward the pillar. The blue light of Flowmotion engulfed him and he used his Keyblade to spin himself around the pillar a few times before leaping toward the three Heartless and slamming them with a boosted hit. That was enough to finish them off, all three fading into nothing as Sora straightened up. He looked back at Aila, breathing hard but smiling with no small amount of satisfaction. "See? I'm good. Just wait there, we'll handle things."
He rushed toward Donald to help with another Heartless, leaving Aila behind. For a few seconds she just felt a little stunned, not really comprehending what had just happened. But then… anger began boiling inside of her, her fists clenching as she let Sora's words sink in. Had he… just… benched her?! For NO reason?! What the heck?!
"Uh, yeah right!" Aila scoffed to herself, her pride stinging as she glared after her friend. She zeroed in on the Heartless Sora and Donald were tag teaming and, without even really realizing what she was doing, summoned Light to her heels and charged full speed at the thing, summoning more Light to her staff as she slammed into the enemy with every ounce of power she could muster. The thing went flying, slamming so hard into the arm of the fallen Herc statue that the statue's forearm completely broke off. The Heartless collapsed face first before fading away into nothing.
"Wak! Hey! What was that?!" Donald asked, seeming very taken aback by Aila's sudden usurping of the enemy he'd been working on.
Aila straightened up and glared at Sora, feeling her eyes flash with her anger. "Why don't you sit out and let us handle things."
Sora blinked, but then narrowed his eyes. "I don't need to sit out."
"Me neither!"
Donald frowned as he looked back and forth between the two teens. "Uh, did I miss something…?"
Aila huffed. "Just Sora being an idiot."
Sora's fingers clenched. "Hey! I am not being an idiot, I'm just trying to keep you safe!"
"I don't need you babying me!" Aila snapped. "You've been weird ever since we got here! I'm not some helpless little girl, I know how to fight! I'm a part of this team!" She looked away, her voice softening as her anger ebbed a little into hurt. "At least I thought I was…"
Herc and Goofy joined them, the duo having been able to take out the rest of the Heartless together. "Gwarsh, what happened?" Goofy asked, looking very confused by the sudden arguing.
Donald shook his head. "Beats me. They just started fighting."
Sora seemed conflicted as he dismissed his Keyblade, looking away as well. "…Aila, of course you're a part of the team. I just…"
"Hercules!"
The group looked up into the sky to see Pegasus flying toward them, Meg and Phil riding on his back. Pegasus touched down and Meg immediately dismounted, rushing toward Herc. "You're okay!"
"Meg!" Herc breathed in reply.
Meg glanced around at the square. "Boy, that didn't look so fun…"
Herc sighed. "No, not with the Heartless involved. We're just lucky our friends showed up." He nodded toward the gang, who all seemed a little awkward about the tension between Sora and Aila.
Meg smiled at them. "Well, whaddaya know? Sora, Donald, Goofy, Aila, guess I owe you a big thank you."
"Uh, yeah, no problem," Sora mumbled, seeming to have taken a very deliberate interest in the fallen Herc statue. Aila herself was intensely focused on adjusting her gloves.
Meg quirked a brow. "Gee, you kids are tense…"
"'Course they are, the city's burnin' to the ground!" Phil said, still struggling to dismount Pegasus. Pegasus bucked lightly and Phil went tumbling to the ground in a groaning heap. He glared at Pegasus. Pegasus snickered. Phil pushed himself up and marched over to the group, looking more than a little ticked off. "What are you idiots doin' wastin' time over here?! We just did a search of the city, there's people that need help! Aren't you done clearin' this area yet?!" He cleared his throat heavily. "Whoa, thought I was gonna lose my voice for a second there. See what happens when I have to yell at you?!"
Herc held up his hands defensively. "Yeah, we cleared it, but some Heartless appeared and—"
"And nothin'!" Phil interrupted. "Who cares about the Heartless in some empty part of town? Get your butt in gear and save people! Do you know how bad it'll look to have civilian deaths on your record?!"
"Well it would be bad to let people die regardless of it being on my record, right?" Herc pointed out, raising a brow at Phil.
Phil ignored him, pointing at the gang. "And you four! You wanna be heroes, don't you?"
Goofy put a finger to his chin. "I thought we were heroes."
"No you ain't, not in my book!" Phil insisted. "If you wanna earn that title, you better stop messin' around!"
"We're not messing around!" Donald argued, glaring at the goat man.
"Then prove it! Come on, we got work to do!"
"Sorry about your statue, Wonderboy," Meg said, gesturing to the rubble before them all.
Herc smiled lightly. "It's just a statue. Phil's right, we need to make sure no people end up like that thing."
"Yeah, 'Phil's right,' now that's what I like to hear," Phil huffed. "Okay listen up, there's people in trouble all over the city. If we try to get to one at a time, we might not save 'em all."
Herc nodded. "Right, so we should split up."
Phil grinned. "That's right! Divide and conquer!" He pointed at the gang again. "You guys take the east side of the city, we'll take the west. We can regroup once our sections are cleared."
"Sounds good to me," Herc agreed. He turned to the gang. "You guys good with that?"
Sora opened his mouth to reply but Aila beat him to it. "Yeah, we're on it," she replied tersely, immediately turning on her heel and heading toward the east end of the city. She was still pissed, but people were in trouble — her fight with Sora would have to wait. "Are you guys coming or what?!"
"Yeesh, what'd you guys do this time?" she heard Meg mutter to the boys. That's right — Aila had been pissed at the boys last time they were here too, hadn't she? Maybe this world was bad luck.
The boys caught up to Aila as she ascended some stairs, skirting around a large pile of rubble that had fallen along the stairs' left side. "Uh, maybe we should stop for a second and talk," Goofy suggested, trying to play mediator.
"No," Aila replied through clenched teeth. "You heard Phil, people are in trouble. We can talk later." She shot a cold look at Sora. "As long as our team leader is okay with that."
Sora looked a little hurt by her tone. "Uh, yeah, of course, people in trouble come first…" He hesitated and then placed a hand on her shoulder. "But listen, I didn't mean to make you feel like—"
Aila shook his hand away and picked up her pace, placing distance between the two of them. "We just agreed there's no time for talking now. Let's just go."
"What did you do?" Donald asked Sora, seeming more and more confused by the conflict his friends were having. Sora just sighed heavily in reply.
The gang hurried into the next area, where they quickly located a young mother and child cornered by a gaggle of Soldier Heartless. Aila silently rejoiced at the appearance of such easy enemies, enemies she could beat with just her own brute strength and no fancy tricks. Hitting something with all her might felt really amazing right now.
She silently seethed as she whaled on Heartless after Heartless, hitting even harder any time she happened to catch Sora's eye. How could he think she couldn't handle herself?! She'd been worried about that on their last journey… but now? Really?! SHE had just saved HIM from the bad guys! He was the one who got captured by Xehanort, and Aila held her own pretty well with Riku while they went after him. And she, Donald, and Goofy had done just fine on the last world without Sora there at all!
Her staff slammed into a Soldier's stomach with a satisfying crunch, the Heartless tumbling into a nearby wall before fading into nothing. She glanced Sora's way again and felt a twinge of cruel satisfaction at how hard he was breathing from just a few stupid Soldiers, while she was feeling just fine. She frowned and shook her head lightly, catching herself. She was mad at him, but she still shouldn't feel happy that he was struggling. 'I could probably beat him up right now if I wanted to though,' she thought despite herself. She quickly took out another Soldier to drive away such petty thoughts.
It became quickly apparent, as they made their way through the city, that there were way more people in trouble than they'd initially realized. The gang worked as quickly as possible, taking out Heartless and climbing through rubble, leading citizens to safety before hurrying back to continue forward.
"I think I hear someone over here," Sora said, starting to the left around the remains of a fallen building.
Goofy lifted his right ear. "Hang on, I hear somebody over there, too," he said, indicating the opposite direction.
Aila frowned. "Should we split up?"
"Well we can't just leave one," Donald agreed. He started off to the right, gesturing for Aila to follow him. "Aila, you and me this way."
Sora took a step toward them. "What?! But…" He glanced at Aila, fear in his eyes, before focusing on Donald again. "Maybe we can get to them both as a group."
Donald stood his ground. "We can't risk that. The Heartless we've been running into aren't that strong anyway, and both Aila and Goofy are good with defense, so having one of them near any civilians should be enough." When Sora didn't answer, Donald began tapping a foot impatiently. "We don't really have time to discuss this, Sora!"
Aila crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me, you're worried I can't take care of myself without you around?" Sora looked at her again and hesitated. Aila scoffed. "Seriously?! You do think that!"
"No!" Sora finally replied, holding up his hands. He looked away nervously. "…I mean, well…"
Aila kicked a small piece of rubble at his knees, the boy dodging out of the way just in time. "You guys say I suck at lying but you suck too!" She turned and began marching to the right. "Come on Donald, let's go!"
"Aila, hang on!" Sora called.
"People are literally dying Sora, we don't have time for this! Just go!"
She heard Sora grumble something before conceding and hurrying off the other way with Goofy, finally leaving her and Donald to themselves.
"Stupid dumb idiot boy," Aila muttered as she continued to stomp around piles of rubble, scanning for anyone in danger.
Donald caught up to her and began searching for civilians as well. "What happened during that fight? You guys were fine one second and the next you were arguing!"
Aila clicked her tongue, annoyed. "Sora was overwhelmed, so I ran in to help him out. Then he got all mad at me and told me to sit out, because you guys could handle the fighting without me."
Donald squawked in surprise. "Wait, what? Why would he want you to sit out? Did you get hurt?"
"No!" Aila insisted. "I didn't even get hit!" She looked at Donald imploringly. "Hasn't he been acting weird since we got here? He totally tried to take all my bad guys on the mountain, too."
Donald hummed as he peaked through a half-collapsed doorway. "He has seemed a little on edge… I think he's feeling insecure about what Master Yen Sid said, about Xehanort taking his power away. So maybe he's taking that out on you for some reason?"
"Yeah that's what I thought too," Aila grumbled as she climbed up a small pile of rubble to check the other side. "But why just me? He hasn't seemed weird with you or Goofy." She stopped at the top of the pile and looked out into the city, her anger melting into something a bit more sad. "Maybe he's always thought I was weak and just hid it better until now…"
"No way, that's not it," Donald said firmly. "He knows how strong you are, Aila. You're an important part of our team — we need you! We're all happy you're here." He waved a hand dismissively. "If he tells you to sit out again, just ignore him."
Aila smirked down at the duck. "That's what I did the first time."
Donald smirked back. "Good."
"…elp…!"
Aila froze, leaning forward a little. "Did you hear that?"
Donald nodded, leaning forward as well, straining his ears. "Yeah."
Aila put her hands around her mouth and yelled as loud as she could, "ANYBODY THERE? WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU!"
"…elp! W… in here!"
"This way!" Aila said breathlessly, she and Donald booking it toward a building thats doorway was almost entirely blocked by fallen debris. Aila tried moving a few large pieces of concrete, but they wouldn't budge much for her. She found a small opening and peered inside, searching for anyone in trouble. A preteen boy was standing in front of a little girl (they looked like siblings), both of them backed into a corner by a handful of Soldiers. The boy was wielding a broken piece of wood as his only weapon, his brown, curly hair matted with sweat and dust. The little girl had her hands over her mouth, like she was trying her best not to scream, her brunette curls falling out of an updo someone must have lovingly done for her earlier that day, before the city had fallen. The boy's limbs were shaking with fear, but he held his ground between the monsters and the girl anyway.
A Soldier took a step toward the kids. "HEY!" Aila shouted, getting the Heartless's attention. The Soldiers turned to look at her, their yellow eyes hollow and unfeeling. "Don't take another step!"
The Soldiers seemed unperturbed by her, merely blinking before turning their backs to Aila and beginning to close in on the kids. The little girl whimpered, and the boy's eyes widened in terror as he shakily hefted his piece of wood.
Aila pulled away from the small opening and turned to Donald in a panic. "We need to get in there right now!"
Donald summoned his staff and pointed it at the door. "Will anyone get hurt if I blast this?"
Aila pulled him to the right a few steps. "Angle this way. But just in case…" She rushed to the opening again. "Hey, kids, hide your faces!"
The girl obediently curled into a ball in the corner, hiding her face in her arms, and the boy threw himself on top of her, burying his face in her hair as he attempted to shield her.
Aila pulled away and nodded to Donald. "Do it!"
"FIRE!" Donald shouted, a powerful fireball slamming into the rubble blocking the door. It exploded into the room, Aila and Donald both pulling back to avoid breathing in any dust before rushing through the still-settling cloud, Aila summoning her staff and making a beeline for the Soldier closest to the kids. The Heartless seemed startled by the explosion, all of them halting their approach and turning toward their new attackers. But Aila and Donald wasted no time, slamming the Heartless with rapid hits and well aimed Blizzard spells.
Aila knocked the closest Soldiers away from the kids and lifted her staff. "Thunder!" she cried, lightning bolts raining down from the ceiling and striking three Heartless all at once, their metal helmets conducting the electricity and amplifying the hit. She knocked one of them into a Soldier Donald had frozen nearly solid, both enemies fading as Aila made quick work of their two comrades, landing a couple diagonal slashes while they were still buzzing from her lightning strike. It only took a minute or two to get them all, only the heavy breathing of Aila, Donald, and the two kids filling the room as the final Soldier faded away.
Aila straightened up and turned to the kids, brows knitted with worry. "Are you both okay?"
They looked up at her and shakily nodded, their big brown eyes wide with adrenaline and relief. "Th-thank you so much," the boy croaked out, his voice wavering as he tried to keep his emotions reigned in. He couldn't have been more than eleven — his sister looked to be around six.
Aila approached them and knelt down, dismissing her weapon to try and look as unthreatening as possible. "That's good. Is anyone else in here?"
The little girl shook her head, tear tracks cutting through a layer of dust on her cheeks. "M-Mama and Papa went to the market, a-and th-then there were a bunch of b-b-big booms a-and th-then…"
The boy pulled the girl into a hug and stroked her hair, trying to comfort her as he continued for her, "The door… we couldn't get out. We thought maybe we could just wait in here but then those things showed up…" He looked down and sniffled a little, clearing his throat before looking up at Aila again and whispering, "Did you get them all?"
Aila nodded. "Yeah, don't worry, they're gone now."
Donald joined her and smiled at the kids. "Why don't we find your parents, okay?" He held out a hand to the boy. "I'm Donald, what's your name?"
"T-Talos," the boy replied, taking Donald's hand. He nodded to the girl. "This is my sister Leta."
Donald smiled reassuringly. "Nice to meet you, Talos and Leta! This is my friend Aila." Aila waved as Donald continued, "We're heroes!" Aila sweatdropped. Not really pertinent information, but okay.
Leta's eyes widened a little. "L-like H-Hercules?"
"Yup!" Donald replied. "He's a good friend of ours!"
The kids immediately seemed to forget their fear at that, Donald pulling Talos to his feet while Leta gripped her brother's free hand and stood as well. "Wow!" Talos gushed. "Really?! You know Hercules?! I have his action figure! Do you guys have action figures?!"
"Uhh," Donald replied, his bravado falling a little. "Well… no?" He gave Aila a look. "We should get some action figures made of us, too."
Aila chuckled and shook her head as she stood. "Right, priorities, though. Let's save the city first."
Donald sighed. "Fiiiine." He smiled at the kids again. "Come on, let's go! Don't worry about any monsters, you're safe with us!"
The kids followed Donald out of the room while Aila hung back to do a quick sweep, just to be really sure they hadn't missed anyone else. She realized now that this was decorated like some sort of living room, chairs strewn in pieces across the floor, a table half smashed in the middle. She frowned — this was Talos and Leta's home, and it was totally destroyed. At least they hadn't been hurt. She hoped their parents had avoided any injury too.
Aila exited the house and did another quick scan of the area. No more Heartless — that probably meant no more people to save. Heartless would congregate around hearts, after all. Donald was rounding a corner with the two kids, talking amicably about all the times he'd fought alongside Hercules and earning more and more admiration from Talos and Leta. Aila smirked. Even when he was doing something very good, Donald couldn't help but want a little ego boost.
She took a step to follow them, but stopped at the sound of a familiar voice behind her. "Aila!"
She turned around to see Sora running up to her, the boy slowing as he approached. She quirked a brow. "You guys are done already? That was fast." She glanced past Sora and her other brow rose to join her first. "Where's Goofy?"
"Oh, he's, uh, on his way," Sora said, seeming a little caught off guard by the question. He looked… nervous?
Aila frowned and turned away, starting off after Donald and the kids once again. "Donald is leading some kids we found to safety, we should catch up."
"Uh, wait!"
Sora grabbed Aila's wrist and pulled her to a stop, his grip unusually tight. Aila glared lightly as she looked back at him. "Sora, I don't wanna talk right now. We need to make sure everyone is safe first, then we can unpause our fight."
Sora cocked his head. "We were fighting?"
Aila narrowed her eyes. "Ha ha, very funny." She tried to pull her arm away, but he held fast. "Can you let go? We need to catch up to Donald."
Sora smiled a little awkwardly. "Um, right! Well, hang on. I mean, I knew we were fighting, of course! So before we catch up to Donald, I, um, I wanted to give you a, uhhhhh… A peace offering! Yeah, that's it!"
"A… peace offering?" Aila repeated. Something deep in her gut was starting to churn uncomfortably, like something was a little… off. It was only now that Aila realized Sora seemed to be holding something behind his back with his free hand. So he really did bring some sort of peace offering?
"Yeah!" Sora replied excitedly. He brought his free hand out into the open. "Tada~!" A single white rose was grasped in his fingers, its petals so crisp and perfect that the sight of it momentarily took Aila's breath away. "Isn't it nice? I, um, I saw it and I thought of you!"
Aila stared at the rose, not sure how to respond for a few moments. "Where… where'd you find this? Everything is all, like… on fire and broken, but you found a rose?"
"Yeah, crazy, right?!" Sora gushed with almost too much enthusiasm, his grip still very tight around Aila's wrist. "It was like all this crazy destruction just, like, totally avoided crushing this pretty flower! And I thought that was like, wow! And so I wanted to show you!"
Aila blinked slowly at Sora, that churning in her gut getting a little stronger. "That's… nice?" She tried to pull her arm away again, but again Sora didn't release her. "Sora, seriously, can you let go…?"
"Hang on, you gotta smell this flower first," Sora insisted, taking a step closer and pushing the rose toward Aila's face.
Aila instinctively leaned back, alarm bells starting to go off in her head as Sora's grip tightened even more. "Sora, let go," she whispered, her voice much smaller than it had been a second ago.
"I will once you smell this," Sora insisted, closing the gap between them again. His smile suddenly didn't reach his eyes. "Come on, don't you trust me? I'm your friend!"
Cold fear clenched its claws around Aila's spine, something in Sora's eyes seeming very, very off. What was going on? Why was he being so pushy? His grip on her arm was really starting to hurt now.
Before Aila could think of a response, Sora had practically shoved the rose right against her face, its perfect petals tickling her nose. Surprised, she breathed in, a scent that was sweet and crisp and light filling her and catching her full attention. It was like a perfect, dewy rain mixed with berries and the air over a sun-kissed meadow, so alluring and perfect that Aila couldn't help but breath it in even more. She closed her eyes, feeling the scent envelope her completely, her body relaxing as it encircled her…
And then the air changed. The scent, so light and beautiful just a moment before, was suddenly as heavy and dense as a thick, choking cloud of smoke, filling Aila's lungs and stinging her throat like it was coated in still-burning embers. Her eyes shot open just in time to see the once white rose dissolving into blood red smoke, the smoke escaping through Sora's fingers and wrapping quickly around Aila's neck.
She yelped and tried to jerk away, but Sora's grip, now definitely painful, held her in place, preventing her from running from the smoke encircling her throat like a hungry snake. The smoke suddenly tightened into something solid, sharp points jabbing into Aila's soft skin. Aila gasped, but no sound escaped her this time as she used her free hand to grab at the solidified smoke, only to once again soundlessly yelp as her fingers were pricked by a plethora of sharp pieces that had apparently taken shape there. Her eyes widened as she pulled her hand away, watching pinpricks of blood begin to spill out of her fingertips where the smoke had pricked her.
"Hey, it looks good on you," Sora said, and it took Aila's brain a good few seconds to comprehend that he was still standing there, his smile now most definitely having morphed into something very unkind. His hardened eyes glistened mirthfully. "Now none of us will have to listen to you anymore!"
Aila tried to reply with a very baffled and hurt "what…?" but as soon as the word attempted to form in her throat, the smoke tightened again, its points stabbing into her painfully. She screamed, but, once again, no sound escaped her. Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her and she attempted to scream again. Nothing. Silence. Not even the hint of her voice remained.
"Ailaaa!" Donald called, and then a few moments later he was stomping back into the area, looking a little ticked off. "What happened to you?! I thought you were following us! You're lucky no more Heartless showed up, I woulda had to defend those kids myself! Their parents were looking for them so we found them fast, no thanks to you…" His anger ebbed and he blinked as he took in the sight before him. "Uh, what's goin' on here? Sora, shouldn't you be with Goofy?"
Aila turned to Donald and attempted to run toward him, but Sora just jerked her back, still grinning that unkind grin. "Donald!" Aila tried to shout, but immediately the smoke tightened around her throat again, piercing her skin and sending her buckling into a silent scream. Hot liquid began to drip down Aila's collarbone, a few drops of red falling to the ground.
"Hey!" Donald cried, sounding immediately distraught as he rushed forward. "Aila, what's wrong?!" He reached her and placed a hand on her neck, immediately pulling his fingers away to reveal the feathers covered in blood. "What are these thorns…?!" He looked up at Sora, his eyes darting between the boy's grip on Aila's arm and the cold look in his eyes. "Sora…? Sora, let go! What happened? Why aren't you helping her?"
Sora lifted his free hand in a nonchalant shrug. "Eh, I don't wanna."
Donald's jaw dropped. "What?! What're you… What's the matter with you?!"
"Me? What's the matter with you?" He leaned forward, his grin practically splitting his face. "You loudmouth duck, always going on and on and on. We should find another rose for you! I would love not to hear your voice ever again!"
Donald's shock morphed into anger, his feathers ruffling as he summoned his staff. "You little…!" He took a swing at Sora but Sora leapt away, finally releasing Aila as he cackled in a very un-Sora-like fashion.
"Missed me!" he sneered, blowing a raspberry at Donald.
Donald let out an angry scream and lifted his staff to the sky. "THUNDER!"
Sora looked up, his eyes going wide as a massive lightning bolt formed above his head. He yelped and attempted to dodge, but it was as if his upper and lower halves tried to go in two different directions, his torso and head jolting right while his legs went left. The lightning struck his middle, and Aila let out another silent scream as it seemed to slice him right in half. Donald screamed too, stumbling back in shock as Sora's two halves began to shift and change. His lower half morphed into a small, skinny blue demon, and his upper half morphed into a pudgy pinkish purple demon.
"Pain and Panic?!" Donald gasped, looking entirely flabbergasted now (and maybe slightly traumatized). Aila's jaw was completely slack, her brain feeling like it had just short circuited. So… that hadn't been Sora at all?! That was both relieving and deeply upsetting… They'd looked JUST like him! Except with no kindness in his eyes…
"Tadaaaa!" the two demons cheered, posing like they'd just dismounted at a gymnastics competition.
"Good show, boys!"
Aila and Donald both immediately turned to their right to see Hades leaning against a half crumbled pillar, a chilling smirk pulling at his blue lips. His grin widened as he caught Aila's eye. "You made that way too easy, kid!"
Donald shook himself out of his stupor and fell into a defensive stance, holding his staff up threateningly. "What'd you do?!"
Hades pushed himself off the pillar. "Yeesh, so hostile! And when I'm in such a generous mood! I just had my minions here give my favorite little Spirit girl a gift. Do you like it?"
Aila attempted to pull the choker of thorns (apparently that was what the smoke had turned into, no longer a beautiful rose…) off of her neck, ignoring the sting in her fingers as she pulled. But it wouldn't budge.
"Take it back, now!" Donald demanded angrily.
"No can do, my feathery compadre," Hades replied cheekily. "Y'see, a very helpful fellow in a black coat just paid me a visit. And he says that our little light bringer over here has a nasty habit of running her mouth and ruining hard working villains' best laid plans. Not that I see you as much of a threat, angel face, but hey, I happened to be rounding up all the gods at the time and wouldn't you know it, Harpocrates had one of his handy little roses right there with him. You know Harpocrates? God of silence, secrets, confidentiality — a real bore at parties. Well, I asked if he would mind if I borrowed one of his favorite toys and, well, seeing how he was my prisoner he so graciously said…! Well he said nothing, but I took it as a yes. So now, Celina, it's all yours!"
Donald cast Aila a very worried glance before returning his attention to Hades. "What's it do…?"
Hades put a finger to his lips. "Keeps her silent. If she tries to say anything, that little fashion statement will tighten, until she learns not to try talking at all. Hey, I just gave you the gift of a silent teenager. You're welcome!" Aila gritted her teeth and glared, but that only seemed to make Hades happier. "Ooh, somebody's angry. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll learn to love your new accessory. Harpocrates is the only being capable of removing it, and I don't plan on letting him go any time soon, so you'd might as well get used to it."
"It was my idea to pretend to be Sora!" Pain said proudly, puffing out his pudgy magenta chest.
Panic snickered. "That was so fun, watching you feel all betrayed, ha ha!"
Pain put a hand to his forehead dramatically. "Why is my bestest best friend hurting me? Oh, the humanity!" He and Panic collapsed into a fit of snorts and chortles.
"Yes, yes, nice touch you two," Hades praised. "I wasn't sure if the theatrics were necessary, but hey, it was fun." He lifted his hands and blue flames burst to life beneath his feet, casting eerie shadows on his face. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a universe to conquer!" He vanished into a puff of smoke, Pain and Panic just barely making it to his flames in time to hitch a ride.
Donald let out a frustrated yell before turning to Aila, his ruffled feathers calming a bit. "Aila…"
Aila was still pulling at the thorns, feeling more and more desperate to get them off. She attempted to scream again, but again was only met with silence. She could feel hot panic beginning to bubble up within her.
"Aila, stop it!" Donald grabbed at her hands and forced them away from her neck. "You're hurting yourself!"
Aila breathed hard and fast as she looked at her somewhat shredded fingers, her skin stained red as blood dripped down over her gloves.
Donald lifted his staff. "Heal," he breathed, green light engulfing Aila and knitting her injuries shut. The old blood remained, but at least her wounds were closed. She bowed her head and let out a silent sigh, feeling a couple of thorns press into her neck with the movement.
"Let's find the others," Donald said, taking her hand in his. He smiled tightly. "Don't worry! You'll be okay! I'm sure Sora will know what to do."
Aila hesitated, but then nodded and allowed Donald to lead her back the way they'd come.
It didn't take them long to find Sora and Goofy, the two of them walking slowly through a ruined garden area back toward the spot they'd split from their team, seeming to be having a deep conversation. Goofy was patting Sora's shoulder supportively, Sora seeming a bit dejected.
"Sora!" Donald called immediately, the slight panic in his voice catching Sora and Goofy's attention at once.
Goofy waved. "Heya, fellas!" When neither Donald nor Aila smiled, his smile fell as well. "Everythin' okay?"
Donald pulled Aila forward quickly, Aila focusing solely on her breathing and blinking back any moisture pricking her eyes. "No! Everything's not okay! We have a big problem!"
There was still a significant gap between the two groups when Sora seemed to notice the blood drying on Aila's neck and fingertips. His eyes widened. "Aila?!" he gasped, immediately breaking into a run and rushing to close the gap between them.
Fear spiked inside Aila and she instinctively pulled away from Donald, stumbling back a few steps as Sora approached. Sora skidded to a stop, seeming confused by the reaction. Aila took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to look at Sora's face. This… was really Sora this time, right?
"Aila, what's wrong?" Sora asked, taking another step forward and reaching out for her.
"Don't!" Aila tried to shout, only for the thorns around her neck to tighten once again, piercing her skin with fresh wounds. She opened her mouth in an invisible scream and fell to her knees, frustrated and angry and scared.
"Aila!" the boys all shouted at once. Sora attempted to rush to her again, but this time Donald stepped into his path.
"Hang on!" Donald shouted harshly. He pointed at Sora. "Prove you're really Sora!"
Sora drew back, confused. "Huh? Donald, of course it's me!"
Donald shook his head. "Prove it, right now!"
Sora shared a baffled look with Goofy before looking back at Donald. "Um… how?"
"Gwarsh, maybe you could say somethin' only you would know," Goofy suggested.
Sora frowned. "But if only I know it, then how would you know if I'm lying?"
Aila tugged at Donald's jacket and he turned to her, his eyes filled with worry. Aila held out her hand and closed her fist, like Sora did when he was summoning his Keyblade.
Donald's eyes widened in recognition and he nodded, turning back to Sora. "Right! Summon your Keyblade! Only the real you would be able to do that."
Sora was still obviously confused, but he held out his hand and summoned his Keyblade anyway, the metal wrapping dutifully around his hand in a display of warm light. The fear in Aila's heart lessened slightly. This was Sora. The real Sora. She swallowed rather painfully, the thorns on her throat still angry and tight. Even with the confirmation of the Keyblade, she couldn't shake her apprehension completely.
Donald, however, seemed completely appeased. "Thank goodness," he sighed, allowing his stance to relax.
Sora dismissed his Keyblade. "What is going on?" he asked, his words holding a pleading edge.
Donald huffed, his feathers ruffling as his anger returned to him. "It was Hades! He had Pain and Panic disguise themselves as you, and they tricked Aila into accepting some kind of… rose gift? I don't know! I was helping some kids out and by the time I came back to Aila, this had happened," he said, gesturing to the necklace of thorns. Aila glared down at the ground.
She heard the sound of approaching footsteps and held her breath as Sora finally closed the gap, the boy kneeling before her and gingerly lifting his fingers to her neck. She immediately jerked away, resisting the urge to stand and run.
Sora immediately pulled his hand away. "They looked like me…?" he breathed, sounding baffled and unsettled. He placed his hands flat on the ground and leaned in a little. "Aila, you know I'd never hurt you, right?" Aila forced herself to look at Sora, to look into his eyes, which were filled with warmth and sincerity — nothing like his doppleganger's had been. She felt tears prick at her eyes again, and Sora's brow knitted even tighter. "Right…?"
"She can't answer you," Donald said, he and Goofy joining the teens. "That thing keeps her from talking. It hurts her more if she tries."
Sora glanced at Donald and then looked back at Aila, a new emotion in his eyes — guilt, maybe? He suddenly stood and summoned his Keyblade, startling the other three.
"What're ya doin'?" Goofy asked.
"Maybe I can get it off," Sora breathed, his eyes locked on the thorns around Aila's neck. "The Keyblade can unlock anything, right?"
"Hades said only Harpocrates can take it off," Donald disagreed, shaking his head.
"Hades is a liar, we can't trust what he says!" Sora argued. He looked at Aila imploringly. "Can I try to unlock it?"
Aila hesitated, but then nodded slowly. This was the real Sora. Only the real Sora could use the Keyblade. He wouldn't hurt her, just like he said. She lifted her chin and shut her eyes as Sora gripped the Keyblade in both hands, very gently placing its tip against the thorns on Aila's neck. Sora exhaled slowly, concentrating hard. "Light," he breathed, and Aila felt a warmth begin to radiate from the place the Keyblade was touching.
It only took a second for the warmth to become a searing heat, expanding into all the thorns like fire. There was a loud crack and Aila was thrown backwards, tumbling to a stop on the singed grass of the garden. She heard Sora yelp in surprise as he stumbled back, the heat around Aila's throat still pulsating angrily as she instinctively curled into a ball, as if she might be able to hide from the pain. Her mouth opened for a scream that wouldn't come, tears finally escaping their prison and rolling down into the grass below.
Donald and Goofy were by her side in a second, green light engulfing Aila from another one of Donald's spells and finally cooling the fire on her neck. Her muscles relaxed and her breathing evened out, Donald's hand on her shoulder and Goofy's on her head, the two doing their best to calm their injured friend.
Aila heard the grass shift before her and peaked up to see Sora on his knees, his expression strained. "I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he breathed, reaching out for Aila but then seeming to think better of it and pulling his hand away. He held her gaze for a moment before letting his head fall, his shoulders hunching forward. "I'm not even strong enough for this…"
"It might not be you, Sora," Goofy tried to assure quietly. "Maybe a Keyblade just can't unlock it."
"Yeah, Hades said only Harpocrates could," Donald breathed.
Sora's fingers clenched. "Yeah. Or maybe it's me." He lifted his gaze to meet Aila's again. "I'm… Aila, I'm…" His eyes became glassy and he looked away.
Taking a deep breath, Aila shakily pushed herself to her knees and reached out to grasp the edge of Sora's jacket, trying to let him know that she knew it had been an accident.
Sora looked at her again, a few tears starting to fall from his lashes. "I just said I wouldn't hurt you and then I did. And earlier, I… I didn't mean to make you feel like you weren't part of the team, I really didn't. I just… I can't stop seeing you hurt and I… I'm so sorry, Aila, I'm really, really sorry."
Aila hesitated, wrestling with the conflicting feelings of distrust and hurt and frustration left over from earlier and her deep, unwavering faith in the boy before her. She knew he would never hurt her on purpose — he was an idiot sometimes, but never vicious or cruel. She leaned her head into his chest, the only thing the should think of to convey that she didn't want him to cry. No matter how angry she had been with him earlier, she didn't want to see him this sad. She felt extremely frustrated — she'd been so adamant about Sora not needing to baby her, and then she let herself get tricked into a trap. Maybe he was right. Maybe she didn't belong here…
Sora held his breath for a moment and then wrapped his arms very gently around her, Aila trying very hard not to flinch. She closed her eyes and felt his heart beating beneath his shirt, fast and frantic, so she leaned into him a little more, hoping to calm it down. All her panic from before seemed to evaporate, her breathing slowing as she reminded herself of whose arms were around her — the arms of one of the best friends she'd ever had, someone she'd literally been to hell and back with. She trusted him completely. He wouldn't hurt her. How dare Hades try and make her forget that. His arms relaxed around her, like he had felt her apprehension leave her, and his heartbeat finally began to calm.
"Aw, how touching."
Aila's blood froze. She and Sora immediately broke their hug to find the source of the new voice, a voice they recognized all too well.
Xigbar stalked out of a dark corridor with a smirk plastered to his face, his yellow eye glinting mirthfully. "Stop it, you're giving me cavities."
"Go away!" Donald shouted. Sora immediately scrambled to his feet and leapt in front of Aila, summoning his Keyblade and falling into a defensive stance.
Xigbar stopped walking, but his smirk only seemed to deepen. "Ooh, scary. You really think you can take me, kid? I can tell you're not exactly up to snuff at the moment. So then, does having a heart of light come with an extremely good insurance policy?"
Sora's shoulders tensed, but he held his stance. "Just say what you mean!"
Aila slowly stood behind Sora, eying Xigbar very warily. Her fingers twitched, ready to create a shield if the Nobody made a wrong move.
"Oh, but I did, though," Xigbar chuckled. He locked eyes with Aila, grinning even more. "Hey there! Looks like you got your present!"
Donald squawked angrily. "So it was you who told Hades to keep Aila quiet!"
"Well sure," Xigbar scoffed. "Now that I know she's got extra info, it only seems fair to keep the field level, right?"
"Aila doesn't know anything anymore," Sora said fiercely. "Everything she knew stopped after we beat Xemnas." Aila glanced at Sora. He wasn't lying really, but he definitely knew she DID know more about this world than she'd shared with them all so far. But it was probably a good idea to make the Organization think she was in the dark again.
Xigbar crossed his arms. "Is that so?" His smile didn't fall as he met Aila's gaze again. "Well, better safe than sorry, right sweetheart?" He shrugged and turned away. "Who knows, maybe you'll thank me someday! They say silence is golden, after all. I'm sure you'll get used to it eventually."
Aila's heart stuttered anxiously. Hades had taunted her about this thing being permanent too. She wouldn't have it on forever… right?! The idea of never being able to speak again… of her life being filled with so much silence… She swallowed with much difficulty, feeling every thorn pressing against her skin as she attempted to keep a straight face.
Xigbar chuckled. "I can hear your heart racing, kid. I know you're terrified. What's wrong, afraid of a little quiet…?"
"Now that's enough," Goofy said, glaring deeply at the Nobody.
Xigbar turned to face them all fully again. "As if! I'm just starting to have some fun! And this is only the beginning."
"Leave Aila alone," Sora growled.
"Or what?" Xigbar taunted. "You'll kill me again? I seriously doubt you could even land a hit anymore. Once such a mighty Keyblader! Now just a stupid kid. Hero to zero, just like that." He snapped his fingers, clearly enjoying every second of this.
Sora didn't budge. "I don't care how little power I have. I'll still protect my friends."
"And that's your whole problem," Xigbar scoffed. "No good will ever come from putting other people first."
"You're wrong!" Donald shouted.
"Yeah, Herc saved Meg because he put her first!" Goofy agreed.
Xigbar rolled his eyes. "No, he saved her because he's got friends in high places. Tricks like that don't fly for your average joe."
"What do you know! You weren't even there!" Sora shouted. "If you were, you'd admire Herc's courage."
"I don't admire one guy jumping into danger if it means someone else might have to jump in to save him," Xigbar replied, turning away again. "You're all just lining up to lose out. Dooming others to take the fall with ya." He looked over his shoulder at the group. "Oh, and you can spare me the usual party line. Yes, hearts are powerful when they're connected. But if you put too much of that power in one place, some of those hearts might end up breaking." He turned again and pointed at Sora. "Still, Sora, that doesn't mean you should change. Accept the power you're given. Find the hearts joined to yours."
"Why would I ever take advice from you?!" Sora shot back harshly.
"As if! You don't have any choice but to follow this sweet little trail of bread crumbs." Xigbar turned and began to walk away, lifting his hand to create another dark portal. "And at the end, you'll finally realize what destiny has in store for you. For all of you." He stopped walking. "In fact, your reward might be right around the corner. You're so close!" He continued toward the portal and glanced over his shoulder one last time right as he began to enter it, locking eyes with Aila again. "I told you I'd ruin you. Take a good look around — it's all downhill from here, kid."
He disappeared into the portal, leaving the gang very on edge.
"Hearts breaking…? Whose hearts?" Sora mumbled, letting his Keyblade fall a bit but seeming unwilling to let it fade.
"Aw, don't let him bother ya, Sora," Goofy said confidently. "He's just tryin' ta get under our skin 'cause he thinks he can! But we'll prove him wrong." He placed a hand on Aila's shoulder. "Don't you worry Aila, we'll get this thing off o' ya, and we'll help Sora find his strength again, too! Everythin' will be back to normal in no time."
Aila smiled a little at him, resisting the urge to try and say anything.
Sora turned to face them and smiled a little as well. "You're right. We'll show him that our sacrifices haven't been for nothing."
Goofy nodded. "Mm-hmm! Besides, we're already proof enough!"
"Yeah, we're a team!" Donald agreed. "When we're together, we can do anything!" He looked meaningfully back and forth between Aila and Sora. "Isn't that right?"
Aila looked to Sora, remembering the fight they'd been kind of in the middle of. He met her gaze and frowned. "Yeah. That's right."
Aila balled her fists and opened her mouth to ask why, if he wasn't trying to make her feel like she wasn't a part of the team, he was acting so weird whenever it came up? But Donald hurriedly waved his hands over his head to get her attention. "Don't, Aila!"
Aila recoiled and shut her mouth, remembering the consequences of speaking yet again. She glared at the floor, frustrated at her inability to communicate.
Sora hesitated for a few seconds and then took her hand in his. "Listen… Aila, I have something… Something I need to tell you." Aila looked up at him, startled to see such a distraught look on his face. "I should have told you before, but… argh, I don't know why I didn't, but I should have!" His hand tightened around hers, and Aila suddenly felt a little nervous. "So… here's the thing. The reason I've been… acting weird, I guess… it's because, um… so… in the Dream Worlds… I…"
"SORA!"
The gang all startled and looked up into the sky to see Pegasus flying full speed in their direction, Phil riding alone atop him.
"Phil?" Donald asked, cocking his head.
"We've got a problem, a HUGE, ONE EYED PROBLEM!" Phil bellowed. He yelped as Pegasus came to a sudden stop before the gang, the flying horse stamping his feet anxiously as he tried to whinny something very urgent-sounding to them. Aila frowned, feeling suddenly very sympathetic to this animal that couldn't speak.
"One eye?" Goofy asked.
"Xigbar again?!" Donald gasped.
Phil recovered from his jarring stop and shook his head. "Who? What? No! Listen, Hades pulled another one of his dirty tricks! He got his hands on Meg and forced Herc to make a deal! Now Herc's strength is kaput for twenty-four hours!"
"What?!" Sora gasped, everyone startling at this news.
"Yeah! And then Hades sent his giant Cyclops Titan to destroy the city! Herc doesn't stand a chance now, he'll be crushed!"
Realization struck Aila like lightning. She remembered this part! From the movie! Things were back on track! She waved her hands wildly to get everyone's attention, remembering not to talk but having no idea how to convey 'The deal can be broken!' without the use of her voice.
"You know what to do?" Donald asked. Aila nodded wildly, but then hesitated. Meg needed to get hurt — if the deal was the same as in the movie, then Hades promised that 'no harm' would come to her. But what did that mean? Could she just, like, stub a toe or something? Or did it have to be a life threatening injury? Because… that wasn't a great plan…
"Spit it out, will ya?!" Phil said, his patience clearly wearing thin.
"She can't!" Donald shot back.
"Hades paid us a visit, too," Sora elaborated darkly. "Aila can't speak."
Phil grumbled. "Well we don't have time for charades! We gotta help Herc, NOW!"
Aila ran a hand down her face, intensely frustrated. This sucked! Looked like Xigbar was spot on with his stupid trick — not being able to talk right now was a huge problem.
"Phil's right, we gotta go," Sora agreed.
Pegasus took off as soon as the words left Sora's mouth, eager to get moving. "We'll show you the way!" Phil called. "Get the lead out, come on!"
Sora turned to Aila. "Aila, are you—?"
Aila held up a hand in his face and shot him a harsh glare. Just because she couldn't speak didn't mean she couldn't fight. Herc needed help! And maybe she could figure out a way to tell him that there was a loophole… She shook her head, shaking away any doubt Hades's trap had planted in her. She could be useful, she could still fight!
She took off after Pegasus, the boys scrambling to follow. Thankfully, there was no further discussion. But even as Aila's shoes pounded the pavement and her heart pumped adrenaline through her veins, she couldn't help a spark of unease growing deep within her chest. She stole a glance over her shoulder at Sora, unable to help herself as the group ran toward their next battle.
Sora… What exactly had he been about to tell her…?
KHKHKH
I'm trying to loop the movie plot back in a bit to make this whole world make more sense. The way it goes in the game… Hades is kinda stupid. And I don't like that; I like my villains smart!
Please let me know what you think in a review! I'll try really hard to be quicker for the next chapter — this one required a lot of research (I even researched Greek gods lol) so now that I've done all that hopefully it'll go faster. Your feedback keeps me motivated, so thank you again to everyone who reviews!
Until next time!
~Fade
