Chapter 2: What Was Paradise

The sunset glazed over the water, bringing a colorful ray of peace upon the islands.

Evening coursed through the peach and orange rays, while my friends and I watched the natural display descend into a calm black. I was sitting on the paopu tree, the yellow star-shaped fruit swaying gently in the tropical breeze. Sora sat next to me, his brown spiky hair being somewhat ruffled in the wind.

Roxas watched Namine quietly, stroking her blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She was sketching in the sand, a two-dimensional version of all six of us. Small grains of sand were dispersed on her white dress and sketchbook, as Roxas smiled with his brilliant blue eyes that matched Namine's. Sora and I also shared the same eye color.

Riku leaned against the base of the paopu tree, his long silver hair contrasting to Xion's short, black hair. Her original outfit of her uniformed black robe had long been replaced with a purple vest with dark blue sleeves, and black shorts. There were many zippers upon it. Xion's hair had grown out now, slightly past her ears. Riku's green-blue eyes glanced to her with a subtle smile, displaying his neutral mood.

Sora and I had walked over to the sub island, seeing our friends watching the finale as well. We decided to join them in the view…something we hadn't been able to do in a while. Ever since we were all separated, it was so lonely. But the warmth of us uniting was enough to melt the cold feelings from our memory.

"It's beautiful." Namine said, setting down a blue colored pencil in the sand.

"Yes, it is." Roxas smiled, as the water rippled and shimmered in the disappearing sun.

"This is nice." Xion said, sitting down in the sand, Riku following suit.

"Yeah. It's been awhile since we've had peace and quiet like this." Riku said, placing his hand on the trunk, his glove chipping off small fragments of bark.

A huge thunderclap exploded through the once bright sky, as pitch black and dark blue hues crashed through the clouds. More booming sounds exploded around, causing everyone's heart to race in confusion and fear. I frantically looked around, my grip on Sora's hand tightening.

"What the hell…?" Riku said, getting up and looking at the darkening waters.

"Roxas, what's going on?" Namine asked, getting up with sudden rations and closed her sketchbook.

"I don't know…" Roxas replied.

Sora's fingers slipped from between mine as he leaped off the paopu tree. I followed him to the center of the sub island that branched off the main one.

We stood in a loosely clumped group looking around. Shouldn't we be going for shelter?

A harsh appearance of a sonic darkness shaped in front of us. Then another one next to it, and another one, until they created a shadowed circumference around us. Reappearing out of each of them, was a hooded figure. A circumference of 13 shadows, of 13 enemies.

Organization XIII.

"Aw shit…" Xion said, summoning her keyblade as Sora, Riku, Roxas, Namine, and I did the same. Namine had obtained a keyblade recently, and was unfamiliar with using it.

"Can't you just leave us alone for once?" Roxas shouted aggressively, gritted teeth.

Organization XIII had been wiped out! Completely dead… and even obliterated into the dark chasms of oblivion… so how did they wind up back here, looking exactly the same?

I was in a panic, edging to Sora, the boys protective, while Xion was also in a stance to fight. Namine and I, were rather hesitant.

The members launched themselves at us, catching myself off guard. I spun around, at the wrong angle to see a figure practically fly towards me. I was rammed into the paopu tree while the dark figure bent down quickly and whispered into my ear.

"Why hello, Kairi." A seductive, sneaky voice tickled my lobe.

My blue eyes widened, as the shadowed face of my restraint examined me with twilight-shaded eyes that sparkled with cunning mischief under his hood.

The scary part was that he knew my name… even who I was. He had attacked me, and threw me off guard… and I was helpless. Although he was a member of Organization XIII, he didn't ring any bells, nor strike any chords of my memory.

Who…?

I reached out to hit him, but realized that my wrists were restrained by braced chains of shadow. They were tight, secured against the paopu tree. My keyblade fell to the ground, shattering into shards of light and flowers.

I looked around the small island, as Roxas battled against fire with Axel, who was clearly winning. Xion, dodging and swinging against Xigbar, who was disappearing into thin air, reappearing where she would least expect it. Demyx was attacking Riku, and despite Riku's strength, Demyx was beating his ass. Demyx, the weakest member… it didn't make sense. Sure, they had sprung on us unexpectedly… but it wasn't like our combat skills had been completely wiped clean from us…

I tried to tell the members apart by their attack elements… but I knew less than half. Namine struggled under someone who was linking her to the ground with pink flowers whose vines menacingly tightened.

But it didn't make sense how they were so much stronger than us. Despite their numbers, we could handle that. We've taken on thousands of heartless at a time, and survived. What was the difference? They were only nobodies, and nothing more.

In this situation, Demyx would be running away, and Riku walking proudly with not so much as a scratch; so why was he bleeding on his forehead?

Xemnas was simply spinning around with his red beam swords, slashing reputedly at Sora, until he fell upon the sand, wounded.

"SORA!" I shouted, afraid.

The figure immediately slapped his leather glove to my mouth, ceasing the sound, and we made fearful eye contact. I cowered under his confidence.

"Shh… it's all right, just a few more minutes and you'll be fine." He smirked.

My breathing became fearfully uneven as he explained to me was going on, in his evil tone that was completely sure of victory.

"Now, give me what we need, and you will be just fine It's a simple process really." He said, calmly, and bent down to pick up a remaining flower from my keyblade. It turned into dark colors in his hand. I was unable to summon it again, because of the braces on my wrist.

I refused to answer, and then realized the terrible truth behind the Organizations actions…

They want my heart.

Not just anyone's heart… my heart.

To open Kingdom Hearts.

"No way! You can go find someone else's."

"Oh ho! So you know exactly what we want. There's no running away now, Kairi," he chuckled, raising his fingers to my jawline.

"LET GO OF ME!" I shouted, kicking him in his stomach, breaking the chains. I heard a cry of pain as he stumbled to the ground. I took my chance to run away. Who was that? Do I even know him?

I was stopped by another figure, who was decently strong, but very weak in grip. I summoned my key blade, and I swiped it at his ankle.

I could tell by his girlish 'ouch!' that it was Demyx.

I fell to the ground, trying to seek refuge. Crawling across the sand seemed to work well, until my fragile body was seized by a pair of big hands. I was picked up again by a larger member.

"Let me go!" I said, kicking and screaming, kicking sand up and throwing an absolute fit. I looked around, and immediately stopped, seeing my friends on the ground, weak and defeated.

I gaped at their bodies, torn and beat.

A glove clenched around my jaw, as I looked up into the unnatural orange eyes of Xemnas, the leader. I was terrified.

"Where's the keyblade?" he asked, not breaking contact with me.

"Here. It's Roxas' keyblade, so the damage should be the same as Sora's." a frightful member replied.

"Where is Sora's?" he asked, losing patience.

"It's gone." the soft, precise voice answered.

"All right. Then this will have to work." Xemnas said as he took the keyblade in his hands.

I was barricaded against the muscular member, helpless. I stared at the weapon, thinking about the pain, the feeling, and losing all hope as it sunk from me.

It was over. They were going to win.

The keyblade was inches from my chest, my throat empty and dilated pupils, with heart racing so fast it didn't even seem like it was real.

Sora flashed before my eyes, his smile, his embrace…his kiss.

There's one more thing I don't want you to forget…I love you.

What would it be like, when it entered my heart?

"Say goodbye, princess." Xemnas creepily spoke, and proceeded to shove it into my chest. I closed my eyes tightly in fear, tears forced from beneath my eyelids.

But there was no feeling of penetration, just a cry of battle; only a strange feeling again my chest… like another body.

I opened my eyes to see the brown spiky hair of Sora, and light escalading from him. Shards that were glistening out, seemed to disappear into the distance, scattering everywhere.

He had jumped in front of me at the split second… his face in sudden shock and pain, and then suddenly a more peaceful expression overtook, his eyes closing, while Xemnas' eyes narrowed in anger.

Sora fell to the ground, unconscious. His knees hitting at first, all life leaving his eyes, as he folded over onto the sand, his eyes closing as one last shard fluttered from him.

I stared at him, wondering if I had lost him.

"Sora!" Riku's voice escaped, as I turned to see him dash to the side of his companion. Namine rubbed her head, got up calmly, sharing the same fearful look displayed upon my face.

"Take the 13th and 14th. Leave the rest." He commanded slowly, irked.

Roxas was then taken under Axel's arm, as the members slowly retreated back into the portal of darkness they had entered in. His lip was bleeding, mouth open as he watched Sora, his friend. His cheek boring a scratch, and his white jacket dyed red in blotches. Xion upon Xigbar' back, descending into shadow.