HOME | DD

Description
Chapter Two: New Mission

Lita awoke to a splitting headache. It was a pretty nasty one, topping all the times she’d been thrown into things and punched in the face. Although, when she thought about it, not as bad as that one time with the Defender and that glacier…
What happened? Did she agree to let Tala use her as target practice for her canons again? No, that couldn’t be right. She’d learned her lesson the last time and paid for it with a mild concussion. No way would Lita have repeated that insanity. So what…?
Really though, she just wanted to go back to sleep. Her bed was nice and warm for once, even though it didn’t feel like she had a bunch of blankets piled on top of her. Maybe Sylvia lit the fireplace for her after she went to bed? Her bedroom was always like an icebox. It was either light a fire worthy of an Ifrit, or burrow under twenty blankets. She found it funny how, despite being a Draconian—Aurea’s race of Fire Mages—she was never warm enough when she tried to sleep.
Regardless, Lita needed to take something for this headache. Hopefully they still had some feverfew tea left in the cabinet.
Sitting up in bed proved to be a challenge in of itself. Moving around made her head pound and goodness, she needed the room to stop spinning! Her stomach gurgled unhappily, which didn’t help at all. Lita couldn’t tell if she was hungry or nauseous or both. Yeah, maybe some feverfew and ginger tea with honey…
But first, the blasted room needed to stop spinning…
Against her better judgement, Lita flopped back into bed and waited for her dizzy spell to pass. After a few minutes of feeling like she was trapped on a carousel, Lita noticed something peculiar.
This wasn’t her bedroom.
Unlike her room back in Argo, this place was pretty bare and impeccably neat. A few mostly empty bookshelves spaced out on the walls and a large wooden chest next to the door. One corner of the room had a little writing station set up with a desk, a simple stool, and a lamp. A neat little stack of paper and an inkwell sat with mathematical precision in the top corner, next to the lamp. There was a cream-and-olive rug laid out in the middle of the floor.
The room was very plain. Cream-colored walls. The furniture and fixtures were either natural wood or painted a dark, brownish-green color, including the bed where Lita had been sleeping.
If Lita had to guess, this might’ve been someone’s guest room. The place certainly looked like one. But that was odd. Why would she…?
“That flaming matchstick!!!”
Lita sat up with a lurch. Memories of her encounter on that island world came flooding back to her. The Rift in the cave. Those two red-haired people and the fight. That cocky jerk, he must have knocked her out! Oh, she could not believe it!
“Well, how do you like that?” Lita grumbled. “Try to do your job, and you get a witch hunt instead. Geez, I don’t get paid enough for this…”
Of course, Lita didn’t paid at all. But she really ought to, if things like this was going to keep happening. She was lucky she didn’t have a concussion!
Well, I’m pretty sure I don’t have a concussion. This time, at least…
But that did beg the question: Where was she anyhow?
After the way that guy came after her, Lita was surprised that she’d actually woken up in a bed and not tied up in some jail cell or something.
And as Lita prodded around her head, she found a long piece of cloth wound around her forehead, holding a pad of cotton against her temple. Similarly, her arms and hands were wrapped up as well, all the way down to her fingers. Lita sniffed experimentally and winced. She smelled like some kind of medicinal salve and rubbing alcohol. Ugh.
So her injuries had been treated. Now, Lita was glad she wasn’t a bloody mess. She’d much rather smell like a hospital than wake up covered in grit and dried blood. But this was really strange. Why leave her unattended? After all that scuffle, pointing weapons in her face and trying to kill her. For goodness sakes, that man had flat out accused her of trying to destroy a world. Why leave her all by herself and risk her fleeing?
Figure out where you are first. Then you can worry about the rest.
Ignoring the headache, Lita pushed herself out of bed. Thankfully, her shoes were on the floor by the footboard, so that was one less problem to worry about. Finding shoes that were easy to walk around and still heat resistant was one of the biggest struggles. Metal warped out of place and rubber just smelled terrible when it melted unless they were treated with Mythril.
Her armor was sitting on the desk, undamaged. Lita checked her corset over thoroughly before fastening it around her waist and adjusted the straps until they were snug and safely secured to her suit. With the armor back in place, she felt a bit like herself again. And that feeling only strengthened when she summoned her Keyblade, feeling the handle settle comfortably in her hand. Burning Soul was warm under her fingers.
Thus armed, Lita crept to the door, but stilled immediately when the doorknob began to turn. Those people were probably coming to check on her. Lita hoped it was the matchstick so she could go Round Two on the creep. He’d gotten the best of her before, but Lita wasn’t about to let it happen a second time.
She held her weapon up as the door swung open. Lita let loose a cry as she lunged forward, prepared to strike.
“Wait!”
Burning Soul let loose a spray of sparks as another Keyblade caught it and parried. Lita froze, awestruck by the beauty of a blade formed from sweeping waves and flowers. For a moment, she was unable to move. It looked so similar, she almost thought it was…
The red-haired girl peeked over the hilt of her Keyblade. Once she was sure that Lita wasn’t going to go in for another strike, she lowered the weapon and laughed awkwardly.
“I guess you’re up, huh…?”
Lita nodded slowly, still kind of shaken up by the encounter. “Uh…Y-Yeah.”
The two stared at each other for a long, uncomfortable moment. It wasn’t until Lita realized that she was still holding Burning Soul above the girl’s head that she snapped out of it. Her Keyblade vanished in a swirl of flames, allowing the redhead to relax and offer up a more genuine smile.
“Well, I guess I had that coming,” she chuckled. “I do kind of owe it to you.”
Lita snorted. “Okay. I think I’ll have to decline that offer. I’ve got the worst headache and…Um…” She paused, tapping her index finger to her lip and glancing quizzically towards the ceiling. “It was…‘Kairi’, wasn’t it…?”
The redhead nodded. “That’s me. And you’re Lita, right? Um, sorry about all that craziness earlier. I didn’t mean to hit you on the head so hard, but I couldn’t let you hurt Lea.”
So that’s what had happened. Lita supposed it made enough sense. Her attention had been on the other guy during that face and she’d totally overlooked Kairi, leaving herself open for an attack.
“Well, that answers a few questions I had,” she sighed. “I guess that means I can’t clobber the matchstick.” A shame really. Lita felt like she had a score to settle with him.
“Well, Lea probably deserves it. He’s been anxious lately and I think you caught him on a bad day. Normally, he’s not like this.” Kairi huffed and crossed her arms. “Still need to make him apologize. If he’d just listened to me and waited…Especially since Yen Sid told us you’re not one of the bad guys.”
Lita frowned. Had she heard that right? “Yen Sid?”
The redhead nodded. “Yeah, he’s the wizard who lives here. He didn’t tell us much, but he said you weren’t working with Xehanort, so that’s good.”
Huh. There was that name again. The guy from earlier—Lea—had accused her of working for a Xehanort. But what did that mean? Was “Xehanort” a person, or a place…?
“I’m thinking that I need to have a talk with Master Yen Sid,” Lita decided. “I don’t know what this Xehanort is, but all things considered…I’m thinking I ought to find out.”
Kairi seemed to agree, turning around to get the door and hold it open for Lita. “Yeah, that’s actually why I’m down here. The wizard, he wants to talk to you too.”
Lita gratefully allowed Kairi to lead the way up. It had been a long time since she’d come to see the wizard, and his tower had reorganized itself since her last visit. Lita wasn’t really that surprised. Yen Sid, powerful mage that he was, lived all by himself for the most part. Besides the enchanted brooms and an occasional visit from guests, no one else lived in the tower. If she were in his place, Lita would probably be constantly reconfiguring her home too, just to make sure she didn’t lose her mind from boredom.
As the two girls climbed up through the many twisting staircases and rooms, Kairi explained how she was currently training—not with Yen Sid, but with another wizard—to use her Keyblade, Destiny’s Embrace. Both she and Lea were newly chosen Keyblade wielders training in some world called “Radiant Garden”. Lita had never been there, but according to Kairi, it was a beautiful place. Especially now that major repairs were finished and the city had been restored to its proper condition.
“I was actually born there,” Kairi mentioned. “But when I was little, I washed up on the Destiny Islands, so it’s been my home ever since. Lea and I were actually grabbing a few things of mine when we ran into you.”
Now that was a story Lita could relate to. She didn’t have the heart to ask if Kairi ending up on those islands was a result of Radiant Garden falling. By the way she talked about “repairs” and some sort of “restoration committee”, Lita was almost positive that had been the case.
“Um, Yen Sid mentioned something about you looking for ‘rifts’ on the Islands…” Kairi paused, twisting her fingers anxiously around a small pendant hanging around her neck. “Nothing’s going to happen, is it? We already lost the Islands once, and it took a miracle getting them back. I don’t want it to happen again.”
Lita’s chest ached painfully as she felt a stab of longing for her childhood home. At least Kairi had gotten her home back. Both times, from the sound of it. Why couldn’t she get Aurea back too?
But that jealousy didn’t hold up for long. Not after seeing the fearful worry etched into Kairi’s face. Lita cursed herself. It wasn’t fair of her to take her problems out on the girl.
But still, Lita had to face facts.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “The Rift back there is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. For it to be so close to your world’s Keyhole and be as calm as it was…I honestly don’t know.”
A worry frown darkened the other girl’s face. “Well…The Keyhole for the Islands has already been sealed. I made sure of that. So maybe everything will be fine.”
Lita put a comforting hand on Kairi’s shoulder. Gods, she hoped that were true. If the Keyhole for that world was sealed, the Heartless wouldn’t be able to get to its heart. Theoretically, she supposed the world itself wasn’t in any danger now. But if the Rift was left unattended to, the Heartless could still get in. And that would be a problem, sealed Keyhole or not.
This would have to be something to discuss with Yen Sid. The old wizard was incredibly wise. Surely, he’d have some advice.
The girls walked the rest of the way in silence until they reached a familiar door. Lita recognized it on sight as the one leading into the wizard’s study.
Kairi tapped her knuckles against the door, waiting until a gravelly old voice beckoned them inside.
Lita didn’t stop the smile that came with seeing the old wizard seated behind his desk. Seemed like every time she saw him, he was sitting in that desk. When she was younger, she’d pull up a stool and watch him read over his dusty spell books, begging Yen Sid to teach her a magic trick.
Sitting tall, the wizard made an intimidating sight when he used every inch of his impressive height. Clad in blue robes and a matching hat, Yen Sid leaned back in his chair. He was deep in thought. Lita could tell by the way her old care taker ran his fingers through his beard. That gesture had always been his tell for when he was in a contemplative mood. Of course, being Yen Sid, “contemplative” was very much his default mood anyways. Rather funny, but Lita supposed that grand wizards always had something on their mind.
“It is good to see you, child.” Yen Sid’s voice was welcoming as he opened his eyes and waved for her to enter.
Lita came up to his desk and bowed deeply. As she straightened, she swept her left arm across her chest and pulled her heels together, keeping her head lowered. This was the customary greeting for her people when conveying respect to someone with a higher standing. Since the wizard had allowed her to live under his roof for the first year after Aurea fell, Lita never failed to greet him with this gesture every time they met.
“Likewise, Master. It has been too long since we last spoke. My apologies.”
Yen Sid waved his hand, a nonverbal gesture to let Lita know that she didn’t have to keep up with formalities of small talk. “I trust that you have recovered from your battle?”
Lita shrugged, tapping a finger to the side of her head. “Well enough, I suppose. Just a headache, really. No need to concern yourself, Master.”
The wizard inclined his head to her and indicated off to Lita’s side. “I believe you have met Kairi and Lea, our newest wielders of the Keyblade.”
The man in question was currently lazing about, sitting backwards in a chair propped up against the wall. Chowing down on a blue popsicle, he gave Lita this languid sort of wave and went back to staring out the window. Lita rolled her eyes, secretly hoping that the chair he was so precariously tilting back on two legs would just break under him.
“How’s the leg, Matchstick?” she quipped. Lea involuntarily flinched, and Lita saw him try to stealthily pull his aforementioned shin (sufficiently purpled) as far away from her as he could manage.
Kairi smothered a giggle as she tried to hide a grin behind the shoulder of a young man about Lita’s age. Yen Sid had yet to introduce him, and Lita didn’t recall ever seeing him before, although this could have been on account of his casual clothing. Dressed simply in a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and a hooded black jacket, the choice in streetwear was understated and easily forgettable. Just the sort of thing that could help a person blend into a crowd without drawing attention to himself.
That being said, if he decided to take the hood off, all that went straight out the window. This was one person that nobody could easily forget. He was slightly taller than most boys their age, standing a good foot and a half over Kairi. Trim and muscular, with a sunny tan. Silver hair fell down to just above his shoulders, lying messily around his face. His bangs needed a good trim. Either that or a few of Kairi’s pins since they fell into his eyes.
Goodness, Lita thought. I hope he doesn’t always stare at people like that. His face could get stuck like that if he isn’t careful.
The stare in question was a rather intense one, made worse by the icy blue eyes narrowed at Lita, watching her every move with poorly concealed suspicion. The boy was watching her the way a wary animal would, trying to figure out if she was going to attack him or not. Lita felt a little wary herself. There was a strange air around him. An aura of power that didn’t settle nicely with her. It made her skin prickle.
But this wasn’t the first time she been given a gimlet stare, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Why let it bother her?
“I don’t bite,” Lita chided, approaching him with hand extended. “My name is Lita. And you are?”
Judging from the way he looked down at her hand, maybe he thought she would take a snap at him. Kairi shook her head and elbowed him in the side. The two shot each other irritated looks. Finally, he gave a short huff and took the hand she offered him.
“Riku.”
Wow, this one was a talker. Scoffing rudely from his seat, Lea waved an empty popsicle stick at Riku. “Real ladies’ man, this one. Got all the girls swooning, dontcha, Mister Master?”
If looks could kill, Lea would be frozen in a block of ice so thick, his hair wouldn’t be visible. “Sure Axel. Whatever you say.”
The redhead frowned and turned away from them, pouting like a child. Lita shook her head in disbelief. Honestly, he was older than all of them, but he acted like a toddler. Unbelievable!
But dealing with a petulant Keyblade wielder wasn’t what she came for.
“You wished to see me, Master Yen Sid?”
The wizard nodded and sat forward. “It has come to my attention that we have need for your particular skills. You still hunt Rifts, correct?”
“Of course, Master,” Lita confirmed. She didn’t plan on stopping any time soon.
“What’s a rift, anyway?” Lea demanded. “So she wasn’t screwing around with the Destiny Islands’ Keyhole. I still don’t get what she was up to in there.”
Yen Sid gestured to Lita with a wave of his hand. “Miss Atropa comes from a line of individuals with the ability to sense weak points between the Realms of Light and Darkness. Through these ‘Rifts’, creatures like the Heartless are able to cross between worlds.”
Lita folded her arms behind her back and frowned seriously. “Rifts are kind of like Dark Corridors, only on a different scale. A Rift appears in a world and it’s like opening the back door to all kinds of Dark creatures. When you ambushed me,” she cut him with a pointed look, “I was trying to banish the Darkness back through that Rift before I could seal it up. I’m a Rift Hunter; that’s my job.”
“Is this why we’ve never heard about her before?” Kairi piped up inquisitively. “Besides Sora and the King I thought we were the only other Keyblade wielders not working with Xehanort. Couldn’t we have used her help before now?”
Help? Lita turned to face the redhead. “Help with what?”
Lea now stared at her like she was crazy. “Duh. The war Xehanort’s trying to start? Seven lights and Thirteen Darknesses? What, you’ve been living under a rock or something?”
“Apparently,” she bristled, taking a determined step towards him. “Because this is the first time I’ve heard anything about a war!”
Yen Sid cleared his throat, pulling everyone’s attention back towards him. “I was getting to that…” The wizard beckoned Lita back to his desk. “Lita, you were brought here because we wish to ask for your assistance in the newest threat facing the Realm of Light...”
Lita stood there, slack-jawed, as Yen Sid began to fill her in on some rather disturbing events that had occurred over the years. A witch with control over the Heartless, gathering the Princesses of Heart. Kidnapping them. An organization of beings trying to replicate Kingdom Hearts. Countless times where the forces of Darkness had destroyed and ruined worlds. And a lunatic manipulating everything from the shadows, trying to bring about another “Keyblade War”.
What kind of madness was this?!
“Master,” she said breathlessly, throwing her hands on the wizard’s desk. “Why didn’t you ever let us know? Tala and I, we could have helped!” She could not believe it.
All this time, while she and Tala were dealing with the Rifts, all of this chaos had been happening right under their noses. This madman, this “Xehanort”, was insane! Kingdom Hearts was not a force to be trifled with, especially if it meant messing with the Princesses of Heart.
And leaving it all in the hands of a few mere Keyblade wielders. Wielders who were hopelessly outnumbered. Seven to thirteen, with creatures like the Heartless against them. It was ridiculous!
How could Yen Sid have not told her about this? How could he have left them all in the dark like this? She could have helped. She would have helped.
How did things come to this?
Yen Sid nodded gravely. “I will agree, these have not been the most desirable circumstances. But your work with the Rifts have been an asset. This task of yours has been a dangerous one, but without it, more Heartless would have been released into this realm. And I could not risk losing the one Hunter we have capable of sealing the Rifts.”
Lita held back. Well, when he put it like that, Yen Sid did have a point. There was only one of Lita, and even if Sylvia could train more Hunters, only Lita was able to perform the spell necessary to get the job done. Tala didn’t have the means necessary.
But still…
“I don’t like to be left in the dark with this, Master,” she said quietly, squaring her shoulders. “My Keyblade chose me for a reason. So if the worlds need my help, it’s my obligation to provide it. My duty to do so.”
“And help you shall.” Yen Sid conceded. “This upcoming war will be something the likes of which few have ever seen. If we are to succeed, every possible asset must come into play. This includes you and your particular set of skills.”
“As such, I wish for you to accompany Riku for now.” The wizard gestured to the silver-haired teen. “Currently, he is searching for the whereabouts of a missing Keyblade Master trapped within the Dark Realm. And although a Master himself, this is no task to take on alone.”
Riku stiffened uncomfortably. “Are you sure about this, Master Yen Sid? I don’t think—”
The wizard silenced his protests with a commanding wave of his hand. “I have no doubts of your skill, Riku. You truly earned your rank as Master. However, with Lita’s ability to track down Rifts, we stand a greater chance of retrieving Master Aqua than ever before. And with Xehanort’s Seekers set loose, it is far too dangerous for anyone to travel alone.”
Riku appeared to still have some reservations. Not that Lita blamed him. She had some of her own. This was a lot of information to suddenly take in, and the more she thought about it, the greater the stakes seemed. This wasn’t just the fate of one world on the line. It was all of them. The entirety of the Realm of Light. Kingdom Hearts itself.
And they were just supposed to work together, despite not knowing the slightest thing about each other. Talk about pressure. Was…was she out of her league?
A tremor ran down her arm. Lita flexed her fingers tensely. Her heart raced.
Hey…Try and think positively, Twinkle toes. You know he’s a Master. And he knows that you can track down Rifts. At least that’s something…Right?
Gods, she hoped so…
Lea decided that he had heard enough. Rising from his seat, the redhead snapped his fingers. A small ball of fire appeared in his palm, reducing that popsicle stick to a little pile of ash. Without even acknowledging Yen Sid, he headed for the door.
“Well, as much as I hate to say it,” he drawled. “I’ve got training to get back to. Man, and I really could’ve used a longer break from Merlin…Come on, Red.”
Kairi held back, watching as he ambled his way out of the room. “Riku, can you go after him? I need to talk to Yen Sid really quick.”
Riku looked down at her, taking note of the strange expression with a frown. “You sure?”
She forced a smile and shooed him away. “Y-Yeah! Don’t worry, I’ll be right down. Just make sure Lea doesn’t fall off the side of the cliff trying to get on the train.”
He didn’t look like he wanted to leave. But after some prodding, he left. If not reluctantly. Once the door shut, Kairi breathed a long sigh of relief.
“Are you alright?” Lita questioned, observing the curious behavior. The redhead offered up a tiny little smile.
“Just nervous is all,” she replied. “This is a lot to take in…I can’t figure out how you’re so calm.”
Lita laughed and shook her head. Oh, she was far from calm. With everything she had just learned, her head was spinning. And her heart. Goodness, it wouldn’t stop pounding against her ribcage! Things seemed so much simpler just being a Rift Hunter. Now she had a war to think about and a search-and-rescue mission too. And with a bunch of people she’d just met.
“Sometimes, you just need to take things one step at a time,” she advised. “This is…completely insane. But at least you’re not alone in this. I’ll help in whatever way I can. Promise.”
Sure, she didn’t know these people. But if Yen Sid was backing them, Lita had good cause to give them the benefit of doubt. She’d be more than happy to lend them a helping hand.
Which reminded her…
“Master Yen Sid.” Lita turned back to face her old caretaker. “A question.”
The old wizard nodded. “Yes?”
“That world I was, um, picked up in…The Destiny Islands. There was a Rift located in the same spot as the Keyhole.” She shook her head in helpless confusion as she went on to explain the odd nature of Destiny Island’s Rift, and the less than typical behavior it displayed while she had attempted to seal it. “I have no explanation for what happened. I’m afraid I just haven’t seen anything like it before.”
The wizard leaned back in his seat and contemplated Lita’s dilemma, running his fingers through his long, trailing beard thoughtfully. After a few moments of deep thought, he looked up.
“The Keyhole to the Destiny Islands was sealed, was it not?”
Kairi raised her hand. “I did it myself, sir.”
This seemed to please Yen Sid. Standing, he came around the desk and placed a calming hand on each girl’s shoulder.
“Do not worry,” he said with a rare smile. “The Destiny Islands are in no danger. Lita, what you observed there was no mere Rift, but a Door to Darkness.”
Lita felt the hot grips of panic claw up her throat. A Door to the Dark Realm right there and she didn’t do a thing about it?! Gods, she was the absolute worst at her job! Sure, they weren’t Rifts, but if someone opened one of those things, they’d be looking at more than just a Heartless problem, sealed Keyhole or not.
How was she not supposed to worry about this?!?
Yen Sid grabbed the girl before she had a chance to bolt out the door. “Let me finish, child…As I was saying, a Door to Darkness exists on that world. However, because of the Keyblade in Kairi’s possession, there is no need to worry. The situation is already well in hand.”
Lita and Kairi exchanged confused stares. What was the wizard talking about?
Yen Sid held his hand out. Following that cue, Kairi summoned her Keyblade and passed it to the retired Master. He held Destiny’s Embrace aloft, turning the blade around in his hands.
“This is from the Realm of Light, like many of the Keyblades in our possession,” he explained. “However, when wielded by a Princess of Heart, who knows what power it is truly capable.”
“When Kairi seal the Destiny Island’s Keyhole her Keyblade produced an iteration of an ancient and powerful spell, Holy. Combined with the power of a Princess of Heart, it not only sealed the Keyhole, but the Door to Darkness as well. It is in no danger of being opened.”
As the wizard returned the Keyblade, Lita stared at its wielder in open-mouthed shock. Could she really be standing next to one of the actual Princesses of Heart? Incredible!
Oh wow, Tala is going to be so jealous when she—!!!
The tower began to shake. Lita, stifling a scream, fell against Yen Sid’s bookcase. Her shoulder ached painfully after catching the corner. Kairi fell to the floor next to her, just barely avoiding tripping over Lita’s legs as she stumbled.
There was a commotion outside, like people fighting. Battle. Lita’s breath caught, lodged somewhere deep in her throat. Paralyzed, she just slid down to the floor and wrapped her arms tightly around her body.
She could smell the smoke. Hear the screams. Gods, it was happening again. Why…Why did this have to keep happening to her?!
The quakes lasted for many long, strenuous minutes. Soon as the tower stopped shaking, Kairi leapt to her feet and bolted towards the window. “There’s some kind of fight going on out there,” she cried. “Riku and Lea, they need help!”
No sooner had she spoke, a sound broke through the air. It started out quiet, just barely noticeable. A whisper of wind that swelled louder and louder until it became like the roar of a hurricane. This deep, resonating sound that made Lita’s teeth vibrate as Yen Sid’s tower groaned under the weight of it.
But, this wasn’t just any sound. Lita knew it. This was a voice she was familiar with, one that roused her from her stupor.
She knew what the sound was, and she knew what it meant.
“Oh gods…”
Kairi pressed her hands over her ears, trying to muffle the racket. Was she hearing that right? But it didn’t make sense. This sounded like…
“Is that a howl?!”
And with that, Lita was out the door. Kairi tore after her, running as fast as her legs would go, struggling to keep up. The dark-haired girl ran like someone possessed, ignoring all rhyme and reason as she hurled herself over railings and down entire flights of stairs. By the time Kairi finally caught up, just a few floors from the bottom, Lita was in her own little world. The girl kept muttering to herself, a hurried jumble of incoherent words. Kairi caught something that sounded a lot like, “What’s she doing here?”
“What’s going on?!” Kairi demanded. “Do you know what’s out there?!”
Lita jumped, as if she were just noticing the other girl at her side. She offered a small nod before jumping over the edge of the tower’s main floor stairway.
Of course, they’d be here. Lita must’ve been out for longer than she thought. That’d be the only explanation for this.
I swear, this day just keeps getting better and better!
“Lita?!”
She grimaced. “In short…That’s my mother out there!”