Author's Info: So, this is the last of the prologue. I know it's a little long, but I had to set up Aaname's character and show her relationship with Riku. All of this takes place pre-Kingdom Hearts, and that's why it's all prologue. Next chapter is going to skip forward in time. Thanks to Axel's Pyro Girl for the support. I hope this doesn't bore you. The real story starts with the next chapter, I promise.
The "what"s: Listening to Night of Fate from the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack. This is the song they play when this scene is going on, so it felt appropriate. I've been thinking about the direction this story will be taking now that the prologue is over, and it's definitely taking a turn. We'll see how it goes.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. The only thing I do own is Aaname. Even the plot for this chapter is taken from Kingdom Hearts. Enjoy.
Chapter Four
Aaname's head jerked up in surprise as she heard a loud crash come from outside the house. She had managed to compose herself before her parents returned to settle in for the night and began working on the pastries, which were now all but forgotten as she ran outside. There was a terrible storm brewing and she felt her heart sink. There were never storms like this in the Destiny Islands, and even when there were storms they never came with such a feeling of . . . terror.
Suddenly she noticed someone running. Upon looking closer, she noticed Sora's spiky hair. Her eyes widened in alarm and she began to run after him, yelling, "Sora! What in hell do you think you're doing? Come back! It's too dangerous!" He didn't hear her; he just kept running. Even if she and Sora didn't get along, she couldn't leave him to run off in a storm like this. This reminded her far too much of home; she couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity.
She followed him all the way out to the beach only to stop dead. In front of her were the very creatures that haunted her nightmares: the Heartless. Their glowing yellow eyes and twitching antennae focused on her as she stood there trembling. They weren't supposed to be here. This place was supposed to be safe, supposed to be unnoticed by both light and dark. Nothing bad was ever supposed to happen here, yet it was. Someone had opened the door to the Heartless, and now she would be forced to look once again upon the destruction of her home. Now wasn't the time to think of such things, however. She had to be strong; she had to get to Sora. He had no idea what the Heartless were, or of what they were capable of doing. She had to stop him before he suffered the same fate of so many of her loved ones.
"Riku! Kairi!" she heard him calling out. He was running for the place she knew their raft would be. She took off after him, calling for him to stop. Suddenly a swarm of Heartless appeared in front of her, making her stop. There was no way she could get to Sora without fighting her way through. Of all the times for me to not have my weapon, she thought as she looked around for anything suitable. The only thing she could see were those wooden swords the guys were always fighting with. She knew it wouldn't be the most effective weapon, but it would have to do. She readied herself as one of the Heartless charged at her and slashed at it. The Heartless dodged, but was wounded badly enough. Sure, she had been young when she had last encountered the Heartless, but she still remembered how to fight them.
"Sora!" she called out in hope he would hear her. "Sora!" She was attacked by another of the Heartless, but she was determined to force her way through. She charged into the ranks of the Heartless, slashing at any that tried to attack her. She knew if her brother could see her now, he would be proud of the way she had kept up her training. She managed to push her way through and greatly wounded a number of the Heartless.
She ran after Sora once again, looking all over, only to find him running toward the island where he, Riku, and Kairi often sat and talked together, and the one where she often spent time when she wanted to be alone. She could still hear him calling out for his friends, and she wondered how he didn't notice the swelling ranks of the Heartless.
She finally managed to make it to the beach as Sora ran onto the island. As she got closer, she saw there was someone else there waiting, although she couldn't be sure if it was human or Heartless from this distance.
"Riku!" she heard him yell in relief. She felt herself tense, shock overcoming her, only to feel it slowly give way to anger and betrayal. He had done it; he was the one who had opened the door for the Heartless and the destruction that followed them. He allowed his own selfish desires for adventure to overtake the safety of the very people he claimed to care about. "Riku, what's going on? We have to get out of here!" Sora said.
"I'm going, Sora," she heard Riku say as she ran to the island. "We can finally go on our adventure. Are you coming with me?"
"Riku, are you really that much of a fool?" she yelled angrily. "Do you have any idea what you've done in your desire for an adventure? You've opened up the door for the Heartless! You've condemned this world to obliteration! Riku! What have you done, Riku?" she cried out. He turned to her and smirked.
"I'm not afraid of the darkness," he said. Her eyes widened. "The door to darkness is open. Now I can go wherever I want. I can have my adventures. I can see new worlds, be the person I want to be. Now, Sora, Anna, are you coming with me or not?"
"Riku! Don't do this!" she pleaded. "There are other ways, better ways, to do this! You can't go through with this; you'll destroy us all! Riku, I can help you find another way! Darkness isn't the answer Riku! You can't really want this so badly you would condemn us all to destruction!" She cried out as she sensed the Heartless nearing and attacked it quickly. She was quickly being overwhelmed. She couldn't let down her guard, but she had to stop Riku. It was the only chance she had of fighting the Heartless.
Suddenly she found herself entirely surrounded by Heartless. She knew there was no way she could fight them all off, but she had to try. She attempted to slash at them, but the grabbed her and pinned her down. As she fell she saw Riku go through a portal of darkness that opened before him. "Riku! No! Come back, Riku! Come back!" She watched him disappear. "Riku!" she cried out as she was dragged into darkness.