Ch. 9* ☆*~~~*☆
Location: Mysterious Tower, Twilight Town
“Still not any good at that.” She laughed, attempting to shake the pins and needles from her legs at the rough landing in the courtyard.
“Hey! What are you doing here!?”
She looked over her shoulder, standing full height, only one of the figures stood taller than herself. So many different Keyblades greeted her, connected to those before her. Her eyes connecting with two blue ones staring in shock before two Keyblades disappeared and the sound of racing feet against the lawn echoed her own.
Racing forward she held out her arms a laugh escaping her as she caught the two that ran to greet her, almost knocking her off her feet if she didn’t brace herself hard, instead, lifting them up with tears in her eyes.
“Aqua! Ven!”
“Lio!” They called back.
Lio held them tight, unable to get words out as she tried to figure it she wanted to cry or laugh at the fact she was able to actually hold them again.
“Oh, my stars you’re both okay!” Lio finally managed as she released her hug only to cup their faces. Unable to realize that she was indeed holding them. “Right? I’m so sorry! I should have been waiting for you.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Ventus replied as she wiped tears from his eyes, only to pull them in for another quick squeeze.
Aqua stepped back, glancing the taller woman up and down, “You look amazing.”
Lio let out a bark of a laugh, looking to her new attire of a white halter, black tights with splashes of gold throughout. Her hair no longer curled tight to her head, instead hung down to her mid-back, yet that familiar pink papou leaf held its post proudly.
“It’s so good to see you all are doing fine.” She smiled before her eyes turned to those still staring in confusion. “To see everyone.”
Still holding tight to Aqua and Ventus Lio made her way to the others surprising them all by knowing everyone’s name. standing just underneath Axel.
“And how do you know this Ms. Luminary?” Axel inquired, almost stating the woman in the eye considering the height they both had over the others.
“I had someone watching you all when I couldn’t, Lea.” She replied before adding with a huge smile, “Although I’m used to you being called Axel.”
This seemed to satisfy the other man, only to find the Luminary’s gaze on something away from the group. Following it to find that Olix was still standing back towards the stairs to Yen Sid’s office.
“Olix,” Lio called, watching the other woman jump in surprise at her name being called. “Are you just gonna stand over there?”
Sheepishly Olix moved over to the group, her head low looking up to the Luminary for the first time beyond her lashes.
“So you did all of this?” Lio inquired an eyebrow arched, appearing to look down in the other woman, “You left the castle, got involved in this entire thing, and found all of these wielders, all on your own?”
Sora jumped forward, “Wha...wait Olix…” The other was silenced at Riku‘s arm before him.
Before anyone realized Lio had wrapped both of her arms around Olix, hugging the smaller woman to her chest, letting out a loud laugh as she pulled Olix off her feet.
“Thank you! You did so much more than I asked of you.” Lio cheered, setting Olix down as she looked the other over, cupping the others face trying to find any signs of harm, only to smile when she didn’t. “And you’re hair it’s so cute! I love it!”
Olix blushed deeply looking down to her feet, “Thank you.” Her eyes turning to Lio finally able to meet the other's gaze. “But I wasn’t able to find the last one.”
Lio placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder, “You’ve already done so much for me, more than enough. That one will be a little harder to find. It’s time for me to finally do my job as Luminary. I never meant to put so much on you.”
Lio glanced down as she felt a hand within her own, turning to find Aqua there.
“Is it…”
Lio placed a comforting hand on Aqua’s, “He was fractured the most. There so many pieces of him scattered and for so long. But we’ll find him.”
Aqua nodded in agreement, she, of course, trusted her Luminary, but the tremble in the other hand made her worry.
*
“There you are.” Aqua called stepping outside, “I should have known that you’d be out here.”
“Is that so?”
Aqua sat down beside Lio on the stairs, both gazing up, “You’d always go star gazing back at the castle.”
Lio let out a giggle, giving a slight shrug, “Really never thought of it. It’s just so nice to see them again.”
Aqua nodded as they both stared at the sky, only now finding that Ventus was beside them. The trio looking to the sky in silence, trying to find words to explain what each of them went through and to apologize for not relying on one another. Of apologies to faults not their own and how they’d make this right.
“...I guess now would be better late than never.”
Lio turned to the other, only to find a multi-colored star before her on a chain, “What’s this?” She inquired as she held out her hand allowing Aqua to place it in her hand, finding that there were five pieces that made up this star, one of blue, one of green, an orange, a pink and the top point white.
“It was supposed to be a welcome home gift, but with everything that happened I wasn’t able to give it to you.” Aqua explained.
“Aqua made one for all of us.” Ventus smiled holding up his own green one, while Aqua showed her own blue one.
Lio stared at theirs before looking back to the one in her hand, finding they the blue and green were the same as theirs, almost as if the pieces were taken from the others, “They’re amazing!, they match your tethers so well.”
Aqua leaned over, pointing towards the pink piece, “I tried matching it as close to your leaf as possible.”
Lio smiled down to the star within her hand, her thumb brushing over the orange piece above the pink piece. Only to find Aqua’s hand on her own, looking up to find tear-filled eyes greet her own tear-filled ones.
“We’ll get him back.”
Lio didn’t even attempt to stop her sobs as she felt Aqua reach out, pulling the Luminary close, resting Lio’s forehead against her shoulder. Feeling Ventus take her free hand holding it tight as she shuffled close to the two women leaning against the Luminary, only to fill her arm wrap around him.
The trio unaware that someone was watching them.
“Olix,”
The woman turned to find that Mickey, Donald and Goofy were approaching her. “Yes?”
“Have you seeing Aqua, Ventus and Lio?” Mickey asked.
“Master Yen Sid wants to go over plans.”
Olix glanced outside at the trio, before turning back to the three, finding they had followed her gaze, “Let’s give them a little more time. It’s been so long since they were last together.”
Olix had taken the time to pull Aqua and Ventus aside earlier, explaining that Lio had watched all of them be stripped away from herself. The sleep that the Luminary was placed in did not stop her from remembering the others, but Lio never did get a proper chance to grieve. Not for her teacher that had betrayed her, not for the loss of Eraqus, and not for her Wielders.
“Please allow her this.”
*
The Luminary stood before Yen Sid taller and more alert, everyone ignoring the red eyes that were finally able to shed tears.
Lio called to the room, “It’s also welcoming to return to so many new wielders, as well as three new Keyblade Masters.”
“Yes, of course, I believe that you are up to speed thanks to Olix.” Yen Sid replied looking to the woman standing further back.
“Yes, and I would like to speak to you about Sora.” Olix stated looking to the young Keyblade Wielder. “Sora please come here.”
The brunette stepped from between Kairi and Riku moving to stand beside the Luminary, “Yeah…”
He expected to be scolded but instead found a hand on his shoulder.
“You have burdened so much, time and time again. I’m so sorry that I was not here to stop this unfair treatment.” Lio sighed softly, those pink eyes seeming to find a common ground, sincerely apologizing for the treatment of the other.
Her gaze suddenly turned to Yen Sid her shoulders back and head high, “I wished that Ansem the Wise was here as well, but for the time being, I will have to address you, I want to first thank you for watching after everyone in my absence, Master Yen Sid. However I will not excuse your treatment of Sora, nor anyone else that has been affected by this.”
This seemed to take the entire room back, only for the Luminary to continue before anyone could interpret her.
“I understand that you have trained His Majesty, and it has been some time since you’ve trained, but all students are different. And a student that is constantly overlooked and given unclear instructions will begin only to cause doubt within their ability and themselves. Sora has been through so much.” Lio replied, facing the man, “More than most here after all this is done I would ask that you reconsider how you train him, and allow for him to take the mark of mastery again. For I will also want to witness him.”
“Can she do that?” Goofy gasped.
“As Luminary Lio can call for a student to take the Mastery as many times as she wants. She may not be able to give Sora the status but her vote for those to take the test often outweighs the Master.” Aqua explained.
“Really Lio?” Sora gasped looking up to the woman.
“I see no reason as to why not.” She smiled, a hand to his head, “You’ve got quite a bright light in you star shine.”
“Well that’s all good, but what about this whole Xehonart situation?” Axel inquired.
“We’ll be taking the fight to him.” Lio stated, turning as she reached out to Olix, who had stepped forward. “Olix wasn’t just watching you all.”
Olix held up her orb, the light in the room draining as a figure of an elaborate chessboard appeared. “There will be thirteen vessels for Xehonart and twelve of us.”
“Thirteen? Not sure if you remember Olix the organization is gone.” Axel stated.
“Those were trials in a sense. There are still a few that have not returned to themselves. Only a few have return to themselves, there are still seven uncounted for. Xehonart will be joining in this fight as well.” Olix explained before turning to Lio, “I also wanted to speak with you of Vexen, um Even.”
“I can’t make any promises but I’ll see to it.” Lio smiled.
“Why bring that guy back?” Axel huffed.
Olix smiled weakly, “We’ll need his help with helping the others return too.”
“Wait you can’t mean…”
Lio turned to Axel, “Those three are also my charges, all of them Namine, Roxas and Xi…” She stopped at a shake of Olix’s head. “They will not just be casualties for Xehonart’s greed. I promise.”
*
“Everyone ready?” Lio called, looking upon her group of Wielders. “Remember the plan, he will try to separate us, the Graveyard is large. We will all return home together!”
The group nodded in understanding as Lio held out her hands alongside Olix as they both cast a teleportation spell to the Keyblade Graveyard.
Location: Bad Lands
“Guard up! Everyone! He will make the first attack.” Lio called, leading the group through the Graveyard, Aqua, Riku and Mickey beside her.
“Do you hear that?” Olix asked.
“Hear what?” Goofy asked, as everyone’s guard tightened on their weapons.
“They’re very loud today.” Olix muttered as Lio glanced over her shoulder immediately understanding, that only the two of them could hear the silent voices.
“They’re crying,” Lio explained waving a hand as she lifts a few Keyblades just outside the Graveyard to stand upright again. “They feel the battle just like us, and judging by how loud they are, Xehonart and the others are close.”
Almost as if summoned them, the man appeared, with his own army.
“Luminary, so wonderful for you to join us again.” Xehonart chuckled.
Lio’s grip on her staff tightens, only to find Aqua standing beside her.
“I’ll only ask you this once, stop what you’re doing!” Lio barked, her eyes wavering towards the two men she had last seen before she was placed asleep.
Xehonart chuckled as he rose his hand from behind his back, “We’re well beyond that.” He called snapping his fingers.
Riku gasped as he noticed the puddles of black around them, “Everyone!”
“They’re getting away!” Axel called parrying an attack from one of the base heartless.
“Worry about those in front of you!” Aqua called striking away a few from Ventus back.
“Lio,” Olix called.
“Yeah two of them.” Lio replied smashing two away from Sora, taking the boy's hand. “Care to brighten this place up?” She smiled tossing the other up, only for him to brighten the battlefield, with what could only be described as an amusement park ride.
The others quickly following through with the attacks. Managing to clear out the enemies before them for the moment.
“Everyone okay?” Mickey asked, getting affirmations from the rest of the party, as they entered the actual Graveyard.
“Ven?” Lio called noticing the blond staring at something. Only to turn following his gaze along with Aqua as they both gasped.
“Terra.” Ventus called.
Lio and Aqua found themselves chasing after the young one. Only to both notice something off as both raced before Ventus, stopping Ventus and glaring at the man before them.
“You’re not Terra. We won’t fall for this.” Lio sneered, her staff pointed toward the imposter.
“Let our friend go!” Aqua growled, Keyblade at the ready.
The imposter chuckled as he summoned his own Keyblade, his hair turning white. “Not going to fall for that twice?”
Lio twirled her staff as it shone pink, transforming into gauntlets. The woman rushing forward, pulling back as she hit hard, only to connect with the keyblade of the man before her.
“Guess you do learn.” He chuckled in that deep voice that didn’t belong to Terra.
“Where is Terra!” Lio growled.
“So worried about the one that you lost, you can’t even protect the ones you have with you.”
Lio gasped as she saw the wave of heartless coming towards them. Whatever warning she wanted to call out to them was cut off as the noise of the creatures became too loud for her to scream over.
Pushing the imposter in Terra’s body away, she ran towards Aqua and Ventus, only to stare as they were stripped away from them. Her heart sank! Not again!
The woman quickly ran towards the others, she would not lose anyone else! Each step seemed to find her foot sinking in quicksand, when she felt a snag on her arm. Turning to find the imposter before her, his white hair returned to the brown it was supposed to be.
“Lio please…”
Lio’s panic-filled mind faltered for just a moment at that familiar voice, only for her to find a hand to her throat, stopping her long enough for tendrils of heartless to hold her in place. Forcing her to watch as the barrier that Olix had put up to protect Kairi and Axel shattered, the three gone in a flash of black.
Lio could only watch as it all happened again. She wasn’t strong enough! Eris was right, she wasn’t fit to be anyone’s Luminary.
“I’m not strong enough.”
Lio’s head snapped, that wasn't her voice that uttered the words. The woman saw a bright flash, watching as Donald cast a Zetta flare an attack that took the other's life to get rid of the creature in Terra’s body.
Her eyes turning to a collapsed Sora, Riku attempting to protect both of them just a little longer. They kept fight! She was being so selfish! She was scared, but she had to be strong for them! For her Keyblade wielders that went too long without her.
“Sora!” She barked, pulling an arm from the tendrils holding her. “Sora! Don’t give up on us now! You have made it through so much!” She growled a hand wrapped around another few tendrils ripping it away, as she pulled herself out, of the darkness, only to watch as Riku was struck down.
The woman rushing over as she felt her body colloid with Sora’s, holding him close.
“You’re not gonna give up on me now. I won’t let you back down. You have such a bright future.”