Chapter 21: Destiny islands
{Hollow Bastion: April 14th 2013, 6:50am}
Tifa hummed a tune as she swept a wooden floor within her home. A few days ago, Cloud, Squall, and herself had gone into a battle that had more than one emotional toll put out for them. Between fighting Organization Thirteen, Heartless, Nobodies, and frighteningly enough, Sora himself, all to see Riku reappear with the boy in his arms, dead, was, needless to say, something she never wanted to experience again. The woman sighed in defeat as she looked down, while laughter of children came in through the open window on a cool summer breeze.
"I hope Sora, Kairi, and Riku are safe back on the Islands, and are doing alright," she thought as she continued sweeping.
"Tifa?" chocolate-colored eyes looked to cobalt blue.
"Cloud?" the blonde man looked around the house.
"Were you thinking about the others?" he asked. She sighed as she sat the broom down.
"Yea, I guess so. Oswald and Master Yen Sid stated they had things to attend to once everyone was back to their home worlds, and everyone seems to be okay, but..."
"You're worried about Sora, Kairi, and Riku," he said as he walked towards her.
Tifa couldn't help but be concerned by the fact that the three teenagers had looked remarkably worn down. Kairi had cried more that day than she was certain the girl ever had, Riku had even cried, and begged – which she was certain he had never done in a battle – and then there was Sora, beaten, bruised, and wounded; the boy had suffered the entire battle, from start to finish. However, Tifa had been given a surprise by him, as had all the others present, when Sora had come bursting forth from the ice shield Jack Frost had put up and instantly beat down one of the Organization members. Sora had come back to life, full of fire, and more than capable of fighting. Tifa sniffed a bit as she felt worry settle into her system as she recalled the events, and then a firm arm wrapped around her, and Tifa felt Cloud pull her to him as she rested her head against his chest.
"Don't worry. Sora, and the others are okay...they're home, and with their families," he stated as he placed a hand on her head.
"I know...but Organization Thirteen is dangerous, look at the lengths they went to try and get rid of Sora, alone. They had no interest in us...but now...Cloud, they'll be out for vengeance, and they'll view any world allied with the Light as an enemy...everyone is in danger, now..." cobalt eyes looked down to her.
"We've always been in danger. Being allies with Master Yen Sid, King Mickey, and the others hasn't changed that one bit..." Tifa looked to the window, where she could see two children playing in the street.
"But this time, it's different...all the situations are different...Cloud...we have to take extra precautions..." the blonde looked her over, and then she looked down at the notion that he, more than likely, would refuse to back down.
"We'll hide them, okay? We'll take them somewhere that they'll be safe until this is over," he said as the woman nodded.
"Okay, but where?" cobalt looked to chocolate brown.
"Daybreak Town, I have some friends there that can help keep them safe for now."
As the words left him, the door to the house opened, and their attention turned to the two little figures that stared up at them with deep blue eyes, and reddish-brown hair.
"What's going on?" Tifa moved to them, and smiled as she went down on one knee, and placed her hands on their heads, threading her fingers through their hair.
"We're going on a little trip. So, go pack up, and we'll take you to visit someone, okay?"
"Okay!" the two ran off, and Tifa looked to Cloud.
"It'll be okay?" she said in questioning.
"Yea...it always is."
{Destiny Islands: April 14th 10:00am – Seiren Household}
Kairi sat in the kitchen of Sora's home looking at the cup of tea settled before her. Himitsu had asked Kairi to come and visit for a bit, while Sora was still sleeping. However, Kairi was also thinking about what had been transpiring up to this point. Sora had been sleeping for the last two days, and almost seemed as if he wouldn't dare wake up. Sometimes, Sora would respond faintly, but never fully wake up, and other times he seemed utterly dead to the world. Kairi took a deep breath and picked up her teacup, while Himitsu was busy washing dishes.
"Is..." the woman sighed.
"Sora is still sleeping," she answered.
"He's still not awake?" Himitsu looked towards her.
"Kairi, Sora needs to sleep off this fever, and he needs to heal his wounds. Sleep is the body's natural way of healing, just like a fever is the body's natural way to burn out infections," she stated as she settled into a chair beside Kairi.
"I'm worried, is all...Sora normally has more energy than both myself and Riku combined. To see him so still, and tired...it makes me nervous."
"It makes everyone worried, sweetheart. But Sora will be just fine; I know what I'm doing, and he'll recover with some rest," Himitsu stated with a small smile.
Kairi nodded faintly at that, and Himitsu looked her over. The red-haired girl had been a dear friend to Sora since he'd come to live on the islands; however, Himitsu, Akira, and Tadashi had all taken into account that something had changed amidst the two teenagers since their first harrowing adventure. Chocolate eyes looked Kairi over, with a small smile painting her features as the girl sipped her tea, and remained silent. She was still gaunt and tired from the most recent series of events; however, Kairi still was very beautiful. Himitsu had known, since Sora had turned thirteen and had spent time with the girl more and more, that he had a very severe crush on the red-haired girl. Himitsu took in a deep breath as Kairi looked to her, and then glanced around.
"Is something wrong?" Himitsu smiled.
"No..." she said.
"Okay..." Kairi picked up her cup again, and took a sip.
"I was just thinking of how beautiful you'll look in a wedding dress," the black-haired woman answered.
Kairi coughed into her cup, and sat it down quickly as the warm liquid splashed faintly on her lips and chin. Quickly wiping her face, Kairi looked back to Himitsu with a wide-eyed expression, as the woman continued to smile with her hands folded neatly under her chin. Aquamarine eyes looked down as Kairi felt her face turn blood-colored, and anxiety fill her. Himitsu continued to smile as the red-haired girl suddenly found interest in the hem of her pink shirt and jean shorts overlooking the woman in the eye.
"I...um..." the black-haired woman smiled slightly at her.
"Kairi, I know how you feel about Sora," she admitted.
"We're...just..." a knowing smile was given to her.
"Friends?" Kairi looked down again, but at her cup this time.
"I guess so..." Himitsu shook her head.
"Kairi, let me tell you something about boys. They're all unique, like everyone else is, and sometimes, you'll run into the ones who tell you they want to just be friends, and then there are the ones that don't say a word, but love you so much it hurts," she said.
"And you think Sora is the kind that won't say he has feelings for me?" Himitsu smiled.
"I do. Kairi, you've known Sora since you were four years old, and you also know that Sora was very shy as a child...not to mention he was picked on a lot, because he's small for his age. Most people in school would tease him about being slighter in build than most, and for being different than the others here, but you and Riku didn't. However, you know that he's introverted a lot, even though he's become bolder..." Kairi looked down.
"He used to be a lot quieter and calmer about things. Sometimes he would put a distance between us...but now..." Himitsu smiled.
"Sora's growing up fast...all of you are. Kairi, I want to thank you for helping Sora and Riku during whatever happened," she stated.
"I didn't do much...I just..." she shook her head.
"No, Kairi, you fought for them. Sora doesn't have to tell me a word for me to know that you choosing to fight alongside him as his comrade meant the world to him," Himitsu told her. Kairi felt her heart ache at that.
"But I didn't protect him...he protected me the entire time...I was useless...and...Sora got hurt...because I wasn't strong enough to keep him safe..." Kairi's eyes burned with tears as she continued talking.
"Sweetheart..."
Kairi couldn't stop herself from crying. It felt as if something physical had happened to her heart, and the pain was unbearable. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to recover herself in the face of the woman who had acted like a surrogate mother to her. Kairi wanted to be strong, and she didn't want to cry anymore because she wasn't strong enough or powerful enough to stand beside Sora as an equal. Riku could fight, he was strong enough to back Sora up and know that he was okay. However, to many people, Kairi was just a Princess of Heart, and not a Keyblade Wielder, and the notion broke her spirit as much as seeing Sora dead had broken her heart. As she continued to cry, though, Himitsu got up and wrapped her arms around the girl, before shushing her as she gently carded her fingers through her hair, and tried her best to help her get through this sudden spell of raw emotion.
It was something Himitsu had seen before, and though it was slighter than the one she had seen, all the signs were there for post-traumatic stress. Kairi's sudden outburst of pure sorrow that seemed uncontrollable, atop Akira telling her that Riku was sick to his stomach when he smelt the blood from the meat last night when she was cooking dinner, told Himitsu that both of the children were suffering. As Himitsu held Kairi in her arms, her mind wandered to Sora and what his state of mind would be like once he woke up. For now, though, all she could do was hope and pray that he would recover from it, as would Kairi and Riku, given time.
"It's okay, Kairi..." she whispered as the girl continued to sob.
"How do you know...these wounds don't feel like they'll ever disappear..." Himitsu smiled as she placed her palms on the girl's cheeks, as she looked her in the eyes and brushed her bangs from her teary face.
"Because, given time...everything will heal."
{Mysterious Tower: 2:00pm}
Master Yen Sid sat at his desk, with Oswald standing next to him, as he looked at the group standing before him. Currently, Joshua Kiryu, Beat Daisukenojo, Rhyme Daisukenojo, Shiki Misaki, and Neku Sakuraba were meeting with the wizard to discuss the events that were unfolding after the Dream Drop. The group had been involved in two of the trials Sora and Riku had endured during the Mark of Mastery exam. However, they had been unable to enter the battle in the World That Never Was; therefore, Master Yen Sid was now informing them of the events that had transpired. Joshua, Neku, Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme were all seated at another table, with tea cups in front of them, as they listened to the retelling of events up to the point that they no longer had been able to be involved in.
"So, the Organization managed to do some kind of damage to the others?" asked Rhyme as she looked at the wizard.
"I am afraid so. They also did not waste time in telling us that Sora was their target." Joshua looked at the cup of tea in front of him.
"I figured they would do such a thing. Sora is powerful, and is the chosen wielder of the Silver Kingdom Key. Because of that, Sora will be an ever-looming threat until he is either eradicated, or Xehanort Erebus is dead...and even then..." Neku nodded at Joshua's statement.
"Even then, they'll still try to cause mayhem after their boss is gone, Organization Thirteen will still try and do something to our side," he said.
"My exact thoughts. However, I also need to inform you of what happened during the battle." All eyes went back to Master Yen Sid.
"Please, continue," said Shiki.
"Sora was kidnapped by Xemnas, the Organization leader, and to great misfortune, his heart was shattered. However, Sora was able to recover, and help in the battle, however...using so much energy and magic did more damage to his heart that was already severely impaired." Joshua looked the wizard over in contemplation.
"All things come at a price, correct? Grand Master Yen Sid?" he inquired.
"It is true, and Sora has already paid a great price for what he has had to face. Now, do you know of the theory of equivalent exchange?" the wizard chose to ignore Joshua's statement of his official title, as he set to looking at the group once more.
"And what was the cost Sora had to pay this time?" asked Neku.
"Sora was dying, his heart was breaking once again...however, there was a simple means of diverging from such a fate..." amethyst eyes locked onto the wizard.
"Equivalent exchange?" the wizard nodded.
"Yes, and that is where Riku came in," Master Yen Sid stated.
"Alright, and what did Riku do?" the man looked down.
"Unfortunately, Riku had to surrender his humanity in order for Sora to live," he said.
"Wait...Riku had to...give up his humanity?" the group's expressions went from calm to horrified, as the wizard nodded in a sullen manner.
"I am afraid so. Riku accepted aid from one of Sora's Dream Eaters known as Balis, and momentarily took the mantel of his friend's Chief Dream Eater. Because of this, he had a price to pay for choosing to use the magic, and then atop this, Riku desired to find a way to help Sora. This is where I, as Grand Master, chose to give Riku a chance to...as they say...kill two birds with one stone, and pay his price, while at the same time, saving his friend," Master Yen Sid stated.
"The Grand Master has the power to negate prices for usage of magic or abilities that are not commonplace for a person, and yet here you are, allowing Riku to suffer such a penalty?" the Master Wizard looked to them sternly.
"Some soul had to pay that price, and whether it be I or another, Sora would have died, and many of us would have suffered from merely desiring to bring him back, which, may I add...would have been a far worse price to have paid," he informed them.
Neku wasn't fond of the information he was being given. Sora had truly gone through a series of rather traumatic events to take an exam; however, when he heard that Riku had to pay a price in order to save the other boy, it hurt him. Neku, Joshua, Beat, Rhyme, and Shiki had all wanted to do something to help Sora and Riku beat the examination and become Keyblade Masters, but they had never expected to have such a tragic series of events conspire during something that should have been so simple.
"What did Riku become?" Neku asked as he looked to Master Yen Sid.
"Riku became a Dream Eater, and swore his allegiance to Sora. The choice he made will change his fate, ultimately, but I made sure to allow him to be his own person, still, and for him to have the same rights as others. This allowed Riku to keep his human form, rather than become a creature. However, with this choice, and the acceptance of his place as Sora's chief Dream Eater, he will have abilities and powers that fall into the same category of the Dream Eaters...and that includes minute transformations."
"So, did Sora and Riku pass their examination?" questioned Shiki.
"What a minute, yo! I gotta find out...Riku? Is he gonna loose da Keyblade?" Master Yen Sid shook his head.
"Because he maintained his human form, Riku has all the rights of a human being. This includes him being able to wield his Keyblades," he answered.
"Alright, can you tell us if Sora and Riku passed the Mark of Mastery examination?" the wizard smiled.
"Sora and Riku are back on the Destiny Islands recovering; however, both of them did pass the Mark of Mastery, and soon, I shall be giving them both their Marks of Mastery, and their Keyblades," Master Yen Sid stated.
"Really?!"
"Yes, once they've returned, Sora and Riku will go through the ceremony to be given their Mastery Marks, and will be able to take on students of their own," the aged wizard stated as he explained the details to them.
"Hey, Neku? Maybe you could have Sora train you!" Shiki teased the orange-haired teen, who rolled his eyes at her statement.
"Uhuh...so, when will they be getting back?" he questioned.
"They, and several others, are on leave until further notice. However, I suspect a week or so will be all it will take before they return back to Disney Castle." Joshua smiled faintly.
"However, you do realize that Sora will never fully recover from this, do you not?" he inquired as Master Yen Sid looked down.
He was well aware that Sora wouldn't recover from the shock, and while he might be able to cope eventually – and with time – he would never be who he once was. The trauma alone from the entire ordeal would afflict all of them. Sora, Kairi, Riku, Jack, Yui, King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Oswald, Cloud, Tifa, Squall, and even himself would be forever scarred by the events of the Dream Drop. Whether those scars were emotional, physical, mental, or spiritual would depend on who they were, and how they would handle the pain.
"Yes, I am aware that Sora won't fully recover from this. He will never be as carefree, nor as mild-tempered, as he once was. He will show more aggression, he will be more willing to harm others, and many other things that come with trauma and war...such is life."
"Just do us a favor: the next time a battle comes up, leave a star-shard with one of us," Neku said.
"Ah, I thought you might state something about that. This is why I have a proposition for you all..."
"We're listening."
"I shall give you each two pendants, and those can act as a portal to here, or an area. I will give you an instant portal, directly to the Mysterious Tower, and another to wherever you need to be. Just give it the name, and it shall send you there," Master Yen Sid stated.
"Why?" the wizard smiled.
"Because, soon, many new, wondrous, terrible, and life-changing details will come to light...when it does...nothing will be the same," he said calmly.
"Very well, we will take you up on your offer...so long as you tell us what you're planning."
"Joshua, Neku, Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme – I am sending you to my student, Master Oswald, to learn magic that will allow you to be of great use to the Realm of Light," the wizard told them.
The five of the them looked to one another in questioning. Master Yen Sid was someone they all trusted; however, there was the case of needing to prepare for what they all knew would undoubtedly be a war that would span all of the worlds. Joshua, cunning and witty, had already made his choice, and now looked to the others. Neku settled there, beside Shiki, who was looking slightly anxious. Rhyme and Beat looked to one another and nodded. Master Yen Sid looked the five over, and Joshua smiled as the wizard awaited their answer.
"Yes, I will take you up on that offer, Master Yen Sid," stated Joshua.
"Very good, and as for the rest of you?" all eyes turned to him.
"When do we start?" Master Yen Sid smiled.
"Immediately, if the Darkness refuses to wait for any soul to learn, then the Light shall not, either."
{…..}
And teach me wrong from right, and I'll show you what I can be...
{…...}
Author's Note: So, this chapter focused a bit on what was going on with certain groups. Neku and the others weren't part of the Dream Drop, because the portals were sealed off before they could get to the World That Never Was. However, they will now be taking on a few new lessons and will be learning magic. You may see some of them from time to time, but not much, and they'll mostly be mentioned in passing until a later story.
Now, a little fun fact: did anyone count the number of people that were fighting Organization Thirteen? Let's count them off:
Sora, Kairi, Riku, King Mickey, Jack, Yui, Squall, Cloud, Tifa, Oswald, Donald, Goofy, and Master Yen Sid.
In case you were wondering, that's 13 people. My beta, EternalRandomChick, who also is a co-author on these stories, counted them, and thought that it was absolutely hilarious that Organization Thirteen were going up against Thirteen Warriors of Light.
On another note, the group is going to need a long time to heal, and because of that, you should expect some trauma to be had from all of them. In the next chapter, we will be seeing more of the other characters, and Sora will be waking up. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, I hope you have enjoyed this story.
Chapters left: 4
Preview:
"Xehanort is more of a threat than we thought."
"Jack! Welcome home!"
"Hey, sleepy head, good to see you awake."
Chapter 22: Emotions