Never they cannot

Sora's POV

I lie on the road where I just defeated Xemnas, a man who caused so much problems and heartache for my own Nobody Roxas only a few months ago, while the darkness of Xehanort's trap surrounds me as he and Organization XIII have been leading me throughout what I believed was my Mark of Mastery Exam.
That this is not the case is only the smallest issue, the bigger issue is my worries for the one person who has been beside me this entire time. Silver-white hair, crystal blue eyes, a skin tone that stays slightly pale no matter the fact that he lives on a tropical island, I fear for Riku as he must be somewhere nearby.
Knowing he is somehow connected to me and to this journey through which I have been tricked, I fear for what will happen to the slightly elder teen once my part of the connection is severed due to the darkness coming at me from all corners, surrounding and embracing my arms, my legs and slowly moving over my body from there.

Then I look at the one responsible, the young tanned teenager that I now know will become Master Xehanort, a man who's Heartless and Nobody have been ruining my life and the lives of so many people that I have come to be connected to over the years that I journeyed and travelled between just about all the words in existence.
The boy stands over me as he had arrived just after Xemnas had disappeared and he had explained everything, how he had been contacted by Ansem, his own future Heartless, how his Heartless had set him on the path that is my and everyone's past and how he and eleven others were to gather on this very day.
The worst part of it is that, while these eleven versions of Xehanort – of which I know also concern Ansem and Xemnas – will meet with the recent day Xehanort, someone who is ancient, yet a master of Darkness all the same, they want me as their Thirteenth member and this is the whole reason they have been trapping me all this time.
The fact that they were able to follow me because they planted an X on my clothes when they first trapped me makes me feel violated and disgusting, yet because of the darkness still growing to surround me and because of my recent fight with Xemnas, do I feel unable to do anything but lie there and pant, trying to stay conscious.

Then suddenly I hear the young man say: "Reach the outside world." And just like every time when I think of my journeys, do I softly whisper the word: "Riku." Both in memory and to, yet again, try and reach the one person who has helped me through all my journeys, even if in the first he himself didn't even know it.
I then think back to that first memory and how – by working with Malificent – Riku helped me find Kairi and create Roxas, but then the memory goes back. Back to where Riku had the Keyblade and where Beast and I had been tricked into parting ways. Back to when Riku had told me to go back while I still could.
I had told him that I wouldn't leave without Kairi, but deep inside me, my heart had whispered: "Not without you." And that whisper had somehow been answered by Riku as he had grown into an amazing outfit, one that was made so skin tight, I couldn't even see – apart from the color – where the suit ended and Riku's muscle began.
That day my heart had stopped beating for just a second and it was the whole reason I had not resisted it when Riku had shot his spell at me. I had been too mesmerized by how amazing he had looked, how full and strong his muscles were and how tight the outfit was, especially around his arms, his lower legs and his torso.

Feeling my heart beat strongly yet again, just like it did that day, later, when I had moved to End of the World and had faced Ansem in many forms before the Heartless had tried filling himself with the power of Kingdom Hearts, which had later been revealed to be Light instead of the Darkness Ansem believed it to be.
Riku had been on the other side of the doors that had held that Light, but behind it had been the world of the Heartless and Riku had – together with King Mickey – stayed behind to make sure we could close the doors from both sides and that the Heartless wouldn't run us over while we tried closing them again.
Riku had looked at me while I was pushing one of the two bright white, large and ornately looking doors closed and with a voice that was filled with trust, care and – what I still to this day hope and pray to be – love, had the boy asked me: "Take care of her." Meaning Kairi, something I had nodded to in agreement.

However upon seeing Kairi at a piece of Island, that I knew belonged to Destiny Islands, had I known that – whether I would stay with her or not – she would be safe and my heart had shouted out as I had run for her, telling me to turn around and hunt Riku down. I had reached the girl and had told her I would see her again.
Her friendship and loyalty had been proven to me that day, yet the entire time from where she woke up to where she, I myself, Donald, Goofy and the Hollow Bastion Gang had joined together in Traverse Town to where she had been sailing off to a renewed Destiny Island, had my mind and heart been focused on only one thing.

Riku. The one boy who had helped me be who I am today, the one boy who had been there for me and my Nobody Roxas when I was asleep for reasons I still don't understand. The boy that had accepted the darkness in his heart to help me get to the Stronghold of Organization XIII and that had helped Kairi escape from said Stronghold.

I then think back to where we all reunited, not even caring one bit about whatever that young form of Xehanort is saying and trying to keep the darkness from consuming my neck and head and remember how it felt, to have Riku's hands in mine, to know he was standing right there, right in front of me, to know he was there.
"Riku – it's Riku. Riku's here." I had said that day as my heart had cried and I had cried, cried tears and tears, just because I then and there realized it. I realized then what I realize now, as I again, in my mind, whisper Riku's name, the only thing that keeps me from falling into the eternal slumber Xehanort told me about.
Feeling my heart beat stronger every time I think of Riku's name, I think: "Riku has always been there to protect me. So that means – if this whole journey, from before I entered Traverse Town – was caused by the Organization – then Riku must have used his own magic to protect me when we left the Destiny Islands.
And this is all a dream caused by the Organization. That's why I heard Riku inside this world. Because he is inside this dream. He is in a world created inside my dream. And that is a world – that I control." And with that – with the need to control that new world and bring Riku here through it – does new energy flow through me.

Opening my eyes wide, feeling every limb in my body active and pushing the Darkness away, I see something that really scares me. Xehanort's hand right in front of my face, obviously with the intent to grab me and drag me wherever he thinks he can take me, but now the hand pulls back, obviously shocked to see me awake.
"How?" The young man whispers, his hand against his chest and I jump up, feeling stronger than ever before and feeling my heart shine with the light of my realization. I then smirk at the boy and say: "Riku. He's been helping and protecting me this entire time and even when he's not around me or beside me."
I slap myself on that disgusting X pasted to my shirt and say: "He's still here, inside me. My feelings for him make me stronger than any Darkness you think you can use to trick me and you made one very fatal mistake in your planning." The man is shocked and slightly intrigued and while I know that this will work, do I say:

"You allowed Riku – to enter my dream." The man looks shocked and I say: "You don't see the flaw, do you? By allowing Riku to do so, you basically allowed me to create worlds within the worlds you sent me to when you showed me all those Keyholes. How else could Riku have constantly been at the same time and place as me?"
By now the tanned man seems to be catching up with my plan, but while I keep my smirk strong, do I allow for the beats of my heart to reach deep inside the world of dreams, the world I created when Riku arrived in The World that Never Was, and do I yet again feel that powerful connection of hearts come to life.

"Don't allow your prey any ammunition, unless you have proof they can't make use of it." I then tell the young version of Xehanort and with that do I summon the Keyblade and do I hear the young man laugh. "You think you can fight me? I may be young, but I hold all the abilities of my future self." He says with a confident smirk.
But my own smirk of confidence stays on my face as I turn my right arm in three circles, gathering power as I do and say: "I don't just use the Keyblade to fight my enemies, you know. It can be used for much more than that. Not that you will ever understand –." And with that I aim the Keyblade up above my head and say:
"The true abilities created by hearts that are forever linked. Keyblade Seal! Open the door and return the Darkness to the Light!" And with that does a powerful beam of Light, one that beats together with every beat of my own beating heart, shoot out of the tip of my Keyblade and does it reach high into the sky above me.
Blasting apart several tens of miles above my head, it actually creates a Keyhole above me and from it, with several summersaults and with his own Keyblade in hand, does the silver haired, crystal eyed man of my dreams and heart jump out, landing right beside me and saying softly: "Glad I got to you in time, Sora."

And THAT is the first ever chapter of what I actually wanted to be a oneshot. I got the inspiration for this when playing KH3D - don't worry, the spoilers pretty much end right where the story here began - but when I started conversing and planning this story together with the ever brilliant Kiri Kaitou Clover, did I realize that this story is meant as WAY more than just a simple one-shot and so, Kiri and I decided to work on this story together, but then each with a different version.
I have already read the proof version Kiri has and it inspired me to this chapter and all that you have read. Therefore can I only recommend to you to go ahead and check out Kiri Kaitou Clover - those that already have this author under their fav's list of course know what I'm talking about - and if you're either a Harry Potter or a Kingdom Hearts fan, you should definitely check out the story that Kiri wrote, called 'Consume the Darkness, Return it to Light.
Okay, till next time,

Venquine1990
Co-Author: Kiri Kaitou Clover