Ch. 6

The Shadow behind Ansem seemed to actually be a part of him, but at points in the battle the shadow would get in front of him and protect him, making it impossible to actually get a hit on Ansem. And even more annoying was that sometimes Ansem would disappear and reappear somewhere else. But what bothered Yuri the most was that Ansem wasn't attacking except for the occasional lightening. Then out of no where the shadow thing appeared on top of Sora, leaving a shadowy mist, then Yuri, it was weakening her and almost every time they healed it would come back. Then to make things even more annoying, while they were running around trying to avoid the shadow guardian Ansem would produce a dark shield that hurt as well. After much attacking it seemed that they would have him beaten. It's too easy…

Ansem retreated up and back into the tree. Sora stopped and stared. "Sora, come on he's getting away!" Yuri kept running.

"Wait! Yuri!" Sora caught her and held her back. The tree began to shake and be uprooted. But instead of being completely uprooted it split apart. "Alright, come on." Yuri nodded and they ran toward Ansem who waited patiently for them inside the torn tree. When they Sora the group reached the top of the rift, Sora jumped into the gaping hole, the others followed suit, but were shut out by yet another invisible force field. All they could do was look on in horror. Yuri prayed that they would all get out of this and that she'd be able to talk to the actual Riku one last time. Especially when out of the darkness, instead of Ansem, rose a very large, very solid shadow that looked surprisingly like the one she herself fought at the very beginning of her very long journey, when she first gained her own keyblade.

With little effort Sora defeated the large heartless and in its place stood Ansem, ready again to fight. It took more effort this time for Sora to defeat him because he was all alone against Ansem and his guardian heartless. When Ansem finally fell they ran to Sora before being engulfed in darkness. "Wha-?" Sora looked around, holding his wrist, sore from battle.

Ansem's voice came from the emptiness. "Behold the endless abyss! Within it lies the heart of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts!"

"Sora!" Yuri whispered, but it echoed. Sora turned to her and she pointed to a floating piece of land holding a large door.

"Look as hard as you're able. You'll not find even the smallest glimmer of light. From those dark depths are all hearts born. Even yours." They looked around trying to find Ansem and instead faced something large and pink, they floated back to try to see more of it. The pink looked like an open ship with a large black figure atop it. "Darkness conquers all worlds!"

"What the-!" Yuri yelled. She'd seen weird things and people on her journeys, but this was the weirdest by far. Suddenly gravity took effect and they found themselves falling through the darkness. Yuri fell with Donald and Goofy into an orange portal, leaving Sora once again by himself. "SORA! RIKU!" The portal closed over them. There was only darkness. "Donald? Goofy?"

"Here."

"Me too!" Goofy chimed in.

"I hope Sora's ok…" Yuri hung her head, wishing there was more she could do.

She didn't know how long they'd been sitting in darkness, unable to find each other, unable to see, after a time it seemed unable to breathe. But the orange portal appeared like a brilliant bright light above there heads. It sucked them in once again and spat them back out in front of the monster. Yuri grabbed Donald's wing and he grabbed Goofy, together they flew to find Sora. "Where'd you guys go?" He asked panting heavily.

"Darkness, it was awful. You alright?" Yuri responded while goofy and Donald went to fight. Sora nodded and followed them with Yuri trailing closely. A head…the ship looking mass has a head…..this is really really weird…..and somewhere inside….Riku…..They attacked the head which bit quite frequently and brought down blue lightening around it. The head engulfed in flame and writhed. Sora grabbed Yuri's hand and flew back to observe, after a while the head fell and the mouth was agape with green, red and orange mist swirling inside. "You've got to be kidding me…."

"Come on…we gotta go in." Sora led the way into the giant ship head. When inside they were on a blue floor with only darkness around.

"AH!" Something struck out and wounded Yuri. "Heartless!" They prepared themselves and fought against the unseen enemy. One particular heartless imploded and became orange flame.

"Come on!" Donald lead the way out of the ship mouth and back into dark space. They turned and watched the head explode.

Without speaking Sora flew to the body of the ship. Inside was a large purple mass that pulsed. A heart? They immediately began to hack at it. The heart exploded and they again found themselves out in the dark space. All were panting. "Please tell me it's over?" Yuri held her bleeding side. The body atop the ship began to flail. Ansem fell from the figures mouth.

Sora looked at her wearily. "Something tells me no."

They were fighting. Ansem, four lasers, they were doing pretty well, then he opened what appeared to be a very large, very powerful vortex. "AH!!!" Yuri tried to fly away from it, but was continuing to get sucked in while it shot at her. His blade sliced through her as they continued to fight. Sora got hit with lasers, Goofy and Donald were trying their best but were getting tired. Five hits later Ansem slumped in the air. The ship beneath him began to blow. White light erupted from Ansem's chest. He screamed in what may have been pain or rage. The light grew and engulfed him, just when Yuri thought she couldn't take the blinding light any more it exploded. "Now is it over?" Yuri asked. Ansem floated in front of them again and Yuri sighed.

Ansem writhed. "It is futile. The Keyblade alone cannot seal the door to darkness." He turned and reached out to the floating island with the large door and called to it desperately. "Kingdom Hearts! Fill me with the power of darkness…" The door began to open, darkness spilling out of it.

"No…" Yuri whispered as she braced herself for another fight.

"Supreme darkness…"

"You're wrong." Sora spoke now, confident. "I know now, without a doubt. Kingdom Hearts…is light!" The darkness spilling out of the white doors changed to a blinding light. Ansem dissolved in the brilliant light. Sora, Yuri, Donald and Goofy touched down on the floating island and ran toward the door. I thought Riku would be there…after Ansem was destroyed…? Though confused, she followed her friends. Sora braced himself on one door with Yuri and Donald and Goofy braced against the other door.

"Come on!" They began trying to push the door closed.

"I'm confused…why are we closing it…I thought it was light?" Yuri questioned. Goofy looked inside the door and couldn't get his eyes away from whatever he saw.

"Stop staring and keep pushing!" Donald reprimanded him. But Donald looked in and let out a confused quack.

"What's going on you two?" Yuri struggled to talk while she pushed.

"The Heartless!" They both answered. "Hurry!"

"I can't…" Sora looked so helpless. A hand reached out through the other side of the door to help.

"Don't give up!" Riku! "Come on, Sora! Together, we can do it!"

"Okay!" Sora nodded and kept pushing.

"Wait…Riku!" But nobody seemed to hear her.

"It's hopeless!" Donald screamed in frustration.

"Riku I have to tell you something!" Yuri tried to talk.

"Your Majesty!" Donald was elated.

A small girly voice came from inside. "Now Sora, let's close this door for good!"

"Riku!" She tried again.

"Close it quick!" Donald ordered.

"But…" Sora thought of his friend on the other side.

"Don't worry," King Mickey spoke again. "There will always be a door to the light."

"Sora, you can trust King Mickey." But I can't….none of you….

"Now! They're coming!" Riku yelled from the other side.

"Donald, Goofy, thank you." Mickey said.

"Take care of her." Riku spoke softly to Sora before the door closed completely. Yuri stared. She didn't bother to push any more. It was clear…clearer than ever, that they didn't need or want her…that to them, she didn't even exist. The door closed and Sora locked it. It disappeared. No more chances to see Riku. No way to tell him how she felt. No way to tell him that she loved him. Or that she hated his guts. No more chances. She let herself sink to her knees on a corner of land. No more love. The land cracked in front of her. No more. She drifted through space, let herself give in to the darkness that was sleep. No Riku…