Chapter 8

The figure in black sat quietly for a while, listening to the drumming of the rain on the roof and Geni's labored breathing. Occasionally, he would touch Geni's hand, but otherwise just sat there. After a while, he cleared his throat quietly.

"You know, I was wondering the other day, what would happen now that Sora has woken up. As usual, he's charging in head first without much forethought, but that's what makes Sora himself, I suppose. Even though you two are twins, it's hard to see the resemblance between you." The individual chuckled. "Although, I'm glad to see you free. I know I couldn't help you directly, and I felt powerless in that fact. But you were the one who kept me strong; we both kept each other strong inside the darkness. At least one of us has found the light."

Leaning over slightly, he traced her arm gently, stroking it with care. Geni smiled a little in her sleep, moving her head to the side. The damp cloth from her forehead slid onto the pillow next to her. "Get well quickly; your friends are going to need you more than you know."

"It's that bad, huh?" King Mickey said softly, turning to face the being in black.

The figure in black turned toward the king and nodded. "The Organization is on the move throughout the worlds, causing chaos and destruction all the while reaping the hearts of anyone they conquer. Sora is the only one who can stop them, but he needs his heart to be at full power if he is going to take them on. That is why we need to make sure Geni gets better and stays that way, otherwise Sora will begin to doubt and worry, making his heart vulnerable. He has some tough battles on the way."

"I know; I was hoping that –" King Mickey paused, listening to the door. Soft footsteps came towards the door, getting louder every second. The being in black stood up quickly, but relaxed as the footsteps receded and were heard heading down the stairs. "Everyone is starting to wake up; you don't have much time left."

"I know." The person in black leaned over Geni, bringing their heads close. Whispering as quietly as they could, the person said, "Don't worry, we'll be seeing each other again soon enough. For now, rest and get better for when we finally meet. Until then, I'll see you there." The being touched his cool forehead to Geni's warm one, and then stood up straight. "Good luck; see you soon, I hope."

"You too – be careful." More footsteps were heard in the hallway, and King Mickey motioned for the person to get going.

"When aren't I?" With that said, the being stepped over into the open side of the room. They opened a dark portal, and with one final glance back, stepped through. King Mickey moved the chair back to the desk, then went and resumed his position on the stool. Moments after sitting down, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Come in," King Mickey called.

Aerith walked in, carrying a tray of tea and some toast. "I thought you could use a little breakfast." She set the tray down on the nightstand and handed a steaming cup to the royal mouse.

"Mmm, thank you. Is everyone else awake?"

"Everyone except Sora, he's still sleeping. How's Geni?" Aerith walked over a placed a hand on her brow. "Good, she's even cooler than the last time I was here. Any problems?"

"No, she slept through the night peacefully. Her breathing is still a little labored, but it sounds much better. I'm sure she'll be waking up in the next few hours or so."

"Good. I'll just soak her cloth once more then head downstairs to conduct breakfast; Donald, Goofy, and Cid were arguing over who could eat the most pancakes when I left – I don't want to leave that alone for too long." Aerith smiled, picking up the warm cloth off of Geni's pillow, where it had fallen. She stepped out into the hallway and into the bathroom next door. King Mickey heard the water running as he sipped his tea.

It's a good thing he left when he did; although it's too bad Geni wasn't awake to see him. He reached over to the tray and snatched up a piece of toast as Aerith walked back in and placed the cool cloth on Geni's forehead.

"Well, I'll come back after breakfast and check on her. Call down if you need anything, okay?"

King Mickey nodded as he bit into the slice of buttered toast. Aerith turned and walked back out, this time leaving the door open. King Mickey could hear the clatter of dishes and bits and pieces of conversations from the table as everyone was eating.

As the sun was rising on Hollow Bastion, the sun was setting on a different world. An individual in black was munching on a bright green fruit, watching the last of the sun's rays disappear from the horizon. They stretched, tossing the core to a few fuzzy creatures nearby, where they proceeded to fight and play over it. Using the trunk of the tree as a pillow, the person fell into a peaceful slumber…

A misty fog covered the entire area around them; they could barely see where they were walking. Lush jungle flora surrounded them, their bright colors muted by the twilight of the night. The person seemed to know where they were going, following a worn path in a familiar land. Soon, the ground became softer until it turned to sand; stepping out of the jungle, the person found a tranquil cove. The water, reflecting the twinkling light of millions of stars in the sky above, softly lapped against the shore. A small rocky overlook was home to a large tree whose roots were many, spreading out into the sandy dunes around it. A soft breeze played with their hood, whipping it softly around the hidden face. The person surveyed the area, and spotted a pair of foot prints leading towards the water. Walking slowly, they called out. "Geni? Are you here?" As the being walked toward the water, a lone figure came into view, ankle deep in the water. Whoever it was turned slowly; their skirt was shored up to their knees so as not to get it wet.

"You're finally here…Riku…" Geni said, smiling.

The individual in black stopped, and lifted his hood back, revealing a handsome young man with dark skin and silvery-white hair smiling at her. "Long time no see, huh?" Riku replied, his voice deep and rich. "You're looking well."

"Thanks to Sora, I feel better than I have in a while. I –" Suddenly, Geni lost her balance and pitched forward into the water. She landed on her knees, shaking slightly.

Riku ran like lightening over to her. "You're not alright; you're still sick and need to rest." He helped her up, putting his arm under hers and across her back, so he half carried her over to the large-rooted tree. He helped her sit down gently, leaning her up against a large root.

Geni sighed, closing her eyes, letting the tree support her. "Even here I can't escape it."

Riku sat down beside her, so their bodies touched slightly. "Don't worry, it will pass soon enough. I'm just glad you're free of the darkness that was controlling your heart." Riku placed his hand on the left side of his chest and closed his eyes, remembering his own darkness. He opened them, startled, when he felt another hand over his. Geni was looking deep into his fiery orange eyes, reflecting him in her ocean blue ones.

She smiled. "It won't be long for you either; with Sora back in the fight, the darkness doesn't have long to rule." She squeezed Riku's hand slightly before turning back to rest against the tree. "So, what has been going on since we last talked?"

"Well, I was hoping you could answer some of those questions. The Organization is still out collecting as many hearts as they possibly can, but we can only guess at some of their intentions. Also, they seem to have some kind of interest in Sora. Do you remember anything you might have heard?"

Geni rubbed her temples, massaging them in slow circles. "I've been trying; however, it seems that most of my memories from when I was in the Organization have disappeared. I don't know if they left me when my heart did, or they were erased somehow by someone in the Organization. Either way, I'm not going to be much help." Geni paused, turning her head away from Riku. She whispered, "I guess I was never much help to anyone."

Riku turned harshly and grabbed her by her shoulders, turning her to face him. "Don't ever say that! You're not powerless, and you've helped more people than you know! Especially me." Geni's eyes were still downcast, not wanting to meet Riku's steely gaze. "Geni, look at me!"

Geni stood up abruptly, her back facing a surprised Riku. She turned her gaze slowly upwards, her eyes brimming with tears. "I had given in to the darkness, let it make me do and say horrible things! How am I going to face everyone?!" She pounded her fist against the tree trunk. She was shaking with rage, frustration, and hopelessness. Suddenly, she felt a hand placed upon her shoulder. Geni turned her head slowly; Riku had stood up and was only inches behind her.

"Geni," he said, more of a command than a statement. She turned, tears running in silver streams down her face. Riku placed his hands upon her shaking shoulders. "Sora is your brother, and the rest of your adopted family and friends couldn't care less about what you did while you were under the Organization's control. Do you think they would have gone through all the trouble of finding you, and your battle with Sora, just so you could wallow in self pity? Give them some credit." Riku took his thumb and wiped away the tears on her right cheek, then her left. "Everything will be alright; you'll see."

Geni nodded, swallowing the rest of her tears. "Okay," she said softly.

Riku nodded, then hesitantly, gave her a small hug. Geni stiffened a little, but relaxed and hugged him back. They stayed like that for a few moments, before a wave of pain washed over Geni once more.

"Ah!" Geni cried, clutching her chest. Her knees buckled under her, and she sank to the ground with a thud.

"Geni!" Riku cried, as he held onto her shaking body.

"It's okay," she said, wincing in pain. "It looks like the last of the darkness is being purged from my body. I'm waking up."

"Wait! What about –"

"See you soon, Riku," Geni said as she smiled at him, and then faded out of sight. Riku's hands held onto the nothingness with force; a few moments passed until he smiled and stood up. "I guess I should get going too." Walking towards the jungle once more, he placed the black hood over his face, concealing his features from view as he disappeared into the night.

King Mickey had just finished his second cup of tea and the last of the toast when he heard a small groan. Dropping the teacup on the tray, he ran over to the bed. A pair of confused ocean blue eyes stared at him sleepily. "King Mickey?"

"Geni! Thank goodness, you're awake! How are you feeling; are you hurting anywhere?" Geni sat up slowly, bracing herself against the bed with her arms. She looked around the room slowly, her gaze coming to rest on King Mickey.

"Where are we?" Geni asked quietly.

"You're in one of Merlin's guest rooms, in Hollow Bastion. Everyone else is downstairs eating breakfast although it's about ten o'clock in the morning."

"Mmm-hmm," Geni replied, folding her hands in her lap. "Um, how is everyone?"

"Just fine," the king replied. Seeing her strange behavior, he asked, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all."

"Well then; I'm going down to get Aerith so she can check you over. Do you need anything?"

Geni stared at the wall next to the bed. "No, thank you, I'm fine."

"Okay, then; be back in a jiffy." He turned around, but looked back with a worried face. Geni was being quieter than her usual solemn self. He shook his head, and quickly headed out the door and down the stairs.

Cid, Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, Merlin, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were sitting around Merlin's table, finishing off the last of the pancakes and discussing the best routes for the gummi ship to take to the next world. Yuffie and Cid had just begun clearing the table when King Mickey bounded down the stairs.

"Aerith!" he called out.

The conversation at the table died instantly. Aerith stood up, almost knocking her chair over. "What? What is it? Is something wrong?"

King Mickey came running over to the table. "No, no! Good news in fact!" He paused to catch his breath.

"Well, what's the matter then? Did Geni's fever finally break?" Leon assumed.

"Even better! She's awake!"

Eight faces broke out into huge smiles and cheers. Aerith said, "I'll go and check on her then. Goofy, could you make some more breakfast for her? And Yuffie, could you check on her clothes that we washed? – I think they're dry by now." Goofy and Yuffie nodded, and Aerith dashed off upstairs. The mood in the house lifted enormously; happiness replaced melancholy, reassurance replaced worry. Sora's smile was the biggest among all of them; he began to clear the table and help clean up immediately, chores he loathed to do back home. Everyone seemed in a good mood, except the apprehensive girl upstairs.

Geni heard King Mickey head down the stairs and the noise stop, before she heard even more commotion than before. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. What will they think of me? I betrayed them all, just so they wouldn't have to baby sit me anymore. Now look at me; I haven't changed at all. Geni looked up when she heard footsteps at the door. Aerith came walking in, a huge smile upon her face.

"Welcome back!" she said, heading toward her medical kit. "How are you feeling?"

"A little dizzy, but otherwise alright," Geni replied.

"Good. Open please." Aerith held the thermometer in her hands. Geni obediently opened her mouth and slid the thermometer under her tongue. "Are you hungry or thirsty? I'm having Goofy make some breakfast for you."

"Mmm mm-mmm," Geni mumbled through the cylinder in her mouth.

"Wait a moment," Aerith said. She took out the tube and read the numbers. "Only 99 degrees! Much better than before; still, take it easy – Dr. Ubito said you had a few bruised ribs from your fight with Sora."

At the mention of her brother's name, Geni fell silent, her hands clasped tightly. Aerith saw the reaction but pretended not to notice. "Also, Yuffie and I took the time to wash your clothes and fix a couple of ripped stitches. You won't be able to get some better clothes until we make a trip to the Disney Castle."

"Thank you," Geni replied faintly.

Aerith went and sat on the bed next to her friend. "Cheer up; no one is holding a grudge against you." Geni looked up in shock; Aerith had read her so easily. "King Mickey feels a little bad because he believed it was mostly his fault, but the others are just glad that you are back to your normal self again. So don't beat yourself up over needless worrying." Geni nodded, but didn't say anything. "Either way, how are you feeling walking wise?"

Aerith got off the bed while Geni pushed her legs to the side. Slipping them off and onto the floor, she stood up gingerly. She winced slightly, holding her side. "A little pain from my ribs, but overall I feel fine," she said to Aerith.

"Good. There's a washbasin over in the corner with some fresh towels and a hairbrush, and I'll go and get your clothes from Yuffie. Whenever you're ready, breakfast will be waiting for you."

"Thanks, Aerith," Geni said.

"No problem. And like I said, don't worry." Aerith smiled at Geni, then headed back out the door and closed it behind her. Geni walked over towards the basin sitting on a small table, with a small mirror propped up behind it. Looking at herself, Geni was shocked to see how much she had changed. She was a few inches taller and so was her hair, her eyes were a deeper blue in color, and she looked more mature as well. Taking the cloth, she began scrubbing away at herself, trying to rid her body as well as her mind of the darkness that had controlled her for the past year.

Scrubbing until her skin was pink; Geni then began the tedious task of combing out her hair. Her ponytail had become tangled and knotted, and it would take some work and gentle tugs to bring it back to its former state. Besides having the spiky hair that Sora had, making them look alike from the front, Geni had long hair in the back reaching down to her middle. Sitting on the stool, she began to undo the ponytail and comb her way through the mess. A quarter of the way through, she heard a loud knock at the door.

"Come in Yuffie," Geni said. Yuffie walked in with her old clothes in her arms.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Instinct," Geni said with a shrug.

"Hmmph. Anyway, here are your clothes, all nice and clean. See you downstairs!" Yuffie said as she gently placed the clean clothes on the bed and headed back out the door. Geni looked at her old clothes as she brushed her hair; they were the ones that she had been wearing the day she went with –

Suddenly, Geni's head felt like it was about to explode. She grabbed her temples, moaning quietly in pain so no one could hear her outside. As quickly as it had come, the pain receded; Geni let out a long breath, unclenching her eyes. Not again – what was that all about? Was it a part of the lost memories, or something to keep me from remembering? Within a moment, Geni was fine and continued the war with her hair, pondering what that small episode could mean.

In ten minutes, Geni had finished brushing and combing out her hair and re-braided it. She took off the nightgown she had been wearing, and began putting on her old clothes. Her skirt had been crisply pressed, and her shirt was soft against her skin. Even all of the mud caked on her sandals had been scrubbed off. Her arm bracers, made of long pieces of leather tied in the back had even been rubbed with leather protectant to make them more durable. After dressing, she paused. In the mirror, she was the exact same girl before she had been seduced by darkness, except for the slight height difference. What was I expecting? I'll always be the same, no matter how hard I try. She went and sat on the edge of the bed, dangling her feet off of the edge. She just couldn't bring herself to go downstairs and talk with everyone. They would ask questions, try to be nice to her, give her either sympathy or pity. The tears started flowing again, Geni quietly weeping.

Unbeknownst to Geni, Sora had finished cleaning and decided to go up and say hello. He walked the upstairs hallway several times, wondering what to say. What is wrong with me! I've talked to her before…but then she was asleep and couldn't hear me. Come on, Sora, she's your sister! It's like talking to Riku and Kairi. Sora gathered his courage, and headed towards the door. He was just about to knock when he heard strange noises coming from inside. He leaned closer and put his ear to the door; it sounded like a cross between someone hiccupping and mumbling. Quietly as he could, he turned the doorknob a little to see if it was unlocked. The noise from inside stopped immediately.

"Who's there?" a girl's voice called out.

"Geni? It's Sora; are you okay?" Sora heard light footsteps head towards the door. He backed away just as it was opened. The girl who stood before him was completely transformed from before; her clothes and herself were clean, as well as her hair – even though she had the same spikiness in front like Sora, the long braid down her back was neat without one hair out of place. The only thing that bothered Sora is that her face was a little red and puffy, like she had been crying. "Were, were you crying, or something?"

Geni turned away slightly. "No, what makes you think that? I'll be down in a moment or two, if that's what you want." Geni moved to close the door again; however a large black shoe prevented her from doing so.

"You're not okay," Sora said, pushing the door open. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, okay? Just leave me alone for a little bit," Geni said, facing the bed.

"Don't be so stubborn!" Now where had Sora heard that before? "If something is bothering you, maybe I can help!"

"No you can't!" Geni practically yelled back at him, facing him with her fists' clenched. "No one should!" She sat back down on the bed roughly, covering her face with her hands.

Sora stood there, bewildered by his sister's outburst. He first closed the door, then went over and sat next to her on the bed, but a little ways away. "Geni, what's the matter? You know, it might help if you talk about it, get some of that burden off of your shoulders."

Geni cried silently, her quivering shoulders the only indication of her misery. "You don't get it, do you, Sora? I let darkness take over and control me through my one weakness: that I wanted to be normal, like everyone else, people with a whole heart. Something that wouldn't hinder me and the people around me. I wanted to explore the stars, meet new people in new worlds like you, King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are doing. No matter how hard I tried, I could never do anything I wanted to."

"You're wrong," Sora said. Geni looked at him quizzically. "I know exactly how you feel. You're always second best, while other people are far above you. You feel like you can never accomplish anything or make a difference. Anything you do accomplish is never enough, or someone does something even better leaving you in the shadows of their success. It was the way I always felt about Riku, until I realized something."

Geni had been quiet, listening to her brother's small speech. Although she started at the mention of Riku's name, Sora didn't notice the movement. As she wiped away the tears in her eyes, she asked, "What?"

"That it didn't matter."

"What are you talking about? You're saying that –"

"That everything I did, all of the contests and sparring and the jealousy I felt towards Riku meant nothing. As you know, our world was conquered and swallowed by the darkness; me, Riku, Kairi, our homes and families too. I joined up with Goofy and Donald and went from world to world searching for them. The petty anger and jealousy had disappeared and had been replaced with guilt and resolve. I finally realized that there was something more important than being the best at something: having people around you who care about you, no matter who you are or what level your abilities are. It's the same for you too, you know."

Geni sat in silence, drinking in Sora's heartfelt words. It was strange, but Geni felt like she could trust anything he said to her. She could trust him, even more so than her adopted family and some of her friends. The walls Geni had been building around her heart slowly crumbled; her tears started anew. Between the renewed small sobs, Sora faintly heard, "Really?"

"Of course." Sora could physically see Geni crumbling; she hid her face with her hands while she cried, her body shaking from the effort. Warily, Sora slowly put a hand on her shoulder. Geni flinched from the touch, but soon relaxed and the tears came all the harder. Sora and Geni sat there for a while, Geni crying and Sora holding and supporting her just with occasional squeezes to her shoulder. She emptied her mind, body, and soul of all the worries and pains that had been plaguing her for a long time.

After a while, Geni's crying slowed and her shaking stopped. She slowly sat up, her shoulders straight and eyes clear. Looking at Sora, she gave him a small smile; this one, however, was different from the others in the fact that it was genuine. Geni had yet again transformed herself, but this time, back to her old true self. A girl who was confident, intelligent, and nice to boot. "Thank you, Sora; I guess I needed that. I suppose I'll have to face them sooner or later, plus, I'm starving. Shall we let everyone in?"

"Huh?" Sora asked Geni quizzically, getting up off the bed.

Geni walked to the door, making sure her footsteps were inaudible. Grabbing the knob, she yanked open the door very quickly. In fell Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Merlin, and Yuffie. Standing behind them, looking casual, were Cid, Aerith, and Leon.

Yuffie quickly got up on her feet, looking sheepish. "Well, we heard yelling, so we had to come and investigate…"

"Sure, of course." Sora came and stood next to Geni and they shared a look between them.

"Whoa! Check out the wonder twins! If you two were wearing the same thing, I doubt we could tell you apart!" Goofy exclaimed as he got up. The rest of the group crowded around the teens, making Sora and Geni blush a light crimson as they were examined and compared.

Sora and Geni did a double take. "We do not look anything alike!" they both said at the same time, and then realizing they said the same thing at the same time crossed their arms in irritation.

"Um, Aerith, is there any breakfast left? I'm kind of hungry," Geni said, as her stomach chimed in with loud growls.

"Oh! Of course! You must be starving – come on, everybody, move." Aerith grabbed Geni's hand through the crowd and pulled her down the stairs. Geni turned and waved, slightly embarrassed.

Leon turned and stared at Sora. "So what was that all about?"

Sora smiled one of his goofy grins. "Oh, nothing. Just doing some catching up, that's all," he said, as he shoved his hands in his pockets and whistled as he walked down the stairs.

The group looked after him incredulously. Cid finally mumbled, "I don't know which one is more peculiar; the one with the spiky hair, or the one with the blue eyes." Most of them shrugged, or nodded, then followed Sora back downstairs.