Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any material relating to Square Enix in any way or form.
I heard Goofy and Donald shout, desperate cries for me to stop. But I knew I couldn't leave her the way she was…
I could feel it, the keyblade as it pierced my skin. But the pain was nothing, not if I could save Kairi…
Wind swirled around me, cradling my entire body in its gentle grasp. There was an odd sensation in my chest, as though something had taken flight, and wings were brushing against my soul…
I could feel my breath escaping, pressed from my lungs by the flying thing in my heart. Through my closed eyes, I saw sparkling lights, spheres of pure, intense light floating away from me in the dark…
I felt the wind strengthen, tearing at my clothes, making me exhausted as I felt what little energy I had left drain from my body. A painful jerk in my chest nearly made me scream and then…
Suddenly, there was nothing. Nothing to see, nothing to hear. I felt myself falling— falling through a darkness I could never escape…
I saw visions… or memories? Donald and Goofy, all my friends… Riku… and Kairi. They were all falling to pieces, crumbling into dust as I fell deeper into the darkness…
For the first time since I started this journey, I felt terrified. I was alone, truly alone. There were ice-cold tears on my face as I fell, chilled by the wind as it rushed past. It wasn't a comfort anymore. In this darkness, I had no friends…
I felt my body become heavy, as though I were being dragged down into the sea of darkness. I couldn't breathe, couldn't cry, couldn't even move. There was no more hope, none of myself left as the darkness stole everything that was me…
And suddenly there was light. Someone was calling my name. Sora…
A thousand white birds erupted around me, showering me in delicate feathers and glowing light. Sora…
This time I'll protect you.
The voice of an angel spoke to me, and through the light I could see her. I fought with everything I had, reaching through the darkness for her hand, anything to make me feel alive again. Then, the burst of pain, an eruption in my chest, but the wings embraced me this time, and I wrapped my arms around her…
Kairi… Thank you.
A/N: Oddly enough, I ended up playing KH2 before I bought KH1. Today, I managed to defeat the evil version of Riku (Riku-Replica?) and when I saw the cutscene where Sora unlocks his own heart to save Kairi, I was inspired. I also found out that the song is the instrumental version of Hikari, not "Rising Sun" or other titles along those lines.
