Dedicated to my Dearest Beloved.
A/N: I'm sorry I took so long to update. I was unfortunately hooked on a video game by the name of Star Ocean - I'm a sucker for RPG's and a good story line. Anyway, as promised, there is fluff. Not as brilliant as the first chapter, mind you, but I have to keep y'all on the edge of your seat, you see. There's going to be something better than the chapter numero uno.
What? Really?
Yes. :D
When?
Can't tell.
I know that my writing has been a bit lax since the beginning of That's Why, but I'll try to revamp my later chaps for you guys.
I also seem to recall a Deleted Scene that's supposed to be due…but I'm having a little trouble. It involves Riku and Kairi and I can't seem to get them out of OOC-ness. So if the reviewer who asked me to do this deleted scene would lend me a helping hand, I'd really appreciate it. Tell me how you want it to unfold and gimme a 'leg up', as it were. Thanks!
Without further ado…
Disclaimer: The day I own Kingdom hearts is the day Riku voluntarily frolics around in a pink, frilly dress.
ooo
"You're coming with me."
Leon, for the first time in a long time, really looked at the boy before him. He was taller than when they'd talked last, if only by a little bit. Another growth spurt like that and Sora'd be a head above him and Cloud in no time. As Leon stared, the quiet man began to observe the Keyblade Bearer in a new light. The light of which those in Radiant Garden saw by.
A pawn.
He couldn't be any more than that, despite the rumors. Sora was too pure. Too kind. Too gentle. He wouldn't knowingly harm anyone…wouldn't knowingly cause all these advanced Heartless into the worlds.
But what of the King? He was the one that told Sora to open the Gates. What if the mouse was using the boy for some greater purpose? What if he controlled the Keys for his own means? What if…
That was all it was. A bunch of speculated 'what-ifs'.
Leon knew the King was in the right. He knew the King was good.
Didn't he?
ooo
Sora sat up in Merlin's bed and stretched his arms over his head. He took a moment to scratch behind his neck, making his wild, brown hair stand on end more than normal before asking: "Where we goin'?" A long, drawn-out yawn prohibited Leon from answering right away.
Whatever that Heartless had done to him, Sora assumed, it had really packed a punch.
"To see Tron."
The Keyblade Master kicked off the warm, blue, patchwork comforter and licked the roof of his mouth. Not only was he weak, he felt as if he'd just overcome a spot of the flu. His spit tasted horrible…and his teeth had that nasty, grainy sensation he loathed so much.
What he'd give to brush his teeth.
"Where're Riku and Kairi? Donald and Goofy?" He looked around the dimly lit room and noticed that not a soul was present. The computer was on and it's blue light fell upon a messy desk and an empty computer seat.
Leon folded his arms across his chest, his expression ever stoic. "Riku and Axel left to see the King. They had to inform him about Nevaeh."
Sora leapt to his feet. An aching throb to his temple made him regret his decision to move about so quickly so he sat back down on the mattress. The metal springs complained of the weight and his head replied with another stab of pain.
"Who's Nevaeh?" he asked quietly.
Leon didn't acknowledge him right away. The sunshine streamed in through the window at his right and Sora blinked away the tears that formed in the corners of his eyes. Still, it bothered him. He lowered his face and decided to secure his shoes, making sure they were zipped tightly and prepared in case of the worst.
"Not important," came the answer. "Donald and Goofy have provided us with safe passage to Ansem's Computer."
Safe passage…the towns people were still angry...
"Kairi's outside."
Sora rested his arms over his knees and stared at the floor, his usually bright eyes now listless. Suddenly, he was assaulted with images of yesterday. Images that made him sick to his stomach. He'd nearly…killed her. Killed.
Please…
Sora held his breath and continued to sit, unmoving.
I beg you. Don't do it.
Do what? he asked.
Don't play dumb with me, Sora. I know you want to play 'hero', Roxas chided.
Sora'schest ached at the accusation. Only because it was true. I can't keep anything from you, can I? He pressed his lips together and closed his eyes as tightly as he could; right up to the point where he was seeing bursts of color. But you can't keep me from doing what I want, either…
Then he pushed himself to his feet once more. Ignoring the wailing in his head, ignoring Leon's quizzical stare, and ignoring his pains (both physical and mental), he threw himself to the door of Merlin's house. Wrenching it open, the light from outside flooded his being.
No! You don't understand! Roxas insisted.
Sora, blinded by the sun, pressed on in what looked like a drunken stumble until he reached the far building. There, he smacked into the cool rock and pressed his face into the cemented crevices. He gripped the side of the house to hold himself still as Roxas was working as hard as he could to move his body in the direction he intended Sora to go.
You'll die without her!
Sora exhaled long and loud before replying: "No. You don't understand. My heart will break if I hurt Kairi. And that's worse than death."
So what are you going to do?
Sora's body tensed and the brick began to crumble in his hand.
Are you going to run away? That won't solve anything! Let go of the wall! You'll die without-
"Will you stop thinking about Naminé?" Sora snapped. "It's not just about Kairi! It's all of them. I have to leave all of them."
Silence greeted his outburst.
"Riku…Donald…Goofy…all my friends. Not just Kairi. I care about all of them!" He dug his forehead deeper into the stone as if trying to press himself within it to find escape. If only there was such a place. Sora's jaw clenched. "You think," he bit, "that leaving Naminé'll kill you? Think about what I'm going through. I'm leaving…" He couldn't finish. A lump the size of his fist was occupying most of his throat and he swallowed twice to beat it into submission.
You don't understand, Roxas repeated. The disease…it's still here.
Sora's hand released its hold on the building and he collapsed to his knees in shock. The brick crumbled next to him in a small pile of dust. What?
It's still here. Can't you feel it?
Sora hesitated before allowing his chin to droop to his chest as he concentrated on one thing and one thing only. His heart. He sat there for endless moments, hands out to the side against the stained ground, straining his ears with a bowed head until he could bear it no longer.
It wasn't beating…
ooo
The King dropped a heavy bound volume onto the Library desk and blew the dust from its cover. It was surprisingly plain with only one thing stitched on the front. A key. Though very old, the sheen of the red leather was still evident.
"Nevaeh, right?" Mickey asked as he hoped into his seat.
Riku shared a look with Axel, who nodded, before answering: "Yes."
The King flipped open to a directory and his gloved finger skimmed under hundreds and hundreds of names. Riku rested his hands on the desk and leaned forward. Some of the script was unreadable. A different language, in other words. A few of the names were common, while others were not. Nearly a little piece of everything anyone could ever hope to imagine. And that was only one column.
"Here!"
Before Riku was ready, Mickey took a hand-full of tattered, brown pages and turned them quickly with a flick of his wrist. More dust billowed out about their faces, but neither cared. Except for the one that wasn't paying attention to the faded picture sketched within.
"Jeeze," coughed Axel. He fanned his hand back and forth. "Fire the maid, pal. You're getting gypped."
Riku raked his eyes over the parchment, again and again. It didn't make any sense…how? Why? There, right in front of him, was the penned Nevaeh. Same as always. Long, white hair, orange eyes, belted halter-top, cocky smile. And above her was printed a small paragraph in what looked to be her own tidy cursive.
Name: Heaven "Nevaeh" Alexander
Age: 14
Height: 5'1
Keyblade Bearer #: 521,600
Period: 1969 A.D.
Currently serving under King Mickey DX in order to protect the many worlds from Heartless consumption.
"I don't believe it…" Axel breathed.
"I know," Riku agreed as he bent down to get a better look. He ran a steady finger over the words, making sure they were real. He knew that Nevaeh had a Keyblade…but the fact that she had one because she was chosen to protect the worlds and serve under the King was mind-blowing. "Me either." His steely eyes roamed over the data again.
Heaven. Her true name was Heaven…Keyblade Bearer 521,600. Just how many were there? What number was he, Sora, and Kairi? 1969…
Riku's breath caught in his chest.
Axel huffed and threw his hand vaguely into the air. "Yeah! I mean…King Mickey DX? Isn't that 510 in Roman Numerals? What number are you, exactly?"
Riku grunted and rolled his eyes at the man. He absolutely had no sense of priority. Then again, it was probably a reflex. Some panic when confronted with a problem…and some make outlandish comments. Riku guessed that being a bit flippant was better than losing ones nerves. Luckily, he was cool. He was calm. He was collected.
But Riku suddenly noticed he was panting. His pulse was racing. And only certain occasions prompted such dramatics. When he saw Kairi's heartless body. When Sora's heart proved stronger than his. (Though such a thing now didn't matter in the slightest.) When Roxas defeated him in battle…that was when he'd thoughtSoralost for good. When both of them, his dearest friends, saw him in his new form of darkness. When he'd been returned back to normal…
And now this.
King Mickey blinked at them. "That's not all," he added quietly. "There's more."
Riku visibly shook. He was disgusted with himself that he was so troubled in the first place. But for some odd reason…it touched a nerve. If Nevaeh…or Heaven…had been a Keyblade Bearer, then why was she bent on taking over all of the worlds for the Mastery? How did she end up roped into all of this mess?
Axel hissed under his breath and scuffed his toe against the plush carpet. "What now?"
The King, once more, flipped the aged pages until he reached the very first entry. And the very first Keyblade Bearer.
The name read: Tarsus.
ooo
"Am I…" Sora wondered aloud to himself. Dare he think it?
Dead? Roxas finished bluntly. No. Though it's stopped your heart, the disease is keeping you alive. It's pumping through you.
Sora gasped. His hands balled into tight fists before he slowly lifted his forearms in front of his face. He could see his veins…and they were black. "No," he prayed. "Please, no."
You'll die without her. When she touched you…Naminé…they used their power to wash away the darkness. But it's coming back. They have to heal us again.
How long? Sora asked. The click of Leon's black, leather boots echoed in his ears. He didn't need the man even remotely guessing at the conversation he was having what-so-ever. How long beforewe're overtaken again?
Roxas sighed. I'm not sure. Not any time soon. But you'll know when it happens.
A shadow played across the stone wall and Sora abruptly hugged the inside of his arms to his sides so Leon wouldn't see.
"Next time, make a turn before you hit the building."
Sora's mind scrambled for an excuse. Saying that he'd been struggling with his 'inner self' wasn't going to fly. Especially since he'd have to explain the why. And having to announce that he was still uncured…a possible threat to everyone again…
"Just got a little excited," he lied, looking back at the man with his trademarked grin. Or, at least, he tried to. Sora imagined it came out more of a grimace.
But if I run away, he continued to argue with his other half, then no one will be in any danger.
But you'll die. You'll not only hurt those you love, the Mastery-
FINE!
Soramoaned and reluctantly got to his feet.
Leon motioned to the left. "Kairi's that way with the others. She wanted to talk to you before we left." His eyes glistened. "Get back here quickly. We don't need to waste more time than we already have."
Sora blinked. "Why are you allowing this if you're in such a hurry?"
Leon turned his back on him. The material stitched to his jacket collar wafted in the wind. "Yuffie," he muttered under his breath.
The Keyblade Bearer was powerless to hide a smirk. So before Leon was able to turn back around and see it, Sora departed. He ambled about in the general direction, torn. He had to hurry to appease Leon, yet he didn't want to rush himself so he could think of something…something…
But what? Should he say anything about…no. That wouldn't be a good idea. It would only worry her. At any rate, Kairi'd be delighted to find out that she'd have to accompany him wherever he went. If he were to live, that is. But would the others agree to this? Maybe he should slip the information to Leon. And then swear him to silence.
Not that that would be a difficult thing to do…
However, coming with him would be dangerous. If he was hated here, he was most likely hated in all the worlds. Sora didn't know what was worse: facing more mobs or convincing Riku that Kairi would be better off on the front lines.
Sora absently noticed that as he walked, the cobblestone road beneath his feet grew lighter in hue. The blackness was ebbing away, it seemed. He lifted his head to see further down the way and spotted her. Sora had no idea what she was wearing. He didn't remember seeing her in battle gear. Long, ribbon-laced, crimson gloves…white, studded, gladiator skirt…yellow-tinted, intricately designed breast plate…
He couldn't help but stare.
God, he complained, why'd you have to go and make her so beautiful?
But then she turned around. Her auburn hair swept over her shoulders and her blue eyes sparkled in the bright sunshine when she noticed him standing there. Well…he hoped he was still standing. Sora was aggravated that, once again, he'd become numb to all sensation. How was he to know if his jaw wasn't dangling down to the ground?
"Sora!"
Oh, her voice was sweeter than the saccharine part of the best of the best of the Salty Sweet Ice Cream…
Sora shook his head to remove the notion. Those belonged to Roxas. Not him. And even though it was, technically, himself, he didn't feel right prying into another's thoughts. He'd never even had Salty Sweet before. Donald, the pig, swallowed most of it before it had been used to open another Gate. Sora would just have to take Roxas' word for it…though the Nobody had been referring to Naminé, instead-
His musings came to an immediate halt as Kairi's arms wrapped themselves around his neck and he was assaulted with that same old smell. He took a moment to breathe her in and soothe his frazzled mind, before retuning the embrace.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."
He'd almost killed her. And he was wanting to take her with him? Now the idea just seemed ridiculous.
But, at the same time, as soon as his apology escaped his lips, his heart thudded in his chest. It both hurt and enthralled him. Sora could feel the whatever-it-was Kairi possessed awaken his pulse and strip away the disease that clung to it so desperately. And though he could tell it was not depleted for good, the fact that his life was his own, if only for a shot amount of time, was very precious to him.
So he held her closer.
"I didn't mean to-" he tried to continue.
"Hush," Kairi interrupted. "It's over. And it won't happen again." She pulled away and he resisted the urge not to hearken after her. "Don't worry. I'll protect you." Kairi placed her hands against his cheeks and guided his face to look directly into hers, as if lecturing a child, making sure he was paying attention. "Okay?"
Sora lost himself in her gaze. His cheeks burned from either a blush or the fact that her power was charging through his skin, prickling his nerves. His vision cleared, though nothing had been wrong with it before. The colors were brighter – more full of life. A buzzing at the base of his skull wound its way over the crown of his head. Memories long since forgotten poured into his head.
Naminé stole his…the Organization!
These pictures in Sora's psyche flickered and vanished. He realized that his eyelids were closing, but he chose to let them fall.
So that's why he'd been asleep. That's why.
Naminé had put all the pieces back together. Just so he could remember…
"Kairi…"
"There's no use trying to talk me out of it," her voice chimed. "I'm going with you whether you like it or not."
Sora opened his eyes again. Kairi's hands were falling back into place, at her sides, but the touch still remained. It sent goosebumps up and down his arms. Her smile almost floored him.
"Somebody's got to make you toe the line, you lazy bum."
He matched her expression easily. Surprisingly so considering the circumstances. "Lazy?" he joked. "And what exactly have you been doing since I've been asleep?"
She took his hand. "I'll show you."
Leon would have to wait.
ooo
Mickey closed the leather book and sighed. "Tarsus is the enemy. The leader of the Mastery."
Riku scowled. "But why?"
The King didn't answer. He simply sat there with his hands in his lap.
"Well?" Axel probed.
"I don't know," Mickey finally answered. "But what you've said about the attack on Radiant Garden and Sora's reaction to the Heartless has led me to believe that…" Hehalted and shook his head. "We can't let Tarsus get away with it. We have to fight back."
"With what?" Riku looked about the room to make a point. "There's not enough here to take down the Mastery. If what you say is true, there are hundreds upon hundreds of Keyblade Bearers working for the man."
Mickey hopped out of his chair, took the volume, and slid it back into place on one of the shelves. "It won't just be us. It'll be everyone."
Axel quirked an eyebrow and his eyeshooded suspiciously. "Everyone as in: not just-this-world-everyone?"
The King nodded. "Yep." He turned his head to look at the two of them from over his shoulder. "I'll need ambassadors."
Riku smirked. "And what are you going to do?"
Mickeybrought his attention back to the spine of the directory of Keyblade Bearers and stared intently at the symbol of a gold-leafed key set in its middle. "I'm goin' to find out exactly what Tarsus is up to. There's more on his mind than Kingdom Hearts."
Then he left them alone to think about what he'd said.
Axel stroked the side of his chin pensively. "I dunno about you, but I have a feeling that he's not telling us everything."
ooo
Kairi held out her hand and caressed it against the side of the decrepit shop. From her fingertips flowed a white light and it spilled out over the blackened stone and wood, rippling like the ocean waves of Destiny Island. It continued to expand until everything was restored the way it had been originally and Sora was left in shock.
"How?"
"You're not the only one that uses happy thoughts, you know." Kairi wrinkled her nose proudly and smiled. "That power that Xaldin awoke…I can restore things after they've been touched by darkness." She removed her hand and stepped back a little ways to admire her work. "That's what I've been doing all day. Revamping the town."
So that's why she could heal him. He'd been touched by darkness…and she restored everything there of. Including his lost memory.
"Yep!" Yuffie popped up from behind the counter of the Accessory Shop with a load of items in her hands. One by one she began to put them back in their places on the shelves. "We thought we'd pitch in while you boys check out the computer. We'll be done by the time you get back."
Sora nodded. "Thanks."
"What're friends for?" Kairi asked. Then, in a more serious tone, she added: "Be careful."
"I will."
"And…" She clasped her hands behind her back and stared him down. Or up if you factor in their height difference. "Promise you won't leave me behind? Though, if you must, at least say good-bye. If I'm taking a nap then wake me up, okay?"
"Sorry about that…" Sora rubbed the back of his neck as he recalled disembarking from Disney Castle without a farewell. At the time, he'd been worrying about whether or not he'd be able to leave after seeing her. And he knew then, too, that he'd get an ear-full. "Yeah. Sure thing."
Kairi reached down into her boot and removed her good luck charm. "And remember…" She tucked it into his hand. "Wherever you go, I'm always with you."
ooo
A/N: I hope you enjoyed! No action this time, I know, and not that much fluff, but I gotta stick to my story line. Next chapter Sora and the gang enter Space Paranoids, so there's bound to be butt-kickin' galore. Also, we'll be seeing more Riku and Nevaeh…not exactly on the best of terms. And, for all of those who were disappointed in the fluff here, I'll add some Roxas and Naminé for you.
So, what does the King know that he's not telling anyone? Is he really using them for his own means? Tarsus and Nevaeh…once good? No way!
God bless!