[Kingdom Hearts AU] Someone to Watch Out for You

Five Lights Left

"There." Ven said as he moved away from Sabrina. Placed a little above her right elbow was her own Keyblade armor activation button. "Remember that the armor activation should be snug, but not tight. It's armor, even when it's not. Just don't rely on it fully protecting you while it's inactive."

"Got it." Sabrina agreed with a stiff nod. Her fingers retraced over the activation with care. When she looked up at him, her eyes were more determined than ever before. "So where do we start? It's not like Yen Sid was the most descriptive."

"At least he gave us this map." Ven agreed, bringing their attention to a large map that was stationed in the center of the Gummi Ship's cockpit.

"Not that we know how to work it either." Sabrina reminded him, folding her arms in annoyance. To this, he couldn't refute, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck while giving an agreeing, yet nervous, chuckle.

"You will use your hearts to find, and ideally protect, the Princesses of Heart." Yen Sid had told them back at the Mysterious Tower. "Whoever is causing the worlds to fall to darkness may be searching for the Princesses of Heart, the seven of purest light, as well. I will provide for you a map that will help make this easier. But be warned- two of the pure lights can not be reached. They have long since been lost to the evil forces at work. This makes your mission to find the other five that much more imperative."

Now, looking at that very map, the duo had even less of an idea on how it was supposed to help them. It was blank. No known worlds even appeared on it. Its contents were just as dark and vast as the Lanes Between around them.

"Use our hearts." Sabrina grumbled under her breath. "What good's mine when it already dips so close to darkness?" She glanced up at Ventus before adding, "You're the one filled with light here. You're the one acting as a beacon for my own light. Don't you have any bright ideas?"

Ventus's reply was a small, thoughtful hum. He wasn't quite paying attention to her at the moment. All of his focus was going into figuring out that map.

"Pull out your Keyblade," he suggested, summoning his own in the process. "I have a theory."

Sabrina cocked an eyebrow at him, but did as she was told.

"Now what?" she asked with one hand on her hip and the other firmly holding the Keyblade.

"Point it at the map," he instructed, doing so as he said it, "Close your eyes, and just... focus."

"On what, exactly?"

Ven, with his eyes closed, lulled his head from side to side before deciding, "Hearts."

Sabrina stood a bit taller at this. She gave Ven a firm nod before also angling her Keyblade at the blank map. She closed her eyes and cleared all the thoughts from her head. Hearts. It wasn't hard to find the intent of one- some happened to hide it better than others. To find one, though, based on light alone? It took vulnerability. It meant opening your heart up to others with the risk of getting hurt in the process. Sabrina wasn't used to it, but the worlds were at stake. She had to try.

Something like this felt more natural to Ven. The tip of his Keyblade started to glow before a beam of light shot from it to the map. Without looking, he knew that was the location of a pure light who was firm, but forgiving. Studious, but not boasting. Soon after, an identical beam of light came from Sabrina's Keyblade. That pure light was curious. Very, very curious indeed. Ven found the next two lights almost simultaneously. Both were recognizable to him. A pure light who was known to be in the darkest of places by pure accident, and the other who was similarly displaced from her original home. The last pure light was found by Sabrina. It was one a lot like her- a strong will and an even stronger sense of justice.