The hand he had held was empty.
A broken breath escaped Kairi's lips, the parched skin tasted of salt but she didn't care. Bright eyes shattered at the sight of the empty spot at her side where Sora had been moments before… hadn't he?
"Kairi!"
She heard the steps before the calling of her name, startling her to twist around at the slightest chance. Her throat tightened, it was Riku. It wasn't-
Green eyes darted around the small island mass, slowing his jog to a halt as he reached the end of the plank bridge. She didn't need to look to see the others—those he had saved from their hearts torment—to know they were running at Riku's heels.
"Where's…" Riku snapped around, eyes widen in search of the missing piece they all yearned to see simply snoozing on the warm sand, or stretched out along the tree with her. "Kairi. Where's Sora…?"
"Gone."
He flinched at the sharpness of her voice, the downward gaze of her eyes that always shined with such light. "What-"
Her features wrinkled, contorted as she clenched her jaw. The shift of her shoulders willed him to fill the gap between them, gasping at the cool touch of her skin despite the sun's wrath.
"Kairi…" He swallowed, the heaviness of his breath nevertheless cracked at his voice.
She gritted her teeth, ducking her head to avoid his eyes. Her shorter hair swooped to cover her eyes. "He's… he's gone."
The young woman collapsed to the ground before he had time to catch her, buckling his knees as her whole weight suddenly dropped into him. Slender fingers grasped at his jacket, clenching as if it was the only thing to stop her being thrown away by an unseeable wind.
An invisible darkness.
Her forehead laid against his shoulder, her quivering form small against him.
"B-but… you were both fine." He barely found the will to speak, staring out towards the vibrant seas as if their friend would submerge from their depths, a soaking mess but laughing at their expense and very much there.
But he didn't.
"E-Everything was…" But the words failed to leave his lips, broken by a shuddered breath at the sudden ache that shot through his chest. Kairi gasped into his collar, the material damp from the tears she failed to—not, shouldn't have to—hold.
The patter of steps followed. Laughter and sounds of cheer were shattered as the figures behind them came to a halt, with Riku looking back only to catch Mickey's stare. The other guardians watched the duo, huddled on their knees as Riku patted down his broken friend's hair.
His muscles clenched, the sensation that shot through his torso made his gasp for breath. The shift of stance of their company suggested something… the same.
"S-Sora…" He heard Roxas mutter, his voice quiet and brows furrowed as he pressed his hand over his chest, gritting his teeth with winch that nearly sent him too to his knees if not for Axel immediately holding him upward. "-something's wrong."
Riku shifted his attention back to Mickey, blinking at the king's albeit clearly upset but somewhat aware expression… as if their friend's sudden vanishing had been expected. "Your… your majesty?"
The king failed to meet his eye, his large ears faltered.
"Mickey." He snapped, watching the King's startled expression raise up to meet him, only to melt back into his sorrow. His usually wide eyed expression tainted with the lines of age and exhaustion he never let show. "Did you know?"
Mickey paused for a moment before speaking. "I knew using the power like Sora did came at a price but, gosh… I thought he'd succeeded somehow when we all saw him."
"Is he-"
The King didn't even bother to look away, only blinking. "I don't know." He shook his head, stepping back with hooded eyes. "I… I don't know."
Neither Donald or Goofy spoke, only passing their eyes back and forth between their king and where their friend had been sitting mere minutes before. Confusion evident on their faces, nevermind a deep seated hurt that settled as they shared a paled look.
"He can't be gone!" Donald retorted, stamping a flipper down onto the wooden bridge with a mortified gaze that shot around desperately for a sign of the boy. He found none. "He… he can't be!" He looked back to Goofy, only to stagger at the expression the knight returned.
"Oh, Sora…" His companion merely sighed, his long ears flopped against his head as he crossed his arms around his chest. "Are… are ya' sure yer majesty?"
Their king's broken look silenced them both.
Riku watched the two for as long as he could bare, letting them slowly wander to his and Kairi's side before offering the princess a hug that she virtually tore them into.
The aurbunette left grace behind as she stumbled into the two, both magician and knight cast a worried look towards Riku from over his friend's shoulder. He swallowed, catching sight of the eyes that all fell upon him. So this is what he must've felt like.
"Perhaps we should talk about this later." Aqua added, her bright eyes locked onto the sight of Kairi, still clinging to Donald and Goofy as Namine raced over to her side. "This is no place to-"
"Yen Sid."
The group drew silent when Kairi spoke, her voice a quiet whisper and yet held a resolve none had yet seen in the young woman before. Riku stiffened at the determination in her eyes, the wrinkles etched into her darkened eyes that stole years from her as she wiped away her tears.
Kairi swallowed a shaky breath before meeting their gaze. The fortitude crashed into Riku like waves, the light of her heart breaking forth in a nearly blinding display through their connection… there was no other heart to help share the brunt of its brilliance.
"Would Yen Sid know what happened to… to Sora?"
Aqua's lips opened and parted without a word, furrowing her thin brows for a moment before nodding. "Maybe." Her fists clenched. "He's our best hope, nonetheless."
Riku decided to ignore the tension in the blue-haired master's shoulders, instead turning to face his oldest present friend, only to be stopped by her certain stare.
Kairi turned to face the others. "You all should head home," The startled looks that followed from all except Riku, Mickey and Donald and Goofy did nothing to weaken her firm expression. "Sora made sure that you all had a chance to be together-"
"And you expect us to just not help?" Ventus—Ven, he had said he had preferred to be called Ven—retorted, the strange dream eater-esque creature perched itself on his shoulder. "Sora has saved my life countless times now, there's no way-!"
Riku interrupted. "He saved you—us all—because of your hearts suffering. You've all suffered greatly and need some time to rest and re-organise."
"Of course we will need your help, but if Sora has taught me anything…" Kairi laid her hand over her heart, swallowing a hoarse breath with closed eyes. "-is that you can trust on your friends to answer when you call. You all need rest for whatever comes next."
The silveret couldn't help but arch a brow at the sound of her voice, the strength that sank into the core of his heart, as if she shared her light with those around them.
"But Kairi-" Donald made the move to speak, only to sigh as he met the princess' eye. Riku could have almost laughed, perhaps Sora had rubbed off more on the princess of heart then he originally recognized… but he didn't.
Stepped to his friend's side, Riku a hand on her shoulder. Her glare immediately shattered, replaced in a blink as she turned to nod at him before walking up to duck. "I'm sorry, I know… I know you care about him just as much as I do."
"Gawrsh, Kairi." Goofy added with a smile. "Sora is one of our bestest buds, so there's no way we aren't gonna help you look for him!"
"Yeah!" Donald squawked, puffing out his chest as if to make himself seem bigger. Kairi stiffled a soft laugh at the 'heroic' poses the two jumped into. "We wanna help too!"
Riku chuckled at the sheer determination from the duo, the sheer lack of mind about rules sent his mind spiralling back to the battle of Hollow Bastion and how the two had followed Sora, against their King's command, straight into a massive heartless battle. While he hadn't been present for it, those who had in Radiant Garden were sure to mention the valour the trio presented against unprecedented odds.
"Okay." He nodded, turned back to face Mickey who simply nodded at the two before looking to Riku. "Are… will you return to your kingdom? I'm sure your people need you, and we have our gummi-phones."
The King shook his head. "I can't go home knowing there's one more pal left to save." He scratched the back of his head, sharing a pitiful look with him and Kairi. "The least I can do is help you fellas find him best I can… even if I have to say goodbye to even more pals for a while."
Kairi smiled at the King. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The group were silent for a moment, while the emotions still clung to the air, a sense of hope seemed to peek through the setting sun. The colours had always reminded Kairi of Sora; the vibrant colour of the waves and how they never crashed against the shore but rather nursed their rowing boats once they were old enough to journey to the island on their own, the many colours of the skies and how they highlighted the browns and golds of the trees and sunsets.
How long had it been since she and Sora had sat by the pier? Eager to escape their simple lives without a notion of what truly awaited them. His shock at her joking suggestion to leave without Riku, while sending an ache through her now as she caught the eye of said friend who stepped away to speak of something to Master Aqua, had held a certain truth to it at the time.
She had yearned to have time to themselves, to have him realise the crush she had begun to form for him, only growing stronger after his sacrifice and eventual return to her. Even now, after she watched him fade away without any means to stop it, she had wanted to say those three simple words.
Now, she may never get a chance.
"Yeah, that could help us if Master Yen Sid can't."
Kairi shook herself from her thoughts just as Riku nodded at the magic-protege, stepping forward with a widened expression that Riku recognised from their many daydream-filled years of school and her and Sora's less than noteworthy schooling. To be frank, they had found it boring more so than difficult—Sora was actually far smarter than her or Riku gave him credit for, he just had some difficulties with learning stuff from a page.
Seeing him re-learn his abilities within a short space of time and growing even stronger as time went on despite that only proved it. He could make a good teacher, she noted, recalling him attempting to teach her cure before leaving for his Mark of Mastery.
Before Riku could explain, however, Aqua spoke to her with an unsure smile. "I'm not certain if it could offer any answers, but our master-" She gesture with a hand back to Terra and Ven who was offering his 'Chirithy', as he claimed it called itself, a finger to scratch the crown of its head. "-spoke of a great library in his original home before being granted Mastership."
Terra nodded along with pursed lips, conflict in his eyes. From what she could tell, their master seemed a rather sensitive subject, given the shift of Ven's gaze back to his Chirithy at the mention of the man. "Himself and… Xehanort," The man swallowed the name back down, smiling as Aqua slid her hand into his. "-may have taken some of the older books and pieces gathered in that library, or even may have left behind traces in order to find it."
"And they could help tell us about the Power of waking."
Aqua nodded. "It's an ancient skill, one that our master choose to teach us after we passed our Mastery…" Her voice weakened, turning to catch Ven too grabbing ahold of her other hand. "If we can find either, then they can surely help you."
"T-thank you, Master Aqua." Riku muttered in amazement, the corners of his lips curled. "Perhaps they could know things that even Master Yen Sid doesn't."
She smiled at him. "Both of you, call me Aqua. There is no need for formalities after all we have experienced…" She gave Riku a nervous chuckle. "-even the bad."
The silveret made a face but chuckled softly nevertheless.
"The castle in radiant garden had archives."
Both turned to watch Isa stand a few paces behind them, his arms wrapped around his chest as he and Axel shared a look. The red-head arched a brow, surprise littered his features. Neither truly knew how to react to the man, or his seemingly offer to help their quest in some way.
The once-norted man set his lip into his signature line, his eyes sparked with… something when he turned his attention back to them. "We spent some time in there during Xehanort's… time, and he kept much of his belongings under lock and key. Perhaps they could assist you in finding this 'library'?"
"Maybe." Riku said with a flat tone, shifting to untense his stance. The man was offering valuable information, a quick look to Kairi changed her own expression against her once-kidnapper. She had learnt to forgive and see Axel for a person… perhaps Isa was the same, he had been under Xehanort's influence for some time.
But he had taunted Sora over Kairi's safety.
A sour taste settled on Riku's tongue as he nodded at the man, avoiding his eye for now. While Sora had always been more… forgiving than either of them, he had also seen his lot of betrayal and manipulation. That much burnt a sort of reluctance into their seemingly 'naive' friend.
There was only so many times one could get burned before they learnt to step away from the flames.
"Alright." He finally spoke, licking his dry lip before addressed everyone with a quick glance. Their eyes felt heavy on him, weighing down far more than he was comfortable with… how did Sora handle rising up to be the 'leader' when people needed him? How did he not collapse under the weight? "We-" He gestured to himself, Kairi, Mickey and both Donald and Goofy, "-will visit Yen Sid and see what we can learn."
He turned to Terra, Aqua and Ven. "You all try to see if you can find anything on that library in the Land of Departure." Memories of Castle Oblivion were immediately cast into his mind, thoughts and emotions he was sure were not his own. How did Sora leave with this, and with three hearts inside him?
"Same as you two." Axel rewarded him with a grin, flashing a cheesy thumbs up before Riku turned to the remaining newly-complete nobodies of Namine, Roxas and Xion. "You three-"
Hayner knocked the side of his fist off his chest, widening his stance with a smile. "These guys can stay with us, we're friends after all… and something tells me that maybe that Old Mansion Sora was so interesting in figuring out, along with those sketchy dudes whose butts you guys kicked, might just help."
Turning to face Roxas, who he had been so ready to sacrifice for his friend's life merely half a year prior, he watched the boy shrug casually before flashing him an expression that rang 'you get used to it… data Hayner is still Hayner.' Riku flashed him a half-filled smile, the other's expression unreadable unlike his original self.
"Ah, great!" Axel exclaimed, slapping his two younger friends' backs with a grin. "Best to keep these outta' trouble for a bit, but gotta warn yah'," He turned to Ollette. "-they're just as bad as the MIA kiddo."
"Says the guy who taunted Xemnas just before he was going to kill you." Xion arched a brow with a smirk, laying her hands on her hips. Roxas smirked, catching sight of Isa rolling his eyes. "Maybe we should come with, to make sure you don't drive everyone insane just like back in the organisation."
Axel gave the two an irked look that quickly shattered with a laugh. Kairi watched the fiery redhead, quirking a brow. While he wasn't one to wallow in despair, he was certainly… free after saving his friends. She could only hope for the same for her and Riku.
Turning back to forementioned master, Kairi gave Riku a look that left any words otherwise to ruin. "I said I was done with waiting." Her gaze grew downcast, settling into a firmness he hadn't ever seen her wear and yet knew it suited her like a glove.
"Your like Sora," She glanced up as he smirked with a chuckle. "Once you set your mind to something...there's no stopping you."
Kairi chuckled back, stuffing her hands into pockets just as Mickey butted in. "Well fellas… I suppose there's no time to lose."
"Good luck." Aqua added, stepping away from her friends to offer them both a smile, embracing Kairi for a moment with a sigh that taught the younger woman more about the blue-haired woman than she realised. The heaviness, the slight shadow that crept under her eyes despite not aging a day since she had met her as a child. "And may your heart be your guiding key."
Several words of encouragement followed, edging Kairi on to begin walking towards the ship that Sora had once captained, another gummi ship was parked at its side. The bizarrely colored craft screamed Sora.
She paused.
"Hey."
Glancing to her side, she felt a larger hand wrap around her and squeeze it gently. Casting her gaze up to the much taller man, she watched his tired by reassuring smile curl into the creases of his cheeks. "We'll find him."
"I know."
Both began to move at the sound of Donald squawking, his mad jabber made it impossible for the princess of heart to understand him if not for the gentle chuckles from the King and Goofy.
Riku nodded with a laugh, racing forward to catch up to the King who had helped him pull himself out of his own darkness, gesturing for her to follow.
She paused, looking back towards the glistening waves and setting light on the horizon. The play island was caught in its darkening glow, letting shadows fall across her childhood home.
She smiled.
This time, she thought as she raced forward and into the ship that had premiered in many of her dreams and yet still amazed her in reality, I'll save you.
The ship closed with a click, the lights cast out across the darkening island before fluidly rising up just as the others began their way to the second vessel. The islands was quiet except for the gentle lapping of the waves.
But they weren't empty.
The portal opened without a sound, allowing the woman to walk through without a sound and close it behind her. Her hand flinched back as the wisps of darkness faded. Using darkness was… an necessary for the events that were to unfold. As often as their master spoke in dramatic and somewhat comedic ways, he had yet to prove her faith wrong—in the long term.
Invi sighed, breathing in the salty air that encapsulated everything her master had claimed. A smile curled along her lips, catching sight of the ships flying in seperate directions. Perhaps Aced was foolish, perhaps their master still kept his own secrets… she couldn't deny the evident for either.
They didn't have to fear the future anymore.
That brought about one certainty that their master had told them, one definite in this chaotic mess he had thrown them right back into that even Aced would have to be blind to not see. She watched both ships fade from view, listening to the waves for a few moments before opening another portal; one made of light.
Nothing was like before.
