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     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/prismhearts-16.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
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     1.4 +Prism Hearts 
     1.5 +Chapter 16Addicted to You
     1.6 +by Amazoness Duo
     1.7 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
     1.8 +“Come stop your crying,
     1.9 +It will be all right.Just take my hand,Hold it tight.I will protect
    1.10 +you from all around you.I will be here,
    1.11 +Don't you cry.For one so small,You seem so strong.My arms will hold
    1.12 +you,Keep you safe and warm.This bond between us can't be broken.I
    1.13 +will be here,Don't you cry.Cause you'll be in my heart.Yes, you'll be
    1.14 +in my heart.From this day on, 
    1.15 +Now and forevermore...”
    1.16 +
    1.17 +
    1.18 +Chaos. A surreal picture out of the mind of a disturbed artist.
    1.19 +Reality on the very brink. This was the sight that greeted Kairi upon
    1.20 +entering the doorway. This was the road to Kingdom Hearts, to the
    1.21 +very heart of the universe. It was where all hearts were born. And
    1.22 +here she was at the very edge of reality, where all the was existed
    1.23 +in some cataclysmic dance. Roads traveled high overhead, twisting and
    1.24 +turning this way and that. Upside down palaces hung in the distant
    1.25 +sky. An ocean seemed to lay peacefully some distance to her right,
    1.26 +climbing vertically into the heavens. So this was the End of the
    1.27 +World. The road to Kingdom Hearts. 
    1.28 +
    1.29 +Steeling herself, Kairi clutched the tiny key around her neck. Riku
    1.30 +was at the end of this road. And somehow she knew that Sora was
    1.31 +somewhere close by, too. She needed to move forward. They needed her.
    1.32 +This time, she was all alone. There was no one to back her up or to
    1.33 +save her if she got in trouble. The absence of Yuffie and Relm hung
    1.34 +heavily on her, as if something were missing. But too many had
    1.35 +already been hurt because of her. It was time for her to end this.
    1.36 +Once and for all. Images of Yuna and Rikku came unbidden to her mind
    1.37 +and she had to force back the thoughts before she lost the will to go
    1.38 +forward. 
    1.39 +
    1.40 +“I know you're stronger than that, Kairi,” Riku's voice called to
    1.41 +her. 
    1.42 +
    1.43 +“Remember what you said? I'll always be with you, too,” Sora's voice
    1.44 +carried on the wind. 
    1.45 +
    1.46 +A small smile crossed Kairi's lips. The brunette nodded, blinking
    1.47 +tearfilled eyes open. “I'm coming. Just wait a little longer.” Here
    1.48 +she was, finally nearing the end of her journey. It seemed like a
    1.49 +lifetime ago when she had picked up the Keyblade and left to find the
    1.50 +ones she loved. But now it was almost over. 
    1.51 +
    1.52 +“I'll never get anywhere just standing here,” the princess whispered
    1.53 +to herself. She could almost hear Riku sighing exasperatedly, joking
    1.54 +about how lazy she and Sora were. Thoughts of Sora and Riku spun in
    1.55 +her heart, her driving focus. They were the strength in her heart.
    1.56 +Letting go of the key handing from her neck, Kairi ran down the path
    1.57 +towards the end of the dream. 
    1.58 +
    1.59 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    1.60 +
    1.61 +“Got ya!” Sora cried out. His hand struck out as he tried to grab
    1.62 +hold of Hikari. The darkly clad brunette giggled and barely brushed
    1.63 +past him yet again. She danced playfully out of range, her dark
    1.64 +violet eyes shimmering as she watched him. Both were breathing
    1.65 +heavily. 
    1.66 +
    1.67 +He moved to the right. She leaned to the left. Grabbing for her, the
    1.68 +princess skittered out of the way once more. In their makeshift
    1.69 +playground, Sora never took his eyes off of Hikari. Since they had
    1.70 +played like this, so much time had passed. But now it felt like they
    1.71 +were back on the Destiny Islands, playing their days away. All of his
    1.72 +thoughts and worries were far in the background. All that mattered
    1.73 +was their game and the mix of emotions it sent rushing through him.
    1.74 +For the time being, all of the darkness that had tried to swallow him
    1.75 +up in his battle against the Heartless was forgotten, replaced only
    1.76 +with the sweet feeling of their chase. 
    1.77 +
    1.78 +Even in the princess's mind, the end was far from her thoughts. Only
    1.79 +the vaguest hint of the unshed tears in her heart tainted her
    1.80 +otherwise playful thoughts. This was something she had never done
    1.81 +before. And yet, because of Kairi, it was her fondest memory. The
    1.82 +memories of a much crueler version of being chased by cruel, hateful
    1.83 +classmates because she was different was pushed to the furthest
    1.84 +depths of her memory. Now there was only Sora and their game. 
    1.85 +
    1.86 +His heart was so pure. In her world of coldness and jagged shadows,
    1.87 +being near him was like snuggling next to a fire on a frigid day. The
    1.88 +days since he'd come to her in this palace at the End of the World,
    1.89 +they had spent talking and playing. Memories from her life as Kairi
    1.90 +flooded back with each moment she was with him. It made it all the
    1.91 +more bittersweet. But in a way, that made it even better. She was
    1.92 +just happy to be able to spend this time with him.So lost in thought
    1.93 +was Hikari that she didn't get out in the way in time when Sora
    1.94 +lunged at her. The spikey haired boy wrapped his arm around her,
    1.95 +momentum carrying them both forward. The two of them landed in a heap
    1.96 +on the grass, Sora on top of Hikari. The flowers around them pushed
    1.97 +off of their stalks, soaring into the air as a multitude of different
    1.98 +colored butterflies.
    1.99 +
   1.100 +Hikari gazed up at the boy over her, watching as the butterflies
   1.101 +swirled up over his head into the treetops. So beautiful. Reaching
   1.102 +out, she let her fingers gently stroke his cheek. She giggled softly
   1.103 +when she saw his faint blush spreading over his cheek. How cute. Her
   1.104 +fingers continued onward, playing with his spikey hair. She had... or
   1.105 +had Kairi?... always wondered who would kiss her first. Riku or Sora.
   1.106 +Too bad she had never had the chance to find out. But this was
   1.107 +certainly nice enough. She shifted under him, feeling the Keyblade
   1.108 +Master fall further against her. Very, very nice indeed. No wonder
   1.109 +she... Kairi?... loved him. Sora swallowed as he felt Hikari's soft
   1.110 +caress on his cheek. The beautiful princess smiled sweetly up at him,
   1.111 +her violet eyes drawing him in, deeper and deeper down the rabbit
   1.112 +hole until he wasn't sure that he'd ever get out. Or that he ever
   1.113 +wanted to. If he could just stay like this... No, he couldn't. He
   1.114 +still needed to find Riku. It wasn't right until they were all
   1.115 +together again. But in the meantime...
   1.116 +Hikari leaned forward, her lips brushing Sora's softly. This time,
   1.117 +Sora was more ready for the kiss. Lips melted together as Hikari
   1.118 +continued to brush her fingers through Sora's hair. Despite the
   1.119 +universes vastness and entirity, sometimes a single moment seemed to
   1.120 +take precedence, glowing and taking up all that was. Hikari closed
   1.121 +her eyes, kissing again, wishing she could freeze this moment forever
   1.122 +but knowing all too well it would have to end. And so it did with the
   1.123 +arrival of the message she had been awaiting. Noticing Sephiroth's
   1.124 +arrival at the edge of the clearing they were in, Hikari slowly, ever
   1.125 +so slowly, pulled her lips away from Sora's. Sora merely looked down
   1.126 +at her, puzzled and still fuzzy from their kiss. She smiled up at him.
   1.127 +
   1.128 +“She's here, your highness,” Sephiroth announced.
   1.129 +
   1.130 +“She is?” Hikari shook her head to clear her own warm, love warped
   1.131 +thoughts. She should have felt her arrival. She had been so lost in
   1.132 +the moment with Sora that she had ignored it. Sephiroth simply
   1.133 +nodded. Looking back up at Sora, she gazed into his eyes. “We have to
   1.134 +hurry. The locks are gone now. We can open Kingdom Hearts.”
   1.135 +
   1.136 +A moment passed before Sora could fully understand the implications
   1.137 +of what Hikari had told him. The wait was now over. Kingdom Hearts
   1.138 +could be opened. It was only a matter of time now. Riku would be back
   1.139 +with them soon. “That's great!” He pushed back, sitting on the grass. 
   1.140 +The princess pushed herself up to face the spikey haired boy, her
   1.141 +haunting eyes still holding his own. The story was almost over. And
   1.142 +yet... She didn't quite want to let go. Not yet. Her eyes shimmered
   1.143 +with tears that brimmed but that she held back by force of will. She
   1.144 +wouldn't let him see her cry. Not now. Not when she was so close.
   1.145 +“You're everything I've ever wanted. Or half of everything I've ever
   1.146 +wanted. The darkness and the light. Sora, you were my light. Riku was
   1.147 +my darkness. I loved the light for the hope it always held out to me,
   1.148 +no matter how far away it seemed. And I loved the darkness for the
   1.149 +comfort it gave me and how close it was. The two of you kept me
   1.150 +afloat when I'd all but lost hope. Thank you.” Before he could ask
   1.151 +her what she meant, she got to her feet, smoothing out her black
   1.152 +dress and hurrying to follow Sephiroth. “We have to get to Kingdom
   1.153 +Hearts to open the door, Sora. It's almost over.”Sora nodded, a
   1.154 +little confused by what Hikari had said. But at the same time, he was
   1.155 +thrilled that he could be that important to her. Soon enough,
   1.156 +everything would be complete again. 'Hold on just a little longer,
   1.157 +Riku.'
   1.158 +
   1.159 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.160 +
   1.161 +The path seemed to decay the further and further Kairi went. It was
   1.162 +as if reality was having more and more difficulty holding itself
   1.163 +together. The pathway was much twistier now. Trees were nearly bent
   1.164 +over. Land seemed to have curled up into itself. Here and there,
   1.165 +Kairi could see gardeners sheers frozen in the process of pruning
   1.166 +with no one to guide them or a twisted bike with no owner. There was
   1.167 +a sword in the side of a blackened, gnarled tree she passed. Origami
   1.168 +birds sat up in the branches of another tree. It felt as if they were
   1.169 +watching her. On the side of the path was a blackboard. Rather than
   1.170 +use chalk, someone had carved into it cruelly. 'The bearer of the
   1.171 +Keyblade came and saved all that was.' Right under it, it went on in
   1.172 +an alternate path. 'The bearer of the Keyblade came and brought ruin
   1.173 +to all.' Both legends of the Keyblade. But which was true? It hardly
   1.174 +mattered. She was here to put things right. She continued on her
   1.175 +maddening path. Kairi stopped suddenly, her eyes fixing ahead of her.
   1.176 +The dirt by her feet rose in a cloud and then stayed that way,
   1.177 +forgetting the cause and effect of settling back down once again. It
   1.178 +was her school, wasn't it? Only, it looked distorted, as if it wasn't
   1.179 +entirely there. The fountain in front was empty, cracked. Books
   1.180 +floated in midair, as if their owners had up and left them hanging. A
   1.181 +cold pit formed in her stomach. Her memories of her other life were
   1.182 +still distant, but she knew that she didn't have any good memories of
   1.183 +this place. And yet there it was, waiting for her at the End of the
   1.184 +World. “Surprised, Mademoiselle Kairi?”
   1.185 +
   1.186 +“Harle!” Kairi turned to find the harlequin watching her, sitting on
   1.187 +a curved pillar that hadn't been there when she last looked. In fact,
   1.188 +the entire direction she had come looked rewritten. The princess
   1.189 +looked back the way she had come, the path having disappeared
   1.190 +completely. Everything was different now. There were cliffs where
   1.191 +there had been none before, a wasteland instead of a grassland path.
   1.192 +“Silly girl. Zere is no going back. Only going forward now. It iz
   1.193 +your Fate, after all. You have been meant to come here all along.”
   1.194 +Harle hopped down from the tree, sauntering over to Kairi. “Oh, how I
   1.195 +have missed such a pretty face brightening up moi's day.” She grinned
   1.196 +as Kairi took a step back in embarrassment.Shaking off her
   1.197 +embarrassment, Kairi faced Harle. “What's going on here? Why is this
   1.198 +here? Isn't this the End of the World? This can't be what Sora went
   1.199 +through to get here.”Laughing, the harlequin shook her head, bells
   1.200 +jingling along with her laughter. “Of course not. Zis iz your path,
   1.201 +not his. Zere are infinitely many ways to reach Kingdom Hearts just
   1.202 +as zere are infinitely many hearts themselves.”Turning back to the
   1.203 +surreal school awaiting her, the brunette thought over Harle's words.
   1.204 +“So I have to make my own path to Kingdom Hearts? My own version of
   1.205 +the End of the World?”“It iz a path zat has been in your heart all
   1.206 +along, Mademoiselle Kairi. Waiting for you. Waiting for ze day zat
   1.207 +you would travel down it,” Harle explained. 
   1.208 +
   1.209 +“So...” Kairi took a deep breath. “If this path is different because
   1.210 +of me, how much of this is real?”
   1.211 +
   1.212 +Harle laughed again, placing her hands on her hips. “Still you ask
   1.213 +about zis realitie? Have you learned not'ing on your journey,
   1.214 +Mademoiselle Kairi?” 
   1.215 +
   1.216 +The harlequin disappeared, fading away. A tap on Kairi's shoulder
   1.217 +nearly sent the already tightly wound girl jumping. Harle grinned at
   1.218 +Kairi's surprise, now standing behind her. “Realitie and dreams all
   1.219 +simply exist. Side by side. They are what you make of them. Izn't zat
   1.220 +what life iz? All of our realities intermixing together? It happens
   1.221 +everyday. What you see isn't necessarily what he sees. And what she
   1.222 +sees is again different. And so on and so on, throughout it
   1.223 +all.”Kairi nodded slowly, sighing. She had to let go of that worry.
   1.224 +In the end, it wasn't important. “It really doesn't matter what's
   1.225 +real, does it? I'm starting to wonder if 'real' even
   1.226 +exists.”Grinning, Harle walked around Kairi. “Now you are catching
   1.227 +on. Forget about zis 'real'. Simply follow your heart. Your heart and
   1.228 +its connection to other hearts is much, much more important than
   1.229 +whatever world you see around it.” Her expression turned more serious
   1.230 +as she continued inspecting Kairi. “So you have made your
   1.231 +decision?”“Of course she has,” another voice broke in. A young blonde
   1.232 +girl in a patient's uniform stood on the edge of the fountain. “She
   1.233 +wouldn't be here otherwise.”“So you've decided to come and see as
   1.234 +well, Aya?” Harle asked wryly, raising an eyebrow. 
   1.235 +
   1.236 +“What happens here affects everything. Not only the Dragon God are
   1.237 +interested in how it all plays out, you know,” the little girl
   1.238 +argued. Once again, the scope of what was going on was drapped in
   1.239 +Kairi's lap. This wasn't just about her search for Riku and Sora. It
   1.240 +involved all that was. All those many different worlds. All her
   1.241 +friends. Everyone she had met and so many more. And if she couldn't
   1.242 +close the door, it could all be consumed by the Heartless. She had to
   1.243 +hurry. “Thanks, both of you.” She nodded to both women before walking
   1.244 +through the large doors of the school. 
   1.245 +
   1.246 +“I hope, for all our sakes, zat you are right about her,” Harle said
   1.247 +softly, watching Kairi's retreating form.“She's very strong at heart.
   1.248 +In the end, that's all we could ask for,” Aya replied. “I have faith
   1.249 +in her.”“Yes, but the one she must face iz also strong at heart. If
   1.250 +she fails, zere will be no escape from the Heartless,” Harle said
   1.251 +grimly. “It will be as if God herself has died and left the entirety
   1.252 +of existence to fall apart at the seams.”
   1.253 +
   1.254 +Aya smiled softly. “Then lets hope she doesn't fail. I don't intend
   1.255 +on being away from Maya for an eternity.”
   1.256 +
   1.257 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.258 +
   1.259 +Truth be told, Kairi hadn't come to a decision. Not as such, anyway.
   1.260 +She still didn't know which world she belonged in. The one with her
   1.261 +mother, Hollow Bastion, or the Destiny Islands. The gateway between
   1.262 +worlds would close once she shut the doorway that had let the
   1.263 +Heartless grow from her own original world. She missed her mother
   1.264 +back in that sometimes cruel world. She missed her father and the
   1.265 +kingdom of Hollow Bastion. She missed Riku and Sora and their
   1.266 +carefree days on the Destiny Islands. The answer should be obvious,
   1.267 +but she couldn't get herself to decide which. That gnawed at her as
   1.268 +she went further into the lifeless school.The school looked mostly
   1.269 +the same as she could remember it except for small details.
   1.270 +Everything was curved sinisterly, misshapen. In some places, trees
   1.271 +grew indoors. One of the classrooms seemed to lead into a crashed
   1.272 +airship. It was all an amalgam of different realities along with a
   1.273 +dreamlike quality. Or more accurately, a nightmare. 
   1.274 +
   1.275 +The icey pit in her stomach wouldn't go away. Everywhere she looked,
   1.276 +people may have been missing, but their shadows remained. Menacing,
   1.277 +hateful. She felt like a scared little girl again, memories of the
   1.278 +lonely, terrified feelings she had had spreading through her veins.
   1.279 +She could hear laughter behind the locked doors, mocking and cruel. 
   1.280 +
   1.281 +Clenching and unclenching her fists, the princess continued forward.
   1.282 +She nearly stepped on a crumpled piece of paper on the ground.
   1.283 +Hesitantly, she picked it up, already knowing it was a bad idea. It
   1.284 +was the birthday party invitation her mother had made for her to hand
   1.285 +out to her classmates so many years ago. Her mother had spent all
   1.286 +night drawing each seperate invitation. Tears stung at Kairi's eyes
   1.287 +as she remembered. Remembered how thrilled she'd been that her
   1.288 +wonderful mother would make her such beautiful party invitations.
   1.289 +Remembered how embarrassed she'd been when everyone had laughed at
   1.290 +'Princess Hikari'. Wasn't she too old for that sort of thing, they
   1.291 +had asked? Remembered the shame and regret and anger and pain as she
   1.292 +cried. She couldn't tell her mother what they did. She couldn't tell
   1.293 +her mother that she had felt so ashamed as they'd called her princess
   1.294 +and mocked her over and over again. Princess. What her mother called
   1.295 +her. 'My beautiful princess Hikari.'Tears streaked down Kairi's
   1.296 +cheeks as she leaned heavily against the lockers. “Mom... I miss
   1.297 +you...” she whispered, clutching the crumpled invitation to her
   1.298 +chest. Her body shook slightly as she sobbed. Bittersweet memories.
   1.299 +Crafted of both darkness and light. They filled her existence. “I
   1.300 +miss you, too,” the voice in Kairi's head whispered. 
   1.301 +
   1.302 +“Mom?!” Kairi looked around quickly, her breath catching. She
   1.303 +blinked away her tears rapidly, wiping a wristband over her eyes.
   1.304 +“Mom, is that you?”“Kairi... I used to call you that when you were
   1.305 +little. I didn't know you'd use that nickname for yourself. And you
   1.306 +always were my princess,” the voice answered. For once, Kairi didn't
   1.307 +mistake it's familiarity. 
   1.308 +
   1.309 +“Mom... Where are you?” Kairi asked, a knot forming in her throat.
   1.310 +“I'm at home, Hikari. Just like I've always been. Waiting for
   1.311 +you.”“But... I'm... I'm dying..” Kairi said at last, fresh tears
   1.312 +slipping forth. “... I know. But I'm your mother. I can't just let
   1.313 +you go. I have to try. Even if I can't do much. I wanted to be here
   1.314 +to lead you back home,” the voice whispered. “Mom...” Kairi placed
   1.315 +her face in her hands, suddenly feeling very, very weak. She felt
   1.316 +dizzy. The locker felt cold against her clammy skin. Slowly, the
   1.317 +princess slid down the locker. Everything looked so blurry. She was
   1.318 +having trouble focussing. “..mom...?” she tried to ask, frightened.
   1.319 +The word barely came out as a whisper. It felt so hard to do
   1.320 +anything. Everything felt so heavy. She felt so tired. She tried to
   1.321 +raise a hand to try to pull herself up, but it hardly moved. Blood
   1.322 +stained her wristbands, dripping to the floor beneath her. 'No!!!'
   1.323 +Kairi screamed in her mind. 'Not now! I'm not ready to go yet! Just a
   1.324 +little longer! I can't die now. Not now!!' “Hikari... Please open
   1.325 +your eyes, Hikari. Please. Mommy's right here.” A sob punctuated her
   1.326 +mother's pause. “Please, Hikari. Don't leave me. Don't go away, baby.
   1.327 +Please don't go.” Her mother held onto her dying form brushing her
   1.328 +hair with shakey, panicked hands. “Please...”
   1.329 +
   1.330 +Slam!Kairi looked up suddenly, the noise from the locker over head
   1.331 +startling her. Looking back down, everything was back to normal. The
   1.332 +blood was gone. Her mother was nowhere to be seen. She was alone in
   1.333 +the distorted school hallway. “Mom?” No answer. “Damn it.” Kairi
   1.334 +sighed, standing up. At least she had more time. But how much more?
   1.335 +She was dying. She had to make her decision soon. Would she try to
   1.336 +wake up in the world where she was dying in her mother's arms? Or
   1.337 +would she sever her ties with that world and remain on the Destiny
   1.338 +Islands? She was running out of time. Slam!Kairi turned her attention
   1.339 +back to the strange noise. It was coming from a locker. Her locker.
   1.340 +She remembered that much. But what was coming from it. Almost drawn
   1.341 +to it, she reached forward, her heart pounding as she did. Before her
   1.342 +fingers could touch it, the locker flew open. Small creatures piled
   1.343 +out, falling into a heap on the floor. Kairi stepped back, rady to
   1.344 +draw her Keyblade. But they were all the plushies she had made back
   1.345 +home. Her mother had taught her how to sew. Her mother had made all
   1.346 +of her costumes, and Kairi had sewn together plushies of different
   1.347 +characters. And Riku and Sora. Bending over to examine the plushies,
   1.348 +Kairi was disturbed to find all of them had the Heartless symbol sewn
   1.349 +onto them. Whatever it meant, she knew she was getting close. A
   1.350 +rustling noise sounded behind her. Kairi froze. Another. And another.
   1.351 +She felt as if she were being watched. The brunette turned slowly.
   1.352 +Her eyes fell upon a strange Heartless where a shadow had been a
   1.353 +moment before. And then another. And another. The shadows of the
   1.354 +students were becoming misshapen Heartless versions of the students
   1.355 +she had gone to school with. All of them watched her with malevolent
   1.356 +yellow eyes. Her heart froze for just a second. Standing up, she
   1.357 +pulled up the Keyblade. How many of them were there? Could she get
   1.358 +through them all? She had to. No matter what.“Kairi, hurry. You need
   1.359 +to reach the Doorway to the Light. I'll hold them off.” The cloaked
   1.360 +boy stood in the hallway in the midst of the Heartless. He slowly
   1.361 +pulled out his two demon wing shaped swords, seeming to know
   1.362 +precisely where everyone was even under his blindfold. Kairi stared
   1.363 +for a moment, trying to decide if she should leave him alone to face
   1.364 +the growing number of Heartless. “Go! Now!!” he yelled, magic
   1.365 +surrounding him as he prepared for the oncoming Heartless. 
   1.366 +
   1.367 +“Thank you,” Kairi said in return. With a last look back to the
   1.368 +cloaked boy, she ran. 
   1.369 +
   1.370 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.371 +
   1.372 +The hallway got more and more shadowed, turning sharp corners as it
   1.373 +went along. Everytime Kairi would look back, the path she had just
   1.374 +walked had changed entirely. Forward was the only way she could go or
   1.375 +she knew she'd be forever lost. It was as if she was being led
   1.376 +forward, the ground behind her shifting as soon as she had moved over
   1.377 +it. It had to be leading her somewhere. She only hoped it was leading
   1.378 +her towards her goal. And suddenly, it ended. The cracked, broken
   1.379 +ground beneath her feet ended directly in front of her, leading into
   1.380 +a deep chasm. Frustrated, the princess turned back the way she had
   1.381 +come. But there was no way back. Directly behind her was only a wall.
   1.382 +There was no way back and no way forward. “This can't be happening. I
   1.383 +don't have time for this. There has to be a way out of here. Please
   1.384 +hang on, Riku and mom.” Gazing around the small corridor she was in,
   1.385 +Kairi couldn't see anything to use to get past. There were no
   1.386 +handholds to climb along the wall over the chasm. And there was no
   1.387 +way back. So there was just... The princess listened closely.
   1.388 +Footsteps? But they sounded so close. In the same corridor she was
   1.389 +in. But where? Listening intently, she could tell it was coming from
   1.390 +right in front of her. Over the chasm? It sounded as if someone was
   1.391 +walking directly in front of her, right over the chasm. She looked
   1.392 +down and saw something aside from the deep drop. Dusty footprints
   1.393 +marred the air, as if someone had stepped on something invisible and
   1.394 +left their footprints behind. Kairi's eyes followed the footprints.
   1.395 +She heard another footstep and saw another form several feet ahead in
   1.396 +the air. And another.Taking a deep breath, Kairi scooted close to the
   1.397 +edge. Maybe there was an invisible walkway. She had to hurry. And
   1.398 +this looked like the only way. Taking a tentative step forward, Kairi
   1.399 +was overjoyed to feel something solid, if invisible, under her foot.
   1.400 +She slowly took another step, careful to follow the dusty footprints.
   1.401 +Good. There was a path. She just hoped it would lead to Kingdom
   1.402 +Hearts. How long did it go on into the darkness? She took her next
   1.403 +step, placing her foot right over the dusty footprint. And fell right
   1.404 +through. Too shocked to utter a proper scream, Kairi
   1.405 +plumetted.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.406 +
   1.407 +And so she fell like a shooting star, dropping through the air
   1.408 +towards the world below. The sun shown off of the beautiful ocean
   1.409 +waves. She could feel the Keyblade inside of her heart. It was deep
   1.410 +inside of her, nearly unlocking her heart. The water rose up and
   1.411 +enveloped her. 
   1.412 +
   1.413 +Water surrounded her, encompassing. She was too weak to swim, her
   1.414 +journey having been so very long. It felt like a lifetime had gone
   1.415 +by. Her mind felt so far. Was she going to drown? Here in this
   1.416 +tranquil ocean? No... They needed her. But she was so weak... It was
   1.417 +hard to move. 
   1.418 +
   1.419 +Thankfully, someone had dove in after her. Arms grabbed onto her,
   1.420 +dragging the dazed princess out and onto the beach. She slowly caught
   1.421 +her breath, gazing up at the side of the person as she lay there,
   1.422 +unable to get herself to move. Slowly, a face looked down at her. She
   1.423 +smiled faintly as she understood. Her own face. It was time. She was
   1.424 +too exhausted, too weak. She was dying. But she could keep going for
   1.425 +her. The other Kairi sat up, staring at her in shock. “What?” So many
   1.426 +thoughts were rushing behind those violet eyes, thoughts that Kairi
   1.427 +could remember for they had once been her own. Thoughts about whether
   1.428 +or not this was a dream and just who she was.Finally noticing the
   1.429 +handle of the Keyblade sticking out of her chest, the shocked Kairi
   1.430 +took hold of the handle.
   1.431 +
   1.432 +“It will be okay, Kairi. I’ll always be with you. There’s nothing to
   1.433 +be afraid of. You just have to reach out and take my hand.” Riku
   1.434 +stood over Kairi, telling her this. Kairi smiled up at him. He was
   1.435 +always there, right beside her. She understood that now, too. The
   1.436 +other Kairi stared, still in awe. “Riku... I...” She reached out for
   1.437 +his hand, but he was already gone. “Riku...” She looked back down at
   1.438 +Kairi, her hand still on the grip of the Keyblade. “Find them,” Kairi
   1.439 +whispered to her confused self. “They need you. They can’t do it
   1.440 +alone.”
   1.441 +
   1.442 +The confused Kairi slowly nodded. “We should be together. We need
   1.443 +each other.”Smiling softly, Kairi closed her eyes. She could finally
   1.444 +rest. This version of her would take care of it. She would help Sora
   1.445 +and Riku. It wasn't over yet. She could feel the other her take a
   1.446 +firm grip on the handle, pulling it out, not unlocking her heart. She
   1.447 +could feel everything shift as she was engulfed by sparkles, leaving
   1.448 +the other Kairi alone with the Keyblade. 
   1.449 +
   1.450 +“Open the door,” a voice whispered in the lone Kairi's head. Who was
   1.451 +it? She couldn’t quite tell. Looking up, she could see a lone door
   1.452 +standing on the beach, apparently leading to nowhere. It had a large
   1.453 +keyhole on it. It almost seemed to beckon her. Kairi slowly stood up.
   1.454 +If she stayed 
   1.455 +here, her friends might be in danger. She knew they could
   1.456 +handle anything if they were all together again. Sora and Riku were
   1.457 +both lost out there. Maybe she could find them. She would find them.
   1.458 +Wherever they were. 
   1.459 +
   1.460 +Stepping forward, the young princess used the large, 
   1.461 +unwieldy key to unlock the door awaiting her. As the door slowly
   1.462 +opened, she knew there would be no turning back. This was it. But her
   1.463 +choice was simple. She had to find them. Anything could have happened
   1.464 +to them out there, lost on any one of countless worlds. Without a
   1.465 +glance back, Kairi plunged through the door. 
   1.466 +
   1.467 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.468 +
   1.469 +Standing before Kingdom Hearts, watching the stars swirl about it,
   1.470 +Hikari took Sora's hand. It was beautiful. It was, after all, the
   1.471 +very heart of existence itself. Sephiroth stood behind them, as
   1.472 +always keeping an eye on the princess he had sworn to protect. She
   1.473 +could feel it. It was almost time. Her heart pounded. Soon... Just a
   1.474 +little longer. Kairi had almost reached it. “Don't worry, Riku. We're
   1.475 +coming.” Sora promised, one gloved hand on the huge Doorway to the
   1.476 +Light. Nodding, Hikari squeezed Sora's other hand. “It's almost
   1.477 +over.” There. She could feel it. Kairi was ready. “Now. It's time,
   1.478 +Sora.” Letting go of his hand, she stepped back from the boy. He was
   1.479 +the Keyblade Master. It was up to him to unlock the Doorway to the
   1.480 +Light. Of course, the Doorway needed two keys to open. The other key
   1.481 +was being inserted right now.Holding up the Keyblade, Sora pointed it
   1.482 +at the door, letting it's light pulse forth. Turning the Keyblade, he
   1.483 +unlocked the door. Now they'd all be together. He was already with
   1.484 +Hikari. Now they'd have Riku. And the Light would end the Heartless
   1.485 +once and for all. Hikari watched as the light started to spill forth.
   1.486 +“The Light. It's beautiful,” she whispered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.487 +
   1.488 +Kairi stepped out of the strange doorway, trying to piece her
   1.489 +thoughts together. She'd just been on the Destiny Islands beach
   1.490 +again. But she'd been there at the point in time when her journey had
   1.491 +begun. But which one had she been? The one lying on the beach with
   1.492 +the Keyblade in her heart? Or the one who had taken the Keyblade to
   1.493 +start her journey? Both, it seemed. She could remember her entire
   1.494 +journey. So now she had reached it's end. 
   1.495 +
   1.496 +It had led her full circle. She was back in her room. Shooting stars
   1.497 +flew past her window. Her plushies sat in a comfortable pile on her
   1.498 +bed. Turning in a slow circle, she took in her room again. All of her
   1.499 +video games she had played countless times, sharing in the adventures
   1.500 +of heroes and villians. Her pictures of the Destiny Islands lined the
   1.501 +walls. Costumes were probably hanging in her closet. And yet, this
   1.502 +wasn't home. She could feel it. “This is Kingdom Hearts.” And she
   1.503 +knew it was. Like Harle had said, her journey through the End of the
   1.504 +World had been different from Sora's. And much like their journey had
   1.505 +been different, so was their version of Kingdom Hearts. Kairi's was
   1.506 +the one doorway that had remained locked for her this whole time.
   1.507 +She'd been so close to Kingdom Hearts everytime she'd revisited this
   1.508 +room. The princess turned her attention to the locked door in her
   1.509 +room. She swallowed. She was finally here. Through chaos and tragedy
   1.510 +she had come, but she had made her way there all the same. This time
   1.511 +the locks on Kingdom Hearts were gone. She could unlock the doorway
   1.512 +and see Riku. But then what? What would become of Riku? He was dead
   1.513 +and was only clinging to this world to see her one last time. And
   1.514 +what of her? She was dying as well, her mother begging her to go back
   1.515 +to another world. She didn't know. But she couldn't stop now. “Riku?”
   1.516 +Kairi asked, walking to the doorway. “Kairi!” Riku's voice filtered
   1.517 +through the door. 
   1.518 +
   1.519 +The brunette could hear him hurry to the other side of the door,
   1.520 +placing his hand on it. She placed her own hand where she imagined
   1.521 +his to be. “I'm here, Riku. I'm finally here. To set you free.” She
   1.522 +licked her dry lips, closing her eyes.
   1.523 +
   1.524 +“I always believed in you, Kairi. I knew I'd see you again.” Riku
   1.525 +rested his head against the door, smiling faintly. No matter what had
   1.526 +gotten in her way, Kairi had triumphed. She had made her way to
   1.527 +Kingdom Hearts. To him. He knew she was strong. Now he knew just how
   1.528 +strong.  
   1.529 +
   1.530 +“Riku...” Kairi whispered. There was so much she needed to tell him.
   1.531 +But not through a door. Not anymore. She had finally reached him. Her
   1.532 +journey had come to a close. She had reached her treasure. Stepping
   1.533 +back, she pulled up the Keyblade. At that very same moment, Sora was
   1.534 +unlocking the door as well. Kairi could feel him almost as if he were
   1.535 +there with her. She smiled. They were all together again. Together,
   1.536 +she and Sora unlocked the Doorway to the light. Slowly, ever so
   1.537 +slowly, the locked door in Kairi's room opened, light shining forth
   1.538 +behind it. The light blinded Kairi for a moment. When she could focus
   1.539 +again, the door had regained it's splendor. It was no longer the door
   1.540 +in her room, but the gigantic double doors of Kingdom Hearts. Her
   1.541 +heart soared as she saw Riku's silouhette in the light. “Riku!” And
   1.542 +someone else was beside her. She wasn't alone anymore. Turning to the
   1.543 +side, she saw Sora, holding out his Keyblade just as she was holding
   1.544 +out hers. “Sora!” They were together again. All three of them. The
   1.545 +light spilled over her, warming her. She laughed. It was over. They
   1.546 +were all together again. This is what she had wanted, what she had
   1.547 +always dreamed of. “Kairi?” Sora looked over, astonished to see Kairi
   1.548 +opening the door with him. She was wearing her old outfit from the
   1.549 +Destiny Islands rather than her black princess's dress. And she
   1.550 +seemed so surprised to see him. His eyes slowly went behind Kairi.
   1.551 +Hikari grinned, standing behind Kairi like a shadow. Sephiroth stood
   1.552 +watch further behind them. And then, all hell broke loose. The Light
   1.553 +began to dim. Shadows began growing in intensity, growing larger and
   1.554 +more menacing. The shadows shot into the Doorway, going deep into the
   1.555 +core of the Light, into the very heart of the universe. The light
   1.556 +grew dimmer. Bigger, monstrous shadows grew in the Doorway to the
   1.557 +Light, obscuring out the light. “No!!!” Sora yelled, loss and
   1.558 +frustration robbing him of the joy he'd held just seconds earlier.
   1.559 +“Damn it! Kingdom Hearts is Light!!” But it was too late. The shadows
   1.560 +kept growing. The Heartless were poisoning the Light of the universe
   1.561 +at the heart of the Galaxy. Kairi could only stare. She had come to
   1.562 +end the Heartless. She had come to save everyone. But that was gone
   1.563 +now. Soon, everything would be. “No...” she whispered, broken.
   1.564 +“No...” Shaking her head, the princess tried to understand. “But...
   1.565 +The Light...”“Beware, Kairi,” her voice came from behind. “The closer
   1.566 +you get to the Light, the greater your shadow becomes.” Kairi slowly
   1.567 +turned to face herself, Princess Hikari grinning in her black dress.
   1.568 +“Who are you?” “I'm your shadow,” Princess Hikari explained. “The
   1.569 +Doorway to the Darkness is shut. The Heartless are dying out because
   1.570 +of that. But you had to come and stop them. You unleashed the Light.
   1.571 +Which would have killed the Heartless. If not for one tiny detail.
   1.572 +You're my light. So I'm the darkness. With you directly in the Light,
   1.573 +I'm more powerful than I could ever be in the darkness. Thanks to
   1.574 +you, I've resurrected the dying Heartless. They'll consume the Heart
   1.575 +of the Universe and start anew. We'll make the Doorway to the Light
   1.576 +into a new Doorway to the Darkness.”“Hikari!!” Sora cried out,
   1.577 +betrayed. How could she have done this? How could she have sacrificed
   1.578 +everything to the darkness? Hikari shook her head a little sadly.
   1.579 +“Thank you, Sora. For everything. I know why Kairi loves you. She
   1.580 +loves you because I loved you. Just like Riku. That's why she was
   1.581 +willing to suffer so much to get him back.” She looked into his eyes,
   1.582 +her own torn with pain and torment. “I'm glad I got to spend this
   1.583 +last bit of time together. It's bittersweet, but I think that makes
   1.584 +it an even better note to go out on. I got to see one of the things
   1.585 +that meant the most to me.” She looked back towards the darkening
   1.586 +Doorway to the Light. “But now it's time for the dream to end. From
   1.587 +Darkness we all come, and to darkness we will return.”Kairi shook her
   1.588 +head, her heart feeling as if it were being shred to pieces. All of
   1.589 +her work for nothing. Everyone would be consumed by the Heartless.
   1.590 +She couldn't save anyone after all. “Who are you? You can't do this.
   1.591 +You can't! I was going to save everything!” Hikari shook her head
   1.592 +sadly. “You don't get it, do you? I'm two people. Just like you. I'm
   1.593 +Princess Hikari, daughter of Ansem, the ruler of Hollow Bastion. When
   1.594 +my father was overcome by the Heartless, I followed him. I was
   1.595 +worried about him and I knew his research was driving him mad. My
   1.596 +personal guard, Sephiroth, came with me. We reached the Doorway to
   1.597 +the Darkness where my father had become one of them. I joined soon
   1.598 +after. But I realized there was a problem with my father. We all have
   1.599 +darkness in our heart. But we also have light. He didn't understand
   1.600 +that. So when I gave myself to the Heartless, I got rid of the light
   1.601 +in my heart. That was you, Kairi. I sent away the light in my heart
   1.602 +to find the Keyblade Master so I could keep track of him, whoever he
   1.603 +may be and to keep you away so that there would be no chance of the
   1.604 +light ruining me as it did my father.” 
   1.605 +
   1.606 +Clenching her fists, she grew bitter. “And then there's another me.
   1.607 +A me who grew up with only her mother. A lonely girl who never quite
   1.608 +fit in. Who was always teased and a bit away from everyone. Like I
   1.609 +never really belonged in that world. So I spent all my time in
   1.610 +fantasy worlds, watching movies and playing video games. And I spent
   1.611 +a lot of time in one fantasy world in particular. On an island where
   1.612 +I had lots of friends and I was beautiful and two boys adored me.
   1.613 +Sound familiar, Kairi?” Kairi felt the Keyblade drop from her hands.
   1.614 +This... This was wrong... “Don't.... Please...” She knew about the
   1.615 +two realities, but now this girl... “But it was only a fantasy. I
   1.616 +could never really be on that island. I could never really be
   1.617 +beautiful with lots of friends and the boys I loved.” Hikari laughed,
   1.618 +an anguished sound. “I couldn't be with the boys I loved because they
   1.619 +were only make believe. My real life was pointless and my fantasy
   1.620 +life was just that, a fantasy. So I finally decided I wanted neither.
   1.621 +So one night, I took my mother's shears and I slit my wrists so I
   1.622 +could finally escape the pain and the longing for that which I'd
   1.623 +never have.”Kairi held her head, trying to force it all away. “Then
   1.624 +why are you doing this? Why can't you live here with them? Why can't
   1.625 +you stay with mom? Why... Why?”Hikari glared at Kairi. “You are
   1.626 +pathetic. No wonder I got rid of you. You always did make me
   1.627 +indecisive. I was always so wishy washy when I had you inside of me.
   1.628 +I won't live in a fantasy world. What's the point if none of it is
   1.629 +real? And I won't live in a real life that's nothing but tears and
   1.630 +pain. I'm going to die. And I'm going to tear down this fantasy world
   1.631 +with me. I'm finally going to get my rest. I am the queen of the
   1.632 +Heartless now, Kairi. I've set loose the horrors of the real world
   1.633 +here and I'm going to use them to tear it apart. It's all just a
   1.634 +lie.” She shook her head. “But you still don't understand. Kairi, I'm
   1.635 +the real Hikari. I'm both Princess Hikari and Hikari in the real
   1.636 +world. You're just a part of me. A sliver. And illusion. You're the
   1.637 +small light in my heart that I sent away. You aren't real. Just as
   1.638 +light is only an illusion, so are you.” Hikari reached forward,
   1.639 +placing her hand over Kairi's heart. All of a sudden, Kairi couldn't
   1.640 +breath. She gasped panfully, her body blurring and disipating. She
   1.641 +shook, but couldn't move as Hikari went about dispelling the illusion
   1.642 +that she was. It couldn't be... No... She could feel herself fading
   1.643 +quickly. Riku... Sora... She had only wanted to be with them, to save
   1.644 +them. Her mother... Soon it would all be gone. Just like her. Arms
   1.645 +wrapped around Kairi tightly, trying to force her back into being.
   1.646 +“Kairi, you have to fight it,” Riku told her, holding on as tightly
   1.647 +as he could. “You have to believe. I know it's hard. But hold on.
   1.648 +Please.” Hikari frowned as the dead boy tried to bolster her other
   1.649 +self. It didn't matter. She was growing in power as the seconds
   1.650 +ticked by, as the darkness grew. Within just a few moments, she'd be
   1.651 +strong enough to dispell Kairi offhand. A swift blow knocked her hand
   1.652 +away from Kairi. “Stay away from her!” Sora practically growled,
   1.653 +holding the Keyblade towards her. Pain erupted in Hikari's heart
   1.654 +again. Even the boys she loved were turning against her. Even if they
   1.655 +were only figments of her imagination, it still hurt unbearably.
   1.656 +“Sora...” Sephiroth gripped his sword. Remembering his earlier battle
   1.657 +with Sora, this would be rather simple. The boy didn't even have back
   1.658 +up this time. Pulling up the Masamune, the SOLDIER started towards
   1.659 +the boy.“Don't, Sephiroth.” The cloaked boy watched Sephiroth through
   1.660 +his blindfold. “King Ansem. How nice of you to join us,” Sephiroth
   1.661 +bowed. Smiling faintly, he nodded towards Hikari. “I'm sorry to
   1.662 +inform you, but I am Princess Hikari's royal guard. My loyaltly lies
   1.663 +to her and her alone.”“Don't try and stop me, father. I'm ending this
   1.664 +tonight. Everything will die,” Hikari said, not deigning her father
   1.665 +worth a glance. Her pained eyes remained fixed on Sora. She'd known
   1.666 +that he wouldn't follow her plan, but it hurt nonetheless. But he was
   1.667 +only a dream, she told herself. That helped fill her resolve. It
   1.668 +would all be over soon enough.Kairi leaned heavily against Sora,
   1.669 +Riku's ghostly arms still around her. “Ansem?” So Ansem had survived.
   1.670 +No wonder he looked so much like Riku. He was still in Riku's body.
   1.671 +Then... That was her father.
   1.672 +
   1.673 +“Don't do this, Hikari. I let my curiosity overwhelm me. I let the
   1.674 +Heartless consume me. Don't let them do the same to you. There is
   1.675 +light in our hearts. Darkness isn't the only thing our hearts are
   1.676 +born from,” Ansem pleaded.Hikari laughed. “I know that, father.
   1.677 +That's why I sent my light far, far away. The Light gave me the power
   1.678 +to destroy it all. Darkness is reality. Light is dreams. It's fragile
   1.679 +and full of lies. So I'll put an end to all of it.” Raising her hand,
   1.680 +the darkness in the Doorway to the Light pulsed. Shadows spilled out,
   1.681 +engulfing all. In moments, there was nothing but darkness.
   1.682 +
   1.683 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.684 +
   1.685 +Harle and Aya watched as Darkness began spilling out, Heartless
   1.686 +growing everywhere. The Darkness was overtaking all in it's path. It
   1.687 +was enough to wash over all the universe. Harle shook her head.
   1.688 +“Surely she has damned us all.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.689 +
   1.690 +She sailed about in a sea of darkness. It was everywhere, and yet it
   1.691 +felt like nowhere at all. It imprisoned her in it's painfilled
   1.692 +memories of the past, lacing her with cold wracking sobs and blazing
   1.693 +hot desperation. She had failed. Because of her, everything had
   1.694 +ceased to be. Now there was only darkness. No dreams. No love. No
   1.695 +Light. And this is all it would ever be. Because of her. 'Even in
   1.696 +darkness... There will always be light...' Her grandmother had told
   1.697 +her that, hadn't she? No, it was her mother. She had come home
   1.698 +crying. Her mother had come in and smoothed down her hair and had
   1.699 +told her that. 'Just... take my hand...'
   1.700 +
   1.701 +But what could she do? It was too late. It was all over. If she
   1.702 +hadn't been blinded, if she hadn't been so stupid, maybe she wouldn't
   1.703 +have forfeited everything.'Kairi, please...'So she could only float
   1.704 +in the darkness, curled up into a ball, broken and lonely. Always so
   1.705 +lonely. It wasn't so different from hiding in the bathroom at school
   1.706 +crying, was it?'Kairi... reach out... take my hand...'
   1.707 +
   1.708 +But... But there was light, wasn't there? Even in the very deepest
   1.709 +darkness. Because... without light, there could be no such thing as
   1.710 +darkness. And without darkness, there could be no light. Kairi
   1.711 +reached out for Riku's hand. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.712 +
   1.713 +“Kairi...” Riku knelt near her, watching the weary girl slowly push
   1.714 +herself up. “Are you okay?”“Riku!” Kairi tried to hug him, but he
   1.715 +shook his head. He was only a spirit. Ansem had his body. She
   1.716 +couldn't hold him. She placed her hands on her knees in an attempt to
   1.717 +keep from trying to touch him. She nodded slowly. “I'm... I'm okay.” 
   1.718 +
   1.719 +“Good.” Riku smiled softly. 
   1.720 +
   1.721 +“Where's Sora? And Ansem? And...” Kairi looked away. Hikari was her,
   1.722 +wasn't she? So this really was her fault.Riku shook his head. “I
   1.723 +don't know. I followed you into the darkness. You managed to fight it
   1.724 +off. I think Hikari and Sephiroth went into the Doorway to the Light.
   1.725 +I don't know where the others went.” 
   1.726 +
   1.727 +“Thanks, Riku.” Kairi slowly looked back up at him. The silver
   1.728 +haired boy gazed back into her eyes with his dazzling aquamarine
   1.729 +gems. The princess smiled weakly. “I missed you so much.”“I missed
   1.730 +you, too, Kairi. I wanted to see you one last time. I'm glad I got
   1.731 +to.” Now that Riku could see Kairi, he could at last pass on. As long
   1.732 +as he knew she was all right. 
   1.733 +
   1.734 +“No!!” Kairi blinked back tearfully. “I need you! This isn't the
   1.735 +last time! You're coming with me,” she demanded.“You don't need me,
   1.736 +Kairi. You made your way here without my help. You're stronger than
   1.737 +you know.” Riku smiled, placing his hand over her cheek. He wished he
   1.738 +could feel it. Just one last time. “Maybe I should ask you to take
   1.739 +care of Sora for me instead of the other way around.”“I do need you!”
   1.740 +Kairi insisted. “I never would have gotten here without you. You were
   1.741 +with me every step of the way.” Tears spilled freely down her cheeks.
   1.742 +“I don't want to be without you, Riku. I love you. Don't go.”
   1.743 +
   1.744 +The last part nearly broke Riku's resolve. She loved him? How could
   1.745 +he leave her? But he didn't have a choice. But... at least he knew
   1.746 +that. He'd be able to hold that with him when he passed on to the
   1.747 +other side. “Kairi, I love you, too. I always have. I'd stay with you
   1.748 +always if I could. Always and forever.”Kairi finally noticed the dark
   1.749 +haired girl behind Riku. The girl who had called herself Sophie.
   1.750 +Death incarnate. She had come to collect Riku. “No...” She looked up
   1.751 +pleadingly, but the angel of death shook her head simply. This was
   1.752 +her job. “Riku...” Tears blurred her vision as she watched him stand
   1.753 +up. “I won't let you go. I won't!” She pushed herself to her feet,
   1.754 +reaching out for him. “Just...” She licked her broken lips, trying to
   1.755 +see him through her tears. “Just take my hand. And it will be all...”
   1.756 +Her voice broke, her throat painful now. “And it'll be all right.
   1.757 +Just take my hand...” She held it out, her hand shaking. “Because...
   1.758 +Because we'll always be together. Always. I believe that Riku.
   1.759 +Please, please believe in that with me. Always....” Sophie placed her
   1.760 +hand on Riku's shoulder. He looked back at the angel of death and
   1.761 +then to Kairi. He was dead. Sophie was going to take him away. But
   1.762 +Kairi wouldn't let go. She had a terribly strong will. “I told you
   1.763 +that you're stronger than you know.” Riku smiled at Kairi, taking her
   1.764 +hand. In a flash of light he was gone. Kairi closed her eyes, placing
   1.765 +her hands over her heart. Riku was gone, and yet, she didn't feel
   1.766 +alone. She felt... She felt as if he were close by. With her.
   1.767 +'Because you aren't alone,' his voice said in her head. “Riku!”
   1.768 +Kairi's eyes lit up as she opened them.Riku's heart... When her heart
   1.769 +had been separated from her body, she had ended up in Sora's body.
   1.770 +Now Riku was without a body, but she had taken him into her own. He
   1.771 +hadn't left. She let out a deep breath, relieved. Sophie turned away
   1.772 +from her, walking back into the darkness. “You're running out of
   1.773 +time. Hurry. I have to collect you next, you know.” With that, Death
   1.774 +herself was gone.Kairi nodded. “Let's go, Riku. To end this.”
   1.775 +