Kingdom Hearts: Chasing Shadows

Carrie laughed "I was never the cook in my family- my mother used to be a great cook though my dad couldn't cook for his life," She took another bite out of her pizza it wasn't that bad. "I don't know if there's anything wrong with you. I really don't,but I'm sure when we find your mom she'll have some answers," said Carrie giving the boy a small smile.

 

"It's Keel." He replied as they reached the sandlot. Summoning his keyblade, he opened a doorway that lead to a different world. "Ladies first." Gesturing towards the doorway, he waited for her to go in first.

 

Alexander approached the two others out in the Sandlot. "Mind if I come along too," he asked, his voice more relaxed than a moment ago. "Name's Alexander."

 

Xenree jerked her head towards Nox and snapped, "Screw what up?! My plan?!" Taking a breath to steady herself, Xenree calmed and the Castle stopped shaking along with the spears disappearing from around Nikolai. "Ah...that was rude of me. Nox, this is Nikolai, he's collateral for the Heart of Twilight Town. After all, I didn't see you around fending off stupid children wielding Keyblades. This is becoming just like all those years ago..." She trailed off and stood, "You two get to know each other. I'll be back in a few." Her feet quickly carried her towards the door off to the side, her heels of her boots clicking rapidly as she moved. Her longing to see the blond boy made her anxious. Her thoughts stayed with Nikolai's words. Maleficent and her...get along? Never. The woman could rot in the darkness for all she cared.

Riku sighed and jerked as cold hands wrapped around his wrist. "What the--!" Glancing down he saw a small, silver haired girl with bright blue eyes staring up at him. Her white skin blended in well with her hair and the dark purple of her dress made her stand out like a ghost wearing a cloth stained with grape juice. "Papa?" He stared, slack-jawed at the girl calling him papa. Words failed to come to his mind.

"Oh..." Renee didn't have any words for her new comrades.

Sei buried his face in his arms folded on the table. "I wonder..."

 

"Sure, the more the merrier. I'm Keel by the way." He replied to the newcommer.

 

Ariana tilted her head. "What's up?" she said.

 

"I wonder if mom will want to see me... Without Akira...I'm not much a big brother." Sei glanced up at Carrie and mournfully looked away, rummaging through his pockets. He pulled out a ticket stub from a play a while ago, his Hollow Bastian Restoration Committee membership card, and a worn picture of a little girl with silver hair and blue eyes. She sat in a white chair staring at a brilliant butterfly on her finger.

 

Both Sora and Kirra were surprised by what they saw. Sora laughed, but not out of amusement. He saw how the strange girl was staring at his friend, which led him to ask, "Say, Riku, what exactly's going on here?"
---

"I was on my own mission; does someone need Nox to hold her wittle baby hand during missions?" Nox slowly made his way to the new comer while watching Xenree leave. "I tell ya kid, it's always the cute ones that are the crazies. Welcome to the club kid; you get you won member's coat and everything."
--

Alexander shook Keel's hand, not sure if he what he was doing was really wise. Still, it beat hanging around Twilight Town where nothing was happening.

 

"She'll understand- all mother's understand when somethings wrong," said Carrie. She took a look at the picture and saw the little girl- she was pretty and had the same sliver hair. "I'm sure we'll be able to find both of them- your mom and your sister." said Carrie.

 

Xenree hurried to the Room of Awakening and couched beside the blond boy. She still had no clue what his name was. "Good...you're alright. I'm sorry...but the worlds will have to undergo a bit of hurt before they can be whole again and you can awaken. I await the day to see you awake." She stroked his cheek lightly, "Nox is such a cruel bully. Even though it's adorable how he tries so hard. Yes...yes, I'll remember to put him in his place later. After all, a cocky servant is a rebellious servant."

Riku blanched and turned his wide gaze to Sora, "I don't know who this kid is. I don't have any children. I'm pretty sure I'd know it if Maleficent raped me while I was with her....and the kid would be ugly." Bending down, Riku picked up the child and stared at her, "Who are you, child?" The little girl giggled delightedly and patted his face with her cold fingers. "Akii, sillyhead. Papa, don't you recognize me? Mama would be mad at you if you didn't. She'd get real mad and say you were a bad father." Riku frowned, "And who is your mama?" Akii's wide blue eyes filled with tears, "You don't remember mama either?! You...you.....you forgot us? B-but why?! Why papa, why!" she started to cry and Riku suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

Renee bit her lip and looked from the two boys and back. What had she gotten herself into. Suddenly she had two comrades and she knew nothing of herself. If they asked more than her name, she'd be screwed.

 

"Now, unless there's anyone else, let's go." Keel said heading through the doorway.

 

The last thing that Kirra wanted to see was a little kid crying. She knelt down to the kid's eye level, doing something that she often saw moms do to their kids when they needed them to stop crying. "Aww, did the big meanie head hurt your feelings? It'll be okay." She hugged the little girl, doing her best to comfort her. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

 

Renee followed Keel closely. She felt nervous leaving Twilight Town but the chance to explore wasn't going to pass her up.

"Mama calls me Akii." Akii sniffled and rubbed her eyes. The intensity of the blue of her eyes was like looking into the ocean. Like Riku's eyes. "Mama said...she said don't leave papa or brother's side...I can't find my brother...but this..." she looked up to Riku, "This is Papa. He has to be...mama said papa had silver hair and blue eyes like mine. She said I looked like him the most...but I couldn't stay with her." She immediately stopped crying and grabbed Riku's pant leg. "You want to go to a different world, yes? Akii will help!" Riku opened his mouth to correct her and tell her there wasn't a way when she lifted a pale hand and opened a Dark Corridor in the middle of the beach. "See?"

Sei sighed, "When do we leave to go look for mom? Tomorrow?"

 

"Tomorrow since its late now," said Carrie yawning. "We just have a slight problem... If we're going to other worlds I have no idea how to get there fast," she sighed and put her dish in the dishwasher. "It'd take to long with a gummi ship and I have no idea how to drive one," said Carrie. She started to wrap up the pizza and said "Are you done eating?"

 

Sei nodded and left the table, curling up into a ball on her couch. He touched his nose to his knees and pretended to be fixated on the condition of his shoes.

 

"Well, that works," Sora said, his voice a bit uneven. A bit hesitant, he began to make his way to the portal. He was hoping that Kairi wouldn't miss him too much. It probably was for the best that she wasn't here to see him off anyway. "Coming?"

"Uh, yeah," Kirra said, her voice a bit shaky. She at least was happy that she didn't have to reveal her Keyblade to the others.

 

Carrie nodded and watched as Sei left the room. She cleaned up his dishes and finished wrapping up the left over pizza. She'd probably bring it to Cid or Merlin when she went to see if they had any ideas on how to get around from world to world. She went into the living room where she saw Sei. She knelt down to his eye level and said " Are you okay? If you want you can have my bed,"

 

Rat stood still, in shock. "A..portal? What kind of magic does that person use?" he questioned out loud. He placed a hand on his the area of his chest just over his heart. "I don't think it'd be such a good idea to give that up..but at the same time i can't help but wonder..maybe i can keep it and still find out more.." he said, thinking aloud. He took a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing" he said as he stepped into the portal.

 

Nikolai gazed around the room. Everything was so white, it was almost hard on his eyes. He turned to Nox as he came closer. "Yeah, great. So now what, am I gonna become on of those 'Nobodies' or whatever?" Nikolai asked. He could tell already he might like Nox a little more than he does Xenree.

 

Xenree returned after she had her fill of the boy's peaceful aura and lifted a single black rose that had replaced the white roses in the corners. "No. Those Nobodies are practically worthless. What I need are soldiers of the dark that can move about the realm of light and do my bidding. Not," she glared at Nox, "That I need anyone to do my job. Revival...that's what I strive for. Revival of what you ask? Stick around and stay alive and I'll tell you."

Sei shook his head, "I'm okay. I'm used to sleeping in small spaces. I'll...have a nice bed...when I find mom." he mumbled before shutting his eyes. A light snore escaping from his white lips.

Riku followed after the little girl and his friends, Yeah I'm coming...right back into the darkness we go. The feel of the darkness sliding along his skin again, he felt a bit uneasy and yet the little girl in front of them shone with a brilliant light in the darkness. "What are you, Akii?" She grinned at them, "I'm the daughter of the Dark Queen. Once I find mama, we can be together again and find my brother. Don't you remember, papa?" He sighed, giving up with the conversation. "I'm not going to get anything out of a little girl that believes I'm her father.