Date: February 29, 2012
Warning: character death
Notes: I wrote this as a prompt from an anonymous source.
This was painful for me to write. I hope that I can convey the proper imagery and emotion. If I do, I apologize for ruining your day.
The Heartless hovering before them was reduced to merely a torso, devoid of all limbs save for its armored head. Its body quaked and wavered with the shattering loss until it became engulfed in blinding luminance. From its shell arose a large, glittering heart — it twirled towards the sky until it was lost in the endless night sky.
Its body faded to light.
They'd done it. They were victorious! Sora grinned, feeling suddenly weightless as Kingdom Key returned to his heart, and turning, he faced the two companions who'd assisted him — a magic using duck and a dog with a shield — to speak with them.
"So, you were looking for me?" the brunet asked, pointing at himself as the duo nodded.
"They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade," was Leon's unexpected reply, arms folded over his chest.
"Heeey," spoke the knight. "Why don't ya come with us? We can go to other worlds in our vessel."
Other worlds? That was what had started this. Sora's sapphires fell as he gazed forlornly into the pavement, the torrent of pain sweeping over him in a striking realization. He was still alone. "I wonder if I could find Riku and Kairi…"
"Of course!"
His head shot up at the affirmation, a small twinge of excitement forming within him while the pair of strange creatures swooped together for a private conversation.
"Sora, go with them." Leon stepped forward, gray eyes piercing through the teenager. "'Specially if you wanna find your friends."
Yet Sora was no longer looking at any of them, lost in his thoughts. Would they really be able to aid him in locating his two best friends? His confidence was beginning to waver. "Yeah," he sighed. "I guess."
"But you can't come along looking like that." A feathered finger wagged up at him. "Understand?" The duck placed his hands on his hips. "No frowning, no sad face. Okay?"
"Yeah, you gotta look funny, like us." One of those white wings shoved the other away. "A'hyuck, whoa!"
Run, run, run.
Sora fled from the oncoming wave of Heartless with his battle companions flanking his sides. The great mass of shadow behind them rolled and churned like a tidal wave, scattering ebony with every pulse until the surrounding world was plagued by darkness. It was the plasm from its motions that clung to each tree and home, twitching as if it were alive as it sought out a rip in the fabric of life, sinking into each piece and spreading like a disease; this world was suffocating.
Everything around them was beginning to crumble.
Plants dropped their leaves and wilted to corpses, leaking their sap and spilling obsidian against the cracking earth below. This liquid slicked the ground; made each step so much harder beneath the swirling hematite sky.
They needed to get out of here.
Where, where, where, where —
Where's the gummi ship?
"We can't outrun it," Donald shouted as he heaved, spinning to blast the mammoth beast with a powerful Thundaga.
"We have to try!"
Sora rushed forward, propelling himself off of a decaying oak to slam the Keyblade into the ground, releasing an explosion of crackling light in an effort to eradicate the pursuit of the smaller Heartless. Each one popped out of existence and hearts swirled into the air, but there wasn't time to idly observe. Sora had to race to catch up with his companions.
"Got'cha," he shouted as he grasped their hands, using his momentum to drag them. Faster, faster — they had to get out.
Get out.
There—!
The Technicolor ship stood out among the shattering world — bright oranges and yellows striking against the dull backdrop, so welcoming, so warm. Sora's adrenaline ripped through his whirring anxiety as he rushed, fasterfasterfasterSora, to get there. His purpose was suddenly so clear, the glittering hope of escape within grasp.
"Sora, we're not gonna make it!"
"We can't fight this thing," he yelled back to Goofy, raising his voice louder and louder over the collapsing buildings.
"We're not gonna make it," was repeated firmly.
Sora's heart shuddered with painful anxiety. "We have to!"
"You have to!"
"Wha-"
Their running came to a slamming halt as Goofy and Donald simultaneously dug their heels into the dirt. "They're everywhere and they'll catch up before we can get the ship going."
"Then…then we'll fight it." The hero of light's eyes swung up and over to the monstrous beast that pulsed towards them; that endless sea of raging ebony. Fear struck him, burned him, but he readied the Keyblade in his hands once more and crouched low.
Yet suddenly, an invisible wall was placed in front of him by Donald's staff. "We'll hold them off! Get off of this world, Sora!"
"What?"
"Do as you're told!"
"Sora, get to the ship," Goofy spoke firmly, holding his shield above his head. "C'mon, Donald! All for one and one for all!"
"No! No, you guys!" Sora slashed at the barrier wildly, body shaking. "No!"
"Get going before they take you, too!"
His heart stopped as the Heartless drew upon the pair, swiping a large arm down towards them. His blood ran cold, tears threatening his vision and why? Why were they doing this? Why was he more important than they were? Why was his survival a priority?
WHY?
Donald and Goofy fought as a team, one well oiled unit of magic and defense sparkling with passion as they put their all into every swing, every zap. And Sora thought, just for a moment, that everything would be alright. His companions could win this, just as they always had.
There was a pained squawk as Donald was lifted into the air, feathers rolling off of his body which began to gray. Gray with that disease, that darkness that covered the world. Obsidian leaked from his bill and his eyes rolled back.
Time stood still.
"SORA, GO!"
And in rush, Sora fled. He ran — he ran and didn't look back. The lump in his throat made it hard to breathe and he was tripping over his own two feet, but he ran as fast as he could until he reached his sanctuary. Switches were flipped, engines roared to life and he was in the air.
— in the air and didn't look back.
He couldn't remember getting onto the ship, nor could he recall placing it on autopilot because he could no longer function well enough to drive. He couldn't wasn't sure when he collapsed onto the floor or began gagging on the mucus which rose with his harsh sobbing. His memory forced back the way that he curled into a ball and screamed his agony, holding himself for comfort.
How did he get back to Destiny Islands?
"It's my fault. It's all my fault. I should've done something but I just stood there! I couldn't move! They were protecting me, Riku! I should've done something! I should've — I should've fought — I sh-should've died with them!"
"Sora."
"I shouldn't be here. I don't deserve it; I don't. I don't. I should b-be dead…dead, too."
"Stop saying that, please, Sora."
"I didn't do anything. I just ran. Riku, I ran! They fought for me. Fought, while I stood there. Why am I so important? Why them? Why wasn't it me? They —"
"They were protecting you. If you'd died, what would it have been for?"
"THEY'RE DEAD! They've done everything for me and for what? I couldn't protect THEM. I'm the Keyblade Master! I'm supposed to be a hero!"
"Calm down, please. I'm here. I hear you."
"I'm supposed to be…"
"Sora."
"I'm supposed to be a hero."
Sora fell to his knees as Riku held him, choking on his sorrow, tears streaming endlessly, endlessly, as his body quivered violently.
"I'm supposed to be a hero."
"This boat runs on happy faces."
"Happy?" The emotion felt foreign — the longer Sora considered his separation, the sadder he became. However, this pair had told him that they would help him find his friends and perhaps they were being genuine. With four sets of eyes on him, two of which awaited a reaction expectantly, Sora mustered up his strength and forced the largest, most fabricated grin he could.
Only to be laughed at.
The two companions held their sides as the fell into humored hysterics, goodnatured and pleased by the effort.
Sora, too, smiled. "Okay, why not? I'll go with you guys."
White fingers raised towards Sora in greeting, "Donald Duck."
"Name's Goofy," as a bigger, gloved hand came forward.
"I'm Sora," he answered as he placed his own hand on top of theirs.
"All for one and one for all."
And suddenly — suddenly, Sora was part of a team. These two, Donald and Goofy, were going to help him find Riku and Kairi so that they could return to their island.
They would inevitably become his dearest friends.