In the Shadows
Rated: T
Genre: Romance, Friendship
Pairing: RoxasXKairi {Roxiri}, SoraXKairi {SoKai}
Summary: At nightfall, someone is lurking in the shadows. He is hard to miss with that flaming hair of his, but still, the job needs to be done. He's swift, he's sharp and he strikes when you turn your back on him. He's a living jeopardy. He's- "Sir, why are you hiding in my apple tree?"
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN KINGDOM HEARTS.
Chapter Eleven:
Someone is joining the party
"What?"
The King didn't seem to understand his confusion. "Sora sent you a message, didn't he?"
Riku felt an angry glare appear on his face. "No. No, he didn't."
"That's remarkable," the King said, laughing nervously. "He said he would."
Riku wanted to grab the small figure of his King and wanted to shake him very badly.
"King," he said sharply. "You haven't forgotten that this is about Kairi?"
"Of course not," the King answered, annoyed. "But I thought he, you both, by the way, were grownups now."
Riku pressed both his thumb and index finger on the bridge of his nose and massaged the skin there.
The King looked down. "I'm sorry, Riku."
Riku grumbled something and held back a stream of curses.
"Where is he now?" he growled at the nervous looking mouse.
"He's in Twilight Town, with Donald and Goofy," the King said, relief in his voice now. "They will make sure he doesn't go on his own."
Riku gritted his teeth. "You all think… you know him," he said through clenched teeth. "You just think… you know him."
"Riku…?"
"We need to go. Now."
"I understand you want to see Kairi-"
Riku turned around in a flash and faced the pale mouse. "I need to get there before Sora does," he snapped. "Now!"
With that, Riku left the room with venomous steps.
"Goddamnit."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Sora finally found the way to the dungeons.
It was a cold, dark place underneath the Castle.
A freezing breeze blew through his spiky hair as he opened the giant doors blocking the way.
He didn't hesitate for a second and walked right in. Somehow, he knew this was the way. He could sense her, a warm light guiding the way.
"K-" He swallowed. "Kairi?"
There was no response, but Sora continued to walk down the long path, giant walls at both his sides.
After five minutes of hearing his footsteps echo through the dungeon and passing lots of empty prison cells, he heard movement. He stopped, looking back and around him, suspicious. What if someone from the Organization had escaped and now followed him to take him out when he didn't expect it?
"Wh-Who's there?" A feminine voice asked hesitantly. "R-Roxas? Is that you?"
He would recognize that voice everywhere. He even heard it in his dreams.
"Kairi!"
He started running, the Organization and this dark place long forgotten.
"Kairi!"
"Sora?!"
He felt a sob through his clenched teeth and a wave of pure bliss washed over him.
She had been locked up in the last prison in this entire dungeon, but he finally was here.
He stopped right in front of the bars, right in front of her for the first time in a long time.
She had lost a lot of weight and she was very pale, but tears of happiness streamed over her face.
"Sora!"
She reached for him through the bars and he immediately took her hand in his, feeling the cold skin against his warm skin.
He didn't say anything, but just took her in for a moment. He was so happy she was okay.
Finally he pressed the back of her hand against his forehead.
"Thank God," he murmured. "You're okay."
Then, he let go of her and smiled slightly. "Get back," he said. "I'll get you out."
Kairi did as she was told and stepped back into her corner in the darkness.
Sora's Keyblade appeared and he prepared himself for the blow.
The bars came loose with a cracking sound. Lots of smoke and dust filled the place as both of them coughed and sneezed.
When the dust cleared up, Sora closed the gap between them and took her in his arms. Finally.
"I'm so glad you're here," Kairi said.
He buried his face in her hair and hugged her tighter.
"I'm sorry, Kairi."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Axel knew he was supposed not to feel anything, but the fate of his younger friend ached and stung in the empty hole that once held his heart. Roxas was gone and Roxas was gone forever.
He angrily rubbed the tender skin under his eyes, the wetness annoyed him in a certain way.
Roxas, the stupid idiot, had been able to escape with him, but no, he just had to fight Sora.
He just had to.
"Hey Axel,"
Axel turned around sharply, his neck making a tiny noise as he overstretched it.
"Ow," he muttered under his breath. "Hi, Zexion."
The hooded man hovering above him removed his hood, to reveal the tired face of Zexion.
"What's up?"
Zexion sighed, sitting down beside Axel. "I had to lure Sora in, only to find a very angry duck and a confused dog who were stamping through Twilight Town shouting his name. I figured he wasn't around anymore, so I left for the Castle for new instructions, only to find a chaos and blood everywhere. I thought I'd rather come here."
They were in Castle Oblivion, a shelter for some of the Organization members where Naminé lived.
"Sure," Axel mumbled. "Sora had found the way to the Castle already."
"Yeah," Zexion said. "I even dare to say we're the only ones left from the thirteen members. I see Roxas is not with you?"
Axel turned away, to reveal a single teardrop. "Roxas's gone."
Roxas truly was gone.
-x-x-x-x-x-
Kairi didn't ask him any questions. She just clang to him.
"This is real," she murmured in his neck.
He closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he said again, swallowing hard. "I'm so sorry."
She shook her head, but did not meet his eyes. "It's okay. You're here now."
"No," he said, taking a small step back to raise her head. "I should've been home earlier. I should've kept my promise to you."
"We were kids back then," she said, smiling slightly with forgiving eyes. "And you never said when you would come back."
She looked down for a moment and then met his eyes again. "I'm… I'm just so happy… that you are okay… I was… I was so afraid you were… that you were… dead…"
"But Kairi, you know I would never die! My fame is pretty much immortal!" he said playfully.
Kairi gave him a little slap on his arm.
"Ow, Kairi," he whined, rubbing the sore spot. "What was that for?"
She beamed at him. "For laughing at my worries, sir. You could've been hurt. Badly," she added more serious. "And I never would've known."
Sora sighed. "I know, Kai," he said, resting his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry."
After a minute, Sora pulled away. "C'mon, let's go home."
Kairi didn't let him go. "Just so you can leave again?" she said very softly.
Sora swallowed. "No," he said. "I need to talk to you," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "I've got something important to tell you."
Kairi seemed to understand he didn't want to talk about it here, in this cold and dark castle.
She always understood him, no matter what. If he would've left immediately again, she wouldn't protest.
But now there was something important she needed to understand, something she didn't know yet because he himself had been a coward for all these years.
The cards needed to be on the table.
He just didn't get why something inside of him had to chuckle and why there was an image in his head of someone of the Organization.
He shrugged it off and took Kairi's hand.
"C'mon, we're going home."