SORA'S POV
Blood was dripping down my face, and I knew Riku was getting tired. Reya and Demyx were no where in site, and Xemnas was just about to release his last attack...his most deadly attack. Laser beams surrounded Riku and me, but they remained set in place. It was almost as if they were taunting us, begging us to move so they could shoot through us.
"Are you ready Sora?" Riku asked me as his back touched mine.
"Yeah." I said, the grip on my Keyblade getting tighter. "Let's do it." As soon as the words left my lips, the lethal beams of light came plummeting towards us, and the two of us started to reflect it all. Faster and faster they came at us, and the sweat just kept mingling with my blood as it dripped off my chin. The lasers kept coming at such speed, that it was getting harder and harder to tell where they were coming from.
"Sora!" Riku called to amidst the chaos. "Get ready!"
"Right!" I yelled back just as the last few lasers came at us. "One!"
"Two!"
"THREE!" We yelled together, and we both jumped up and slashed at Xemnas on last time with our Keyblades. He started to fade away, but the look on his face I will never forget. The look of pure hatred. It was almost as if he had finally gotten the heart he had wanted for so long.
"We did it!" I said happily.
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Riku said worriedly as several Dusks started to surround us. We got ready to drag out tired bodies out there and fight, but a bright light filled the area, and soon the Dusks were gone. I collapsed on the floor, but Riku grabbed my shoulder. "Sora, look." he said, and out in the distance were Reya and Demyx.
REYA'S POV
I was so tired. I couldn't move. All I wanted was for it all to end. I tried to say something, but no sound escaped my lips. Darkness. That's all I could see. That's all I could feel. Darkness. Suddenly, I saw something. A figure, and it was beckoning me closer. Without realizing what I was doing, I got up and started to walk towards it. I started to pick up my pace as I kept running towards the figure. I could tell it was a male, but who was he? Just then, as if answering my mental question, the man spoke.
"Reya." he said in a hushed tone that was so familiar. With the last amount of strength I could muster, I ran into his arms and gave him a warm embrace.
"Demyx."
SORA'S POV
I watched a little while longer until Reya and Demyx just disappeared completely.
"WAIT!" I yelled out loud, but the sound of Riku collapsing beside tore my attention to him.
"Sora..." he said in a tired voice. "I can't..."
"Don't say another word!" I interrupted. "It's not over. It's just not."
I carefully picked up my best friend so that we were both in a standing position.
"How can you say that?" he asked. "Even if we could go on...look where we are."
"Aw c'mon Riku. You've been hangin' out in darkness too long." I said to my friend as I pulled him a little more. "You gotta try and think positive." I flashed him one of my goofy grins, and he gave a slight smile in return. There was a small moment of silence where me and Riku just stared at each other. Then, Riku spoke up.
"Sora...you lead."
"Got it." I said, and we both went off into the distance. We had a good long talk too.
"You know...I always thought I was better at stuff that you." he said.
"Really?" I said in an amused tone.
"Are you mad?"
"No. I kinda always thought you were better at everything too." More silence came between us as I smile down at Riku. It was true, I really did think he was better. "Riku--look." I said abruptly, and my best friend looked ahead with me. "What's that light?" We kept on walking until we found ourselves at this strange place. It was a desolate and dark world. The ocean current kept playing with the shore, and it reminded me of my home on the islands.
"End of the road." Riku said suddenly.
"Yep." Out in the distance past the water, there were large structures that dipped in and out of the dark liquid. A hazy moonlight filtered to the land.
"Put me down. I can walk." I let go of Riku, and we both went to sit by the shore. Out of nowhere I spoke.
"Ya know, maybe the darkness has gotten to me too."
"This world is perfect for me." Riku said while ignoring what I said. "If this is what the world really is...just this, then maybe I should fade back into darkness."
"Riku..."
"If the world is made of light and darkness..." Riku continued. "we'll be the darkness." I smiled slightly at him.
"Yeah. The other side...the realm of light it safe now." I said somewhat sadly. "Kairi, the king and the others are there."
"That's what I mean." The rift of silence wedged its way between us again, and I couldn't find the words to say.
"Hey, Sora..." Riku said abruptly causing me to look over at him. "What I said back there...about thinking that I was better at stuff than you...to tell you the truth, Sora...I was jealous of you."
"What for?"
"I wished I could live life the way you do. Just following my heart."
"Yeah well, I've got my share of problems too."
"Like what?"
"Like...wanting to be like you."
"Well, there is one advantage to being me..." Riku said with a slight smirk. "something you could never imitate."
"Really?" I asked now turning my body to face Riku. His lips still held that same smirk. "What's that"
"Having you for a friend." I smiled a little and leaned back again.
"Then I guess...I'm okay the way I am." I started to smile a bit. "I've got something you could never imitate too." We stayed quiet for a while longer, basking in the darkness and enjoying the company of our best friends. After a while, I heard Riku moving. The sound of a cork being pulled out of a bottle caught my attention, and I watched as Riku unfurled a letter.
"Sora?" he said to me, and he held out the paper. "I think it's for you." I took the paper from his hand and decided to read out loud what it held inside.
'Thinking of you where ever you are. We prey for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows: starting a new journey may not be so hard, or maybe it has already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky. One sky. One destiny.
- Kairi'
Just then, a brilliant light started to open up like a doorway out in front of us.
"Light." Riku said.
"The door to light." I finished. I suddenly stood up with Kairi's letter still in my hand and extended my other to Riku. "We'll go together."
"Yeah." he said quietly and allowed me to pull him up. We stared a little while longer as if we were transfixed by the ever shining light. We ran. We ran towards the light, and soon that was all we could see. And soon, we were plummeting downwards. Cold water engulfed me, and my eyes slowly fluttered open. I was under water. I quickly swam to the surface to see a beautiful array of colors in the sky. Did we really make it out of that dark and desolate place?
"Sora! Riku!" came a familiar voice, and when we looked over towards the shore, we saw Kairi waving at us. Unshed tears of happiness glistened in her eyes. Riku and I swam towards the shore and towards Kairi only to be tackled in a hug by our other friends. Donald and Goofy had me on the ground again, and King Mickey ran up to Riku. I looked up at Kairi, and for a split second, I saw that blonde girl...Namine. I felt Roxas too, and I couldn't help but smile.
"W-we're back!" Kairi smiled and gave me her hand.
"You're home." Just then, I felt something else in my heart. It was Reya and Demyx. Where ever they were, I knew they were happy.
REYA'S POV
I slowly allowed my eyes to flutter open, I was in a familiar place, but I just couldn't place where.
"Well it's good to see that you're up!" came a hyper voice. I looked up to see the 'great ninja Yuffie' smiling at me. In fact, all of Hollow Bastion's restoration committee. Leon, Cid, Aerith, and even Cloud were all smiling at me.
"What's going on?" I asked, but I was soon tackled to the ground again. Lips were pressed against mine, and my eyes widened in shock to see Demyx on top of me. He broke away and gave me a loving smile.
"We're home." he said, and what felt like all the happiness I had came flooding out into another kiss.