Mercurial > moonlitnights
comparison old/stories/prismhearts-16.txt @ 2:fc00894c1d4a moonlitnights
[svn r3] moved all the bad stuff to 'old'
| author | rlm |
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| date | Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:53:12 -0500 |
| parents | |
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| 1 Prism Hearts | |
| 2 Chapter 16Addicted to You | |
| 3 by Amazoness Duo | |
| 4 amazonessduo@hotmail.com | |
| 5 “Come stop your crying, | |
| 6 It will be all right.Just take my hand,Hold it tight.I will protect | |
| 7 you from all around you.I will be here, | |
| 8 Don't you cry.For one so small,You seem so strong.My arms will hold | |
| 9 you,Keep you safe and warm.This bond between us can't be broken.I | |
| 10 will be here,Don't you cry.Cause you'll be in my heart.Yes, you'll be | |
| 11 in my heart.From this day on, | |
| 12 Now and forevermore...” | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 Chaos. A surreal picture out of the mind of a disturbed artist. | |
| 16 Reality on the very brink. This was the sight that greeted Kairi upon | |
| 17 entering the doorway. This was the road to Kingdom Hearts, to the | |
| 18 very heart of the universe. It was where all hearts were born. And | |
| 19 here she was at the very edge of reality, where all the was existed | |
| 20 in some cataclysmic dance. Roads traveled high overhead, twisting and | |
| 21 turning this way and that. Upside down palaces hung in the distant | |
| 22 sky. An ocean seemed to lay peacefully some distance to her right, | |
| 23 climbing vertically into the heavens. So this was the End of the | |
| 24 World. The road to Kingdom Hearts. | |
| 25 | |
| 26 Steeling herself, Kairi clutched the tiny key around her neck. Riku | |
| 27 was at the end of this road. And somehow she knew that Sora was | |
| 28 somewhere close by, too. She needed to move forward. They needed her. | |
| 29 This time, she was all alone. There was no one to back her up or to | |
| 30 save her if she got in trouble. The absence of Yuffie and Relm hung | |
| 31 heavily on her, as if something were missing. But too many had | |
| 32 already been hurt because of her. It was time for her to end this. | |
| 33 Once and for all. Images of Yuna and Rikku came unbidden to her mind | |
| 34 and she had to force back the thoughts before she lost the will to go | |
| 35 forward. | |
| 36 | |
| 37 “I know you're stronger than that, Kairi,” Riku's voice called to | |
| 38 her. | |
| 39 | |
| 40 “Remember what you said? I'll always be with you, too,” Sora's voice | |
| 41 carried on the wind. | |
| 42 | |
| 43 A small smile crossed Kairi's lips. The brunette nodded, blinking | |
| 44 tearfilled eyes open. “I'm coming. Just wait a little longer.” Here | |
| 45 she was, finally nearing the end of her journey. It seemed like a | |
| 46 lifetime ago when she had picked up the Keyblade and left to find the | |
| 47 ones she loved. But now it was almost over. | |
| 48 | |
| 49 “I'll never get anywhere just standing here,” the princess whispered | |
| 50 to herself. She could almost hear Riku sighing exasperatedly, joking | |
| 51 about how lazy she and Sora were. Thoughts of Sora and Riku spun in | |
| 52 her heart, her driving focus. They were the strength in her heart. | |
| 53 Letting go of the key handing from her neck, Kairi ran down the path | |
| 54 towards the end of the dream. | |
| 55 | |
| 56 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
| 57 | |
| 58 “Got ya!” Sora cried out. His hand struck out as he tried to grab | |
| 59 hold of Hikari. The darkly clad brunette giggled and barely brushed | |
| 60 past him yet again. She danced playfully out of range, her dark | |
| 61 violet eyes shimmering as she watched him. Both were breathing | |
| 62 heavily. | |
| 63 | |
| 64 He moved to the right. She leaned to the left. Grabbing for her, the | |
| 65 princess skittered out of the way once more. In their makeshift | |
| 66 playground, Sora never took his eyes off of Hikari. Since they had | |
| 67 played like this, so much time had passed. But now it felt like they | |
| 68 were back on the Destiny Islands, playing their days away. All of his | |
| 69 thoughts and worries were far in the background. All that mattered | |
| 70 was their game and the mix of emotions it sent rushing through him. | |
| 71 For the time being, all of the darkness that had tried to swallow him | |
| 72 up in his battle against the Heartless was forgotten, replaced only | |
| 73 with the sweet feeling of their chase. | |
| 74 | |
| 75 Even in the princess's mind, the end was far from her thoughts. Only | |
| 76 the vaguest hint of the unshed tears in her heart tainted her | |
| 77 otherwise playful thoughts. This was something she had never done | |
| 78 before. And yet, because of Kairi, it was her fondest memory. The | |
| 79 memories of a much crueler version of being chased by cruel, hateful | |
| 80 classmates because she was different was pushed to the furthest | |
| 81 depths of her memory. Now there was only Sora and their game. | |
| 82 | |
| 83 His heart was so pure. In her world of coldness and jagged shadows, | |
| 84 being near him was like snuggling next to a fire on a frigid day. The | |
| 85 days since he'd come to her in this palace at the End of the World, | |
| 86 they had spent talking and playing. Memories from her life as Kairi | |
| 87 flooded back with each moment she was with him. It made it all the | |
| 88 more bittersweet. But in a way, that made it even better. She was | |
| 89 just happy to be able to spend this time with him.So lost in thought | |
| 90 was Hikari that she didn't get out in the way in time when Sora | |
| 91 lunged at her. The spikey haired boy wrapped his arm around her, | |
| 92 momentum carrying them both forward. The two of them landed in a heap | |
| 93 on the grass, Sora on top of Hikari. The flowers around them pushed | |
| 94 off of their stalks, soaring into the air as a multitude of different | |
| 95 colored butterflies. | |
| 96 | |
| 97 Hikari gazed up at the boy over her, watching as the butterflies | |
| 98 swirled up over his head into the treetops. So beautiful. Reaching | |
| 99 out, she let her fingers gently stroke his cheek. She giggled softly | |
| 100 when she saw his faint blush spreading over his cheek. How cute. Her | |
| 101 fingers continued onward, playing with his spikey hair. She had... or | |
| 102 had Kairi?... always wondered who would kiss her first. Riku or Sora. | |
| 103 Too bad she had never had the chance to find out. But this was | |
| 104 certainly nice enough. She shifted under him, feeling the Keyblade | |
| 105 Master fall further against her. Very, very nice indeed. No wonder | |
| 106 she... Kairi?... loved him. Sora swallowed as he felt Hikari's soft | |
| 107 caress on his cheek. The beautiful princess smiled sweetly up at him, | |
| 108 her violet eyes drawing him in, deeper and deeper down the rabbit | |
| 109 hole until he wasn't sure that he'd ever get out. Or that he ever | |
| 110 wanted to. If he could just stay like this... No, he couldn't. He | |
| 111 still needed to find Riku. It wasn't right until they were all | |
| 112 together again. But in the meantime... | |
| 113 Hikari leaned forward, her lips brushing Sora's softly. This time, | |
| 114 Sora was more ready for the kiss. Lips melted together as Hikari | |
| 115 continued to brush her fingers through Sora's hair. Despite the | |
| 116 universes vastness and entirity, sometimes a single moment seemed to | |
| 117 take precedence, glowing and taking up all that was. Hikari closed | |
| 118 her eyes, kissing again, wishing she could freeze this moment forever | |
| 119 but knowing all too well it would have to end. And so it did with the | |
| 120 arrival of the message she had been awaiting. Noticing Sephiroth's | |
| 121 arrival at the edge of the clearing they were in, Hikari slowly, ever | |
| 122 so slowly, pulled her lips away from Sora's. Sora merely looked down | |
| 123 at her, puzzled and still fuzzy from their kiss. She smiled up at him. | |
| 124 | |
| 125 “She's here, your highness,” Sephiroth announced. | |
| 126 | |
| 127 “She is?” Hikari shook her head to clear her own warm, love warped | |
| 128 thoughts. She should have felt her arrival. She had been so lost in | |
| 129 the moment with Sora that she had ignored it. Sephiroth simply | |
| 130 nodded. Looking back up at Sora, she gazed into his eyes. “We have to | |
| 131 hurry. The locks are gone now. We can open Kingdom Hearts.” | |
| 132 | |
| 133 A moment passed before Sora could fully understand the implications | |
| 134 of what Hikari had told him. The wait was now over. Kingdom Hearts | |
| 135 could be opened. It was only a matter of time now. Riku would be back | |
| 136 with them soon. “That's great!” He pushed back, sitting on the grass. | |
| 137 The princess pushed herself up to face the spikey haired boy, her | |
| 138 haunting eyes still holding his own. The story was almost over. And | |
| 139 yet... She didn't quite want to let go. Not yet. Her eyes shimmered | |
| 140 with tears that brimmed but that she held back by force of will. She | |
| 141 wouldn't let him see her cry. Not now. Not when she was so close. | |
| 142 “You're everything I've ever wanted. Or half of everything I've ever | |
| 143 wanted. The darkness and the light. Sora, you were my light. Riku was | |
| 144 my darkness. I loved the light for the hope it always held out to me, | |
| 145 no matter how far away it seemed. And I loved the darkness for the | |
| 146 comfort it gave me and how close it was. The two of you kept me | |
| 147 afloat when I'd all but lost hope. Thank you.” Before he could ask | |
| 148 her what she meant, she got to her feet, smoothing out her black | |
| 149 dress and hurrying to follow Sephiroth. “We have to get to Kingdom | |
| 150 Hearts to open the door, Sora. It's almost over.”Sora nodded, a | |
| 151 little confused by what Hikari had said. But at the same time, he was | |
| 152 thrilled that he could be that important to her. Soon enough, | |
| 153 everything would be complete again. 'Hold on just a little longer, | |
| 154 Riku.' | |
| 155 | |
| 156 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
| 157 | |
| 158 The path seemed to decay the further and further Kairi went. It was | |
| 159 as if reality was having more and more difficulty holding itself | |
| 160 together. The pathway was much twistier now. Trees were nearly bent | |
| 161 over. Land seemed to have curled up into itself. Here and there, | |
| 162 Kairi could see gardeners sheers frozen in the process of pruning | |
| 163 with no one to guide them or a twisted bike with no owner. There was | |
| 164 a sword in the side of a blackened, gnarled tree she passed. Origami | |
| 165 birds sat up in the branches of another tree. It felt as if they were | |
| 166 watching her. On the side of the path was a blackboard. Rather than | |
| 167 use chalk, someone had carved into it cruelly. 'The bearer of the | |
| 168 Keyblade came and saved all that was.' Right under it, it went on in | |
| 169 an alternate path. 'The bearer of the Keyblade came and brought ruin | |
| 170 to all.' Both legends of the Keyblade. But which was true? It hardly | |
| 171 mattered. She was here to put things right. She continued on her | |
| 172 maddening path. Kairi stopped suddenly, her eyes fixing ahead of her. | |
| 173 The dirt by her feet rose in a cloud and then stayed that way, | |
| 174 forgetting the cause and effect of settling back down once again. It | |
| 175 was her school, wasn't it? Only, it looked distorted, as if it wasn't | |
| 176 entirely there. The fountain in front was empty, cracked. Books | |
| 177 floated in midair, as if their owners had up and left them hanging. A | |
| 178 cold pit formed in her stomach. Her memories of her other life were | |
| 179 still distant, but she knew that she didn't have any good memories of | |
| 180 this place. And yet there it was, waiting for her at the End of the | |
| 181 World. “Surprised, Mademoiselle Kairi?” | |
| 182 | |
| 183 “Harle!” Kairi turned to find the harlequin watching her, sitting on | |
| 184 a curved pillar that hadn't been there when she last looked. In fact, | |
| 185 the entire direction she had come looked rewritten. The princess | |
| 186 looked back the way she had come, the path having disappeared | |
| 187 completely. Everything was different now. There were cliffs where | |
| 188 there had been none before, a wasteland instead of a grassland path. | |
| 189 “Silly girl. Zere is no going back. Only going forward now. It iz | |
| 190 your Fate, after all. You have been meant to come here all along.” | |
| 191 Harle hopped down from the tree, sauntering over to Kairi. “Oh, how I | |
| 192 have missed such a pretty face brightening up moi's day.” She grinned | |
| 193 as Kairi took a step back in embarrassment.Shaking off her | |
| 194 embarrassment, Kairi faced Harle. “What's going on here? Why is this | |
| 195 here? Isn't this the End of the World? This can't be what Sora went | |
| 196 through to get here.”Laughing, the harlequin shook her head, bells | |
| 197 jingling along with her laughter. “Of course not. Zis iz your path, | |
| 198 not his. Zere are infinitely many ways to reach Kingdom Hearts just | |
| 199 as zere are infinitely many hearts themselves.”Turning back to the | |
| 200 surreal school awaiting her, the brunette thought over Harle's words. | |
| 201 “So I have to make my own path to Kingdom Hearts? My own version of | |
| 202 the End of the World?”“It iz a path zat has been in your heart all | |
| 203 along, Mademoiselle Kairi. Waiting for you. Waiting for ze day zat | |
| 204 you would travel down it,” Harle explained. | |
| 205 | |
| 206 “So...” Kairi took a deep breath. “If this path is different because | |
| 207 of me, how much of this is real?” | |
| 208 | |
| 209 Harle laughed again, placing her hands on her hips. “Still you ask | |
| 210 about zis realitie? Have you learned not'ing on your journey, | |
| 211 Mademoiselle Kairi?” | |
| 212 | |
| 213 The harlequin disappeared, fading away. A tap on Kairi's shoulder | |
| 214 nearly sent the already tightly wound girl jumping. Harle grinned at | |
| 215 Kairi's surprise, now standing behind her. “Realitie and dreams all | |
| 216 simply exist. Side by side. They are what you make of them. Izn't zat | |
| 217 what life iz? All of our realities intermixing together? It happens | |
| 218 everyday. What you see isn't necessarily what he sees. And what she | |
| 219 sees is again different. And so on and so on, throughout it | |
| 220 all.”Kairi nodded slowly, sighing. She had to let go of that worry. | |
| 221 In the end, it wasn't important. “It really doesn't matter what's | |
| 222 real, does it? I'm starting to wonder if 'real' even | |
| 223 exists.”Grinning, Harle walked around Kairi. “Now you are catching | |
| 224 on. Forget about zis 'real'. Simply follow your heart. Your heart and | |
| 225 its connection to other hearts is much, much more important than | |
| 226 whatever world you see around it.” Her expression turned more serious | |
| 227 as she continued inspecting Kairi. “So you have made your | |
| 228 decision?”“Of course she has,” another voice broke in. A young blonde | |
| 229 girl in a patient's uniform stood on the edge of the fountain. “She | |
| 230 wouldn't be here otherwise.”“So you've decided to come and see as | |
| 231 well, Aya?” Harle asked wryly, raising an eyebrow. | |
| 232 | |
| 233 “What happens here affects everything. Not only the Dragon God are | |
| 234 interested in how it all plays out, you know,” the little girl | |
| 235 argued. Once again, the scope of what was going on was drapped in | |
| 236 Kairi's lap. This wasn't just about her search for Riku and Sora. It | |
| 237 involved all that was. All those many different worlds. All her | |
| 238 friends. Everyone she had met and so many more. And if she couldn't | |
| 239 close the door, it could all be consumed by the Heartless. She had to | |
| 240 hurry. “Thanks, both of you.” She nodded to both women before walking | |
| 241 through the large doors of the school. | |
| 242 | |
| 243 “I hope, for all our sakes, zat you are right about her,” Harle said | |
| 244 softly, watching Kairi's retreating form.“She's very strong at heart. | |
| 245 In the end, that's all we could ask for,” Aya replied. “I have faith | |
| 246 in her.”“Yes, but the one she must face iz also strong at heart. If | |
| 247 she fails, zere will be no escape from the Heartless,” Harle said | |
| 248 grimly. “It will be as if God herself has died and left the entirety | |
| 249 of existence to fall apart at the seams.” | |
| 250 | |
| 251 Aya smiled softly. “Then lets hope she doesn't fail. I don't intend | |
| 252 on being away from Maya for an eternity.” | |
| 253 | |
| 254 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
| 255 | |
| 256 Truth be told, Kairi hadn't come to a decision. Not as such, anyway. | |
| 257 She still didn't know which world she belonged in. The one with her | |
| 258 mother, Hollow Bastion, or the Destiny Islands. The gateway between | |
| 259 worlds would close once she shut the doorway that had let the | |
| 260 Heartless grow from her own original world. She missed her mother | |
| 261 back in that sometimes cruel world. She missed her father and the | |
| 262 kingdom of Hollow Bastion. She missed Riku and Sora and their | |
| 263 carefree days on the Destiny Islands. The answer should be obvious, | |
| 264 but she couldn't get herself to decide which. That gnawed at her as | |
| 265 she went further into the lifeless school.The school looked mostly | |
| 266 the same as she could remember it except for small details. | |
| 267 Everything was curved sinisterly, misshapen. In some places, trees | |
| 268 grew indoors. One of the classrooms seemed to lead into a crashed | |
| 269 airship. It was all an amalgam of different realities along with a | |
| 270 dreamlike quality. Or more accurately, a nightmare. | |
| 271 | |
| 272 The icey pit in her stomach wouldn't go away. Everywhere she looked, | |
| 273 people may have been missing, but their shadows remained. Menacing, | |
| 274 hateful. She felt like a scared little girl again, memories of the | |
| 275 lonely, terrified feelings she had had spreading through her veins. | |
| 276 She could hear laughter behind the locked doors, mocking and cruel. | |
| 277 | |
| 278 Clenching and unclenching her fists, the princess continued forward. | |
| 279 She nearly stepped on a crumpled piece of paper on the ground. | |
| 280 Hesitantly, she picked it up, already knowing it was a bad idea. It | |
| 281 was the birthday party invitation her mother had made for her to hand | |
| 282 out to her classmates so many years ago. Her mother had spent all | |
| 283 night drawing each seperate invitation. Tears stung at Kairi's eyes | |
| 284 as she remembered. Remembered how thrilled she'd been that her | |
| 285 wonderful mother would make her such beautiful party invitations. | |
| 286 Remembered how embarrassed she'd been when everyone had laughed at | |
| 287 'Princess Hikari'. Wasn't she too old for that sort of thing, they | |
| 288 had asked? Remembered the shame and regret and anger and pain as she | |
| 289 cried. She couldn't tell her mother what they did. She couldn't tell | |
| 290 her mother that she had felt so ashamed as they'd called her princess | |
| 291 and mocked her over and over again. Princess. What her mother called | |
| 292 her. 'My beautiful princess Hikari.'Tears streaked down Kairi's | |
| 293 cheeks as she leaned heavily against the lockers. “Mom... I miss | |
| 294 you...” she whispered, clutching the crumpled invitation to her | |
| 295 chest. Her body shook slightly as she sobbed. Bittersweet memories. | |
| 296 Crafted of both darkness and light. They filled her existence. “I | |
| 297 miss you, too,” the voice in Kairi's head whispered. | |
| 298 | |
| 299 “Mom?!” Kairi looked around quickly, her breath catching. She | |
| 300 blinked away her tears rapidly, wiping a wristband over her eyes. | |
| 301 “Mom, is that you?”“Kairi... I used to call you that when you were | |
| 302 little. I didn't know you'd use that nickname for yourself. And you | |
| 303 always were my princess,” the voice answered. For once, Kairi didn't | |
| 304 mistake it's familiarity. | |
| 305 | |
| 306 “Mom... Where are you?” Kairi asked, a knot forming in her throat. | |
| 307 “I'm at home, Hikari. Just like I've always been. Waiting for | |
| 308 you.”“But... I'm... I'm dying..” Kairi said at last, fresh tears | |
| 309 slipping forth. “... I know. But I'm your mother. I can't just let | |
| 310 you go. I have to try. Even if I can't do much. I wanted to be here | |
| 311 to lead you back home,” the voice whispered. “Mom...” Kairi placed | |
| 312 her face in her hands, suddenly feeling very, very weak. She felt | |
| 313 dizzy. The locker felt cold against her clammy skin. Slowly, the | |
| 314 princess slid down the locker. Everything looked so blurry. She was | |
| 315 having trouble focussing. “..mom...?” she tried to ask, frightened. | |
| 316 The word barely came out as a whisper. It felt so hard to do | |
| 317 anything. Everything felt so heavy. She felt so tired. She tried to | |
| 318 raise a hand to try to pull herself up, but it hardly moved. Blood | |
| 319 stained her wristbands, dripping to the floor beneath her. 'No!!!' | |
| 320 Kairi screamed in her mind. 'Not now! I'm not ready to go yet! Just a | |
| 321 little longer! I can't die now. Not now!!' “Hikari... Please open | |
| 322 your eyes, Hikari. Please. Mommy's right here.” A sob punctuated her | |
| 323 mother's pause. “Please, Hikari. Don't leave me. Don't go away, baby. | |
| 324 Please don't go.” Her mother held onto her dying form brushing her | |
| 325 hair with shakey, panicked hands. “Please...” | |
| 326 | |
| 327 Slam!Kairi looked up suddenly, the noise from the locker over head | |
| 328 startling her. Looking back down, everything was back to normal. The | |
| 329 blood was gone. Her mother was nowhere to be seen. She was alone in | |
| 330 the distorted school hallway. “Mom?” No answer. “Damn it.” Kairi | |
| 331 sighed, standing up. At least she had more time. But how much more? | |
| 332 She was dying. She had to make her decision soon. Would she try to | |
| 333 wake up in the world where she was dying in her mother's arms? Or | |
| 334 would she sever her ties with that world and remain on the Destiny | |
| 335 Islands? She was running out of time. Slam!Kairi turned her attention | |
| 336 back to the strange noise. It was coming from a locker. Her locker. | |
| 337 She remembered that much. But what was coming from it. Almost drawn | |
| 338 to it, she reached forward, her heart pounding as she did. Before her | |
| 339 fingers could touch it, the locker flew open. Small creatures piled | |
| 340 out, falling into a heap on the floor. Kairi stepped back, rady to | |
| 341 draw her Keyblade. But they were all the plushies she had made back | |
| 342 home. Her mother had taught her how to sew. Her mother had made all | |
| 343 of her costumes, and Kairi had sewn together plushies of different | |
| 344 characters. And Riku and Sora. Bending over to examine the plushies, | |
| 345 Kairi was disturbed to find all of them had the Heartless symbol sewn | |
| 346 onto them. Whatever it meant, she knew she was getting close. A | |
| 347 rustling noise sounded behind her. Kairi froze. Another. And another. | |
| 348 She felt as if she were being watched. The brunette turned slowly. | |
| 349 Her eyes fell upon a strange Heartless where a shadow had been a | |
| 350 moment before. And then another. And another. The shadows of the | |
| 351 students were becoming misshapen Heartless versions of the students | |
| 352 she had gone to school with. All of them watched her with malevolent | |
| 353 yellow eyes. Her heart froze for just a second. Standing up, she | |
| 354 pulled up the Keyblade. How many of them were there? Could she get | |
| 355 through them all? She had to. No matter what.“Kairi, hurry. You need | |
| 356 to reach the Doorway to the Light. I'll hold them off.” The cloaked | |
| 357 boy stood in the hallway in the midst of the Heartless. He slowly | |
| 358 pulled out his two demon wing shaped swords, seeming to know | |
| 359 precisely where everyone was even under his blindfold. Kairi stared | |
| 360 for a moment, trying to decide if she should leave him alone to face | |
| 361 the growing number of Heartless. “Go! Now!!” he yelled, magic | |
| 362 surrounding him as he prepared for the oncoming Heartless. | |
| 363 | |
| 364 “Thank you,” Kairi said in return. With a last look back to the | |
| 365 cloaked boy, she ran. | |
| 366 | |
| 367 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
| 368 | |
| 369 The hallway got more and more shadowed, turning sharp corners as it | |
| 370 went along. Everytime Kairi would look back, the path she had just | |
| 371 walked had changed entirely. Forward was the only way she could go or | |
| 372 she knew she'd be forever lost. It was as if she was being led | |
| 373 forward, the ground behind her shifting as soon as she had moved over | |
| 374 it. It had to be leading her somewhere. She only hoped it was leading | |
| 375 her towards her goal. And suddenly, it ended. The cracked, broken | |
| 376 ground beneath her feet ended directly in front of her, leading into | |
| 377 a deep chasm. Frustrated, the princess turned back the way she had | |
| 378 come. But there was no way back. Directly behind her was only a wall. | |
| 379 There was no way back and no way forward. “This can't be happening. I | |
| 380 don't have time for this. There has to be a way out of here. Please | |
| 381 hang on, Riku and mom.” Gazing around the small corridor she was in, | |
| 382 Kairi couldn't see anything to use to get past. There were no | |
| 383 handholds to climb along the wall over the chasm. And there was no | |
| 384 way back. So there was just... The princess listened closely. | |
| 385 Footsteps? But they sounded so close. In the same corridor she was | |
| 386 in. But where? Listening intently, she could tell it was coming from | |
| 387 right in front of her. Over the chasm? It sounded as if someone was | |
| 388 walking directly in front of her, right over the chasm. She looked | |
| 389 down and saw something aside from the deep drop. Dusty footprints | |
| 390 marred the air, as if someone had stepped on something invisible and | |
| 391 left their footprints behind. Kairi's eyes followed the footprints. | |
| 392 She heard another footstep and saw another form several feet ahead in | |
| 393 the air. And another.Taking a deep breath, Kairi scooted close to the | |
| 394 edge. Maybe there was an invisible walkway. She had to hurry. And | |
| 395 this looked like the only way. Taking a tentative step forward, Kairi | |
| 396 was overjoyed to feel something solid, if invisible, under her foot. | |
| 397 She slowly took another step, careful to follow the dusty footprints. | |
| 398 Good. There was a path. She just hoped it would lead to Kingdom | |
| 399 Hearts. How long did it go on into the darkness? She took her next | |
| 400 step, placing her foot right over the dusty footprint. And fell right | |
| 401 through. Too shocked to utter a proper scream, Kairi | |
| 402 plumetted.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
| 403 | |
| 404 And so she fell like a shooting star, dropping through the air | |
| 405 towards the world below. The sun shown off of the beautiful ocean | |
| 406 waves. She could feel the Keyblade inside of her heart. It was deep | |
| 407 inside of her, nearly unlocking her heart. The water rose up and | |
| 408 enveloped her. | |
| 409 | |
| 410 Water surrounded her, encompassing. She was too weak to swim, her | |
| 411 journey having been so very long. It felt like a lifetime had gone | |
| 412 by. Her mind felt so far. Was she going to drown? Here in this | |
| 413 tranquil ocean? No... They needed her. But she was so weak... It was | |
| 414 hard to move. | |
| 415 | |
| 416 Thankfully, someone had dove in after her. Arms grabbed onto her, | |
| 417 dragging the dazed princess out and onto the beach. She slowly caught | |
| 418 her breath, gazing up at the side of the person as she lay there, | |
| 419 unable to get herself to move. Slowly, a face looked down at her. She | |
| 420 smiled faintly as she understood. Her own face. It was time. She was | |
| 421 too exhausted, too weak. She was dying. But she could keep going for | |
| 422 her. The other Kairi sat up, staring at her in shock. “What?” So many | |
| 423 thoughts were rushing behind those violet eyes, thoughts that Kairi | |
| 424 could remember for they had once been her own. Thoughts about whether | |
| 425 or not this was a dream and just who she was.Finally noticing the | |
| 426 handle of the Keyblade sticking out of her chest, the shocked Kairi | |
| 427 took hold of the handle. | |
| 428 | |
| 429 “It will be okay, Kairi. I’ll always be with you. There’s nothing to | |
| 430 be afraid of. You just have to reach out and take my hand.” Riku | |
| 431 stood over Kairi, telling her this. Kairi smiled up at him. He was | |
| 432 always there, right beside her. She understood that now, too. The | |
| 433 other Kairi stared, still in awe. “Riku... I...” She reached out for | |
| 434 his hand, but he was already gone. “Riku...” She looked back down at | |
| 435 Kairi, her hand still on the grip of the Keyblade. “Find them,” Kairi | |
| 436 whispered to her confused self. “They need you. They can’t do it | |
| 437 alone.” | |
| 438 | |
| 439 The confused Kairi slowly nodded. “We should be together. We need | |
| 440 each other.”Smiling softly, Kairi closed her eyes. She could finally | |
| 441 rest. This version of her would take care of it. She would help Sora | |
| 442 and Riku. It wasn't over yet. She could feel the other her take a | |
| 443 firm grip on the handle, pulling it out, not unlocking her heart. She | |
| 444 could feel everything shift as she was engulfed by sparkles, leaving | |
| 445 the other Kairi alone with the Keyblade. | |
| 446 | |
| 447 “Open the door,” a voice whispered in the lone Kairi's head. Who was | |
| 448 it? She couldn’t quite tell. Looking up, she could see a lone door | |
| 449 standing on the beach, apparently leading to nowhere. It had a large | |
| 450 keyhole on it. It almost seemed to beckon her. Kairi slowly stood up. | |
| 451 If she stayed | |
| 452 here, her friends might be in danger. She knew they could | |
| 453 handle anything if they were all together again. Sora and Riku were | |
| 454 both lost out there. Maybe she could find them. She would find them. | |
| 455 Wherever they were. | |
| 456 | |
| 457 Stepping forward, the young princess used the large, | |
| 458 unwieldy key to unlock the door awaiting her. As the door slowly | |
| 459 opened, she knew there would be no turning back. This was it. But her | |
| 460 choice was simple. She had to find them. Anything could have happened | |
| 461 to them out there, lost on any one of countless worlds. Without a | |
| 462 glance back, Kairi plunged through the door. | |
| 463 | |
| 464 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
| 465 | |
| 466 Standing before Kingdom Hearts, watching the stars swirl about it, | |
| 467 Hikari took Sora's hand. It was beautiful. It was, after all, the | |
| 468 very heart of existence itself. Sephiroth stood behind them, as | |
| 469 always keeping an eye on the princess he had sworn to protect. She | |
| 470 could feel it. It was almost time. Her heart pounded. Soon... Just a | |
| 471 little longer. Kairi had almost reached it. “Don't worry, Riku. We're | |
| 472 coming.” Sora promised, one gloved hand on the huge Doorway to the | |
| 473 Light. Nodding, Hikari squeezed Sora's other hand. “It's almost | |
| 474 over.” There. She could feel it. Kairi was ready. “Now. It's time, | |
| 475 Sora.” Letting go of his hand, she stepped back from the boy. He was | |
| 476 the Keyblade Master. It was up to him to unlock the Doorway to the | |
| 477 Light. Of course, the Doorway needed two keys to open. The other key | |
| 478 was being inserted right now.Holding up the Keyblade, Sora pointed it | |
| 479 at the door, letting it's light pulse forth. Turning the Keyblade, he | |
| 480 unlocked the door. Now they'd all be together. He was already with | |
| 481 Hikari. Now they'd have Riku. And the Light would end the Heartless | |
| 482 once and for all. Hikari watched as the light started to spill forth. | |
| 483 “The Light. It's beautiful,” she whispered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
| 484 | |
| 485 Kairi stepped out of the strange doorway, trying to piece her | |
| 486 thoughts together. She'd just been on the Destiny Islands beach | |
| 487 again. But she'd been there at the point in time when her journey had | |
| 488 begun. But which one had she been? The one lying on the beach with | |
| 489 the Keyblade in her heart? Or the one who had taken the Keyblade to | |
| 490 start her journey? Both, it seemed. She could remember her entire | |
| 491 journey. So now she had reached it's end. | |
| 492 | |
| 493 It had led her full circle. She was back in her room. Shooting stars | |
| 494 flew past her window. Her plushies sat in a comfortable pile on her | |
| 495 bed. Turning in a slow circle, she took in her room again. All of her | |
| 496 video games she had played countless times, sharing in the adventures | |
| 497 of heroes and villians. Her pictures of the Destiny Islands lined the | |
| 498 walls. Costumes were probably hanging in her closet. And yet, this | |
| 499 wasn't home. She could feel it. “This is Kingdom Hearts.” And she | |
| 500 knew it was. Like Harle had said, her journey through the End of the | |
| 501 World had been different from Sora's. And much like their journey had | |
| 502 been different, so was their version of Kingdom Hearts. Kairi's was | |
| 503 the one doorway that had remained locked for her this whole time. | |
| 504 She'd been so close to Kingdom Hearts everytime she'd revisited this | |
| 505 room. The princess turned her attention to the locked door in her | |
| 506 room. She swallowed. She was finally here. Through chaos and tragedy | |
| 507 she had come, but she had made her way there all the same. This time | |
| 508 the locks on Kingdom Hearts were gone. She could unlock the doorway | |
| 509 and see Riku. But then what? What would become of Riku? He was dead | |
| 510 and was only clinging to this world to see her one last time. And | |
| 511 what of her? She was dying as well, her mother begging her to go back | |
| 512 to another world. She didn't know. But she couldn't stop now. “Riku?” | |
| 513 Kairi asked, walking to the doorway. “Kairi!” Riku's voice filtered | |
| 514 through the door. | |
| 515 | |
| 516 The brunette could hear him hurry to the other side of the door, | |
| 517 placing his hand on it. She placed her own hand where she imagined | |
| 518 his to be. “I'm here, Riku. I'm finally here. To set you free.” She | |
| 519 licked her dry lips, closing her eyes. | |
| 520 | |
| 521 “I always believed in you, Kairi. I knew I'd see you again.” Riku | |
| 522 rested his head against the door, smiling faintly. No matter what had | |
| 523 gotten in her way, Kairi had triumphed. She had made her way to | |
| 524 Kingdom Hearts. To him. He knew she was strong. Now he knew just how | |
| 525 strong. | |
| 526 | |
| 527 “Riku...” Kairi whispered. There was so much she needed to tell him. | |
| 528 But not through a door. Not anymore. She had finally reached him. Her | |
| 529 journey had come to a close. She had reached her treasure. Stepping | |
| 530 back, she pulled up the Keyblade. At that very same moment, Sora was | |
| 531 unlocking the door as well. Kairi could feel him almost as if he were | |
| 532 there with her. She smiled. They were all together again. Together, | |
| 533 she and Sora unlocked the Doorway to the light. Slowly, ever so | |
| 534 slowly, the locked door in Kairi's room opened, light shining forth | |
| 535 behind it. The light blinded Kairi for a moment. When she could focus | |
| 536 again, the door had regained it's splendor. It was no longer the door | |
| 537 in her room, but the gigantic double doors of Kingdom Hearts. Her | |
| 538 heart soared as she saw Riku's silouhette in the light. “Riku!” And | |
| 539 someone else was beside her. She wasn't alone anymore. Turning to the | |
| 540 side, she saw Sora, holding out his Keyblade just as she was holding | |
| 541 out hers. “Sora!” They were together again. All three of them. The | |
| 542 light spilled over her, warming her. She laughed. It was over. They | |
| 543 were all together again. This is what she had wanted, what she had | |
| 544 always dreamed of. “Kairi?” Sora looked over, astonished to see Kairi | |
| 545 opening the door with him. She was wearing her old outfit from the | |
| 546 Destiny Islands rather than her black princess's dress. And she | |
| 547 seemed so surprised to see him. His eyes slowly went behind Kairi. | |
| 548 Hikari grinned, standing behind Kairi like a shadow. Sephiroth stood | |
| 549 watch further behind them. And then, all hell broke loose. The Light | |
| 550 began to dim. Shadows began growing in intensity, growing larger and | |
| 551 more menacing. The shadows shot into the Doorway, going deep into the | |
| 552 core of the Light, into the very heart of the universe. The light | |
| 553 grew dimmer. Bigger, monstrous shadows grew in the Doorway to the | |
| 554 Light, obscuring out the light. “No!!!” Sora yelled, loss and | |
| 555 frustration robbing him of the joy he'd held just seconds earlier. | |
| 556 “Damn it! Kingdom Hearts is Light!!” But it was too late. The shadows | |
| 557 kept growing. The Heartless were poisoning the Light of the universe | |
| 558 at the heart of the Galaxy. Kairi could only stare. She had come to | |
| 559 end the Heartless. She had come to save everyone. But that was gone | |
| 560 now. Soon, everything would be. “No...” she whispered, broken. | |
| 561 “No...” Shaking her head, the princess tried to understand. “But... | |
| 562 The Light...”“Beware, Kairi,” her voice came from behind. “The closer | |
| 563 you get to the Light, the greater your shadow becomes.” Kairi slowly | |
| 564 turned to face herself, Princess Hikari grinning in her black dress. | |
| 565 “Who are you?” “I'm your shadow,” Princess Hikari explained. “The | |
| 566 Doorway to the Darkness is shut. The Heartless are dying out because | |
| 567 of that. But you had to come and stop them. You unleashed the Light. | |
| 568 Which would have killed the Heartless. If not for one tiny detail. | |
| 569 You're my light. So I'm the darkness. With you directly in the Light, | |
| 570 I'm more powerful than I could ever be in the darkness. Thanks to | |
| 571 you, I've resurrected the dying Heartless. They'll consume the Heart | |
| 572 of the Universe and start anew. We'll make the Doorway to the Light | |
| 573 into a new Doorway to the Darkness.”“Hikari!!” Sora cried out, | |
| 574 betrayed. How could she have done this? How could she have sacrificed | |
| 575 everything to the darkness? Hikari shook her head a little sadly. | |
| 576 “Thank you, Sora. For everything. I know why Kairi loves you. She | |
| 577 loves you because I loved you. Just like Riku. That's why she was | |
| 578 willing to suffer so much to get him back.” She looked into his eyes, | |
| 579 her own torn with pain and torment. “I'm glad I got to spend this | |
| 580 last bit of time together. It's bittersweet, but I think that makes | |
| 581 it an even better note to go out on. I got to see one of the things | |
| 582 that meant the most to me.” She looked back towards the darkening | |
| 583 Doorway to the Light. “But now it's time for the dream to end. From | |
| 584 Darkness we all come, and to darkness we will return.”Kairi shook her | |
| 585 head, her heart feeling as if it were being shred to pieces. All of | |
| 586 her work for nothing. Everyone would be consumed by the Heartless. | |
| 587 She couldn't save anyone after all. “Who are you? You can't do this. | |
| 588 You can't! I was going to save everything!” Hikari shook her head | |
| 589 sadly. “You don't get it, do you? I'm two people. Just like you. I'm | |
| 590 Princess Hikari, daughter of Ansem, the ruler of Hollow Bastion. When | |
| 591 my father was overcome by the Heartless, I followed him. I was | |
| 592 worried about him and I knew his research was driving him mad. My | |
| 593 personal guard, Sephiroth, came with me. We reached the Doorway to | |
| 594 the Darkness where my father had become one of them. I joined soon | |
| 595 after. But I realized there was a problem with my father. We all have | |
| 596 darkness in our heart. But we also have light. He didn't understand | |
| 597 that. So when I gave myself to the Heartless, I got rid of the light | |
| 598 in my heart. That was you, Kairi. I sent away the light in my heart | |
| 599 to find the Keyblade Master so I could keep track of him, whoever he | |
| 600 may be and to keep you away so that there would be no chance of the | |
| 601 light ruining me as it did my father.” | |
| 602 | |
| 603 Clenching her fists, she grew bitter. “And then there's another me. | |
| 604 A me who grew up with only her mother. A lonely girl who never quite | |
| 605 fit in. Who was always teased and a bit away from everyone. Like I | |
| 606 never really belonged in that world. So I spent all my time in | |
| 607 fantasy worlds, watching movies and playing video games. And I spent | |
| 608 a lot of time in one fantasy world in particular. On an island where | |
| 609 I had lots of friends and I was beautiful and two boys adored me. | |
| 610 Sound familiar, Kairi?” Kairi felt the Keyblade drop from her hands. | |
| 611 This... This was wrong... “Don't.... Please...” She knew about the | |
| 612 two realities, but now this girl... “But it was only a fantasy. I | |
| 613 could never really be on that island. I could never really be | |
| 614 beautiful with lots of friends and the boys I loved.” Hikari laughed, | |
| 615 an anguished sound. “I couldn't be with the boys I loved because they | |
| 616 were only make believe. My real life was pointless and my fantasy | |
| 617 life was just that, a fantasy. So I finally decided I wanted neither. | |
| 618 So one night, I took my mother's shears and I slit my wrists so I | |
| 619 could finally escape the pain and the longing for that which I'd | |
| 620 never have.”Kairi held her head, trying to force it all away. “Then | |
| 621 why are you doing this? Why can't you live here with them? Why can't | |
| 622 you stay with mom? Why... Why?”Hikari glared at Kairi. “You are | |
| 623 pathetic. No wonder I got rid of you. You always did make me | |
| 624 indecisive. I was always so wishy washy when I had you inside of me. | |
| 625 I won't live in a fantasy world. What's the point if none of it is | |
| 626 real? And I won't live in a real life that's nothing but tears and | |
| 627 pain. I'm going to die. And I'm going to tear down this fantasy world | |
| 628 with me. I'm finally going to get my rest. I am the queen of the | |
| 629 Heartless now, Kairi. I've set loose the horrors of the real world | |
| 630 here and I'm going to use them to tear it apart. It's all just a | |
| 631 lie.” She shook her head. “But you still don't understand. Kairi, I'm | |
| 632 the real Hikari. I'm both Princess Hikari and Hikari in the real | |
| 633 world. You're just a part of me. A sliver. And illusion. You're the | |
| 634 small light in my heart that I sent away. You aren't real. Just as | |
| 635 light is only an illusion, so are you.” Hikari reached forward, | |
| 636 placing her hand over Kairi's heart. All of a sudden, Kairi couldn't | |
| 637 breath. She gasped panfully, her body blurring and disipating. She | |
| 638 shook, but couldn't move as Hikari went about dispelling the illusion | |
| 639 that she was. It couldn't be... No... She could feel herself fading | |
| 640 quickly. Riku... Sora... She had only wanted to be with them, to save | |
| 641 them. Her mother... Soon it would all be gone. Just like her. Arms | |
| 642 wrapped around Kairi tightly, trying to force her back into being. | |
| 643 “Kairi, you have to fight it,” Riku told her, holding on as tightly | |
| 644 as he could. “You have to believe. I know it's hard. But hold on. | |
| 645 Please.” Hikari frowned as the dead boy tried to bolster her other | |
| 646 self. It didn't matter. She was growing in power as the seconds | |
| 647 ticked by, as the darkness grew. Within just a few moments, she'd be | |
| 648 strong enough to dispell Kairi offhand. A swift blow knocked her hand | |
| 649 away from Kairi. “Stay away from her!” Sora practically growled, | |
| 650 holding the Keyblade towards her. Pain erupted in Hikari's heart | |
| 651 again. Even the boys she loved were turning against her. Even if they | |
| 652 were only figments of her imagination, it still hurt unbearably. | |
| 653 “Sora...” Sephiroth gripped his sword. Remembering his earlier battle | |
| 654 with Sora, this would be rather simple. The boy didn't even have back | |
| 655 up this time. Pulling up the Masamune, the SOLDIER started towards | |
| 656 the boy.“Don't, Sephiroth.” The cloaked boy watched Sephiroth through | |
| 657 his blindfold. “King Ansem. How nice of you to join us,” Sephiroth | |
| 658 bowed. Smiling faintly, he nodded towards Hikari. “I'm sorry to | |
| 659 inform you, but I am Princess Hikari's royal guard. My loyaltly lies | |
| 660 to her and her alone.”“Don't try and stop me, father. I'm ending this | |
| 661 tonight. Everything will die,” Hikari said, not deigning her father | |
| 662 worth a glance. Her pained eyes remained fixed on Sora. She'd known | |
| 663 that he wouldn't follow her plan, but it hurt nonetheless. But he was | |
| 664 only a dream, she told herself. That helped fill her resolve. It | |
| 665 would all be over soon enough.Kairi leaned heavily against Sora, | |
| 666 Riku's ghostly arms still around her. “Ansem?” So Ansem had survived. | |
| 667 No wonder he looked so much like Riku. He was still in Riku's body. | |
| 668 Then... That was her father. | |
| 669 | |
| 670 “Don't do this, Hikari. I let my curiosity overwhelm me. I let the | |
| 671 Heartless consume me. Don't let them do the same to you. There is | |
| 672 light in our hearts. Darkness isn't the only thing our hearts are | |
| 673 born from,” Ansem pleaded.Hikari laughed. “I know that, father. | |
| 674 That's why I sent my light far, far away. The Light gave me the power | |
| 675 to destroy it all. Darkness is reality. Light is dreams. It's fragile | |
| 676 and full of lies. So I'll put an end to all of it.” Raising her hand, | |
| 677 the darkness in the Doorway to the Light pulsed. Shadows spilled out, | |
| 678 engulfing all. In moments, there was nothing but darkness. | |
| 679 | |
| 680 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
| 681 | |
| 682 Harle and Aya watched as Darkness began spilling out, Heartless | |
| 683 growing everywhere. The Darkness was overtaking all in it's path. It | |
| 684 was enough to wash over all the universe. Harle shook her head. | |
| 685 “Surely she has damned us all.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
| 686 | |
| 687 She sailed about in a sea of darkness. It was everywhere, and yet it | |
| 688 felt like nowhere at all. It imprisoned her in it's painfilled | |
| 689 memories of the past, lacing her with cold wracking sobs and blazing | |
| 690 hot desperation. She had failed. Because of her, everything had | |
| 691 ceased to be. Now there was only darkness. No dreams. No love. No | |
| 692 Light. And this is all it would ever be. Because of her. 'Even in | |
| 693 darkness... There will always be light...' Her grandmother had told | |
| 694 her that, hadn't she? No, it was her mother. She had come home | |
| 695 crying. Her mother had come in and smoothed down her hair and had | |
| 696 told her that. 'Just... take my hand...' | |
| 697 | |
| 698 But what could she do? It was too late. It was all over. If she | |
| 699 hadn't been blinded, if she hadn't been so stupid, maybe she wouldn't | |
| 700 have forfeited everything.'Kairi, please...'So she could only float | |
| 701 in the darkness, curled up into a ball, broken and lonely. Always so | |
| 702 lonely. It wasn't so different from hiding in the bathroom at school | |
| 703 crying, was it?'Kairi... reach out... take my hand...' | |
| 704 | |
| 705 But... But there was light, wasn't there? Even in the very deepest | |
| 706 darkness. Because... without light, there could be no such thing as | |
| 707 darkness. And without darkness, there could be no light. Kairi | |
| 708 reached out for Riku's hand. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
| 709 | |
| 710 “Kairi...” Riku knelt near her, watching the weary girl slowly push | |
| 711 herself up. “Are you okay?”“Riku!” Kairi tried to hug him, but he | |
| 712 shook his head. He was only a spirit. Ansem had his body. She | |
| 713 couldn't hold him. She placed her hands on her knees in an attempt to | |
| 714 keep from trying to touch him. She nodded slowly. “I'm... I'm okay.” | |
| 715 | |
| 716 “Good.” Riku smiled softly. | |
| 717 | |
| 718 “Where's Sora? And Ansem? And...” Kairi looked away. Hikari was her, | |
| 719 wasn't she? So this really was her fault.Riku shook his head. “I | |
| 720 don't know. I followed you into the darkness. You managed to fight it | |
| 721 off. I think Hikari and Sephiroth went into the Doorway to the Light. | |
| 722 I don't know where the others went.” | |
| 723 | |
| 724 “Thanks, Riku.” Kairi slowly looked back up at him. The silver | |
| 725 haired boy gazed back into her eyes with his dazzling aquamarine | |
| 726 gems. The princess smiled weakly. “I missed you so much.”“I missed | |
| 727 you, too, Kairi. I wanted to see you one last time. I'm glad I got | |
| 728 to.” Now that Riku could see Kairi, he could at last pass on. As long | |
| 729 as he knew she was all right. | |
| 730 | |
| 731 “No!!” Kairi blinked back tearfully. “I need you! This isn't the | |
| 732 last time! You're coming with me,” she demanded.“You don't need me, | |
| 733 Kairi. You made your way here without my help. You're stronger than | |
| 734 you know.” Riku smiled, placing his hand over her cheek. He wished he | |
| 735 could feel it. Just one last time. “Maybe I should ask you to take | |
| 736 care of Sora for me instead of the other way around.”“I do need you!” | |
| 737 Kairi insisted. “I never would have gotten here without you. You were | |
| 738 with me every step of the way.” Tears spilled freely down her cheeks. | |
| 739 “I don't want to be without you, Riku. I love you. Don't go.” | |
| 740 | |
| 741 The last part nearly broke Riku's resolve. She loved him? How could | |
| 742 he leave her? But he didn't have a choice. But... at least he knew | |
| 743 that. He'd be able to hold that with him when he passed on to the | |
| 744 other side. “Kairi, I love you, too. I always have. I'd stay with you | |
| 745 always if I could. Always and forever.”Kairi finally noticed the dark | |
| 746 haired girl behind Riku. The girl who had called herself Sophie. | |
| 747 Death incarnate. She had come to collect Riku. “No...” She looked up | |
| 748 pleadingly, but the angel of death shook her head simply. This was | |
| 749 her job. “Riku...” Tears blurred her vision as she watched him stand | |
| 750 up. “I won't let you go. I won't!” She pushed herself to her feet, | |
| 751 reaching out for him. “Just...” She licked her broken lips, trying to | |
| 752 see him through her tears. “Just take my hand. And it will be all...” | |
| 753 Her voice broke, her throat painful now. “And it'll be all right. | |
| 754 Just take my hand...” She held it out, her hand shaking. “Because... | |
| 755 Because we'll always be together. Always. I believe that Riku. | |
| 756 Please, please believe in that with me. Always....” Sophie placed her | |
| 757 hand on Riku's shoulder. He looked back at the angel of death and | |
| 758 then to Kairi. He was dead. Sophie was going to take him away. But | |
| 759 Kairi wouldn't let go. She had a terribly strong will. “I told you | |
| 760 that you're stronger than you know.” Riku smiled at Kairi, taking her | |
| 761 hand. In a flash of light he was gone. Kairi closed her eyes, placing | |
| 762 her hands over her heart. Riku was gone, and yet, she didn't feel | |
| 763 alone. She felt... She felt as if he were close by. With her. | |
| 764 'Because you aren't alone,' his voice said in her head. “Riku!” | |
| 765 Kairi's eyes lit up as she opened them.Riku's heart... When her heart | |
| 766 had been separated from her body, she had ended up in Sora's body. | |
| 767 Now Riku was without a body, but she had taken him into her own. He | |
| 768 hadn't left. She let out a deep breath, relieved. Sophie turned away | |
| 769 from her, walking back into the darkness. “You're running out of | |
| 770 time. Hurry. I have to collect you next, you know.” With that, Death | |
| 771 herself was gone.Kairi nodded. “Let's go, Riku. To end this.” | |
| 772 |