Does anyone ever get a constant ringing in your ear and you can't get rid of it?... anyone?

I kinda have that, so it was a bit of a struggle trying to update while slamming my head into the nearest wall. In either case, Chapter 26 is ready to be read and part of me kind of broke off as I wrote this. I'm serious, I must be emotional or something because I was about to cry around the end of this! O.o I blame hormones, exhaustion, and these lousy girlish genes of mine. Anyway, after this chapter I'll post a little side story to give everyone a break from all the excitement and emotional rollercoasters, and it will be kept secret until it's ready, so everyone will have to wait :3 (aren't I a stinker?), then I'll move on to one of my personal favorite worlds in Kingdom Hearts! Again, all shall remain hidden until the reveal ^^

I obviously don't own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, Sora would've been on Santa's nice list for sure! Damn you Riku for ruining a boy's childhood innocence with lies! DX

26. At a Crossroads

'Through these eyes I can look through human skin and see the corrupted soul that has attached itself to Anolani's heart, the true essence within her. This creature is not my sister,' I thought to myself, Visma swiftly evading the cold steel of the blood red keyblade and taking a swipe at the guard's throat.

Passed the black and white, I saw in Visma's eyes the dim light that surrounded Anolani's heart. It breathed, throbbed a violent red and clouded her heart, spreading throughout her body like a deadly miasma and covering the light within her. Her physical form, though silhouetted, was overshadowed by a monster completely cloaked in black skin and fiery red eyes.

'This is not my sister,' I pondered, blocking another attack with Visma's claws and staring deeply into unfamiliar eyes, 'This is a demon.'

It pained me. Every strike Anolani made at me and the sinister sneer that followed soon after was more than enough to cut a hole in my chest. Was this really how she felt about me? Did I really cause her this much trouble? I didn't even realize she was suffering so much. When the keyblade finally landed a blow, a fire lit in my stomach and I was batted into the back wall, the world instantly becoming unbalanced. 'Did I do this to her?'

I dodged right and felt the brisk wind of the demon keyblade being impaled through the wall, sinking into the floor and gluing myself to the adjacent wall while the guard worked to free her sword.

A series of chirps and clicks went off in my mind. In simple terms, this was how Visma and I communicated with each other. As separate entities, this wouldn't make a lick of sense; but now that we've become one, it was a breeze to understand each other. It was a psychic link, our heart, minds and bodies working together as one to achieve a common goal.

No, we can't harm her. We have to find a way to subdue the demon possessing her. I replied, then winced at that harsh screeching that followed. After coming together, I soon realized this Heartless had quite the personality. Aside from the usual instincts and reflexes the Heartless are commonly known for, Visma was playful and extremely mischievous. She (I assume it's a girl, if Heartless were to have a gender) would lure her prey in and strike from below, or jump from wall to wall just to agitate her opponent. Most of her behavior was just for fun, but even so Visma was merciless when it came to drawing her claws, loving the exhilarating feel of sinking her fists through dark flesh. Not to mention the rotten attitude that came with her homicidal tendencies.

Look, I'm not taking my sister's life! Harmful or not, we are still blood! I fought back, Visma taking control of my body once more when 'Anolani' launched another stab in my direction, falling into the dark corridor manifested on the floor. We reappeared behind her and parried her blade. What we need to do is weaken that keyblade!

"Hmph, would you look at us," 'Anolani' said, glaring into my green soulless orbs with bleeding red, a smirk twitching her lips, "Sisters, both of us tainted by the beast that lurked inside us. Poetic," she shoved her blade against my claws, my footing slipping under the pressure, "wouldn't you say?"

"I'd say this is what we truly were all along. Creatures meant to destroy and feed on the suffering of others. If only we'd work together on this endeavor; with our powers combined, we'd be rid of daddy, and rule the worlds ourselves. Not even the keybearers of light can stop us," her grin turned wicked, sharp teeth flaring and the power of the keyblade becoming overwhelming, "but you've been in control far too long, Mavis. It's about time you know how it feels to be barked at by an ungrateful brat like you. You need to know pain, you pampered little princess!"

Sparks flew from the girl's wrists as the blade cut deeply into my palms. My knees scraped against the floor and my arms felt liquified under the pressure. If I don't come up with something soon, I'm as good as dead!

Another series of chirps erupted from the Neoshadow.

My antenna involuntarily twitched at the suggestion. That...actually might work. Okay, let's do it!

Bracing myself for the pain that would surely come, I clasped my hands around the sharpened blade, further slicing open my palms. I allowed Visma to release its dark energy while generating as much electricity as I could within the few short moments 'Anolani' was clueless. As the sparks mingled with the darkness, I slowly began to push against the girl's weight, a cyclone of sparks enveloping us both. The power of darkness was giving me strength. It empowered me. Transforming all of my anger, hurt, and confusion into raw power.

I don't care if what this monster is saying is true. Through thick and thin, light and darkness, time and space, I will always love my sister. And anything that would dare try and separate that will be destroyed!

"Fulgur Virga!"

Mickey was usually a resilient fighter, and the same thing could be said about him now. Though the king was plagued with soreness and the malicious laughter that resonated from Nil's throat, Mickey shifted through the murkiness and found himself facing the bright white ceiling of the audience chamber, his eyes coming to focus on his keybearing companions. The three sighed and smiles were shared, relieved that their friend was conscious and unharmed, and helped him upright.

A moment passed for Mickey's world to stop spinning, and then he too smiled as well. That only lasted a moment before he realized two of the rescue group were missing from the reunion, and he looked about the room before asking, "Where's..."

Again the trio shared a look, one of concern, and Mickey followed their eyes towards the entrance of the Hall of the Cornerstone, suddenly feeling the subtle vibrations beneath him that echoed from below.

"Nil escaped, but there's something wrong with Anolani," Sora explained as he helped the king to his feet, "she has a keyblade," the king looked taken back by this and waited for Sora to continue, "But we think it's possessing her."

"Possessing her?" Mickey shot a look at the throne when another tremor shook the floor, "Wait, if she's down there, then-!"

The immediate flickering of the castle lights cut him off. A string of violent black discharge shot from the Cornerstone tunnel, bouncing from the ceiling to the walls and back again until the light was drawn back from whence it came. A still silence fell upon them then, the four waiting anxiously with weapons drawn and faces set into glares as heavy footsteps headed towards them in slow even movements. When they finally reached the top, their shoulders simultaneously relaxed, finding the missing mauve scaling the final step with a rather ruffled guard thrown unceremoniously over her back. Both appeared exhausted and the ends of their hair stood on end with the occasional spark jumping from one strand to the other. Anolani's eyes were half-lidded but back to their normal ruby luster, and Mavis shot a confused look at the four, noticing their blades loose in their hands.

"Did I...," She tilted her head to the left seeing as Anolani's chin took up most of her right shoulder, "miss something?"

"So, you don't remember anything?" Kairi asked the raven gently, a hand on her shoulder comforting the dazed and confused girl. When Anolani came too, everyone gathered in the library once the queen, Daisy, and the royal knight and magician were retrieved after everything settled. I was occupying myself by the computer checking the Memory Lanes for any lasting traces of bugs, fingers dancing across the keyboard while I tuned myself into the conversation next to me.

Anolani shook her head, a hand to her forehead to stop the throbbing that came with it, "Just blurs and voices mostly. Everything just kinda... blacked out after Nil blasted me," she giggled a bit, "I could've sworn I was dead for a minute."

My hands slammed against the keys, causing everyone to flinch. I covered my eyes with my fringe, and continued typing, "Sorry. Got a little frustrated..."

I didn't want anyone to see the stinging tears building in my eyes and continued my work. 'How can she say that so relaxed?' I can feel their awkward stares burning holes through my skull, and was thankful the king decided to ask his own questions.

"We're really happy you're okay and all, but... there's still the matter of that keyblade," Mickey said as calm and caring as possible. This was (unofficially speaking) his niece. The last thing he wanted to do was interrogate her.

Said keyblade lay haphazardly against the far wall. The deadly weapon, though still and currently lifeless, pulsed softly and radiated an aura so frightful, no one dare touch it let alone stand near it.

"I really don't know where it came from, Uncle Micks," Anolani said, glancing over the blade with a sudden fear, "I didn't even know I could hold one. To be honest, there's not much I know about myself," she sighed and stood up from the safety of the couch, striding towards the blood blade with a small fire lit in her eyes.

"Everything before I was six is all a blur to me. All I could remember was my name, how old I was, and how to count to a thousand and back. Up until recently, I thought I was just some bum kid that wound up with amnesia, but after awhile, I started to realize how different I was from everyone else. No one on Chronos Cay had red eyes like mine, or antenna that stuck out of their heads... a name was all I had to go off on. I guess deep inside I really wanted to find out where I came from. But I didn't want to leave my family behind. Then again," Anolani gingerly grasped the hilt of the sword, "what if there's another family out there, a whole world waiting for me to come back? This key could lead me right to them," the blade hummed in contentment as she lifted it above for all to see.

"The voices sure are mean, and whatever's in this keyblade is just as worse," the guard grinned from cheek to cheek, dispelling the keyblade into a dark cloud of miasma, "but they're the only key to finding out where I come from. And... well, I'm willing to take that chance."

"What are you gonna do?" Donald asked worriedly, already fearing the answer.

The guard turned and gave a sad smile to her friends, "Well..., I'm gonna leave you guys for a bit. At least until I can figure this out. I'm going to Yen Sid's to see if he knows anything and... I guess I'll see where it goes from there."

"So, you're leaving us?" I stepped away from the computer to face her with an emotionless guise, arms across my chest.

Anolani perked up a bit and instantly grabbed my shoulders, "N-Not really! I-mean... I-I'll come as soon as I can to help you with Nil and all that jazz! It'll be like I never left! A-and-"

"Is this what you really want?"

"Huh?"

I met her eyes with a calculating gaze and asked again, "Is this what you want, Anolani? Do you want to leave?"

The raven's antenna drooped as she stood up straight, her face to the floor melancholic. She seemed to be struggling, I noticed. With the way she held her hands in a tight fist, and the forced smile that held on her lips, it seemed as though she didn't want to go at all.

"I don't want to, but... this is what my heart is telling me to do," she met my gaze again, "I need to do this, Mavis."

My heart swelled with a sort of mother's pride seeing the bright light of her heart sparkle in her eyes, and even Visma hummed in contentment. I sighed and gave a small smile displaying as much happiness I had for her as I could allow. I couldn't let the sadness show or the burning anger of having her leave me reveal itself. It wouldn't be fair to her, having her live at my constant call. It's about time we part and go on our own adventures.

"Well then, I can't say no to that logic," I replied with a light shrug.

"Mavis...?" Anolani straightened, her antenna perked up and eyes wide with curiosity.

I grinned again. "If this is what your heart truly wants, then I won't interfere. Doing so would be foolish and...well," I placed my hand on her shoulder, "You need to find your way just as I will find mine."

"This is the first time we'll be separated for more than a couple hours. There is no guarantee that we'll come back to each other," she explained anxiously.

"Now, I wouldn't say that!" Mickey joined in with a beam, "Just look at us! We all come from different worlds," the king made a gesture towards everyone in the room, each receiving smiles, "but we all came back to one another. Sure there's no guarantee, but as long as our hearts are connected, we'll always be together."

"Corny as hell...," I mumbled.

"Mavis!"

"But still true," I recovered after being reprimanded by Daisy, flinching at the sound of her voice, "Anolani, you and I are sisters, a bond that can never be severed, not even by time itself. And it's high time we parted and found our own paths. I need to learn to be on my own for a bit. I can't keep living off of you like you're some kind of pack mule, and don't say you can deal with it because that would be an outright lie and you know how much I hate lying," I said pointedly when the guard was about retort.

Anolani tried coming up with another rebuttal, but only succeeded in stammering out random words and noises. She groaned a bit, but the smile on her face looked relieved. She and I were both ready to find ourselves.

"We'll take care of her while you're gone," Sora said in assurance, arms behind his head and that irritating goofy grin on his face.

"Did you not hear a single word I just said? I can handle myself just fine, thank you!"

"Aw, come on! You know you need us!"

"No, actually I don't, Spikey."

Anolani giggled, "Just make sure you keep her away from the kitchen knives."

"Anolani, that was five years ago!" My face turned red from embarrassment.

"Gawrsh, what'd she do this time?" Goofy asked with a chuckle, trying to hide it behind his hands.

"Say one word Anolani, I swear I'll-!"

"She almost cut her arm off with the whole drawer of kitchen knives! And all she wanted to do was make a sandwich! It was even worse when she managed to cut open her finger with a butter knife right after!"

"That's it! You're dead!"

The library was filled with laughter as they watched me chase down the giggling raven all around the room in a comedic fashion. 'It'll be a while before we can have another moment like this. With everyone together, our hearts united. But I believe this time apart will only make our bonds that much stronger, and all the more precious. And when we return with new memories to share and stories to regale, we'll be that much closer, and the light within us will grow with each new experience we share.'

A smile stretched my lips as I continued to shout.

'And then I will treasure those memories we build together, strengthening the bond so that nothing can break it.'

Sora, Riku, Kairi, and I left for the next world while Anolani left in a separate gummi ship for Yen Sid's Tower. It was a tearful 'see you later', with hugs shared, mass tacklings and much luck sent to each party from the mouse king and his court. Anolani promised to contact us whenever she could, and Daisy made due upon hers and lectured us on the importance of keeping in contact with her. After Mickey assured that the Cornerstone would withstand against another preemptive strike, we left Disney Castle, waving to the red eyed guard through the cockpit lid as we went our separate ways.

That was an hour ago, and while the others went into the back to relax, I was left in the captain's chair, staring idly out the window watching with mild interest as each passing world zipped by. All was quiet; it felt as though the life was sucked right out of the ship when it realized the empty co-pilot's seat. The light snores, the constant giggling, pouting, whining, and overall liveliness Anolani brought with her now seemed necessary at the moment. Anything to distract myself from the cold silence.

Just as I was about to drift off, the whooshing sound of the back door woke me up. I didn't bother turning around, knowing whose footsteps were approaching me and why. I simply prepared myself for their next question.

"Are you going to be okay, Mavis?" Kairi asked gently.

Slowly I stood with my back facing them and head lowered to the flashing lights of the control pad. "Yeah, I'll be okay."

"If you ever need us, just call and we'll come running," Sora said with a caring smile, an arm around my shoulder, "Okay?"

I chuckled a bit, feeling water starting to flood my eyes, "Thanks Spikey, I really appreciate it...But," I turned to face the trio with a saddened smile, tears falling from my eyes, "the one I want is long gone."

To have three pairs of arms wrapped tightly around me like a cocoon, I've never felt so loved and yet so alone in my life...