rlm@0: Prism Hearts rlm@0: Chapter 17 rlm@0: Hikari rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com rlm@0: rlm@0: "Imaginary" rlm@0: by Evanescence rlm@0: rlm@0: I linger in the doorway rlm@0: of alarm clock screaming monsters calling my name rlm@0: let me stay rlm@0: where the wind will whisper to me rlm@0: where the raindrops as they're falling tell a story rlm@0: rlm@0: in my field of paper flowers rlm@0: and candy clouds of lullaby rlm@0: i lie inside myself for hours rlm@0: and watch my purple sky fly over me rlm@0: rlm@0: don't say i'm out of touch rlm@0: with this rampant chaos - your reality rlm@0: i know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge rlm@0: the nightmare i built my own world to escape rlm@0: rlm@0: in my field of paper flowers rlm@0: and candy clouds of lullaby rlm@0: i lie inside myself for hours rlm@0: and watch my purple sky fly over me rlm@0: rlm@0: swallowed up in the sound of my screaming rlm@0: cannot cease for the fear of silent nights rlm@0: oh how i long for the deep sleep dreaming rlm@0: the goddess of imaginary light rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: The darkness encompassed all. Any light that had been within Kingdom rlm@0: Hearts had been extinguished. Standing in front of the imposing rlm@0: doorway that led into the heart of the universe, Kairi paused for a rlm@0: moment. This was it. This would lead her to Hikari, to her other rlm@0: self. And if she didn't do something to stop Hikari, the Heartless rlm@0: would consume the heart of the universe and tear apart the beautiful rlm@0: dream. And then, she would die. Alone. She couldn't let that happen. rlm@0: So much had already been lost. There had to be a way to save rlm@0: everything. Somehow. rlm@0: rlm@0: Closing her eyes, Kairi took a moment to feel Riku within her. His rlm@0: heart, strong and dedicated, rested next to her own. She could feel rlm@0: his thoughts and feelings flowing through her as if they were her rlm@0: own. “I'm worried about him, too,” she whispered at last, feeling his rlm@0: thoughts go to Sora. When she had awoken from the Darkness, she had rlm@0: been all alone with the exception of Riku's spirit. Wherever Sora rlm@0: was, she hoped they weren't too late. rlm@0: rlm@0: Collecting her strength, the princess stepped through what had once rlm@0: been the Doorway to the Light. rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: Inside the Doorway, all was dark. She could see herself, but rlm@0: everything else was the deepest black. It was as if the world around rlm@0: her was painted in shadows. And yet, even in that absence of light, rlm@0: it didn't feel empty. There was something lurking in the shadows. rlm@0: They were alive. Pulsing with the cold, pained cries of broken rlm@0: hearts. Soon, this blanket of tears would encompass everything. The rlm@0: princess hastened her step into the eternal night. rlm@0: rlm@0: No matter how far Kairi traveled, nothing seemed to change. The rlm@0: darkness was constant. Shivering in the darkness, she hugged herself rlm@0: to try to keep warm. Her outfit may have been fine for island life, rlm@0: but in these blackened depths, it offered little protection. From the rlm@0: shadows came echos of crying, mocking laughter, angry voices, and rlm@0: other noises Kairi couldn't quite make out. They all came from the rlm@0: darkest part of the heart. There was no spectre of the light that had rlm@0: once been there. Kairi feared that she was too late. But she couldn't rlm@0: just sit and wait for the universe to collapse. If there was any rlm@0: chance that she could make things right again, she had to take it. No rlm@0: matter what the cost. “So Ansem's still alive. I should have known it rlm@0: was him in your body,” Kairi said at last, growing wary of the rlm@0: strange noises in the distance. “I guess he had reason to stick rlm@0: around in this life like I did. He seems to be trying to stop Hikari, rlm@0: too. The Light must have awakened the part of him that had been such rlm@0: a great ruler before he started researching the Heartless,” Riku's rlm@0: voice rang through Kairi's head. It was so strange. After he'd sold rlm@0: his heart in order to save Kairi's, she had eventually been the one rlm@0: to save him. Now his heart was in her body. She had always been rlm@0: special to him. He and Sora had spent so much of their time vying for rlm@0: her attention. But it was more than that. It ran deeper. He had been rlm@0: willing to do whatever it took to save her. He had no idea she'd be rlm@0: just as willing to do the same for him. “Thanks, Kairi.”A small smile rlm@0: played of Kairi's lips. “I may not be able to fight like you and rlm@0: Sora, but that doesn't mean I'd ever give up on you two.” Her tone rlm@0: changed more serious as she rested her hand over her heart, imagining rlm@0: his heart. “I promised I'd find you. This isn't over until we're all rlm@0: together again.”“Kairi...” Riku smiled inwardly. “You're more amazing rlm@0: than you know. Whatever Hikari said, don't let it get to you. You've rlm@0: proven you're more than an illusion. However you started out, no rlm@0: matter what world you came from, you're the strongest person I know.” rlm@0: Kairi blushed, all too acutely aware that Riku could feel her rlm@0: thoughts. It made it impossible to hide her embarrassment. She acted rlm@0: hastily to cover it up. “I hope that means you won't be calling me rlm@0: lazy anymore,” she joked.“Oh, I don't know about that,” the once rlm@0: silver haired boy teased. “You and Sora still like to leave me to do rlm@0: the hard work.”Giggling softly, the brunette nodded. “That's just rlm@0: because you're better at it. And I hope that means you don't plan on rlm@0: building another raft to go see other worlds. I think I've had enough rlm@0: travel for a while.”“I learned that traveling isn't worth it if you rlm@0: can't be close to the ones you love. I never wanted to go by myself. rlm@0: I wanted to go with you and Sora. Everything would have been fine rlm@0: then,” Riku explained. “I'm sorry, Riku. I wanted that, too. And I'm rlm@0: sorry for what happened to you because of me. You tried to save me, rlm@0: but you lost your body because of it. If there's anyway I can get it rlm@0: back, I will,” Kairi promised,guilt washing over her for the silver rlm@0: haired boy's predicament. “No, don't feel sorry, Kairi. I did what I rlm@0: had to. I'd have done anything to get you back. I sold my heart to rlm@0: try to do that. I lost my body in the bargain. But getting you back rlm@0: was more important than any of that. I can accept what happened. As rlm@0: long as I'm with you, I'm happy.” rlm@0: rlm@0: The conviction in Riku's thoughts coursed through Kairi. She smiled rlm@0: faintly. “As long as I'm with you...” she echoed. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Watch out!” Riku's voice called out to her. Kairi stopped herself rlm@0: right in front of a developing shadow. It shifted and grew, achieving rlm@0: a shape. Because of the darkness around it, the shadow itself was rlm@0: difficult to make out, but it became easier and easier as its form rlm@0: became more defined. Kairi took several steps back, but already she rlm@0: could feel more of them. They were surrounding her. The one in front rlm@0: of her finally stepped forward, the shadowed hair shifting from side rlm@0: to side. It's long sleeves nearly touched the ground. It looked up rlm@0: with a horribly familiar face. “Yuna...” Kairi got out breathlessly. rlm@0: It looked exactly like the other girl painted in shadows. Beside the rlm@0: shadowed Yuna stood a rapidly forming shadow of Rikku. Kairi turned rlm@0: to spot the others, but there were rapidly becoming more than she rlm@0: could count. Kuja. And Ultimecia. And Kefka. And Seifer. And Celes. rlm@0: And more and more. They all watched her with their blind, dark, rlm@0: accusing eyes. The Keyblade was in her hand without thinking. It took rlm@0: the princess a moment to realize Riku had taken control and was rlm@0: preparing to fight. But even with how good a fighter she knew Riku rlm@0: was, they were terribly outnumbered. There were simply too many of rlm@0: them. They appeared in droves, surrounding them. So many faces that rlm@0: she could recognize in those awful shadow faces, all damned. “No! I rlm@0: unlocked your heart!” Kairi turned to Yuna, practically shouting in rlm@0: panic. “You should be free. You should all be in the Lifestream by rlm@0: now. You should be safe from the Heartless!”“And they are,” a voice rlm@0: said. The path of shadows opened for the darkly clad, silver haired rlm@0: SOLDIER. Sephiroth nodded to Kairi, watching her intently as he began rlm@0: to step forward. “You unlocked their hearts. And the others are dead. rlm@0: They're far away. Much too far away to help you, my princess. But rlm@0: their shadows, on the other hand... Those are more than happy to tear rlm@0: you apart. Bit by bit. Princess Hikari was running out of Heartless rlm@0: so she took the shadows of the dead. Now they have gathered here, rlm@0: ready for the endless night that she will bring.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Why are you doing this? She's wrong. She'll destroy everything,” rlm@0: Kairi insisted. Part of her could remember Sephiroth. He had been her rlm@0: loyal guard, always there to protect her. How could he be doing this rlm@0: now? “I don't ask questions, your highness. I do as Princess Hikari rlm@0: commands me. I would lay down my life for her. I'm sure the ghost boy rlm@0: with you understands what I mean.” He raised the Masamune, his rlm@0: glowing green eyes fixed on Kairi's. rlm@0: Deep within Kairi, she could feel Riku's grudging agreement. Riku, rlm@0: too, would do the same thing for Kairi. Sephiroth was protecting rlm@0: Hikari in the same way, regardless of where that led the universe. rlm@0: Kairi felt her hands tighten on the Keyblade as Riku prepared to try rlm@0: to fight off Sephiroth. And the mass of shadows that was surrounding rlm@0: them. The princess wasn't ready to give in, but she couldn't see a rlm@0: way out. “But if you have to protect her, you have to protect me, rlm@0: too,” Kairi insisted. “I'm the princess. You swore you'd protect me rlm@0: from all harm.”Sephiroth shook his head, still a few meters away. He rlm@0: would be on them in seconds. “I'm afraid it isn't that simple. You rlm@0: are only a dream that Princess Hikari had. She wishes the dream to rlm@0: end. So I will be your executioner for my highness.” His single dark rlm@0: wing unfurled. It would be a shame to have to kill even a facsimile rlm@0: of the princess, but he would do whatever she asked of him. Spinning rlm@0: end over end, a shuriken whistled through the air. The bladed weapon rlm@0: sunk deep into shadow Rikku, felling the dark version of the catgirl. rlm@0: “You will not degrade the memory of my little sister! I don't care rlm@0: who the hell you think you are!” Yuffie yelled out, rage burning in rlm@0: her eyes. rlm@0: rlm@0: Turning in a daze, Kairi was shocked. Yuffie was there? The ninja rlm@0: had followed her? But how? But it wasn't just Yuffie. There stood rlm@0: Relm, already drawing a fire to light the darkness. Aerith stood with rlm@0: them, chanting a spell. And there stood Cloud with his own wing rlm@0: unfurled. And Squall and Rinoa. And the Turks. And there were Quistis rlm@0: and Selphie. They were all there. They had come for her. She wasn't rlm@0: alone. rlm@0: Before the shadows could get to Kairi, the group began to fight rlm@0: their way into the mass of living shadows. Yuffie slashed her way rlm@0: through with another shuriken, fighting with all the pain she had for rlm@0: her lost sister. Relm drew vicious dogs, letting her paintings attack rlm@0: the shadows nearest her. The Turks opened fire, fighting their way rlm@0: through the mob of darkness. Quistis and Selphie fought together, for rlm@0: their Island, for everyone's future. They all fought back the growing rlm@0: darkness as best they could. They all knew the stakes of this final rlm@0: battle. And they were all willing to give their hearts to try and rlm@0: stop the end from coming. “Didn't think we'd just live you to do it rlm@0: all alone, did you?” Yuffie asked, breaking through the shadows to rlm@0: reach Kairi. rlm@0: rlm@0: Relm followed closely behind Yuffie. “You shouldn't have ran off on rlm@0: your own. We got worried about you.” The light in Kairi's heart grew rlm@0: as she watched her two companions. Even in darkness, there is always rlm@0: light. Even now, at their very darkest hour, her friends had come for rlm@0: her. Hikari was wrong. She couldn't let this end. “I guess I just rlm@0: thought it was better to do it alone,” Kairi admitted. Yuffie rlm@0: smirked. “Without the universe's greatest ninja?” She shook her head. rlm@0: “You're crazy, princess.” Kairi couldn't keep from smiling. “I guess rlm@0: I am.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Goodbye, Princess.” Kairi's heart froze as she heard Sephiroth's rlm@0: voice. There was genuine sorrow in it for what it was about to do, rlm@0: but she knew it wouldn't slow his blade at all. The wind knifed rlm@0: against her back as his blade descended. He had managed to make his rlm@0: way through the shadows to fulfill his mission, to eliminate the rlm@0: princess's dream. Metal clanged loudly against metal. Cloud held back rlm@0: the Masamune with his Buster Sword, keeping it inches away from rlm@0: Kairi. Kairi hurried out of the way, near Yuffie and Relm while Cloud rlm@0: stepped in Sephiroth's way. “Too many have died already, Sephiroth.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Sephiroth shook his head, silver hair swaying about. “By morning, rlm@0: everything will be dead.” Pulling up his sword, the two warriors rlm@0: clashed. Yuffie grabbed Kairi's shoulder, yanking the princess rlm@0: further back. “Aerith said we're running out of time. You're the rlm@0: Keyblade Mistress, so it sounds like you're the only one who can stop rlm@0: all this.” She turned Kairi to look at her, holding both of her rlm@0: shoulders. The ninja looked deep into the princess's eyes. “Kairi... rlm@0: You have to stop all this. I... I believe in you. You have to end rlm@0: this. For Rikku. I can't let her die in vain. Please.” “And for rlm@0: Celes. For everyone who's died because of this, Kairi. You can't let rlm@0: their sacrifices be pointless,” Relm said. “Everyone's counting on rlm@0: you. You have to save tonight or there will never be another rlm@0: tomorrow.”“And for Riku. And Yuna. And Kuja. And everyone.” Kairi rlm@0: nodded. “I will. I'll save everything. Somehow. I'll close the rlm@0: door.”Yuffie smiled faintly, nodding. “Then get going. We'll hold off rlm@0: the Heartless. You make your way there.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Thank you. All of you,” Kairi said, blinking back tears. Just rlm@0: knowing that they'd all come to help her like that meant so much to rlm@0: her. She hugged her two companions, clinging tightly to them for a rlm@0: long moment. “It's been fun...” she whispered. Stepping away, she rlm@0: turned towards the waiting darkness.“Kairi... Good luck. No matter rlm@0: what happens, don't forget us,” Relm called after her.“I won't. I rlm@0: couldn't.” Kairi ran into the darkness. rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: Somewhere deep within the darkness, Kairi finally reached the very rlm@0: Heart of the Universe. It had once hung majestically in the air, rlm@0: shimmering with the beauty of a thousand suns and the hearts of all rlm@0: that ever were. But now it sunk low, covered sickly with shadows. It rlm@0: looked diseased, as if the shadows were killing it. The Heartless rlm@0: were consuming the Heart of the Universe. Where everything began. rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi stepped slowly towards the Heart, her eyes slowly moving rlm@0: towards the girl standing next to it. Herself. Her darker half. And rlm@0: it looked like Hikari had been waiting. “I see somehow you got past rlm@0: Sephiroth.” The princess shook her head dismissively. “Though it rlm@0: hardly matters. There's nothing left to do. The Heart of the Universe rlm@0: is dying. It will be completely Heartless soon. The dream is already rlm@0: falling apart. You don't matter anymore.”Kairi shook her head, rlm@0: frustration, regret, and anger all welling up inside of her. “You rlm@0: can't do this, Hikari. I won't let you. I know why you want to. I'm rlm@0: part of you. And part of me wants this, too. But I can't let you. I rlm@0: love these people too much. I love this world.”Scoffing, Hikari rlm@0: turned her attention to Kairi. “And what of the other world? This is rlm@0: all just as much an illusion as you. The dying thoughts of a lonely, rlm@0: disturbed girl. What about that other world?”Kairi swallowed, the rlm@0: painful memories of her other life returning. But they were rlm@0: bittersweet, mixing with her memories of her mother. Of dressing up rlm@0: and dancing with her in the living room when she was a child. Of rlm@0: playing games and going on picnics and laughing as they stayed up rlm@0: late talking. “This isn't only an illusion. Everything... Everything rlm@0: is real.” Kairi smiled, understanding at last what Harle had tried to rlm@0: say to her. “Both worlds are just as real. And... And I can't give up rlm@0: that world either. I miss mom too much. I won't die in her arms. I rlm@0: won't leave her all alone.” Digging her fingernails into her palms, rlm@0: Hikari glared hatefully at Kairi. “I won't go back there. I'm tired rlm@0: of being teased and hurt. I've cried until my soul can't take it rlm@0: anymore. I won't live that life. It's over. I can't find solace in rlm@0: these dreams anymore. It only hurts even more that they can't be rlm@0: real. And I can't live that life any longer. My soul has bled too rlm@0: much. Now I'm going to escape it. And I'll take these dreams, my rlm@0: beautiful dreams with me. I want them to bleed. I want to destroy rlm@0: something beautiful. They're my dreams. And only I can destroy rlm@0: them.”“Hikari, don't do this! Please! What about Aerith, Aya, and the rlm@0: other princesses? What about their dreams? What about the Destiny rlm@0: Islands? What about Sora and Riku? You can't kill them all. They all rlm@0: mean too much. And what about mom?” Kairi pleaded, hoping against rlm@0: hope that she could get through to Hikari before it was too rlm@0: late.Hikari looked back towards the Heart of the Universe, reaching rlm@0: out and feeling the darkness coursing through it. “The other rlm@0: princesses need to grow up. You can't hide in fantasy forever. It's rlm@0: all lies. I'm doing them a favor. Mom is better off without me. rlm@0: Couldn't you see the pain in her eyes when she saw me crying? She rlm@0: wanted to help me. It hurt her so much to see me suffering and not rlm@0: knowing how to take that pain away from me. She'll never have to see rlm@0: me cry again.” Closing her eyes, she let the pain and tears well up rlm@0: inside of her, the fresh hurt reminding her of her mission. “And as rlm@0: far as Sora and Riku go, we might as well end that right now.”Sora rlm@0: stepped out of the shadows. He was holding the Keyblade, advancing on rlm@0: Kairi. His outfit had changed, the Heartless symbol prominent on his rlm@0: chest. “Oh, God, no...” Kairi whispered, frozen. “You didn't...” Her rlm@0: heart sunk deep in her chest as she saw the way he looked at her. The rlm@0: beautiful glint in his eyes was gone. It was replaced by something rlm@0: cold and menacing. rlm@0: rlm@0: “I couldn't get Sora to join me willingly. He struggled. But I was rlm@0: determined to have him by my side at the last moments. He is one of rlm@0: the boys of my dreams, after all. So I made him one of the rlm@0: Heartless,” Hikari explained, not bothering to look back. “Sora, be a rlm@0: good boy and kill her.”Sora nodded his assent, pulling up the rlm@0: Keyblade. “Yes, princess.” With that, the Keyblade Master lunged at rlm@0: Kairi.Riku blocked the blow with Kairi's Keyblade, taking control of rlm@0: Kairi's body again. “Sora, don't do this! You promised me you'd take rlm@0: care of her,” Riku reminded the brunette boy. “You have to take care rlm@0: of her for me, Sora.”Hikari shook her head, aiding the darkness rlm@0: surrounding the Heart of the Universe. “He can't hear you, Riku. He's rlm@0: Heartless now, remember?” She glanced back at Kairi, watching the rlm@0: girl return Sora's blows. “It's good to see you again, by the way, rlm@0: Riku. Interesting choice in new bodies. You always did make such a rlm@0: good bishounen.”“You bitch!” Kairi screamed at the other version of rlm@0: herself. “What did you do with his heart? Give it back!!” Her soul rlm@0: cried out as she could only watch Sora trying to comply with his rlm@0: order to kill her. Hikari had turned one of the most important people rlm@0: in Kairi's life against her. rlm@0: rlm@0: Sora launched into a stream of blows, trying his hardest to get to rlm@0: the seemingly fragile girl before him. Riku struggled to parry the rlm@0: other Keyblade. The two were evenly matched, but Riku was at a rlm@0: disadvantage both in a new body and in that he didn't want to hurt rlm@0: the other boy. rlm@0: rlm@0: “It's gone,” Hikari said simply. “He's nothing more than my puppet rlm@0: now. If he wouldn't stay with me to watch the end, then I had no use rlm@0: for his heart. I cast it aside and made him another Heartless,” she rlm@0: explained, turning to watch the fight.“No!” Kairi's heart wrenched rlm@0: inside of herself. “Sora...” He couldn't be gone. She couldn't have rlm@0: lost him. Her hands ached as the Keyblade was slammed around in their rlm@0: grasp. Sora was attacking more and more fiercely. “Kairi, she's rlm@0: lying. Hikari's in pain. She's been suffering. She wants her rlm@0: suffering to end. And she's self-destructive enough to want to kill rlm@0: herself and her dreams. But she still loves Sora. She wouldn't just rlm@0: discard his heart. It has to still be here,” Riku explained, slashing rlm@0: at Sora to keep the other boy back. rlm@0: rlm@0: Laughing, Hikari placed her hands behind her back. “I love you, too, rlm@0: Riku, but I still asked Sora to kill you. I think your logic's a bit rlm@0: off.” She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. “It's strange. rlm@0: I've always had this love affair with the light and the dark. I lived rlm@0: my life in darkness, yet I fantasized about the light. I can't live rlm@0: without the darkness. It sustains me. At the same time, I longed for rlm@0: the light as well. And so there was you and Sora. My light and my rlm@0: darkness. I loved you both because I could never choose one over the rlm@0: other. I needed you both. And now that I've reached the end, I have rlm@0: the boy of the light while Kairi, the light from my heart, is sided rlm@0: with the boy of the dark. Fascinating how these things turn rlm@0: out.”“Absolutely fascinating...” Riku replied sarcastically, grunting rlm@0: as he blocked a downward cut from Sora. rlm@0: “What if I unlock his heart? Will that set it free?” Kairi asked rlm@0: hopefully.“Nope,” Hikari shot down Kairi's idea. “Remember what rlm@0: happened with everyone else you've unlocked? Their heart is unlocked rlm@0: from their body. Sora would die. That's of course saying he has his rlm@0: heart inside of him right now.”Riku hopped back, inches away from rlm@0: Sora's frenzied swipes. He needed to end this quickly or Sora would rlm@0: kill Kairi. There had to be a way. There had to! Kairi thought rlm@0: desperately while Riku tried to keep them alive just a little longer. rlm@0: She dove through her memories, trying to find something, anything rlm@0: they could use. Then it hit her. Not just her own memories, but rlm@0: Riku's as well. Wasn't her Keyblade the Keyblade that Riku had owned, rlm@0: after all? The one that could unlock hearts. “No... You're wrong. rlm@0: When I unlocked Seymour's heart, he didn't die. The darkness was rlm@0: unlocked and it transformed him. The same thing happened when Riku rlm@0: unlocked Maleficent. When I unlocked those people, I was unlocking rlm@0: their hearts themselves, just like when Sora unlocked his heart to rlm@0: free me when I was stuck inside of him. But with Seymour and rlm@0: Maleficent, they had the darkness in their hearts unlocked. Which rlm@0: means...”“That if Sora's heart is still there, we can unlock the rlm@0: light inside of it,” Riku finished for her. He gave a quick nod. This rlm@0: would be close. Sora was battering away at Riku's defenses now. He'd rlm@0: only get one chance. Riku left an opening for Sora, blocking low. rlm@0: Sure enough, Sora took the chance, slamming the Keyblade into Kairi's rlm@0: shoulder. Pain exploded in the injured shoulder, shooting throughout rlm@0: Kairi and Riku. But there it was. Riku's chance. With Sora's attack rlm@0: leaving him open, Riku lunged forward, plunging the Keyblade deep rlm@0: into the spikey haired boy's chest, right through the Heartless rlm@0: symbol. Praying she was right, Riku and Kairi turned the key. If they rlm@0: were wrong, either Sora would be dead, or they would. Sora slumped rlm@0: forward on his knees, his heart unlocked from the turning Keyblade. rlm@0: He held his chest, clutching his heart. Light cascaded over him, his rlm@0: clothes returning to normal. He lay there, breathing heavily. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Sora!!” Kairi through her arms around him, clutching him as tightly rlm@0: as her injured shoulder would allow. They hadn't lost him. She could rlm@0: feel Riku in their hug as she held onto Sora. “Sora, you're okay...” rlm@0: Burying her head against his shoulder, she felt relief blossoming rlm@0: within her. For the first time in so long, they were all together. rlm@0: The three of them. Just as it should be. “Kairi...” Sora held the rlm@0: other girl, feeling her hair against his cheek. She was real in his rlm@0: arms. She had saved him again. What had he been about to do? He rlm@0: shuddered at the thought. How could he ever harm her?“And?” Kairi rlm@0: asked, raising an eyebrow.Sora laughed. He knew that gesture wasn't rlm@0: Kairi's. “And Riku. It's good to see you, too. Even if you look... rlm@0: ummm... cuter... than you did before.”Laughing as well, Kairi sat rlm@0: back, gazing at Sora. “I thought he was plenty cute before. But I'm rlm@0: just glad we're all together again.”Quite enraged that the light from rlm@0: her heart was thoroughly turning the boys she loved against her, rlm@0: Hikari summoned the darkness around her into razor sharp daggers. An rlm@0: illusion wasn't going to take even the boys she loved away from her. rlm@0: She had lost everything as it was. This was the final insult. rlm@0: “Kairi!” Sora turned just in time to see the blade ended shadows rlm@0: rushing towards them. His body ached too much to give him the rlm@0: strength he needed to get up and get Kairi out of the way in time. rlm@0: When Kairi turned to look, she could only see a dark figure standing rlm@0: before her. rlm@0: The blades cut deep into Ansem's cloak, causing the body that had rlm@0: formerly belonged to Riku to stagger back. Blood dripped down the rlm@0: cloak from the jagged wounds. The blindfolded boy grit his teeth, rlm@0: trying to fight back the pain. “No... No, Hikari... The Heartless are rlm@0: using you..” He coughed. Blood spattered his lips as he stepped rlm@0: forward. “I'm sorry, Hikari... You never should have followed me... I rlm@0: never should have forgotten... how much I loved my dear little rlm@0: princess... I failed you... But I can't let you do this...” Drawing rlm@0: his dual winged blades, he summoned the last of his strength. rlm@0: rlm@0: When the Light within Kingdom Hearts had hit him, it had awakened rlm@0: something Ansem had forgotten had ever existed. The love for his rlm@0: daughter. How he had wanted his baby princess to be happy, how he rlm@0: wanted his people to live happy lives. That was why he had originally rlm@0: studied the Heartless. But he had lost himself in his work somewhere rlm@0: along the way. Still in Riku's body, his own having died when he had rlm@0: become one of the Heartless, he had decided to help Kairi along her rlm@0: journey. Maybe she could put write what he had done wrong. But now he rlm@0: had to kill Hikari in order to end the cycle. This was his fault. If rlm@0: he hadn't been consumed by the Heartless, she never would have done rlm@0: the same. At least they'd be together in death. Far away from the rlm@0: Heartless.Dashing forward, Ansem brought both his swords to bear on rlm@0: the fragile looking princess. His swords were blocked by her swiftly rlm@0: moving shadows. Raising her hand, Hikari summoned all of the power of rlm@0: darkness at her disposal. Ansem understood then that he had been too rlm@0: late. Hikari was completely lost to the darkness. Her tortured soul rlm@0: had found solace with the Heartless. And she wasn't going to leave rlm@0: until everything was dead. “Foolish old man. The Heartless isn't rlm@0: using me. I'm using it.” Narrowing her eyes, Hikari sent the rlm@0: gathering darkness out, watching as it destroyed her father. His rlm@0: tattered, bloodied cloak fell uselessly to her feet. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Dad...” Kairi's heart lurched as she saw him die. In one world, she rlm@0: had her mother. In this world, she had just lost her father. He had rlm@0: tried to protect her, to make up for his sins. And her other self had rlm@0: simply killed him. How could she be so cold? How could she have ever rlm@0: gotten so dark inside? What had happened to her soul? That thought rlm@0: horrified her. That was her. She was only a small part of that girl. rlm@0: rlm@0: “If she killed Ansem that easily...” Riku whispered.“Then how are we rlm@0: supposed to stop her?” Sora continued, watching in horrified awe. rlm@0: Even Ansem hadn't been that powerful when he had fought the other rlm@0: man. All the darkness that existed was at Hikari's fingertips. “We rlm@0: have to try,” Riku said, clutching the Keyblade. Between himself and rlm@0: Sora, there had to be something they could do, right? He had to do rlm@0: something. But part of him held back. Could he really put Kairi in rlm@0: harm's way like that?“You don't have a choice,” Kairi answered Riku's rlm@0: thought. “Whether I get killed here or when she destroys everything, rlm@0: there's no difference. I want to try. All three of us.” She turned to rlm@0: Sora. “Can you distract her? Don't do anything that'll get her to rlm@0: kill you outright. Be careful. Just distract her. I know she loves rlm@0: you. I think she'll keep from seriously hurting you unless she has rlm@0: to.” Sora nodded. She swallowed. “Riku, can you get me close enough rlm@0: to her? I'm going to do what I did to Sora. I need to unlock her rlm@0: heart. There has to be light in it. I'll unlock it just like I've rlm@0: unlocked the others. I'll set her free.”“I'll get you there, Kairi,” rlm@0: Riku promised. rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi smiled vaguely. “All three of us. This is how it's supposed to rlm@0: be. If it's going to be the end, I'd want it to be with the two of rlm@0: you. I'm sure she feels the same way.”“It's not the end, Kairi. We'll rlm@0: stop this,” Sora argued. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Whatever happens, we're together,” Riku said softly. “Together,” rlm@0: Kairi agreed. She slowly got up, Sora standing up beside her. rlm@0: rlm@0: Rushing forward, Sora threw his Keyblade, magic swirling around it rlm@0: as it whipped through the air at Hikari. The princess looked up, rlm@0: shadows swirling to protect her. As predicted, the Keyblade crashed rlm@0: into her shield of shadows. rlm@0: rlm@0: Riku through all of Kairi's strength into running to Hikari. He had rlm@0: to catch her off guard. He could feel every pain in Kairi's body rlm@0: acutely, but he tried to force more strength out of it. Just a little rlm@0: more... Soon this nightmare could be over... There! Reaching Hikari, rlm@0: Kairi shoved the Keyblade into Hikari's chest. Now she could unlock rlm@0: Hikari. She could feel the other girl's pain. The torment that raked rlm@0: over Hikari's soul was her own pain as well. But she had hope. That rlm@0: was the big difference between them. She could believe in a brighter rlm@0: tomorrow. She hoped she could prove it to Hikari. Turning the rlm@0: Keyblade, Kairi waited for Hikari's heart to come unlocked. Nothing rlm@0: happened. Switching the Keyblade inside of the other girl again, cold rlm@0: dread spread throughout Kairi's heart and soul. Hikari turned to look rlm@0: at her. The other girl was smiling. 'No...' Kairi thought, trying rlm@0: again and again. Nothing. It was like there was nothing there. rlm@0: “Didn't I tell you I planned for this? I cast out the light in my rlm@0: heart a long time ago. I am the Heartless. I have nothing to unlock, rlm@0: Kairi. I sent you away for this exact reason. There is absolutely no rlm@0: light in my heart. I won't be defeated the way my father was.” rlm@0: Raising her hand, Hikari summoned dark lightening, sending Kairi and rlm@0: Sora flying back. “I have all of the Darkness in the universe at my rlm@0: control thanks to you. And there's no light in my heart to exploit. rlm@0: You're powerless, Kairi. You always were. You are nothing more than a rlm@0: dream. A dream that's about to end.” She tilted her head back, tears rlm@0: dripping down her cheeks. “Can you hear that? The universe is crying rlm@0: out. It's dying. It's finally over. Nothing will ever hurt us again. rlm@0: No more false hopes. No more painfilled days. Thank God, it's finally rlm@0: over.” Her shoulders slumped with the relief of a girl consigned to rlm@0: her death. This was her relief. She was finally ending it all. rlm@0: rlm@0: The Heart of the Universe finally collapsed. The light in it was rlm@0: extinguished. The entire universe trembled as its heart stopped. The rlm@0: fabric of reality began to twist and writhe sickly as it began to rlm@0: die, like the structure of a building finally succumbing to too much rlm@0: stress and tearing itself apart. rlm@0: rlm@0: Kairi had failed. The part of her that hoped for a brighter future, rlm@0: that couldn't leave her mother, that needed Riku and Sora and her rlm@0: dreams had failed. Hikari had succeeded. The part of her that rlm@0: lamented every day, that cried herself to sleep at night, that found rlm@0: each day a grueling exercise in pain, who could find no comfort in rlm@0: dreams had succeeded. And so existence began to be plunged into rlm@0: darkness. In darkness there was nothing. There was only the abyss. rlm@0: rlm@0: Pain bit into Kairi's wrists. With a moan, the brunette doubled rlm@0: over. Red hot pain was flaring through her mind. Now that everything rlm@0: was falling apart, she didn't have this other world to protect her rlm@0: from the fact that she was in her bedroom bleeding to death. Blood rlm@0: dripped down her wrists as she lay on the cold shadows at the now rlm@0: dead Heart of the Universe. “Kairi!!” Riku's voice cried out in her rlm@0: mind. rlm@0: rlm@0: “It's over,” Hikari whimpered, relief evident in her shaking body. rlm@0: She cried tears of relief. Finally. She could finally die. After all rlm@0: this time. No more purgatory in this world of dreams. No more days in rlm@0: that intolerably cruel world where she was an outsider. Finally. rlm@0: Blood dripped down her own wrists, but she hardly noticed. rlm@0: rlm@0: It was too late. There was nothing left. By now, the darkness had rlm@0: covered everything. Everything was dead. Everything was darkness. All rlm@0: because of her. Kairi lay weakly on the shadowed floor, her eyes dim. rlm@0: She could almost make out the image of her mother over her, but she rlm@0: was so far away. Sora and Riku were close by, but they would be gone rlm@0: soon, too. They would die when the universe finally collapsed. Which rlm@0: should be in only moments. No... No, she couldn't let them die. She rlm@0: couldn't. The Destiny Islands. Riku. Sora. Yuffie and Relm. All of rlm@0: her friends. All those she'd met. Aerith and the other princesses. rlm@0: rlm@0: That was it. The princesses. They had once been the light in the rlm@0: darkness. They had been the children who had recreated worlds when rlm@0: the universe had been plunged into darkness long ago. Now it was rlm@0: happening again. Everything had been cast into darkness. But if she rlm@0: could stop this before the universe tore itself apart, they could rlm@0: recreate it all again. There is light even in the darkness. It only rlm@0: needed a chance to grow. And she had to give it that chance. rlm@0: rlm@0: Her body felt so weak. She was dizzy and sick from blood loss. She rlm@0: was dying, she knew, but she wasn't ready. Not yet. Not now. Her rlm@0: questing fingers sought out the Keyblade, scrabbling along over the rlm@0: shadows. Nothing. Please... She begged for more inner strength. Riku rlm@0: helped as much as he could, despite the fact that he knew what she rlm@0: was planning. She thanked him with all her heart, her fingers finally rlm@0: grasping the handle of the Keyblade. “Hikari...” Kairi whispered rlm@0: weakly, pulling the Keyblade close. “You can't die. You can't end the rlm@0: dream. Because... your mother needs you... And this world... is too rlm@0: beautiful to die...” She breathed heavily, having trouble focusing. rlm@0: Pulling up the Keyblade, she plunged it into her own chest. With rlm@0: shaking hands, she unlocked her heart. rlm@0: rlm@0: The Keyblade clattered to the floor as Kairi's heart rushed out of rlm@0: her body. Hikari looked up. The princess's eyes widened in rlm@0: realization. “No... Kairi, how could you?” She shook her head, tears rlm@0: falling to the floor. “You idiot. You sacrificed yourself for this rlm@0: world. You'll never see it again. Is that what you want?” But Kairi rlm@0: wasn't out there anymore. She was within her. They were now one soul rlm@0: again. Just as they had originally been. rlm@0: rlm@0: The light in Hikari's heart had finally returned. Light burst rlm@0: through the darkness inside of Hikari now that her heart had been rlm@0: returned. The trembling of the universe stopped. All was still. “It's rlm@0: up to you,” Hikari whispered. “You have to rebuild our dreams. rlm@0: Aerith.. I hope you and the princesses can do it. I'm sorry for rlm@0: causing all of this trouble. Rebuild them without a trace of the rlm@0: Heartless. Rebuild this world as beautifully as you can.” Kairi's rlm@0: body stirred, slowly getting to her feet. The cuts on her wrists were rlm@0: gone. “Kairi?” Sora asked, looking at the girl. Hadn't she unlocked rlm@0: her heart? Was she all right after all?Kairi shook her head. “No, not rlm@0: Kairi.” It was Riku. He was the only one in Kairi's body now. Kairi rlm@0: had returned to her original body. And Riku knew exactly what it rlm@0: meant. “You're closing the door. You're shutting off the Heartless. rlm@0: Kairi... Don't go.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Hikari shook her head, trying to smile through the tears. “I have rlm@0: to. I almost killed this world. I almost killed everything I love so rlm@0: very much. Especially the two of you. Please... Rebuild the Destiny rlm@0: Islands for me.”Getting up, Sora shook his head. He could let this rlm@0: happened. He denied that it would happen. He wouldn't let it! rlm@0: “Kairi!! No! You can't go!” He ran to her, but she was already rlm@0: disappearing from their world. Riku walked up, his fingers brushing rlm@0: over her fading cheek. “Kairi...” It wasn't fair. They had finally rlm@0: been together and now she was taken from them again, whisked away to rlm@0: another world where she was dying. Laughing tearfully, Hikari shook rlm@0: her head. “It isn't the end. Because I won't let it be. I love you rlm@0: both too much for that.” She began to blur, becoming more and more rlm@0: faint. She could feel herself on the floor, her mother's arms around rlm@0: her. There was the faint sound of an ambulance. She was now more in rlm@0: the other world than in this one. “Remember,” she said, her voice rlm@0: growing faint. “I'm always with you. No matter how far apart we are.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Kairi,” Riku whispered, looking through tearstained eyes at the rlm@0: girl he loved. “I don't care where you go. Wherever you are, I'll rlm@0: find you. I promise. I'll search every universe over until I do.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “You're right, Kairi,” Sora nodded, trying to stay strong for her. rlm@0: “It isn't over. We'll be together again. Someday.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Someday...” Hikari whispered. And with that, she was gone.