Chapter Text
Chapter Eighty Two: Infirmary and Inquiry
oooo
Kairi’s legs began shaking as she stepped into the infirmary. It was a strange thing to even think about here—an infirmary. From what Sora had told here, Donald and Goofy were a lot tougher than they looked. King Mickey was tremendously powerful. The idea of any of them—or really, any of the people who lived here period—needing a hospital was hard for her to comprehend.
Roxas was either asleep or unconscious, lying in a bed. His jacket and shirt had been removed, so Kairi saw that he had a lot of bruises lining his chest and stomach. One of his arms had been set in a brace. Kairi winced. It had taken two full weeks for Riku to heal his broken wrist way back when, and that had been with healing spells.
Axel was lying in another bed, two down from Roxas. He was so tall, he practically stretched across the entire mattress. He had bandages on both arms, snaking up almost like sleeves. He was snoring…heh, classic Axel. Kairi managed a shadow of a smile. Behind Axel, Kairi could see Isa stretched across a mattress too—like Roxas, he was bare-chested, but had bandages wrapped around his chest and shoulders.
“Kairi?”
Kairi turned around slowly and found herself standing face-to-face with Xion. She looked absolutely exhausted and her eyes were red from crying. Kairi’s lip trembled.
“Oh, Xion!”
Ignoring the pain in her shoulders and back and legs, Kairi ran towards Xion and flung her arms around her neck. Xion gave a tiny cry. Kairi eased her embrace but didn’t let go of Xion. Not yet…maybe not ever again. The images of the security footage flashed through her mind—Xion staring down Axel, pleading with him not to hold back. Fire and ice and lightning shooting out of their weapons. Xion being blasted back when she showed Axel mercy. A sob caught in Kairi’s throat.
“I…I am so tired,” Xion whispered. “I’m so, so tired.”
“Then you can rest,” Kairi murmured, brushing Xion’s hair back. “You need to rest…haven’t you seen the doctor?”
“No, not yet,” Xion said. “Roxas and Axel were hurt worse than I was, so I told them they needed to go first.”
While Roxas having his arm in a cast was probably indicative that his injuries were more severe, Kairi couldn’t imagine that Axel would have allowed himself to be treated before Xion, regardless of how hurt he was. And from what she recalled, Xion had been hurt worse than Axel…though not as much as Isa. He’d been hurt bad.
Kairi took Xion’s hand—it was small and hard and soft and cold and hot all at the same time—and walked her to the infirmary bed between Roxas and Axel. She sat down slowly and Xion did the same. As she did, Kairi took another look over Xion. Her jacket was torn in several places—though she still had her hood. Kairi rubbed a hand to her jaw without meaning to. Having her own jacket hood be shoved into her mouth as a gag had hurt. Xion’s pants were torn at the knees and there were half-healed gashes lining her legs. Her boots looked like they were in even worse shape than Kairi’s and Kairi could feel bits of the tile floor from the holes Maleficent had torn into her own boots. And Xion kept holding onto her arm. Kairi placed a hand over Xion’s and the slightly smaller girl winced.
“I’m sorry,” Kairi said gently. “I just wanted to see if it was broken, or sprained. This is where Elsa…”
Where Elsa had stomped onto Xion’s wrist, pressing down until it snapped. Xion had cried when it happened. She had screamed…but Kairi hadn’t healed it. Nobody had healed it with magic and Kairi realized with a lurch that she hadn’t seen Xion take any Potions or Elixirs either. Come to think of it, neither had Roxas.
“It’s not your fault,” Xion said weakly. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“I think you need to take your own advice,” Kairi murmured. “Xion, the things I’ve heard you say…what you said earlier…”
Kairi bit her tongue. She didn’t want to continue but Xion’s desperate plea still rang in her ears. Offering herself up for execution for failure? Sacrificing her Replica body for Sora to use instead? Kairi shut her eyes tightly.
“I don’t want to die,” Xion said quietly. “But if that’s the only thing that can help Sora…or if there’s some curse on me that brings Sephiroth places where he can hurt people…”
Kairi opened her eyes again. Xion had ducked her head down, staring at her legs. Kairi groaned. There had to be something—anything—she could do to help her friend. Her sister. Daddy might not have adopted her and Sora might have been the one who wrote to Santa asking for a little girl with black hair, but Xion was hers. Though she would definitely share with Axel and Roxas, and with Sora too.
“You’re not dying,” Kairi said. “You’re not sacrificing yourself. Not now, not ever again—I’m not gonna let that happen. And King Mickey won’t either. He likes you a lot.”
“Yeah…” Xion said. “But where were you, Kairi? Roxas and Axel got fixed up, but—”
“I got lost,” Kairi said. “Trying to find the courtyard where you and the others were? This is only my second time here, on-world, remember? I stayed on the Gummi Ship when we dropped off Olette and the boys. So I didn’t know my way around.”
“And you asked directions, got lost, asked more directions and got lost, and then asked more directions?” Xion asked, the ghost of a smile on her face. A real smile, not one of the forced smiles.
“Something like that,” Kairi said, shifting her arm to wrap it around Xion’s thin shoulder. “Where’s the doctor? I thought he’d be here by now.”
As soon as she said this, Kairi heard the door open and a woman stepped into the infirmary. She was young, or at least, young-ish. She looked a little bit like Goofy, only with a much smaller nose. She had red hair that reached the small of her back.
“Hi! I’m Roxanne Rover,” the doctor said. She glanced at Kairi and Xion and then her eyes widened. “Oh my goodness, when they told me there were two injured children, I didn’t think they meant something like this. What on earth happened to you two?”
Without waiting for an answer, the doctor practically ran up to Xion and Kairi. She took Xion’s wrist gently and Kairi thought she heard the doctor mutter something about a “hairline fracture.”
“You’re not the doctor who fixed Roxas…” Xion said, wincing again. “I’m sorry, that was rude. Um…Doctor Rover, who sent you?”
“I did,” a small, squeaky voice called out. Queen Minnie stepped into the infirmary. “I thought you two might be a little more comfortable with a lady doctor. Roxanne is an old friend of Goofy’s.”
“Er…” Roxanne said, and Kairi thought she saw a blush forming in her cheeks. Roxanne looked about Axel’s age, if she could guess, but Kairi couldn’t be sure. “Mister Goofy is a very good man and I have known him since I was just a little bit younger than you girls. And when Queen Minnie asked me to help, it was my duty…oh, never mind my story. Alright, now, where was I?”
“Check on her first!” Kairi and Xion said at the exact same time, in the exact same enunciation. Kairi winced but started speaking again before Xion could. “Xion, at the very least, you have a broken wrist. You’re first—for once, put yourself first.”
“I…I…but you’re bleeding,” Xion said. “My arm doesn’t even hurt—ow!”
“Put yourself first,” Kairi repeated. “Please, Xion…before things get worse.”
Xion glanced at Kairi, her eyes shiny with the threat of tears, but then she ducked her head and let Roxanne tend to her injuries. Roxanne took a basin and bandages and began wrapping Xion’s wrist. It wasn’t a full cast, but it was more than the brace Roxas had on his own arm. While the doctor tended to their injuries, Kairi allowed her mind to wander. She and Roxas and Xion and Axel and Isa were all here…but where were the others? Terra and Ven…Master Aqua?
oooo
Master Aqua sighed to herself as she looked around the ruined courtyard. The beautiful bronze statue of Sora remained untouched, but there were scorch marks in the pathway and the grass. This was where Xion had fought the winged man Sephiroth…and if her story was to believed, where she clashed with Master Xehanort and Vanitas as well. But that couldn't be true. Master Xehanort was dead and Vanitas banished back to the past.
“There is something wrong happening, Mickey,” Master Aqua said. “I’m not sure I understand what’s going on here—sightings of beings that we know to be dead is one thing, given the breakdowns between the realms. But who have no ties to this world? Why would Xion think she saw Master Xehanort? Could she be ill? She hasn’t slept properly in several days.”
“She didn’t think she saw ‘im,” Mickey shook his head. “She did see him! I saw him too, or at least someone who looked very much like him. Sephiroth turned into Xehanort and then Xehanort turned into Vanitas. It was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff.”
“That doesn’t make sense though,” Master Aqua put a hand to her chin and looked around the courtyard. Terra and Ven were with them, but Master Yen Sid was still in King Mickey’s chambers. “The being called Sephiroth is unrelated to Xehanort. What could Xion have done to attract him?”
It was very frustrating not to know what was going on. As time went on, Master Aqua found that there was less and less she actually understood. The Unversed, physical manifestations of Vanitas’s terrible emotions, she understood. His cursed evil had brought forth physical creations. Heartless made sense too, in their own way—creatures born of those who had sadly succumbed to the darkness in their hearts. Nobodies and Replicas…they were different, more complicated. There were several of the strange creatures floating about, but they hadn’t started attacking anyone…which was strange. Why would monsters not attack anyone?
“Aqua, I don’t think it’s very complicated at all. And I think you know that too and you’re just pretending not to.”
Master Aqua turned towards Ven. He was staring hard at her, but his expression was so peculiar. It almost looked as if he were going to scream in rage or laugh in disbelief or cry in despair.
“Ven,” Master Aqua said. “I don’t want to fight. If you have something to say, then please, say it plainly.”
“I think Sephiroth and Vanitas and Xehanort are all the dark parts of Xion’s heart,” Ven said. “Like her shadow, remember?”
“Of course,” Master Aqua said. “Her shadow nearly prevented us from finishing the restoration of the Cornerstone.”
“That was different,” Mickey pointed out. “Xion’s shadow was cut clean off her to turn into a Heartless. Or allow a Heartless to take it over—either way, she got her shadow back. This isn’t quite it…but Ven, you might be on to something.”
“Really?” Ven asked. “That’s great! I’ve been really worried about Xion…and Roxas too! They’re okay, right?”
“They’re resting in the infirmary,” Mickey said. “After everything they’ve been through, well, I thought it was best.”
Master Aqua turned her head. They weren’t getting anywhere in the courtyard. Already, the scuff marks were starting to fade and the grass was growing back. It was very strange, how resilient this world was. Was it an effect of the Cornerstone? It meant that the darkness didn’t hurt this place, so long as the Cornerstone was strong.
“Remarkable,” Terra said quietly. “The world is going to heal…the light will prevail.”
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, slowly, deliberately. He opened his eyes slowly and the ghost of a smile etched upon his face.
“Light always prevails,” Mickey said, pumping his fist. “If we all work together, there’s nothing we can’t do. The darkness can’t win.”
Standing together in the face of darkness for the light to prevail was more than just a lovely sentiment—it was a core part of being a Keybearer. But the reason the courtyard was repairing had little to do with any of their efforts…it was the Cornerstone’s doing.
“And I bet, once they rest up a bit,” Ven nodded. “Roxas and Xion will have some ideas too. Maybe they can think of something that can fix up Arendelle!”
Wanting to do the right thing and actually doing the right thing weren’t necessarily the same. Master Aqua shook her head softly. Mickey was wrong on that note. No matter how much good someone did, it didn’t actually undo the bad things, unless those bad things were specifically corrected.
“Aqua?” Ven said. “You’re not mad at them are you? It was an accident…”
It was an accident that an entire world—who knew how many hundreds of thousands, if not millions, perhaps even billions of lives—had been lost? Accidents were occasions like Ven summoning his Keyblade Armor backwards. Or when Terra had gotten the archives mixed up. What happened to Arendelle wasn’t accidental…it was incompetence, at best. It wasn’t a world lost to darkness. It was a world that had fallen. Master Aqua shook her head. Unless they figured out a way to fix that, that was always going to be true. They had failed Arendelle.
“Ven,” Master Aqua said. “I’m not…I’m not sure. There has to be some sort of consequence. I’m not sure what it is, but Arendelle fell—”
“They were hurt!” Ven protested and in a flash, even though Master Aqua had said no more than that, he summoned Wayward Wind. “They already paid for what happened to them! Maleficent tortured them!”
“Ven, please!” Master Aqua said. “I don’t want to fight you!”
“Xion offered herself to be executed!” Ven shouted. “Twice! And you still don’t like her! You still aren’t listening! You still want to hurt her?”
“And I said before and I’ll say again,” Mickey shouted. “I will not let that happen! I forbid it even being discussed! Everyone, calm down!”
“I don’t want to do anything to Xion,” Master Aqua said. “Ventus, I don’t want to do anything to anyone, but I will do anything if it means keeping the light.”
“How does this keep the light?!” Ven cried. He sent out a great gust of air from his Keyblade. “How does cutting down anyone who gets in your way keep the light?”
Master Aqua closed her eyes and shook her head, but as she did so, images of the security footage flashed through her mind. Xion quietly accepting that she must be destroyed for the good of everyone. And against Axel’s protests, Xion pleading with him to kill her, while also stating her determination to refuse to allow him to bring her back to the Organization.
“Please don’t hold back, Axel. Promise.”
Master Aqua felt like she had a knot in her stomach and she shook her head to clear her thoughts. As she did so, she saw Master Yen Sid walking down the corridor and enter the courtyard.
“Master,” Master Aqua said, with a quick nod. “How are you? Have you come to a decision regarding the others?”
Whatever Master Yen Sid decided, Master Aqua would follow it completely. He would know exactly how to handle this situation. The aged Master gazed at her, so fiercely, it almost felt as if his eyes were seeing right into her soul.
“Terra, Ventus, if you would excuse yourselves…I must speak to Master Aqua and King Mickey alone.”
xxxx
“Things are growing dire,” Master Yen Sid said, once Ven and Terra were out of earshot. “The loss of a world is not to be taken lightly. There may be far-reaching consequences.”
“I agree,” Master Aqua said. “I found Xion’s cavalier towards this situation to be most unacceptable.”
“She didn’t sound cavalier!” Mickey said. “She sounded hopeful, like Sora does. I think it’s nice that Xion was tryin’ to find some hope in all this.”
“Hope is nice,” Master Aqua said, “but Mickey, it doesn’t actually fix anything. Arendelle has frozen over…the world is lost forever.”
“Not quite,” Master Yen Sid said. “While this is indeed, very bad, the world may be restored. It was not consumed by darkness, nor did it fall into the realm of sleep.”
“If Maleficent is slain?” Master Aqua asked. “Would that allow Arendelle to be revived?”
“Perhaps,” Master Yen Sid said. “But we will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“Master,” Master Aqua said. “What consequences do you believe there should be for the others? If two Princesses of Heart have been slain, there’s great unbalance.”
“I do not believe that Elsa was one of the New Seven Hearts,” Master Yen Sid said. “If her willingness to embrace darkness is to be understood, we’ve only lost a single New Heart. A terrible thing to be sure, as unlike Kairi’s shattering, Anna’s restoration is questionable.”
“There needs to be consequences then,” Master Aqua said. “If there had been different methods taken—”
“As Ventus said,” Master Yen Sid interrupted, his eyes narrowing. “They were gravely injured. Their losses are tragic, but they were not due to negligence or malicious intent. I will not impose any further restrictions or punishments.”
“Xion broke your orders,” Master Aqua said. “She was able to do something she should not have been able to do when she regained her Keyblade. The binding is still active, isn’t it?”
“No longer, but that in itself is remarkable,” Master Yen Sid said. “She’s an accomplished wielder, but she has never shown that sort of finesse. I…I do not know what to think if I am being honest…but I will not have you putting undue pressure on her. She was contrite…she has always been contrite.”
“More than contrite,” Mickey said. “It was scary what Ienzo had Tron show us. And then when she offered to be executed…I won’t allow it. I won’t hurt my friend.”
“And what of Sephiroth? Master Xehanort? Vanitas?” Master Aqua asked. “They cannot be allowed to return.”
“They appear tied to Xion herself, manifestations of her own darkness,” Master Yen Sid said. “There is little we could do to prevent manifestations from returning, though their presence does not appear to be long-lasting. And from what you said about his appearance, Mickey, that sounded less like Xehanort and more like what Xion perceived Xehanort to be.”
Master Aqua didn’t want to hurt Xion either. But if she proved too weak to resist the darkness—if her manifestations returned or if she started freely using darkness…she might not have a choice in stopping her. And Master Aqua wouldn’t hesitate if it meant protecting others—that was her job. Keybearers were supposed to fight darkness…
“What about Roxas?” Master Aqua said. “I believe he’s been using branches of magic that are better left forgotten.”
“Given his injuries, he appears to have learned his lesson,” Master Yen Sid said. “Ansem the Wise has told me that although he believes Roxas has dabbled in darkness, he has not used anything other than a Keyblade to channel it.”
“I trust Xion and I trust Roxas,” Mickey said, putting his hands on his hips. “That’s good enough for me. And in fact, I’d like very much to check on them. If you two will excuse me…”
He scurried off, back towards the castle. Master Yen Sid stared at Master Aqua and she felt her face begin to burn. She felt rather small in his presence, and not in an affectionate way, as she had with Master Eraqus.
“Master Aqua,” Master Yen Sid said in a low voice, “I think it would be very wise if you were to take things into full consideration.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Those who stood as your allies are now willing to fight you,” Master Yen Sid said. “The question is…did they start the fight, or are they merely defending themselves?”
“Master Yen Sid,” Master Aqua argued, “I have a responsibility to you and to Master Eraqus’s teachings that light be upheld. If Xion or Roxas were to use darkness, I must resist their efforts, however well intentioned. For goodness sake, she used mordite!”
“That is true…” Master Yen Sid said, stroking his beard. “I do not regret my outburst nor do I feel my position has changed. Mordite is an unspeakable dangerous weapon in the wrong hands and I do not believe there is any way to use it properly. It is also true, that with her powers of replication, Xion has produced an effectively indestructible mordite blade. I made this point clear…to the point where Xion believes I would rather her be slain rather than fail to meet my expectations. I intend to make clear to her that this is not the case. I suggest you do the same.”
xxxx
Master Aqua’s head was swimming as she walked down the street of Disney Town. She felt peculiar, there was a burning in her chest that didn’t quite feel like guilt. Objectively, there was little that she had said that was wrong. Roxas, Xion and Lea were all using powers that were exceptionally dangerous at best. And none of them had shown the finesse at controlling it that Riku had. It was also very troublesome that they had gotten Kairi involved in this. Even if Kairi had wanted to help them, it would have been safer for her to remain on the Destiny Islands.
Master Aqua didn’t know what to think. Master Eraqus had always taught them that darkness was something to be resisted at all costs. That there was no good to come from it. And from what Master Aqua had seen, through the years, this had always been true, or near enough. Riku might use darkness, with a delicate touch, but never willfully and gleefully. He didn’t make excuses for it, the way that Xion had tried to excuse her use of a mordite blade. But now Master Yen Sid had thought they’d been too harsh with her? Master Aqua wasn’t sure whether they’d even been harsh enough!
What had they been thinking, sending a bearer who had their Keyblade bound into the field? She should have been confined to Disney Castle, where she could be closely monitored. Instead, she had wound up captured—Lea had cut off further elaboration, but he did mention that Xion had gotten injured. Which no doubt had allowed Maleficent and her followers to further their plots.
Oh, what was wrong with Xion?
Master Aqua’s mind was full and she was so preoccupied, she nearly tripped over something far shorter than she.
“Oh, pardon me,” Master Aqua said. “I am most sorry…oh! Experiment 626!”
Master Aqua couldn’t help but smile, but almost immediately she had far more questions. Experiment 626 had been a small, furry creature on what amounted to a prison vessel. What was he doing in Disney Castle?
“Aqua…” Experiment 626 said. “Friend…”
“Yes, we’re friends,” Master Aqua said. “How have you been, 626?”
“Stitch.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“My name Stitch!”
“Oh, you’ve changed your name?” Master Aqua smiled. “Well, Stitch is better than Experiment 626.”
“Hey Stitch, there you are!”
Master Aqua’s eyes widened as she saw a second small figure walked up to them. He was short, with golden fur.
“There’s more of you?”
“Hi, you must be one of them friends from the prison transport,” the golden-furred experiment said. “Yeah, I’m Stitch’s cousin. The name’s Rueben—used to be Experiment 625, but hey, I like corned beef. C’mon, Stitch, Ven was telling us what happened with those other kids.”
“Bye Aqua!”
Master Aqua watched as Stitch and Rueben took off. After a moment’s confusion, she followed. A few minutes later, she saw Rueben and Stitch duck behind a wall and go down a flight of stairs. She waited a few more minutes and then she walked as casually as she could to the edge. She pulled her beloved charm, her Wayfinder, from her pocket and set it on the ground. If asked, she could say truthfully that she was picking it up after having dropped it. As it was ,she could hear Stitch and Rueben, but not see them. But she could also hear Ven’s voice.
“Eh!”
“So that’s how it happened?”
“Yeah,” Ven said. “Xion and Roxas live in Replica bodies—it’s the only way for them to survive. And Xion’s offering to have them take her heart out of her body so Sora can have it instead. She says it’s the only way she can make up for what she’s done.”
“Naga…”
“I think Aqua wants to kill Xion and Roxas. I don’t know if she realizes it, but I don’t think she believes they really changed. They’re the bravest kids I’ve ever met, but I think she thinks they’re bad…that they need to be put to an end.”
“That’s one of the saddest stories I ever heard, cuz,” Rueben said. “And I thought we had it bad. You might not have gotten the whole picture when you met Stitch way back when, but long story short, all of us cousins were made to be evil by a crazy scientist. Some of us were more evil than others—some of us were more or less just mischief makers. But anyways, with then help of this great little girl, we learned to be good. We all found one true place to be really useful—like me with my sandwiches. But because of what we did before, people don’t trust us…but we have each other. We’re ohana. It beats having your masters want to kill you.”
“A long time ago…I asked Aqua to put an end to me. I guess I never realized what it was like to hear it, until I heard Xion say the same thing.”
Master Aqua gasped as a memory, long dormant, played in the back of her mind. The last conversation she’d ever really had with Ven and Terra, back in the Keyblade Graveyard. Right before they confronted Xehanort, Braig and Vanitas. Where Ven revealed the horrible truth…
“I’m asking…as your friend…just put an end to me.”
Put an end to me…put an end to me…
“Please don’t hold back, Axel. Promise.”
“Master…for my failures…I offer myself for execution.”
Master Aqua’s blood ran cold and shame filled her heart, filled her mind, filled her soul. Nausea overtook her and her knees gave out from under her. Master Aqua looked at her hands in horror. She would have done it…she would have actually done it. She would have hurt a child. A gentle, loyal, loving child. Xion… Pressing herself against a wall, Aqua began to sob.
oooo
Mickey stormed away from Aqua and Master Yen Sid. He was mad and sad and frustrated. Aqua was being completely and utterly unreasonable! Oh, she was as skilled with a Keyblade as anyone could be, but the way she treated others…it was unfair! Xion had said she was sorry and while Mickey could admit that he wasn’t the best at telling when someone was lying—Huey, Dewey and Louie had tricked him a bunch of times—he knew that Xion was being truthful.
But that only made him feel worse.
Xion thought everything in the whole wide world that went wrong was her fault and that made Mickey feel terrible. He wasn’t a very good king if someone who wasn’t even one of his subjects felt the kind of guilt. And he definitely wasn’t a very good friend. Xion had been crying in his chambers, but he hadn’t gone to hug her. He hadn’t patted her back and let her know everything was gonna be alright. She’d run out of his room cryin’ and it had taken him ages to find her.
And then what she’d said when he did find her…she still thought she might be gettin’ executed. Mickey had done his share of fighting, but he hadn’t ever executed anybody. Especially not anyone as good as Xion. And then Sephiroth had shown up! And he had turned into Xehanort! And then Xehanort had turned into Vanitas! But Xion had protected him, protected everyone in town really! She and Roxas were two of the bravest kids Mickey had ever seen. Just like Sora, they were…
“It’s for the good of everyone…Please don’t hold back, Axel. Promise.”
Xion really was, just like Sora. Mickey felt as if he was going to be sick. He’d been so unfair. She’d gotten so hurt. And it was all his fault.
“Hey, little brother. King troubles or Keyblade troubles?”
Mickey shook his head as he saw someone he hadn’t seen in a long time. It wasn’t someone who was dead, just someone who didn’t live close by. But it was someone he was very fond of…someone he was very lucky to have in his life.
“It’s good to see you, Oswald.”
His brother, Oswald the Rabbit, flipped his ears and twisted them around. Mickey gave a small laugh.
“Likewise, Mickey,” Oswald said. He gave Mickey a warm smile. “It’s been a long time. And by that I mean, where in the whole wide world have you been?”
“Off-world,” Mickey said. “Master Yen Sid’s orders.”
“Ah,” Oswald said. “Trouble’s brewin’ back home too. People blinkin’ in and out and all about.”
“Has anyone gotten hurt?” Mickey said. “How’s Ortensia and the children?”
“All of them are just fine, little brother,” Oswald said. “But I could ask the same about you. Minnie? Donald? Goofy?”
“All of ‘em are good,” Mickey said. “But…well…”
“Some of the Keybearers under your watch got a rough go of it,” Oswald said. “We get the news late back home, but we do get it Mickey. I’ve been keepin’ an eye on you.”
“You have?”
“You’re my brother aren’t ya?” Oswald said. “Brothers take care of each other and watch out for each other. And from what I seen Mickey, you’ve—”
“I know,” Mickey said. “I’ve ruined it. I let them down.”
“Mickey, it’s tough,” Oswald said. “But that’s not what I was going to say. I don’t know about the Roxas kid, or those giants Axel and Isa, but Xion thinks the world of you. And you’re her friend too. But nobody’s saying you have to be perfect.”
“I have to be though,” Mickey said. “If I don’t do it perfect, then people suffer…I wonder if this is how Xion feels, all the time?”
“You’ve been lower than this before, haven’t ya?” Oswald said. “Nobody got hurt today, at least, nobody got hurt who wasn’t hurt already. And the Keybearers didn’t hurt each other, did they?”
“No…well, not yet,” Mickey said. “But nobody seems to be really mad at each other, just frustrated…but still…”
“Mickey, what would you say was the absolute lowest point you’ve ever had?” Oswald asked. “The absolute lowest of the low, worst of the worst, things couldn’t get any worse than this.” After a moment, Oswald looked up to the ceiling. “For the record, that was not me trying to tempt anything!”
“That’s a good question,” Mickey answered. “I’m not sure exactly…I’d have to think about that.”
It didn’t take very long for Mickey to actually think of the answer. As bad as things were…the absolute worst he had ever felt, at least as far as being a Keyblade Master went? There was only one possible option: that fight inside of Kingdom Hearts. He and Riku, Aqua and Terra and Ven, Axel, Roxas and Xion—all of them had been working together to fight against twelve of Xehanort’s replicas.
But even working together, in that strange realm surrounded by Keyholes, their efforts hadn’t quite been enough. The shields he and Aqua and Xion had put up had been broken—gosh, did Xion feel guilty about that? Mickey hoped she didn’t, since that wasn’t possibly her fault. But all of the other Keybearers were blasted away into the Keyholes. Mickey had managed not to be blasted away…but he had stared down the armored Replicas. There was still a fight that they needed to win!
“I won’t give up!” Mickey shouted. “I am a Keyblade Master!”
“Did you mean to say that part out loud?” Oswald asked. “Brother, I think you might want to see a doctor.”
“Actually, I do want to see a doctor,” Mickey said. “I called in the royal doctor to check on them.”
“Doctor Proctor!” Oswald said with a nod.
“That’s right,” Mickey said. “Good memory, Oswald. I didn’t think you two have met since…well, actually, I don’t remember.”
“No, I meant, he’s right over there,” Oswald said. “Evening, Doctor Proctor.”
Mickey’s mouth fell open in surprise. Doctor Proctor was walking towards them, rubbing his wrists.
“King Mickey, it’s good to see you,” Doctor Proctor said. “I have finished my examination of three of the strangers. Her Majesty, Queen Minnie, saw fit to have a second doctor, Doctor Roxanne Rover, to examine the young ladies. She should be finishing now, so I decided to try and find you.”
“Oh, thank you, Doctor,” Mickey said. “So, to get to it, how are they? Roxas, Axel, Isa?”
“It is a strange affliction,” Doctor Proctor said. “I’m not well-versed in magic, but there’s definitely some ill effects—especially with the man named Isa. He appears to have had a threefold infection of whatever magical curse afflicted Roxas and Axel—though he insists he is called Lea.”
“Anything else?”
“Roxas’s wrist is severely fractured and he has multiple welts and contusions all along his torso,” Doctor Proctor said. “A collection of small cuts and bruises, a few of them near infection. His shoulder is dislocated. And beyond that, he’s dehydrated and exhausted. He fell asleep halfway through my examination. Axel, for his part, has multiple puncture wounds on his arms—I would think it’s an animal bite, but the pattern doesn’t match teeth marks. Too narrow and too perfectly symmetrical.”
“And Xion? Kairi?”
“As I said,” Doctor Proctor nodded, “Roxanne should be tending to them now. I bid you both good-bye. Your Majesty, if you get the chance, I’d love to see you on the nines again.”
“We’ll see,” Mickey nodded and he walked into the infirmary. He could see Isa, Axel and Roxas all asleep on their beds. There was some shuffling from behind the curtains at the end of the infirmary hall.
“Your Majesty,” Roxanne said. “I’ve just about finished. Kairi is assisting Xion to get her into her pajamas. I ran their vitals and set Xion’s arm in a cast.”
“And?” Mickey said. “How are they?”
“Not good, if I’m being honest,” Roxanne said. “And I pride myself on honesty, King Mickey. Xion’s got a hairline fracture on her wrist and two broken fingers on her opposite hand—it appears that she aggravated her injuries very recently. She’s completely exhausted—from what she says, she hasn’t slept in over three days, which is exceptionally dangerous. Welts, bruises, contusions, a minor concussion on Kairi’s part, and some very nasty puncture wounds on the soles of their feet. I don’t want those girls leaving this infirmary for at least a week, but…”
“With Potions and Elixirs expediting the healing process, they could be out of here as early as two days.”
“Mickey?”
Oh, Minnie! Mickey hadn’t realized she was here. She trotted up to Mickey, her hands held together.
“I don’t want you rushing their healing, Mickey,” Minnie said. “I know that there’s a lot that needs to be done, but after all that’s happened, I don’t want them to leave. It just isn’t fair.”
“I know…I agree,” Mickey said. “But Xion and Roxas, and Kairi too, all of them…they won’t be able to stop themselves from doing good. I don’t know if Xion can stop herself, literally.”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Minnie said. “They’re only children.”
oooo
“Easy does it,” Kairi said. “Hold still, Xion…easy.”
“Sorry,” Xion said, trying not to squirm and hit Kairi in the nose. Getting her jacket off wasn’t as easy as she’d thought it’d be with her arm in a cast and of her other fingers bandaged up, even with Kairi’s help. “I mean…I…”
“Leave it,” Kairi said gently. “An apology here isn’t so bad. Alright, I think I…oh, wow. This is worse than I thought.”
“What is it?” Xion asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Your jacket,” Kairi murmured, holding it up. “I think it’s ruined…”
She held it up for Xion to see. Her jacket—her wonderful, comfortable purple jacket—had huge slashes in it. Xion wasn’t sure how or when that would have happened. Elsa? The snow monsters? Sephiroth or Xehanort? Xion wasn’t sure it really mattered.
“Okay,” Kairi nodded as she took the edges of Xion’s shirt. “On three, ready? One, two, three!”
Kairi tugged and Xion gasped, but she felt her shirt give away. A moment later, Kairi gasped. Xion’s mouth went dry.
“You’ve got a scar,” Kairi whispered. “A real scar. It looks almost like an ‘X’…oh, Xion, that looks like it hurts.”
“I got used to it,” Xion said, so quietly, she wasn’t even sure that Kairi could have heard it. Pain pressed down against Xion’s chest and she felt her face beginning to burn. She felt nauseous, and Kairi’s eyes were wide. “Really, it’s fine…fi-fi-fine…”
“Never mind,” Kairi said. “I think your shirt can be salvaged, Xion…let’s finish getting these jammies on you. Here we go…”
A moment later, her vision was engulfed by a purple pajama shirt and Kairi was buttoning it for her. It was a little sloppy—Kairi had to go back and fix the buttons, but when she was done, she placed her hands gently on Xion’s shoulders.
“Almost done,” Kairi said. “Your arm alright?”
“Yeah,” Xion nodded weakly. “Stiff…and it hurts, but not bad…”
“Your Majesty, I’ve just about finished. Kairi is assisting Xion to get her into her pajamas. I ran their vitals and set Xion’s arm in a cast.”
Oh, King Mickey was here. Xion’s stomach flip-flopped. King Mickey was here already. She glanced at Kairi, who didn’t seem very concerned.
“Alright,” Kairi said. “Let’s finish up…let’s get these boots off.”
Xion leaned against the small chair and felt Kairi tug off her boots. She winced but the feeling of the infirmary’s floor beneath bare feet wasn’t that bad. A moment later, Kairi pulled off her own boots. She set them down next to Xion’s—as always, Xion couldn’t tell them apart. She gave a soft gasp when Kairi pressed her toes against hers. Xion’s toes curled into fists as she felt the tiled floor.
“Fists with your toes…nice to see some things don’t change,” Kairi smiled. “Alright, ready?”
Xion’s knee had been badly bruised at one point, but it wasn’t quite as hard changing into her pajama bottoms as it had been getting around the cast on her arm. Once they were done, Kairi started undoing the buttons and zippers on her own pink jacket. At Kairi’s prodding, Xion helped her out—her stomach hardened when she ran her fingers against the tears in Kairi’s jacket, where Maleficent had ripped off Kairi’s hood to use a gag. Kairi wasn’t quite as hurt as Xion was—no casts or splints for broken fingers, so it didn’t take as long for her to change into the pajamas they’d been provided. Unlike Xion’s purple pajamas, Kairi’s were the exact same shade of pink as her jacket.
“There,” Kairi said. “Alright, Xion, let’s get you to bed.”
Xion was too tired to argue as Kairi pushed back the curtains and led her back to their beds. Roxas, Axel and Isa were all still asleep—Axel’s snoring had gotten quieter—but then Xion realized that King Mickey and Queen Minnie were staring at her and Kairi. Xion’s face reddened—they were in front of the King and Queen of Disney Castle…in borrowed pajamas.
“Your Majesties,” Xion gasped, trying to bow. “I…er…”
“Xion, you’re exhausted,” Queen Minnie said. “Please stop bowing to us. You need to get into bed.”
Blushing harder than ever, Xion let Kairi finish tugging her towards one of the beds—right in between Axel and Roxas. Kairi pulled the blankets back and as Xion eased herself under them. Kairi smoothed the covers down.
“Want me to climb in on the other side?” Kairi asked. “We can protect each other from nightmares.”
“No,” Xion whispered. “No, Kairi. You need to rest too…I snore.”
“You do not snore—I should know. But if you need me, I’m only a few feet away,” Kairi ruffled Xion’s hair—exactly the way Axel would—and then walked over to the bed directly across from Xion, her bare feet padding against the tile floor. Kairi smiled at Xion as she pulled the covers back and climbed into her own bed. Xion turned her attention to King Mickey and Queen Minnie.
“Thank you for your hospitality, your Majesties,” Xion said, as politely as she could. “It is very—”
“Oh, Xion,” King Mickey said. “There’s nobody here but us and Roxanne…I keep telling you, you’re allowed to call me Mickey. I don’t want you calling me anything but that…you’re my friend.”
“Alright, Mickey,” Xion smiled weakly as she eased herself further onto the bed. It was remarkably soft…after all the time in Arendelle, climbing up and down the mountain, not stopping to rest…it had been at least two full days, if not longer.
“I still think they should eat something first,” Roxanne said. “They’ve gone days without a proper meal—but I don’t want them to overexert themselves.”
“H-yuck! Hey, everybody!”
“Mister Goofy!” Xion said and she couldn’t keep a smile from spreading across her face. Goofy was holding a large thermos under his arm.
“Goofy!”
“Howdy, Xion,” Goofy said. He reached out a hand to ruffle her hair. “After we carted ya up here, I decided you needed somethin’ ta eat. And I thought and I thought and I decided the best thing to make was some Hi Dad’s Soup! I used to make this all the time for Maxie and PJ and Bobby and Roxanny,”
“Thank you, Mister Goofy,” Roxanne said. “I think a little bit of soup is just what they need.”
Roxanne and Goofy opened up a cabinet and found some trays and bowls. The next thing Xion knew, she had a bowl of soup placed in front of her. It smelled wonderful…like chicken, with vegetables from Grandma Duck’s farm. And there were little noodles shaped like letters.
“I…thank you,” Xion whispered. “I don’t deserve this…”
“Yes, you do,” Queen Minnie said. “Eat as much as you can Xion, but don’t feel pressured to eat more than you need to.”
Queen Minnie wasn’t angry with her? Not after all the trouble that Xion had caused? Oh…she was very kind.
Xion stared at the soup. Her right arm was in a cast, her left hand had two splinted fingers. How was she gonna eat this wonderful soup? The people of Arendelle…they weren’t ever gonna have soup again. Xion’s eyes filled with tears. She’d let them down.
“Xion!”
Roxas had woken up! Xion hadn’t even realized that…how long had he been awake? Roxas gingerly got himself out of bed. He padded over to Xion and wrapped his good arm around her. Xion forced herself not to stare at the bruises covering his chest. Poor Roxas had gotten so hurt…but it felt so good having him close.
“Xion!”
“You’re my best friend, Roxas,” Xion mumbled. “Through all worlds and all time…”
“And you’re my best friend too,” Roxas said. “All worlds and all time…you and Axel, forever and ever.”
“Xion,” Kairi’s voice came through on Xion’s other side. “I should have thought of this. Do you need me to help you with your soup?”
“I don’t want to be an inconvenience,” Xion said. “I…olp!”
Kairi shoved a spoonful of soup into Xion’s open mouth. It tasted as good as it smelled and Xion felt warmth spread down to the tips of her toes.
“You’re not an inconvenience,” Kairi said. “You’re a blessing. So ”
“But your soup will get cold!” Xion protested. “I’m not putting myself down, Kairi, really. I don’t want you to go hungry.”
“Oh,” Goofy chuckled, but his smile seemed a little forced. “Kiddo, you don’t have to worry about that. The soup in this thermos is gonna stay nice and warm for a million bajillion hours.”
“It’s fine,” Kairi said. “Roxas and I can eat our soup here with you, and then we can all go to bed. I can call Daddy, too…as soon as I find my Gummiphone.”
“Your belongings are right here,” Roxanne said, handing a small bag to Kairi. “If you want to call your parents, then by all means.”
While Roxas spoon-fed Xion more of the soup and Goofy ladled out more bowls, Kairi pressed several buttons, muttering to herself. Finally, her phone began to buzz and Xion could hear voices.
“Hello?”
“Namine!” Kairi greeted, a smile spreading across her face. “How are you?”
“I’m doing great. Daddy’s here too!” Namine said. “We’re visiting Benjiro and Amaya…and losing at cribbage.”
“Again?” Kairi giggled.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Tyson Tanaka’s voice sounded a bit louder than it normally did. Was he further away from Namine’s Gummiphone and yelling to make up the distance. “We just got skunked…everything alright?”
“Um…we’re a little tired,” Kairi said. “The last visit was kinda rough…but we’ll fill you in the next time we see you. We just wanted to say good-night.”
“Hi,” Roxas said. “Um…good-night?”
“Hello,” Xion said. “You said Amaya and Benjiro were there?”
“That’s right, we are,” Amaya’s voice sounded almost like a song. “You three are heading off to bed? Is it nighttime where you are?”
It was around sunset or so, Xion reasoned, but it wasn’t what she would call nighttime. But she was exhausted enough, that probably wouldn’t matter. And it was enough to hear Amaya and Benjiro and Tyson’s voices.
“It’s close enough, Mama,” Xion said. “You and Dad kick Namine’s butt, okay? Love you…”
The words were out of her mouth before she even knew what she was saying. Xion felt her face burn hotter than ever and she was convinced that Mickey, Minnie and Goofy all said “Awwwwww.”
“We love you too, sweetheart,” Amaya’s voice sounded before Xion could say anything else. “All of you…sleep well, and happy dreams.”
xxxx
Hours after their supper, Xion was still awake. As far as she knew, her friends, her family, were still asleep. Kairi had fallen asleep as soon as they had finished supper—literally. Goofy had had to carry her back across the infirmary and tuck her in. He’d also gone to fetch her stuffed tiger and teddy bear, and Roxas’s stuffed dragon from the Gummi Ship.
“Personal affects” is what Queen Minnie had called them. Goofy had called them “stuffies.” Either way, Roxas had fallen back asleep almost at once. Xion had fallen asleep too…but about an hour ago, she’d woken up. She wasn’t sure what dream she’d had—she hadn’t woken up crying, so it probably wasn’t a nightmare. Her arm felt very stiff.
Creeeeek!
Someone was coming into the infirmary! Xion didn’t want to bother anyone so she shut her eyes and held her breath. As she shifted to be as inconspicuous as possible, she dropped her tiger to the floor—thump.
Xion heard the clicking of shoes against the tiled floor. It sounded like boots but they didn’t sound heavy either. So it couldn’t be Ven or Terra…Xion had no idea who the figure in the infirmary with them was, but whomever it was, they were trying to be very quiet. Xion held her breath tighter—she didn’t want to disturb anyone. As soon as the figure left, she’d pick her tiger back up. Oh! The footsteps were getting closer. The figure must be right in front of her.
The figure tucked her stuffed tiger against her cheek. Xion felt cool fingers press against her scalp. Almost like Benjiro—like Dad—poking her nose when he had stepped out to go check his fishing lines back on the Islands. But with how smooth the figure’s hands felt…was it a woman checking on her? Xion tried to keep from moving as the figure tucked her teddy bear next to her tiger. The figure wasn’t quite done. She took Xion’s bandaged hand and lifted it up so that she could adjust Xion’s blankets. After a few minutes, the figure had smoothed Xion’s blankets almost as nicely as Kairi had done. She ran her fingers against Xion’s scalp again and murmured something.
A sensation spread across Xion’s body, from her scalp all the way down to her toes. Her arm didn’t feel as stiff…she felt sleepier than ever. Forcing herself to keep her eyes open a twinge, Xion managed to see a woman with short blue hair tucking the blankets around Xion’s feet. A moment later, the woman turned around and began tucking Kairi’s blankets. Xion opened her mouth a teeny bit, but the next thing she said, she was certain that the woman couldn’t hear.
“Thank you, Aqua…”
oooo
Two mornings later, Roxas still felt tired. He felt as if he could sleep forever and ever. But that would have to wait. King Mickey wanted to see them. As it was, Kairi had already gotten out of her bed and snuggled up against Xion. Xion kept nodding off, and Roxas had a good mind to get out of his own bed to check on her. Axel was waking up, but Isa was still unconscious.
“Good morning, everyone,” King Mickey called from the end of the infirmary. “I hope you all got a good night’s sleep.”
“It was great,” Roxas said. The truth of the matter was that they had all wound up sleeping for more than a full day, so it was quite a bit more than a good night’s sleep. Roxas hadn’t slept that long before, if they didn’t count the coma he’d fallen into back in the days of the Organization.
King Mickey trotted into the infirmary. He smiled his widest smile—it almost looked too large for his head.
“Well, now that you’re all awake,” King Mickey said, “I can talk to all of ya. I’ve been talking with Master Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise and we’ve decided that it’s all for the best.”
“What about Isa?” Xion asked, worry in her voice. “He isn’t awake yet. Donald and Gladstone were here an hour ago, but nothing they tried worked. Is he gonna be okay?”
“His vitals are improving,” Doctor Proctor called from the other end of the infirmary. “I suspect his condition is magical, but I am far less concerned than I was when you first called me over.”
“Great to hear,” King Mickey said with a nod. “Anyways, since Isa’s starting to get a little bit better and you four have been able to get some rest, I think you’re well enough to get moving.”
“You’re sending them on a mission?” Doctor Proctor asked. “Now, see here Mickey, Doctor Rover and I both told you that that would be highly ill-advised.”
“You’re sending us away?” Xion asked, and as she did so, she hugged her stuffed tiger to her chest.
“Not a chance,” King Mickey said. “I’m not putting you in any danger. Not now, not for a very long time.”
“Er…” Roxas, Xion and Kairi all said at the same time. Roxas thought he heard Axel begin laughing.
“You’re going home, Roxas,” King Mickey said. “That’s what I’ve decided. Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise agree.”
Home…
“I think it’s time for you to return to Twilight Town. For good.”