Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Simple as that!
A/N: Sorry about the wait, but I have finished another chapter! Oh, and just so you know, I lied. This story will have more than five chapters, but not much more. I'm just not sure how many yet. Also, I've just started a Kingdom Hearts Forum called, 'The Realm of Light and Darkness', so if you'd like to know what my theory is concerning the new Kingdom Hearts game coming out in the future, go check it out. I haven't seen another one like it yet, and I think you'll all find it to be very interesting. Anyways, enjoy the new chapter!
The Way to the Heart
Chapter 4: Reunion
Sora
The Usual Spot, Twilight Town
Sora came to a stop in front of the small building Hayner and the others used for a hangout and took a deep breath. Now that he had finally arrived at his destination, he could not help feeling just a little bit nervous for the sake of his Nobody.
Don't tell me you're getting cold feet! And what was that last thought all about? Thanks a lot, Sora. I thought you were trying to make me feel better, but all you've done is make me feel even worse!
Sorry about that, but your pessimistic attitude is starting to rub off on me.
Right, so now it's my fault you're beginning to second-guess yourself. And you had the nerve to accuse me of being insensitive!
Roxas, will you stop complaining and let me help you?
Roxas immediately stopped talking, and Sora blinked in surprise at the sudden silence in his head.
Roxas? Are you there?
Sora, I...I'm sorry. It's just...I'm not used to people wanting to help me. Axel was the only member of the Organization who ever even tried. The others only wanted to manipulate me.
What about Hayner, Pence, and Olette?
Of course they helped me, but I...how do I know if that was really real or not? I know it's stupid, but I guess I'm scared to find out.
Well, I'm going to help you. Doesn't that count for anything?
No wonder Hayner and the others like you so much.
I have you to thank for that.
Huh?
Sora crossed his arms and smiled to himself. Think about it long enough and you'll figure it out.
"Hey, Sora, is Roxas ready to go?" Kairi asked, tapping him on the shoulder and giving him an inquiring look.
Sora shrugged his shoulders and motioned for the others to follow him. "He's as ready as he'll ever be. Come on, let's get this over with before we end up having to deal with any more interruptions."
"It's your fault, Sora. You should learn not to make an impression on everyone you meet," Riku smirked.
Sora ignored his best friend and entered the usual spot with his head held high. Unfortunately he had forgotten to look where he was going upon entering the room, and before he could even make it all the way through the door, he ended up stumbling directly into Olette. Somehow he managed to grab onto the pretty brunette's shoulders, but despite his efforts to avoid injuring himself or his friends, he accidentally banged his chin off the top of Olette's head. Surprisingly enough, the female resident of Twilight Town didn't appear to notice. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug and buried her face against his chest. "Sora, you're alive! Where have you been all this time? We thought something bad might have happened to you when you didn't appear back in the mansion after going to that other Twilight Town. It's so good to see you again! Why didn't you come back here a long time ago and let us know how you were doing?"
Sora smiled at his female friend, and although he could not help feeling a little bit embarrassed by Olette's reaction, he returned her hug with enthusiasm. "I'm really sorry about that. It's not like I didn't want to come see you guys again, especially after everything that happened, but there were a few things I needed to do first."
"I take it everything worked out the way you wanted it to?" Pence asked hopefully.
Sora gently let go of Olette and moved over to wrap his arm around Pence's shoulders. "Actually, things worked out even better than I thought they would. It's good to see you again Pence. You really helped me out back at the mansion."
Pence blushed at the unexpected praise and nervously scratched his head. "It was nothing. I'm just glad you're still in one piece."
"He's not the only one who's glad you didn't end up getting yourself killed."
Sora jumped at the sound of Hayner's voice and turned to see the other boy leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and it was all Sora could do to keep his emotions under control.
No, not my emotions. Roxas, will you please calm down before you make me look like a crazy person?
Sorry.
Roxas' voice was just barely above a whisper inside his head, and reaching out with the strength of his heart, he put all of his efforts into what he hoped was a successful attempt to comfort his Nobody. Just hang in there a little bit longer, okay?
I'll...try. Sora, you don't know how good it feels just to see their faces and hear their voices, even if they don't realize I'm right here with them. It might be the only thing I'll ever have when it comes to old friends.
Not if I can help it.
Sora managed to plaster what he hoped was a cheerful smile on his face and reached out to clasp Hayner's hand. "Hey, I think I deserve a little more credit than that."
Hayner punched him lightly in the shoulder and gave him a warm smile. "So, you're back. Took you long enough to come and visit us. Pence and Olette were really worried about you, but I knew you would get the job done."
"Get real, Hayner. You were more worried about Sora than Pence and I were combined!" Olette snorted.
"I was not!"
Sora laughed at the embarrassed look on Hayner's face and leaned over to give Olette a quick hug. "You haven't changed at all, Olette. I'm just as glad to see you as I am to see Pence."
"Same to you, Sora."
"Hey, what about me?" Hayner grumbled.
Sora poked Hayner in the chest and gave the other boy a sly smile. "Of course I'm glad to see you. Does this mean I get to wipe the floor with you in another struggle match?"
"Not a chance!"
"In that case, would you care to take on a couple of my friends?"
I bet I could beat Hayner twice in a row, but I'm more interested to see him in a struggle battle against Riku. You are talking about Riku, aren't you?
Who else, but I was talking about you, too.
Oh, right...
Hayner's face suddenly turned serious, and Sora felt himself being pulled towards the old couch sitting against the wall on the right-hand side of the room. He frowned in confusion, but before he could open his mouth, Hayner held up a hand for silence, and he allowed the other boy to rest a hand against his shoulder. "Hey, Sora, since you're back and everything, does that mean you were able to find Kairi and Riku?"
Sora glanced around Hayner's shoulder and smiled softly at his two friends who were standing hesitantly in the doorway with Donald and Goofy. They smiled back at him, and he nudged Hayner gently in the ribs. "In case you didn't notice, I brought a few friends along."
"Hey, guys," Kairi said softly, beaming at the surprised trio who had only just now noticed the presence of four other people standing in the room.
Olette immediately flung herself at Kairi and let out a squeal of delight. "Kairi, you're safe! We were worried sick about you after that creepy red-haired guy kidnapped you right under our noses!"
Creepy red-haired guy? Hey, that's one of my best friends she's talking about! Thanks a lot, Olette!
Somehow Sora managed to keep a straight expression on his face, and turning his attention to Kairi, it was all he could do to suppress a sudden fit of laughter. "You know I would never have let anything happen to you, but I definitely had some help. If it weren't for Riku, Hayner, Pence, Olette, Donald, Goofy, and so many others, I might not have been able to find you."
"But you did, and that's the only thing that matters to me," Kairi said, smiling at him and pulling Olette into a warm hug.
Don't forget, Sora, you had Namine's help, too, and the same goes for King Mickey.
Trust me, I haven't forgotten. Hey, don't tell me you're still going on about Axel. Olette didn't mean to insult him. No offense, Roxas, but you really need to learn how to control your temper!
What do you expect? I'm offended for his sake. Man, as much as I hate to admit it, Ansem was right. You are far too nice for your own good!
Hey! What's wrong with that?
Nothing! Everything! Look, now do you understand why I couldn't help myself?
What? Sorry, Roxas, but you've totally lost me.
Figures. Ansem told me I should share some of my anger with you. Do you know what I said to him in response?
Something really rude or totally uncalled for? That's what Riku's response would have been.
I told him my heart belonged to me.
Really? That particular memory of yours definitely hasn't reached me yet.
Aren't you going to say anything?
What do you want me to say? In the end, you were the one who was right, not Ansem. Trust me, Roxas, your heart isn't going anywhere.
Sora...
Sora wisely kept silent and turned his attention back to Kairi and Olette. He could tell Roxas needed a little time to absorb their undeniably meaningful conversation, and he was content to give his golden-haired Nobody that time and a little bit of space if it meant the other boy would start acting a little more like the Roxas he had come to know so well. When Roxas was upset, it always affected him, too, and right now he had enough things to worry about.
"I'm so glad you and Sora were able to find each other again. That's so romantic!" Olette sighed, clasping her hands together and gazing at the ceiling with a dreamy look on her face. Hayner let out a loud groan, and Sora felt his cheeks turn pink.
See what I mean? I told you she thinks everything is romantic.
Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?
I think your face is on fire. Too bad you had to get rid of Demyx. He could have solved your problem.
No thanks. I think I'll just get Donald to hit me with a blizzard spell.
"Well, Sora? What do you think?" Kairi asked, smiling brightly at him.
"Uh...about what?"
"About the fact that we were able to find each other again. I think it was kind of romantic."
I knew it. See, Sora? You should listen to me more often.
Sora did not even bother trying to come up with a response. Instead, he stared stupidly at his female friend and quickly snapped his mouth shut when he realized he was gawking at her like a fish with its mouth hanging open. What just...happened here?
Lucky for him, Hayner chose that moment to interrupt, and he gave the other boy a grateful smile. He'd already done enough embarrassing things for one day, and thanks to Hayner, he was spared the horror of having to say something that more than likely would have sounded incredibly stupid.
"It's a good thing Sora found you otherwise we never would have forgiven him," Hayner joked, standing up and moving over to wrap his arm around Kairi's shoulders.
Kairi laughed at the mischievous look on Hayner's face and slid her arm around the blond's waist in a tight hug. "I really missed you guys."
"Same here," Pence said cheerfully, moving over to stand next to Olette.
Kairi gave the shorter boy a hug, as well, and nodded towards the door. "I'm not the only person Sora was able to find."
After a brief hesitation, Riku slowly stepped further into the room, and his emerald green eyes came to rest on Hayner, Pence and Olette. The older boy's intense gaze immediately caught Hayner's attention, but before the blond could say anything, Pence elbowed him lightly in the ribs and the two of them turned to look at Olette. The female resident of Twilight Town was staring at Riku with her mouth hanging open and there was a strange, almost humorous, look on her face. Apparently Riku didn't seem to notice, though, because Sora watched his best friend take a moment to study the curiosity in Hayner's eyes and the eager expression on Pence's face before turning back to Olette. As soon as Olette realized Riku was staring at her, her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, and she lowered her eyes to the ground.
Um...that was...interesting...
I'll say. Olette doesn't usually get this weird, does she? I wonder what's gotten into her.
Uh...Sora? Maybe we just don't want to know.
But...
"You must be Olette," Riku said smoothly, smiling slightly and holding out his hand. "Sora told me a lot about you and your friends. Hayner and Pence, right?"
Hayner nodded slowly and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's right. Sora and Kairi are our friends too. We had to do something to help them."
"I know. This is going to sound a little weird, but...I'm glad I finally get a chance to meet the three of you. Sora and I might not have been able to do what we did without your help."
"I don't know what you're talking about, but you're welcome, I guess," Pence said slowly, looking a little confused.
Olette slipped her fingers into Riku's palm and smiled shyly at the older boy. "You're...Riku, right? You must be Riku. Sora told us a little bit about you just before he went to that other Twilight Town and we've been wanting to meet you ever since. Actually, maybe that's not really true. I think Sora told us more than he realized because I understand now why he was so intent on finding you."
Sora stared at Olette in surprise, and frowning slightly, he moved over to stand next to his best friend's side. "You really think that?"
"Of course we do. Right, Pence?"
Pence smiled at Riku and nodded. "Anybody who's a friend of Sora's is a friend of ours."
If only...
Roxas...
Riku slowly let go of Olette's hand and raised his eyebrows. "That easy, huh?"
"Of course," Hayner interrupted, lifting his chin and poking Riku sharply in the chest. "You're lucky to have a best friend like Sora. I wish..."
"What's wrong, Hayner?" Kairi asked, her voice full of concern.
Hayner muttered something under his breath and quickly shook his head. "Nothing. Just forget it."
I'm right here, Hayner. You do have a best friend like Sora...
And I'm going to make sure he realizes it!
Sora suddenly felt Riku's arm go around his shoulders, and he turned to gaze at his best friend in surprise. "What's up, Riku?"
Riku ignored him and gave Hayner a surprisingly sympathetic smile. "Trust me, I know how lucky I am."
Riku...
Riku's not the only one who's lucky. You are too, Sora.
I know. I've known that ever since the very first day I met Riku.
Hayner nodded in satisfaction and put a hand on Riku's shoulder. "In that case, welcome to the club."
"It never hurts to have more friends," Pence agreed, pulling Riku down on the couch and motioning for everyone to take a seat. "You guys are welcome to come here anytime."
"And you'd better make use of our offer because it's not everyday we let someone into the usual spot," Hayner warned. "If you guys don't come and visit us a lot, you're in big trouble!"
"Donald! Goofy! You guys are here too? It's so good to see you again!" Olette laughed, pushing Hayner out of the way and throwing her arms around Donald in a warm hug. Donald let out a loud 'quack' of surprise, but before he could say anything, Olette turned to Goofy and beamed at the captain of the King's royal guards. "I admit we were a little worried, but I had a feeling you and Donald were going to do a great job of keeping Sora safe, even if it meant following him into some creepy alternate version of Twilight Town."
"Gawrsh...thanks, Olette, but you know we never would have let anything happen to Sora."
"I know."
"Friends look out for each other no matter what kind of danger they're in," Donald said firmly.
Sora felt suddenly warm inside, and he beamed at his two companions. "Thanks, guys. Even after all this time, you've never let me down, and I promise I'll do my best to return the favour."
"A-hyuck, you don't have to do that, Sora," Goofy said rather shyly, fiddling with the shiny shield in his hands.
Sora smiled slightly and shook his head. "No, but I want to."
"Where's King Mickey?" Olette asked, giving Goofy a quick hug and glancing curiously around the room in hopes of spotting the elusive ruler of Disney Castle.
Donald made himself comfortable on the floor and used the tip of his staff to scratch an itch between his shoulder blades. "His Majesty went back to Disney Castle with a friend of ours named Jiminy Cricket."
"We had the honour of escorting the King with the use of our Gummi Ship," Goofy said proudly, sitting down next to Donald.
"Who else?" Pence muttered, smiling slightly and leaning over to place a hand on Goofy's shoulder. "Twilight Town just isn't the same without you and Donald."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Donald asked suspiciously.
Pence exchanged a look with Riku and shrugged his shoulders. "It was a compliment. I don't know about Hayner, but I'm definitely glad you two are still around."
"Why does everyone always try to make me look like the bad guy?" Hayner grumbled. "Of course I'm glad to see them. Does that mean everyone in Twilight Town needs to hear it?"
"Gawrsh, we're happy to see you too, Hayner!" Goofy said cheerfully.
Sora shook his head in amusement and moved over to sit next to Kairi. Hayner sat down on his other side and the three of them turned to look at the couch where Pence and Riku were sitting. Olette shyly took the seat on Riku's left, but once again the older boy didn't appear to notice.
"I take it you guys got here without any trouble?" Hayner asked, frowning slightly.
Sora shifted slightly so the two of them were facing each other and managed a weak grin. "Not exactly. We had a bit of a run-in with Seifer's gang, but I'm not complaining. At least there aren't any Nobodies or Heartless hanging around, and best of all there aren't any members of the Organization causing trouble either."
"In that case, forget Seifer." Hayner dismissed the blond struggler with a snort and gazed thoughtfully towards the door. "Nobodies? Heartless? The Organization? No offense, Sora, but aside from rescuing Riku and Kairi, you never did tell us all that much about what was really going on with you. Those white things that attacked us...they were Nobodies, weren't they? And the King did mention something about a guy named Ansem and a group called Organization XIII..."
Oh right. I guess I have a lot of explaining to do.
Better you than me.
Sorry, Roxas, but don't you remember what I told you earlier? You and I are going to explain everything together.
I was afraid you were going to say that.
"Sora-"
Sora cut Hayner off with a wave of his hand and leaned back against the wall with his arms behind his head. "I'll get to that later. First, there's something I need to ask you, but before I do that, I'd better give you guys an explanation about what happened at the old mansion. That alternate Twilight Town where King Mickey got Olette's munny pouch and the blue jewel from was actually a simulation of the real Twilight Town created by a man named Ansem the Wise."
"So...the computer in the mansion belonged to Ansem, right?" Olette asked. "At least, that's the impression I got earlier when Pence asked you guys for a password. Remember, he couldn't access any other screens on the computer without one."
Riku nodded slowly and frowned at the ceiling. "That's right. Ansem used that computer to create a simulation of the original Twilight Town within Sora's memories."
"I think I get it," Hayner muttered, scratching his dark blond head in confusion. "That other Twilight Town is a copy of the one we live in. So...what exactly do you want to know?"
Sora hesitated and blushed when he felt Kairi give his hand an encouraging squeeze. He glanced quickly around the room to see if anyone else had noticed, but surprisingly enough no one appeared to be watching him. Thankfully the others were too caught up in the conversation to pay much attention to him, and with a sigh of relief, he allowed his mind to once again focus on Hayner. "What ever happened to Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town?"
"You mean...you don't know?"
"Huh?" Sora frowned at Hayner and turned to look at Pence. "What..."
"Uh...Sora. The entrance to Ansem's Twilight Town in the old mansion disappeared," Pence mumbled, avoiding his eyes.
"What?"
Why are you surprised? I'm not. I think a part of me knew all along it would disappear. The Hayner, Pence, and Olette I knew really are gone forever...
No! It doesn't matter. Your friends are right here!
Now it truly is as if I never existed...
Roxas! Just...stop, please?
You make it sound so easy...
"Sora, that's one of the reasons why we were so worried about you," Pence said quietly, interrupting his thoughts. "We thought you might have ended up getting stuck in that fake Twilight Town forever."
"No way!" Donald snorted.
"I wonder why it disappeared," Kairi said thoughtfully.
"It was no longer needed," Riku murmured. "The only reason it even existed in the first place was to stop the Organization from finding the Key of Destiny. Sora needed time to regain all of his memories back before he could become whole again, and in order for that to happen, Ansem needed to keep Sora's other half as far away from the Organization as possible. That's why the Key of Destiny was given a fabricated identity, and that's why any memories revolving around Organization XIII were omitted. Basically it was a safe haven for number XIII."
For me, the Key of Destiny.
"I bet it disappeared just after we defeated Xemnas. More than likely Ansem the Wise programmed it that way."
"Riku's right," Kairi sighed, her bright blue eyes coming to rest on Pence. "If you want to know the truth, Pence, Sora wasn't in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town for very long."
"He...wasn't? Well, then where was he? Who is Xemnas, and what do you mean by 'Sora's other half'?"
"Sora was in The World That Never Was. That's where I was being held captive, and that's where Riku was too."
"What? You're kidding!" Hayner shouted at the top of his lungs. "What kind of weirdo gives a world a name like 'The World That Never Was'?"
"Sora, I think you have a lot of explaining to do!" Olette scolded, crossing her arms.
Sora slowly stood up and moved towards the center of the room. He turned to look directly at Olette and Pence before focusing his attention on Hayner, and taking a deep breath, he placed a hand against his heart. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything, but before I do, there's someone I want you to meet. He's a good friend of mine, and I think you guys might find him to be a little bit...familiar. At least, I hope you do."
Come on, Roxas, it's now or never.
How about never? Sora, I...I don't think I can do this.
Even when we're separated, I'm always with you. That's the power of the heart. I'm not going to let you do this alone.
'Can you feel Sora?' That's what Riku asked me once before.
I know. That's one memory of yours I do remember.
I've always been able to feel you. I realize that now. It was your heart that led me to the old mansion, not Ansem. I...I think I'm ready now.
Good, let's do this.
"You have another friend with you? Where is he?" Olette asked, glancing around the room as if expecting to see someone standing there whom she had not noticed before.
Sora smiled to himself and bowed his head. "He's right here."
A split second later Sora felt Roxas begin to slip free from his heart, and his body, starting from the place where his hand was resting gently against his heart, began to glow, illuminating the room with pale blue light. Roxas materialized beside him a little more slowly than usual, and the two of them proceeded to gaze silently at Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Sora could tell Roxas was nervous, but there was also determination in the Key of Destiny's bright blue eyes, and that made him feel a little more hopeful. Still, despite the fact that it looked as if Roxas had established some sort of control over his emotions, Sora did not hesitate to slip an arm around his Nobody's shoulders for support.
Unfortunately he didn't get quite the reaction he had been hoping for from Hayner, Pence, and Olette. The female resident of Twilight Town took one look at Roxas, and Sora was positive Setzer, and possibly Seifer, could hear her loud shriek all the way over at Central Station. "Look! It's a ghost!"