Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Reason Why

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Reason Why

"Stand up," Sephiroth ordered coldly.

Riku climbed to his feet, Sephiroth's sword never leaving his throat. He glanced over the pirate's shoulder and saw his friends being tied. Axel was kicking and cursing loudly as four pirates attempted to sit on him and tie his hands together, earning many burns in the process. Cloud and Leon were bound together and not resisting. Riku was very glad Cloud wasn't looking at him at the moment; he had never seen the blonde so angry. Cloud looked like he was going to start spitting fire and throwing lightning any second. The pirates were also attempting to tie Merlin's hand, but every time they secured a knot, the wizard would flick his wrist and the rope would fall away. The old man was enjoying the pirate's confusion greatly.

"How did you get here?" Riku demanded.

"You lead us here, or did you forget, boy?" Sephiroth hissed. He flicked his wrist, cutting Riku's cheek carelessly. The teen flinched slightly but never lost his glare.

"I remember leaving you stranded in the ocean," Riku muttered.

"A little too close to land." Sephiroth gestured to his men and they hurried forward with rope to bind Riku's hands tightly. Riku didn't struggle as he was shoved into Cloud. "So this is the fabled Destiny Islands?" Sephiroth stared around at the clean streets, shining water, and healthy nature in disgust. "I expected something more elaborate."

"We are a simple people," Merlin told him pleasantly. "We have no need for material things."

Sephiroth leveled a stare at the old man, noticing his hands were still untied and the stupid looks on his men's faces. He turned his gaze to Cloud. "Where is Vincent?"

"I don't know," Cloud stated clearly. "Get out of my home."

"Tsk, tsk, Cloud, so inhospitable. At least one part of the legends was true." He glanced over the pirates that had finally managed to subdue Axel. "Toss him with the others."

The four pirates manhandled the hog-tied redhead to the group and tossed him on top of Leon. The brunette grunted while Axel wiggled around, shouting hatefully through his gag. It was at this moment Vincent appeared behind the prisoners.

"Captain Sephiroth…" his voice was slightly surprised but Vincent was quick to school his face to be emotionless. Sephiroth gestured his first mate to his side and Vincent hurried forward, kneeling down at his feet. Axel, the only one who didn't know of Vincent's relationship with the pirate captain, stared in revulsion. Sephiroth calmly lifted his hand and smacked Vincent hard enough to knock him to the ground.

Grinding his teeth against the sting, Vincent slowly stood up, keeping his head bowed. "Captain."

"Do not leave your post again, Vincent. I will not forgive you a second time."

"Yes sir."

Axel worked his jaw and managed to get his gag loose. "What the hell's all this?" he yelled. "You're one of us! What the fuck are you doing bowing to that bastard? Those of Destiny Island blood bow only to our Prince!"

"Didn't you know, Axel?" Riku sneered. "Vincent's a traitor through and through. He turned his back on the Islands. He even helped this guy," he jerked his head at Sephiroth, "hurt Sora."

"Then what the hell has he been doing he the entire time?" Axel demanded.

"Ask Merlin," Riku grumbled.

Merlin was staring intensely at Vincent. The dark haired man refused to meet the wizard's eyes, choosing instead to stare at unwaveringly at Sephiroth. Merlin hung his head and allowed his shoulders to sag. It had been so long since he'd felt his age. He had been so hopeful for Vincent. He had a hard life full of pain and suffering, but he still had a good heart underneath all the torture. Merlin had thought he could help Vincent overcome his past trials and lead him back to the way of their people. But it would seem that the lure Sephiroth offered was too great for even the love of a home to overcome.

Sephiroth ignored them. "It would seem this trip was for nothing. The fabled treasures of this place do not exist." Sephiroth scowled darkly. "I will not go back empty handed." He turned to his men and spread his arms wide. "Plunder the city. Take what you want! Do what you please to the people! This island is ours!"

The pirates yelled in approval, raising their swords high into the air.

"Sephiroth no!" Cloud called desperately, trying to break free from those holding him. "Don't!"

"You touch my people and I'll rip you to pieces!" Axel shouted. "You hear me! I'll kill you!"

A pirate swung his sword at Axel. "Shut up, you worthless churl!" Axel twisted but couldn't move away. The blade slid into his arm, splattering blood everywhere. Axel bit back a scream of pain as he bent over his wound.

"Axel!" Riku called worriedly. He knelt down next to the redhead.

"Stop worrying about me and do something!" Axel hissed though clenched teeth. "You're the guardian! You don't just guard the prince, but the people as well! Think fast and do something!"

"Like what?"

He cast his mind around for inspiration. Cloud was yelling at Sephiroth but was being ignored. Leon was holding onto him tightly, worried that Sephiroth would snap and try to cut the blonde's head off. Vincent had his back turned, refusing to watch as the pirates ran towards the town. Already they could hear the screams of frightened islanders.

This was bad. Everyone had been so focused on finding Sora and Roxas that no one had been paying attention to possible enemies coming from the water. They had all forgotten about Sephiroth when they escaped his ship. Axel was right. Riku was supposed to be a guardian; he was supposed to take care of this place and Sora. And he had failed miserably at both, but he had been talking to the land and water…

Riku's eyes lit up with a sudden idea.

"Sephiroth!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. A pirate stopped him from running forward with a knife to the throat. "You want our treasures, you can have them!"

Sephiroth glanced boredly at Riku. "You have none to give."

"Merlin said we have no need for material things, that doesn't mean we don't have any," Riku countered. "Every legend starts out from a piece of truth, right?"

The pirate captain turned slowly to face him. "And where would this treasure be, boy?"

"Call off your men," Riku ordered. "Don't touch my village or people and I'll lead you to it."

"Riku," Cloud muttered. "What are you saying?"

Riku glanced at him. "I'm sorry, Cloud, but I'd rather lose our riches than our people. You understand, right?"

Cloud did understand and nodded. "Fine."

"Riku are you nuts?!" Axel joined in. "You can't take him there! It's against all our laws!"

"At least there'll be people around to punish me for it later," Riku yelled. He turned to Sephiroth. "I'll take you there, but you call off all your lackeys. You tell them not to hurt anyone or touch this place."

Sephiroth looked the teen up and down, taking in his stiff posture and angry eyes. He stepped forward, standing nearly a foot taller than Riku, slightly impressed when the teen didn't back away.

"Vincent," Sephiroth called. "Is he telling the truth? Or is this a ruse to save his precious people?"

Vincent lifted his head as everyone held their breath. If Vincent revealed their lie, it was all over. Sephiroth and his pirates would continue to attack the town and countless lives would be lost in the battle.

"Vincent?" Sephiroth repeated.

Dark haired covered his face. "He speaks the truth, Captain. The rumors say it is hidden somewhere in the mountains."

Riku would have sighed in relief if it wouldn't have given him away.

"Very well," Sephiroth agreed. "Vincent, retrieve the men. Gather any supplies we will need from this insignificant village and prepare to leave." He drew his sword and rested it casually on Riku's shoulder. "If you are fooling me or try to run, you will be the last I kill." Sephiroth turned and gracefully walked away.

"You are sure this treasure exists?" Sephiroth asked Vincent when they were out of earshot of their prisoners.

"I have never seen it myself," Vincent admitted, "but have always assumed it true. When the islands had contact with the outside world, they were gifted many things as a show of good faith and friendship. Those gifts have to be somewhere."

"True," Sephiroth agreed. "It does not matter; we will not walk away from this place empty handed."

"Captain?"

"I have no intention of sparing these people. Once we have their treasure, we will kill them all and take what we please."

Vincent paused for only half a step but Sephiroth saw the hesitation.

"Is that understood, Vincent?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Good. Because I will not tolerate you betraying me twice. You will help with the slaughter or be a part of it."

"…I understand, Captain Sephiroth." Vincent bowed his head.


"I still don't understand what you were crying about," Roxas commented as he paced the dark cave blindly. He was following the water's edge to see how far the pond stretched. "You spoke with the land and water. That's great."

"Yeah," Sora agreed quietly. He hadn't had the courage to tell Roxas what had happened while he had been out of it.

"And now Riku knows where we are," Roxas went on hopefully. "They'll find us in no time and kick Ansem's sorry ass." Sora heard a splash and Roxas cried out in surprise.

"Are you okay?"

"I found the end of the pond," Roxas grumbled. Sora laughed quietly. "I wish we could see. At least then we would have a chance to find a way out." He splashed his way back to Sora and felt around until he found his cousin. Sora helped him sit without falling.

"But your light trick will drain your life if you use it too long and my eyes can't see in the dark," Sora sighed. "So there's not much we can do… unless…" Sora sat up and groped for Roxas' hand. "Wait sec, what if we combined our powers?"

"What?"

"You know, like in the old stories," Sora explained. "Wakka used to tell us them back home. The heroes would combine their strength to defeat the bad guys."

"This isn't exactly the same situation."

"Sure it is," Sora insisted. "You can't use your light because it'll drain you. Well what if you channel your light through me? That way, we're using both of our strengths so it doesn't hurt you. And, if you channel it through my eyes, it won't take any effort at all because that's where all my power is already focused, right?"

Roxas thought about it. "There are teachings from the old ways that say in ancient times, when we still had wars, our warriors could combine their talents. But I've never done that kind of thing before. There's a bunch of rules and warnings you have to follow."

"Rules are for fools," Sora dismissed. "Riku and I have lived our entire lives by instinct, so that's what we're gonna use now." Sora shifted around and took Roxas' hands. "Okay, you focus on your light, I'll focus on my eyes."

They both did so, activating their respective powers.

"Now what?" Roxas asked.

"Um… well, we want your power to come into me…" Sora mused.

"So I should imagine my light entering your body and gathering at your eyes," Roxas finished. Sora shrugged.

Roxas closed his eyes and felt his power leak from his hands. His fingers felt warm as the light danced across them and up Sora's arm. Sora giggled as light tickled his skin and finally settled at his eyes. The blue lit up brightly but Sora wasn't able to see beyond the dim glow.

"It's not working," Sora told him. "It's just lighting up my eyes, not letting me see." He frowned.

"We're not combing the powers," Roxas said.

Sora thought it over. "I need to absorb the power. I need to help you maintain it." He closed his eyes. The warmth on his skin was comforting. "Water…"

"What?"

"When you open you eyes under water, you get water in your eyes but you can still see, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So if I get light in my eyes, I'll still able to see, just like in water," Sora explained. He imagined the light as water and pouring into his eyes. It stung at first, but slowly, the pain faded away. The glow dimmed and Sora blinked a few times. He looked around the cave and saw everything perfectly. It was like the sun had risen after a long, starless night. Everything was bright and perfectly visible.

"I can see."

Roxas grinned. "Great, because I can't."

"Do you feel alright?"

"Yes. There's no drain on myself at all."

"Good," Sora stood. "I'm gonna look around, you stay where you are." He released Roxas' hand and was immediately plunged into darkness again. "Ah!" Sora stumbled and reached backwards for where he knew Roxas to be. He grabbed onto the other boy's shoulders and felt Roxas' hands latch onto his waist. Almost instantly, Sora's eyes lit up and he could see again.

"What? What happened?" Roxas asked worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"When you let go of me I couldn't see anymore."

"We must need to stay touching for it to work." Roxas stood. "You'll have to guide me, I still can't see."

"Okay."

They held tightly to each other's hands and stumbled forward. The cave wasn't as large as they had originally thought; it was about the same size as Roxas' room back in the palace. It was the pond that took up most of the cave. The water was still as black as it was before Sora was able to see. The depths made him shiver.

"What is it?"

"The water's creepy."

"Can you see a way out?"

Sora studied the walls carefully but found nothing that would allow them to escape. There weren't even any holes in the ceiling. They must be deep underground. He looked over the pond and squinted. Across the water, at the farthest end of the cave, was a slight indentation in the wall. It was a small opening but Sora couldn't tell from this distance if it led somewhere or if it was just a break in the wall. He told Roxas about it.

"And there's no other opening that you can see?"

"No, just that."

Roxas frowned. "Then we've got no choice. We'll have to swim across."

Sora glanced at the water. "You are so lucky you can't see right now."

They stepped into the water, immediately shivering at the intense cold. It reminded them both of the creatures Ansem controlled. The water felt like tendrils crawling along their bare skin and it felt heavier than normal. The water was thicker, as if it had something mixed into it, like sludge. That would explain why it was so black. Sora forced his body to swim through the water, Roxas helping out the best he could while holding onto his shoulders.

Finally, they made it to the other end of the cave and climbed from the disgusting pond. Sora and Roxas were shivering violently and coughing. They each took their shirts off and wrung them out the best they could.

"I may not be the best swimmer," Sora admitted, "but that was hard."

"There's something not right with that water," Roxas agreed. "Let's just get out of here." He took Sora's hand and pulled his cousin to his feet. "Where's the opening you saw?"

Sora looked around. "There." He led the way and had to squeeze through the small gap between the walls. Roxas followed, wiggling to get through. Once he was, he grabbed Sora's hand and the boys turned around.

"Holy—" Sora's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

The room they found themselves in now was slightly largeR than the one they had just left and didn't have a pond. Instead, gold and silver were piled in the center from the floor all the way to the ceiling. Hand-woven tapestries were hung on the walls, and armor, weapons, and shields made from the richest and strongest alloys and metals were mixed in with the riches. Open treasure chests overflowing with diamonds and jewels littered the ground around the pile of treasure.

"What is it? What do you see?" Roxas demanded.

"The legends are true!" Sora whispered in awe.

He looked at the piles of treasure. Sitting at the very top was a beautiful crown. The minute he laid his eyes on it, Sora couldn't look away. It was mounted on a silver stand high above all the other jewels and coins. There were four points to it, each point with a different jewel. One jewel was a ruby, colored a deep orange-red that flickered like a fire even without light to reflect off of it. The next was a turquoise colored amethyst whose color was deeper than even the center of the ocean. The third was a clear colored diamond that shone brighter than the rest with resilience and clarity. As Sora looked closer, he noticed that the spot for the final jewel was actually empty. A hole was carved in the beautiful gold frame for a diamond shaped jewel, but nothing was present. Sora felt a strange emptiness echo in his heart and desperately wanted to see the crown completed.

He took a step forward and torches on the wall lit up without warning. Roxas and Sora jumped in surprise; Roxas flinching as the sudden brightness stung his eyes. He blinked the spots away and stared with the same awe as Sora at the piles of riches before them.

"Oh…" he muttered, "so this is where it all went."

"You knew about this?" Sora demanded incredulously, his voice bouncing off the walls.

"My parents told me about all the gifts that we were given by the outsiders," Roxas explained, "but after your parents were killed, they were all thrown away. I had thought they threw them into the ocean. I didn't know they hid them in here in the mountain caves."

"This can't all be gifts," Sora argued. "There's enough here to… to…"

"Pacify a royal family," Roxas interrupted. "Or what's left of it."

"These were meant as an apology?"

Roxas shrugged. "That's what my father told me. At the beginning, we exchanged gifts with the outsiders as a show of friendship and good faith. But after the King and Queen were murdered, the navy royalty sent us boatloads of ships with gold and jewels and other things. They were apologizing and trying to bribe us not to shut ourselves away."

"Didn't work."

Roxas shook his head sadly. "I was barely two at the time. It was right after my father had been crowned to replace the King. I don't remember a lot, but my mother always told me that he was really sad. After his brother died, he walked around like the world had ended. And then those boats came." Roxas shook his head and glared at the treasure as if it had personally offended him. "It's the only time I remember him being angry. He ordered the boats to be sunk and the treasure destroyed. After that, the gates were closed and we never had contact with the outsiders again."

"I didn't know," Sora admitted. He touched a golden necklace with a silver crusted diamond. "Were my parents really that loved?"

"I grew up with stories about them," Roxas smiled. "My dad's the younger brother and he always told me about how his older brother picked on him. And the maids that still remember always spoke of them highly. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about them. They were always fair and kind and well liked."

"I wish I could remember them," Sora sighed. "It doesn't seem fair that everyone else got to know them but I didn't."

"It's not," Roxas agreed.

They wandered the treasure pile until they came to the center and stared up at the crown. "What is that?" Sora asked.

"It's a crown," Roxas stated the obvious. "But I wonder whose. Help me climb up."

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"Why not?"

Sora didn't have an answer so he knelt down and let Roxas stand on his shoulders. The blonde was stretched as far as he could, but his fingers only just reached the silver stand the crown rested on.

"I can't reach, can you lift me higher?"

"You're not exactly a lightweight, ya'know," Sora complained, struggling to his feet.

"You're just weak."

Sora managed to stand a few inches higher and Roxas tipped the stand over enough to slide the crown off. He cried in triumphant as he caught it, just as Sora lost his balance and the two tumbled to the ground. They groaned painfully and sat up, rubbing their backs and heads.

"Get some muscle, Sora."

"Lose some weight, Roxas."

The crown hit the ground and rang loudly as it vibrated, drawing their attention. Sora reached over and picked it up.

"It's pretty…" He turned it over, captivated by the jewels. Each one made you feel like you were being swallowed by a different element. The red felt like being engulfed by flames, the turquoise drowned you in water, and the diamond filled you with light. The empty spot at the forefront of the crown was the only part that left you empty and with an intense feeling of incompleteness.

"This couldn't have been a present," Sora muttered, finally looking Roxas. The blonde shook his head, forcing his eyes from the jewels.

"It does seem too valuable to just give away," he agreed. "But then why would it be here?"

"It was placed here for safekeeping."

Sora and Roxas jumped to their feet and whipped around. Ansem had once again snuck up on them and was standing with his black creatures as he smirked at the two princes cockily. The crown in Sora's hand began shaking and the jewels warmed.

"Where the hell do you come from?" Sora muttered.

"What do you mean safekeeping?" Roxas demanded. "How do you know about this place?"

Ansem took a step forward and the crown shook even more. "Because I was the one who helped put it all here."

"What?"

"You see, little princes," Ansem casually strolled around the treasure piles, dragging his hand over the gold. "Long ago, before I ever became a pirate, I worked for the royal navy. I was young, and one of the officers part of the delegation that was negotiating with the Destiny Islands. Everything was going smoothly and the King was excited for the alliance between our two people.

"And then tragedy struck. Just as King and Queen of the Destiny Islands finally deigned us worthy of their glorious presence, they were tragically rundown and murdered by a rogue band of conveniently placed pirates."

"Conveniently placed pirates?" Sora repeated slowly. The crown was vibrating in his hands so hard now that his entire arm shook.

"The sea is vast and no one knew of their coming except those a part of it," Ansem smirked. "Did you not think it a bit much of a coincident that pirates just happened to appear at the exact same spot as the Destiny Islands Royalty and the exact same time?"

"No…" Roxas shook his head.

"What are you saying?" Sora demanded.

"It was my first act of piracy," Ansem declared proudly. "It earned me enough to buy my own ship and crew."

Sora stared at the man with growing horror. "You sold my parents for a ship and crew?" he whispered.

"You caused this? You murdered the King and Queen?" Roxas exclaimed.

"Oh, but it was not as simple as that," Ansem shook his head as he continued speaking. "The blasted fools I had hired were not supposed to kill everyone aboard the ship. They were supposed to bring the prince alive."

Roxas moved slightly in front of Sora. "Me? Why me?"

"Because of that crown in your hands."

The crown shook and Sora glanced at it before returning his attention to Ansem. "I don't understand."

"You see, little prince, there is a jewel missing from the center of that crown. That jewel can only be found in the heart of the true king of the Destiny Islands. Your father was too old for me to control, but you were but a child. I knew that if I could get my hands on you, I could force the jewel from your heart and claim it as my own."

Sora and Roxas felt sick to their stomachs. This man couldn't be serious. He had to be insane. "Why?"

"Because that crown holds the ultimate power of the Destiny Islands. Only when the four stone elements combine will the crown activate and gift its power to whoever wears it."

"The Ancient Crown of Kings," Roxas spoke. "It was forged in the time of wars. It was said that only when evil threatened to engulf our world would the true King return and claim the crown as his own and save us all. But that's just a legend!"

"Everything's a legend," Sora muttered. "But that doesn't explain how you know about this! You're not from these islands!"

"Years ago, a man named Xehanort appeared before me, half-dead and insane. I nursed him for many months, but in the end, my efforts were futile. On his death bed, he told me the secrets of the Destiny Islands and of the power and riches it held. He told me how to find them and claim them as my own."

"None of my people would betray us," Roxas denied. "Not even if they were dying! We are loyal to each other above all else!"

"You have indeed lived a sheltered life," Ansem smirked cruelly, "fake prince."

Sora dropped the crown and charged forward, clenching his fist and intending to hit the man as hard as he could. Roxas, however, caught him around the waist and held him back. The heartless swayed and jerked angrily but did not attack.

"Loyal to only each other indeed," Ansem continued, enjoying Sora's anger. "I was one of the men who came on the ships that delivered this treasure." He swung his arms wide to encompass the gold. "I don't suppose you know what your grief-stricken father did when arrived?"

"He sent you away," Roxas snapped. "He was too proud to accept your bribes."

"Oh, he denied the bribes, yes," Ansem agreed, "but he did not send us away. He did not want anyone left alive who knew the way to his precious islands, so he killed us. He forced us to dispose of the treasure in this cave and then left us here to rot."

Roxas took a step back, his eyes wide. "You're lying. My father would never do something so disgusting!"

Ansem's smile was positively wicked. "If you don't believe me, why not see for yourself?"

With a sweeping gesture, the heartless flew to a pile of gold and scattered it across the room in different directions. Piles of bones were revealed of at least five different men. No flesh remained, attesting to how long the carcasses had been trapped in the cave. Tattered clothes colored blue with faded navy symbols still decorated the bones, proving Ansem's words true; the man had once belonged to the royal navy.

Roxas felt his breath leave him in a rush and his legs gave out underneath him. He collapsed to the ground, staring at the bones as if they were in his own. Sora knelt down next to him and wrapped his arms around Roxas' shoulders tightly.

"I would have died with them," Ansem continued, smiling at Roxas' turmoil, "but I remembered Xehanort's words. As one by one my comrades perished, I used their deaths to summon the heartless. And, with the death of the final man, I had enough strength to break free of this prison and escape these retched islands.

"But the endeavor left me very weak, and I was unable to claim the full power the darkness had to offer. I was forced to leave it behind. But now I am stronger. I know much more of the legends and power behind the heartless. Now I can finally claim what I made mine years ago." He smiled then, looking the most insane Sora and Roxas had seen him yet. "And all I need is your precious little heart."

Ansem summoned the heartless to him and Roxas managed to pull himself back together enough to jump to his feet and stand protectively in front of Sora. "No way am I letting you kill my cousin!" he screamed. He lifted his hand and a burst of light shot from his palm.

"Roxas!" Sora yelled.

The brunette felt Roxas collapse against him and was knocked to the ground. His hand brushed something hard and Sora felt blood slip down his wrist. As the glow from the blast of light dimmed, Sora realized it had been the crown that he'd hit and one of the points had cut him. Ansem was howling in pain from the light and the heartless faltered without their master to control them.

The crown began to glow as Sora's blood dripped onto the points and Sora was suddenly filled with the desire to make a wish. It didn't matter what the wish was, so long as it come from deep within his heart. There was only one thing Sora could think to wish for right now and that was for him and Roxas to be safe. He gripped the crown and Roxas tightly and disappeared, Ansem's screams of hate the last thing he heard.


A/N: Okay, longer chapter than normal. The rest will probably be like that. I think I pissed my beta off too. I told him the end of the story and he didn't like it and I got mad so I was a little snippy when I replied to him. I haven't heard from him since. So, everyone, be warned, since he didn't like the end, you might not either. I like it, personally. But, whatever.

As for this chapter, where you surprised? Did you expect it to be Ansem who killed Sora's parents? I wanted that to be a surprise. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but, as always, watch the profile for updates.