Kingdom Hearts; The Light's Keeper

Chapter XXX; Hiraeth

The lanes between seemed colder than normal when Y and Aqua left the island world. Without the warm sunlight, it seemed like everything had stopped. Y didn't know what to attribute it to. But she knew the feeling was back. The nagging in the back of her head. Time was ticking. Things would end soon. And they wouldn't end pretty.

"Is that Mickey?" Aqua asked suddenly. Y looked up and looked ahead. Floating in front of them was a form that looked like it was Mickey. He was unconscious and Y suspected he wasn't supposed to be here at all.

"I, think so." Y said. Aqua flew her glider over to the mouse and pulled him onto her glider. Y frowned. Mickey didn't look so good. He was covered in scuff marks and scratches. It was like he had gotten into a fight and lost. Badly.

"How'd this happen?" Aqua asked. Y frowned and muttered a healing spell.

"I'm not sure we want to know." She said as she watched some of the scrapes and bruises heal over. She didn't want to say it, but some of the scratches looked a lot like some kind of monster put them there. And a long thin cut looked a lot like a dagger had been drug across the skin.

"Master Yen, Sid." Mickey muttered suddenly. Aqua frowned and nodded.

"Don't worry. I'll take you back to him." Aqua decided.

Yen Sid's world was small. With only the crooked tower on a small patch of land. Y looked up at the tower as the approached the door. This was a place for wisdom. Maybe Master Yen Sid would know something about what was to come. Maybe he would be able to point them in the right direction.

In the top room of the tower, Aqua and Y found the old Master with two humanoid animals much like Mickey. One was a dog with a silver helmet and the other was a white duck dressed like a mage. When Aqua set Mickey on the floor without a word the two animal dropped to their knees next to him.

"King Mickey." The duck said. Y blinked and frowned. The duck was kinda hard to understand but she swore he just said, king.

"King Mickey." The dog said. Y blinked once again. She hadn't misheard. Mickey was a king. And he had failed to mention it. Y wasn't sure how she felt about that. But there were more important matters to attend to. Aqua and Y stood in front of Master Yen Sid's desk waiting for him to speak.

"Aqua, Y, the stars bring me grave news. Master Eraqus's star has blinked out. I'm afraid that means he has been struck down." Master Yen Sid said. Y looked up at him, her lips parting as she took in a sudden gasp of breath.

"What?" Y asked softly. They couldn't be right. He had to be fine. Y still had to go home. She had to apologize for running away and try to explain herself. She wasn't a master yet either. He had to be there for that. He had always promised that he would.

"The Master? But, who is responsible?" Aqua asked. Her voice betrayed her feelings. Like Y she couldn't believe it. The Master had always been there. He was too strong to be defeated. Master Yen Sid closed his eyes slowly.

"Master Xehanort, his Heartless follower, and Terra." He said. Y felt the color drain out of her face. She wasn't sure she was even breathing anymore. X. He had done this. He was responsible. Aqua gasped and shook her head before slamming her hands on Master Yen Sid's desk.

"No! That's absurd! Terra would never!" Aqua insisted.

"I hope with all my heart that you are right about your friend. There are some things even the stars cannot tell me." Master Yen Sid said simply. Y had a feeling he didn't mean that. He knew. He had to know.

"X must have tricked him." Y said softly. Aqua glanced to Y quickly before looking back to Yen Sid.

"Where is he? Where can I find Terra?" Aqua asked. Master Yen Sid sighed heavily and looked at Aqua calmly.

"Terra's heart is leading him to the ancient Keyblade Graveyard, where wielders of those weapons once waged war." He answered. Y frowned. She had heard stories of that world. She knew the stories of the war all too well. Hoshiko had practically pounded them into her head for some reason. She always said Y would need those stories one day. Maybe she was right.

"All right. I have to go after him, and see if its true." Aqua said. She turned away and began walking for the door. Y only watched. She wanted to go with her, but there was something else she had to do first.

"Be on your guard." Master Yen Sid cautioned. Aqua stopped and nodded. She let out a deep breath before she continued on her way out the door. As soon as she was out of the room Y turned to Master Yen Sid.

"Master Yen Sid. My brother, how do I stop him?" Y asked. Yen Sid studied Y for a moment and it unnerved her. But she did her best not to show her nerves.

"As it stands, you must face him head-on. Only you can end his suffering." Master Yen Sid said. Y frowned. End his suffering. She wanted him to suffer. He had taken everything from her. Or he was in the process of taking everything. She wouldn't let him do that. She couldn't let him.

"What if I want him to suffer?" Y asked quietly. Master Yen Sid was silent for a moment. Y didn't look up at him to see his facial expression. She didn't want to see what he thought of her.

"Your heart does not truly wish that. But if that is what you believe, the answer is still the same." Master Yen Sid finally said. Y nodded and turned to follow after Aqua. "Be warned. I do not believe it wise for you to go to the Graveyard." He said. Y paused for a moment and looked over her shoulder at him.

"All my friends are going to fight. I can't just run away." Y said simply. She left the room and let out a breath like Aqua had. After a moment Y took off down the stairs trying to catch up with Aqua. Y managed to reach the bottom of the stairs just as Aqua was walking out the front door.

"Aqua! Wait!" Y called. Aqua stopped out front and turned to face Y. Aqua frowned looking at the young blonde.

"Y, go back upstairs and wait for me to come back." Aqua said. Y crossed her arms and set her jaw.

"No!" Y snapped. Aqua stepped back in surprise. She went to speak, but Y cut her off. "Aqua I know how you feel, but I am not a child! You can't just leave me here waiting for you! What if you don't come back? What if you all die and I'm just waiting? What if I could do something?" Y asked. Aqua shook her head sternly.

"Y, you don't understand-" Aqua began. She didn't want Y to die. If she went to the Keyblade Graveyard, she was bound to. Aqua knew it. If X and Y clashed only one would make it out. And it wouldn't be Y. Y, however, cut her off again.

"No Aqua, you don't seem to get it. Whether you want me to go or not I am. So you can either accept it, or fight with me the whole way." Y said simply. Aqua looked at Y with a soft frown. Y had grown so much. She was so willful now. Aqua remembered when she first met Y. Y had been so shy. So afraid. Now she was stubborn. Unbelievably so. Her heart had only gotten strong through the journey. With each shake her heart had received she came back even stronger. Aqua sighed and looked away.

"Fine." Aqua said softly. She looked back up to Y, her blue eyes turning stern in an instant. "But promise me, promise you won't fight your brother. Leave him to me." Aqua pleaded. Y blinked and looked down. She sighed and looked up.

"I promise." Y agreed. Behind her back her fingers crossed.