Thank you everyone for the reviews! I have a present for you all, a new chapter! Please leave a review if you wish.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, or any Disney songs/scenes I take from.
The Beginning
Chapter VII: vs. Xemnas
Riku was sitting at Destiny Island's Ice Cream Parlor, enjoying a delicious banana split under a parasol. He was silently wondering how Sora and Kairi's first day back when while reminiscing his own. He chuckled to himself when he recalled Jason knocking himself out with his own sword in his own Weapons Training class. Riku however, didn't have Yuffie and Axel as teachers. So when he heard someone shout 'Riku!' he was not prepared for what he saw. Riku looked up and saw a girl around eighteen with a pale face and short black hair wearing a red headband and a black outfit.
Riku having never seen Yuffie before in his life wondered who this could be, until he noticed that she fit the exact description that Sora gave them for Yuffie. Yuffie's face lit up with one of happiness for finding her quarry. She ran towards Riku, who rose from his table with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Um… Yuffie right?" he said, extending his hand. Yuffie shook his offered hand.
"Miss Yuffie Riku," she said. "I'm one of the new weapons training teachers," Yuffie explained noticing his increasingly puzzled look. Riku nodded his head in understanding.
"So," he began while pulling out a chair for her to sit on, "you are one of Mickey's representatives?" Yuffie took the seat and ordered a chocolate sundae before answering. Riku took another scoop of ice cream from his split.
"Yep, and Axel's the other one." Riku stiffened, and a small dollop of the creamy substance slipped off the spoon and onto his lap. Riku took no notice that his plaid blue uniform shorts were being stained white.
"Axel," he chocked out, his eyes hardening in anger. Yuffie became alarmed.
"No, no," she said in haste, "Axel's on our side now. There's no need to be upset." Riku softened, a little.
"Okay, I believe you, for now," he said before suddenly feeling a cold liquid on his lap. "Oh, crap," he moaned before taking a napkin to it. Yuffie laughed.
"You should be more careful Riku," she teased. Riku chuckled and flashed a grin.
"Well, you startled me with that Axel's a teacher too comment." Riku then realized what he said. "Axel's a teacher too?" he loudly questioned Yuffie. She waved her hands in front of her in self-defense as her sundae arrived.
"Don't worry Riku," she said, "he hasn't killed anyone, yet." Riku chuckled before remembering the letter the King sent.
"So, what was it the King said we-" Yuffie cut him off with a warning glance.
"Not here," she said quietly, "I have to take you back to the school anyway, so we'll talk there." Riku raised his eyebrows. He wiped some of his long silver hair from his eyes.
"Why do I have to go back to the school?" Yuffie looked up from her sundae.
"Oh, Sora and Kairi performed excellently in our class today," she began, "and the prize for the two bets combatants is to go in the simulator tomorrow." She stopped, not really wanting to continue. Riku pressed her.
"Go on," he prodded. Yuffie decided that giving him a half-truth would be better for the moment.
"Axel needs help programming the simulator for tomorrow," Yuffie said. Riku sighed.
"So he heard I'm in programming?" he asked shaking his head. "I don't see why I should help him, but it was in the King's letter so, let's go." He continued shaking his head in resignation as Yuffie got up and prepared to pay for their sweets. Riku placed a hand on her shoulder. "My treat," he said with a small smile. Yuffie smiled at him.
"Thanks," she said, "Squall never buys me anything. I have to buy all the sea-salt ice cream myself." Riku laughed as they walked out.
"I guess that can empty a great ninja's pocketbook huh?" She nodded her head.
"One of the reason's we decided to get jobs as teachers while en route." Riku gasped, his eyes wide in shock.
"You come here to keep an eye on us, and to earn money you decide to become teachers?" he postulated. Yuffie giggled as they approached the top of the hill overlooking the high school.
"Not a very good choice huh?" Riku shook his head weakly. They walked in silence to the front doors, just as Yuffie took out her keys to unlock them, they heard a very distant 'Roxas I'm going to KILL YOU!'. They both looked up, and noticing nothing besides two very small specks in the sky, looked back at each other and shrugged as Yuffie unlocked to school.
When they got to the sparring gym, they arrived inside a room bathed in fire as Axel pounded his head repeatedly on the brick wall.
"This stupid contraption won't work!" he cried in vain.
"Don't worry Axel," Yuffie called, "I've brought the guy you need." Axel looked round with a 'huh', and noticing the two new occupants of the room, quickly magically put out the searing flames, leaving not a trace that a fire had even been burning. Riku cleared his throat as he stepped towards the console, glaring at Axel.
"So, what are you trying to do?" he asked the miffed spiky red head. Axel smirked.
"You mean you don't know," he said in an arrogant tone. "You don't know that I'm trying to program this hunk of junk into the final battle with Xemnas." Riku's eyes grew wide in shock as he rounded his head to look at Yuffie. She looked down at her shoes before closing the door. Riku looked up at Axel.
"I'm going to call my folks and tell them I have to stay at school to help a teacher for the night," he said pulling out his cell phone. Axel nodded and stepped forward to the keyboard and tried to begin debugging the pitiful simulation he wrote.
Two hours later Riku remembered the King's letter and looked up from the keyboard after saving what they had written so far.
"What did the King mean in his letter about something we forgot, or Heartless attacking?" he asked the two representatives. They looked at each other and sighed.
"What we're about to tell you," Axel began a warning flashing in his teal eyes, "must not go beyond this room. You must tell no one, especially," his eyes bulged, "Sora or Kairi." Riku stood still for a long while wondering why they wouldn't want him to tell his two best friends. Slowly, he nodded. The two relaxed and smiled sadly. Axel began again. "What you guys and the King forgot, was Maleficent."
Riku's eyes grew wide in shock as he remembered the evil witch with black horns and shuddered. Suddenly the last words he had heard her speak rang in his ears in her eerie voice,
"Sora, your Majesty, don't forget. After I've destroyed them all this castle will be MINE!" Yuffie continued for Axel with tears beginning to leak down her face.
"We have a spy in her organization, and we've learned her plans." Yuffie choked out as she broke down. "She wants to turn Sora into a Heartless!" she cried out, the tears streaming down her face. Quite suddenly she latched onto Riku, who unluckily or not, was the closest to her, and began crying into his shoulder. Riku was stunned. Even though he had never met Yuffie before today, the stories Sora had told them about the Radiant Garden gang were enough to know that they were all strong willed and powerful people, who didn't succumb to despair easily. All Riku could do right now for the girl crying into his shoulders was to pat her on the back and try to comfort her.
"Don't worry Yuf," he cooed softly to her, "Sora won't go down easily. He has all of us to protect him." He lifted her chin so she could look into his kind eyes as he wiped away a tear with his thumb. "That's why the King sent you. Sora would only go down if he were too busy protecting the people he loves, like Kairi. Mickey sent you because he knew Sora would have to leave the islands if he was to be saved from heartless ripping out his heart and making him one of them. You're here to make sure he leaves at the first sign of trouble, and then defend the islands, right?" Yuffie looked into his eyes with wonder before snuggling into his shoulder, sniffling a 'yes'. Axel raised his eyebrows at Riku.
"Aren't you the insightful one?" he said, as Yuffie started to fall asleep in Riku's shoulder. "Why can't I get that lucky with women?" he asked nobody in particular. Riku shrugged and gently laid the sleeping Yuffie down on the bleachers before swiping Axel's red hoodie and placing it over her as a blanket. Riku gave Axel a look that Axel took to mean, 'Tell anyone what just happened and I will make your life a living hell.'
"Let's get back to work."
A further three hours later, Riku was started banging his head on the wall, which by now had a substantial dent in it. The program's three and a half thousand lines of code seemed fine, but whenever they tried to run a simulation, it died and came up with an error message!
"I don't get it!" Axel yelled to the heavens, "the code is fine! Why won't it work?" Riku refrained from his head banging and glumly returned to the console that was making his life hell for the current moment. Riku looked at it again for several minutes in a very analytical way before his eyes widened in horror.
"Axel, kill me," was all he laughed out, his head hanging in shame. Axel summoned his chakrams in a fiery blitz with a demented look on his face.
"Why?" he asked. Asking why was only a formality after all when you're killing a friend. Riku kept his head down.
"Because we've been writing a two dimensional program for a three dimensional environment." Axel's eyes grew wide in shock, before anger took hold and he flew at Riku, eyes blazing.
Sora was thrashing in his sleep trying to piece together his feelings for Kairi. Blissful thoughts of she kissed me kept floating in his mind. What did all this mean? Why did she make him feel like he was on cloud nine every time she sent a smile his way? Why did she kiss him? Why was she his own happy thought? Why? Why? Why?
Why does that memory pain you so? Roxas piped up from the back of his mind, all previous thoughts of revenge on Sora gone. Now he was going to help his other, and friend.
I don't know, Sora replied as it went through his head for the fifth time that night.
Maybe it's because you care more for Kairi than you've admitted. Sora's face became puzzled.
Huh?
Well think about it, Roxas responded. You had just learned that after thinking Kairi was safe at home she was kidnapped, and before you could learn where she was in order to see if she was okay, your only willing source of information vanished. Then when you asked if you could go to her, de-nied!
I know Roxas! Sora telepathically yelled, before his face softened and he said quietly, I know, Roxas. Roxas decided to take a different approach.
Do you like Kairi Sora? It was blunt, but blunt can get the job done.
More than like her, Sora said back, an almost dreamy look on his face, I l…
Yes?
I, I don't know, Sora thought, his face becoming one of uncertainty as he turned his head to gaze out of the window. He looked towards the little island and his eyes filled with the sight of the Secret Place, not even lingering on the large wooden door at the end, but resting firmly on the rock he and Kairi had drawn sharing paopu fruits with another at different times.
Sora finally grew tired, but one last thought he thought before succumbing to sleep.
Could it be, love?
Kairi was having a similar conversation with Naminé in her own bed. She had to suffer her father's interrogation when she had somehow managed to arrive just before curfew, not from the front door, but from her own room. But she had managed to make up that she snuck in earlier and he didn't notice. She wasn't going to tell him about flying or magic yet. He would surely keep her home right after school if he knew about that.
Why do you care so much about whether you can stay outside after school or get cooped up? Naminé asked.
Because, Kairi argued, I can't see Sora if I'm stuck here!
Why do you want to keep seeing Sora? Naminé teased.
Because I l…
Yes? Naminè pressed.
I love him, Kairi's face grew in amazement at her own proclamation to her Nobody.
You love him?
Yes, Kairi felt as if one weight were being lifted off her shoulders for admitting to herself what her heart knew to be true, and a heavier one was being placed on. But does he love me too?
Riku lay face down on the floor of the simulation room, his bangs and clothes drenched in sweat. He slowly stood up and healed his wounds with one of his innumerable potions. Although he was beat up and covered in sweat, his face was one of satisfaction as he left the room.
Axel was waiting outside, a huge grin on his face and a large cup of steaming coffee in his hands. Yuffie had a smile on her face as she gave him a thumbs up from a little behind Axel. He looked at Riku as he exited and his insane grin widened.
"WE DID IT!" he yelled, clasping Riku's hand and drawing him into a guy hug.
"Yep," an equally exuberant Riku proclaimed. "The transparent holographic images are of superb quality and believability, simulation characters are astounding and highly accurate, terrain textures are accurate, and all physical damage done to user is real and curable." He gestured towards his slightly ripped and bloodstained school uniform. There wasn't a cut or scratch on him, despite the clearly fresh evidence. Yuffie gave him a look.
"What does all that techno-babble mean?" she asked. Riku laughed.
"It means it works perfectly." Yuffie smiled in understanding and nodded her head.
"So," Axel started, the adrenaline from finally turning the hunk of junk into a boss battle that would make Sora cringe of déjà vu for weeks still coursing in him, "you going to be present for Sora and Kairi's performance?"
"You know it," Riku smirked, "though I will need a note from a teacher to skip my block four class to come here." Axel waved his hand, and out of a sudden fiery conflagration came a note, without a charred corner or scorch mark on it.
"Already done, I wrote it up during the latest test." Riku took the note and walked over to the keyboard. He looked up at the monitor. It was currently playing a recording of the last use of the simulator. Riku watched as he and a simulation Sora defeated Xemnas again. Riku had already had enough cases of déjà vu in the last hour to never want to go through that fight again. He changed the active window and brought up the program. Just to make absolutely sure that they would have it in case of any problems, Riku saved it, saved it in another folder, saved it in another folder under a different name, and took out a jump drive and saved it on that too. Axel walked over to him just as he was finishing. "Nothing going to stop us now eh?" Riku nodded, and looked back at the monitor. Axel had switched it back to the fight recording and Xemnas was disappearing in a flash of light.
"You can watch on the screen?" Riku asked. Axel grinned.
"Yep, live feed."
"Does it use the same camera as the security one in there?" Axel paled slightly.
"I forgot about that camera, but no it doesn't. The computer has visual sensors throughout the room. It records and plays live feed whenever a simulation is running. It doesn't bother to record when it isn't running, who wants to watch an empty room right?" Yuffie approached the two and placed her hands on her hips.
"Sora mentioned to me earlier that I had promised him a party back on Radiant Garden. You guys think we should have it for after school today? In celebration of getting through the fight with Xemnas?" The two guys looked at each other and nodded their heads. Axel spoke up again.
"What kind of food are you thinking of serving?" he asked. Riku spoke up before she had a chance to answer.
"As long as there's pie, I'm there." Yuffie looked offended.
"What are you crazy? Cake is way better than pie!" Riku glared at her and pulled out Way to the Dawn in a shimmering display. Its red blade and angle wing key glinted in the gym's lighting. Yuffie glared at him for his incredible lack of taste, and pulled out her shuriken with a snarl. Axel shook his head as the two warriors faced each other off.
I am so glad I melted that security cam before they arrived, he thought, watching the two adolescents now duke it out, neither scoring a hit. Suddenly, Axel had an idea.
"Hey you two," he yelled, succeeding in attaining their attention, if only for the moment, "why don't you two agree to disagree for now, and find out what they want to eat for the party?" Riku and Yuffie stopped fighting, Riku dismissing his keyblade.
"Fine," he snarled, before turning his gaze back to Yuffie. "I'll make you see the error of your pie hating days later, I need to sleep first." Yuffie laughed as he stalked away.
"Don't mess with your elders Riku, even if it is only by a year or two."
Sora was walking towards Kairi's house again this morning, still piecing together his feelings for her when he heard a shriek from around the corner. It sounded like Kairi!
Not again, he thought. I thought I told that guy Kairi didn't want to be with him.
I guess he's very persistent, Roxas said, remember what he said last time? That tough guys always get whoever they want?
He's not getting Kairi, Sora thought angrily as he began running. We've been through too much to have people like him coming between us!
So does this mean you love her? Sora shook his head slightly before he rounded the corner.
I don't know, he thought, all I know is I have to keep her safe long enough for me to figure out. Sora looked up. He's brought backup.
He's brought backup, Roxas agreed, stating the same thing.
Kairi was struggling against her attackers. There were about six of them this time, each of them holding some kind of crude weapon, several had bruises that appeared quite recent one of them was on the ground holding his crotch with both of his hands. Sora recognized the boy from yesterday holding his left hand to her face as two of his cronies held Kairi from the back, while in his right hand he held a bat.
"So where's your pretty boyfriend now?" he asked her in his greasy drawl, before slapping her in the face. Sora winced inside as he heard the sound echo throughout the neighborhood. He looked with tears forming in his eyes at Kairi. She was silently crying, a red mark appearing on her face. The boy smiled an evil smile. "I knew you'd come to love me," he cooed. His goons laughed grabbing their sides. Kairi looked down and silently mouthed 'where are you Sora?'
Anger rippled and boiled within Sora. That last remark chorused through his ears, sending adrenaline coursing through his veins. Sora shook with anger. His brow furrowed, has fists clenching and unclenching. She doesn't love him, Sora thought angrily, she loathes him!
Then go save your damsel in distress you twitterpated fool! Sora didn't even answer Roxas, and began walking forward in forced calm. The boy and his goons looked up at the sound of his footsteps. They smirked.
"Looks like your friend Sora is here baby," he said to Kairi, forcing her head to look at Sora. Tears sparkled in her eyes. The boy snapped his fingers and the three thugs who were just standing around stood in front of Sora, blocking his path. One was holding a wrench, the other two, held switchblades.
"Please Bob," she pleaded, addressing her captor, "please don't hurt Sora." Sora stood stock still, stunned at the weakness in Kairi's voice. Bob just smiled as he slapped her again.
"I'm going to make an example of him doll," he spat at her, "I always get what I want." Kairi's face hardened in anger before looking back at Sora. She alone noticed sparks flying between his fingers.
"Get them Sora!" she ordered. Naminé faded in, interested in what Sora was about to do. Sora noticed she was suddenly standing next to Kairi, but didn't appear to acknowledge it. Kairi glanced at her Nobody, and saw her nod at Sora. She turned to face Kairi.
"Sora says he isn't going to kill them, but he wants you to be clear when he unleashed his attack. Do what he says when he commands." Kairi gave a tiny nod. Her captors had slightly lessened their hold on her arms. Kairi knew what to do when the time came.
Sora looked past the screen in front of him at Kairi. There was more on her than a red cheek from a slap. She was battered and bruised. Cuts dotted her arms, and there was a red line on her other cheek. The anger that was pulsing through Sora didn't surface on his face.
"I thought I told you," he said slowly, his eyes glinting at Kairi knowing she got his message, "that Kairi didn't want to be with you." Bob smirked.
"I think she does twerp," he retorted, "she just doesn't know it yet." Bob waved his hand and the three thugs standing in front of Sora charged. Executing an excellent back flip Sora gave Kairi his command.
"Fly!"
She elbowed one of the goons behind her in the stomach, grabbed the other on by his arm and threw him over her shoulder. Before they could grab her again she began hovering as she thought of her happy thought. She quickly soared high into the air to avoid any hands holding her down. Sora saw she was clear and raised his hand towards the group of six, who finally noticed the flashes of lightning between his fingers.
"Thundara!" he yelled, all of his pain and anger flowing from him. Lightning bolts flew from his fingers, electrocuting all six goons. They shook in agony as the electricity surged through them. After about two and a half seconds, Sora relieved them of their torture. They all fell on the ground, moaning in pain. Sora stepped up to Bob, and crossed his arms as Kairi landed next to him. Bob looked up, resignation claiming his visage.
"You, win," he said slowly, "we won't bother Kairi again." He got to his feet, and signaling his goons, stalked off, wincing at each move and rubbing their necks. Kairi jumped for joy and hugged Sora tightly, giving him another kiss on the cheek. Sora turned beet red as Roxas sniggered in the back of his mind. Kairi pulled back and smiled at him.
"My savior," she said, "how may I repay you?" Before Sora could answer, Kairi gasped in pain and clutched her side. Sora became upset, fearing for Kairi's well-being. His fingers glowed with a green light.
"Curaga," he said softly. Magical green tendrils poured out of his fingers and wrapped themselves around Kairi, healing every scrape, scratch, bruise, cut and blemish upon her body. She stood up straight and looked at Sora with admiration. He smiled, knowing she was now okay. "C'mon," he said kindly, "lets go." As they walked away, Naminé began pouting, until Roxas faded in. He took her arm.
"Don't worry Nam," he said, "I'll walk with you." She giggled as they followed their others.
Sora sat in front of the computer in the lab, his fingers not upon the keyboard, staring at the screen. He had reached that emotional chasm in his memory, when Saïx refused to take him to Kairi. Contemplating his feelings for her the previous night, as well as fighting for her this morning had finally caused a reaction with his memory. Realization struck him like a freight train at full speed. I love her, he thought. Seeing her that morning in pain had made him realize just what he wouldn't do for her, what he wouldn't give to be with her.
Good boy, Roxas quipped. Sora half turned to Kairi and was about to open his mouth when Roxas screamed at him. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOU LOVE-STRUCK FOOL?
I was going to tell her I loved her. Roxas sighed in exasperation.
You don't do it here, now, surrounded by your classmates. You wait for the opportune moment. Sora turned back to his computer in understanding and quickly typed through the memory. When he finished that, he lashed out at the now peaceful Roxas.
Who do you think you are? Captain Jack Sparrow?
Ten minutes before the bell rang, Sora saved his entire collected works, and began printing. He leapt up to the printer and watched the pages file out. A boy named Joe walked past the printer as Sora was waiting.
"You write an epic for that essay?" he asked as Kairi walked up and began waiting for Sora's to finish.
"Yep," Sora said, winking at Kairi. She giggled and watched Sora try to staple together his book before he handed it in. We're going to get top marks on these for sure, she thought.
Sora and Kairi arrived at their fourth block class, each of their six classmates high-fiving them and giving them encouragement for their simulation run.
"You guys are going to ace it!" Selphie said, adding her encouragement. They smiled and thanked her for her support.
"They'd better." They looked in shock to see Riku standing next to Yuffie and Axel. Riku, too cool to wear a uniform for longer than the first day, was wearing a maroon t-shirt with a piece of cartoon cherry pie on it, and a pair of blue jeans. Yuffie, instead of her normal black top, had on an identical t-shirt, except hers was brown and had a piece of chocolate cake on it. Axel was still wearing his red hoodie with the King's symbol on it, a large mug of coffee in his hands.
"Ri- Riku!" Sora stammered, "what are you doing here?" Riku smiled.
"I helped Axel program that behemoth." He jabbed his thumb at the simulator door, which had a few dents in it. Kairi laughed nervously.
"How long did it take?" she asked. Axel laughed.
"Until 3 am," he said, "so none of you tick me off. I'm running off coffee." The class, especially Michael, twitched nervously. Axel looked at the two keyblade warriors. "Come here you two, I need to brief you before you enter." They stepped forward, Sora getting another slap on the back from Wakka. Riku and Yuffie glared at each other as they turned to look at Axel and the two teens. Riku smirked.
"Pie rules," he challenged. Yuffie raised her eyebrows.
"In your dreams," she retorted.
"Now," Axel said quietly to Sora and Kairi, so only they could hear, "although everything in there is a simulation, it is all real." Their eyes widened. Axel caught their looks and comforted them, "No, Xemnas isn't back for real, just everything that happens in there is real. All the damage and hits you sustain, you really took, and will still be real when the simulation is over. My only advice to you is, don't get killed." Axel smirked at their expressions, they were too good to describe in words. "You get one simulation buddy to help you out at the start before you're on your own. Who's it going to be?" They looked at each other, thinking, before glancing at Riku and nodding to each other.
"Riku," Sora stated. Axel and Riku grinned.
"Thought as much," Axel continued before his voice became one of warning, "don't pull out your keyblades until the simulation has started."
"Why?" Kairi asked. Axel waved a hand in front of her face.
"Doesn't matter why, you have to do as we say, got it memorized?" Sora sighed as Axel said his catch phrase.
"C'mon Kairi," he said, opening the metal door, "let's go." Kairi ran in, giving a wave at the people assembled.
"Wish us luck!"
"Good luck," the class chorused as the metal door clanged and locked closed.
Inside the room was rectangular, and really rather small. Blue wires crisscrossed along the floor, giving the teal metal a shining appearance.
"How are we going to fight in here?" Sora asked, clearly disappointed. Yuffie's voice came on over the intercom.
"Think Game Grid Sora," she said, her voice echoing through the room, "sometimes it's bigger, sometimes it's smaller. This room will get a lot bigger in a second." Axel's voice then came on.
"This is the last you'll hear from us until you're done kids, here you go." The walls began to flash with white as the simulation began.
Outside, Axel grabbed a very large bowl of popcorn and sat down to watch.
"Here we go," he, Riku, and Yuffie said in unison.
In the security room, the headmaster was watching from the simulation room security camera, making sure that it was gathering audio.
"Here we go," he said to himself.
Sora and Kairi opened their eyes. They were standing on a white platform that was covered in strange symbols. Around them were Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and Riku, all of whom were staring at a large white door that stood next to a heart-shaped moon with a heart-shaped pink chunk in it.
They were standing on the Altar of Naught!
This is incredible!
Sora and Kairi looked at each other and nodded. They stepped forward and Mickey and Riku fell in next to them. All four of them pulled out their keyblades and pointed the tips together. A light began forming around them and they pointed them skyward. Four identical beams of light came forth, and the large door to Kingdom Hearts opened.
"Get ready Xemnas," Sora said, swinging the Oblivion in front of him, "it all ends here!" Kairi raised her eyebrows at Sora as the rest of the gang, including simulation Riku walked up the shimmering pathway towards the open door.
"Where have I heard that before?" she asked. Sora shrugged.
"Hey, I thought it best we keep this as original as possible," he whispered to her. Kairi nodded and they followed the others to the door.
"What are those cool weapons their holding?" Tidus asked. The whole class had assembled around the screen with Yuffie, Riku, and Axel in front on lawn chairs.
"Just something Riku and I cooked up," Axel said, "now be quiet, I'm trying to watch."
The gang walked through the door to Kingdom Hearts and entered a city. A large white castle-tower surrounded by a mechanical white dragon was in the distance. Sora gasped as he saw Xemnas.
"So," he said, "it seems your hearts have led you to obliteration. Perhaps it doesn't pay to be too loyal to one's heart. I will have to be sure and remember that." Xemnas waved his hand, and a very large building flew towards them. The group ran away from the collision site, except this time, Kairi did not run back through the door. They collapsed on the ground from the quake caused by the building crashing to the ground. The door closed, leaving King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy behind.
"No!" Riku cried. They got to their feet and faced the direction Xemnas lay in.
"We can take him on our own," Sora said while pulling out the Oblivion in a flash. Riku and Kairi followed suit with Way to the Dawn and Island's Fire. Together they ran forward down the alley, until buildings started rising from the ground towards them. Kairi smirked and rose into the air, flying above the constructs at a fast pace. She looked down to see how the others would get past. She saw Sora leap back before springing at the buildings, his keyblade swinging in a flurry. Kairi wondered why he would try to hack his way through. That would take forever. Then she saw him appear on the other side, crouched down. He opened his eyes, and the buildings started to fall apart. He sliced right through them! Kairi thought in amazement as she landed next to him. They nodded and ran ahead under a silver striped archway.
"Wait up," simulation Riku yelled.
The class was sitting in shock as Riku, Axel, and Yuffie looked on, nonplussed by what just happened. They only noticed the class' attitude when Brittany couldn't hold it any longer.
"Kairi can fly!" she exclaimed.
"And Sora can chop buildings like butter yah?" Wakka asked. The three who knew the capabilities of the two in the simulation looked at each other and gave an uneasy chuckle.
The headmaster rubbed his chin. He knew there was something about those two after yesterday, but he never knew that it would be something this big.
Sora, Kairi, and Riku approached a platform that stood between them and Xemnas giant ship. It had two huge red cylinders with giant gray spokes protruding from them, in the center was a tower that held the ships power core, and the dragon's neck and head surrounded the top of the core. The three ran forward and the ship rose from the ground, and landed again with a thump that caused the platform to rise. Sora ran towards a square section knowing that one of the many buildings that had appeared in the sky would strike there. He was correct.
Before it could connect with his skull Sora jumped into the air and sliced it in two. Running along the cut pieces, Sora leap at another building and cut it in half, before doing the same thing again, and again, and again. Finally there were no more buildings for Sora to chop up. Sora jumped and flew straight for the right cylinder, Kairi rushing to his side in the air.
"You sure know how to leave nothing for us to do Sora," she yelled over the rushing wind. Sora chuckled as Riku joined them after a massive leap.
"Well don't worry Kai," Sora yelled back, "you'll have a few foes to fight very soon."
"If you two lovebirds are done," Riku yelled, the air flowing through his long silver hair, "we've arrived." Sora screwed up his face as he allowed himself to fall to the grate, not allowing simulation Riku to get to him. Nobody ships began appearing over their heads in flashes of light. The three of them slashed the ships into the cylinder as quickly as they could, Sora knowing what would happen if they failed. Before the cylinder could glow in intensity before it fired its huge laser cannon, they felt a rumble and saw explosions far off in its interior.
"Time to go," Sora said as he jumped off the grate and onto a set of pipes which he used to propel himself forward towards the other cylinder, which soon suffered the same fate. They jumped towards a hole in the ship's superstructure that held the energy core. You'd think Xemnas would be smart enough not to leave an entryway to the power source of his ship, Sora thought. They dropped down from the ceiling, their keyblades at the ready. The energy core was a large silver cylinder that rose and fell periodically, Organization XIII's emblem emblazoned in red upon its front half. "Kairi, stand back for a second," Sora ordered as they landed. She did what he told him, perplexed. "Riku!" he called as they began their limit, Eternal Session. The two of them leapt in the air, slashing at the energy core. Horizontal, diagonal, horizontal again, triple somersault vertical slice in the air. The two of them came back to back.
"Is that all you got?" Riku asked their inanimate foe. The two of them began stabbing it in earnest. Twice they made a combo before pulling back and shooting dark blue fireballs from their fingertips. So this is what Sora meant when he said limits were cool, Kairi thought. Sora and Riku stabbed it again. "I'll take him," Riku said arrogantly. Their keyblades grew with large blades made entirely of light attached to them. They slashed their hearts out before drawing thirteen identical swords of light out of the air and magically swinging them around themselves in a circle. They drew their keyblades out again after shooting the blades off in all directions, and proceeded in hacking away at the core. Suddenly they threw the Way to the Dawn and the Oblivion up in the air. "We're not going to lose at all!" Riku yelled.
"Light!" cried Sora simultaneously. The two keyblades glowed and issued forth blinding lights that severely damaged the core. "Riku," Sora called as their keyblades appeared back in their hands as the limit ended.
"Time's up," he said pounding Sora's outstretched fist. Kairi jumped back into the fray.
"I'm in," she said before trying to strike the core. A purple-pink magic barrier appeared round the energy core, preventing them from attacking it further. She noticed that Nobodies had surrounded them. "Guess we have to beat these guys before we can hack up the core again, right?" she asked Sora. He nodded and grinned at her.
"You catch on pretty quick," he said before charging a creeper and beating it into dust.
"Riku, can you and Sora actually do that?" Yuffie asked inquisitively raising an eyebrow as Axel took another handful of popcorn from his bowl. The six people who made up the rest of the class slowly turned their heads to look at Riku. Who cares if they know now, he thought.
"Yes, Miss Yuffie," he said, biting down on the 'Miss', "we can. Its called Eternal Session." The class looked in wonder at Riku before looking back at the screen, where Sora and Simulation Riku were currently using Session again on an Assassin Nobody. Axel looked almost sadly at the Assassin before he and all others of his kind present met their fate at the end of the Limit.
"Poor little buggers," he said, "I liked them better when they actually did what I told them. All they want is a heart." He left the six people who knew absolutely nothing to speculate in silence for he would say no more.
The Headmaster, and a large portion of the faculty, watched as the three teens were held at bay from destroying the core again by the appearance of more Nobodies. Some members of the staff winced when they heard the crunch of Kairi and Sora being knocked back by the lone Berserker's claymore.
"How long have they been fighting?" one teacher asked.
"Fifteen minutes," the Headmaster replied.
Sora dodged a metal beam from the ceiling that would have skewered him before continuing his assault against the energy core. Finally, it stopped moving and a light shone from the emblem. He stood next to Kairi and Riku before the light magically transported them to the Dragon's head. Sitting upon a metallic throne beneath the crest of Organization XIII was Xemnas, wearing armor with the crest upon it and a great big golden crown. Sora rippled in anger as he stared down his simulation adversary again. The three teens tightened their grip on their respective keyblades and launched themselves at him.
Xemnas wouldn't go down that easily however, before they could touch him, he waved his hand and a barrier appeared. They ran into it and were flung backwards by its warding power. Water clones of Demyx and Luxord's playing cards surrounded them. Sora flipped and landed on his feet, the adrenaline in him blocking the pain. He launched himself at Xemnas again as soon as the barrier was gone, dodging the powers of foes he had defeated. Kairi and Riku joined in his assault on the besieged Xemnas, hacking away at him as best as they could, fending off the attacks he threw at them with his long blade, the hilt of which was fashioned into the Nobody's crest. Sora continued his barrage, twitching his head to one side to avoid being speared by one of Xaldin's lances only to receive a shallow gash on his leg. Riku quickly used a potion to heal the party's wounds. Before he could almost be skewered again, Sora thrust his keyblade straight into Xemnas' gut as Kairi stabbed him in the neck, producing a pained moan from Xemnas as they defeated him, for now.
The class was whooping and hollering encouragement and celebration of the victory, not knowing that it wasn't the end. Axel shushed them.
"Quiet!" he barked, grabbing another handful of popcorn, "the good part's coming up."
"Good part?" Selphie asked.
They were back on the Altar of Naught, all six warriors of light in a line facing Xemnas, who was clutching his chest in a place where a heart should have been. Except something was different, there were two more figures on the platform. The six warriors of light facing across from Xemnas were transparent holographic simulation characters. The two other figures were an opaque Sora and Kairi, looking on at the scene.
"I need… more rage," he slowly choked out, "I need… more… hearts." Simulation Sora stood up straight.
"Xemnas," he said, sounding just like the real Sora who was standing not five feet away from him, "There's more to a Heart than just anger or hate. It's full of all kinds of feelings. Don't you remember?" Xemnas continued clutching his 'heart'.
"Unfortunately," he said, "I don't." He grinned manically at them before vanishing in a display of darkness. The simulation characters began celebrating, except for sim Riku, who walked off a little.
"Gosh, you all did great," sim Mickey said. Roxas and Naminé faded in next to real Sora and Kairi.
"I remember this," Roxas said with a smile on his face, watching Sora make a goldfish impression to cheer Riku up.
"Who are those two?" asked John. Riku and Axel looked at him in surprise.
"You can see them?" they asked incredulously. The class and Yuffie nodded their heads slowly.
"Aren't they part of the simulation?" Yuffie asked Riku. He shook his head.
"No, that's really Roxas and Naminé, I guess being in the simulator allows them to be seen by everyone." Wakka scratched his head, puzzled.
"So, who are they, yah?" he asked. Riku and Axel weakly turned back to the screen.
"Just watch."
An explosion shook the Altar, and King Mickey ran up to Riku.
"Hurry!" he said. Riku nodded.
"I'll open a path," he said, stretching his arm in front of him while the others congregated around him. Kairi shook her head.
"And nothing happens," she said, right before Riku let out a gasp and looked at his hand.
"You don't belong in the dark realm anymore Riku," Sora and King Mickey said simultaneously. The four figures looked upon the scene unfolding before them with a severe case of déjà vu.
"How do we get out of here, Your Majesty?" Sim Donald asked.
"That mouse is a king?" Brittany yelled.
"Shut up and watch Brit," Tidus said. "This is interesting."
Sim Sora, Sim Kairi, Real Sora, Real Kairi, Roxas and Naminé all turned to look at sim Naminé, who had just appeared, and opened a portal of darkness for the sim characters. Donald and the King ran forward.
"Who did this?" Donald asked.
"Welp, I'm not sure," Mickey replied, "but we'd better hurry and get through." Before they could do anything, there was a loud stream of barking, as sim Pluto appeared from nowhere and ran into the portal.
"Whatever happened to Pluto after we got back anyway?" Sora asked Kairi as the animalia made their exit. Kairi shook her head.
"I don't know, I guess he somehow made it back to their world." They watched in silence as the transparent versions of themselves walked up to a spectral Naminé. "Thank you, Naminé," the sim Kairi said. Both Naminés nodded at their respective Kairis.
"Sure," they said only the simulation one continued however. "See, we meet again, like we promised," she said, appearing to address sim Sora, who replied with a 'huh?'
Roxas and another Roxas' voice started up at the same time, the real Roxas looking at their Naminé. "You said we'd meet again," sim Roxas stepped out of sim Sora, much to sim Sora's surprise, "but when we did, we might not recognize each other." Only the sim characters continued as real Roxas and real Naminé looked deeply into each other's eyes.
"I did, didn't I?" Naminé said.
"But I knew you."
"Hmm… it's strange."
"I think I understand," Roxas said. "I see myself the way you remember me, and you see yourself the way I remember you." Naminé looked a little sad.
"I always thought Nobodies were doomed, to fade back into darkness," she said to Roxas.
"Yeah," he responded, "but you and I didn't. We got to meet our original selves." Naminé's mood suddenly changed.
"So, we can be together again," she exclaimed, putting her fingertips together.
"Right," he said before stepping up next to her. "Anytime Sora and Kairi are together."
"We'll be together everyday, right Sora?" sim Kairi said, looking at him. He put his hands on his hips.
"Uh… yeah!" The two sim Nobodies smiled fondly at their others. Kairi took a step forward, and Naminé grasped her hand, vanishing in a flash of golden light. Sim Sora was stunned.
"Look sharp!" his Nobody ordered. Sora quickly arranged himself into a prepared for anything stance. Roxas vanished into him in a flash of blue light. Sim Sora looked at himself and began feeling as to whether he was different or not. Riku walked up to him.
"Don't worry," he said. "You're all still you." Sim Kairi was standing by the portal.
"Hey! Let's go home." Sora looked up at Riku.
"Riku, c'mon."
"Yeah." Sora, Kairi, Roxas and Naminé watched as sim Kairi, Sora, and Riku, began walking towards the portal that started closing with only Kairi inside it. Sim Kairi turned around as darkness took her.
"Sora! Riku!" She cried, holding out her hand, desperate for someone to grab hold. The Sims reached the portal just as the last traces of it vanished. Sora and Kairi watched as the last two Sim characters faded into nothingness.
"And that's the way the story went," Sora stated as a bright light suddenly flashed.
They were no longer on the Altar of Naught, well they were, but Sora realized for the first time that the Altar had simply become a tower in a new dark landscape, the rest of the Castle That Never Was nowhere to be seen below them. Sora looked up and saw the great green crystal from which a large white dragon-shaped ship was sallying from. Kairi gulped.
"So," she said, fear now in her voice, "that's what you fought after I was gone." Sora cringed as its booster rockets collided with the tower.
"Yep," he said, slowly sliding towards the edge. He noticed the ship he and Riku had defeated it before on resting on the stairwell. "But it's a good thing the ship's still here." He ran down the angled platform and leapt into the cockpit, before piloting it to a position Kairi could use to get on the standing platform. She jumped onto a battlement and used it as a springboard to get her onto the platform.
"Good luck," their two Nobodies called as they vanished in gold and blue lights that surrounded the Somebodies. Sora flew their craft alongside the behemoth ship, Kairi summoning Island's Fire in a flash.
The Headmaster and faculty watched in amazement as Sora and Kairi destroyed each part of the dragon's attachments in a brilliant flash with Mega Laser. No one in the school knew that Sora could pilot a ship, or that they knew how to use laser cannons. They looked upon their two students with pride. These two were kids in the top of their field. It looked as if nothing could be done to stop them.
"Oi! Tidus! Wakka!" a new voice called as a group of people entered the training gym, "did you guys forget that we get to leave early today for Blitzball practice?" Everyone turned to look at the newcomers, five boys in their teens. Each of which had brilliantly bright blond hair.
"Screw Blitzball today," Tidus said to the rest of the team as he turned his attention back to the monitor, "watching Sora and Kairi fight right now is awesome!" The team followed his gaze to the screen, eyes growing in awe at the battle in the sky unfolding. They looked back to one another and nodded.
"Screw Blitzball," they agreed, stepping forward. One of them by the name of Fred looked at Kairi intensely.
"Hey that's the girl Bob mentioned," he pointed out to his friend George.
"Bob?" Wakka asked. "Who is Bob yah?"
"Oh, Bob is a guy in our block one class," the Fred said, indicating himself and George. "He came in this morning all beat up muttering about some red headed chick named Kairi and her boyfriend Sora." Riku and Yuffie looked up at him.
"They're going out?" Yuffie asked, excited. Riku shook his head.
"No, they aren't yet," he replied. "But, why was this Bob guy muttering about them?" George hunched out on his chair, ready to tell them.
"Well," he began, "apparently yesterday Bob came across this red head yesterday as she was waiting outside her house for someone. He decided that he would play her and make her his girlfriend; he was on the team last year after all. So he thought he could just waltz on up to her and she'd fawn over him." George chuckled, "he was wrong. She wasn't interested in him at all, and then this 'twerp' kid Sora showed up. All I know is, when Bob charged him, Sora stopped him dead in his tracks with one hand."
"Then today, Bob came back, still wanting Kairi, except today he brought five buddies with him," Fred said, shaking his head. "All I know today is that they were pwned and when Bob touched my hand, I received an electric shock." Riku smirked.
"Serves him right," he said before turning his attention back to the screen. Fred looked incredulously at him.
"Wait, do you know what Sora did to him?" he asked. Riku didn't even look back.
"Given that you said you were given an electric shock when he touched you, Sora probably used a thunder spell." The class and team looked at him with blank expressions, sweatdropping. Riku groaned. "Erg," he said, frustrated, "he used magic to electrocute them." Light bulbs suddenly clicked on in their heads as they turned back to the screen.
Sora and Kairi watched as the Dragon veered towards to ground, crashing into it with a resounding thrash. They looked at each other as it became consumed by a dark wind, changing its shape. Half of it was now embedded in the ground, great turbines rose up in a fan pattern over the head, while its two front arms could now lock together to form a large shield.
Sora flew their craft towards their quarry, seeking to end this fight. They leapt off onto the Dragon's head, upon which rested the throne from before. Sora and Kairi looked in anger upon Xemnas, wearing his armor as before, before turning their heads to see their ship floating away towards a vortex that was drawing all sorts of matter into it. They looked back at the Nobody and summoned their keyblades. They charged him, but before they reached him they stopped. Xemnas was creating a shield again, and they wouldn't fall for that one again. Sora was tired of waiting after a tenth of a second. He pointed the Oblivion towards the sky.
"Thundaga!" he yelled. A very large thunderbolt came down from behind Xemnas' shield and jolted him, it didn't seem to do much though. They waited until the shield was down before lashing out at him with all they had. They strung combos together faster than the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, Xemnas slashed at them with his blade, throwing them to the far reaches of the vortex.
"Nothingness… is eternal." His echoic voice proclaimed to the void. Sora saw several skyscrapers appear out of darkness and start flying towards him, but there were some that were just floating. He flew up to one and dodging laser shots, jumped onto it. Kairi floated up behind him. "Sora," Xemnas said as Kairi shot the building towards the giant shield that protected the Dragon's head, "Are you certain Kairi can help?" The building bounced off, but Sora sliced it into tiny pieces and sent them hurtling back at the shield, breaking it apart. Together he and Kairi flew at the throne, disregarding Xemnas plea to "Embrace, Nothing", and dodging blue lasers he summoned to destroy them.
Once again, they whaled on him with everything they had, this time though, Kairi managed to break through his armor, and stab him in the chest. They all disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing in a swirling, white, tunnel dimension. Xemnas was no longer wearing his armor, now he was garbed in a white robe with intricate black designs on it. Sora and Kairi faced him, their keyblades loose at their sides.
"Heroes from the realm of light," he said waving his hands in the air, "I will not allow it to end this way, not yet. If light and darkness are eternal, than surely we nothings must be the same. Eternal."
"You're right," Sora said, deciding it best to take Riku's position, "Light and darkness are eternal. Nothing probably goes on forever too. But guess what Xemnas…"
Kairi finished for him. "That doesn't mean YOU'RE eternal!"
Xemnas chuckled, "No more eternal than that radiance of yours."
Riku smirked.
"Sora took my line," he complained. Everyone looked at him.
"Your line?" they asked.
"Yeah, I said that. He should pay me for using it without my permission." Yuffie smirked at him.
"He probably just forgot to say a disclaimer."
Xemnas was floating above the ground, staring at Sora and Kairi.
"Anger and Hate, are supreme." Suddenly, he vanished and reappeared in front of Sora, grabbing him by his white dress shirt. "We shall go together." He threw Sora up in the air, and began using portals to jump in from beneath Sora, rising through the air swinging his glowing red weapons around him. Sora tried to block them while striking back at Xemnas, but much like the last time they fought, it proved nigh impossible. Being struck doesn't feel quite as good as being the one doing the striking, he thought as he savagely used Aerial Dodge to avoid a slash. Xemnas suddenly appeared in front of him and struck the Oblivion out of his hand with a kick before sending Sora careening to the ground. En route, Kairi dived at the fallen keyblade and threw it towards Sora, just in time for him to block a strike Xemnas through at him. Xemnas was about to do a follow-up with his other blade, but Kairi flew in and blocked it. The two flipped to avoid Xemnas' spin attack. Once on the ground again, they charged Xemnas, adrenaline preventing them from realizing injuries sustained as he used orbs of gray to send sharp tendrils at them. They hacked, slashed, blocked, parried, and attempted to dodge his blows as they slowly became bloodier and bloodier.
After Xemnas felt he was done toying with them he brought his hands together. "Can you spare a heart?" he asked. A great blue orb engulfed his outstretched palms. An identical one encircled Kairi and held her in the air. Electricity flared between the two as Kairi struggled to hold out against the attack. Sora tried to save his love by jumping at Xemnas, but the simulation Nobody kicked him in the gut, sending him down. Sora back-flipped on his hands to recover before raising the Oblivion.
"Kairi!" he yelled as he charged like a bull. He shot bolts of lightning at the Xemnas clone that was preventing him from reaching her. I can't lose her! He thought savagely as he launched a huge firaga spell at the fake Xemnas. I haven't told her how I truly feel about her yet! I don't care if it's the last thing I do, I will tell her I love her before the day is out! He launched himself at the Xemnas holding Kairi prisoner and thrust the Oblivion at his head. Xemnas craned his neck to avoid it, and Sora connected his free hand with Xemnas', breaking the bond. Kairi fell to the ground as Sora hit Xemnas repeatedly with his keyblade, before mimicking Riku and swinging him around, finally hurling him away.
Sora landed on the ground and Kairi ran up to him, before they could even do anything Sora was hit in the shoulder by a laser blast. Xemnas was shooting at them from the palm of his hand! Sora managed to dodge the rest and blocked at least five volleys before he and Kairi were able to attack Xemnas again. They leapt at him, but he had a clone with him. One began shooting laser blasts at Sora, the other at Kairi. Neither could block, only accept the blasts as they burned into their flesh, leaving hot white burns. Kairi looked up with loathing at Xemnas, all of his taunts were void in her ears. He was hurting her and Sora! She had a keyblade with her. This time, I'll fight! she thought savagely. She thought once more of fire, felt the flames coursing through her, allowed the heat to consume her, drawing from her anger.
"Take this Xehanort!" she yelled, her keyblade surrounded by the flames she was envisioning. "Fire!" she shouted as she flung Island's Fire at the Nobody. The blade connected with his chin and sent him reeling backwards. Kairi summoned her keyblade back and crouched on the ground, mentally weary. Sora saw her spectacular performance and beamed with pride at the girl he loved.
"Kairi!" he yelled and tossed a blue cube at her, it cracked open and its contents washed over her. She suddenly felt sharp, alert, all drowsiness from casting her fire spell gone. She straightened up and Sora walked up to her. "You feeling better?" he quickly asked. She half turned in his direction, keeping her gaze on Xemnas.
"Yeah," she said, "but he won't be when we're finished." Xemnas laughed and brought his hands together.
"You are such fools of light," he proclaimed, raising his hands to the ceiling. Sora and Kairi quickly found themselves surrounded by a dome of red laser bolts, all poised and ready to strike them. Reacting on instinct and intuition, Sora grabbed Kairi with one arm and pulled her into an embrace.
"Reflega!" he yelled. A honeycomb dome of light surrounded the two as bolts of red energy began streaming down. Instead of breaking the shield, they either exploded on impact or ricocheted off, exploding in the distance. Sora would normally have dropped the shield after a second, but he knew it was vital to keep it up. As blasts exploded all around the two, he could feel the drain on his magic slowly take hold. With each hit on his spell, he winced, holding the magic in place with all his might. Kairi looked up at him, seeing the pain in his eyes. I'll give him my energy, she thought and concentrated on passing her newly recharged mana. A sparkling blue mist streamed from her body and entered Sora, empowering him. His shield doubled in strength, repelling a final wave completely. The ensuing explosion was large enough for on of the bolts to strike the school's security camera, melting it into useless scrap metal.
"What's happening?" the Headmaster blared as the screen suddenly become the familiar fuzzy one when things don't work. A technician was running about, trying to reestablish a connection.
"I don't know sir, that blast must have destroyed the camera!" he said.
"But that's impossible!" a teacher retorted. "How could the camera have been destroyed unless…" he left his sentence hanging as the whole room paled and looked slowly back at the screen.
"Unless…" he finished, "those blasts were real."
Sora and Kairi were panting on the ground, the exertion from consuming nearly all their magic having drained them. Suddenly, a glowing red blade struck Sora in the shoulder, knocking him backwards.
"Sora!" Kairi called out to him, before Xemnas thrust the blade beside her neck. There was nothing she could do, her keyblade almost beneath her. Xemnas wound up, preparing to decapitate her and Kairi resigned herself to her fate. I still haven't told him I love him, she thought sadly. Just as the blow was about to be struck, Sora leapt forward and blocked it at an angle that left his back wide open. He roughly shoved Kairi back as the second blade struck him square in his side. Kairi halted herself, and lunged at Xemnas, fire in her eyes.
"Kairi," Sora said weakly, offering her the Oblivion. She took it gladly. Bringing her two keyblades forward she viciously attacked Xemnas before sending him flying into the air. Twirling them around she launched herself up after him.
"This is it!" she yelled, striking him crosswise, sending him higher. She landed on the ground next to a crouched Sora. She looked at him and he nodded, placing his hand over hers on Island's Fire. Their hands glowed blue as he now offered his energy to her. They pointed the crimson tip at Xemnas and a circle of light formed around it. A pure white beam sprouted forth, heading for Xemnas like a missile. It struck home as they released a mighty shout.
"Light!"
Sora got up, and he and Kairi ran straight for the now weakly floating Xemnas. They jumped high in the air and with a mighty wrench Kairi sliced his back as Sora wounded his chest. Xemnas emitted a pained moan.
"Accursed… keyblades." A great white light began appearing from behind Xemnas, aiding in destroying him as he finally vanished for good.
"We did it!" Kairi yelled as the simulation faded back into the room's original interior.
Everyone in the gym was whooping and hollering! The whole team including Tidus and Wakka was doing a victory dance. Selphie and Brittany were hugging each other. John and Michael were shaking uncontrollably, and Riku, Yuffie, and Axel (who with their help had consumed his entire bowl of popcorn) were just smiling weakly as Axel (in the center) held out his hands as the two beside him slapped them.
Sora was happy they had finally won, but before he could begin to celebrate, he felt the pain come to him tenfold. The adrenaline could no longer conceal it. He clutched his side and shoulder blades, feeling the burns, bruises, gashes and cuts all at once. He was amazed he wasn't crying. Why wasn't I in this much pain last time? He asked himself. Oh, right, Riku was with me and he has practically an infinite supply of potions. He looked over at Kairi to see if she was in as much pain as he was. Only, she wasn't standing up, she was on the ground, passed out from the pain. Oh no!
Sora ran as best as he could to her side, once again adrenaline taking hold. People can die from extreme pain! I can't lose her! Not now! He skidded on his already chaffed knees to kneel beside her, tears welling in his eyes as he looked at her face. "Curaga!" he yelled, pointing the Oblivion at her. Like earlier that day, green tendrils wrapped themselves around her, healing all of her wounds. Sora placed his hand on her face, praying that he wasn't too late.
Yuffie stood up.
"I'm going to go in and congratulate them," she said walking towards the metal door.
"Please Kairi," Sora begged quietly, "please open your eyes. Don't leave me." He felt all of his emotions come pouring out in a cascading tidal wave of tears that fell hot and thick across his cheeks. Kairi stirred, although he didn't notice. "I don't know what I'd do without you. I, I…" he croaked as the last words came out, "I love you."
A ripple of shock went through the now conscious Kairi. He loves me? she thought. Sora really loves me? Kairi slowly opened her eyes.
"So-ra," she said slowly, looking deeply into the eyes of the young man she loved. Sora looked deeply relieved to hear her soft sweet voice. Sora grabbed her and gently placed his lips on hers. Kairi's eyes opened wide in shock, before closing as she deepened his gentle kiss. She felt like there was a volcano erupting inside her, as Sora's gentle lips full of passion caressed her own. She cupped her hands over his neck and back, bringing him closer as he did the same to her. She was startled at how his gentle touch brought tingles to her spine. But the feeling wasn't bad, it was magically wonderful. Not even an earthquake could have ruined their perfect moment. So absorbed was she in him and he in her that they didn't notice they small beep-beep noise or the flash from Yuffie's digital camera as she quietly stalked out of the room.
Riku and Axel were waiting for her outside.
"So…" Axel said crossing his arms, "where are our star pupils?" Yuffie blushed.
"Riku…" she said slowly, dodging the question, "you remember when you said Sora and Kairi weren't going out?" Riku gave her a puzzled look, but slowly nodded his head. Yuffie grinned and pulled out her digital camera, showing him the picture she just took. "I think they are now," she smugly stated. Riku looked affronted as he grabbed the camera away from her.
"You took their picture?" he asked, incredulous, before an evil grin claimed his visage. "You're devious," he said slyly. Yuffie beamed at him.
"Thank you," she said. "Well what's the point of being a great ninja if I can't even sneak in on two teens as their sharing their first kiss? I'm thinking of sending it to the King and the gang back home. What do you think?" Riku nodded his head. Axel, unfortunately was left out.
"What is that?" he fumed, grabbing it out of Riku's hands. "Let me see." A maniacal grin unfurled upon his face as he barked a laugh. "Way to go Roxas!" Riku laughed and looked back at Yuffie.
"I think I'm starting to like you pie hater."
Sora and Kairi finally broke apart, their need for air keeping them from continuing. Kairi gazed at Sora, staring at his handsome face and tears of pure bliss rolled down her cheeks. Sora gently, oh so gently, wiped them away with his thumb before drawing her into a hug.
"This is real," she said softly. Sora opened his eyes, shocked.
"Kairi," he began, drawing her back to gaze fondly at her pretty face, "does that mean…" Kairi smiled, finishing for him.
"Yes Sora, I love you. I've loved you since before we even began building that stupid raft." She giggled a little, "I was just afraid you didn't love me back." Sora's expression softened as they brought their heads together and kissed again. Kairi felt dizzy and lightheaded. I never knew Sora could be such a great kisser, she thought to herself. They finally broke apart, once again hating the fact that oxygen was essential for life.
"I think I'm ready to show you that memory now Kairi," Sora said, smiling. Kairi looked strangely at him as he placed his hand over her forehead.
"Show me? What do you mean show me?"
Sora concentrated on his memory, praying with all his might that he had enough magic left in him. Suddenly they both went rigid, taking a ride through his memory.
They were standing on a blue rock face, transparent and ghost-like. In front of them stood an overlarge mouse with a keyblade that had a silver hilt and golden shaft, and a figure with silver hair wearing a black cloak. Kairi looked confused. Why is the King here? She thought, and who is that? She turned to look at Sora, who's gaze was stony as he surveyed the scene.
"And here, we come in," he said aloud. Kairi could hear the sound of footsteps as an opaque Sora, Donald, and Goofy came running from a chasm.
"Your majesty!" The newly arrived Sora called. King Mickey turned to look at them before drawing his attention back to the figure in front of him.
"Xehanort!" he yelled.
"How long has it been since I abandoned that name?" the figure said. Sora did not look happy.
"Out with it Nobody!" he snarled. "Where's Kairi? Where's Riku?"
"I know nothing of any Kairi. As for Riku," the figure turned around to reveal his face. Kairi recognized it in horror. It was Xemnas! "Perhaps you should ask your King." He began to walk backwards, opening a portal of darkness. Sora looked down at Mickey with a sense of abandonment at having not being told about Riku. Before he could say anything Mickey leapt forward.
"Stop!" he shouted, jumping in after Xemnas as the portal closed. Sora emitted a wave of severe depression.
"He's gone," he said, collapsing on the ground. He began punching it in earnest until Goofy laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Sora, Goofy," Donald said sadly, and then a new voice spoke up.
"Way to fall right into their trap." They whipped around, as did Kairi, to see none other than Axel, leaning against the cliff. "C'mon," he said stepping forward, "it's a setup by Organization XIII. Xemnas is using you to destroy the Heartless. That's his big master plan." Donald looked confused.
"Xemnas?" he asked. Axel pointed.
"The guy you just saw. He's their leader, Xemnas, X-E-M-N-A-S. Got it memorized?" Goofy now looked confused.
"Organization XIII wants to get rid of the Heartless," he postulated, lowering his shield. Axel shook his head.
"Man you're slow." He pointed at Sora's keyblade, and Kairi looked at it for the first time. It was snow-white, with two parallel shafts, the top one with a multicolored star looking key, the bottom one joining it with a heart around it. At the base of the shafts where they joined the angle-wing hilt was a small, white, heart. Kairi looked past the pommel and gasped when she saw the keychain. It was the lucky charm made of thassala shells that she lent to Sora on is first journey. She looked back at all the hearts. The keyblade of love, she thought to herself, from now on, I'll use it too. Axel continued bringing his fist up in a flourish at the end, "every heartless slain by that keyblade releases a captive heart. And that is what the Organization is after."
"What are they gonna do with the hearts?" Donald questioned.
"I'm not telling." Donald became flustered.
"Tell us!" he ordered. Sora finally spoke.
"You! You're the one who kidnapped Kairi!" despair filling his voice.
"Bingo! The name's Axel, got it memorized?"
"Where is Kairi?" Sora asked. Axel scratched the back of his head, unwilling to say anything. "Please, just tell me!" Sora pleaded, tears beginning to form in his eyes. Axel placed his hands on his hips and sighed.
"Look, about Kairi, I'm sorry," he said bluntly.
"Axel." Saïx's voice spoke as he appeared in a portal of darkness.
"Uh oh!" Axel disappeared in his own portal. Sora was about to chase after him when Saïx held out a hand.
"Don't worry. We'll ensure he receives the maximum punishment."
"I don't care about any of that!" Sora said hurriedly. "Just let me into the realm of darkness okay." Saïx turned to him.
"If its Kairi you're worried about, don't. I assure you we are taking very good care of her."
"Then take me to her." Sora demanded.
"Is she that important to you?" Saïx asked.
"Yeah, more than anything."
"Show me how important." Sora looked down, thinking as to how he could show someone how important she was to him, before getting down in front of Saïx on his hands and knees. His bare neck exposed, making him vulnerable and completely at Saïx's mercy.
"Please." Saïx looked at him in wonder.
"So, you really do care for her. In that case, the answer's no." Kairi snarled at him, her fists clenched. Sora leapt up, his hands balled into fists.
"You rotten!" Saïx began to speak again and Armored Knight heartless appeared, but Kairi's Sora grabbed her hand and nodded at her.
"Time to go," he said. A white light began to glow and their conscious minds were returned to the simulation room, Sora's hand still on her head. He removed it as Kairi blinked. "That was why I couldn't talk about my memory Kairi," he explained to her, "I wasn't completely sure about my feelings for you yet."
"When did you figure them out?" she asked him in a sweet voice. Sora chuckled.
"Actually, this morning when I had to write the part with that memory in it." Kairi giggled and whacked him on the back of the head.
"Lazy bum," she scoffed with a twinkle in her eyes before looking towards the door. "Sora, I think we've spent enough time in here." He nodded and quickly they shared a brief kiss before starting to head out. Sora stood up, and suddenly clutched his side. There was no adrenaline in his system to mask the pain from his injuries, and neither of them had a potion. "Sora!" Kairi cried, holding him as he half stood, gasping for breath. "Can't you cast a heal spell or something?" she asked him. He wearily shook his head.
"No, I used up the last of the magic I had when I showed you the memory, and I gave you my only ether," he explained in shallow gasps. Kairi tightened her hold on his shoulder.
"Well," she said, rising off the ground, "all you have to do is float, and I'll get you out of here. Riku, Yuffie, or Axel will have a potion." Sora nodded, and rose a few inches from the ground, his shoes just shy of skimming the floor. He gave her a small peck on the cheek.
"Kairi, thank you."
The three were huddled around Yuffie's camera wondering who they should send the news to first when the door opened. They quickly turned around, Axel stashing the camera in his front pocket, to see a bloody Kairi and Sora wearing torn raiment from their fight, with Sora still bleeding having not been healed, floating towards them. What remained of the class, which was everyone but Tidus and Wakka as they had left with the team, looked up at their entrance. Each of their faces excitedly grew grins as they ran up to the two.
"You guys really can fly!" Brittany exclaimed, awestruck that they were floating.
"You were awesome Sora, saving Kairi like that," John said before turning his gaze towards Brit, who caught it and twirled her finger in her blonde hair, blushing.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah we're awesome," Kairi sighed, "Riku, Mr. Axel, Miss Yuffie, do any of you have a potion?" Kairi bit her lip and landed next to them, glancing anxiously at Sora. Riku protruded one from his back pocket and immediately set about spraying it on Sora's wounds. When he was finished, Axel slapped Sora on the back.
"Way to go Roxas!" he exclaimed his congratulations, "You guys beat the superior!" Sora looked angrily at Axel.
"I'm not Roxas!" he glanced to his right and saw transparent Roxas standing with transparent Naminé waving and beaming at them. "That's Roxas," he said, half pointing, half jerking his head on Roxas general direction. Everyone turned to look. Riku and Axel smiled. Kairi let go of Sora and ran to hug Naminé. Sora walked up to Roxas and shook hands with his Nobody. Everyone else just looked puzzled.
"Good one man," Roxas said, smiling fondly. Sora took his trademark pose with his hands behind his head.
"Nothing to it." Roxas laughed.
"I meant with Kairi," he said only quietly enough for himself, Naminé, Sora, and Kairi to hear. They both stopped and looked at each other, before smiling. Kairi giggled.
"Thank you Roxas." Naminé slapped Roxas on the arm.
"Stop harassing them!" she scolded. The four of them and Riku and Axel laughed heartily.
"Sora, I'm sorry for calling you Roxas. Roxas, I'm sorry for acting as if you weren't here," Axel said. Everyone in the room who could not see the two Nobodies decided to act like nothing was happening. Yuffie suddenly brightened up.
"Oh!" she remembered, "Sora, we're throwing you that party you wanted tonight. What would you like? Cake," she pointed at her shirt.
"Or pie?" Riku said, jabbing his thumb at himself. Sora looked at Kairi.
"I don't know, what do you want Kairi?" She put her finger to her chin, before walking over to him and whispering quietly so that only themselves and their Nobodies could hear. Roxas laughed and Naminé giggled before disappearing in their respective lights. Sora simply gazed fondly at Kairi and they shared a brief kiss. Everyone started clapping merrily at the two. Yuffie and Axel whistled. Riku was shocked that they were actually kissing in front of their class, not to mention Yuffie, Axel, and himself, but he quickly recovered and began clapping.
"Guess our blackmail and news is now null and void," Riku spoke to the two people standing next to him. They sighed but still smiled, congratulating the two young lovers. They broke apart and turned to Riku and Yuffie.
"Who about," they asked at the same time, "crème brulée?" Riku and Yuffie smirked.
"Traitors," they said in unison.
Well, that was one very long chapter. I spent all week and weekend writing that. Had to fight Xemnas at least three more times for me to get everything packed down tight. Hope you enjoyed it!
Since Sora can drive, I was actually thinking of using the dressspheres and garment grid idea from Final Fantasy X-2. If you have any ideas or opinions, just send me an e-mail, PM, or say it in your review.
P.S. I won't be updating 'till sometime during Spring Break because I am too tired to write anymore right now.
May the Grace of the Valar Protect You!
Shire Folk