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