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     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/prismhearts-12.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
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     1.4 +Prism Hearts
     1.5 +Chapter 12
     1.6 +Angelus Errare: Where Angels Lose Their Way
     1.7 +by Amazoness Duo
     1.8 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
     1.9 +
    1.10 +
    1.11 +
    1.12 +She was out there. Somewhere. Being chased by the Heartless and
    1.13 +whoever else wanted what lay inside of her heart. Lost out in a world
    1.14 +slowly being consumed by darkness. Torn between reality and nightmare
    1.15 +and whatever was in between. And the one man he had counted on to
    1.16 +protect her was now incredibly far away, unable to keep the darkness
    1.17 +at bay for her. Wherever she was, he knew she was in danger. He could
    1.18 +feel it resonating throughout his soul, a cosmic cord that had been
    1.19 +struck, hitting him like nails on a chalkboard. He could tell himself
    1.20 +that it was only his own worry, but he didn't believe that. There was
    1.21 +a connection between them, something that being worlds away wasn't
    1.22 +going to sever. After all, she was the only reason he lingered in
    1.23 +this world of the living.
    1.24 +
    1.25 +The concern he felt was reaching a crescendo, crashing around him
    1.26 +like an angry sea. It was maddening. He was powerless to save her,
    1.27 +trapped behind the door at the center of all the universes, Kingdom
    1.28 +Hearts. Riku pounded on the inside of the door, frustration eating
    1.29 +him alive. He'd heard Kairi on the other side of those large doors
    1.30 +not so long ago. So close yet so far. If only he'd been able to get
    1.31 +through them to her... He hated leaving her alone. Sora was supposed
    1.32 +to be with her. But where was the other boy?
    1.33 +
    1.34 +Leaning against the door, Riku crossed his arms and sighed. He was
    1.35 +trapped here. He couldn't go to Kairi's rescue. Not this time. He
    1.36 +wanted to believe that Sora would reach her in time, but Sora felt so
    1.37 +very far away. Well, Riku wasn't exactly trapped. There was one other
    1.38 +place he could go. "But I can't do that. Not yet. Not until I see her
    1.39 +again." When he had lost his body to Ansem, he had technically died.
    1.40 +With no body, he was only a soul. He could leave this plane, could
    1.41 +escape to the afterlife. Farplane. Lifestream. Whatever one wished to
    1.42 +call it. He could feel it calling to him, but he pushed it off with
    1.43 +force of will. He couldn't go yet. Even if that left him locked
    1.44 +behind a door at the center of all creation. "Kairi..." he whispered.
    1.45 +
    1.46 +Again, that feeling of cold dread sent shards of ice through his
    1.47 +blood. She needed him and he couldn't go to her. "Sora... Hurry...
    1.48 +She needs you." But somehow, he had the horrible feeling that Sora
    1.49 +was lost himself at the moment. Neither of them could save her.
    1.50 +Neither of them could reach her. It was up to Kairi. Or Fate. "Hold
    1.51 +on, Kairi. Please hold on. You don't need to be meeting me in the
    1.52 +afterlife. Not yet."
    1.53 +
    1.54 +Locked away at the heart of all that was, a silver haired boy closed
    1.55 +his eyes and prayed to whoever would listen to him to let the girl he
    1.56 +loved be all right.
    1.57 +
    1.58 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    1.59 +
    1.60 +"Yuna!"
    1.61 +
    1.62 +Yuna pulled away from the kiss she had been entagled in with Rikku,
    1.63 +the world slamming back down around her. Her cheeks flushed a dark
    1.64 +red as her flustered heart spun dizzily. She tried to step away from
    1.65 +the catgirl, but Rikku was only pulled closer. She could feel tiny
    1.66 +pinpricks against her hips. It took her a moment to realize it was
    1.67 +the blonde girl's claws through her skirt. They were still snagged on
    1.68 +the fabric. Blushing more, Yuna quickly cast her gaze for the source
    1.69 +of the voice.
    1.70 +
    1.71 +Rikku blinked confusedly, still staring up at the pretty brunette.
    1.72 +The voice had vaguely reached her ears, but she was too lost in a
    1.73 +world alone with Yuna to case. "Mew?" The curious cat sound she made
    1.74 +didn't register to her as anything strange. It was as close to a
    1.75 +question as she could muster at the moment. Holding onto Yuna, the
    1.76 +catgirl nuzzled her neck, purring happily as she reached up to kiss
    1.77 +the other girl again. She paused when she saw the horrified look on
    1.78 +Yuna's face. That look on the brunette's beautiful face broke the
    1.79 +spell Rikku had been under, sending her tumbling back to the earth
    1.80 +from the heavens she had been dwelling in. "Yunie, what's wrong?"
    1.81 +
    1.82 +"Tidus!" Yuna pulled away from Rikku, running forward on the beach.
    1.83 +The previously comfortable wet sand against her feet now felt
    1.84 +difficult and unpredictable, impeding her effort to reach the blonde
    1.85 +boy.
    1.86 +
    1.87 +Tidus was still smiling. He'd finally found Yuna on the other side
    1.88 +of the island and she seemed to be talking to Rikku about something.
    1.89 +They were hugging and whispering, he thought. Running to them, he'd
    1.90 +called out to Yuna. He wanted to ask her if she wanted to go with him
    1.91 +to the festival that night. She would be fun to go with and he did
    1.92 +like her. And Selphie was right, she was an excellent dancer. For
    1.93 +some reason, Yuna had blushed when he'd called her name. They must
    1.94 +have been talking about something private. When she finally caught
    1.95 +sight of him, he grinned and waved. "Yuna!" He ran across the beach,
    1.96 +his sandles mashing against the wet sand. He was nearly out of breath
    1.97 +but he didn't care. They were having the festival that night. He'd
    1.98 +get to go with Yuna and they'd all have fun. They could forget about
    1.99 +holes that led to nowhere and friends disappearing and...
   1.100 +
   1.101 +"Tidus!!" Yuna screamed, reaching out for him. Strong arms wrapped
   1.102 +around her waist, yanking her back. The wind was knocked out of her
   1.103 +as she was dragged back. Someone's voice yelled to her, but it was
   1.104 +drowned out by the roar of the water. Water poared around her like a
   1.105 +spring storm, but it all came from the sea around them, soaking her
   1.106 +in salt water. She struggled to get free, but Rikku's claws held
   1.107 +tight in her dress, pulling her further back even under the
   1.108 +relentless shower. She cried out unintelligibly straining.
   1.109 +
   1.110 +Something immense broke throught the water's surface, sending water
   1.111 +spraying everywhere as waves crashed against the beach. The creature,
   1.112 +some cross between a whale, coral, and a nightmare, raised up above
   1.113 +the beach, casting the already cloudy day into shadow. Water and sand
   1.114 +were actually getting sucked upwards, high into the air in some sort
   1.115 +of vortex above the creature. It watched them, even though it had no
   1.116 +eyes. But in particular, it seemed to be watching Yuna.
   1.117 +
   1.118 +For a moment, Yuna was disoriented. A huge wave had crashed around
   1.119 +her and Rikku, sending them tumbling. She couldn't tell if she was
   1.120 +still on the beach or in the ocean. She spat out seawater, hunched
   1.121 +over. The wind tore at her drenched clothes, making her shiver and
   1.122 +the wet cloth slapped against her. She scanned frantically for any
   1.123 +sign of Rikku or Tidus. She finally caught sight of the blonde boy.
   1.124 +He was floating in the water in front of the monster. "Tidus!!" she
   1.125 +cried out, slowly getting to her feet. The boy stirred, starting to
   1.126 +move in the water. She had to get him away from it. "Rikku?" She
   1.127 +couldn't tell where the catgirl was. Deep in her heart, she knew this
   1.128 +creature. It sang to her, a horrible, brutal lullaby. It dizzied her
   1.129 +senses, leaving her barely able to concentrate. She struggled to
   1.130 +reach Tidus in time, stumbling through the knee deep water. Tripping
   1.131 +on a rock in the water, her heart lurched as well as her body as she
   1.132 +crashed painfully into the waves. She was running out of time. It
   1.133 +wouldn't pause forever. She had to drag him away from it. She had to
   1.134 +find Rikku and run. They all needed to get away. Far, far away.
   1.135 +
   1.136 +Gazing through the water that burned her eyes, Yuna could barely
   1.137 +make out the vague blur that she hoped was Tidus. "Tidus!" She tried
   1.138 +to get out around a mouthful of water. She pushed herself forward the
   1.139 +last few steps. The boy began to get up on his own. Good. Now she
   1.140 +wouldn't have to drag him. They could run. Before she could search
   1.141 +for Rikku, she could tell that something was wrong. No, he wasn't
   1.142 +getting up on his own. The water was moving him. Pulling him up. Up
   1.143 +into the air. "No!" Yuna ran forward, slowed by the surging waves.
   1.144 +"Tidus!" She screamed. She reached for his limp hand, her fingers
   1.145 +brushing against him. Her heart nearly collapsed when she realized it
   1.146 +was too late. His wet fingers slipped past hers as the water and sand
   1.147 +and leaves were sucked up into the air. And she was about to follow.
   1.148 +Her feet were no longer touching the ground. The water around her was
   1.149 +starting to get pulled after her. She was going to be devoured.
   1.150 +This... Thing was going to devour Tidus and then her. It was like a
   1.151 +monster from fairy tales her father had told her. But this one was
   1.152 +hideously real.
   1.153 +
   1.154 +Yuna stopped in midair. A wet paw clung tightly to her skirt,
   1.155 +yanking her away from the funnel of water and debris getting sucked
   1.156 +into the vortex up above. The hand nearly lost it's grip again and
   1.157 +again, but it kept grasping at her, finally pulling her away. The
   1.158 +water around them was still trying to lift into the sky, but not as
   1.159 +strongly as the tornado of objects being pulled into the air where
   1.160 +Yuna had just been. Rikku held onto Yuna's hand tightly, the claws
   1.161 +cutting into her skin as the wind whipped at them, trying to drag
   1.162 +them after Tidus. 'I'll protect you. I won't let anything happen to
   1.163 +you. I won't let it hurt you,' Rikku's mind raced. She didn't know
   1.164 +what this was, but she knew she couldn't let it have Yuna. She'd
   1.165 +promised to protect the girl. She'd do anything to protect her.
   1.166 +
   1.167 +The two girls reached the beach, soaked and out of breath, aching
   1.168 +and afraid. Behind them, the steady roar began to die down. Splashes
   1.169 +could be heard as objects that hadn't reached the vortex plummeted to
   1.170 +the sea below. Yuna turned slowly, dreading what she would see. Where
   1.171 +the creature had stood was now only chaos. Debris floating
   1.172 +haphazardly in the ocean. And Tidus was gone. Gone. "No..." she
   1.173 +whispered, as if denying that it had happened would bring him back,
   1.174 +would deny the very event itself. "No!" She stumbled forward, wanting
   1.175 +to search for him, but she knew it was pointless. She collapsed to
   1.176 +her knees in the wet sand. That creature... It was her nightmare. The
   1.177 +thing that haunted her dreams. She knew it. Her personal boogeyman.
   1.178 +It had many forms, but it was always the same. And now it was real.
   1.179 +It had come out of her nightmares and it had found her. And it had
   1.180 +taken away one of those closest to her. And she knew it would be back
   1.181 +for more. She burst into tears. They had always told her that her
   1.182 +father had merely drowned at sea, but she could never believe that.
   1.183 +She'd had a dream about that creature taking her father away the
   1.184 +night before he'd died. She'd seen it. She'd been unable to stop it.
   1.185 +Now it had taken Tidus away. "Tidus... I'm so sorry..." She had
   1.186 +failed once more to protect those she cared about. Her father hadn't
   1.187 +listened, had told her it was only a nightmare and had sailed off to
   1.188 +his death. Tidus had been so close. So very close. She'd nearly had
   1.189 +his hand. "I'm so sorry..." she repeated between sobs.
   1.190 +
   1.191 +Wet, furry arms wrapped around Yuna, pulling her close. The crying
   1.192 +girl curled up weakly in Rikku's arms, shaking. "Yunie..."
   1.193 +Swallowing, Rikku buried her face against the brunette's soggy hair.
   1.194 +What was that thing? In all of her travels, she'd never met anything
   1.195 +so terrifying. It had seemed so focussed on Yuna. How could she
   1.196 +protect Yuna from that demon? She had to try. Somehow. She'd
   1.197 +promised. She wouldn't let it take her. No matter what.
   1.198 +
   1.199 +"Sin..." Yuna whispered, resting limply in Rikku's arms. She
   1.200 +shuddered violently, breaking into a fresh batch of sobs.
   1.201 +
   1.202 +"What? Yunie, what's sin?" Rikku asked worriedly, pulling Yuna closer.
   1.203 +
   1.204 +"That... that was Sin..." Yuna whispered. "Sin's come to punish
   1.205 +us..." She knew it. Knew it like she knew how to breathe and how to
   1.206 +laugh. It was ingrained in her. That was Sin. It was a nightmare. And
   1.207 +it had come for the Destiny Islands.
   1.208 +
   1.209 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.210 +
   1.211 +Hikari nibbled on her lower lip, waiting anxiously for the bell to
   1.212 +ring. She shuffled the beautiful, multicolored papers on her lap,
   1.213 +watching the clock in the classroom tick inexorably towards
   1.214 +dismissal. Her heart pounded excitedly in her chest as she waited.
   1.215 +
   1.216 +Taking a pencil, she began to scribble on the top sheet. She smiled
   1.217 +as a familiar figure began to take shape on the page before her. It
   1.218 +happened without thinking, as if he wanted to see her. It was silly,
   1.219 +she knew, but she couldn't help it. Riku slowly came into being on
   1.220 +the paper in front of her in the form of a hastily drawn picture.
   1.221 +Sighing inwardly, she smiled. He was so cute. But he was probably so
   1.222 +lonely there by himself. By now completely phasing out whatever the
   1.223 +teacher was saying, Hikari drew in Sora next to the other boy. And,
   1.224 +after a moment's thought, herself between the two boys. There. That
   1.225 +was better. By now, drawing the boys was second nature. She'd drawn
   1.226 +hundreds of pictures of them and their island. They were her best
   1.227 +friends. Even if they weren't real.
   1.228 +
   1.229 +The bell finally rang, cutting into Hikari's distant thoughts. The
   1.230 +girl quickly got up, nearly dropping her lapful of colored papers. A
   1.231 +boy behind her laughed as she struggled to keep a grasp on the
   1.232 +handful of them. Finally pulling them into a hug, she hurried to pass
   1.233 +them out. They were invitations to her thirteenth birthday party. Her
   1.234 +mother had made each of them by hand the night before. Her mother's
   1.235 +art still amazed her. The older woman could draw such beautiful
   1.236 +things. It was she who had spent hours upon hours teaching Hikari to
   1.237 +draw. And now the younger girl spent as much time as she could
   1.238 +drawing her dreams, that far off world she loved so very much. It
   1.239 +seemed to come to life in the drawings.
   1.240 +
   1.241 +Written in her mother's careful hand on each and every paper was:
   1.242 +'Please come, one and all, to the beautiful Princess Hikari's 13th
   1.243 +birthday this Friday. Whether by carriage or chocobo or airship, all
   1.244 +are welcome for this wondrous celebration. Dinner will be served so
   1.245 +all visiting dignitaries' parents shouldn't worry about them coming
   1.246 +home hungry. Please call Princess Hikari's chief adviser (her mother)
   1.247 +if you have any questions.'
   1.248 +
   1.249 +As Hikari passed out the last of the invitations, she felt
   1.250 +excitement mixed with pride and anticipation. The invitations were
   1.251 +beautiful. Her mother had spent so much time on them, surprising
   1.252 +Hikari early in the morning with the bundle. She had said she wanted
   1.253 +Hikari to have a birthday fit for a princess. That was so sweet.
   1.254 +Hikari had been delighted with the beautiful pictures that adorned
   1.255 +the invitations. Her mother had drawn them. It was like an invitation
   1.256 +to Wonderland, wondrous and amazing. No one else had invitations like
   1.257 +that, usually little more than explanations on paper of what party
   1.258 +and where. No one else had a mother like she had, pretty and fun and
   1.259 +loving. Her mind raced with thoughts of her birthday, of games and
   1.260 +the pretty dress her mother had bought her for it and....
   1.261 +
   1.262 +"Princess Hikari?" One of the girls asked, grinning. "Since when was
   1.263 +Hikari a princess?"
   1.264 +
   1.265 +Hikari's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "It's... Mom meant..."
   1.266 +
   1.267 +"So we're supposed to get off of school friday and go to 'her
   1.268 +highness's' little play date?" A boy asked.
   1.269 +
   1.270 +"What types of games will they be playing? Spin the bottle?"
   1.271 +
   1.272 +Another boy laughed. "With who? The other four-year-olds Hikari
   1.273 +invites? You'll be lucky if they play pin the tail on the donkey. The
   1.274 +'Princess' likes to keep things simple."
   1.275 +
   1.276 +Hikari's eyes burned brightly with tears as she listened to them
   1.277 +laugh and joke. Each time she heard someone call her 'princess', it
   1.278 +felt like a slap to the face. Not like when her mother said it. When
   1.279 +she said it, Hikari felt like a real princess. But now....  She
   1.280 +sniffled painfully, hoisting up her backpack as she left the room.
   1.281 +
   1.282 +"Hey, Princess, I don't think I can make it. I'm gonna be visiting
   1.283 +the man on the moon that day. Very busy," a girl said mock seriously.
   1.284 +Her friends burst into laughter.
   1.285 +
   1.286 +Hikari couldn't speak. She could barely keep from crying. She'd
   1.287 +thought the invitations were wonderful. She loved the idea of a
   1.288 +magically princess themed birthday party. But now she felt stupid for
   1.289 +wanting such a thing. Stupid and childish.
   1.290 +
   1.291 +Another boy crumpled up the invitation, drawn brilliantly on a sky
   1.292 +blue paper. He dropped it in a trash can as he passed, not bothering
   1.293 +with a glance back. It was simply so much trash to him. Nothing more,
   1.294 +nothing less. Her mother's work, the pretty invitation she had spent
   1.295 +all night on, now left unceremoniously with the rest of the garbage.
   1.296 +Hikari felt sick. She shook lightly, her vision blurred. She didn't
   1.297 +even know where she was going. She wanted to collapse and cry. But
   1.298 +then they'd be right. She would just be a dumb little girl. Tears
   1.299 +fell silently down her cheeks as she cursed herself inwardly. She was
   1.300 +just a dumb little girl. A little girl who wanted her mother, who
   1.301 +wanted to be a princess. Who wanted everyone to like her. Her breath
   1.302 +caught in her throat, wet and stinging. She pushed open the bathroom
   1.303 +door and stumbled on leaden feet into a stall. Collapsing, she cried
   1.304 +through most of the next period.
   1.305 +
   1.306 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.307 +
   1.308 +Kairi stirred weakly in her bonds. Where was she? Oh, how she was
   1.309 +beginning to loathe that question. Kuja... Blinking awake, Kairi
   1.310 +glanced around the gothic looking room. The nightmare she had just
   1.311 +had only made her present state that much more miserable. Her soul
   1.312 +was still clouded with pain half-remembered, worried about an
   1.313 +uncertain Fate that hung before her.
   1.314 +
   1.315 +"So the sleeper awakens." Kuja's soft voice seemed to come from
   1.316 +everywhere at once. Even though she couldn't see him, she knew he was
   1.317 +smirking now. "Or perhaps that's not entirely true. You haven't woken
   1.318 +up just yet. Not from this dream. But that suits my needs just fine.
   1.319 +I'll shape this dream however I see fit with the power you'll grant
   1.320 +me, Kairi." Finally stepping into view, the lithe catboy was indeed
   1.321 +smirking. He traced Kairi's cheek with his fingertips. "It will hurt.
   1.322 +But then it will all be over. And I'll create a new world from your
   1.323 +ashes."
   1.324 +
   1.325 +Kairi struggled as she felt his hand trailing down her neck, moving
   1.326 +over her collarbone. But she was helpless. "I won't give up. I won't
   1.327 +let you change this world. I'm going to save it." She had to believe
   1.328 +in those words. She had to. For Sora. For Riku. For all of her
   1.329 +friends who were counting on her to stop the Heartless.
   1.330 +
   1.331 +"You really don't have a choice anymore, Kairi. You may be the
   1.332 +dreamer, but with the Prism Heart, I'll recast it into my dream. I'll
   1.333 +never die. All the things that haunt me will disperse into
   1.334 +nothingness. It will be beautiful." Kuja sighed deliciously. "It's
   1.335 +only too bad you won't be there to see it." His hand now rested
   1.336 +directly over Kairi's heart. He could practically taste the fear and
   1.337 +uncertainty that washed over her. He gazed into her eyes, ready to
   1.338 +watch the light fade from them as she died. With a swift motion of
   1.339 +his hand, he shoved his fingers into her chest.
   1.340 +
   1.341 +Pain screamed through Kairi's head, bright and searing pain that
   1.342 +instantly killed any thoughts that were swarming through her head.
   1.343 +The scream felt endless and tore through her mind and soul. Yet her
   1.344 +lips only trembled, unable to make anything but the tiniest sounds.
   1.345 +She could feel his hand pushing deeper inside of her, clutching at
   1.346 +her heart, could feel him grabbing it tenderly, ready to draw it out
   1.347 +of her. She'd come so far. She had promised she'd save Riku. But now
   1.348 +she would die in a far off world as someone used her heart to
   1.349 +recreate this reality. And all she could do was wish for the pain to
   1.350 +end.
   1.351 +
   1.352 +'Thinking of you, wherever you are.
   1.353 +
   1.354 +We pray for our sorrows to end,
   1.355 +And hope that our hearts will blend.
   1.356 +Now I will step forward to realize this wish.'
   1.357 +
   1.358 +No. She had promised. This wouldn't end here. Her fingernails dug
   1.359 +into her palms as she tried to concentrate. She wouldn't die here.
   1.360 +She couldn't die here. Her journey wasn't over. She needed to save
   1.361 +Riku. Had to find Sora. 'I won't give up. I'm with you. Wherever you
   1.362 +are.' Whether the thought was her own or soemone else's, she couldn't
   1.363 +quite be sure. The pain grew, numbing her senses in an overload as
   1.364 +she felt her heart slipping further and further away from her.
   1.365 +'Mom...' Her mother was a beautiful woman, her best friend. 'Dad...'
   1.366 +Her father had been an ingenious monarch who had fallen victim to his
   1.367 +own curiosity. Both were from different worlds. But both felt so
   1.368 +real. 'I can't give up one and not the other. I can't choose. I
   1.369 +can't...' Everything around her began to fade as she felt her heart
   1.370 +giving up it's hold. 'I'm sorry...' she thought dimly as everything
   1.371 +plunged into blackness around her.
   1.372 +
   1.373 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.374 +
   1.375 +"Kuja!" Garnet stood at the last of the steps, watching in horror as
   1.376 +pulled a shimmering, crystalline heart from Kairi. The chestnut
   1.377 +haired girl slumped in her bonds, her eyes dull and glassy. Simply a
   1.378 +body. They were too late.
   1.379 +
   1.380 +"Kairi!!" Relm ran past the silver haired catboy to the chained up
   1.381 +Keyblade Mistress's side. If she'd been with her instead of playing
   1.382 +her stupid games with Yuffie... Celes had sacrificed herself so they
   1.383 +could escape. But now... Without Kairi, how could they hope to stop
   1.384 +the Heartless? "Kairi... Kairi, please wake up..." Relm held onto
   1.385 +Kairi's shoulders, but the other girl couldn't hear her.
   1.386 +
   1.387 +"I'm afraid you're too late. I already have what I was looking for.
   1.388 +Go ahead and take her body if you want. I have no further use for
   1.389 +it." He shrugged, grinning wildly as he held his prize. The Prism
   1.390 +Heart. "This world will soon be born anew. Do as you like until
   1.391 +then." Not even Sephiroth or Princess Hikari could stop him now. He
   1.392 +was the master of reality itself. Now his perceptions, his dreams
   1.393 +would all resonate throughout all the existed.
   1.394 +
   1.395 +"How could you do this?" Garnet asked, disbelief making her dizzy.
   1.396 +How could this have happened? How could anyone do that? She stepped
   1.397 +forward in a haze, barely feeling Eiko clinging to her side.
   1.398 +
   1.399 +"He's doing this at my behest," a voice said from further up the
   1.400 +steps. Queen Brahne walked down the steps, followed closely by Harle.
   1.401 +"The kingdom is in danger. I'll do whatever it takes to protect it.
   1.402 +And if a few peasant girls' lives are needed to stop the Heartless,
   1.403 +I'll gladly sacrifice them."
   1.404 +
   1.405 +Garnet turned, the world tipping on its side. Her mother had known
   1.406 +what Kuja was doing? She had let him do these horrible things? They
   1.407 +would have done this to Eiko. "No! You can't sacrifice others! You
   1.408 +can't use them like toys!"
   1.409 +
   1.410 +"I'm the Queen of Alexandria. I will do whatever I see fit. And you
   1.411 +will not speak back to me again, Princess." Brahne's eyes grew cold
   1.412 +and distant, not at all the mother Garnet had once known.
   1.413 +
   1.414 +Laughter broke out through the torture chamber, drawing everyone's
   1.415 +attention. "I'm afraid you have it all wrong, Queen Brahne. I don't
   1.416 +care what happens with the Heartless. I think you're confused about
   1.417 +just who was using who. You gave me the resources I needed to find
   1.418 +the girl with the Prism Heart. Your pathetic Alexandria won't even
   1.419 +exist in the world I create."
   1.420 +
   1.421 +"Kuja... I'll have you executed," Brahne growled. She wasn't about
   1.422 +to let him betray her. She'd have Harle finish the rest of it. Her
   1.423 +harlequin knew enough about magic and relics to use the Prism Heart
   1.424 +to make Alexandria the most powerful nation in existence.
   1.425 +
   1.426 +More laughter erupted from the silver haired man. "You don't know
   1.427 +who you're speaking to, Brahne. I'm a god now. I will never die.
   1.428 +Certainly not at your capricious whims. My life... No, all lives are
   1.429 +mine to do with as a please." He held out the shining crystal heart
   1.430 +in his hand. "Starting with yours." Before Brahne could even move,
   1.431 +the world shifted around them. The Queen stood where she was, frozen.
   1.432 +She was made completely of polished marble. "A statue fitting of a
   1.433 +queen. They can put you in the center of your palace and worship you
   1.434 +until the palace falls in on itself. But I don't feel like waiting
   1.435 +that long." With another wave on his hand, the statue shattered, the
   1.436 +head rolling amidst the scattered pieces.
   1.437 +
   1.438 +"Mother!" Garnet fell beside what had been her mother, her heart
   1.439 +seized in her chest. She was gone. Even if she had been killing
   1.440 +innocent girls, she was still her mother. And now she was gone. In an
   1.441 +instant. Tears dripped to the broken marble beneath her. "Mother..."
   1.442 +
   1.443 +"Garnet..." Eiko held onto the taller girl from behind, keeping a
   1.444 +wary eye on Kuja. They needed to get out of there quickly. There was
   1.445 +no telling what he'd do next. "Garnet, we have to go. Please." But
   1.446 +Garnet wasn't listening. And Eiko couldn't leave without her. Though
   1.447 +she was starting to worry none of them would be leaving.
   1.448 +
   1.449 +"You bastard! Give Kairi her heart back!" Relm ran up to Kuja,
   1.450 +slamming her small fists into his chest. "Bring her back!!!" Tears
   1.451 +burnt at her eyes. So many useless sacrifices. They couldn't be in
   1.452 +vain. They just couldn't.
   1.453 +
   1.454 +Bringing his hand up, Kuja slapped the bandanna wearing girl
   1.455 +viciously. Staggering back, Relm was disoriented. Kuja grabbed her
   1.456 +neck, lifting her until her toes were scrabbling at the floor.
   1.457 +"Useless little artist. I would have let you stay around to give me
   1.458 +something to look at, but you hardly seem worth the effort. Don't
   1.459 +worry. I'll let you join Kairi. If you don't want to be part of my
   1.460 +world, I'll let you be part of hers. The world of the dead."
   1.461 +Squeezing tightly, he felt her throat constricting under his hand.
   1.462 +How long until the light faded from her eyes as well?
   1.463 +
   1.464 +Relm struggled to keep her feet on the floor, but they were feeling
   1.465 +further and further away. Her lungs burned and her vision began to
   1.466 +get spotty. She wanted to scream, but nothing could come out without
   1.467 +the air she desperately needed. Her hands fell limply to her sides.
   1.468 +She could almost hear Celes at the edge of her mind. But what was she
   1.469 +saying? She'd know soon enough. At least... At least she'd be joining
   1.470 +Celes and Interceptor. That was some comfort.
   1.471 +
   1.472 +"Leave her alone, you asshole!" Kuja let out a gasp of pain. A
   1.473 +splume of red filled Relm's vision before she fell to the floor, air
   1.474 +rushing back to her aching lungs. Kuja clutched his slashed arm, the
   1.475 +Prism Heart floating next to him. Yuffie sat crouched in front of
   1.476 +Relm, her giant shuriken bloodied. 'Yuffie!' Relm thought, fighting
   1.477 +to clear her thoughts. 'She... she saved me...' She could only gaze
   1.478 +at Yuffie's back, her heart burning anew for the ninja girl in front
   1.479 +of her.
   1.480 +
   1.481 +Kuja grinned, running his hand over the wound on his right arm. The
   1.482 +arm was instantly better. "You fool. You should have ran. Or did you
   1.483 +want to die with the artist? That can be arranged."
   1.484 +
   1.485 +"I don't plan on dying for a good long time. And neither is she as
   1.486 +long as I have any say in it." Pulling up her shuriken in front of
   1.487 +her, Yuffie grinned herself. "I can't say the same for you." Her aura
   1.488 +lit up, blazing in a beautiful array of colors. The shuriken began to
   1.489 +spin in front of her as she focussed. If he could heal himself, she
   1.490 +had to end this with one hit before he had a chance to. This had to
   1.491 +be everything she had inside of herself. For Relm. She couldn't let
   1.492 +him hurt the younger girl. She couldn't live with herself if she did.
   1.493 +And she could live with herself doing quite a bit, so that was saying
   1.494 +something. "All Creation!!" She called out, energy lashing out
   1.495 +blindingly. It slammed into Kuja, illuminating the entire room.
   1.496 +Pushing herself, she tried to force out every ounce of energery she
   1.497 +had inside of herself into the attack.  Yuffie stumbled onto one
   1.498 +knee, the shuriken fell to the floor, clinging next to her. Her body
   1.499 +felt drained, nothing left to push forward with. Slumping forward
   1.500 +onto the cold stone floor, she passed out.
   1.501 +
   1.502 +"Yuffie... Yuffie!" Relm crawled over to the ninja, checking to make
   1.503 +sure she was alive. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt
   1.504 +Yuffie's weak heartbeat under her hand. She was alive. Yuffie had
   1.505 +saved her. She clutched onto the fallen ninja, burying her face into
   1.506 +Yuffie's hair. "Yuffie..."
   1.507 +
   1.508 +"That... hurt..." Kuja stumbled forward. "I'm going to keep you
   1.509 +alive for that, you little bitch. And you'll pray for the day that
   1.510 +I'll kill you. That would have killed me. But the Prism Heart filters
   1.511 +all reality. Even your pathetic attacks. I told you. I can't die." He
   1.512 +walked towards them clenching his fist.
   1.513 +
   1.514 +"No. You will ruin everyzing. I will not allow it. Zis is not ze way
   1.515 +things should be." Harle crossed her arms, watching Kuja turn to face
   1.516 +her. "Zat girl is ze dreamer. You are not. You will plunge everyzing
   1.517 +into chaos. You do not have ze will to be a god. She is integral to
   1.518 +zis world. I won't let you make it all fall apart. Not now." Dragon
   1.519 +wings unfurled behind her, her face elongating. Her fingers became
   1.520 +deadly claws. A tail appeared behind her. Her harlequin costume tore
   1.521 +apart as she grew, shifting into something not in the least human.
   1.522 +Her voice changed into a deep roar as the dragon stood before Kuja.
   1.523 +"I am Bahamut, the Dragon God. I won't let your madness spread
   1.524 +throughout reality like a virus." The dragon's mouth opened, light
   1.525 +spraying forth as he showered Kuja with Megaflare. And then nothing.
   1.526 +The world spun around the Dragon God. Harle watched as Kuja stepped
   1.527 +out of the dissipating explosion. She stepped back, realizing she was
   1.528 +naked and no longer a dragon. This was much more trouble than she had
   1.529 +expected.
   1.530 +
   1.531 +"So you're Bahamut. I thought there was something strange about you.
   1.532 +But the legendary Dragon God isn't very frightening when you're
   1.533 +sealed away inside that body. I think I'll keep you around just to
   1.534 +show you what power I have. You can be there by my side as I unleash
   1.535 +my 'madness' upon reality. And what better servant than Bahamut?"
   1.536 +Kuja laughed. This was turning out perfectly. Everything was his to
   1.537 +command. Nothing could stand against him. All would be as he wished
   1.538 +it to be.
   1.539 +
   1.540 +"I told you not to harm Kairi."
   1.541 +
   1.542 +Kuja spun around at the sound of Sephiroth's voice. Could this day
   1.543 +be any better? He had thought he'd have to go to Sephiroth and tear
   1.544 +apart Princess Hikari's upside down palace right in front of his
   1.545 +eyes. But now his former boss had come to him. This would be
   1.546 +immensely satisfying. No one controlled him anymore. Everything was
   1.547 +his. "I changed my mind. You gave me power, yes. The power of the
   1.548 +Heartless. But I want more than that. The power of a god. The power
   1.549 +to stop life and death. Letting you have her wouldn't have been any
   1.550 +fun."
   1.551 +
   1.552 +Sephiroth narrowed his eyebrows, stepping forward. A young girl, a
   1.553 +mirror image of Kairi wearing a gorgeous midnight black dress,
   1.554 +stepped from behind him.
   1.555 +
   1.556 +"So you brought Princess Hikari with you? Thank you so much,
   1.557 +Sephiroth. You're making this so much easier. Now I can get you both
   1.558 +out of the way before creating my beautiful dream."
   1.559 +
   1.560 +"Kairi still has further to travel. You're complicating things,
   1.561 +Kuja. You weren't supposed to harm her for a reason. You're fears and
   1.562 +insecurities are making you erratic. I knew I shouldn't have trusted
   1.563 +you." Princess Hikari stepped over to Kairi, lifting her chin and
   1.564 +gazing into lifeless eyes.
   1.565 +
   1.566 +"It's a little too late for that, your highness. Maybe if you beg,
   1.567 +I'll let you exist in my world. As something suitably ironic. Like a
   1.568 +prostitute or a homeless girl. Yes, those both sound interesting. And
   1.569 +you, Sephiroth, I'm just going to kill you. I'm sick of taking orders
   1.570 +from you." Kuja watched the two of them, his thoughts spinning
   1.571 +delightfully. So many possibilities. He raised his hand. He frowned.
   1.572 +He hadn't really expected Sephiroth to show any fear, but it was
   1.573 +still disappointing. "Die!" The world shifted around Sephiroth,
   1.574 +becoming razor sharp to cut through the warrior. But nothing
   1.575 +happened. The SOLDIER unfurled his single, black wing, looking back
   1.576 +at Kuja. "What the hell?" It wasn't possible. "The Prism Heart
   1.577 +controls all reality. All of it! Even you, Sephiroth! Die!!!" Again,
   1.578 +nothing happened. Princess Hikari stepped in front of Kuja, looking
   1.579 +very displeased. Suddenly, Kuja began to feel the fear and
   1.580 +desperation that had driven him to this in the first place. He was
   1.581 +going to die. And he could do nothing to stop it. His plans were
   1.582 +falling apart in front of him.
   1.583 +
   1.584 +"Kuja, that heart is mine. If Kairi is my shadow, then why would you
   1.585 +be able to stop me with her heart?" Princess Hikari asked, beckoning
   1.586 +Sephiroth over. "Prism Hearts isn't simply her. She's only a small
   1.587 +part of it. Yes, you could shape reality with it. If I allowed it.
   1.588 +And I most certainly will not." She held her hand out, Kairi's heart
   1.589 +floating to her. Walking over to Kairi, she gently placed it back
   1.590 +inside of the other girl. "Now go, Kairi. You need to unlock his
   1.591 +keyhole. Riku needs you," she whispered in Kairi's ear. "Hurry to
   1.592 +him." Turning, she motioned for Sephiroth. "We should go. I don't
   1.593 +want to leave Sora for long."
   1.594 +
   1.595 +Kuja shook his head, watching Sephiroth advance. He could feel the
   1.596 +power he'd been given by the Heartless dissolving as he called for
   1.597 +it. It was over. He was going to die. All of his preparations to
   1.598 +prevent that had been for naught. He shook his head again as
   1.599 +Sephiroth pulled out the Masamune. "No... No!!!" Raising his hand, he
   1.600 +cast Ultima. "I'll kill you all!! You'll all die with me!" he
   1.601 +screamed. Magic shot out, tearing into the palace, destroying
   1.602 +everything in its path. But it was too late. The pain was sharp and
   1.603 +brilliant. Looking down, he could see the hilt of Sephiroth's blade.
   1.604 +The SOLDIER looked into his eyes, their brilliant mako green glow
   1.605 +looking like that of death itself. Pulling the blade out, Sephiroth
   1.606 +walked after the Princess, the palace collapsing all around them.
   1.607 +
   1.608 +Only half awake, Kairi stumbled towards Kuja. She could see that he
   1.609 +was bleeding heavily. Her mind whirled. The Keyhole... Riku...
   1.610 +Darkness, deep and ancient where she'd been lost while her heart had
   1.611 +been stolen from her. She lifted the Keyblade in front of her with
   1.612 +what strength she could muster. The world felt like it was falling
   1.613 +out from beneath her feet. She had to stop it now. And this was the
   1.614 +only way. Lunging forward, the pressed the Keyblade into Kuja's
   1.615 +chest, into the Keyhole that existed in his heart. The roof began to
   1.616 +fall in around her, the palace getting ready to crush this basement.
   1.617 +The entire world was about to fall on top of them. Closing her eyes,
   1.618 +she unlocked his heart. Light spilled out of the dying man, filling
   1.619 +the room until there was nothing else.
   1.620 +
   1.621 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.622 +
   1.623 +Kairi found herself once again floating amidst light. It reminded
   1.624 +her far too much of the darkness she had been surrounding her when
   1.625 +she'd lost her heart. 'Maybe light and dark aren't so different after
   1.626 +all.' She couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed. All that
   1.627 +existed was light. Her body was an anomaly in this world of light.
   1.628 +She felt that if she stayed her for too long her physical form would
   1.629 +fade away. She floated in this tranquil sea, searching.
   1.630 +
   1.631 +"You have unlocked the light in the heart of Desperation."  The
   1.632 +voice that existed everywhere in the light echoed through her.
   1.633 +
   1.634 +"I was supposed to save my world. I was created as a puppet to save
   1.635 +a long dead planet by letting it repopulate another. But I wasn't
   1.636 +what they wanted. So they created another to replace me. I was a
   1.637 +tool, something to be used until it was no longer necessary and then
   1.638 +thrown away. I was created to die. And there was nothing I could do
   1.639 +to stop it. I was... afraid. I didn't want to die. So I tried to stop
   1.640 +it. To do anything to live. And if I couldn't live, then I didn't
   1.641 +want anyone to live. It wasn't fair. Life and death... Why? My
   1.642 +desperation filled me until I saw nothing else. But now... I am
   1.643 +dying. It... It will be all right? Won't it?"
   1.644 +
   1.645 +Kairi smiled softly, nodding in the glow of the light. "It will be
   1.646 +all right. Death is only the beginning. I... I learned that a long
   1.647 +time ago. You won't ever have to fear again."
   1.648 +
   1.649 +'I'm making Riku wait for me. He's... He's dead, too. I have to
   1.650 +hurry to him. He's staying in this world for me. I couldn't stay in
   1.651 +that other world. I couldn't live there. So I....'  She shook her
   1.652 +head. No. She couldn't accept the other world where she'd killed
   1.653 +herself. Not yet. "If you see someone named Riku there, please give
   1.654 +him my love." As the light faded, Kairi lost herself in the layer
   1.655 +between worlds.
   1.656 +
   1.657 +
   1.658 +