Prism Hearts 

 Chapter 15 Primal Eyes

 by Amazoness Duo

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com

 

 'And if I don't make it, Know that I've loved you all along...'

 

 Dear diary,I know it's been a while since I've written, but we've

 been so busy with the island festival and the weird stuff going on.

 But we can't let that stuff keep us down. I'm sure Kairi, Sora, Riku,

 and Tidus will all show up just fine like Kairi did the last time. We

 just have to keep waiting. 

 

 On the good side of things, the festival went really well! Booyaka!

 Yuna's dancing lessons paid off. It was great to dance with Quisty

 like that all night long. She looked sooooo pretty! She was wearing

 this beautiful pink dress and with her cute glasses perched on her

 nose and the moonlight and... I feel faint just thinking about it. It

 was the perfect remedy for all the freaky stuff happening. I could

 tell Quisty was still preoccupied for a bit, but by the end of the

 night I got her mind off of it. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying

 themselves. Irvine kept trying to get me to dance with him all night,

 but I didn't want to let go of Quisty for an instant. I didn't want

 someone else snatching her for a dance while I was off. I guess Lulu

 finally did ask Wakka because I saw them dancing a little later on.

 Seifer was on the dock, staring off at the stars, so I guess he

 didn't feel like dancing. Poor Seifer. It's fun! Maybe he could use

 some lessons from Yuna, too. Speaking of Yuna, even she was dancing

 later on. She was with that catgirl I almost accidentally drowned

 when she first showed up. I'm sorry, Rikku! I thought you were a

 fiend. My mistake! But she's made Yuna smile a whole lot, so I'm

 really glad she came. Even if she's a kitty, I think Yuna likes her.

 Maybe I should give her a paopu fruit for a present. They could eat

 it together at the sunset or something. I bet that would make Yuna

 happy! I know it made me happy to do that with Quisty. Now we'll be

 able to be together forever. Poor Kairi. I hope she can eventually

 share it with the one she loves. If she can ever decide. Well,

 there's no rule against sharing it with two people. At least, I don't

 think so. Maybe I'll ask Quisty later. She knows all sorts of things. 

 

 Yuna's on the beach now. I guess she decided to come out and watch

 the ocean, too. It's a kind of blue gray instead of the pretty blue

 green it usually is. And the storm clouds make it all look a little

 menacing. I'm almost a little afraid of it. The ocean's always been

 our friend, but now it seems so cold and distant. But Yuna doesn't

 seem to mind. She walked right into the water. I had my feet in

 earlier, but it was too cold to keep them there. I wonder if she's

 tired or something. I called to her a few times, but she doesn't seem

 to hear me. Maybe she just doesn't feel like talking right now.

 Ohhhh... She must be practicing her dancing. She's twirling around in

 the water now. I couldn't do that in cold water like that. But she

 doesn't seem to mind. It's almost like the water's responding to her,

 swishing around her. Actually, it looks like the water's getting

 darker near her. Not right around her. But kinda further off. It's

 like a shadow is moving across the water. Or in the

 water...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Breaking off her diary entry, Selphie stood up on the dock. Her

 heart pounded in her stomach. It wasn't a shadow on the water. It was

 under the water. And it was heading towards the Destiny Islands.

 “Yuna!! Get out of the water!” But Yuna didn't hear her. She kept

 dancing, the water now whirling about her as if by magic. Green eyes

 went from the girl in the water to the approaching shape. The shape

 broke off. Selphie breathed a momentary sigh of relief. Her respite

 was shortlived. The shape was heading towards the main island where

 the village was, where the elders were. Her parents... Her heart

 dropped into her stomach, covered in ice. 

 

 Selphie didn't have the strength to do anything but stare for a long

 moment as she saw the huge tidal wave ripping towards the island she

 was on. Blurs of blackish gray things tore out of the water, flying

 in an erratic path towards the different islands. They missiles

 looked like the scales of some ancient and hideous beast. Several

 slammed into the beach around her, sending up plumes of sand. Another

 zipped past overhead, and for a moment Selphie thought it was going

 to hit her. It missed by a head or two and crashed into the dock

 behind her. Wood splintered and cracked and she was thrown to the

 wooden planks beneath her.Dizzy and still in shock from the

 suddenness of her world plunging into madness, Selphie wiped at the

 water that dripped down her forehead. Wincing at the pain that shot

 through her head, she pulled her hand away, momentarily puzzled by

 the blood on her fingers. She had hit the planks harder than she

 thought. A chittering behind her quickly drew her attention from the

 blood dribbling down her face. Turning about, the brunette almost

 fell again. She couldn't focus and the sudden motion made her feel

 sick. What she saw made her freeze where she stood, bare feet pressed

 against water soaked wood. The missile/scale thing she saw earlier

 had been some sort of beast. It crawled out of the wrecked portion of

 the pier where it had landed, chittering crazily as it watched her.

 It had a strange not quite heart symbol on it, black with a red X

 through it. Like the Heartless that had already destroyed their

 island once before. But this wasn't a tiny shadow creature. It was an

 angry monster. Selphie was only dimly aware of the nunchuks at her

 side. She was too weak to fight it. She was going to die. The Destiny

 Islands were being torn asunder. In those seconds before it could

 strike, her mind clung to the things that were important to her. Her

 friends, the islands, her parents, Quistis. For one brief moment, she

 wasn't there. She was back on the beach the night before, dancing

 with the girl she loved. 'Quisty, we'll be together forever, won't

 we?' 'I never want to grow up,' she had told Sora. And it was true.

 She wanted to stay here, playing, loving, forever. Now the dream was

 cruelly falling apart. The creature rushed forward, claw raised to

 cut her in half. Before Selphie could precede the Destiny Islands to

 the Graveyard of Dreams, the tidal wave finally crashed into her. The

 world spun end over end and darkness claimed her. Somewhere in the

 darkness, she could hear Yuna singing. 

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

  The beach was totalled. Trees were ripped up from the ground and

 lay scattered across the island. The houses and huts they had built

 were shattered like an angry child's playthings. The pier was broken

 and lay like so much debris thrown about the beach. The tranquil

 serenity of the Destiny Islands had been replaced with a malevolent

 chaos, a hateful, destructive force. It was as if a jealous angel

 banished to hell had come back to make paradise bleed. This was the

 scene Rikku found herself looking at, staring out across the

 devestated island. And in the midst of it all, Yuna danced. The waves

 broke before hitting her, passing harmlessly around the blue and

 green eyed brunette. Despite the horror that lay around her, Yuna

 didn't seem to notice at all, dancing early in the waves. Shadows

 pulsed and coalesced around her. “Yuna!” she called, but she got no

 answer. The girl continued dancing, singing softly. Had she cracked?

 Was she welcoming the madness that had already claimed Tidus and some

 of her other friends? The only sound outside of the crashing of the

 waves was the sound of Rikku's paws crunching against the sand as she

 ran to Yuna. She had been taking a catnap and had awakened to

 something crashing into the island. In the confusion, she had tried

 to find Yuna. She had to make sure she was okay. Now she'd found the

 other girl, and her heart thundered, forcing her to go faster than

 she ever had as a human. Reaching Yuna, the thief nearly pounced on

 her. “Yuna!!” But Yuna continued to ignore her, dancing and singing

 as the waves and ground shook around them. 

 

 The shockwave almost threw Rikku back into the crashing waves. Her

 ears perked at the sound. Something big had just happened. Her spiral

 green eyes searched for the source of something that huge. Missiles?

 Some type of giant cannon? There. Her eyes stopped on the onrushing

 tidal wave. It was coming from the main island where the village was

 located. It was gone. Where there had been an island, there was now

 nothing more than jagged rocks and a swelling wave. And the barest

 hint of an ugly, giant creature that disappeared beneath the water

 just as quickly as she had seen it. Gone. It was completely gone. And

 with the way the water surged, it was heading straight towards them. 

 

 “Yuna!!” But the girl continued to ignore Rikku. The former Radical

 Dreamer clutched Yuna's dress, yanking her forward. If they didn't

 get moving, the huge wave heading towards the beach would slam into

 them. And after that, the creature would be there. Rikku didn't know

 if they could escape the beast a second time, but she had to try.

 First things first. They had to get away from that wave. Rikku

 slapped Yuna as hard as she could. Guilt blossomed in her gut as she

 did, but she had to get through to her somehow. Dragging Yuna away

 wouldn't get them far enough from the wave. Yuna slumped in her grasp

 after the slap. She would have fallen into the water if Rikku hadn't

 been holding onto her. 

 

 Slowly, green and blue eyes blinked, looking up at the catgirl.

 “Rikku?” the quiet girl asked dreamily. Her vision slowly focussed on

 Rikku. She looked scared and tense. Yuna smiled her, trying to calm

 her. She reached forward, stroking the thief's furry cheek. “Don't be

 afraid, Rikku. It's almost over.”Rikku stared in shock for a second,

 but shook it off. If she froze, they were both dead. She bodily

 dragged Yuna towards the shore. “We need to move, Yunie. Something

 very bad is coming this way. We need to run. Fast.” Turning from the

 other girl, ignoring the wet fur that stuck to her legs, Rikku began

 to run towards the beach. Yuna's sudden halt nearly yanked her back.

 The thief whirled around, her heart pounding like an alarm. They were

 running out of time. They needed to get away. The fact that there was

 no place to run to didn't matter so much as moving. Now. “Rikku, it's

 okay. No one will ever hurt anymore. No one will ever leave us again.

 We'll all be together. Forever.” Yuna smiled brighter this time,

 opening her arms to show what she meant. “Your sister won't leave you

 again. We won't have to mourn our parents. We'll never have to leave

 each other.” The human girl wrapped her arms around Rikku. “I don't

 want you to leave, Rikku. We can always be together now. Always.”

 Leaning forward, she kissed the stunned Rikku softly, holding onto

 her. 'Move. If you don't move, you'll die. She'll die. It will be

 over. Move. Move now!!' Rikku's mind screamed at her. The direness of

 the situation helped push off the hipnotic spell that Yuna's lips

 cast on her. Clutching Yuna hard enough that her claws dug into her

 shoulders, spiral green eyes stared deep into Yuna's blue and green

 eyes. “Yuna, I promised I'd protect you no matter what. And I'm going

 to do that. We have to run. I'm not going to leave you. Just please,

 run. Run!!” Rikku pleaded, fear and frustration mixing inside of her.

 Slowly, achingly slowly, Yuna nodded. She seemed a little surprised,

 almost afraid of the mix of emotions inside of Rikku. She meekly

 followed along as Rikku ran, her heart thundering as she knew they

 probably wouldn't make it. 

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 “Selphie! You're alive!” Quistis pulled the half-conscious brunette

 tightly against herself. She knew she should let her rest, but she

 was too relieved to see that her green eyed girl was alive. Her

 glasses slipped down her nose as she clung to Selphie. How close had

 she been to losing her? The girl had nearly been buried under planks

 from the destroyed pier and had almost drowned from being pinned

 under while the tidal wave had swept over her. “Oh, Selphie...” 

 

 Using all of her strength to push herself back to consciousness,

 Selphie hung limply in Quistis's arms. Burying her head weakly

 against the blonde's shoulder, Selphie closed her eyes. She was

 alive. With Quistis. Maybe... Maybe things would be okay. No. No

 maybes. She had to believe it. There could be no other option other

 than things being okay. “Quisty,” she whispered. Blinking tear

 streaked eyes, Quistis held Selphie close. Her eyes narrowed as she

 tried to focus on the blurry figure moving towards them. It looked

 like the figure was moving on top of the water, walking as if on

 land. Pushing her glasses up, she saw that she was right. A boy in a

 black raincoat was walking on the water, right up to the beach.

 Standing up with Selphie, she gripped her whip, keeping a weary eye

 on him. After all that had happened, she wasn't about to trust

 anything. “Who are you?” she called out. Selphie steadied herself

 against the blonde, turning to see who Quistis was talking to.The

 hooded boy didn't deign her question worth an answer. Instead, he

 turned to look out to see. “She'll be here soon. It's almost done. I

 wonder what she'll choose.” Turning to the two girls, he addressed

 them. “Sin is coming. You can't stop it. Get away from the

 beach.”Shaking her head as much as her weak body would allow, Selphie

 refused. “Those scale creatures are on the island.”The boy nodded.

 “But you can fight them. And you can try to live until she gets here.

 She's the only one who can stop this.” He turned to face the oncoming

 waves. “Hurry.”Without another word, Quistis and Selphie tried to get

 as far from the beach as they could.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 Running. Running and running. Selphie's bare feet hurt from all the

 running. She nearly slipped on a slippery rock as they ran near a

 small waterfall. But even after all the running, she knew that they

 were on a relatively small island. There was only so much room to

 run. Only so much room to hide before it found them, caught up with

 them. They couldn't run forever. What would they do when it finally

 did catch them? How could they stop this nightmare? She just wanted

 to wake up, safe and sound in Quistis's arms, the blonde asleep with

 a book slumped on her chest. “My diary!” Selphie's green eyes

 widened. It had been on the pier. Now it was probably lost forever.

 Her shoulders slumped. She had the sinking feeling that she could

 very easily lose everything. “If...” Quistis cut herself off, biting

 her lip before continuing. “When we get out of this, I'll get you a

 new diary. And we'll make plenty of happy memories for you to write

 in it,” she promised. Selphie new that Quistis was trying to make her

 feel better, that she was just as scared as she was, but that made it

 even sweeter. She smiled faintly, gazing at the blonde girl. “Thanks,

 Quisty. I'll make sure...” Before Selphie could continue, one of the

 Heartless Sinscales crashed down in front of them. It chittered its

 bloodthirsty cry, looking between the two girls. As it got ready to

 pounce forward, Quistis took a step forward, her whip lashing out at

 it. The creature shrieked as the whip hit it again and again. It was

 soon joined by Selphie's nunchuks, cracking against the creature.

 Lunging forward, it's claws tried to tear into Selphie. The brunette

 hopped back, just missing getting slashed by the razor sharp claws.

 The beast got ready to lunge again, but Quistis's whip wrapped around

 it's leg, yanking it back. Selphie took the opportunity to hit it as

 hard as she could. Finally, the Heartless fell at their feet. 

 

 Turning to Quistis, Selphie opened her mouth, but Quistis's eyes

 widened. Selphie could swear she saw the reflection of the beast in

 Quistis's eyes, but she couldn't move. It was too fast. But so was

 Quistis. The blonde shoved herself in front of Selphie at the same

 time as the creature came swiping forward. It's claw crashed into

 Quistis's side, sending her rolling into the water. Selphie was dimly

 aware that she had screamed. Her green eyes followed Quistis's

 crumpled form slumped on the ground. In her panic, Selphie couldn't

 even tell if the other girl was breathing. The beast. She had to

 protect Quistis. She couldn't let it hurt the girl she loved. But

 wasn't she already too late for that? Quashing the thought, panic and

 fear and loathing and sadness welled in her heart, flooding it. The

 brunette ran to the crumpled girl ready to fight off the creature as

 best she could. The Heartless chittered madly, turning to the two of

 them again. It almost seemed to be laughing. It wanted their hearts.

 It would feast upon them, devour them whole. How delicious. It

 advanced on the stupid girl standing her ground and the injured girl

 who wouldn't even fight back. “Selphie...” Quistis said weakly. It

 took an extreme effort to focus through the pain. It enveloped her

 side like a hot iron, burning deeply into her mind. She clutched her

 side tightly, feeling the blood pool and drip around her fingertips.

 'Get up!' her mind screamed at her. She had to draw the creature away

 so Selphie could run. “Run, Selphie. Go... Get out of here.”

 

 “No! I'm not leaving you, Quisty.” Tears streamed down Selphie's

 cheeks, but she never took her eyes away from the Heartless that had

 tried to kill her girlfriend. “We ate a paopu fruit together. We'll

 stay together forever. We promised. I'm not leaving you. Ever.”

 Selphie jumped forward, her nunchuk cracking against the amorpheous

 face of the creature. It chittered in pain or anger and got ready to

 pounce upon the girl and tear her apart. The girl continued to hit it

 in a rage. The girl was already hurt and her anger was blinding her.

 In just a moment, it would be able to...But Selphie wasn't the only

 one blinded by the situation. Selphie watched as the Heartless fell

 in two halves. So focussed had it been on its prey that it hadn't

 seen the trenchcoated boy behind it. “Seifer!” Selphie cried out,

 shocked to see the blond boy. She quickly turned her attention back

 to Quistis, running to the other girl. Her heart pounded in a frenzy

 as she saw the blood dripping down her side. The cut seemed to be

 pretty deep in the girl's side. She needed some healing magic quick.

 “We need to get you to Yuna. She can help.” If they hurried. But she

 couldn't bring herself to say that part. Quistis couldn't die. She

 wouldn't let her. Selphie swallowed the burning pain in her throat.

 If Seifer was alive, Yuna could be alive, too. She'd been right on

 the beach. Maybe she was somewhere on the island. If they could find

 her, they could save Quistis. “You don't really expect your loyal

 fans to desert you, do you, Miss Trepe?” Seifer asked, grinning. Even

 if the situation were dire, he still liked teasing Quistis. He saw it

 as bad form to give that up, even in the heat of battle. You had to

 stay true to the bitter end, after all. 

 

 Quistis laughed softly as Selphie helped her up. She tried to stand

 on her own, not wanting to worry Selphie too much, but she found that

 she couldn't stand on her own. That bothered her greatly. She tried

 not to let it show. “I never knew you were a loyal fan, Seifer.”

 

 “Surely you jest, Miss Trepe. Who isn't?” Winking, Seifer walked

 over to the two girls. He could see how bad the injury was, but the

 look Quistis gave him let him know not to say anything about it.

 Giving a nearly imperceptible nod, her turned to look around the

 clearing. Quistis was a strong girl. Probably the strongest he knew,

 despite all the worries and self-doubts she carried. Selphie was a

 lucky girl. And he'd be damned if he'd let Quistis die now. “The main

 island is gone. Whatever hit it seems to be headed here. But for some

 reason, it hasn't destroyed this island yet. It's like those fiends

 are searching for something.” He let that sink in for a minute. He

 knew what it meant. Their parents were all dead. Their homes were

 destroyed. And the only reason they were alive was because of

 something hidden on the island they were on. Quistis went numb at

 Seifer's words. Destroyed? It was all gone. Even if they could stop

 all this, how much could they salvage? Would their islands survive

 the strain? They had already lost so much. “Mom... Dad...?” Selphie

 felt her knees go weak. Only the knowledge that she couldn't drop

 Quistis kept her standing up straight. It felt like yet another blade

 had punctured her heart. Quistis was hurt, maybe dying her family was

 dead her home was being crushed. Everything she held dear was a tiny

 piece of sand, falling through her fingers no matter how hard she

 tried to hold on. She swallowed painfully, fighting back tears. She

 swallowed again and again, trying to keep the tears at bay. 

 

 “We need to regroup. We have a better chance together than alone.

 Quistis, you always were a good leader. You can help them figure out

 what to do. Remember, we don't have much time. When they find what

 they're looking for, they'll destory this island, too.” Seifer turned

 his back to them, hefting up his blade. “'Them'? Seifer, you're

 coming, too, right?” Quistis asked. She already knew the answer, but

 she prayed that she was wrong. Hadn't enough people been hurt

 already? Hadn't they already lost enough? Why did there need to be

 anymore sacrifices? She watched him hopefully, clinging to the tiny

 shred of hope that he'd merely said it wrong. His stature never

 wavered. He looked just as cocky and sure of himself as ever, despite

 the fact that they may never see him again.“I never was the group

 type. You know that, Quistis. I just manage to cause problems.

 Besides, there are three of those creatures lurking in the bushes

 behind us. I figured I'd try to hone my skills on them. If I'm ever

 going to be a Sorceress's Knight, I have to be the best.” Shooting a

 look over his shoulder the blond boy grinned. Turning back, he pulled

 up the blade and got ready.“.... Thank you, Seifer,” Quistis said at

 last, watching the boy wave them off nonchalantly. He was buying them

 time. She doubted even he could fight three of those things. But she

 and Selphie were both injured. He was sacrificing himself for them.

 She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay and fight, but there was

 nothing they could do. “Anytime, Quistis. Now get going. You need to

 get that scratch patched up. You keep her safe, Selphie,” Seifer

 said, not turning to face them, still watching the movement in the

 shadows.Selphie nodded. “I will. Be careful Seifer. Come back as soon

 as you can.” Could he really take on all three of them? Did he have a

 plan? He had to. Right? Now wasn't the time to think about it.

 Quistis was bleeding badly. They had to find Yuna. Her white magic

 could fix Quistis. Selphie held onto the blonde girl and hurried as

 quickly as she could. The bushes rustled behind her. Seifer's blade

 slashed through the air behind them. Quistis winced in pain. Selphie

 pushed herself to go faster, praying she wouldn't be too late.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 Rikku shivered, her fur still wet, as she and Yuna crawled into a

 hidden cave. There were drawings on the walls, making the cave look

 like a hiding place for children. At the end of the cave was a

 strange door. Rikku tried the knob, but it was locked. Why would

 there be a door in a cave? Where did it lead to?Yuna recognized the

 drawings. They were of Sora, Kairi, and Riku. This must be the

 'Special Place' that Sora and Riku had spoken of. How strange that

 she'd end up in the place that was so important to her three lost

 friends. But it had felt like she had been called there. When Rikku

 had asked where they could go to get away, she had immediately

 answered here. Now that she was closer, it felt like the strange door

 at the end of the cave was calling directly to her, reverberating off

 the walls. 'Open the door and let everything end...' she could almost

 hear. “Yunie!” Rikku called for the third time. Her other three calls

 had illicited no response. Yuna seemed to be deep in thought. The

 normally quiet, shy girl seemed even more introspective. But now was

 definitely not the time. “Yuna!” Walking over, Rikku placed her hands

 on Yuna's shoulders, finally getting her attention. What was wrong

 with the brunette? It was like Yuna wasn't seeing the same horrible

 things that she was. They had barely escaped the tidal wave and that

 thing... Sin had risen out of the water just moments later. At least

 they had a momentary respite from the chaos outside. 

 

 Turning to face the catgirl, Yuna giggled softly, her hand going to

 her mouth. The thief was a bedraggled mess. Her fur clung to her and

 her ears kept twitching to try and get dry. “You're so cute, Rikku.”

 She said softly, wrapping her arms around the catgirl's shoulders.

 She gazed deeply into those spiral green eyes, feeling as if she were

 falling into them. “I don't know if I'd have the strength to go

 through all of this without you, Rikku. I'd be too scared. But with

 you by my side, it's all right. I'm not afraid to die if I'm with

 you.” Leaning forward to kiss Rikku, she was perplexed when Rikku

 moved her head to the side. She kissed the wet, furry cheek anyway.

 “Yunie, what are you talking about? What's going on?” Rikku was

 starting to get seriously worried about the girl holding onto her.

 Yuna had an almost manic gleam in her blue and green eyes. “We aren't

 going to die. I'll protect you, Yunie. Always. I swear.” She looked

 back into those slightly frightening eyes, trying to make Yuna see

 the truth in her words.“Rikku...” Yuna stroked the thief's cheek,

 resting against her. Rikku's heart was thundering against her. The

 poor kitty. “There's nothing to be scared of. I know that now. There

 will never be anything to be afraid of again. I finally understand. I

 wasn't afraid of death. I was afraid of life. Of being left behind.

 Of watching those I loved die. Of being left alone. Of being hurt and

 broken. Of watching people suffer. I always wanted to give people

 hope, but what good can hope do if you can't stave off death? As long

 as there is life, there will be suffering and torment. Our only peace

 is in death. My father died. But I'm the one who suffered. The living

 suffer. Not the dead.” Reality came crashing down around Rikku's

 head. The world around her was falling apart. The girl she loved was

 verging on suicidal. And she had no idea how to save any of it. Her

 strength drained as powerlessness bled her dry. “I would have been

 too afraid to do this on my own. Without you, I would have been too

 afraid of death. But if I can be with you, I'll have no fear.” Yuna

 took Rikku's paw, kissing it softly. “I love you. We'll always be

 together. Life won't be able to keep us apart.”“No...” Rikku argued

 softly, shaking her head. “No!” She held Yuna's shoulders as tightly

 as she could, scratching deep into the brunette, but Yuna didn't even

 seem to notice. Tiny splotches of red grew under Rikku's claws.

 “Yunie, we can still get out of here. There has to be a way. I'll

 save you. Somehow.” Yuna smiled again, her lips brushing against

 Rikku's. “You don't understand. Sin is coming. All I have to do is

 open the doorway. Then Sin will destroy all life. All suffering. All

 pain. We'll all be together.” Tears spilt down her cheeks as she

 gazed at Rikku. “It's finally over.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 “Fire!” Flames licked at one of Sin's many Heartless creatures as a

 girl in black raised her hand. A blitzball slammed into it, knocking

 it over. “Thunder!” the girl cried out again. Lightening struck the

 beast. It jerked spasmodically until it finally stopped, fading back

 into harmless shadows. “They just keep coming, Lu,” the boy said,

 breathing hard. Her looked around worriedly, waiting for more of the

 strange beasts to jump out at them.“Then we must keep fighting them,”

 Lulu responded calmly. Turning towards the path leading up to them,

 her braids swishing behind her, she spotted Selphie supporting a very

 pale Quistis. Blood soaked the side of the blonde's dress. Whatever

 hope she had held onto dwindled rapidly. How could they possibly

 survive this? How many were already dead?“Lulu! Wakka!” Selphie

 called excitedly. There were people still out there. That relief

 spread through her quickly. Good. Now if they could only find a place

 to get to that they could protect. And of course, get Quistis healed

 as swiftly as possible. Her eyes scanned about for Yuna, but she

 couldn't find the other girl. “Where's Yuna? Where's everyone

 else?”“Just me an' Lu as far as I know. Haven't seen anybody else

 till you showed up. Good thing ya did. We couldn't hold out much

 longer on our... Owww!” He looked over at Lulu. The black haired girl

 scowled at him. She'd pinched him very sharply. What was that all

 about? Didn't they have enough to deal with without her doing things

 like that? Her eyes were moving around oddly. He raised an eyebrow.

 Lulu sighed deliberately and leaned closer. “They're injured, Wakka.

 Quistis is probably dying. We're going to have to protect them. So

 don't say stupid things like that.”Wakka nodded, understanding. That

 meant that they'd have to keep an eye on the two injured girls. Which

 meant... They were worse off than they were before. His hopes

 thoroughly shattered, he felt his shoulders slump. It didn't seem

 like any of them were getting out of this. “No Yuna?” Selphie asked

 again, her green eyes wide in disbelief. She had come all this way to

 find a healer to save Quistis. But Yuna wasn't here. Lulu was a mage,

 but she only knew black magic, nothing that could save Quistis. They

 had travelled all that way for nothing? Quistis had become very quiet

 just a few minutes ago. The blonde was breathing irregularly, slumped

 heavily against Selphie's side. She needed help. And there was

 nothing Selphie could do. Tears threatened to wash away whatever

 grasp she still held on her sanity. She was going to lose Quistis...

 “So you children are still fighting?” a voice asked from the trail

 above them. They all turned to the voice. It was impossible for

 anyone to have gotten ahead of them, though. Someone would need to

 fly to be able to get to the path above them without going right

 through them. Elder Seymour smiled as he approached them. “Elder

 Seymour!” Wakka said excitedly.“Elder Seymour, we're very glad to see

 you,” Lulu confessed. The elder simply smiled, looking about at them

 all. He walked to Selphie, watching her green eyes light up at his

 presence. There was hope again.“Seymour! You're alive!” If Seymour

 was alive, then Quistis was saved. Seymour was a powerful mage, the

 most powerful on the Destiny Islands. He could heal Quistis. Selphie

 dragged the semi-conscious girl over to the elder, the thought that

 the girl she loved wouldn't die after all soothing her body and soul.

 “Quisty is hurt. You have to heal her.” She laid the blonde out on

 the ground, being very careful not to hurt her anymore than she had

 been. Reaching out, she gently stroked the other girl's cheek. 

 

 Quistis smiled weakly, looking up at Selphie with unfocussed eyes.

 It took all of her strength to keep from passing out. But she knew

 that if she did, she'd never wake up.

 

 “Hmm...” Seymour surveyed the injured girl, kneeling down and

 checking her wounds. Quistis hissed in pain as he touched the wound.

 He got up, looking down at the girl. “It's a very serious wound.

 She's lost a lot of blood.” Selphie nodded, holding onto Quistis's

 hand. “So you can heal her, right, Elder Seymour?”The man nodded.

 “Yes, I could. But I'm not going to.” He paused for a moment, letting

 that sink in. Selphie looked up slowly, looking lost and confused. He

 smiled down at her. “Why?” Selphie asked quietly, obviously in shock

 over his answer.“Because very shortly, you'll all be dead anyway.

 Healing her would only prolong it. Sin will destroy this island. And

 after that, Sin will destory all life. Healing her would be cruel. It

 would only keep her alive in order that she may die,” Seymour

 explained. “No...” Selphie shook her head. “It... No, it isn't like

 that. We can still try. We can stop it. We have to. You have to save

 Quisty! Please!” Tears burst down her cheeks, spilling down her chin.

 “You have to!” Clutching the blonde's hand, Selphie held it tightly

 to her heart. “I'm afraid I have to do no such thing. But I will help

 you. I am the last surviving elder of the Destiny Islands, so you are

 all my children. I will send you along with her on her journey. Then

 you won't have to part for even the short time it takes for you to

 join her after she dies.” He smiled at the girls, raising his hand as

 he summoned his magic. Wakka and Lulu got in front of Selphie, both

 ready to fight him. He simply laughed. “You sweet, innocent children.

 Soon you will never know the pain of life. Goodbye.” Summoning all of

 the magic at his disposal, he got ready to hurry along the four of

 them to death's sweet embrace. 

 

 A gunshot fired out. Pain erupted in Seymour's side. He stumbled

 forward. Yes, life was pain. All life. Which is why it had to be...

 Another shot. And another. The world swayed around him as he turned

 to face his attackers. Four men and one woman in black suits were all

 holding guns, pointing at him. Several other people were with them as

 well. He could see one of the island children with them, Kairi, the

 girl who had washed up on the Destiny Islands shore years ago. But

 this couldn't be happening. This.. This was not how it was supposed

 to work out. He tried to summon his magic, but it was weak in the

 pain-wracked state he found himself. Kairi ran up to him, shoving the

 Keyblade into his chest. She turned it swiftly, unlocking his heart.

 He stumbled back, clutching his heart. Inside, he could feel the

 darkness moving about. The darkness he had allowed Sephiroth to place

 inside of him. Because it would give him power. The power to realize

 his dream. To bring an end to life. He grinned as he realized that

 would happen soon enough.“Something's wrong...” Kairi took several

 steps back. “If he's the one who called Sin here, then he has to be

 the Keyhole. But this isn't like any other Keyhole I've unlocked.

 There's supposed to be light.” The princess had the feeling that

 something had gone terribly wrong. “That's because I'm not the

 Keyhole, Kairi.” Seymour laughed softly, his body changing,

 transformed by the darkness that had grown in his heart. “But

 Sephiroth did give me the power to find out who was. And it turns out

 we had the same goals all along. It all ends here. We will bring this

 world to an end. We will destroy the vicious cycle of life and death.

 We will give peace to all.” By now he looked only vaguely human,

 floating in the air like some strange ancient being. “Princess! Get

 back!” The Turks immediately surrounded the Princess, protecting her

 from the being that had once been Seymour. They began firing at him

 as he summoned his magic. Elena led Kairi back to the others before

 returning to face Seymour. Cloud looked at Squall. The two nodded at

 each other before running after the Turks, swords brandished. Aerith

 and Rinoa herded Selphie, Quistis, Lulu, and Wakka away from the

 battle.

 

 Kairi turned to her friends, feeling bittersweet about their

 reunion. Because of her, they were hurting, dying. Because she had

 left the door open for the Heartless to come upon this world. Her

 beautiful Destiny Islands were crumbling. She had to unlock the

 Keyhole before it was too late. 

 

 “Please! You have to help Quisty!” Selphie pleaded, tears streaming

 down her cheeks. “She's dying...” 

 

 'Dear God, what have I done?' Kairi watched in horror as Selphie

 held tightly onto a limp Quistis. He inability to entirely give up

 her past life had caused so much pain. Riku was dead. Sora was lost.

 The Destiny Islands were being torn apart. Her friends were

 suffering. All because of her. Her fingers tightened around the

 Keyblade. This had to end. “It will be okay,” Aerith said soothingly

 to Selphie. Smiling, the flower girl brushed some of Selphie's tears

 away before placing her hands over Quistis. White blue light flashed

 around the blonde girl, spreading through her. Quistis blinked

 weakly, gazing up. 

 

 Selphie broke down, holding onto Quistis as tightly as she could.

 “Quisty!!” She cried against the blonde girl, her trembling fingers

 clenching onto the torn fabric of Quistis's dress. 

 

 Quistis held her as well as she could. Her entire body felt so weak.

 But the pain was gone. She was alive. Somehow. She closed her eyes,

 feeling Selphie's arms around her. “That isn't like you, Kairi,” a

 voice said behind her. Kairi turned to see Riku leaning against a

 tree, his arms crossed. His head was lowered and his eyes were

 closed. “You can't keep blaming yourself. You have to follow your

 heart. Wherever that leads you. Sometimes that doesn't turn out the

 way you want it to. But what matters is that you try. That you follow

 it through to the end.” He looked up, opening his eyes. “Yes, bad

 things happened. Yes, people are getting hurt. But you're trying to

 stop that. There's no blame there, Kairi. Yes, this starts with you.

 But you aren't at fault for that.”

 

 Kairi nodded slightly, feeling a little better. “Yeah... You're

 right. Thanks, Riku.” She smiled up at him, blinking her tear filled

 eyes. She knew he was far away. But he was still right there with

 her. “Just like I couldn't blame you for anything that happened when

 you were working with the Heartless. Because you were just following

 your heart. Trying to save me.”Riku smiled, walking up to Kairi. He

 brushed her cheek with the back of his gloved hand. “Just follow your

 heart, Kairi. Always follow your heart.” Closing her eyes, Kairi

 could almost feel his gloved fingers on his cheek. Slowly, the

 feeling faded away. Opening her eyes took a long time. She knew he

 wouldn't be there when she looked again. Sure enough, he was gone.

 But that was all right. She placed her hand on her cheek where his

 hand had rested. He was right. She couldn't keep blaming herself. She

 had to go and stop it. 

 

 “If you're looking for the Keyhole, I know where she is,” a voice

 said near the trees.Kairi spotted the cloaked, blindfolded boy

 seemingly watching her. Nodding, she gripped her Keyblade and

 followed him. Fighting against Seymour wouldn't stop Sin from

 destroying everything. And she couldn't help those fighting him as it

 is. But she could stop Sin before it was too late. A hand grabbed

 Kairi's shoulder before she could fade away from the group and follow

 the boy. “I'm going with you. You might need help. If anything

 happens, I can handle it.” Yuffie winked at her. 

 

 “I'm going, too, then,” Relm added, stepping up behind

 Yuffie.Smiling, Kairi nodded. “Thanks, you two. I appreciate it.”

 Looking back at the boy, she began to follow him. There wasn't much

 time left.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 The cloaked boy led the way to Riku and Sora's secret place. Even

 amidst the chaos, it had escaped unscathed. Memories flooded back to

 Kairi as she looked around the cave. She smiled faintly at the

 pictures Sora and Riku had drawn on the walls, some of them of her.

 There. Near the strange doorway at the end of the cave that shouldn't

 be there. Yuna stood there along with Rikku.

 

 “Rikku!” Surprise took Yuffie off guard as she saw her younger

 sister at the back of the cave. So she was alive after all. Yuffie

 had thought she'd run off when Rikku had been changed into a kitten.

 And then when they'd found out she was the kitten on Opassa beach,

 they'd been scattered to different worlds. “You're okay!” Yuffie

 hadn't realized just how worried she'd been about her sister's fate

 until now. She ran to the catgirl, trying to make sure she was okay.

 She'd always been there to protect the younger girl before. Now she

 was worried about what might have happened while she'd been away.

 “Yuffie!” Rikku clutched onto the ninja girl, her heart lifting. Her

 big sister was here. Everything would be fine now. They'd fix

 whatever was going on. Yuna would be just fine and they'd be able to

 go see all the many worlds out there together. Relm stayed back at

 the sisterly reunion. It was nice to see Yuffie as obviously happy as

 she was right now. The ninja usually hid behind her sarcasm and

 bravado. Seeing this was beautiful to the artist.Kairi looked at Yuna

 and then back at the hooded boy. The boy nodded. Kairi shook her

 head, her heart slipping. “No. I can't.” Up till now, she hadn't

 known any of the Keyholes. Kuja and Kefka had tried to hurt her.

 Ultimecia had tried to trap her in a dreamworld. This was her friend.

 How could she unlock the Keyhole in her heart if it meant she would

 die? Yuna was one of the sweetest girls she knew, always trying to

 help the other islanders. Could such a quiet, helpful girl really be

 the Keyhole? The reason that Sin was here? Taking a step forward,

 Kairi's mind spun as it tried to find an answer. She had to unlock

 the Keyhole. But she couldn't hurt Yuna. “Yuna, you have to stop

 this. You can't destory the Destiny Islands.”Shaking her head, Yuna

 watched Kairi approach. “I have to. I can't stop now. Kairi, don't

 you miss them? Riku and Sora? You've gone through so much pain and

 hardship. Don't you understand? I can end that. Right now. I can save

 everyone.” Her eyes lit up beautifully. “I can stop all of the

 suffering. Once and for all. We can all be together with the ones we

 love.”

 

 “Even if we're far apart, we're always together. They're still with

 me even now.” Kairi shook her head. “I know everyone suffers. But I

 think there's more than that. It isn't all pain. It isn't all

 suffering. There are beautiful moments, too. No matter how bad things

 are, there are still shining lights here and there if you know where

 to find them.” 'Like my mother. Even if I was lonely in my other

 life, I still had my mother.' 

 

 Swallowing, Yuna fought back the tears that glistened in her eyes.

 “I know that. But everything you hold dear is eventually taken from

 you. Everyone you love will one day die. Everything that matters will

 wither.” “But that's life. Life is pain. But life is love. Life is

 fleeting. But it's darness and light. Together. And if it hurts,

 we'll appreciate the things we love even more when we can be with

 them again when it's over,” Kairi pleaded. 'Don't make me face you,

 Yuna. I don't want to hurt anyone else. Please.'Yuna shook her head,

 closing her eyes tightly. “You of all people should understand,

 Kairi. You understood about giving up your life so that you could be

 free. You escaped. I'm just trying to give everyone that

 freedom.”“But that's the problem! I couldn't completely give up on my

 life, no matter how much I tried. That's why the Heartless are here.

 That's why I'm still stuck between worlds. Some people aren't ready

 to give up their lives yet. Some people have more they want to do

 before they move on,” Kairi explained, almost to Yuna. Rikku stood

 with Yuffie, watching the two of them. The hooded boy was behind her

 while Relm waited near the entrance to the cave. “What about the

 people who weren't asked if they were ready?! What about the people

 who had so much more to do but never got to? What about those of us

 forced to live who never wanted to face that pain and suffering in

 everyone's heart?” Shaking, Yuna's tears fell down to her feet. Pain

 and loss and confusion cut at her heart like a rabid beast. “Yunie,

 please. We can work this out. I'll be with you. No matter what. I'll

 be there with you. We can handle whatever pain there is. I promise.”

 Rikku pulled away from Yuffie, stepping towards Yuna. “I love you.

 I'll always be with you.” Yuffie watched, her surprise growing. Her

 little sister had fallen in love while she was gone? With this girl

 who was trying to end everything? Now what was she supposed to

 do?“I'm sorry, Rikku. I have to. I was the one who called Sin all

 along. I just didn't understand. But Sin came to end all of this pain

 and suffering. I have to save everyone. I don't want anyone to ever

 hurt again. If we keep living, I might lose you. One of us might die.

 Any number of things could happen. But it won't get the chance. I

 love you, too. I won't let anything take you away from me. I won't

 let this world hurt either of us. Any of us. Ever again.” The cave

 shook as Sin crashed along the island, its inhuman howl reaching them

 even in the depths of the cave. “Life will end. We'll finally be

 free.” She smiled as she reached the door behind her, pulling it

 open. Darkness spilled out from beyond the doorway. “With the doorway

 open, Sin can read all the worlds. It can break the chains of life.”

 The caves shook harder, sending most of them sprawling. Sin was

 coming.“No!!” Kairi cried out. They were running out of time. Sin now

 had what it wanted. A way out. A way to get to everything. A way to

 kill all existence. Kairi lunged forward right as Yuna turned. The

 Keyblade plunged deep into her chest. For the time being, Kairi had

 to force her doubts away. But that was made nearly impossible by the

 way Yuna looked back at her, serene. The blue and green eyed girl was

 happy, unafraid of what was to come. 'You of all people should

 understand, Kairi,' her voice whispered in the princess's head. Kairi

 hesitated. There wasn't time. “I'm so sorry...” she got out before

 turning the Keyblade. The shaking stopped immediately. Light flooded

 the cave as the Keyhole was unlocked.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 She was everywhere and she was nowhere. Who was she? Kairi. Or was

 it Hikari? A princess. Or was she an island girl? Or maybe a lonely

 student living with her mother? She was all of these things. And she

 was none of these things. There was brilliant light. And there was

 endless darkness. They swirled and mixed and carressed in an endless

 dance. 

 

 “You have unlocked the light in the heart of Suffering,” the

 everpresent voice said. It sounded so very familiar. She couldn't

 quite place it or where it was coming from. 

 “Life is filled with so much pain. The one's you love are taken from

 you so very quickly. In death, there is freedom. There is an end to

 pain. I only wanted to end everyone's suffering. I wanted to save

 everyone. I wanted that pain that always lives in your heart to

 finally disappear forever. I wanted to be with my father again.

 And... I fell in love with Rikku. But I was so scared that I would

 lose her just like I lost my father. But now, I guess I'll finally

 escape the pain of life. Now I'm finally free. I'll wait for Rikku as

 long as it takes. I'll finally see my father again. Thank you, Kairi.

 I hope you find what you're looking for.”Kairi would have closed her

 eyes if she had eyes to close in this world of light and darkness.

 She would have swallowed back the pain in her heart if she could only

 swallow. But the emotions, the pain and the sorrow, were acutely

 real. “I hope so, too. I'm sorry, Yuna. I'm so sorry.” 

 As Yuna's heart departed to join the Lifestream, the Farplane, Kairi

 was left behind by the light, like an unwanted child. It disappeared,

 leaving her feeling cold and out of place in the small, dark cave. 

 “Where's Yunie?” Rikku asked, horrified to see only Kairi return

 from the light. “What happened to Yunie?” She glanced at the other

 faces, finally stopping on her sister's. Yuffie couldn't meet her

 gaze. Cold realization crept through her, nearly stopping her heart.

 “So... Yunie... Yunie is...” She couldn't get herself to say it.

 Tears splashed down her cheeks, her body going cold. Yuna was gone.

 She had failed to protect her. All her promises had been for naught.

 “Why!? Why did she have to die? I met her, I promised I'd keep her

 safe always, and she had to die for that?” Her body shook, her vision

 blurring as tears fell faster than she could blink them away. Her

 eyes locked on Kairi. “You killed her! She wanted to save everyone

 and you killed her! She only wanted to make everyone happy!” 

 

 Kairi looked away from Rikku, ashamed. Yuffie said nothing. What

 could she possibly say to help her sister? The girl she loved was

 dead now. And there was nothing she could do. Rikku's heart

 shattered. She didn't even have a body to hold. It was as if Yuna had

 never been. She would never get to see that smile again. She would

 never be able to hear her giggle, to feel her lips. It was all gone,

 as quickly as the wind. And that girl, the girl who had helped her as

 a kitten, she was the cause of it. If it weren't for her, she'd be

 with Yuna now. By a cruel twist of fate, Rikku had shown up first on

 the island and had fallen in love with the beautiful brunette. But

 almost as if she were a harbinger of fate, the girl she had travelled

 with, the Keyblade Mistress had followed her. Kairi had shown up and

 taked away Rikku's most precious treasure. She had taken away

 everything. Firey rage and ice cold sorrow tore at her mangled heart,

 shredding it into bloody pieces. 'I'll protect you, Yunie. I'll

 always be with you,' she had promised. And she had failed. All

 because of her. 

 

 Rikku ran forward, moving with tremendous speed. Her fist raised

 into the air, the razor sharp blades on her glove glinting in the dim

 light. Kairi stared in shock, her lavender eyes wide as she realized

 she was going to die. Yuffie could only watch, too stunned by the

 suddenness of it all to leap to anyone's aid. Kairi would die. Rikku

 may have failed to save Yuna, but she would take revenge for her

 death. 

 

 And with a flash of steel, it was done. Kairi shook, her heart

 pounding in her chest. Her vision still burned with images of bared

 fangs, a glint of blades, and hatefilled eyes. She had broken Rikku,

 stolen the one thing most important to her. And in return, she was to

 forfeit her life. But that hadn't happened. At least, she didn't

 think so. So what had happened. She looked around, finally spotting

 Rikku on the floor in front of her. Blood lay in a pool around her.

 The catgirl was dead. The cloaked boy had jumped in the way, stabbing

 Rikku before she could reach Kairi. And now she was dead. Kairi's

 knees gave out and she stumbled back, away from the body. “Rikku!!”

 Yuffie screamed, running to Rikku's side. But it was too late.

 Turning the catgirl over, Rikku looked blankly up at the roof with

 dim green eyes. The light in them was gone. She didn't move an inch.

 “Rikku...” It hardly seemed fair. How could her little sister die

 like that? How could she have let this happen? How could her sister

 die in her quest for Kingdom Hearts? But she was. The girl she had

 practically raised since they were both little. The girl who had

 always looked up to her. And now she was gone. Yuffie cradled her

 body, crying against the blood soaked fur. Darkness and light

 continued their dance, as another casualty lay senselessly on the

 floor. In a way, Kairi had been responsible for both deaths. And yet,

 was there another way? You didn't get second chances. You couldn't go

 back and redo things until you did them right. Things merely fell as

 they may in front of you. And because of her, both girls were now

 dead. Yuffie held onto Rikku, torn and crying. Relm could only try to

 offer what support she could. A hand rested on her shoulder. She

 turned to see Sora looking at her sympathetically. 

 

 “It'll be okay, Kairi. Somehow,” he said, squeezing her shoulder. He

 faded as she got to her feet. 

 “You're running out of time. You have to hurry,” the cloaked boy

 said, pointing towards the doorway leading into darkness. 

 

 Kairi nodded. She had come this far. She couldn't give up now. She

 owed it to the people who had died, to those who still wanted to

 live. Taking one last look at Yuffie and Relm, she started for the

 door. She had hurt enough people. She didn't want anyone else to get

 hurt because of her. This was her fight. She would finish it on her

 own.