Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II, or Final Fantasy Advent Children.
Notes- Wow this took a long time to get up. So much school work… but I finally have a relaxed weekend with time enough to do this, and I've been getting some ideas… So I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 21- Found
"I think you should…" Fleur said quietly, looking at Sora with an almost frightened look.
"Okay…" He said hesitantly. He stepped toward the book and knelt down. The light from the lantern thrashed as time seemed to slow and he lowered his eyes to the page. Amongst the black ink letters, one phrase still glowed with a pale light. Arosukir Iriak.
"Arosukir Iriak… But I don't get it? Why?" He said, seeming frustrated.
"I… I don't know…" Fleur replied. Sora placed a hand on the page opposite to the one with the glowing letters. As his fingers moved over the page, the letters began dancing in the lantern light. He gazed at them, and they slowly began lifting off the page. His face took on a look of surprise and a bit of fear. He stood up and stepped back so he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Fleur.
Then a whirlwind.
There was a breeze that grew into a whirlwind, the letters whipping around in the spiral before them. Fleur snatched Sora's hand and held it tight, stepping closer and clinging to him. He responded with an arm around her protectively, and the both stepped back once more. The letters were burning with a golden light and the winds started to die down. As the storm receded, the letters remained floating in midair.
They were rearranged. Sora was speechless.
There before him, hanging at eye level, were three words he knew so well.
Kairi Riku Sora
He released his grip on Fleur and stepped forward, a hand outstretched towards the letters, his gaze fixed. On his second step forward, his foot hit the book, and a light reappeared. His body was rendered motionless, and the light engulfed him. When the light left this time, Sora had gone with it.
Fleur gasped, looking at the bit of light still emanating from the pages. She saw his face in the pages for a split second, and without a second thought, stepped onto the book. The light engulfed her this time, and she was gone within seconds.
She awoke lying down. When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but pitch black abyss. Doubting her vision, she held up her hand. She could see fine. The problem was the lack of anything to see. She stood, almost falling from dizziness. When she took a step forward, her foot hit the blackness as if it was a floor, but she saw nothing there.
What the… Where am I?
In a panic, she called out his name.
"SORA!!! SO-RAAAA!!!" She screamed. Out of breath, she hit her knees. She knelt down, panting for a few moments. As her breathing returned to normal, she heard footsteps on the ground-that-wasn't.
"Fleur… is it you?"
Her head jerked around at the familiar voice and tears filled her eyes at the sight of his face.
"Sora!" She leapt up from her kneeling position and flung herself into his arms.
"Fleur, I'm so happy you're here." He held her tight and calmed her tears. "I've found them. They're alive… but they're… well, the only way I can think to explain it is sleeping." He paused and looked down at Fleur's face. She was looking up and him, listening intently, so he continued. "They're in a place, I don't know how I got there… but I'm going to try to go back and take you with me this time, okay?"
There was a short pause, but she nodded. He held her tight and closed his eyes. Seeing this, she closed hers as well. She suddenly felt her stomach drop, as if she had fallen from a high rooftop. When she opened her eyes, she was in another place, an abyss just as black as the last, but Sora was not holding her. Instead, he was standing off to her left, facing the opposite direction as her. He was staring, and she saw tears beginning to form in his eyes. She turned around to look at what he saw.
There they were.
His only friends from his past. Kairi and Riku.
The girl, Kairi, was floating off the ground so her stomach was about to Fleur's eye level. There was a pale pink light radiating off of her. Her arms were held out as if she was wearing shackles, yet her wrists were free. Her legs just dangled, gracefully relaxed, and her head hung forward ever so slightly. Fleur could see her face, soft and gentle. A bit of her auburn hair fell into her face and around her shoulders. She was dressed in a sleeveless pink zip hoodie and a black skirt, no shoes.
Sora stepped up to her, but the pink light brightened and he was pushed back.
Fleur then turned her attention towards the boy, also floating at eye level. He was horizontal, though, and his arms and legs hung limply from his torso. He was wearing black pants, black shoes, and a yellow shirt with a black hoodie halfway zipped up. His silver hair hung straight down from his head, and his face was fully visible. To Fleur, he looked very stern, but also somewhat caring. Instead of a pink light, his was a pale turquoise color.
"Riku…?" Fleur questioned. "And Kairi?" Her voice was soft.
"…Yes. My friends… I only wish I knew what was happening… or what happened" His voice quivered with the last words, and Fleur embraced him in comfort.
"Well…" A woman's voice boomed from all directions.
Fleur and Sora jumped at the sudden loud voice that seemed to be coming from nowhere.
"I could tell you, but you may just cry like a little baby…"
Sora pushed Fleur behind him protectively. "Who are you?!" He demanded. He felt a burning sensation on his chest and raised his hand to his heart, where he felt the key inside his shirt. He remembered what happened with Roselin, and he tore it from his neck and clutched it tight, hoping for a keyblade. Sure enough, the key transformed almost immediately.
"Who are you, dammit!" He yelled, beginning to become frustrated.
"Ooh, tou-chy... Well, I guess I could at least tell you my name." There was a low chuckle. "I am..."
Notes- OOOOOH!!! Suspense!! Who could it be? I DON'T KNOW! But… yes I do. For me to know and you to find out next chapter!! R+R!!!
-VarekaiSoleil