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1
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2 Prism Hearts
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3 Chapter 9
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4 Eyes on Me
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5 by Amazoness Duo
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6 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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7
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8
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9 ‘I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately...
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10 Like... is any of this for real... or not?’
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11
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12 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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13
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14 “Sora...” The world seemed out of place around them, distorted and
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15 far off. As if they were from another time and place, simply
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16 juxtaposed in this strange nightmare landscape. But it hardly seemed
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17 to matter for the two young friends, reunited at long last. “I never
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18 thought I’d see you again.”
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19
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20 The boy in question, the wanderer of time who had sealed away the
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21 Doorway to the Darkness, could only stand in the princess’s embrace,
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22 too taken aback to do much of anything. When he had sealed away the
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23 Heartless, he had thought that the barriers between the worlds was
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24 returned, that they were separated by an infinite distance. But here
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25 she was, waiting for him in this strange place. “Kairi...” He
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26 swallowed back the lump in his throat and managed to smile. “I told
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27 you I’d always be with you.”
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28
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29 The brunette laughed, burying her head against his shoulder, holding
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30 him as tightly as she could. He felt so real in her grasp. She could
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31 smell him and hear him and feel him against her. “Oh, Sora... Don’t
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32 ever leave me again. You don’t know how much I need you.” She closed
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33 her eyes, but opened them immediately, almost afraid he would
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34 disappear if she did. She couldn’t risk that.
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35
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36 Nodding, Sora pulled the smaller girl closer to him. “I won’t,
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37 Kairi. I promise. I won’t let anything take me away from you. Not
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38 now.” He wanted to take away whatever was bothering Kairi. He had
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39 missed her terribly, but she seemed almost desperate to have him
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40 near. He felt awful for having left her alone in the first place,
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41 even if it hadn’t exactly been his choice.
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42
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43 She sighed, shaking her head against him. “I wish I could believe
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44 that. But it isn’t that simple. Nothing is that simple. But... For as
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45 long as I can, I’ll keep you with me, Sora.”
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46
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47 “Kairi, please don’t talk like that. Nothing will take me away.
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48 You’ll see,” Sora reassured his friend. But she didn’t seem entirely
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49 convinced. He didn’t know what else he could do but prove it to her.
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50 And that would take a while. Glancing about the strange landscape
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51 that surrounded them, his mind turned to another pressing subject.
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52 “Where are we? What is this place? And what was that guy talking
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53 about when he ambushed me? He said something about a princess.”
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54
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55 Disentangling herself from Sora, the brunette stepped back. She
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56 curtsied in her long, lavender dress. “I’m Princess Hikari of the
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57 kingdom of Hollow Bastion.” She grinned as she stood up straight once
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58 more. “Silly. I can’t believe you forgot I was a princess. You must
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59 have a short term memory, Sora.” She giggled as she winked at the boy.
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60
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61 Sora ran a hand behind his head, laughing nervously. “Well, I know
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62 you were one of the seven princesses, but I never really found out
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63 where you were from so I didn’t make the connection.” He blinks as
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64 another connection was made in his mind. “Wait, your name’s Hikari?
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65 But I always thought you were just Kairi.”
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66
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67 Hikari shook her head, tucking some stray hair behind her ear. “They
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68 found me on the beach half conscious. I was muttering a few things
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69 when they got me into bed. They asked my name, but I wasn’t being
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70 very coherent.” She closed her eyes, trying to remember a time that
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71 seemed so long ago. “Hi.. Kari... Kari...” she intoned quietly,
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72 trying to recreate the night she’d been found on the Destiny Islands.
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73 She blinked her eyes open, looking again to Sora. “They thought I was
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74 saying Kairi. I didn’t remember anything when I woke up so I thought
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75 that had to be my name.”
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76
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77 “I don’t know which will take longer to get used to. You being a
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78 princess or you being Hikari.” Sora crossed his arms, mulling this
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79 all over in his head. It was a much bigger revelation than he had
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80 first thought. That meant she was Ansem’s daughter. No wonder she was
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81 so intertwined with everything.
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82
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83 “And as for where we are, it’s sort of difficult to explain.” Hikari
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84 gazed around at the stars blinking around them, some streaking across
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85 the heavens. They were standing out in the center of the universe,
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86 everything swirling around them. Every footstep sent ripples through
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87 space. “Basically, we’re near the birthplace of the stars. Where all
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88 light begins and ends.”
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89
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90 “The Doorway to the Light!” Sora’s eyes went wide as it began to
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91 click. That had been exactly what he had spent all this time
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92 searching for.
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93
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94 The princess nodded, an arm behind her back, watching Sora’s
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95 reaction. “Exactly. Where light is born and sent out into the
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96 universe. The very heart of the universe. All those many worlds
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97 aren’t so different after all. They all share the same heart, after
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98 all.”
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99
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100 “Kingdom Hearts,” Sora replied quietly, remembering his battle with
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101 Ansem at the heart of the universe. “Kingdom Hearts is light...” He
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102 shook his head. “Ansem told me that the Heartless were seeking out
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103 the Heart of the universe just as they sought out people’s hearts and
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104 the hearts of every world. He said that the Heartless were born
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105 there.”
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106
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107 Turning, Hikari looked out into the universe that stretched out
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108 before her. “All of our hearts are born there. And in every heart,
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109 there is darkness. So darkness is born there as well. The Heartless
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110 are the hearts that the darkness has consumed entirely, eclipsing the
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111 last pinprick of light. Yes, the Heartless seek out the Heart of the
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112 universe. It’s their birthplace. They’re drawn to it the same way
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113 they’re drawn to people’s hearts, but on a much larger scale.”
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114
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115 Sora rolled this over in his mind. He really didn’t like the sound
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116 of all that. That the Heartless would be born where everyone’s heart
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117 was, that the Heart of the universe could hold such darkness. “That’s
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118 what I saw behind the Doorway to the Darkness. I saw the Heartless
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119 all about, taking root there. But now I’ve sealed away the Doorway to
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120 the Darkness. When I open the Doorway to the Light, the Heart of the
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121 universe should be fine, shouldn’t it?” he asked anxiously. It had to
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122 be. He’d fought too hard to let the Heartless consume the birthplace
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123 of all hearts.
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124
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125 “Both the Doorway to the Darkness and the Doorway to the Light lead
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126 to the Heart of the universe, Kingdom Hearts,” Princess Hikari
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127 explained. Closing her eyes and stretching out her hands, she spun
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128 under the starlight. “You’ve sealed away the darkness. Now when you
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129 unleash the light, it will spill out across the worlds. The darkness
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130 is locked away now behind that door. It’s trapped there. Now it’s up
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131 to you to unleash the light and heal the worlds. To heal the Heart of
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132 the universe by letting its light go free.”
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133
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134 Sora clenched his fists determinedly. “I’ll do it. I’ll unseal the
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135 doorway and set Riku free. I’ll prove to Ansem that Kingdom Hearts is
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136 light. I’ll let its light fill everyone.” He trailed off feeling a
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137 bit sheepish. He needed to keep from mentioning Ansem. He was
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138 Hikari’s father after all. Even if he had been consumed by the
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139 Heartless, Hikari must still care for him.
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140
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141 As if she had been reading the boy’s thoughts, Hikari turned a soft
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142 smile to Sora. “It’s all right, Sora. I know what my father did. I
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143 read his notes. I know what he was trying to do. And I know you had
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144 to stop him. He let the Heartless use him. He stole Riku’s body. He’s
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145 why Riku’s locked behind the Doorway now. I love my father. But I
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146 understand what happened.” Before Sora could reply, she began to walk
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147 out into space. “The Doorway to the Light is this way.”
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148
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149 Sora blinked. “I.. uhh... Thanks, Kairi. Err... Hikari,” he
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150 corrected himself, hurrying to follow her. At least he hadn’t made a
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151 complete fool of himself, in that case. He winced a bit as he rubbed
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152 the back of his head. “Did your friend really have to hit us so hard?”
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153
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154 This time it was Hikari’s turn to look apologetic. She laughed
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155 nervously. “Oh, that. Sorry about that. Sephiroth was the finest
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156 SOLDIER from our kingdom. My father had him personally protect me.
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157 When my father disappeared, Sephiroth helped me escape Hollow Bastion
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158 before it was overrun by the Heartless. He can be a little intense
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159 sometimes, but he does a wonderful job getting things done. You’re
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160 here, aren’t you?” She turned to him, giggling. “So I’m sorry you got
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161 hurt, but I’m glad he got you here. I missed you.” She reached out,
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162 her fingers taking his. She was so glad to see him again. It felt
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163 like a lifetime had passed since they had last been together. But now
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164 they’d see this through to the end together.
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165
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166 “I missed you, too,” Sora replied, squeezing her soft fingers. It
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167 almost seemed worth going through the pain just to see her again. At
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168 least they were together now. And soon enough, Riku would be there to
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169 join them. Then they’d be complete again. The three of them.
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170
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171 And then they came upon it. Sora could only gaze in amazement. The
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172 princess watched him rather than the sight before them, finding it
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173 much more interesting. There, in the center of the swirling universe
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174 about them, was the Doorway to the Light. The huge, ornate doors
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175 loomed in space, waiting.
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176
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177 Sora ran up to them, placing his hand on the doorway. “This is it.
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178 This is what I’ve been waiting for since the very beginning. I was
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179 supposed to unlock this door. Everything else was just leading up to
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180 this. One of the first voices I heard said that I’d need to do this,
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181 but that I wasn’t ready to unlock it. Now I can. King Mickey told me
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182 that I was the one who would open the Doorway to the Light.” He shook
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183 his head, still in shock that his journey had finally brought him
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184 there. It felt as if he’d been travelling for years, that it had
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185 begun an eternity ago. Blue eyes closed as he pressed his palm
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186 further against the door. Riku had to be there behind it, waiting.
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187 Taking a step back, he summoned his Keyblade. Concentrating, he
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188 lowered it, a beam of light bursting forth into the door’s keyhole.
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189 He turned the Keyblade, bracing himself for the onslaught of light.
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190 But nothing happened. “What?” He blinked, letting his Keyblade slowly
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191 fall forward in his hands.
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192
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193 Hikari stepped up to Sora’s side. “You can’t open it yet. And you
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194 can’t open it alone.”
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195
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196 Slowly nodding in realization, Sora turned his attention to the
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197 princess. “Like with the Doorway to the Darkness. I couldn’t lock it
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198 myself. I needed King Mickey to lock it from the inside while I
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199 locked it from the outside.”
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200
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201 “Exactly. You need Riku to unlock it from the inside with his
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202 Keyblade. The two of you need to unlock it at the same time for it to
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203 open.” Hikari shook her head before Sora could ask a question. “Not
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204 yet. Neither of you can unlock it yet. Even if he could hear you, it
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205 wouldn’t help. The Doorway to the Light can’t be opened until the
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206 chains on it are unlocked.” Reaching forward, she touched the door
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207 with her fingertips. The door lit up brightly, exposing dark, ominous
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208 chains draped about it. Several locks on the chains kept them tightly
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209 against the door. One lock was open while the others maintained their
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210 hold. “The Keyholes to those locks are in certain hearts. Only those
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211 hearts can unlock the chains. Then you and Riku can open the Doorway
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212 to the light.”
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213
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214 Sora took a step back, looking up at the huge doors and their
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215 imposing shackles. “How do we go about unlocking the chains?”
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216
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217 The princess offered a small smile, brushing some hair from her dark
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218 blue eyes. “Don’t worry, Sora. I’m working on it right now.”
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219
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220
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221 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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222
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223
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224 Kairi’s fingers trailed along the stone wall of the castle as she
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225 made her way deeper down the hallway. She had left her room behind in
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226 search of her friends. She had to find Yuffie and Relm. They were the
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227 only ones she had left. She couldn’t risk losing them, too. They had
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228 to be somewhere in the large palace. Now if only she could keep from
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229 getting lost...
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230
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231 Her mind was still reeling from what she had heard from the two
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232 strange girls in her room. Nothing ever seemed to make sense anymore.
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233 It was as if life delighted in teasing her with different views of
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234 reality. Reality itself was becoming a distorted concept. What
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235 constituted ‘real’? She shook her head swiftly, banishing the
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236 thought. She didn’t need to start thinking about that now. She needed
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237 to stay focused. Find her friends. Find the Keyholes. Save Riku.
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238 Happy ending. That simple. She couldn’t afford to let herself get
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239 lost in all this.
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240
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241 There was something almost familiar about the palace. It felt like
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242 she’d been there before. Not this palace itself, but another palace.
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243 From some time long ago. Closing her eyes, the sound of maids and
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244 soldiers and minor dignitaries scurrying about felt normal. As if she
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245 had heard this hundreds of times before. A tinge of homesickness
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246 snaked around her heart. Homesickness for a home she couldn’t
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247 remember, for a father that she didn’t know.
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248
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249 “Kairi?! Kairi, wake up!!”
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250
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251 Kairi whirled about at the voice calling out to her, her heart
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252 pounding at its panicked insistence. But no one was there. Her head
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253 turned swiftly, searching for whoever had screamed her name. As she
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254 began to look past her search for a person, she began to see that the
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255 hallway behind her was no longer there. The stone of the palace had
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256 been replaced with the smooth walls of her by now familiar room. She
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257 turned on her heel to escape down the hallway, but found herself
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258 tripping before she could run. She fell face first on her bed,
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259 surrounded by an army of plush dolls. It was too late. The palace had
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260 left, stranding her once more in this eerily familiar room. She
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261 pounded a fist into the bed in frustration. How could she ever find
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262 anything if she was always getting tossed about between these strange
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263 places?
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264
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265 “And then I’ll be a real boy?”
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266
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267 Slowly pulling her head up, the princess listened intently. She’d
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268 heard a voice. Someone else was there. For once, she wasn’t alone in
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269 this horrible place filled with memories that couldn’t possibly be
|
|
rlm@0
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270 her own. Whoever it was, at least she wouldn’t have to be alone here,
|
|
rlm@0
|
271 left with her own twisted thoughts. But her joy was quickly shot down
|
|
rlm@0
|
272 as her eyes fell upon the television in the room.
|
|
rlm@0
|
273
|
|
rlm@0
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274 “Yes, Pinochio. A real boy.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
275
|
|
rlm@0
|
276 The Disney movie played out on the screen before her, taunting her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
277 “And what do I have to do to be real?” she asked quietly. She hugged
|
|
rlm@0
|
278 an armful of dolls to her chest, characters from all across her
|
|
rlm@0
|
279 travels. They were all real. They had to be. She had been with Yuffie
|
|
rlm@0
|
280 and Relm just a few short hours ago. They weren’t just these bits of
|
|
rlm@0
|
281 fluff and cloth. They were still waiting for her in the Alexandria
|
|
rlm@0
|
282 Palace in a world so close and yet so far away.
|
|
rlm@0
|
283
|
|
rlm@0
|
284 “Kairi, please get up...” a strained voice begged her from the other
|
|
rlm@0
|
285 side of the room. Near her door. Her heart froze. Not again. Not
|
|
rlm@0
|
286 whoever was waiting on the other side of her locked door. But this
|
|
rlm@0
|
287 sounded different. The person sounded like they were about to break
|
|
rlm@0
|
288 down sobbing. And they sounded closer. On the inside of the room.
|
|
rlm@0
|
289 This didn’t ease Kairi’s concerns. She slowly rolled over to face the
|
|
rlm@0
|
290 door, her heart beating madly in her chest. This meant someone was
|
|
rlm@0
|
291 inside with her. The thought that had been so comforting moments
|
|
rlm@0
|
292 before now only served to horrify her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
293
|
|
rlm@0
|
294 But no one was there. The brunette blinked, still clutching onto her
|
|
rlm@0
|
295 dolls. She’d heard someone right there. Yet she saw straight to the
|
|
rlm@0
|
296 door. She sat up slowly, searching the room for the source of the
|
|
rlm@0
|
297 voice. Nothing but her assortment of pictures, Disney and Square
|
|
rlm@0
|
298 trinkets. The image of a girl desperately trying to escape her own
|
|
rlm@0
|
299 life. It made her sick to look at. Thankfully, something caught her
|
|
rlm@0
|
300 eye. She let the dolls fall back onto the bed as she got up to
|
|
rlm@0
|
301 inspect it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
302
|
|
rlm@0
|
303 Something dark was lying on the floor near the door. It looked like
|
|
rlm@0
|
304 a shadow, but there didn’t seem to be anything casting it. A shadow
|
|
rlm@0
|
305 without an owner. There it lay, as if the shadow had died while
|
|
rlm@0
|
306 searching for whoever it belonged to. It lay near the door, as if
|
|
rlm@0
|
307 someone had died and had stained the very ground with their shadow
|
|
rlm@0
|
308 rather than their blood. A flicker of movement nearly sent her
|
|
rlm@0
|
309 stumbling backwards. At first, she thought the shadow had come back
|
|
rlm@0
|
310 to life, searching for a new owner. But as she watched, she could see
|
|
rlm@0
|
311 it was a separate shadow, of someone taller than the first. It seemed
|
|
rlm@0
|
312 to be shaking. Maybe it was frightened. Or angry. Or sad. Kairi took
|
|
rlm@0
|
313 a step closer. She began to make out the shape of a woman from the
|
|
rlm@0
|
314 shadow. A woman kneeling. It slowly reached out to the other shadow,
|
|
rlm@0
|
315 moving it gently. With no response from the first shadow, it moved
|
|
rlm@0
|
316 forward, cradling the other shadow in its arms.
|
|
rlm@0
|
317
|
|
rlm@0
|
318 “Kairi, please don’t die... Please, please don’t die...” the voice
|
|
rlm@0
|
319 choked out, right where the woman would be if she were more than a
|
|
rlm@0
|
320 shadow.
|
|
rlm@0
|
321
|
|
rlm@0
|
322 An icy chill began to crawl under Kairi’s skin. She took a slow,
|
|
rlm@0
|
323 awkward step forward. “M..mom...?” She asked without quite realizing
|
|
rlm@0
|
324 it. That shadow she had seen, unmoving on the floor, that had been
|
|
rlm@0
|
325 her? But... No! “Mom..?” She asked again, trying to get the woman’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
326 attention. “I’m not dead... I’m not. I won’t die, mom. I’m right
|
|
rlm@0
|
327 here.” She laughed weakly, trying to sound sure of herself. But it
|
|
rlm@0
|
328 sounded broken even in her own ears. She could hear sobbing in her
|
|
rlm@0
|
329 empty room. It echoed eerily throughout the room, filling the
|
|
rlm@0
|
330 princess with a horrible dread. That couldn’t be here. She was right
|
|
rlm@0
|
331 here. The world suddenly tilted on its axis and for a split second
|
|
rlm@0
|
332 she saw her mother. A pretty, slender woman, holding tightly onto
|
|
rlm@0
|
333 her. She was motionless, pale and bloodstained. Then they were gone,
|
|
rlm@0
|
334 nothing but shadows and an insistent sobbing. “Mom! I’m right here!”
|
|
rlm@0
|
335 Kairi cried out, hugging herself tightly. “Please... please look at
|
|
rlm@0
|
336 me... mom... I’m.. I’m here...” Her world blurred in a burning haze
|
|
rlm@0
|
337 of tears. She opened her moth to once again beg her mother to see
|
|
rlm@0
|
338 her, but nothing came out but a pained sob. She closed her eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
339 tightly, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. There was no one there to
|
|
rlm@0
|
340 hear her. She was all alone. Her mother couldn’t hear her. It was
|
|
rlm@0
|
341 only a shadow. But was it a shadow of things to come? Or what had
|
|
rlm@0
|
342 already passed? Or simply a nightmare?
|
|
rlm@0
|
343
|
|
rlm@0
|
344 The sobbing silenced abruptly. Kairi blinked her tear soaked eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
345 open only to find the two shadows were gone. Her own shadow was the
|
|
rlm@0
|
346 only one she could see and it appeared to be anchored securely to
|
|
rlm@0
|
347 herself. She shuddered, still holding herself.
|
|
rlm@0
|
348
|
|
rlm@0
|
349 “Don’t cry, Kairi,” a voice said soothingly. This time, it was from
|
|
rlm@0
|
350 behind the door.
|
|
rlm@0
|
351
|
|
rlm@0
|
352 Kairi wanted to argue with the mysterious voice, to say that she was
|
|
rlm@0
|
353 fine, but it was different this time. Soft, yet strong. Pained. For
|
|
rlm@0
|
354 her. The whispered words encircled her head like a wreath as she
|
|
rlm@0
|
355 tried to figure out who had said them. Taking a hesitant step towards
|
|
rlm@0
|
356 the door, her heart spun about, familiar feelings bubbling up. But
|
|
rlm@0
|
357 why? “Riku!!” Her eyes went wide as she ran the rest of the way to
|
|
rlm@0
|
358 the door, nearly colliding with it. Her hands stopped her as she
|
|
rlm@0
|
359 reached it, slowing her body enough so that she merely slumped
|
|
rlm@0
|
360 against it. “Riku, is that you?” Her ear pressed tightly against the
|
|
rlm@0
|
361 door, straining to hear any sign of the silver haired boy. She held
|
|
rlm@0
|
362 her breath, afraid that it would obscure the sound of his footsteps.
|
|
rlm@0
|
363 She waited desperately for an answer, horrified that it might have
|
|
rlm@0
|
364 been her imagination.
|
|
rlm@0
|
365
|
|
rlm@0
|
366 A soft chuckle. “Yep, it’s me. You can’t get rid of me that easily,
|
|
rlm@0
|
367 Kairi.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
368
|
|
rlm@0
|
369
|
|
rlm@0
|
370 “Riku!!” Kairi laughed joyously at her friend’s voice. He was here.
|
|
rlm@0
|
371 She’d found him. It was really him this time. She could feel it. And
|
|
rlm@0
|
372 all that stood between them was this one door. Though it might as
|
|
rlm@0
|
373 well have been a world apart since she couldn’t get it open. But she
|
|
rlm@0
|
374 couldn’t let that get to her. Not now. Not with him so close. Her
|
|
rlm@0
|
375 palms pressed tightly against the door, almost trying to go straight
|
|
rlm@0
|
376 through it, to will it away. But it stood it’s ground, firm against
|
|
rlm@0
|
377 her. Thousands of thoughts swirled about in her mind in a tornado.
|
|
rlm@0
|
378 She didn’t even know where to begin. Her feelings, her thoughts, her
|
|
rlm@0
|
379 journey. They suddenly seemed unimportant. “I knew I’d find you,” she
|
|
rlm@0
|
380 whispered.
|
|
rlm@0
|
381
|
|
rlm@0
|
382 “Thank you, Kairi,” Riku replied, his own hand against the door,
|
|
rlm@0
|
383 those few inches of wood the only thing separating them. “I knew you
|
|
rlm@0
|
384 wouldn’t give up. You’re stronger than me and Sora.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
385
|
|
rlm@0
|
386 Kairi shook her head, slumping it against the cold frame of the
|
|
rlm@0
|
387 door. “No, I’m not. I don’t even know what’s real anymore. You and
|
|
rlm@0
|
388 Sora would be doing a much better job than me. You wouldn’t be
|
|
rlm@0
|
389 doubting everything so much. You wouldn’t be so scared. You wouldn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
390 keep getting captured.” Her eyes closed tightly. Here she was talking
|
|
rlm@0
|
391 to Riku on the other side of a locked door in her bedroom. How was
|
|
rlm@0
|
392 she supposed to know what was real and what was illusion?
|
|
rlm@0
|
393
|
|
rlm@0
|
394 “Kairi... Just because you can’t fight doesn’t make you weak. Sora
|
|
rlm@0
|
395 and I can fight, but there’s always someone better. You have
|
|
rlm@0
|
396 something much stronger than any weapon he or I could hold. You make
|
|
rlm@0
|
397 people want to protect you, to fight for you. Your heart lights up
|
|
rlm@0
|
398 the darkness the way no Keyblade could. And why does it matter if you
|
|
rlm@0
|
399 doubt? If you’re scared? You’re still here, aren’t you? Despite your
|
|
rlm@0
|
400 doubts, despite your fears, you kept coming. You never gave up, even
|
|
rlm@0
|
401 when all hope seemed lost. I think that makes you stronger to have
|
|
rlm@0
|
402 faced it and pushed forward instead of not seeing it at all. You’re
|
|
rlm@0
|
403 very strong, Kairi. I only wish I could be there with you. I don’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
404 want you to have to do this on your own. I want to catch you when you
|
|
rlm@0
|
405 fall. I want to be right there behind you.” He sighed, looking down.
|
|
rlm@0
|
406 He felt so helpless, trapped. It wouldn’t matter so much if he knew
|
|
rlm@0
|
407 Kairi was safe, but knowing she was out there searching and that
|
|
rlm@0
|
408 there was nothing he could do to help...
|
|
rlm@0
|
409
|
|
rlm@0
|
410 Shaking her head, Kairi smiled faintly. “I’m not alone. No matter
|
|
rlm@0
|
411 where I am, I’m never alone. I have two girls travelling with me
|
|
rlm@0
|
412 right now. Yuffie and Relm. They’re my friends. They’ve helped me so
|
|
rlm@0
|
413 much. And even when I’m away from them, I know you and Sora are with
|
|
rlm@0
|
414 me.” A hand pulled away from the door, resting on her heart. “No
|
|
rlm@0
|
415 matter how far apart we are, we’re always together. That’s what kept
|
|
rlm@0
|
416 me going.” She swallowed, blinking back tears. “Because I know you’re
|
|
rlm@0
|
417 there with me every step of the way. If I listen very closely and I
|
|
rlm@0
|
418 close my eyes, I can hear your footsteps echoing with mine.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
419
|
|
rlm@0
|
420 “Kairi...” Riku spread his fingers against the door, trying to hold
|
|
rlm@0
|
421 the princess’s hand in his own. “I can feel you with me, too.” She
|
|
rlm@0
|
422 was right there. So close... He had done everything he could to save
|
|
rlm@0
|
423 her. Now he would give anything to be by her side again. “I want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
424 see you one last time. I can’t go until I’ve seen you once more.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
425
|
|
rlm@0
|
426 Blinking her still blurry eyes open, Kairi strained to see through
|
|
rlm@0
|
427 the door to the boy on the other side. “What do you man? I’ll set you
|
|
rlm@0
|
428 free, Riku. I promise. Then we’ll be together forever. Just like we
|
|
rlm@0
|
429 always planned. You, me, and Sora.” Why did it sound like Riku
|
|
rlm@0
|
430 wouldn’t be there for it? He’d have to be. She was going to save him.
|
|
rlm@0
|
431
|
|
rlm@0
|
432 A long silence lingered in the air before Riku finally responded. “I
|
|
rlm@0
|
433 lost my body. Ansem had it, remember? When Sora defeated him, he died
|
|
rlm@0
|
434 with my body. My heart fought off the darkness, but I couldn’t bring
|
|
rlm@0
|
435 my body with me. The Farplane, the Lifestream, whatever you want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
436 call where hearts go, it’s calling me. But I refuse to go yet. Not
|
|
rlm@0
|
437 until I see you one last time.” He hadn’t wanted to tell her. He
|
|
rlm@0
|
438 could handle it as long as he knew she was all right. And she would
|
|
rlm@0
|
439 be, once she met up with Sora. He would protect Kairi for Riku. But
|
|
rlm@0
|
440 he couldn’t lie to Kairi. He never could.
|
|
rlm@0
|
441
|
|
rlm@0
|
442 “You’ll...” Kairi looked dumbly at the door, the revelation sending
|
|
rlm@0
|
443 cracks through her heart. “No! You can’t go!” She slumped against the
|
|
rlm@0
|
444 door, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. She had come this far
|
|
rlm@0
|
445 only to find out that Riku had lost his body? That he’d disappear
|
|
rlm@0
|
446 soon? The light at the end of her tunnel was suddenly eclipsed. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
447 was cast once more into darkness. All they had done... Was it all for
|
|
rlm@0
|
448 nothing? Yes, she could set fee the light behind the door, but that
|
|
rlm@0
|
449 wasn’t what she was fighting for. She was fighting for Riku, to have
|
|
rlm@0
|
450 him close again. But now...
|
|
rlm@0
|
451
|
|
rlm@0
|
452 “It’s all right, Kairi. I’ll be fine. I knew the risks when I joined
|
|
rlm@0
|
453 Maleficent. But I didn’t care. I would do anything to save your
|
|
rlm@0
|
454 heart. As long as you’re safe, it doesn’t matter what happens to me.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
455 Riku smiled softly, his fingertips against the door. Yes, that was
|
|
rlm@0
|
456 the important thing. Kairi had her heart back. Even if some
|
|
rlm@0
|
457 sacrifices had to be made, that was all that mattered.
|
|
rlm@0
|
458
|
|
rlm@0
|
459 “No...” Kairi shook her head, slowly looking up. She had come too
|
|
rlm@0
|
460 far to give up. She couldn’t quit on Riku. She wouldn’t let this stop
|
|
rlm@0
|
461 her. “I won’t let you go. I’m going to save you, Riku. Somehow. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
462 promised. And I will. You aren’t the only one who’d do anything. I’ll
|
|
rlm@0
|
463 do anything to save your heart. I owe that much to you. And... I
|
|
rlm@0
|
464 don’t want to be without you. I won’t give up. This time it’s my turn
|
|
rlm@0
|
465 to fight for you. I’ll find a way to open this door. And I’ll find a
|
|
rlm@0
|
466 way to protect your heart.” Closing her eyes, she kissed the door
|
|
rlm@0
|
467 softly. “Just wait for me, Riku.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
468
|
|
rlm@0
|
469 Riku looked ahead at the door, taken by surprise. He hadn’t expected
|
|
rlm@0
|
470 that. A small smile played across his lips. “And you said you weren’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
471 strong. I’ll be here, Kairi. Waiting for you. I’ll wait as long as it
|
|
rlm@0
|
472 takes.” His hopelessness started to melt away at Kairi’s words. He
|
|
rlm@0
|
473 had faith in her. And just knowing she would fight for him meant
|
|
rlm@0
|
474 everything to him.
|
|
rlm@0
|
475
|
|
rlm@0
|
476 Kairi’s fingers brushed the doorknob, her heart trying to unwind
|
|
rlm@0
|
477 itself from fears and anxieties holding it back. She may not have
|
|
rlm@0
|
478 another chance to say it. No, she couldn’t think like that. But
|
|
rlm@0
|
479 still... Who knew when she’d get to see him again? “Riku... I love...”
|
|
rlm@0
|
480
|
|
rlm@0
|
481 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@0
|
482
|
|
rlm@0
|
483 Wandering aimlessly through the courtyard, Eiko’s heart felt heavy.
|
|
rlm@0
|
484 Why wouldn’t the princess notice her? Garnet was too concerned with
|
|
rlm@0
|
485 other things. She only saw her as a little girl. It was certainly
|
|
rlm@0
|
486 frustrating. She crossed her arms, kicking a rock in her path.
|
|
rlm@0
|
487 Princess Garnet was the only good part of being kidnapped by that
|
|
rlm@0
|
488 Kuja guy and dragged to the Alexandria Palace. The princess had made
|
|
rlm@0
|
489 the distant palace feel a little less lonely. She’d been the first
|
|
rlm@0
|
490 real person that Eiko felt she could trust. She had grown up with
|
|
rlm@0
|
491 moogles for company in a deserted city of summoners, the last of her
|
|
rlm@0
|
492 kind. She hadn't realized how alone she had felt until meeting the
|
|
rlm@0
|
493 beautiful Princess Garnet. She felt safe with her. Warm. Dizzy.
|
|
rlm@0
|
494
|
|
rlm@0
|
495 Sighing, the purple haired summoner held her hands over her heart.
|
|
rlm@0
|
496 All she had to do was deliver the letter in her hands and Garnet
|
|
rlm@0
|
497 would finally know of her feelings. Butterflies fluttered about
|
|
rlm@0
|
498 chaotically in her stomach. She was nervous about letting Garnet know
|
|
rlm@0
|
499 but she couldn't sit by any longer. It was driving her insane. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
500 had to tell the princess. Even if it was through a stupid love
|
|
rlm@0
|
501 letter. Sighing, she tried to quash her nervousness, feeling the
|
|
rlm@0
|
502 letter underneath her fingers. Yes, she had to do this. She'd just
|
|
rlm@0
|
503 find a nice place to put it and then run as far as she could and send
|
|
rlm@0
|
504 Mog to find out how she'd reacted. Cowardly, perhaps, but she was too
|
|
rlm@0
|
505 embarrassed to be more straightforward about it. Besides, she thought
|
|
rlm@0
|
506 she'd made it painfully obvious how she felt about Garnet so far and
|
|
rlm@0
|
507 the princess hadn't shown an inkling of recognition. Steeling
|
|
rlm@0
|
508 herself, she nodded and continued through the garden. The guards
|
|
rlm@0
|
509 didn't see her as a threat and the princess let her come and go from
|
|
rlm@0
|
510 her quarters as she pleased, so it wouldn't be a problem getting
|
|
rlm@0
|
511 there to leave the letter on Garnet's pillow.
|
|
rlm@0
|
512
|
|
rlm@0
|
513 An all too familiar sound reached Eiko halfway through the garden.
|
|
rlm@0
|
514 She slowed to a halt, listening intently. Someone was crying. Hearing
|
|
rlm@0
|
515 the sound was odd. She'd never heard someone else cry before. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
516 brought up the same lost and lonely feelings within her that she
|
|
rlm@0
|
517 associated with it. Searching around the garden, she began to search
|
|
rlm@0
|
518 out its source. She didn't know what she could do about it, but she
|
|
rlm@0
|
519 didn't feel right just ignoring it. The moogles she'd lived with had
|
|
rlm@0
|
520 always been there for her when she'd been crying. The sound seemed to
|
|
rlm@0
|
521 be coming from behind some bushes. Pushing past the bushes, Eiko
|
|
rlm@0
|
522 stepped out on the other side to find a blonde girl hugging her legs,
|
|
rlm@0
|
523 her head on her knees. It was then that Eiko remembered she didn't
|
|
rlm@0
|
524 have any experience with this sort of thing. "Um.. Hi..." she stated
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|
rlm@0
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525 dumbly. She inwardly berated herself, quickly trying to come up with
|
|
rlm@0
|
526 something just a bit more comforting. "Are you okay?"
|
|
rlm@0
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527
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|
rlm@0
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528 It took Relm a moment to acknowledge the summoner's presence. Her
|
|
rlm@0
|
529 head slowly lifted from her knees, blinking at the wet tears that
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|
rlm@0
|
530 coursed down her cheeks. A younger lavender haired girl stood before
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|
rlm@0
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531 her, an odd horn on her forehead. She was about to tell the girl to
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|
rlm@0
|
532 leave her alone, but the uncomfortable, worried look in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
533 summoner's eyes shut her up. She was already feeling too crappy to
|
|
rlm@0
|
534 hurt a little girl's feelings. Shaking her head slowly, Relm rested
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|
rlm@0
|
535 her chin on her knees again. "Not really." Sniffling, she wiped at
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|
rlm@0
|
536 her eyes with her palms. After she had left Yuffie, she had run as
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|
rlm@0
|
537 far as she could. By now she was completely lost. Which only made her
|
|
rlm@0
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538 feel more helpless and confused about everything. 'Yuffie...' the
|
|
rlm@0
|
539 artist thought, a fresh wave of pain cascading through her. Her eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
540 closed warily, feeling fresh tears gathering.
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|
rlm@0
|
541
|
|
rlm@0
|
542 Looking down, Eiko waited for the older girl to continue. Her hands
|
|
rlm@0
|
543 behind her, she still clutched her love letter for Garnet. She busied
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|
rlm@0
|
544 herself with looking at her foot, shifting it on the soft grass. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
545 was headstrong enough to rush into things, but once she was in the
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|
rlm@0
|
546 middle of them, she easily found herself over her head. People were
|
|
rlm@0
|
547 so confusing. Moogles made so much more sense. She knew how to act
|
|
rlm@0
|
548 around them. A sad thought entered her mind at that. She was too used
|
|
rlm@0
|
549 to being alone. She had lived alone for so long that she was still
|
|
rlm@0
|
550 having trouble getting used to people. No matter how much she wanted
|
|
rlm@0
|
551 to be around them. Garnet in particular. So she had to try. To give
|
|
rlm@0
|
552 it a shot. To show that she could be around people, that she could
|
|
rlm@0
|
553 try to understand them. "What's wrong?" Eiko asked at last. Tilting
|
|
rlm@0
|
554 her head to the side, she glanced up at Relm expectantly. Not exactly
|
|
rlm@0
|
555 the best reply, but it was something.
|
|
rlm@0
|
556
|
|
rlm@0
|
557 Sighing, Relm closed her eyes tightly. It all came out in a rush.
|
|
rlm@0
|
558 "It's Yuffie. She doesn't care what I do. I'm just annoying to her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
559 She thinks I'm just a crazy bimbo that wants to hang off of her. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
560 doesn't care how I feel. She's selfish and only cares about what
|
|
rlm@0
|
561 happens to her. But I love her anyway. Even if she can't understand.
|
|
rlm@0
|
562 Even if she thinks I'm just..." She swallowed again and again, trying
|
|
rlm@0
|
563 to choke back the tears. A muffled sob escaped her as she pressed her
|
|
rlm@0
|
564 face against her trembling knees.
|
|
rlm@0
|
565
|
|
rlm@0
|
566 Eiko sat down next to the sobbing artist. That sounded familiar. Too
|
|
rlm@0
|
567 familiar. Maybe people weren't so difficult to understand after all.
|
|
rlm@0
|
568 Did everyone hurt that badly? It was a scary thought. She reached out
|
|
rlm@0
|
569 hesitantly, not sure how to help, how to comfort the blonde girl. Her
|
|
rlm@0
|
570 hand nearly touched Relm's shoulder before she slowly pulled it back.
|
|
rlm@0
|
571 She didn't know what to do. Sighing softly, Relm's crying surrounded
|
|
rlm@0
|
572 her. How often had she done that? She'd promised her grandfather that
|
|
rlm@0
|
573 she'd be a big girl, that she could take care of herself, but
|
|
rlm@0
|
574 sometimes... "I'm sorry." She shook her head, her lavender hair
|
|
rlm@0
|
575 wisping past her eyes. "It isn't fair. Why can't they understand? We
|
|
rlm@0
|
576 love them so much that it hurts, but they can't see that. They're so
|
|
rlm@0
|
577 lost in their own worlds that they don't even know we're there. That
|
|
rlm@0
|
578 we need them so much." She pulled up the letter to Garnet, reading
|
|
rlm@0
|
579 her love's name again and again. Why did this happen? Why did it have
|
|
rlm@0
|
580 to hurt so much? Wasn't love supposed to end happily like in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
581 fairy tales she'd heard as a young child? It was. It had to. Damn it,
|
|
rlm@0
|
582 what was the point of being around people and falling in love if all
|
|
rlm@0
|
583 it did was hurt you? Letting the letter drop from her fingers, she
|
|
rlm@0
|
584 stood up again. She wouldn't just leave a letter on Garnet's bed and
|
|
rlm@0
|
585 run away. She would find another way.
|
|
rlm@0
|
586
|
|
rlm@0
|
587 A small, warm hand rested on Relm's shoulder, drawing her out from
|
|
rlm@0
|
588 the veil of tears that surrounded her. She blinked weakly and gazed
|
|
rlm@0
|
589 through blurry eyes to the lavender haired summoner. The younger girl
|
|
rlm@0
|
590 was looking at her with an almost desperate intensity in her eyes.
|
|
rlm@0
|
591 She held back her sobs, sniffling quietly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
592
|
|
rlm@0
|
593 "I think... I think we're going through the same thing right now. We
|
|
rlm@0
|
594 can't give up. Love isn't supposed to work like this. So that means
|
|
rlm@0
|
595 we have to make it work. We can't let it end like this. We have to
|
|
rlm@0
|
596 fight for it. It would be too easy to walk away and be alone again.
|
|
rlm@0
|
597 But I can't do that anymore. And if this Yuffie can make you cry like
|
|
rlm@0
|
598 that, I don't think you want to be alone again either. Let's do it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
599 Let's make them realize everything. Let's make it so they can't ever
|
|
rlm@0
|
600 deny how much we love them again," Eiko said determinedly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
601
|
|
rlm@0
|
602 Relm was taken aback by the girl's words. For a moment she wondered
|
|
rlm@0
|
603 how a girl so young could understand, but she brushed that aside. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
604 understood. That was the important thing. The only thing. Reaching
|
|
rlm@0
|
605 out, she rested her hand on top of Eiko's, smiling faintly through
|
|
rlm@0
|
606 her tears. Her head nodded weakly, a soft giggle slipping from her
|
|
rlm@0
|
607 lips. A renewed fire burned within her heart. "Let's."
|
|
rlm@0
|
608
|
|
rlm@0
|
609
|
|
rlm@0
|
610
|
