The Fourteenth Peril
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters except Dyxsan/Sandy. Disney/Square Enix owns all other characters.
A/N: This occurs after KH2, and is actually the sequel to a comic series I'm going to be writing on deviantART, which re-illustrates the second game. I hope you enjoy, and please R&R.
Yeah. There's something weird about that dude with the spiky brown hair. Or maybe there's something weird about this whole place. I feel like I know him from somewhere…I feel like I know everything about him. But I myself have never met him before.
A year spent in darkness-I'd literally given my heart to someone, or rather, attempted to, and it had resulted in me becoming a heartless. Not that my efforts did them any good. I couldn't help it, I felt bad for the guy! I came to a strange world, not entirely sure how I'd gotten there, ran from these beings in white suits that attacked me up to the very top of a tower, where a handsome man with silver hair and orange eyes turned and simply…dismissed them. To this day I still don't know how he did it. All I remember is that he didn't even acknowledge my presence until after the incident, just turned back to the heart-shaped moon and spoke to it eloquently. It moved me, and I owed him for saving my life anyway, so I pulled out my own heart and attempted to give it to him-foolish thing to do, I realize this. It resulted in me becoming a heartless, and the heart just sort of floated out of my palm up to that moon. What a waste.
And that's the last thing I remember, until suddenly, perhaps a year later, in the middle of the immense darkness, I saw a light. Well, I wasn't going to be foolish enough to pass up my only chance for redemption. I reached up and touched that light-and I reappeared on a place called Destiny Islands-I couldn't tell you how I got there either. I was a human again.
I began walking down the beach, coming along the strangest sight I've ever seen in my life perhaps half an hour after being reunited with my heart. A boy with long silver hair swung a large, fully clothed mouse in a big hug, and a giant dog and duck flung themselves at a boy with spiky brown hair, who was then helped out of the water by a radiant girl with auburn hair. The humans all seemed to be around my age, the silver-haired one being a year older I guessed. That duck was what got me though.
I couldn't help myself, the moment I saw it I cried, "Oh my gosh! What a cute ducky!" and jumped into the water, pulling it into a big hug. It started screeching in surprise and fear, most likely wondering who the hell was attacking him. I myself was startled to realize it spoke, and voiced this odd concern. The boy with brown hair laughed, mentioning that getting the duck to be quiet was the trick. I looked up at him, wanting to know what creature had such a sweet voice, and saw bright blue eyes on a smiling face. I smiled in return.
"Are you new around here?" The girl asked uncertainly, smiling at me. "I don't think I've seen you before." I nodded.
"Just got here about half an hour ago," I said, conveniently leaving out the fact that I had appeared here from the darkness. The unorthodox group went on to introduce themselves, but at the time I really only caught one name, the last name mentioned.
"And I'm Sora."
I pulled myself into a standing position, and he offered me his hand. I smiled, shaking it.
"The name is Sandy."
His smile fell for a moment, and he had the look about him of someone who had just realized something, but his smile returned quickly.
Which brings us back to the beginning of my little rant. There's something odd about him, and I feel like I've met him before, but I know that I haven't. It couldn't be possible…could it?
His weird animal friends left soon enough, and Kairi offered me a place to stay after I confessed that I was on my own with no munnies and nowhere to go.
School started for Sora, Riku, and me the other day, Kairi's parents enrolling me themselves. Kairi is kind of weird too…I pass by her room sometimes and she's always talking to someone called Naminé, but when I ask her parents about anyone with that name, they say they've never heard of her.
I was lucky in that I managed to have every class with either Sora, Riku, or Kairi. Sora makes the days so interesting, and treats me as if we have been good friends for a very long time-maybe he's like that with everyone. Yes, he is weird, but in a good way. The most odd thing about him, I'd have to say, is that he sometimes accidentally calls me Dyxsan, or Dyxsie-Well, I've never met anyone named Dyxsan, but I guess he has, and I must remind him of her very much. I've asked him once or twice to tell me about this Dyxsan, but he simply changes the subject. It doesn't matter, I suppose.
"Hey! Sandy! Hurry up! Come on, it's Monday, we have to go!" Kairi's voice rang up the stairs, pulling the dirty blonde from her reverie.
"Coming!" She called back down, quickly pulling on her shoes, grabbing up her book bag and purse, and rushing down the stares.
"What took you so long?" Kairi asked, with some irritation.
"I was just thinking…" Sandy replied, shrugging.
"Well, you can think on the way to school."
"Have a nice day, you two!" Came the voice of Kairi's mother from the kitchen. Both teenagers nodded to her, heading out the door.
It wasn't long till Selphie joined them. Kairi began chatting away to the brunette; Sandy simply looked ahead at the winding road. Kairi was popular in school, and Sandy was used to her many random friends joining their party. They didn't bother talking to her, and she returned the favor quite contentedly. It was only when they met Sora and Riku in the courtyard that she would begin to speak, and even then she didn't have much to say.
"Hello Sora, Riku, how are you two this morning?" She asked, nodding at them in turn.
"Eh, unhappy it's Monday," Riku shrugged, and Sandy smiled in agreement.
"Pretty good, and you?" Sora asked, raising his arms and putting his hands behind his head in what Sandy had come to see as his 'signature pose.'
"I side with Riku on this one," she said, sighing.
"Hey Sora and Riku!" Kairi's voice came as she wandered over to the three of them, having at last broken away from her other friends. She then proceeded to ask the same question as Sandy, and received the same response.
"Oh, I'm pretty good myself, thanks for asking Sora," Kairi smiled at him, which caused Sora's face to turn bright red.
Everyone in the school knew by now that Kairi had a crush on Sora, and that Sora returned these feelings. Everyone, that is, except for them. They acted the same way all the time around each other, but somehow they couldn't deduce that the other mirrored their emotions. Sandy didn't mind their ignorance-she was jealous of Kairi as it was for unknowingly having Sora's heart.
Sora and Riku had been students in Destiny Islands previously, both mysteriously having disappeared during summer before their freshmen year. Supposedly the island had been enveloped in darkness, but everyone had returned except for them. The duo had been popular as well before their disappearances, and now old friendships picked up right where they had left off-Sandy noticed that Sora's friendships were a little more shaky then Riku's, something about people having temporarily forgotten him for some reason or another.
A bell rang somewhere, once more pulling Sandy away from her thoughts. She smiled at Riku, motioning that they should head to class.
First period was Algebra II/Trigonometry, which she had with only Riku. It was an advanced class for their grade level, and, as he had stated many times, math was not Sora's strongest suit. The minutes in this class always snailed by, and she managed to survive by simply playing paper football with Riku, or else talking to him. Neither told the other of their pasts in darkness, but there was a certain understanding between them that caused them both to just know.
Second period was Drama, which she had with Sora and Kairi. They often worked as a group, and it was, as a rule, Sandy's favorite class. On the downside, it ended far too quickly. Then she and Kairi would head to AP English, and entertain themselves by passing notes whilst the teacher wasn't looking. Fourth period was gym, which Sandy had with both Riku and Sora-and, unsurprisingly, the two boys were the fittest in class. Lunch would come, where Kairi would join the three again, and then it would be off to Art class for Sora, Kairi, and Sandy. Kairi had gained the title as the best artist in class, but obviously Sandy was missing some sort of joke, because after Kairi submitted an amazing piece of artwork, Sora would, with a mock indignant tone, accuse her of cheating for letting Naminé draw for her. Sandy asked them both who Naminé was a few times, mentioning that she occasionally heard Kairi talking to this person as she passed by her room, but they always changed the subject, much to her annoyance.
Once art was over, Sandy would meet Riku for chemistry, where again her survival depended on paper football and random talk, and then she would head for history-the only class she had with only Sora. She enjoyed the class for that reason alone.
Then, of course, school would end, and she would either walk home with Kairi, or the four would get together and hang out somewhere-generally with ice cream.
"Four sea-salt ice creams, please!" Kairi chimed to the man over the counter, handing over some munnies her parents had given her that morning. The man gave them the aqua blue ice cream bars, and they would wander off, almost always to the little island not too far away.
One day, Kairi had stayed back on the main island for a bit, whilst Riku, Sora, and Sandy had made their regular trip to the smaller island, Sora arriving before the other two.
As the sun began to creep below the horizon, Riku's raft pulled up on the sandy shores. Sora was on the small islet, watching the sunset.
"Shall we?" Riku asked, helping Sandy out of the raft. She shook her head. "You go, I'll catch up in a minute."
The boy shrugged, sprinting off towards a shack that had a set of stairs leading up to the bridge. Sandy turned her attention to the small cave covered in brambles.
It shouldn't have been noticeable to someone whom was relatively new to the island, and had always paid their attention to other things, but Sandy had spotted it the first time she'd set foot on the sand, and every time thereafter. Something had simply attracted her attention to it, and since then she'd desperately wanted to know what lay beyond the brambles-she just never had the chance to find out until now.
Whilst the boys stood conversing, Sandy climbed through the mouth, walking down a narrow corridor and at last coming out in a room-like area. She stared around at the graffiti lining the walls, one piece in particular catching her notice.
It was a carving that Sandy immediately recognized as Sora and Kairi, their arms extended as they fed each other the legendary paopu fruit-the very fruit that was said to interlock the destinies of anyone who shared it. Sandy kneeled down, running her hand over it.
A bright flash-
"Remember what you said before? I'll come back to you, I promise!"
"I know you will."
Heart ache.
Static filled Sandy's vision, and then she saw a girl with purple hair talking to Sora, silver eyes flashing, wearing a long black cloak.
"I'll help you keep that promise, Sora…whatever it takes, I'll help you get back to her."
More static, and then there were two platforms-on one stood a younger Sora, being attacked by-Sandy realized with a jolt-Darkside, a formidable heartless. On another was a blonde boy, being attacked by one of the white things that had chased her through that odd world so long ago. A mysterious voice rang out, speaking to the girl with purple hair, who stood between the two platforms.
"A shadow is a fragment of darkness that can only survive in the light...The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes... Until recently you have been travelling back and forth between these two lights, but now you must choose between them…"
The purple haired girl cupped her chin in her hand, contemplating for a moment before saying slowly, "Sora, of course…"
"You have decided on the chosen keyblade master. You can not go back to the Organization."
"Well, I know that, but if chose the Organization, I could never see Sora again."
"Your heart is now connected with Sora's. He is your only light."
"I don't have a heart-I'm a nobody, remember?" The girl said skeptically.
"Being his shadow, you now share Sora's heart."
The static reappeared, and Sandy's eyes saw a void of nothingness, Sora crying over the purple-haired girl's form with Riku watching sadly from the background.
"You'll be alright! Curaga! Curaga!" He cried.
"I can't be healed, Sora, but don't cry. Xemnas has been defeated. All is well. You can go home to Kairi now. I just…I just have two requests…" The girl said sadly.
"Anything," Sora promised.
"Don't forget me…think of me every now and then?"
"Every day. I couldn't forget you, anyhow," Sora smiled weakly.
"And…say goodbye to me. Not a cheesy, 'I can't think of what to say' goodbye…A real goodbye. You've got a heart, so make it heartfelt," the girl said, her volume rising in slight hysteria near the end.
Sora nodded. "You've become one of the most important people in the world to me, Dyxsan, and there is absolutely nothing I could say that could ever explain how much I feel for you, so…this is my goodbye." He swooped the girl up into a tight embrace, causing her silver eyes to widen in amazement, and then tears started falling down her cheeks. It was then that white swirls began emitting from her, and as the last flash of light came and went, her voice rang throughout the nothingness.
"Thank you Sora, for being my light, for being my hero…"
Sandy stepped back, the small cave reappearing around her. She put her hand to her forehead, unsure of what had just happened, then turned to see a wooden door with a golden lining-had that been there before, and she had simply missed it?
"Dyxsan…" she whispered the name under her breath. So that's whom Sora always confused her with. Sandy shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts of the weird phenomenon, and walked out of the cave casually, as if hoping by doing so she could pretend like that hadn't just happened.
Stepping out by the waterfall, she looked towards the islet. Riku, Sora, and Kairi were standing close together, looking at something. She ran to the shack, up the stairs, and across the bridge to them.
"Hey guys, what's up?" She asked, her voice a bit shaky. They looked up over a piece of parchment, faces slightly grim.
"Is…something wrong?" She asked.
"N-nothing," Sora replied shakily. Kairi bit her lip, and Sandy folded her arms across her chest.
"You don't expect me to believe that, do you? Come on, Sora, you suck at lying," she said, somewhat angrily. "If it's something personal I'll butt out, but don't lie to me. I know something is up."
Sora faltered, and just as he looked like he was about to say everything, Riku gave Kairi a look. Kairi quickly grabbed Sandy's arm, mentioning that they had to go, she'd gotten a call from her mother that said they both had to return to the house once she had found Sandy. The latter didn't believe the tale, but simply let Kairi drag her back to the raft, looking over her shoulder to see the two boys staring sadly after her.
They had already paddled halfway back to the main island when Sandy couldn't contain the question any longer.
"Kairi…did that letter say something about me, or something?"
Kairi went rigid.
"No…what-whatever gave you that idea?" she fumbled.
"You're as bad a liar as Sora. All right, it involves me. I think I have the right to know what it says then."
Kairi bit her lip.
"You may deserve the right…but that doesn't mean you want to know…and if I tell you what that letter said, you'll only wish I hadn't."
"It's going to eat away at me until you do."
"It'll eat away at you worse if I do. Look, Sora and Riku will think of some-" She was cut off when Sandy's cell phone started going off. Looking at the caller ID, she saw that it was Sora, so flipped the lid open and said, "You gonna tell me what that letter said?"
Much to her disappointment, Riku's voice answered.
"No. Put me on speaker, please." Sandy sighed dryly, doing as he requested.
"Alright, Riku, welcome to speaker phone," she said.
"Both of you are gonna want to pack your things-"
"What? Why?" Sandy asked, alarmed.
"Because we may be leaving soon. All four of us. I don't suggest telling anyone about it, just be ready. We don't know when we're leaving, but we know that we are leaving." He hung up. Sandy made a noise of frustration, shoving her phone back into her pocket.
"So now we're leaving, and I don't even get to know why?" she grumbled. "Well, if I don't know why, then I simply refuse to go." Sandy resumed rowing the boat.
Kairi bit her lip. "Um…well, you see, you won't really have a choice-"
"Wanna bet?" The dirty-blonde challenged viciously.
Sandy packed a few things in her book bag despite herself. It took her all of about fifteen minutes, not having much left over from her…previous life.
Dinner was silent, Kairi's parents constantly asking the pair if anything was wrong, and each time they would say "No, nothing is wrong," an automatic response instilled in the brain at a very young age, generally a polite way of saying, "Yes, but I don't want to tell you."
Sandy turned in early that night, not bothering to get on her computer and manage her many accounts strewn across the internet. Outside the window, dark storm clouds were gathering, so very different from the clear sunset that occurred not long ago.