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     1.4 +
     1.5 +Prism Hearts 
     1.6 +Chapter 9
     1.7 +Eyes on Me
     1.8 +by Amazoness Duo
     1.9 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
    1.10 +
    1.11 +
    1.12 +‘I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately...
    1.13 +Like... is any of this for real... or not?’
    1.14 +
    1.15 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    1.16 +
    1.17 +“Sora...” The world seemed out of place around them, distorted and
    1.18 +far off. As if they were from another time and place, simply
    1.19 +juxtaposed in this strange nightmare landscape. But it hardly seemed
    1.20 +to matter for the two young friends, reunited at long last. “I never
    1.21 +thought I’d see you again.”
    1.22 +
    1.23 +The boy in question, the wanderer of time who had sealed away the
    1.24 +Doorway to the Darkness, could only stand in the princess’s embrace,
    1.25 +too taken aback to do much of anything. When he had sealed away the
    1.26 +Heartless, he had thought that the barriers between the worlds was
    1.27 +returned, that they were separated by an infinite distance. But here
    1.28 +she was, waiting for him in this strange place. “Kairi...” He
    1.29 +swallowed back the lump in his throat and managed to smile. “I told
    1.30 +you I’d always be with you.” 
    1.31 +
    1.32 +The brunette laughed, burying her head against his shoulder, holding
    1.33 +him as tightly as she could. He felt so real in her grasp. She could
    1.34 +smell him and hear him and feel him against her. “Oh, Sora... Don’t
    1.35 +ever leave me again. You don’t know how much I need you.” She closed
    1.36 +her eyes, but opened them immediately, almost afraid he would
    1.37 +disappear if she did. She couldn’t risk that.
    1.38 +
    1.39 +Nodding, Sora pulled the smaller girl closer to him. “I won’t,
    1.40 +Kairi. I promise. I won’t let anything take me away from you. Not
    1.41 +now.” He wanted to take away whatever was bothering Kairi. He had
    1.42 +missed her terribly, but she seemed almost desperate to have him
    1.43 +near. He felt awful for having left her alone in the first place,
    1.44 +even if it hadn’t exactly been his choice. 
    1.45 +
    1.46 +She sighed, shaking her head against him. “I wish I could believe
    1.47 +that. But it isn’t that simple. Nothing is that simple. But... For as
    1.48 +long as I can, I’ll keep you with me, Sora.”
    1.49 +
    1.50 +“Kairi, please don’t talk like that. Nothing will take me away.
    1.51 +You’ll see,” Sora reassured his friend. But she didn’t seem entirely
    1.52 +convinced. He didn’t know what else he could do but prove it to her.
    1.53 +And that would take a while. Glancing about the strange landscape
    1.54 +that surrounded them, his mind turned to another pressing subject.
    1.55 +“Where are we? What is this place? And what was that guy talking
    1.56 +about when he ambushed me? He said something about a princess.”
    1.57 +
    1.58 +Disentangling herself from Sora, the brunette stepped back. She
    1.59 +curtsied in her long, lavender dress. “I’m Princess Hikari of the
    1.60 +kingdom of Hollow Bastion.” She grinned as she stood up straight once
    1.61 +more. “Silly. I can’t believe you forgot I was a princess. You must
    1.62 +have a short term memory, Sora.” She giggled as she winked at the boy.
    1.63 +
    1.64 +Sora ran a hand behind his head, laughing nervously. “Well, I know
    1.65 +you were one of the seven princesses, but I never really found out
    1.66 +where you were from so I didn’t make the connection.” He blinks as
    1.67 +another connection was made in his mind. “Wait, your name’s Hikari?
    1.68 +But I always thought you were just Kairi.”
    1.69 +
    1.70 +Hikari shook her head, tucking some stray hair behind her ear. “They
    1.71 +found me on the beach half conscious. I was muttering a few things
    1.72 +when they got me into bed. They asked my name, but I wasn’t being
    1.73 +very coherent.” She closed her eyes, trying to remember a time that
    1.74 +seemed so long ago. “Hi.. Kari... Kari...” she intoned quietly,
    1.75 +trying to recreate the night she’d been found on the Destiny Islands.
    1.76 +She blinked her eyes open, looking again to Sora. “They thought I was
    1.77 +saying Kairi. I didn’t remember anything when I woke up so I thought
    1.78 +that had to be my name.”
    1.79 +
    1.80 +“I don’t know which will take longer to get used to. You being a
    1.81 +princess or you being Hikari.” Sora crossed his arms, mulling this
    1.82 +all over in his head. It was a much bigger revelation than he had
    1.83 +first thought. That meant she was Ansem’s daughter. No wonder she was
    1.84 +so intertwined with everything. 
    1.85 +
    1.86 +“And as for where we are, it’s sort of difficult to explain.” Hikari
    1.87 +gazed around at the stars blinking around them, some streaking across
    1.88 +the heavens. They were standing out in the center of the universe,
    1.89 +everything swirling around them. Every footstep sent ripples through
    1.90 +space. “Basically, we’re near the birthplace of the stars. Where all
    1.91 +light begins and ends.”
    1.92 +
    1.93 +“The Doorway to the Light!” Sora’s eyes went wide as it began to
    1.94 +click. That had been exactly what he had spent all this time
    1.95 +searching for. 
    1.96 +
    1.97 +The princess nodded, an arm behind her back, watching Sora’s
    1.98 +reaction. “Exactly. Where light is born and sent out into the
    1.99 +universe. The very heart of the universe. All those many worlds
   1.100 +aren’t so different after all. They all share the same heart, after
   1.101 +all.”
   1.102 +
   1.103 +“Kingdom Hearts,” Sora replied quietly, remembering his battle with
   1.104 +Ansem at the heart of the universe. “Kingdom Hearts is light...” He
   1.105 +shook his head. “Ansem told me that the Heartless were seeking out
   1.106 +the Heart of the universe just as they sought out people’s hearts and
   1.107 +the hearts of every world. He said that the Heartless were born
   1.108 +there.” 
   1.109 +
   1.110 +Turning, Hikari looked out into the universe that stretched out
   1.111 +before her. “All of our hearts are born there. And in every heart,
   1.112 +there is darkness. So darkness is born there as well. The Heartless
   1.113 +are the hearts that the darkness has consumed entirely, eclipsing the
   1.114 +last pinprick of light. Yes, the Heartless seek out the Heart of the
   1.115 +universe. It’s their birthplace. They’re drawn to it the same way
   1.116 +they’re drawn to people’s hearts, but on a much larger scale.”
   1.117 +
   1.118 +Sora rolled this over in his mind. He really didn’t like the sound
   1.119 +of all that. That the Heartless would be born where everyone’s heart
   1.120 +was, that the Heart of the universe could hold such darkness. “That’s
   1.121 +what I saw behind the Doorway to the Darkness. I saw the Heartless
   1.122 +all about, taking root there. But now I’ve sealed away the Doorway to
   1.123 +the Darkness. When I open the Doorway to the Light, the Heart of the
   1.124 +universe should be fine, shouldn’t it?” he asked anxiously. It had to
   1.125 +be. He’d fought too hard to let the Heartless consume the birthplace
   1.126 +of all hearts.
   1.127 +
   1.128 +“Both the Doorway to the Darkness and the Doorway to the Light lead
   1.129 +to the Heart of the universe, Kingdom Hearts,” Princess Hikari
   1.130 +explained. Closing her eyes and stretching out her hands, she spun
   1.131 +under the starlight. “You’ve sealed away the darkness. Now when you
   1.132 +unleash the light, it will spill out across the worlds. The darkness
   1.133 +is locked away now behind that door. It’s trapped there. Now it’s up
   1.134 +to you to unleash the light and heal the worlds. To heal the Heart of
   1.135 +the universe by letting its light go free.”
   1.136 +
   1.137 +Sora clenched his fists determinedly. “I’ll do it. I’ll unseal the
   1.138 +doorway and set Riku free. I’ll prove to Ansem that Kingdom Hearts is
   1.139 +light. I’ll let its light fill everyone.” He trailed off feeling a
   1.140 +bit sheepish. He needed to keep from mentioning Ansem. He was
   1.141 +Hikari’s father after all. Even if he had been consumed by the
   1.142 +Heartless, Hikari must still care for him.
   1.143 +
   1.144 +As if she had been reading the boy’s thoughts, Hikari turned a soft
   1.145 +smile to Sora. “It’s all right, Sora. I know what my father did. I
   1.146 +read his notes. I know what he was trying to do. And I know you had
   1.147 +to stop him. He let the Heartless use him. He stole Riku’s body. He’s
   1.148 +why Riku’s locked behind the Doorway now. I love my father. But I
   1.149 +understand what happened.” Before Sora could reply, she began to walk
   1.150 +out into space. “The Doorway to the Light is this way.”
   1.151 +
   1.152 +Sora blinked. “I.. uhh... Thanks, Kairi. Err... Hikari,” he
   1.153 +corrected himself, hurrying to follow her. At least he hadn’t made a
   1.154 +complete fool of himself, in that case. He winced a bit as he rubbed
   1.155 +the back of his head. “Did your friend really have to hit us so hard?”
   1.156 +
   1.157 +This time it was Hikari’s turn to look apologetic. She laughed
   1.158 +nervously. “Oh, that. Sorry about that. Sephiroth was the finest
   1.159 +SOLDIER from our kingdom. My father had him personally protect me.
   1.160 +When my father disappeared, Sephiroth helped me escape Hollow Bastion
   1.161 +before it was overrun by the Heartless. He can be a little intense
   1.162 +sometimes, but he does a wonderful job getting things done. You’re
   1.163 +here, aren’t you?” She turned to him, giggling. “So I’m sorry you got
   1.164 +hurt, but I’m glad he got you here. I missed you.” She reached out,
   1.165 +her fingers taking his. She was so glad to see him again. It felt
   1.166 +like a lifetime had passed since they had last been together. But now
   1.167 +they’d see this through to the end together. 
   1.168 +
   1.169 +“I missed you, too,” Sora replied, squeezing her soft fingers. It
   1.170 +almost seemed worth going through the pain just to see her again. At
   1.171 +least they were together now. And soon enough, Riku would be there to
   1.172 +join them. Then they’d be complete again. The three of them.
   1.173 +
   1.174 +And then they came upon it. Sora could only gaze in amazement. The
   1.175 +princess watched him rather than the sight before them, finding it
   1.176 +much more interesting. There, in the center of the swirling universe
   1.177 +about them, was the Doorway to the Light. The huge, ornate doors
   1.178 +loomed in space, waiting. 
   1.179 +
   1.180 +Sora ran up to them, placing his hand on the doorway. “This is it.
   1.181 +This is what I’ve been waiting for since the very beginning. I was
   1.182 +supposed to unlock this door. Everything else was just leading up to
   1.183 +this. One of the first voices I heard said that I’d need to do this,
   1.184 +but that I wasn’t ready to unlock it. Now I can. King Mickey told me
   1.185 +that I was the one who would open the Doorway to the Light.” He shook
   1.186 +his head, still in shock that his journey had finally brought him
   1.187 +there. It felt as if he’d been travelling for years, that it had
   1.188 +begun an eternity ago. Blue eyes closed as he pressed his palm
   1.189 +further against the door. Riku had to be there behind it, waiting.
   1.190 +Taking a step back, he summoned his Keyblade. Concentrating, he
   1.191 +lowered it, a beam of light bursting forth into the door’s keyhole.
   1.192 +He turned the Keyblade, bracing himself for the onslaught of light.
   1.193 +But nothing happened. “What?” He blinked, letting his Keyblade slowly
   1.194 +fall forward in his hands.
   1.195 +
   1.196 +Hikari stepped up to Sora’s side. “You can’t open it yet. And you
   1.197 +can’t open it alone.”
   1.198 +
   1.199 +Slowly nodding in realization, Sora turned his attention to the
   1.200 +princess. “Like with the Doorway to the Darkness. I couldn’t lock it
   1.201 +myself. I needed King Mickey to lock it from the inside while I
   1.202 +locked it from the outside.”
   1.203 +
   1.204 +“Exactly. You need Riku to unlock it from the inside with his
   1.205 +Keyblade. The two of you need to unlock it at the same time for it to
   1.206 +open.” Hikari shook her head before Sora could ask a question. “Not
   1.207 +yet. Neither of you can unlock it yet. Even if he could hear you, it
   1.208 +wouldn’t help. The Doorway to the Light can’t be opened until the
   1.209 +chains on it are unlocked.” Reaching forward, she touched the door
   1.210 +with her fingertips. The door lit up brightly, exposing dark, ominous
   1.211 +chains draped about it. Several locks on the chains kept them tightly
   1.212 +against the door. One lock was open while the others maintained their
   1.213 +hold. “The Keyholes to those locks are in certain hearts. Only those
   1.214 +hearts can unlock the chains. Then you and Riku can open the Doorway
   1.215 +to the light.”
   1.216 +
   1.217 +Sora took a step back, looking up at the huge doors and their
   1.218 +imposing shackles. “How do we go about unlocking the chains?”
   1.219 +
   1.220 +The princess offered a small smile, brushing some hair from her dark
   1.221 +blue eyes. “Don’t worry, Sora. I’m working on it right now.”
   1.222 +
   1.223 +
   1.224 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.225 +
   1.226 +
   1.227 +Kairi’s fingers trailed along the stone wall of the castle as she
   1.228 +made her way deeper down the hallway. She had left her room behind in
   1.229 +search of her friends. She had to find Yuffie and Relm. They were the
   1.230 +only ones she had left. She couldn’t risk losing them, too. They had
   1.231 +to be somewhere in the large palace. Now if only she could keep from
   1.232 +getting lost...
   1.233 +
   1.234 +Her mind was still reeling from what she had heard from the two
   1.235 +strange girls in her room. Nothing ever seemed to make sense anymore.
   1.236 +It was as if life delighted in teasing her with different views of
   1.237 +reality. Reality itself was becoming a distorted concept. What
   1.238 +constituted ‘real’? She shook her head swiftly, banishing the
   1.239 +thought. She didn’t need to start thinking about that now. She needed
   1.240 +to stay focused. Find her friends. Find the Keyholes. Save Riku.
   1.241 +Happy ending. That simple. She couldn’t afford to let herself get
   1.242 +lost in all this. 
   1.243 +
   1.244 +There was something almost familiar about the palace. It felt like
   1.245 +she’d been there before. Not this palace itself, but another palace.
   1.246 +From some time long ago. Closing her eyes, the sound of maids and
   1.247 +soldiers and minor dignitaries scurrying about felt normal. As if she
   1.248 +had heard this hundreds of times before. A tinge of homesickness
   1.249 +snaked around her heart. Homesickness for a home she couldn’t
   1.250 +remember, for a father that she didn’t know. 
   1.251 +
   1.252 +“Kairi?! Kairi, wake up!!” 
   1.253 +
   1.254 +Kairi whirled about at the voice calling out to her, her heart
   1.255 +pounding at its panicked insistence. But no one was there. Her head
   1.256 +turned swiftly, searching for whoever had screamed her name. As she
   1.257 +began to look past her search for a person, she began to see that the
   1.258 +hallway behind her was no longer there. The stone of the palace had
   1.259 +been replaced with the smooth walls of her by now familiar room. She
   1.260 +turned on her heel to escape down the hallway, but found herself
   1.261 +tripping before she could run. She fell face first on her bed,
   1.262 +surrounded by an army of plush dolls. It was too late. The palace had
   1.263 +left, stranding her once more in this eerily familiar room. She
   1.264 +pounded a fist into the bed in frustration. How could she ever find
   1.265 +anything if she was always getting tossed about between these strange
   1.266 +places? 
   1.267 +
   1.268 +“And then I’ll be a real boy?”
   1.269 +
   1.270 +Slowly pulling her head up, the princess listened intently. She’d
   1.271 +heard a voice. Someone else was there. For once, she wasn’t alone in
   1.272 +this horrible place filled with memories that couldn’t possibly be
   1.273 +her own. Whoever it was, at least she wouldn’t have to be alone here,
   1.274 +left with her own twisted thoughts. But her joy was quickly shot down
   1.275 +as her eyes fell upon the television in the room. 
   1.276 +
   1.277 +“Yes, Pinochio. A real boy.”
   1.278 +
   1.279 +The Disney movie played out on the screen before her, taunting her.
   1.280 +“And what do I have to do to be real?” she asked quietly. She hugged
   1.281 +an armful of dolls to her chest, characters from all across her
   1.282 +travels. They were all real. They had to be. She had been with Yuffie
   1.283 +and Relm just a few short hours ago. They weren’t just these bits of
   1.284 +fluff and cloth. They were still waiting for her in the Alexandria
   1.285 +Palace in a world so close and yet so far away. 
   1.286 +
   1.287 +“Kairi, please get up...” a strained voice begged her from the other
   1.288 +side of the room. Near her door. Her heart froze. Not again. Not
   1.289 +whoever was waiting on the other side of her locked door. But this
   1.290 +sounded different. The person sounded like they were about to break
   1.291 +down sobbing. And they sounded closer. On the inside of the room.
   1.292 +This didn’t ease Kairi’s concerns. She slowly rolled over to face the
   1.293 +door, her heart beating madly in her chest. This meant someone was
   1.294 +inside with her. The thought that had been so comforting moments
   1.295 +before now only served to horrify her. 
   1.296 +
   1.297 +But no one was there. The brunette blinked, still clutching onto her
   1.298 +dolls. She’d heard someone right there. Yet she saw straight to the
   1.299 +door. She sat up slowly, searching the room for the source of the
   1.300 +voice. Nothing but her assortment of pictures, Disney and Square
   1.301 +trinkets. The image of a girl desperately trying to escape her own
   1.302 +life. It made her sick to look at. Thankfully, something caught her
   1.303 +eye. She let the dolls fall back onto the bed as she got up to
   1.304 +inspect it.
   1.305 +
   1.306 +Something dark was lying on the floor near the door. It looked like
   1.307 +a shadow, but there didn’t seem to be anything casting it. A shadow
   1.308 +without an owner. There it lay, as if the shadow had died while
   1.309 +searching for whoever it belonged to. It lay near the door, as if
   1.310 +someone had died and had stained the very ground with their shadow
   1.311 +rather than their blood. A flicker of movement nearly sent her
   1.312 +stumbling backwards. At first, she thought the shadow had come back
   1.313 +to life, searching for a new owner. But as she watched, she could see
   1.314 +it was a separate shadow, of someone taller than the first. It seemed
   1.315 +to be shaking. Maybe it was frightened. Or angry. Or sad. Kairi took
   1.316 +a step closer. She began to make out the shape of a woman from the
   1.317 +shadow. A woman kneeling. It slowly reached out to the other shadow,
   1.318 +moving it gently. With no response from the first shadow, it moved
   1.319 +forward, cradling the other shadow in its arms. 
   1.320 +
   1.321 +“Kairi, please don’t die... Please, please don’t die...” the voice
   1.322 +choked out, right where the woman would be if she were more than a
   1.323 +shadow. 
   1.324 +
   1.325 +An icy chill began to crawl under Kairi’s skin. She took a slow,
   1.326 +awkward step forward. “M..mom...?” She asked without quite realizing
   1.327 +it. That shadow she had seen, unmoving on the floor, that had been
   1.328 +her? But... No! “Mom..?” She asked again, trying to get the woman’s
   1.329 +attention. “I’m not dead... I’m not. I won’t die, mom. I’m right
   1.330 +here.” She laughed weakly, trying to sound sure of herself. But it
   1.331 +sounded broken even in her own ears. She could hear sobbing in her
   1.332 +empty room. It echoed eerily throughout the room, filling the
   1.333 +princess with a horrible dread. That couldn’t be here. She was right
   1.334 +here. The world suddenly tilted on its axis and for a split second
   1.335 +she saw her mother. A pretty, slender woman, holding tightly onto
   1.336 +her. She was motionless, pale and bloodstained. Then they were gone,
   1.337 +nothing but shadows and an insistent sobbing. “Mom! I’m right here!”
   1.338 +Kairi cried out, hugging herself tightly. “Please... please look at
   1.339 +me... mom... I’m.. I’m here...” Her world blurred in a burning haze
   1.340 +of tears. She opened her moth to once again beg her mother to see
   1.341 +her, but nothing came out but a pained sob. She closed her eyes
   1.342 +tightly, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. There was no one there to
   1.343 +hear her. She was all alone. Her mother couldn’t hear her. It was
   1.344 +only a shadow. But was it a shadow of things to come? Or what had
   1.345 +already passed? Or simply a nightmare? 
   1.346 +
   1.347 +The sobbing silenced abruptly. Kairi blinked her tear soaked eyes
   1.348 +open only to find the two shadows were gone. Her own shadow was the
   1.349 +only one she could see and it appeared to be anchored securely to
   1.350 +herself. She shuddered, still holding herself. 
   1.351 +
   1.352 +“Don’t cry, Kairi,” a voice said soothingly. This time, it was from
   1.353 +behind the door. 
   1.354 +
   1.355 +Kairi wanted to argue with the mysterious voice, to say that she was
   1.356 +fine, but it was different this time. Soft, yet strong. Pained. For
   1.357 +her. The whispered words encircled her head like a wreath as she
   1.358 +tried to figure out who had said them. Taking a hesitant step towards
   1.359 +the door, her heart spun about, familiar feelings bubbling up. But
   1.360 +why? “Riku!!” Her eyes went wide as she ran the rest of the way to
   1.361 +the door, nearly colliding with it. Her hands stopped her as she
   1.362 +reached it, slowing her body enough so that she merely slumped
   1.363 +against it. “Riku, is that you?” Her ear pressed tightly against the
   1.364 +door, straining to hear any sign of the silver haired boy. She held
   1.365 +her breath, afraid that it would obscure the sound of his footsteps.
   1.366 +She waited desperately for an answer, horrified that it might have
   1.367 +been her imagination. 
   1.368 +
   1.369 +A soft chuckle. “Yep, it’s me. You can’t get rid of me that easily,
   1.370 +Kairi.” 
   1.371 +
   1.372 +
   1.373 +“Riku!!” Kairi laughed joyously at her friend’s voice. He was here.
   1.374 +She’d found him. It was really him this time. She could feel it. And
   1.375 +all that stood between them was this one door. Though it might as
   1.376 +well have been a world apart since she couldn’t get it open. But she
   1.377 +couldn’t let that get to her. Not now. Not with him so close. Her
   1.378 +palms pressed tightly against the door, almost trying to go straight
   1.379 +through it, to will it away. But it stood it’s ground, firm against
   1.380 +her. Thousands of thoughts swirled about in her mind in a tornado.
   1.381 +She didn’t even know where to begin. Her feelings, her thoughts, her
   1.382 +journey. They suddenly seemed unimportant. “I knew I’d find you,” she
   1.383 +whispered. 
   1.384 +
   1.385 +“Thank you, Kairi,” Riku replied, his own hand against the door,
   1.386 +those few inches of wood the only thing separating them. “I knew you
   1.387 +wouldn’t give up. You’re stronger than me and Sora.”
   1.388 +
   1.389 +Kairi shook her head, slumping it against the cold frame of the
   1.390 +door. “No, I’m not. I don’t even know what’s real anymore. You and
   1.391 +Sora would be doing a much better job than me. You wouldn’t be
   1.392 +doubting everything so much. You wouldn’t be so scared. You wouldn’t
   1.393 +keep getting captured.” Her eyes closed tightly. Here she was talking
   1.394 +to Riku on the other side of a locked door in her bedroom. How was
   1.395 +she supposed to know what was real and what was illusion? 
   1.396 +
   1.397 +“Kairi... Just because you can’t fight doesn’t make you weak. Sora
   1.398 +and I can fight, but there’s always someone better. You have
   1.399 +something much stronger than any weapon he or I could hold. You make
   1.400 +people want to protect you, to fight for you. Your heart lights up
   1.401 +the darkness the way no Keyblade could. And why does it matter if you
   1.402 +doubt? If you’re scared? You’re still here, aren’t you? Despite your
   1.403 +doubts, despite your fears, you kept coming. You never gave up, even
   1.404 +when all hope seemed lost. I think that makes you stronger to have
   1.405 +faced it and pushed forward instead of not seeing it at all. You’re
   1.406 +very strong, Kairi. I only wish I could be there with you. I don’t
   1.407 +want you to have to do this on your own. I want to catch you when you
   1.408 +fall. I want to be right there behind you.” He sighed, looking down.
   1.409 +He felt so helpless, trapped. It wouldn’t matter so much if he knew
   1.410 +Kairi was safe, but knowing she was out there searching and that
   1.411 +there was nothing he could do to help...
   1.412 +
   1.413 +Shaking her head, Kairi smiled faintly. “I’m not alone. No matter
   1.414 +where I am, I’m never alone. I have two girls travelling with me
   1.415 +right now. Yuffie and Relm. They’re my friends. They’ve helped me so
   1.416 +much. And even when I’m away from them, I know you and Sora are with
   1.417 +me.” A hand pulled away from the door, resting on her heart. “No
   1.418 +matter how far apart we are, we’re always together. That’s what kept
   1.419 +me going.” She swallowed, blinking back tears. “Because I know you’re
   1.420 +there with me every step of the way. If I listen very closely and I
   1.421 +close my eyes, I can hear your footsteps echoing with mine.”
   1.422 +
   1.423 +“Kairi...” Riku spread his fingers against the door, trying to hold
   1.424 +the princess’s hand in his own. “I can feel you with me, too.” She
   1.425 +was right there. So close... He had done everything he could to save
   1.426 +her. Now he would give anything to be by her side again. “I want to
   1.427 +see you one last time. I can’t go until I’ve seen you once more.”
   1.428 +
   1.429 +Blinking her still blurry eyes open, Kairi strained to see through
   1.430 +the door to the boy on the other side. “What do you man? I’ll set you
   1.431 +free, Riku. I promise. Then we’ll be together forever. Just like we
   1.432 +always planned. You, me, and Sora.” Why did it sound like Riku
   1.433 +wouldn’t be there for it? He’d have to be. She was going to save him.
   1.434 +
   1.435 +A long silence lingered in the air before Riku finally responded. “I
   1.436 +lost my body. Ansem had it, remember? When Sora defeated him, he died
   1.437 +with my body. My heart fought off the darkness, but I couldn’t bring
   1.438 +my body with me. The Farplane, the Lifestream, whatever you want to
   1.439 +call where hearts go, it’s calling me. But I refuse to go yet. Not
   1.440 +until I see you one last time.” He hadn’t wanted to tell her. He
   1.441 +could handle it as long as he knew she was all right. And she would
   1.442 +be, once she met up with Sora. He would protect Kairi for Riku. But
   1.443 +he couldn’t lie to Kairi. He never could. 
   1.444 +
   1.445 +“You’ll...” Kairi looked dumbly at the door, the revelation sending
   1.446 +cracks through her heart. “No! You can’t go!” She slumped against the
   1.447 +door, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. She had come this far
   1.448 +only to find out that Riku had lost his body? That he’d disappear
   1.449 +soon? The light at the end of her tunnel was suddenly eclipsed. She
   1.450 +was cast once more into darkness. All they had done... Was it all for
   1.451 +nothing? Yes, she could set fee the light behind the door, but that
   1.452 +wasn’t what she was fighting for. She was fighting for Riku, to have
   1.453 +him close again. But now...
   1.454 +
   1.455 +“It’s all right, Kairi. I’ll be fine. I knew the risks when I joined
   1.456 +Maleficent. But I didn’t care. I would do anything to save your
   1.457 +heart. As long as you’re safe, it doesn’t matter what happens to me.”
   1.458 +Riku smiled softly, his fingertips against the door. Yes, that was
   1.459 +the important thing. Kairi had her heart back. Even if some
   1.460 +sacrifices had to be made, that was all that mattered.
   1.461 +
   1.462 +“No...” Kairi shook her head, slowly looking up. She had come too
   1.463 +far to give up. She couldn’t quit on Riku. She wouldn’t let this stop
   1.464 +her. “I won’t let you go. I’m going to save you, Riku. Somehow. I
   1.465 +promised. And I will. You aren’t the only one who’d do anything. I’ll
   1.466 +do anything to save your heart. I owe that much to you. And... I
   1.467 +don’t want to be without you. I won’t give up. This time it’s my turn
   1.468 +to fight for you. I’ll find a way to open this door. And I’ll find a
   1.469 +way to protect your heart.” Closing her eyes, she kissed the door
   1.470 +softly. “Just wait for me, Riku.” 
   1.471 +
   1.472 +Riku looked ahead at the door, taken by surprise. He hadn’t expected
   1.473 +that. A small smile played across his lips. “And you said you weren’t
   1.474 +strong. I’ll be here, Kairi. Waiting for you. I’ll wait as long as it
   1.475 +takes.” His hopelessness started to melt away at Kairi’s words. He
   1.476 +had faith in her. And just knowing she would fight for him meant
   1.477 +everything to him. 
   1.478 +
   1.479 +Kairi’s fingers brushed the doorknob, her heart trying to unwind
   1.480 +itself from fears and anxieties holding it back. She may not have
   1.481 +another chance to say it. No, she couldn’t think like that. But
   1.482 +still... Who knew when she’d get to see him again? “Riku... I love...”
   1.483 +
   1.484 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.485 +
   1.486 +Wandering aimlessly through the courtyard, Eiko’s heart felt heavy.
   1.487 +Why wouldn’t the princess notice her? Garnet was too concerned with
   1.488 +other things. She only saw her as a little girl. It was certainly
   1.489 +frustrating. She crossed her arms, kicking a rock in her path.
   1.490 +Princess Garnet was the only good part of being kidnapped by that
   1.491 +Kuja guy and dragged to the Alexandria Palace. The princess had made
   1.492 +the distant palace feel a little less lonely. She’d been the first
   1.493 +real person that Eiko felt she could trust. She had grown up with
   1.494 +moogles for company in a deserted city of summoners, the last of her
   1.495 +kind. She hadn't realized how alone she had felt until meeting the
   1.496 +beautiful Princess Garnet. She felt safe with her. Warm. Dizzy. 
   1.497 +
   1.498 +Sighing, the purple haired summoner held her hands over her heart.
   1.499 +All she had to do was deliver the letter in her hands and Garnet
   1.500 +would finally know of her feelings. Butterflies fluttered about
   1.501 +chaotically in her stomach. She was nervous about letting Garnet know
   1.502 +but she couldn't sit by any longer. It was driving her insane. She
   1.503 +had to tell the princess. Even if it was through a stupid love
   1.504 +letter. Sighing, she tried to quash her nervousness, feeling the
   1.505 +letter underneath her fingers. Yes, she had to do this. She'd just
   1.506 +find a nice place to put it and then run as far as she could and send
   1.507 +Mog to find out how she'd reacted. Cowardly, perhaps, but she was too
   1.508 +embarrassed to be more straightforward about it. Besides, she thought
   1.509 +she'd made it painfully obvious how she felt about Garnet so far and
   1.510 +the princess hadn't shown an inkling of recognition. Steeling
   1.511 +herself, she nodded and continued through the garden. The guards
   1.512 +didn't see her as a threat and the princess let her come and go from
   1.513 +her quarters as she pleased, so it wouldn't be a problem getting
   1.514 +there to leave the letter on Garnet's pillow. 
   1.515 +
   1.516 +An all too familiar sound reached Eiko halfway through the garden.
   1.517 +She slowed to a halt, listening intently. Someone was crying. Hearing
   1.518 +the sound was odd. She'd never heard someone else cry before. It
   1.519 +brought up the same lost and lonely feelings within her that she
   1.520 +associated with it. Searching around the garden, she began to search
   1.521 +out its source. She didn't know what she could do about it, but she
   1.522 +didn't feel right just ignoring it. The moogles she'd lived with had
   1.523 +always been there for her when she'd been crying. The sound seemed to
   1.524 +be coming from behind some bushes. Pushing past the bushes, Eiko
   1.525 +stepped out on the other side to find a blonde girl hugging her legs,
   1.526 +her head on her knees. It was then that Eiko remembered she didn't
   1.527 +have any experience with this sort of thing. "Um.. Hi..." she stated
   1.528 +dumbly. She inwardly berated herself, quickly trying to come up with
   1.529 +something just a bit more comforting. "Are you okay?"
   1.530 +
   1.531 +It took Relm a moment to acknowledge the summoner's presence. Her
   1.532 +head slowly lifted from her knees, blinking at the wet tears that
   1.533 +coursed down her cheeks. A younger lavender haired girl stood before
   1.534 +her, an odd horn on her forehead. She was about to tell the girl to
   1.535 +leave her alone, but the uncomfortable, worried look in the
   1.536 +summoner's eyes shut her up. She was already feeling too crappy to
   1.537 +hurt a little girl's feelings. Shaking her head slowly, Relm rested
   1.538 +her chin on her knees again. "Not really." Sniffling, she wiped at
   1.539 +her eyes with her palms. After she had left Yuffie, she had run as
   1.540 +far as she could. By now she was completely lost. Which only made her
   1.541 +feel more helpless and confused about everything. 'Yuffie...' the
   1.542 +artist thought, a fresh wave of pain cascading through her. Her eyes
   1.543 +closed warily, feeling fresh tears gathering. 
   1.544 +
   1.545 +Looking down, Eiko waited for the older girl to continue. Her hands
   1.546 +behind her, she still clutched her love letter for Garnet. She busied
   1.547 +herself with looking at her foot, shifting it on the soft grass. She
   1.548 +was headstrong enough to rush into things, but once she was in the
   1.549 +middle of them, she easily found herself over her head. People were
   1.550 +so confusing. Moogles made so much more sense. She knew how to act
   1.551 +around them. A sad thought entered her mind at that. She was too used
   1.552 +to being alone. She had lived alone for so long that she was still
   1.553 +having trouble getting used to people. No matter how much she wanted
   1.554 +to be around them. Garnet in particular. So she had to try. To give
   1.555 +it a shot. To show that she could be around people, that she could
   1.556 +try to understand them. "What's wrong?" Eiko asked at last. Tilting
   1.557 +her head to the side, she glanced up at Relm expectantly. Not exactly
   1.558 +the best reply, but it was something.
   1.559 +
   1.560 +Sighing, Relm closed her eyes tightly. It all came out in a rush.
   1.561 +"It's Yuffie. She doesn't care what I do. I'm just annoying to her.
   1.562 +She thinks I'm just a crazy bimbo that wants to hang off of her. She
   1.563 +doesn't care how I feel. She's selfish and only cares about what
   1.564 +happens to her. But I love her anyway. Even if she can't understand.
   1.565 +Even if she thinks I'm just..." She swallowed again and again, trying
   1.566 +to choke back the tears. A muffled sob escaped her as she pressed her
   1.567 +face against her trembling knees. 
   1.568 +
   1.569 +Eiko sat down next to the sobbing artist. That sounded familiar. Too
   1.570 +familiar. Maybe people weren't so difficult to understand after all.
   1.571 +Did everyone hurt that badly? It was a scary thought. She reached out
   1.572 +hesitantly, not sure how to help, how to comfort the blonde girl. Her
   1.573 +hand nearly touched Relm's shoulder before she slowly pulled it back.
   1.574 +She didn't know what to do. Sighing softly, Relm's crying surrounded
   1.575 +her. How often had she done that? She'd promised her grandfather that
   1.576 +she'd be a big girl, that she could take care of herself, but
   1.577 +sometimes... "I'm sorry." She shook her head, her lavender hair
   1.578 +wisping past her eyes. "It isn't fair. Why can't they understand? We
   1.579 +love them so much that it hurts, but they can't see that. They're so
   1.580 +lost in their own worlds that they don't even know we're there. That
   1.581 +we need them so much." She pulled up the letter to Garnet, reading
   1.582 +her love's name again and again. Why did this happen? Why did it have
   1.583 +to hurt so much? Wasn't love supposed to end happily like in the
   1.584 +fairy tales she'd heard as a young child? It was. It had to. Damn it,
   1.585 +what was the point of being around people and falling in love if all
   1.586 +it did was hurt you? Letting the letter drop from her fingers, she
   1.587 +stood up again. She wouldn't just leave a letter on Garnet's bed and
   1.588 +run away. She would find another way.
   1.589 +
   1.590 +A small, warm hand rested on Relm's shoulder, drawing her out from
   1.591 +the veil of tears that surrounded her. She blinked weakly and gazed
   1.592 +through blurry eyes to the lavender haired summoner. The younger girl
   1.593 +was looking at her with an almost desperate intensity in her eyes.
   1.594 +She held back her sobs, sniffling quietly. 
   1.595 +
   1.596 +"I think... I think we're going through the same thing right now. We
   1.597 +can't give up. Love isn't supposed to work like this. So that means
   1.598 +we have to make it work. We can't let it end like this. We have to
   1.599 +fight for it. It would be too easy to walk away and be alone again.
   1.600 +But I can't do that anymore. And if this Yuffie can make you cry like
   1.601 +that, I don't think you want to be alone again either. Let's do it.
   1.602 +Let's make them realize everything. Let's make it so they can't ever
   1.603 +deny how much we love them again," Eiko said determinedly.
   1.604 +
   1.605 +Relm was taken aback by the girl's words. For a moment she wondered
   1.606 +how a girl so young could understand, but she brushed that aside. She
   1.607 +understood. That was the important thing. The only thing. Reaching
   1.608 +out, she rested her hand on top of Eiko's, smiling faintly through
   1.609 +her tears. Her head nodded weakly, a soft giggle slipping from her
   1.610 +lips. A renewed fire burned within her heart. "Let's."
   1.611 +
   1.612 +
   1.613 +