rlm@0: Prism Hearts rlm@0: Chapter 4 rlm@0: PlanitB Remix rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: Where had all the Heartless gone? That was the first thing that rlm@0: entered Yuffie’s mind when she first regained consciousness. The dark rlm@0: shadows were nowhere to be seen. She at first thought that they had rlm@0: been swallowed by light. All around her was an endless flow of white. rlm@0: Nothing like the black shadows that had been trying to bust down the rlm@0: door to reach her. Not that there was a door anymore either, though. rlm@0: The endless expanse of white stretched out all around her. It took a rlm@0: moment for her to realize it was snow. “Snow?” The ninja blinked. It rlm@0: didn’t snow in Traverse Town. At least not that she knew of. And rlm@0: definitely not enough to blanket it like this. Which meant... “Where rlm@0: the hell am I?” rlm@0: rlm@0: The ninja/thief took a moment to run things over in her head. On the rlm@0: upside of things, at least she wasn’t about to get her heart devoured rlm@0: by Heartless. On the downside, she was lost out in some snowy rlm@0: wilderness in an outfit that certainly wasn’t made for it. Shivering, rlm@0: she for once wished she’d worn something a tad more conservative. The rlm@0: only warmth she received was from her scarf, but that was more for rlm@0: show than anything else. She would need to find a town and fast or rlm@0: she’d freeze to death. What a way for the great Yuffie to die, cold rlm@0: and alone in some arctic wasteland. She shuddered, holding herself to rlm@0: try to retain some body heat. rlm@0: rlm@0: How had she ended up there in the first place? Shouldn’t the rlm@0: Heartless have broken in and grabbed her? Not that she wasn’t rlm@0: grateful, but she would like to know what threw her to some far off rlm@0: world. The girl. It had to be her. She was the Keyblade Mistress. So rlm@0: she had links to other worlds. She must have sent them here to rlm@0: escape. It was nice, but Yuffie would definitely have to ask her to rlm@0: choose a warmer place the next time they needed to run. But whatever rlm@0: the case, it seemed that Kairi was much more powerful than Sora had rlm@0: been as the Keyblade Master. He could lock worlds, but Kairi seemed rlm@0: to be able to traverse between them without the need of a Gummi Ship. rlm@0: Pretty impressive. Maybe it had been a good idea to let her tag along rlm@0: after all. Speaking of which... rlm@0: rlm@0: “Kairi?” Yuffie turned around, looking for the younger girl. But no rlm@0: one was near her. She thought that Kairi might have walked off, but rlm@0: there were no footprints, either. “Kairi?!” She looked around, rlm@0: searching for any sign of the princess. She had to be around rlm@0: somewhere, right? But she wouldn’t last long alone in that cold. rlm@0: Yuffie had to find her quickly. But where? “C’mon, think,” she rlm@0: berated herself. “She’s gotta be around here somewhere. She can’t be rlm@0: far off.” Finally, taking a wild guess, the ninja stumbled off into rlm@0: the falling snow. rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: She had been walking for what felt like hours. Her body felt like a rlm@0: solid chunk of ice. It hurt to move, to breathe, to think. Her body rlm@0: felt numb. Walking was becoming extremely difficult. She nearly lost rlm@0: her balance a number of times, but thankfully regained it. She knew rlm@0: that if she fell in the snow, she would never get up again. “Kairi!” rlm@0: she yelled, but her cries barely made it to her own ears. ‘I never rlm@0: should have gotten her involved. She’s just a little girl. She’s rlm@0: going to get killed because of me. You should have gone back for Leon rlm@0: and Aerith instead of thinking you could do it all on your own with rlm@0: one girl and the Keyblade,’ she thought darkly. She blinked. ‘That rlm@0: doesn’t sound like me. This cold must be getting to me. I’ll find her rlm@0: and I’ll drag her off to some town. We’ll get nice and toasty there rlm@0: and then I can get back to becoming the richest, most famous ninja rlm@0: ever.’ She laughed weakly, trying to hold onto some glimmer of hope. rlm@0: ‘Just please, please let me find her before it’s too late.’ rlm@0: rlm@0: The snow seemed to roll on for an eternity before her, disappearing rlm@0: into the distance. Her weakening legs kept pushing her forward, rlm@0: though she was stumbling more and more often as the cold sapped her rlm@0: strength. She tried to keep thinking, but even that was becoming a rlm@0: chore. She just wanted to collapse, to lie down for a minute. But rlm@0: that would be a death sentence. rlm@0: rlm@0: She had stopped wiping the snow away from her clothes. She just rlm@0: didn’t have the strength anymore. It was almost too much to just keep rlm@0: going. She wobbled, nearly dropping. ‘Just a bit further,’ she kept rlm@0: telling herself. ‘And she’ll be right there, right next to the rlm@0: entrance of some big town.’ Her vision blurred, her eyes having rlm@0: trouble focusing. But she couldn’t give up yet. There was still too rlm@0: much she had to do, too much to find, too much to have. There was too rlm@0: much to experience in life. And it would all be gone if she failed. rlm@0: If she didn’t find the girl, the Heartless would sweep across all the rlm@0: remaining worlds. And you couldn’t very well steal from anyone if rlm@0: there wasn’t anyone to steal from. rlm@0: rlm@0: “You’re probably eating this up, Leon,” Yuffie said, her voice rlm@0: carried off by the wind. “Couldn’t do it on your own, Yuffie, you’d rlm@0: say. It was hopeless. But I’m not done yet. You just watch me. I’m rlm@0: gonna find that girl and I’m gonna drag her to some stupid town. And rlm@0: they’ll have a nice big fire and lots of food and big fur coats...” rlm@0: She trailed off, her thoughts becoming less and less coherent. rlm@0: “Actually, Leon’d probably just say ‘...’ or something. But that’s rlm@0: what he’d mean. The big depressing guy.” She moved a foot forward, rlm@0: struggling to move another step forward. “I really wish he and Aerith rlm@0: were here right now.” Another step. “But then they’d probably get mad rlm@0: at me for stealing anything. And then I’d... Tell them I was only... rlm@0: borrowing it..” Her foot refused to move, sending her collapsing face rlm@0: first into the snow. Her aching muscles didn’t feel like cooperating rlm@0: as she lay there, her whole body to exhausted. She would be blanketed rlm@0: by the snow and no one would ever find her. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Meow!” rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie lay there, her whole body feeling ice cold. She hoped this rlm@0: dying thing was quick. She was too weary to last all that long. rlm@0: ‘There better be a lot of shiny things in the Lifestream,’ she rlm@0: thought angrily. ‘If I’m gonna die, I might as well have something to rlm@0: occupy my time after I’m dead.’ rlm@0: rlm@0: “Meow!!” rlm@0: rlm@0: It was closer now, right in front of her. The ninja struggled to rlm@0: open her eyes. She stared hazily at the kitten that had been with rlm@0: Kairi. It was nuzzling her nose, trying to keep her conscious. “Go rlm@0: away,” she said weakly, her eyes narrowing. “Can’t you see I’m busy?” rlm@0: rlm@0: The kitten licked her cheek, pawing at her. “Meow!” it cried rlm@0: anxiously. Yuffie refused to move. After a moments pause, it swiped rlm@0: at her, sinking it’s claws into the ninja girl. It looked at her rlm@0: apologetically as she swore. Droplets of blood dripped down her cheek rlm@0: into the snow. rlm@0: rlm@0: “You stupid little...” Yuffie glared at the kitten. But the sharp rlm@0: pain was something. It gave her a focus besides the overwhelming rlm@0: numbness. The kitten hopped off, heading over a hill. Yuffie weakly rlm@0: got back to her knees. It was trying to get her to follow it. “This rlm@0: better just be a little further!” She was cold and tired and rlm@0: exhausted. But the kitten was beckoning her. She stumbled up the rlm@0: slope, almost sliding back down. It took everything she had to make rlm@0: it to the top. Gazing down, she saw the kitten. It was sitting beside rlm@0: Kairi, the princess half covered in snow. It looked at her with rlm@0: desperate green eyes, pleading for help. “You found her... I take it rlm@0: back. I’ll help. Just give me a minute...” Taking a step forward, rlm@0: Yuffie’s legs finally gave up. Stumbling down the hill, end over end, rlm@0: she came to a rest next to Kairi. Her vision spun around her, her rlm@0: thoughts breaking apart. The last thing she could see was the kitten rlm@0: before the darkness devoured the white world around her. rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie slowly came to some time later, her entire body aching. rlm@0: Everything in her mind felt blurry, far off. She was having trouble rlm@0: thinking clearly. She moaned weakly, rolling onto her side. It was rlm@0: with some surprise that she found a heavy blanket over herself. She rlm@0: blinked weary eyes, trying to force them into submission. Everything rlm@0: was still a blur, but it wasn’t a cold, white blur anymore. So she rlm@0: wasn’t lost out in the snow anymore. That was a good thing. She rlm@0: hoped. rlm@0: rlm@0: “So you’re finally awake, huh?” a voice said from somewhere in front rlm@0: of Yuffie. rlm@0: rlm@0: Struggling to find the speaker, Yuffie finally managed to spot a rlm@0: furry creature watching her from the other side of the room. The rlm@0: furry creature looked a little shorter than herself, but that didn’t rlm@0: make it any less ferocious, she decided. ‘It’s gonna eat us. It took rlm@0: us here out of the cold so it could have a nice warm snack,’ she rlm@0: thought in her delirious state of mind. The dizzy ninja forced rlm@0: herself to her feet. Upon standing, she found it to have been a bad rlm@0: idea all the way around. The world spun around her like a top spun by rlm@0: a careless child. The ground seemed to lurch underneath her. Her rlm@0: still weak muscles gave out and she fell forward. The furry monster rlm@0: caught her, sinking under the ninja’s weight, holding onto her. rlm@0: rlm@0: “You need to rest! I don’t know how long you were out there, but you rlm@0: were both half frozen when we found you,” the voice stated, laying rlm@0: Yuffie back down gently and pulling the blanket back up around her. rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie moaned again, her head swimming. “Both of us? Kairi’s here?” rlm@0: Yuffie tried to spot the princess, but her head ached with the rlm@0: effort. rlm@0: rlm@0: The creature nodded. “If Kairi is the other girl who was collapsed rlm@0: in the snow, then yeah. Oh, and a kitten. It was curled up on you, rlm@0: trying to keep you warm. It was hard to drag you all back here.” The rlm@0: monster reached back, grabbing around the fur that shrouded its. rlm@0: Yuffie wondered what horrible visage the monster was hiding beneath rlm@0: it. Slowly pulling the fur back, it fell to the monsters back. rlm@0: Shaking its head, the ‘monster’ smiled cutely. It was a girl a little rlm@0: younger than Yuffie, probably fifteen or so. The fur was just a big rlm@0: coat that she was wearing which the ninja had mistaken for something rlm@0: else in her deluded state. Her hair was held up in a red and gold rlm@0: embroidered bandana, blonde wisps poking out here and there. rlm@0: rlm@0: “You’re not a monster?” Yuffie asked dumbly. rlm@0: rlm@0: The girl giggled, shaking her head. “Not since last I checked. Which rlm@0: could have been a while. No, I’m just a simple artist. My name’s Relm rlm@0: Arrowny. And this is Interceptor.” She motioned towards what Yuffie rlm@0: had thought was some monster skin rug. It got up, nuzzling Relm’s rlm@0: side. “I couldn’t have gotten you all here without him.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie slowly sat up, waving the girl off when she tried to come rlm@0: over and make her lie down again. “Yuffie Kisaragi. I’m the greatest rlm@0: female ninja ever,” she stated decisively. rlm@0: rlm@0: “A ninja?” The blonde girl clapped her hands together delightedly. rlm@0: “That’s great! My father was a ninja. He left Interceptor to protect rlm@0: me when he died. I was just a little girl at the time, so rlm@0: Interceptor’s been with me while I grew up. But I’ve always loved rlm@0: ninjas because of that. I was hoping I’d meet one someday.” She rlm@0: looked over at the dog, still smiling brightly. “Isn’t that great, rlm@0: Interceptor?” rlm@0: rlm@0: The dog barked it’s agreement, fixing Yuffie with a steely gaze, as rlm@0: if to beware her of hurting his charge. Yuffie gazed back, dismissing rlm@0: the dog’s warning. She smiled herself, glad that the girl recognized rlm@0: someone of her obvious talents. “Well, it takes a lot of talent and a rlm@0: lot of will. Only a small handful can truly make it as a ninja. Your rlm@0: father must have been quite a man.” Yuffie stretched back, letting rlm@0: her muscles relax. She was slowly warming up. Her mind felt like it rlm@0: was starting to thaw, to let herself think clearly again. “Though I’m rlm@0: used to it running in the family. My dad was a ninja. And so was my rlm@0: mom. But you’re an artist?” rlm@0: rlm@0: Relm shrugged, petting Interceptor absentmindedly. “I guess it’s not rlm@0: really my thing. Besides, I love art too much to give up on it. I rlm@0: probably wouldn’t make a very good ninja anyway.” Her eyes lit up rlm@0: again, watching Yuffie intently. “But I’ve always hoped one day a rlm@0: dashing ninja would show up in my life.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie laughed nervously. “That’s great. I’m glad to help.” She was rlm@0: a little unnerved by the way the other girl was looking at her. The rlm@0: blanket slowly slipped down her shoulder, letting the warmth of the rlm@0: fire melt into the skin. She blinked as she slowly looked down. That rlm@0: felt a little different than the way one’s clothes would heat up when rlm@0: next to a fire. Sure enough, something was missing from the picture rlm@0: she saw. She yanked the blanket closed tightly, her cheeks darkening. rlm@0: “Where are my clothes?” she demanded. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Drying. You were out in the snow for who knows how long. It was rlm@0: soaked through. I can’t have you catching pneumonia after rescuing rlm@0: you, you know,” Relm explained. “Don’t worry, Interceptor didn’t rlm@0: look. I had him start on supper.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie blinked. How the hell did a dog make dinner? She would ask, rlm@0: but something else caught her eye. She had been attracted by the rlm@0: light of the fire only to find that there was no fire. In the center rlm@0: of the room was a painting of a fire up on an easel. It flickered and rlm@0: glowed just like the real thing. Even stranger, it was giving off the rlm@0: same heat of a real fire, warming the small room. Yuffie only stared rlm@0: for a long moment before her eyes finally ached from gazing into the rlm@0: flame. rlm@0: rlm@0: “If you stare into the flame for too long, it stares back into you. rlm@0: Be careful,” Relm warned. rlm@0: rlm@0: “How did you...?” Yuffie began, shaking her head. rlm@0: rlm@0: The artist grinned, walking over and shifting the painting to warm rlm@0: the two rescued girls more. “Do you like it? I painted it. I told you rlm@0: that my talent seems to lie more with art. I try to bring things to rlm@0: life in my paintings.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “That’s an understatement.” Yuffie watched the girl, still holding rlm@0: the blanket close. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.” The rlm@0: girl blushed under her praise. She looked around, trying to spot rlm@0: Kairi. “Kairi?” rlm@0: rlm@0: “I’m here. I’ve just been thinking,” Kairi’s voice came from behind rlm@0: Yuffie. rlm@0: rlm@0: The ninja turned, spotting Kairi lying on the floor, curled up in a rlm@0: blanket. She was holding onto the kitten. The kitten still seemed to rlm@0: be asleep. It had been exhausted, lasting a little longer than the rlm@0: two girls. Yuffie sighed in relief. “You’re all right.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi didn’t answer. She certainly didn’t feel all right. Her mind rlm@0: was still on that room she kept returning to and the voice behind the rlm@0: door. She was set adrift in a sea of confusion, everything seeming to rlm@0: conflict with everything else. She just wanted to make it go away. rlm@0: rlm@0: The kitten’s ears perked up at Yuffie’s voice. The kitten blinked rlm@0: it’s green eyes open, watching the ninja. It stood up to hurry to the rlm@0: ninja. Looking up, it saw the distant look in Kairi’s eyes. The rlm@0: kitten meowed, nuzzling the downtrodden girl, but it didn’t seem to rlm@0: help. Curling up against Kairi, the kitten tried it’s best to help, rlm@0: licking her cheek. rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi smiled softly, scratching under the kitten’s chin. “Thanks, rlm@0: Jessie. I needed that.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “I’m going to go try and get some potions from the shop. You could rlm@0: probably both use it. So just try to rest up while I’m gone.” Relm rlm@0: pulled the hood back over her head. “Don’t wear yourselves out. I’ll rlm@0: be right back.” She waved at the two before disappearing out the door. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Weird girl,” Yuffie thought out loud. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Oh, don’t say that,” Kairi admonished the ninja. “She saved us rlm@0: both. If it weren’t for her, we’d both be frozen solid by now.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “I never said it was a bad thing that she’s weird.” Yuffie shrugged, rlm@0: placing her hands behind her head as she stared up at the roof. rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: “Isn’t this great, Interceptor? It’s just like when mom met dad!” rlm@0: Relm giggled, hopping giddily down to the snowy street from the rlm@0: partially raised curb. “He was injured when mom found him and she rlm@0: nursed him back to health, falling in love with the mysterious ninja rlm@0: while he healed. It must be Fate! I came across an injured ninja and rlm@0: now I’m nursing her back to health.” rlm@0: rlm@0: The dog followed along faithfully, not quite sure what he thought rlm@0: about the situation. But nevertheless, he thought it best not to rain rlm@0: on his charge’s parade. He simply barked agreement. rlm@0: rlm@0: Relm hurried across the snowy street. “And she’s so cute, too! And rlm@0: did you hear what she said? The greatest female ninja ever. How rlm@0: cool!” She sighed dreamily, titling her head to the side. “Do you rlm@0: believe in love at first sight, Interceptor?” rlm@0: rlm@0: The dog barked noncommittally, following the perky artist. What rlm@0: would his old master think about all this? Monsters and thieves the rlm@0: dog could protect Relm from. But love? This was uncharted territory rlm@0: for the faithful guardian. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Now I just need to nurse her back to health and we’ll fall in love rlm@0: and live happily ever after. Just like mom and dad. But without the rlm@0: whole mutually dying part.” Relm looked over when Interceptor barked. rlm@0: “What about her friend? Well, she’ll have to find her own ninja. This rlm@0: one’s mine.” She crossed her arms, turning the corner to the shop. rlm@0: And froze dead in her tracks. Down the street, something was heading rlm@0: into town. Three somethings, to be exact. The lurched forward like rlm@0: huge, lumbering beasts. A person sat atop each one. Two were imperial rlm@0: soldiers and the other was a green haired woman in a red dress. rlm@0: “Imperial soldiers!” Bolting back around the corner, Relm and rlm@0: Interceptor raced back to the house as the first gunshots were fired rlm@0: by the town’s guards. Visions of a town in flames returned unbidden rlm@0: to the young artist. ‘Relm, run!!’ her grandfather had commanded her rlm@0: before turning to meet the Imperial onslaught. Crystal tears fell as rlm@0: she ran. She couldn’t let that happen again. rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie sighed, pulling her small green top back on. It seemed like rlm@0: it had dried quite some time ago. Sitting on a small stool that Relm rlm@0: used for painting, she pulled her stockings back on. “I still can’t rlm@0: believe she can draw that well. My drawings look like stick figures.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi giggled, her back to Yuffie as she pulled on her own clothes. rlm@0: “You’re a ninja, right? So why do you care if you can’t draw?” rlm@0: Pulling on her white blouse over her black one, she turned to Yuffie. rlm@0: “And it doesn’t matter if you can’t draw. It’s what you draw. And rlm@0: what it means to you. I think even stick figures can be beautiful if rlm@0: your hearts behind it.” Her eyes were distant, her mind elsewhere. rlm@0: She remembered the secret place on their island, just a small cave rlm@0: hidden away on it. But inside, she, Riku, and Sora had drawn so many rlm@0: pictures. One she hadn’t seen until Sora had disappeared was one of rlm@0: her sharing a Paopu fruit with him. It hadn’t been the best drawing, rlm@0: but it was gorgeous to her because of what it meant. rlm@0: rlm@0: The ninja shook her head, unconvinced. “Stick figures aren’t my idea rlm@0: of ‘beautiful’. Those,” she said, indicating the stacks of paintings rlm@0: in the corner, “are beautiful.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Just try drawing again sometime, Yuffie. If it’s something rlm@0: important to you, then it will be gorgeous no matter how badly you rlm@0: draw,” Kairi prompted, smiling. It would be nice to see what was rlm@0: important to the ninja. rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, imagining what rlm@0: she’d draw. She could see it in her mind, a stick figure of herself rlm@0: surrounded by treasure and materia. She shook her head, dismissing rlm@0: the thought. “I think I’ll leave the drawing up to Relm and stick rlm@0: with what I’m good at.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “And what would that be?” Kairi asked curiously, buckling her belt. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Too much,” Yuffie said, grinning. The two laughed, relaxed for the rlm@0: first time since they had seen the Heartless show up back in Traverse rlm@0: Town. But that all fell away to the distant sounds of gunshots. And rlm@0: something louder, more explosive. Yuffie glanced to the door. “What rlm@0: was that?” rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi picked up the kitten, walking towards the door. She nearly rlm@0: fell backwards when the door whipped open in front of her. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Imperial soldiers! They’re riding Magitek Armor! We need to get out rlm@0: of here!” Relm said, panting. Her face was pale, frightened. Memories rlm@0: of another Imperial raid were still branded on her soul. The thought rlm@0: of another one almost paralyzed her. rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie picked up her overly large shuriken, standing up. “Imperial rlm@0: soldiers?” rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi bit her lip. She was the Keyblade Mistress. She probably rlm@0: wasn’t supposed to interfere, but she couldn’t help but think that rlm@0: there had to be something she could do to help on this world. She rlm@0: couldn’t just ignore it. What good was stopping the Heartless if rlm@0: people were getting hurt by other people anyway? She looked up at the rlm@0: ninja and the painter. “Maybe we can stop them. Sora helped a lot of rlm@0: people with the Keyblade. Maybe I can, too. I can’t fight like him, rlm@0: but there has to be some way we can help. You saved us, Relm. We rlm@0: can’t let them tear apart your city.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Relm shook her head swiftly. “No time. We’ve gotta run. They’ll burn rlm@0: this place to the ground. There’s nothing we can do about it.” The rlm@0: artist was nearly shaking. Her knees felt weak. ‘Relm!’ she heard her rlm@0: grandfather call out in her mind, seeing him amidst the flames. She rlm@0: was having trouble distinguishing between the past and the present. rlm@0: All she knew was the fear of being a little girl and having her only rlm@0: family taken away, her town gutted by flame. She barely felt Yuffie’s rlm@0: hands on her shoulders, the ninja’s eyes gazing into her own. But rlm@0: they gave her something in the present to anchor on to. She slowly rlm@0: pulled herself back to the here and now. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Relm, we need your help. If you don’t think we can stop them, then rlm@0: let’s just get the hell out of here. We can’t do anything if we’re rlm@0: all dead. We’ll figure something out when we’re far away from here,” rlm@0: Yuffie promised, squeezing the younger girl’s shoulders. Relm nodded rlm@0: slowly. “Good. Then let’s get out of here as fast as we can.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “But Yuffie..!” Kairi complained, holding her Keyblade. It didn’t rlm@0: seem fair that this girl had found them and yet they could do nothing rlm@0: for her in return. “We have to try, don’t we?” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Sometimes you’ve got to live and come back with a little more rlm@0: firepower, princess,” Yuffie explained. “Come on.” She opened the rlm@0: door, dashing out into the lightly falling snow, dragging Relm behind rlm@0: her. rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi followed, still holding the kitten. She didn’t feel good about rlm@0: this choice, but if she didn’t have Yuffie’s help then she didn’t rlm@0: know what good she could do on her own. rlm@0: rlm@0: “This way!” Relm tugged on Yuffie’s hand, pulling her towards a back rlm@0: alley. The snow crunched underneath their feet as they ran towards rlm@0: it. Relm didn’t want to leave Narche behind. It had been a good rlm@0: refuge. And it had been a beautiful place to paint, the snow making rlm@0: for wonderful paintings. But she had seen what the Imperial Army rlm@0: could do. Staying was suicide. They neared the alley, hand in hand. rlm@0: “There are mines all around here. We’ll disappear into one of them rlm@0: and find another way out away from town,” Relm explained. But before rlm@0: they could reach the alley, something bright streaked in front of rlm@0: Relm, slamming into the ground in front of them. The shock wave sent rlm@0: her flying back. She hit into the snow hard, Yuffie landing on her rlm@0: feet next to her. “Magic...” she said warily. rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie turned to face the looming metal monsters heading towards rlm@0: them. “I guess we’ll have to fight them after all. We’ll get to do rlm@0: you good deed, Kairi,” Yuffie cast a quick glance to Kairi before rlm@0: pulling up her shuriken. She didn’t like the look of the strange rlm@0: machines or their riders, but there was nowhere for them to run. And rlm@0: with her party consisted of a girl with a key who couldn’t fight and rlm@0: a painter. Things weren’t particularly looking up. rlm@0: rlm@0: The three metal giants finally came to a stop in front of the three rlm@0: girls and their pets, dwarfing them. One of the men on other side of rlm@0: the green haired woman spoke up. “By Imperial decree, give us the Key rlm@0: bearer. She will return with us.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Or we’ll wipe out the town. She’s coming with us either way, so...” rlm@0: the other man said, shrugging. rlm@0: rlm@0: The first man leant over, whispering to his friend. But with the rlm@0: distance between them, he had to whisper loud enough for the girls to rlm@0: hear him. “That sounds pretty spooky, Biggs. I’d sure agree to those rlm@0: highly reasonable demands if someone told me that.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Oh, definitely. I’d probably thank them for the offer in the first rlm@0: place. I mean, that or losing the whole town.” Biggs pretended to rlm@0: weigh the issue in his hands. “No contest, you know, Wedge.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Don’t I know it! And with this powerful lady with us, too. She rlm@0: wiped out 30 Magitek soldiers in under three minutes. Just think what rlm@0: that kind of firepower could do to a town. I sure am glad she has a rlm@0: Slave Crown on her head, keeping all conscious thought from her so rlm@0: that she’s on our side,” Wedge said, nodding. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Excuse me? Are you two possibly done?!” Yuffie shouted, exasperated. rlm@0: rlm@0: Biggs shrugged. “Hey, it was all for your benefit. Just trying to rlm@0: give you a grasp on the situation. I’m sorry for being helpful.” He rlm@0: crossed his arms. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Yeah, if you wanted us to just take the girl, you could’ve said as rlm@0: much. It just means more work I’ve got to do.” Wedge sighed. “Well, rlm@0: more work she has to do, at any rate.” He looked over at the green rlm@0: haired woman. “Okay, go ahead and kill them,” he said casually. rlm@0: rlm@0: “What?!” Yuffie stepped back, pulling up her large shuriken. rlm@0: rlm@0: The green haired woman grabbed the controls, her Magitek Armor rlm@0: moving forward, charging up for its attack. Under the mind control of rlm@0: her Slave Crown, she could do nothing but follow orders. Even if it rlm@0: meant killing innocents. Energy lit up the front of her armor, it rlm@0: gathering to wipe out the ninja that dare confront her. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Wait! I’ll give myself up! Just don’t hurt them!” Kairi cried out, rlm@0: waving her arms in the air. She couldn’t let them get hurt. It was rlm@0: her fault that these people were even here. If they hurt anyone, she rlm@0: wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. She had to give herself up. Even rlm@0: if it meant the end of her quest. ‘I’m sorry, Riku, Sora. But I can’t rlm@0: let anyone get hurt because of me.’ She stepped forward. But the rlm@0: woman took no notice, still intent on Yuffie. “No!!” Kairi screamed rlm@0: as the magical blast shot out towards the ninja. Kairi felt it zip rlm@0: past, its energy enough to send her sprawling to the floor. rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie’s eyes widened as the bolt shot towards her, far too large to rlm@0: dodge. She could only stare at the bluish white magic as it headed rlm@0: towards her. Was this the end? After all she had been through, to get rlm@0: killed by some magical mechanical beast? She refused to believe that. rlm@0: She couldn’t die now. rlm@0: rlm@0: Relm tried to get to Yuffie, to push her out of the way, but she rlm@0: couldn’t reach her in time. She had hurt her ankle in the fall and rlm@0: pain jolted through her when she tried to get to her feet. She could rlm@0: only watch in horror. She had saved the ninja girl only to watch her rlm@0: die at the hands of the Imperial Army. Must they take everything from rlm@0: her? Her heart stopped in her chest. rlm@0: rlm@0: The magic pulled up right before hitting Yuffie, plowing into rlm@0: something else. The three girls looked to see a woman dressed in rlm@0: yellow, a cape billowing behind her, a sword upraised. The magic rlm@0: swirled around the blade before disappearing. rlm@0: rlm@0: The ninja nearly collapsed in relief, her heart pounding heavily in rlm@0: her chest. That one had been just a little too close. She watched the rlm@0: older woman hurry past her, her sword held in front of her. “Need any rlm@0: help?” she asked, watching the huge machines awaiting the woman. It rlm@0: didn’t look like a very fair fight. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Get Relm out of here. And the girl with the Key. You can’t let rlm@0: Kefka get his hands on it. If he does, he’ll destroy everything,” the rlm@0: blonde woman stated without looking back. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Celes!” Relm called out. “Don’t!” She saw Strago standing before rlm@0: her again, urging her to run before heading off to face his own death rlm@0: at the hands of the Imperial soldiers. Celes had been lost herself, a rlm@0: former Magitek Knight who had been imprisoned. A thief had helped her rlm@0: escape and she had been wandering ever since. She had found the young rlm@0: and lost Relm and taken her to the mining city of Narche. They had rlm@0: thought themselves safe from the Empire there, but apparently that rlm@0: peace wasn’t to last. And now Relm was faced with the same situation rlm@0: she had years ago when her grandfather had died. “Come with us, rlm@0: Celes!” rlm@0: rlm@0: The blonde woman shook her head, raising her sword again. “I can’t, rlm@0: Relm. I have to stop them. Run. Somewhere far away. Somewhere where rlm@0: there is no Empire. Where you can be free. Paint a picture of that rlm@0: beautiful place for me, Relm. I’ll look over your shoulder while you rlm@0: paint it, I promise.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “But..!!” Relm began. Interceptor bit at her coat, dragging her rlm@0: back. “Celes!” she called out again, she could barely get herself to rlm@0: move. Tears brimmed at her eyes. She couldn’t leave behind someone rlm@0: again. “I’ll help you!” she pleaded, trying to reach Celes. rlm@0: Interceptor pulled harder, dragging her back in the snow. Yuffie rlm@0: finally grabbed a hold of her, yanking her along. “Celes!!” rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi followed, but her heart was low in her chest. ‘You always run rlm@0: away, Kairi,’ she could practically hear the voice taunting. And it rlm@0: was true. How often did she run away, unable to fight her own rlm@0: battles? How often did she run away from her problems? And now she rlm@0: was again. Because a woman was willing to sacrifice herself to cover rlm@0: their retreat. And so she ran, escaping her problems once more. She rlm@0: felt so weak. How could Sora and Riku count on her to find them if rlm@0: she was always running away? rlm@0: rlm@0: Celes watched the three mechanical beasts before her. She was rlm@0: horribly outgunned. But such was life. Sometimes it wasn’t about rlm@0: winning or losing a battle. It was about a battle worth fighting. And rlm@0: to protect Relm and her world, this battle was certainly worth rlm@0: fighting. Even if the outcome was predetermined. She would gladly rlm@0: give her life for it. Snow fell around her. “It’s so beautiful.” She rlm@0: whispered. Light started pouring forth from the Magitek Armors before rlm@0: her. Running forward, she lifted her blade. rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie had to drag a struggling Relm down the snowy street, trying rlm@0: desperately to keep a hold on her. If Relm ran off, she would end up rlm@0: right in the middle of a battle they couldn’t possibly win. They rlm@0: needed to get as far away as they could. Thankfully, Interceptor rlm@0: seemed to be leading the way. She and Kairi followed the dog, running rlm@0: as quickly as they could in the snow. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Yuffie,” Kairi said, pulling to a stop. Yuffie looked at her rlm@0: quizzically, stopping herself. Relm struggled, but Yuffie kept her rlm@0: restrained. “We have to go back. We can’t let her fight them alone. rlm@0: They’ll destroy the city.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “There’s nothing we can do, Kairi. I don’t have a death wish. If we rlm@0: go get back there, the city’s still going to get destroyed. The only rlm@0: difference is that we’ll be lying there dead, too. You said it rlm@0: yourself, you can’t fight. What could we possibly hope to do against rlm@0: those monsters?” Yuffie argued, still holding onto the distraught rlm@0: painter. rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi looked back towards where they had come from, hearing the rlm@0: sounds of magic and machines. Her shoulders slumped, her head slowly rlm@0: nodding. “You’re right.” ‘You always run, Kairi,’ repeated in her rlm@0: mind over and over again. And she was doing it all over again. Maybe rlm@0: the voice had been right after all. rlm@0: rlm@0: “If it helps any, I certainly don’t intend to let you go anywhere. rlm@0: And I would have burned the town even if you’d surrendered yourself,” rlm@0: a voice said behind them. The three girls turned to see a man in a rlm@0: strange, elaborate outfit. He had red markings on his face. He smiled rlm@0: slowly. “It looks like I’ve finally found the Keyblade Mistress. rlm@0: You’ll be coming with me.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “The hell she is!” Yuffie let go of Relm, flinging a shuriken at the rlm@0: man. It whipped through the air before hitting into a protective rlm@0: barrier in front of him. It bounced off, falling harmlessly to the rlm@0: floor. rlm@0: rlm@0: “You’ve got what you wanted! Call off the attack!” Relm demanded, rlm@0: hope still lingering that it wasn’t too late to save Celes. rlm@0: rlm@0: The man laughed maniacally, shaking his head. “Decimate the town. rlm@0: Kill all the townsfolk,” he ordered. “Especially the Magitek Knight.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “You bastard!” Relm cried out, tears and rage mixing inside of her rlm@0: as she saw the troops hurrying off to fulfil his order. The man rlm@0: simply laughed as the tears dripped down her cheeks. rlm@0: rlm@0: Interceptor could only watch Relm’s anguish for so long. Growling rlm@0: angrily, he leapt at the man, intent on ripping his throat out. rlm@0: Anyone who could cause such grief for his young mistress deserved a rlm@0: harsh death. But it was not to be so. With a wave of his hand, a rlm@0: block of ice appeared, slamming into Interceptor. The dog whimpered, rlm@0: slumping in the snow. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Interceptor!” rlm@0: rlm@0: Yuffie lunged forward, gripping her large shuriken. She couldn’t let rlm@0: him take Kairi. Kairi was their only chance to save everyone from the rlm@0: Heartless. And it was Yuffie’s job to make sure that Kairi made it rlm@0: through all this. She swept her shuriken at the man’s head, but it rlm@0: merely rebounded off of his barrier, knocking her hand back. rlm@0: rlm@0: Slowly raising his hand, the man grinned. “Leave them all alone! rlm@0: I’ll go with you!” Kairi yelled. But he ignored her. Concentrating, rlm@0: he called down lightning, striking all three girls. After a bright rlm@0: flash of light, they all lay barely breathing in the snow. “Take them rlm@0: back to the palace,” he told one of his troops. “I have plans for the rlm@0: Keyblade Mistress.” rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi slowly came to, her world filled with pain. She moaned, her rlm@0: head buzzing shrilly. She tried to glance around, to see where she rlm@0: was, but some hair fell in front of her eyes. She reached forward to rlm@0: push it away, but something tugged at her hand, jingling as it did. rlm@0: Looking down quickly, she could see her that her wrists were chained rlm@0: to the wall. Even that exertion sent new pain spiraling throughout rlm@0: her body. Her head slumped forward, feeling defeated. How could she rlm@0: ever hope to find Sora and Riku now? All she had managed to do was rlm@0: get a town destroyed and get herself kidnapped by someone wanting the rlm@0: Keyblade. She sniffled, trying to blink back tears. What good had she rlm@0: done? Sora had helped so many people when he had been searching for rlm@0: her. All she managed to do was hurt everyone she came across. Now rlm@0: she’d never see Riku or Sora again. That thought brought a chilling rlm@0: emptiness inside of her. She needed them. She didn’t know what to do rlm@0: without them. Those two boys meant everything to her. They were why rlm@0: she had ventured out in the first place. But she had failed them. rlm@0: Tears dripped down her chin, falling to her bare legs below. She rlm@0: couldn’t even wipe her tears away, her hands not reaching far enough rlm@0: because of the chains. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Don’t cry, Kairi,” someone said in the cell. “And don’t give up. It rlm@0: doesn’t suit you. Where’s that strong, unbreakable will of yours? You rlm@0: can’t lose it now.” rlm@0: rlm@0: That voice... Kairi looked up, her hair falling away from her eyes. rlm@0: Her tear stained eyes met Riku’s aquamarine orbs. “Riku! Is.. Is that rlm@0: you?” rlm@0: rlm@0: Riku knelt in front of her, smiling faintly. With his gloved hands, rlm@0: he began to wipe her tears away. “Kairi, as long as you don’t give rlm@0: up, it won’t ever be over. You can conquer anything. Your heart is rlm@0: stronger than mine and Sora’s.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Resting her cheek against his gloved hand, Kairi gazed at Riku. She rlm@0: was afraid he would disappear if she looked away. His touch helped rlm@0: reassure her, her battered soul clinging to it. “But I can’t do it rlm@0: alone. I need the two of you, Riku. I’m not strong enough on my own. rlm@0: You and Sora... You complete me. I’m lost without you.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Riku smiled, stroking her cheek gently. “You’ll always have us with rlm@0: you, Kairi. Remember that. No matter how far apart we are, our hearts rlm@0: will always be together.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “But I need you, Riku.” She whispered, tears brimming at her eyes rlm@0: again. “I miss you both so much. And I’m so scared. I don’t know rlm@0: what’s real anymore. I don’t understand. I just want to be with you rlm@0: and Sora on the Destiny Islands again.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Kairi,” Riku said softly, looking into her eyes. “I want that, too. rlm@0: But you’re the only one who can make it a reality.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi nodded, sniffling. “I’ll do whatever I can, Riku. I’ll find rlm@0: both of you, wherever you are. We’ll all be together again. Forever. rlm@0: Because..” She blinked back more tears, watching him. He slowly began rlm@0: to fade away, the wind blowing away what sparkles of his beautiful rlm@0: eyes remained. “Because.. I love you..” she whispered, closing her rlm@0: eyes tightly as a fresh wave of tears hit her. She cried quietly, rlm@0: chained to the wall in some dungeon. But even feeling lost and rlm@0: desolate, there was some light in the darkness. She knew that she had rlm@0: to find her friends. That she wouldn’t allow herself to stop until rlm@0: they were back together. Even if it took an eternity across countless rlm@0: worlds. Yes, she was captured. But that seemed insignificant. It rlm@0: couldn’t stop her from being with Riku and Sora again. Riku was gone rlm@0: again. But he was out there, somewhere. And as long as she had that rlm@0: hope, she could keep going. No matter what happened, there was always rlm@0: hope. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Kairi, we’ll get out of this,” Yuffie spoke up. She had only been rlm@0: awake a short time, but she could see that Kairi had been crying rlm@0: pretty heavily. Thought she didn’t know how they would, she couldn’t rlm@0: just let the princess cry so helplessly. From the look of things, rlm@0: Relm was completely out of it. Her eyes were open, but she didn’t rlm@0: seem to see anything, as if she were someplace else. Yuffie didn’t rlm@0: know whether that was a good or bad thing. rlm@0: rlm@0: “I know,” Kairi replied. She slowly looked up, her eyes sparkling rlm@0: with unshed tears. She was smiling softly. “Because we have to. rlm@0: Because they’re waiting for me.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “I’m afraid they’ll have to wait for quite some time. I don’t plan rlm@0: on giving you up until I’ve squeezed every ounce of usefulness out of rlm@0: you.” The door slid open, the man from before returning. Yuffie rlm@0: glared at him hatefully, but it only amused him. He bowed. “Allow me rlm@0: to introduce myself. I am Kefka.” Standing up, he walked over to rlm@0: Kairi. He cupped her chin, forcing her head one way and then the rlm@0: other as if inspecting her. “Not quite what I expected. But I don’t rlm@0: think Sephiroth was wrong about you. Of course, I was supposed to rlm@0: bring you to him. But I have other ideas.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi yanked her head away, hitting it against the hard wall behind rlm@0: her. A small flare of pain ignited in her head, forcing her eyes rlm@0: closed. “What do you want from me?” she asked angrily. rlm@0: rlm@0: “You’re the Keyblade Mistress. Only you can wield that Keyblade. So rlm@0: you’re integral to keeping the multiverse together. Or,” he smiled, rlm@0: “tearing it apart. I prefer the latter.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Why would I help you? I’d never let the Heartless destroy all of rlm@0: the beautiful worlds out there.” Kairi stared up at him, wishing she rlm@0: could sound more intimidating than she felt. rlm@0: rlm@0: “You won’t have a choice. I’ll use you and the Keyblade to find a rlm@0: way to tear everything apart. To create and everlasting monument to rlm@0: oblivion. A shrine that everyone and no one will be a part of,” Kefka rlm@0: explained. He clapped his hands, the green haired woman entering. She rlm@0: held a small crown in her hands, the same as the one on her own head. rlm@0: “This is Terra. She’s the most powerful magic user I’ve ever found. rlm@0: She didn’t feel like helping me either, even though her magic is most rlm@0: beneficial. So I’ve given her a Slave Crown. And all of her magical rlm@0: potential is at my disposal. I’ll simply do the same with you. I rlm@0: don’t care about Sephiroth’s plan. He’ll become a part of the rlm@0: nothingness I will create. And you will help me to achieve that. My rlm@0: willing servant, the Keyblade Mistress.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi shook her head, struggling with the chains. Her heart raced rlm@0: inside of her. She’d seen what Terra was capable of under the rlm@0: influence of the Slave Crown. That would put her in a world without rlm@0: hope, a puppet to be used by this madman. She couldn’t let that rlm@0: happen. But she was powerless to stop it. rlm@0: rlm@0: Kefka grinned, turning to look at Relm. “I’m sure you can appreciate rlm@0: that. You’re an artist. Think of it as the greatest work of art. rlm@0: Absolutely nothing. There’s always something. And it only manages to rlm@0: clutter things up. There’s too much out there. So I will wipe the rlm@0: board clean. And that will be my masterpiece. I’m sure you’ll rlm@0: appreciate it. Celes is probably waiting for it right now. Terra did rlm@0: an excellent job of killing your friend. So don’t worry. You’ll see rlm@0: her again soon.” rlm@0: rlm@0: That finally broke through to Relm. She struggled viciously against rlm@0: her bonds, trying to get to her feet. Her eyes were stained red from rlm@0: all of her crying. “You monster! How could you do that to her! I’ll rlm@0: never forgive you!” Before it had only been a guess. Now it was fact. rlm@0: Celes was dead. The woman who had taken care of her was dead now. And rlm@0: she had been completely helpless to stop it. She was always helpless rlm@0: to do anything, the people around her always dying. She couldn’t rlm@0: stand it anymore. She was tired of always being the survivor, always rlm@0: left alone. rlm@0: rlm@0: Kefka laughed, turning his attention back to Kairi. “You’ll make an rlm@0: excellent puppet. You should be thanking me. You no longer have to rlm@0: suffer as the Keyblade Mistress. I’ll make your decisions for you. It rlm@0: will be so much easier. I’m sure Terra loves it.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Terra walked forward, raising the Slave Crown. Kairi struggled rlm@0: pointlessly. She felt hopeless, trapped. There was no escape. Soon rlm@0: she would be the cause of even more suffering and anguish throughout rlm@0: countless worlds. rlm@0: rlm@0: ‘See? There is always suffering. There is always darkness. It is a rlm@0: matter of life. Even in your fantasies you can’t escape it. Just rlm@0: close your eyes and realize this isn’t real. None of it is. And rlm@0: you’ll be safe. He can’t do anything to you if you’re back in your rlm@0: room,’ the voice whispered in Kairi’s thoughts. rlm@0: rlm@0: ‘No! I won’t run away again. I’ve already ran too much. I won’t let rlm@0: it happen again. I’m not running away this time,’ Kairi thought rlm@0: determinedly, shifting in her chains. A cold pit in her stomach rlm@0: formed as she wondered what it would be like to wear that thing. rlm@0: Would she know what was going on? Or would everything just fade away? rlm@0: rlm@0: ‘Don’t be so ignorant, Kairi. What good are your fantasies if you’re rlm@0: enslaved in them? He’ll only use you to fulfil some insane scheme of rlm@0: his. Come back to me, here. You’ll be safe,’ the voice tempted. rlm@0: rlm@0: ‘I’m not going! I can’t run anymore. I’m going to save Riku and rlm@0: Sora. I’ll protect them. Somehow. I won’t let it end now,’ she rlm@0: thought back frantically, the crown touching her hair. Her heart rlm@0: skipped a beat as she kept struggling, the gesture seeming ever more rlm@0: futile. She leant back as far as she could, trying to keep the crown rlm@0: away. rlm@0: rlm@0: The voice sighed, as if it was dealing with a young and stubborn rlm@0: child. ‘Fine. Then imagine that your chains are unlocked, that they rlm@0: aren’t holding you. Believe that they’re open.’ rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi closed her eyes, thinking frantically. She imagined the chains rlm@0: looser, imagined the locks opening on them. ‘They’re open, they’re rlm@0: open, they’re..” rlm@0: She felt them slide open, clattering to the floor. It caught her by rlm@0: surprise. She hadn’t expected it to work. The crown was pushing back rlm@0: her hair, about to fall in place. Kairi pushed as hard against the rlm@0: wall with her feet as she could, moving away from Terra and the rlm@0: crown. The crown fell to the floor instead of falling into place on rlm@0: her head. ‘Thank you!’ she called out joyously to the voice in her rlm@0: head. rlm@0: rlm@0: ‘If you’re that thankful, come back home and open the door,’ the rlm@0: voice pleaded. It sounded sad, desperate, lonely. ‘I need you, Kairi.’ rlm@0: rlm@0: ‘I.. I can’t..’ She was taken aback by the hopelessness in the rlm@0: voice. It was so deep. She hadn’t quite understood. Just who was it rlm@0: behind that door? And why did it want her to open the door so badly? rlm@0: But she couldn’t think about that now. The woman had already turned, rlm@0: and Kefka didn’t look pleased. She got to her feet, but he backed her rlm@0: into a corner. rlm@0: rlm@0: “I don’t know how you did that, but that just means we’ll have to do rlm@0: this the hard way. I will get that Keyblade. And you will use it for rlm@0: me.” The woman handed him the Slave Crown. Reaching out, he grabbed a rlm@0: hold of Kairi’s blouse, yanking her forward. She fell, her feet rlm@0: pulled out from under her, but he held her tightly with one hand, rlm@0: pulling up the crown with the other. “We’ll wipe away this universe, rlm@0: you and I. Whether you want to or not.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi kicked at him, but it didn’t do any good. He was too strong, rlm@0: too powerful for her. And her friends were still locked up. She had rlm@0: gotten out of her bonds, but that didn’t help her situation at all. rlm@0: She tried to pull away, but it was no good. She ached, hanging from rlm@0: his arm, her body straining to get away. He barely seemed to notice. rlm@0: ‘Please help me..’ she called again. But this time the voice was rlm@0: silent. There was nothing she could do. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Remember, Kairi, within every heart is a light that will never fade rlm@0: away. Even in the darkest heart. You need to unlock that light,” she rlm@0: could remember someone saying. It had been the cloaked figure she had rlm@0: met after she first entered the door. He had been trying to convince rlm@0: her to use the Keyblade. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Within every heart..” Kairi whispered, “there is light.” The Slave rlm@0: Crown inches above her head, the young princess shoved the Keyblade rlm@0: into Kefka’s chest. She felt it push into him, not into his body but rlm@0: into his heart. Kefka froze, his eyes wide, stunned. She felt the key rlm@0: fit in, as if slipping into a lock. Kefka’s eyes burned in rage as he rlm@0: struggled to bring the crown onto her head. Kairi quickly turned the rlm@0: key, hearing it unlock something inside of him. Light began to bathe rlm@0: the Keyblade, spilling out of Kefka, illuminating the dark room. She rlm@0: was swallowed by the light. rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: She could feel herself floating. She didn’t know which way was up rlm@0: and which was down. She simply floated along in a sea of light. She rlm@0: could see it wash over the darkness, dispersing it. Fear was far away rlm@0: from her. She simply felt the warmth of the light. It surrounded her, rlm@0: soothing her lonely soul. rlm@0: rlm@0: “You have unlocked the light in the heart of Madness,” she heard rlm@0: someone say, the voice resonating around her, within her. rlm@0: rlm@0: “I was the first Magitek Knight. The experiment. I became the rlm@0: strongest. But I lost my mind in the process. Was it a fair trade? It rlm@0: drove me insane. My world became madness. My only goal was to rlm@0: eliminate everything, to create a monument to oblivion. It was the rlm@0: only way to quell the madness. To take revenge for my lost sanity. It rlm@0: was the only refuge I could find. And I wrapped myself up in it, rlm@0: ready to face the world, to bring it to a crumbling nothingness. But rlm@0: now.. I see things clearly. The world is not colored by the madness rlm@0: anymore. I am free.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Sights bombarded her as she heard Kefka speak. The first Magitek rlm@0: Knight experiment that left him warped and twisted. His descent into rlm@0: madness. His search for blissful oblivion. She watched it all through rlm@0: his eyes, feeling the tinge of madness that had once spread across rlm@0: his heart. And then the light accepted her again, embracing her. rlm@0: rlm@0: And she was swept along in the light, lost in the stream. rlm@0: rlm@0: