A/N: Holy Moley Batman it's 18 pages long (without the thank you's)! My goodness this is the longest chapter I have EVER done for FF and I should be so proud, I loved working on this chapter a lot!
Amaterasu: You haven't updated in almost a week…
Me: That's true, but I'm happy I did this chapter! I feel bad for Riku…
Riku: Don't we all…? Darn it RF why must you make me have bad timing?
Everybody else: Because it's fun…
Anyway…
Xejicka: Thank you so much for your review, and well yeah you are right it's not possible to finish this story within a couple of chapters, but I'm thinking of giving them a somewhat happy ending.
Sorasheart281: Yes I love Panic! At the Disco, and so many other sentimental bands. If I kill Amaterasu then that means Riku's going to kill himself, but no, just read this chapter and one of your guesses will prove true!
Rozen: Rozen thank you SO MUCH! Don't shed a tear for the length of the chapter, I mean I don't think this one is that good, but I was glad to type it out. I love the quotes and they've helped me push further into the story, and so here it is!
Amaterasu and Riku: Now on with the story!
…Yeah on with the story…
Chapter 37: Nox noctis opportunus Diluculo (Night meets Dawn)
A man in a black hooded coat came running through the halls of a white area. "Zexion! Zexion!" the man yelled out motioning to the one standing near him. The man by the name of Zexion turned around, in a bit of annoyance.
"What's all the fuzz about, Vexen?" the other man asked. His hood covered his face, as did the other man's. Vexen began to fidget a bit, trying to get his words out carefully.
"Where's Xemnas?" the man named Vexen asked, trying not to annoy Zexion.
"At the usual place." He answered casually. Vexen nodded for a moment and tried to remember the name of the usual place.
"The 'Room of Sleep'?" the man asked, hoping that his hunch was right.
"Listen… If it's urgent, then… why don't you go and see?"
"Don't joke around with something like that, you know how he gets. I'll look out for his return. That's all I can do anyway…When we need him what does he go and do? He decides to sleep… Now, of all times…" the man by the name of Vexen walked away in dismay about the whole thing.
Another hooded figure jumped down from one of the beams of the area. "I'm not so good in that place either. How about you, mister Zexion?"
"What are you doing, eavesdropping like this? There's a mission assigned to you and Xaldin, and that was to look for new members. You shouldn't be playing around we can't afford to waste time like that." Zexion sounded a bit exasperated now.
"I'm doing enough work, already! Found another one just yesterday. I think his new name is 'Mar-'…" Xigbar muttered the last syllable of the name, but it didn't sound right, "something or other. With this new guy the Organization now has 11 members. That's quite a number. And so just for today I asked Lexaeus to cover for me so I could take a break... in eagerness of tomorrow's work, that is."
"Then please rest fully. I have work to do for today so I'll be going…" Zexion said getting ready to move his feet once again.
"That's just like you. I just want us to have a little fun talk about, say, Xemnas' secret? How many years ago was it? Back when people with the Keyblades started to appear and fought great battles. When they were gone, a man who had lost his memories appeared. Xemnas... no... Xehanort was taken in by Ansem around that time, was he not?" Xigbar said going down memory lane for a moment.
"So, what about it?" Zexion asked not really wanting to hear about it.
"The 'Room of Sleep'… The underground laboratory where we were studying the darkness within people's hearts, the place which Ansem ordered us to seal-away... The first thing Xemnas did when he got rid of our wise yet bothersome leader was to release the seal and make that room in the depths of the laboratory. After that he frequently went down there and I could hear him talking with someone. Isn't that odd? I thought Xemnas was supposed to be down there alone."
"It seems you really enjoy eavesdropping." Zexion said looking back at Xigbar, trying to make out his face from the shadow of the hood.
Xigbar crossed his arms over his chest for a moment, "I couldn't hear what they were actually saying. And so I now feel preoccupied. You're interested too, right?"
Zexion sighed for a moment and looked away, "I simply want to concentrate on my assignment. You too should concentrate on your real mission and collect more members. We must hurry with the preparations for our new quarters... 11 Organization members is not enough."
"For our new HQ…" Xigbar thought about it for a moment. "Oh, Castle Oblivion, right? What does Xemnas hope to achieve by using that?"
"We've been told that-" Xigbar cut off Zexion in mid-sentence.
"Maybe it's because there's another reason, one we haven't been told about. With the 'Room of Sleep' comes the 'Room of Awakening', the other place. That's the one he's seeking out; the one he didn't make. Perhaps that is where the other... 'friend' is."
Amaterasu placed the memory sphere down, shuddering slightly at the mention of Xehanort. 'We have to place the sphere that holds the Dark Master in there within the 'Room of Sleep'. Where is that place though?' she thought to herself looking back at Lightning for a moment, maybe she had an idea, but sadly the Heartless had no idea, not even a clue as to where they should even begin to look. 'The king probably knows though,' Amaterasu thought to herself. She looked back at the girl who was wearing pink; she had been knocked out about ten minutes ago, courtesy of Lightning. "Aren't you hot in these?" the girl asked Lightning, referring to the hooded coats.
"Aren't you?" she asked, pulling her hood down for a while. "I don't see why I have to… Ah… Yeah, Riku." The blue eyed Heartless said. She shook her head for a moment. "That was pretty insensitive, what you did Amaterasu. You forced her heart to forget about you." Amaterasu moved around for a moment fidgeting with the sleeve of her coat.
"I had to… I can't feel culpable now, but she would've made it a lot harder if she knew who I was." Amaterasu said looking back at Kairi for a moment. It made her stomach churn knowing that she would have to infect her heart with darkness. 'It must hurt, when the darkness takes over something that pure…' her mind was getting the better of her; again more guilt was setting into the factor. 'Sora must be worried, and Riku too…'
"Listen, focus on what's important," Lightning said noticing the pained expression on the young girl. "You have to get that Keyblade back." Amaterasu clenched her fist for a moment, remembering she lost it by the train station.
Right now where they hid was back in the Twilight Town Manor, no one ever came up there anymore, since there were rumors that the place was haunted, and Amaterasu and Lightning made sure it stayed that way for now. They were in the downstairs computer room, and to Amaterasu it brought back a distant memory. 'This is where Leana found us…' she thought back to the deceased Chaser. 'I fought hard to protect that sphere, and now here I am working for her side…'
"There is one way for me to get a new Keyblade." Amaterasu said, not really sure if she should mention it to the Heartless or not. She became hesitant for a moment or two, "but that would mean plunging my heart further into the darkness." Lightning looked at her for a moment, not really sure of how to react to it. "I won't lose my heart, because I won't make any mistakes, but…"
"It's easier said than done, right?" Lightning finished the girl's sentence. Amaterasu nodded in agreement. "You have your light, so it shouldn't be that hard for you, is that correct?" Amaterasu shrugged for a moment. "Or is guilt starting to weigh you down?" Lightning said and just sighed, trying to say something that would prove to have, to some degree, as a moral booster. "You're a very strong girl, to still believe that things will be all right, when it doesn't seem like it…"
"That's called being ignorant…" Amaterasu said frowning slightly. "Or just plain old optimism, but I don't believe that…" the girl yawned for a moment, and just slumped against the wall of the old manor. "I'm gonna sleep for a while…"
Ut vos ingredior profundus in lux lucis…
A voice from above caught the attention of the girl below. She looked up, and then back down for a moment noticing that she was standing on a platform. There was nothing on the platform, the whole thing was just grey. 'When you walk deeper into the light…' the girl thought still not daring to move.
Ut vos ingredior profundus in obscurum…
'When you walk deeper into the darkness…' the voice was directing her somewhere, she just didn't know where. Everything around her felt cold. "But this is just a dream, right?" she asked herself looking around. Above her were dark clouds, and below her feet was a platform of some sort. Around the platform there was mist, she must be way up high.
Adversus elementum grows validus…
"The opposite element grows stronger…" the girl looked around for a moment feeling a cold wind push her forward. At the moment her foot made contact with the platform once again a very bright light filled the platform, and the girl covered her eyes for a moment. The sound of caws, coos, and the fluttering noise of wings caught her attention. Her whole being was set agape, watching doves and crows fly away from the light, and into the darkness. Several feathers fell from their display adorning the platform for a while, before the wind picked them up, and carried them for a short time, far away from the girl.
Is est vestri secundus vicis , ut vos have adeo vestri suscitatio…
"This is your second time, that you have come to your awakening…" she reiterated what the voice from up above had said. The platform became a stain glass area of some sort. The image of a dark sleeping figure was adorned in stain glass, and in back of the sleeping figure was a castle of some sort. The girl walked forward to where a beam of light was waiting for her. The light disappeared and as if by magic, stained glass steps materialized showing her the way to the next platform.
Illic est haud verto tergum…
As the girl stepped forward on to the steps she noticed she seemed farther and farther away from the platform. 'There's no turning back now…' the girl thought as she ran up the steps. The platform gave an image of a white castle, with a symbol of a familiar mouse head in the middle, like a crest of some sort.
Vos quondam lautus in lux lucis…
'I did once bathe in the light…' she looked up in the direction of where the voice was coming from. 'But that was a long time ago…' she jumped back feeling the ground beneath her feet shake. Three grey colored pillars held weapons, a shield, sword, and a staff with a weird shape.
Quis vadum vos exsisto vestri refero pro telum?
"I pick…" she walked around the area of the three platforms and thought long a hard for what she wanted to pick. The girl felt her hands lightly touch the sword, and she gripped the handle, pulling it off from the platform.
Sumo puteus…
"I know that I have to pick carefully…I pick the power of the warrior!" the girl said letting her voice be heard. The sword was designed with a Heartless enigma etched on to the hilt. The voice boomed out loudly in her mind.
Vox of proeliator. Invincible virtus. A mucro of atrox ruina…
The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction… The sword disappeared in a small puff of smoke, somewhere it made a home within the girl's heart. She looked back at the last two items, the shield and the staff.
Iam , quis mos vos redono in verto?
Now, what do you give up in exchange? The girl went over to the shield. She had no need for the power to protect, besides what else was there to protect, in her mind she found nothing to protect…
Yen Sid's Tower
"Several sphere's where stolen earlier this day." The old master of the king said, in a rather serious tone. Riku and Sora looked at each for a moment, and then back at the king. They didn't know what to say. "It appears that a Heartless broke into here, I found footprints within the room, and the scent that they have loomed within the room." Sora spoke up.
"Do you know which spheres were taken, Master Yen Sid?" Sora asked looking at the old teacher directly in the eyes. "I cannot find the one that was acquired in Sunset Horizon." The others felt their eyes widen for a moment at the mention of it. "So then, the Heartless acted out the action…" the king said looking away for a moment. Just when he had finally gotten his sphere it was snatched from him again, and another memory was lost to the darkness.
"I have tried to come in to contact with the other Princesses of Heart, but I cannot seem to find them now. Their presence has left us… so to speak." Yen Sid said acknowledging that fact.
"What about Kairi?!" Sora asked frantically. He didn't want to lose her again; he promised her that he would protect her. "She is still here." the old and highly revered man said, "so do not fret for now. It'd be best to go and look for her, and no doubt the spheres will also be found." Sora felt his heartbeat return to normal once again, but still he did worry about her. "Sora, it'd be best if you went with the King, along with Donald and Goofy, and continued the search, there's something I need to discuss with Riku." Riku looked back at Sora and nodded.
As soon as the door closed in back of them Yen Sid told Riku to sit down. 'It's usually bad thing when they ask you to sit down…' the boy thought thinking back to all the times adults had delivered bad news to him like this. 'Please don't let it be about Amaterasu…' he begged himself, but for some reason he knew something was going to happen. A furry creature landed on his lap. 'That's right I asked the Shadow Hound to help me look for Amaterasu…' he thought back to what had happened a while back. "Listen, Master Yen Sid, can you answer me this question…?" Yen Sid looked at the boy. "Amaterasu… is she here?" Yen Sid nodded slightly.
"About the girl," Yen Sid said placing both hands on the table. "Riku, there is no doubt in my mind that you know she is the Dark Princess." Riku nodded remembering that day in Sunset Horizon. "The Atrum Procer ," Yen Sid referring the title given to her. "You have been chosen by her to be the next Dark Master of the Keyblades, and somehow there's no escaping destiny, I'm sure you are fully aware of that." Riku again nodded, and felt the little furry creature make itself comfortable on his lap. "There is a small issue with the Atrum Procer."
"What's wrong with, Amaterasu?" Riku asked worriedly. 'Please be all right Amaterasu, I begging you with all my heart.' Yen Sid noticed the looked of concern on the boy's face, he didn't know whether he should tell the boy. "She was once part of the darkness…" Riku shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and the smaller form of the Shadow Hound growled in annoyance for a moment. "I know that…" Riku said trying not to let his emotions get the best of him. "The darkness, it never really leaves you. In this case, this is all the young girl knows, this was how she was raised. The king and I had reason to believe that she is siding with the Heartless." Yen Sid noticed that Riku looked away for a moment.
'The cherry blossoms…' the boy thought back to when the Neo Shadows appeared. 'She smelled like cherry blossoms, but no… She can't be…' Yen Sid sighed for a moment and looked away from the boy. "Between what she knows and what she wants, I'm afraid her heart is torn apart by those two decisions." Riku tore his gaze away, not wanting to let the words sink in. "You said earlier that you found her Keyblade, it buys Sora and King Mickey some time, before Kairi's heart is taken away."
"You're telling me she…?" Riku couldn't finish his sentence. "She can't do that… She wouldn't do that, we're her friends." Yen Sid felt some twinge of pain enter his heart, strumming a sad chord in his old heart. The old mage cleared his throat. "The further she wanders into the darkness, the harder is becomes to hear the voice of reason. She knows how to use to darkness, but I'm afraid she wouldn't want to give it up, that's all she knows…"
Riku thought back to the younger figure. 'Could that have been her?' he thought to himself gently stroking the fur of the small creature, it rested on his lap. "If Sora finds Kairi, that means that she's there too…?" the powerful mage nodded. "I want to find her before Sora gets to her." Yen Sid looked down at the creature on Riku's lap. "Her Keyblade holds part of the solution." He said, as the Shadow Hound let out an unearthly bark, something of happiness. "And that's your other half."
"Maybe I can still reach her…" the boy said sounding a bit hopeful. "Hopefully she will respond to your voice." Yen Sid said adding to the problem. "She might try and block you out of her mind, to prevent any more pain from eating away at her heart."
"I won't let her…" Riku said placing the Shadow Hound on the floor. "But if she does, I'll have to do the same, as much as it pains me." He said holding out the girl's keychain. 'Why? I don't want to lose you, Amaterasu. But if you block me out from your heart, what am I to do?' The Shadow Hound grew in size, back to its original form and inhaled the scent surrounding the girl's keychain. "Good luck, Riku." Yen Sid watching the boy and the hound leave from the room.
The Shadow Hound summoned a dark portal, and waited for Riku to walk into it. Though as Riku was about to set foot into the portal several Heartless appeared. "Give me a break!" Riku yelled angrily pulling out 'Way to Dawn' and using 'One Winged Angel'. The rage within his heart did all the talking as he decapitated several Heartless, and flung lifeless bodies with the motion of the Keyblades. 'Dark Aura…' he said pointing one Keyblade to a Heartless, and a ball of dark aura collided with the creature, sending a shockwave through the body.
'Use this technique…' the Heartless within him said, it could feel the rage and despair clouding the boys heart. 'Dark Dance…' Riku thought letting a dark aura surround his body for a moment. He moved quickly to one Heartless and stabbed the Heartless in the chest, and tossed the other Keyblade towards another Heartless, watching the body twitch slightly, giving the last indication of pain. The boy pulled out the Keyblade and zipped past several Heartless, paralyzing them with another shockwave, he trusted his weapon to the ground and the opponents stopped moving. With both Keyblades now back in his possession he sliced through Heartless like if they were paper, sending pain through each creature as the Keyblades only lingered within their bodies for a couple of second. A couple of Heartless moved back, but the boy didn't give them a chance to retreat as he sliced their heads clean off their neck. With the last Heartless down Riku felt the energy within him slip away. He panted for a moment and looked back at the Shadow Hound, it waited patiently for the boy to come back. "Yeah… Let's get going…" he said finally making his way through the portal.
Twilight Town Manor
"Amaterasu, I'm begging you, please don't do this!" Kairi said backing away from the girl. A strange looking Keyblade appeared in the girl's hand. It looked almost similar to Riku's Keyblade 'Way to Dawn'. "Why are you siding with the Heartless?" she asked demanding to know. Lightning stood a distance away from the two. "Just shut up, please…" the girl begged Kairi to keep quiet. "Maybe with your heart we can finally rid the world of the Dark Keyblade Master."
"The darkness is just using you!" Kairi said understanding somehow where the girl was coming from. "If you go through with the plan you'll lose us all!" Kairi felt a wall against her back; she had no more room to move. "Think of Sora… Think of Riku!" Amaterasu stopped for a moment looking back at Kairi in disbelief. "Please Amaterasu, come on, we can beat the Dark Master some other way."
"Don't you get it, without your heart we can't awake him. We can't hurt him while he's in the sphere!" Amaterasu said angrily. 'Don't waste time explaining this to the girl!' the Heartless yelled at her. "I know they're going to look for you…" the girl said snapping her fingers, and Neo Shadows appeared. "Block all the entrances to this room." She commanded the Heartless and they obeyed. "Just think about it, please!" Kairi began to plead with her again.
Amaterasu couldn't take it anymore, she wanted the noise to just end. 'Do it! NOW!' the Heartless yelled out in her mind, and the girl just couldn't stand the noise in her head. Within moments she found herself panting heavily, and looked at the sight in front of her. Kairi's eyes grew dim, and still the Princess of Heart managed to smile at Amaterasu. "You're doing… what you think… is right… and… I forgive… you…" the darkness began to take control of the princess' heart. Amaterasu pulled the Keyblade out of Kairi's chest, and felt tears slightly run down to the side of her face. 'I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I am so sorry Kairi…'
"Amaterasu…" Lightning spoke out softly, noticing the girl toss her newly acquired Keyblade to the floor of the old manor. Amaterasu looked back at the Heartless with tears around her eyes, she couldn't see that well. "Why Lightning, why?" she couldn't help but ask her blue eyed Heartless companion. Lightning sighed for a moment and walked towards the girl. The girl held her companion as tight as she could, sobbing hysterically, not caring at all what the Heartless thought of her. "She finally remembered who I was… and I had to go and do that…" Amaterasu managed to blurt out.
"Amaterasu…" Lighting said with her own sincere voice. 'I understand know, what she meant when she said she would give me a heart. She meant her friendship, which awakens a heart, even for someone like me…' Lightning hugged the girl for a while, stroking the back of her head. "I know you're sorry, but that won't bring her back…" she said. "Once Sora and Riku defeat the Dark Master once and for all, she'll come back…"
"But what if she hates me?" Amaterasu asked whining about it. "She did say that she did forgive you." Lightning said remembering the last words the girl managed to mutter out.
"But why would she say that?" the girl asked, her voice was muffled by the fabric that the blue eyed Heartless, Lightning, wore.
"She still believes that you can change…" the Heartless said looking down at the girl. Amaterasu shook her head and felt more tears, run down the side of her face. It didn't seem possible, for Kairi to forgive her that easily. 'Why'd she have to go and smile at me like that?' the girl thought, thinking back to that moment. "I hate emotions like this…" the girl said coldly, still feeling tears fall. "You know what else…? Out of all the people on that island, he fell in love with me…"
Lightning tried to calm her down, but it was of no use right now. Amaterasu withdrew herself from Lightning's comforting embrace, and sat in a corner. The girl held out a gloved hand, and her new Keyblade reappeared in her grasp. She called it 'Way to Night'. Lightning noticed that some had fallen to the ground where Kairi 'slept'. The keychain had a paopu fruit design on it. 'Kairi's?' she thought picking up the item. 'If they do come looking for us, they'll probably want this back too…' Amaterasu breathed in for a moment, and looked back at the body that slumped to the side. 'We should probably leave now… It's for the better.' The girl thought closing her eyes.
"Are you ready to leave now?" the Heartless asked, Amaterasu didn't notice the item she held in her hand. The girl opened her eyes slowly, looking faintly at the person in front of her, and she nodded vaguely. Amaterasu stood up and dusted the dust off of her black coat, she looked back at Kairi, and at that point she knew that guilt wouldn't leave her alone until she cracked, or something else escalated. Amaterasu placed a gloved hand heavily on the wall, breathing in deeply. 'Riku… Sora… I'm sorry you two, I really am,' with that lost thought a portal opened and Amaterasu walked into it. "Get Kairi for me, please, Lightning." Her voice disappeared into the darkness.
Lightning made sure that Amaterasu was deep within the portal, and she pulled out a little note containing her own handwriting. 'It was a good thing she took some time getting her new Keyblade…' the Heartless thought placing the note in a noticeable area, and on top of that she placed Kairi's keychain. 'I should get going, but I am sorry about this Amaterasu, but it's for you own good,' with that the Heartless picked up the last Princess of Heart and took her through the portal. "Wait…" Lightning said to herself feeling around in the last pocket, "the little device…" she went back and placed the blue musical device on top of the note and keychain.
"Are you coming?" Amaterasu's voice could be heard echoing through the pathway of the darkness. "Maleficent's going to wonder why we were late." Lightning walked faster, carrying the body of the young princess. Lightning looked to the side of her and felt the presence of the portal disappear, it was a good thing that she left those three items on there. 'This isn't the Amaterasu I know now. She's changed so much because of the darkness. If this it what it truly does to people, I don't want to have a heart now. It's so easily taken in by the darkness, even though she tried as carefully as she could not to fall in to it, but even she was lying to herself. Maybe if Riku does want to get you back he'll follow us, but only if he does truly care for you…' Lightning's thoughts echoed through her mind, and again she felt something beat where her heart was. 'I haven't felt my heart beat, I want to be human, I want to feel, there's a lot of things I haven't felt yet…'
Amaterasu was glad to get out of the portal finally seeing the gummi dock in full view. She breathed in the calm air, strange though a moment ago she could still sense the presence of more Heartless around the air, but they seemed to vanish as quickly as they came. 'Sora probably got to them…' she thought shaking her head for a moment. 'You keep asking yourself why you're doing this, and you still haven't given yourself an answer. Do you enjoy doing all of this, Amaterasu?' her other voice asked, the question echoing through her troubled heart. The girl looked back and noticed Lightning coming through the dark portal, and dark wisps seemed to skim across the surface of the body of the human looking Heartless. "I'll pilot the ship this time," Amaterasu said noticing Lightning take a step forward.
Manor's basement
This was the last room Riku hadn't searched through, and he had hoped that he would find the person he was looking for, but sadly he had come in at a late time. 'But she was here…' Riku thought watching the Shadow Hound sniff the areas that smelled like its previous owner. It barked at a little note that was placed on top of the broken computer chair. The silver haired teen walked over to the hound and picked up the note, taking into possession the mp3 device, and a keychain with a distinct shape of a star. The hound strolled around the area and it barked at a wall, and scratched the area, whining a bit. Its ears drooped in confusion and possibly in unhappiness. 'They're intelligent creatures… Funny though that's how I'm feeling alone, confused and unhappy,' the boy began to frown slightly. 'That means Kairi's gone too…' he thought looking back at the keychain.
"No luck, huh boy?" Riku asked the Shadow Hound as it began to whine again at the empty surface on that certain wall. It walked up close to Riku and brushed it strange shaped body against the boy's leg, like a cat of some sort. "Yeah I feel the same way…" Riku said patting the creature on the head. 'Never thought I'd be talking to an animal…' he thought sighing for a moment. He clutched the newly acquired items for a moment, holding sentimental value to each. The turquoise eyes scanned the top cover of the note, as it was folded in half. 'I should probably…' he felt his fingers slowly undo the fold, but his momentum was gone when the hound began to bark loudly at the door in back of them.
Riku placed a hand over the hound and it held its voice a bit longer, and growled when the door gave way to the force that opened it. A familiar figure dressed in black clothing stepped out, with spiky brown hair and those curious blue eyes. He looked tried and battle worn, with scratches against his cheeks, and cuts on his legs, a bruise or two on both of his arms. The boy by the name of Sora looked at the boy and the hound, and the Shadow Hound wagged its tail happily noticing its new master in plain sight. Sora gave a weak wave, and looked around hoping to find the girl with the red wine colored hair. Riku walked over apologetically and handed the brunette haired boy the paopu shaped keychain. There the silver haired boy noticed that a recognizable figure step into view as well, King Mickey looked worn out, taking a moment or two to catch his breath. 'This is Kairi's Keyblade…' Sora thought sadly looking down at the item he now held in his hand.
"She's gone…" Riku said looking down at the ground. At this position he felt like there was nothing he could say to Sora, but only that he understood how he must have felt, because the silver haired teen had lost someone precious to him as well. Multiple apologies would not be enough to make things seem like they would be all right, and even Sora knew that.
"Damn it!" Sora yelled angrily. The Shadow Hound steered clear of the new master's intense emotion at this moment. The brunette teen cursed loudly at the figures who stole Kairi, which also meant that they had taken her heart, to be preyed upon by the darkness. The hound moved further and further away from Sora's words, and felt its paws come across another area of the basement setting. It had a couple of machines so at least the objects would occupy space within the empty room. Riku stood by King Mickey trying to deal with the royal mouse's wounds, but the king said that Sora needed medical care more than he did. The cuts on his legs had not ceased, from dripping blood down the sides of his legs. "I'll get them…" Sora said meaning every word of it, and the king and the boy with the turquoise eyes looked at one another with concern.
Riku had finished casting a Curaga spell on the 'chosen one' and Sora relaxed for a moment. "Listen Sora…" Riku finally spoke up, after addressing the younger teen's wounds, blue eyes stared at him, "I'm sorry…" Sora looked away for a moment shrugging as he felt the uneasiness of the subject of the apology. "Why are you sorry?" Sora asked finally looking at his friend. Riku shrugged in reply, he felt as though it was something to say, to provide his younger friend some comfort, since Sora felt downtrodden. "It's okay though…" Sora said softly, loud enough for Riku to hear. The silver haired teen heard the brunette's reply and he noticed the tinge of pain used in his words, and it was something Riku could relate to.
"I know how you feel," the silver haired teen said thinking back to the girl he had watched leave. His heart felt like it began to grow cold, at the mention of the thought. The whole feeling was something he would gladly want to leave behind. "You don't…" Sora began to speak but he felt Riku's hands thrust him against the wall of the room, the brunette struggled against the strength of the future 'Dark Master'. "Don't you ever say that, Sora…" the teen said harshly, his eyes bearing down on the spiky haired boy, and Sora growled pushing Riku off of him. King Mickey couldn't do anything, but at the same time he didn't want anything to escalate from the confrontation. The king still wasn't able to tell the boys about Amaterasu and her current 'project'.
"I do know how you feel. She… Look someone I care about has been taken away from me," Riku said, and Sora eyed him carefully. "Amaterasu wasn't…" Sora started to speak but paused for a moment watching the nervous look in his friend's eyes. As Riku was about to speak and unearthly bark echoed throughout the area, and the three of them looked in the direction it came from. King Mickey went to the source of the noise in a quick stride and stopped suddenly noticing something that caught his attention. Sora went in and his inner mind couldn't have been happier due to the figure that stood there. At that point Sora felt his inner self take control, and felt the arms from his body warp around the figure. "Naminé…" Roxas said worriedly feeling the figure wrap her arms around the frame of Sora's Nobody.
"Kairi… She was taken…" Naminé said with a sudden tone of sadness that could only be called genuinely sincere.
Riku stopped in the doorway and noticed the note within his grasp. 'That's right…' the word 'Riku' was written on the top, in somebody else's handwriting. 'Who wrote it?' he asked himself in his mind, the handwriting didn't seem recognizable to him. He felt his fingers again run through the middle fold and finally saw the words in front of his eyes as he unfolded the parchment. 'This isn't Amaterasu's handwriting, hers is small this one is…'
'Dear Riku,
I don't have much time since I don't when she'll wake up from her second 'awakening'. I'm writing to you in a hurry so sorry if there are some parts that you can't read that well, and I apologize. Enough with this though. It's about your friend, the one you call 'Amaterasu'. '
"I didn't see the figure's faces…" Naminé's voice could be heard from the area. She was explaining to the three of them what had happened.
'I fear for the safety of her heart, and no doubt that you do as well. She still feels guilt, but that's something that the darkness forces into the heart to make the control stronger, which means her heart is very fragile so to speak. I don't know who long she'll be able to keep this whole 'game' up.'
"Who did she say sorry to?" Roxas' voice could be heard after Naminé explained bits and pieces of it all.
'She's already broken down with having to capture the girl named Kairi. You should've seen her Riku, it made my eyes fill with tears to the point where I couldn't see that well. Riku I know you care for her deeply, I heard the two of you on the gummi ship the day before we left. Please I'm begging you Riku please, help her. She's your light, and you are hers, she doesn't want to lose you but I'm afraid she's made a mistake in her effort in trying to avoid the darkness.'
"All I know was that she had a new Keyblade. She called it 'Way to Night'. It looked just likes Riku's but more Heartless looking with a little demonic wing at the tip. You know how Riku's looks like. But anway she…" Naminé began to speak again.
'She needs her light… she needs you. I want you to understand that. She's been saying that she'd doing this so that maybe you won't be the next Dark Master of the Keyblades, but… I don't know about that, all I know is that she needs you, so please, please help her. I want Night to finally meet with Dawn…
From the Heartless,
Lightning'
Riku's hands trembled for a moment rereading the letter for the second time. 'Amaterasu… What the hell are you doing?' he asked his mind trying to think of an answer for her actions. 'This won't help anyone… In fact I might lose you because of that stunt you're tying to pull…' He looked back at the name of who it was written by. 'Does that mean she's been able to find your heart, Lightning?' Riku felt some sort of joy, but it quickly died as fast as it came. Right now the letter troubled him, he felt fear creep somewhere in his heart, making a temporary stay there till the end came. 'Where do I find you Amaterasu…?'
We'll meet up again some day…Besides since you are what you are… You're always going to keep finding me, no matter where I go. We're connected by our hearts, and our destiny…
"I told her that…" Riku said softly to himself. Naminé continued to talk while the king and the person before them, which was Roxas, they all listened to the information.
R i k u
I'm going to find her; I don't care about how long it takes. I want to find her and I want to help Sora save Kairi. I just don't know where to begin. At times I feel like I'm still just a kid, and that I can't do anything. I want to help her, I want too, so badly that it just hearts my heart. Sora hasn't been taking this to well, about Kairi's heart being stolen. I still haven't been able to tell him about Amaterasu yet; I don't know how he's going to take it. I know for me it's going to catch up to me in the long run.
I handed Naminé a familiar item, Kairi's Keyblade. "This time I'll be the one fighting alongside you guys…" she said softly, watching the Keyblade take shape. Sora finally got control of his body back from his Nobody, and he nodded to Naminé. I'm still impressed with how quickly the two of them were able to master it. I looked back at King Mickey, I know he wanted to tell Sora about Amaterasu, and he has a feeling that I already know about her. 'Yeah no thanks to Yen Sid…' I thought angrily. I should've left quickly, but no I decided to stay to find out about her. I looked around and I couldn't find the Shadow Hound. I went into the area where it found Naminé, and I found a little ball of black fur curled up in a corner. "Hey…" I said.
Its ears perked up slightly and it jumped up yipping slightly. It was in a smaller form, which was more appealing to the eyes. The other form made it look like it came straight from hell or something. 'And she called them cute…' I still didn't know what made them 'cute' as she calls them. It's probably the fact that they're intelligent, I'm guessing that's the only thing they have going for them. I felt a weird sensation on my hand and I jumped back looking at the Shadow Hound lick my hand for a moment. 'Yeah I guess they are a bit okay…' I thought feeling the hound nudge against me for comfort once again. "You miss her a lot don't you?" I asked the creature, patting the top of its head.
"Where's Donald and Goofy?" I heard Naminé and King Mickey cleared his throat. "They're out in the font…" the royal mouse said I as I stepped into their view. "You ready then?" King Mickey asked me. I nodded, and I also made sure that I kept the mp3 device and the note hidden from their sight. I don't want them to know what I got from Lightning. 'I'm going to find you. I promise myself that…' I thought to myself was we all walked up the stairs into the middle floor of the manor.
A m a t e r a s u
I muttered a couple of rather hateful things to myself. I can't take this anymore, but then there's that same question 'why are you doing it?'. To be completely honest I don't know why I still do what it is I'm doing. I'm starting to think I'm just doing it because I want to belong, because this is my comfort zone. I'm not ready to move on. It reminds me of that flower from Elusion-Ilusion. It'd die if it wasn't in its natural environment, but somehow I know Riku's kept that blue flower alive, with Donald's help. I gripped the controls of the gummi ship for a moment, letting the ship dip a bit to avoid an asteroid. Lightning was resting in the back of the ship, she's been tired out, poor thing.
Kairi's somewhat responding body is by one of the ship's seats. I just can't stand it though; the scent of that pure smell, something in me just wants to get rid of her. 'I can't stand pure things… Neither can you…' my little voice said softly. About twenty something years ago that might have been true, but now that I think about it, I don't really think so. I miss having a somewhat normal life, like when I met Riku. 'I'd give anything to go back to those days…' I thought to myself feeling tears form around my eyes. 'No…' I felt my hand wipe away the tears before they came down. So far the ride back to Maleficent's new castle was going smoothly, that and because Heartless ships won't attack a ship of their very own, it's only common knowledge.
For a moment I felt something jab at my heart. I haven't felt that in so long. 'He's probably around the area…' I thought to myself setting up the scanning units to detect any ships within a 450 mile radius. These parts were considered illegal to many of the gummi ship manufacturers. Though right now it doesn't really matter, no gummi ship specialists are here, so we're safe from that for right now. So far nothing showed up on the scanners. 'It's just my head playing tricks on me then…' I sighed for a moment and decided it was better to get a move on. Maleficent wouldn't want me getting there late, only the deities know what treatment she would give me.
'Just another 30 minutes…' I thought to myself sighing again. For the moment I enjoyed the silence it was the only comfort I had. I couldn't exactly talk to Kairi, and Lightning, well she's been melancholy looking since we got back to the ship. 'I wonder what a Heartless feels… Maybe her hearts starting to wake up… I hope so. That's the only promise I'd probably finish in person,' I thought to myself setting the gummi ship on autopilot for a moment. My hands were starting to ache a bit. I took the gloves off of them and looked at them for a moment. 'They hurt so much…' I rubbed them for a moment. For some reason I just couldn't contain my thoughts, a lot of things were running around. I felt confused for some reason. But why?
'I miss him so much…' that was the only thing becoming clear in my mind. I didn't want to forget him, I didn't, and… I don't want him to forget about me. 'Riku…' my heart was racing every time I thought of him. Still those words that he told me, somehow they sunk into my heart, and it'll be something I'll never forget. Those words gave me hope, but I don't know about what they will do for the current situation at hand.
We'll meet up again some day…Besides since you are what you are… You're always going to keep finding me, no matter where I go. We're connected by our hearts, and our destiny…
Maleficent's new castle
"The last Princess of Heart," Maleficent said sounding pleased with the outcome. Kairi's heartless body was placed against the side of a couple of columns. Amaterasu and Lightning stood in front of the witch giving them a small report of what had happened. "Another Keyblade?" Maleficent asked intrigued by this fact. Amaterasu recounted the tale once again to the mistress of all evil and darkness.
With that the witch dismissed them, and whatever Kairi's fate was, well it didn't seem that pleasant. The young princess would be shipped into a transporter, sort of like she was cargo or something, and transported to this sort of underground laboratory somewhere in the deserts of Sunset Horizon. There she would be placed with the rest of the other 6 Princesses of Heart. "I'm sorry…" Amaterasu said as they walked out into the hallway of the castle that once belonged to Princess of Aurora.
Lightning noticed the sour look placed on her 'client' and couldn't help but feel like she needed to do something. 'I should try and cheer her up…' the Heartless scanned every corner of her mind for something that would get her to cheer up. 'Ice-cream… what was it she liked?' Lightning looked around for a moment and couldn't think of anything for that small millisecond in time. 'Think…' she fumbled around with the crimson scarf that hung loosely around her neck. "Sea-salt…" Lighting remembered the ice-cream flavor now. "Amaterasu…" she called out to the troubled girl. The girl looked back at her with rather depressed dark brown eyes. "Listen…" Lightning began with some genuine feeling backing up the little sentence she would say to the girl. "You want to get some ice-cream?" she asked.
"Ice-cream…?" Amaterasu asked cautiously. Hoping that it wasn't a trick question for a moment, "sure…" the girl said not really feeling anything towards the whole idea. The two of them stopped and noticed a raven hover about the two of them It held a note tied to one of its talons. Amaterasu raised her hand slowly and the raven landed on her palm. The girl untied the note and read it carefully, she growled for a moment in annoyance. "Damn it that…!" she yelled at the mistress of evil and darkness, cursing any word imaginable. "I hate her!" the girl said finally noticing she hit the side of the wall with her new Keyblade. "Damn her…" she said breaking into sobs, "fuck…" she muttered slumping back and crumpling the note.
After the two of you have rested up to the point where you feel like you can fight, there's another order I need the two of you to carry out. Within the gummi ship you will find these little cases, these 'black boxes' so to speak. I want you to place them within the gummi dock of several worlds. A sort of 'welcoming' for our new 'Master'. Whichever world you decide on, it does not matter. Just let it be known that I expect the two of you to return no later than two weeks.
That was what the note contained, and Lightning read it as well after Amaterasu cursed at the women who wrote it. 'We'll have to put the ice-cream on hold then…' the Heartless thought sighing for a moment. Still the letter did prove to hold some time for some sort of activity. "To the point where you can feel like you can fight…" Lightning said looking up from the letter to the girl who withdrew her Keyblade. Amaterasu placed a smile of some sort, glad to hear that phrase for a moment. "I guess I have some time… I'm emotionally incapable of fighting…" Amaterasu said thinking about if for a moment. "I guess I'll take you up on the ice-cream offer." She said pulling Lightning along side her now.
"I want you to go see him…" Lightning said softly as they reach the outside walls of the castle. Amaterasu looked at the Heartless as if she were crazy. "Please Amaterasu it would do you some good, as a friend. I'm begging you to go and see him. Just for a little while. I'll cover for you, please…" Amaterasu didn't know what to say. Her mind just screaming at her to answer yes, but another voice brought in the doubt that she didn't want to hear. "What if he doesn't want to…? I mean if I was in his shoes I wouldn't want to see me…" the girl said softly, and Lightning hissed at the girl. "That's not the point…" the Heartless said softly. "He loves you…"
"You heard…?" there was a blush of embarrassment that lightly touched her cheeks. Amaterasu looked down at the ground for a moment and didn't know what to say at that point. "I…" she couldn't think of anything to say. "Love him too… But I can't…" the Heartless rolled her blue eyes and Amaterasu flinched slightly feeling something hit the back of her head. Amaterasu rubbed the spot where Lightning had hit her. The two of them walked through the desolate area, watching Heartless run around again. There was nothing for them to prey upon since all the inhabitants were now devoid of their hearts. In the distance by the summit of a grassy green hill stood a church or some sort. The bells from the holy building filled the area within an earshot radius. Amaterasu looked at the birds that covered the roof of the church. 'Only ravens…' the girl thought frowning for a moment as the two of them walked down the area.
"So…" Lightning began to make some conversation. "You want sea-salt right?" as the last rolled off her tongue Amaterasu blinked for a moment. "Something wrong?" she asked, looking at the younger girl for a moment. Amaterasu shook her head and forced a smile in delight of the idea. "You want to eat it at the church?" the girl nodded for a moment. "You…" Amaterasu began to speak for a moment, "you read my mind…" she said smiling for a moment.
The towns held almost no life within them, everything was lost to the Heartless, but several places far from the castle were untouched. Several food industries remained untouched by the darkness, but it soon wouldn't be like that. Amaterasu was glad that some people were able to function, if only for a little while longer. The girl watched as the Heartless paid for the two ice-creams, and they quickly found themselves by the entrance of the sacred area. The church, many said it was a miracle that the Heartless didn't destroy the building from within. Amaterasu sat at the foot of the stairs, over looking the dark area of where the Heartless had taken over. 'This is all wrong…' she thought taking a lick of the frozen treat. As the girl bit down Lightning noticed the tears, falling from her own cheeks and Amaterasu paused for a moment watching the Heartless shed tears.
Radiant Garden
Riku sighed for a moment, and stared up at the sky from this world. 'It's been a couple of months now,' the boy thought gripping the mp3 device for a moment. A band by the name of 'Shiny toy Guns' played loudly in one of the ear pieces as he had the other one off of his ear. The Shadow Hound looked around for a moment, sniffing areas from the ravine, no doubt that the Heartless had come back again. 'I wonder what she's doing. No doubt she knows why the Heartless have started showing up once again…' Sora and Naminé were calling him over to another area. Riku looked back and noticed Amaterasu's older brother walk by him. "It's been pretty hectic but I finally found the 'Room of Sleep'. To think it was hidden underneath the HBRC second HQ…" Yomigami said nudging Riku forward. "Don't worry we'll find her…" the girl's brother said softly to the silver haired teen. The Shadow Hound followed behind Sora and Naminé and off they disappeared into the next area.
Gabriel was no longer with them; he had finally kicked the bucket. Rather it was better to say he took his own life, and Yomigami had been a witness to it all. The effect of never aging was beginning to get to the man with the purple eyes, and so with the last ounce of what he called his 'sanity' he took his life. It was one that similar day that Riku told Yomigami about what had happened to his sister, from what the Heartless Lightning had told him in the letter. A couple of months came and went, with the group going to different worlds, finding more Heartless run amok than when they had been there the last time. The last worlds on the list to clean up were 'The Beast's Castle' and 'Sunset Horizon'. 'To be honest it's been about a year now since I've known her…' Riku thought for a moment as they made it to the super computer.
"The password… It's Another, Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, and Ienzo…" Yomigami said noticing that Leon was already at the keyboard of the supercomputer. Leon looked up at him suspiciously, and a female took it as her cue to thank Yomigami. "It's no problem, Rinoa…" Yomigami said smiling slightly. "Though the password it's a waste of time without the sphere in our possession…" Riku said coming forward to speak up. The others looked at him, and sighed in despair, the boy did have a point in it. Leon typed in the six passwords, and access was granted. Yomigami thanked the fact that they had captured someone on camera, a year ago, type in the exact same passwords. "I just found worn out battle body armor and a Keyblade…" Yomigami said admitting to the fact that he went down there to the 'Room of Sleep'.
With that everyone had left to do their own things, it was suppose to be a joyful day for finding the six passwords, but it just didn't seem the same without the whole gang now. Yomigami and Riku were outside overlooking the area around them, watching several plots of land that was going to be used for the reconstruction. The Shadow Hound had refused to be placed back within the confinements of the summoning amulet and for now Sora didn't object to it. King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy went on a sort of 'spying' mission to try and locate Amaterasu, to find out where Maleficent's new castle was. Sora and Roxas were teaching Naminé how to fight in their spare time.
Riku now found himself within the home of Merlin. The silver haired teen looked down at the green tea, his reflection staring back at him. His fingers lightly nudged the cream colored cup back and forth, and something caught his eyes. He watched the little fairy people steal Yuffie's sea salt ice-cream, and it brought back a feeling of nostalgia. 'That was the first thing she offered me was sea salt ice-cream because my stomach growled when I met her…' he felt a sad smile tug at the corner of his mouth. Yuffie looked back at him and frowned for a moment. She didn't like seeing him like this, the ninja was use to seeing him a bit more 'peppy', but then again Yuffie knew that was only when he was around Amaterasu. Shelke Rui stepped into the scene and she opened the door slightly, peeking into the home for a moment, and when she could people within the abode she walked in. To the Great Ninja Yuffie that meant to her that Vincent Valentine wasn't far behind or Nanaki for that matter.
"Riku Fonovi…" Shelke said her amber hair contrasting against her black clothing. She spoke with such formality it was hard to tell at points whether she was being sincere or just plain. To Riku it had been a while since someone addressed him by his full name, he stood up from his chair and walked over to Shelke Rui. Her EM sabers hung loosely around her sides. "Reeve Tuesti is asking for you." She said. "Aw, you have to go, Riku?" Yuffie said a bit disappointed she wanted to cheer up the Keyblade wielder. "I guess so…" Riku said and excused himself from her presence. "Tell Merlin I said thanks for the tea…" with that Shelke led Riku to where Reeve Tuesti was stationed at. "The place we're going at, for the most part is crawling with Heartless," Shelke said her blue eyes staring back at the confused turquoise eyes. "A type of Heartless-bomb was found within the center of the HQ, so soldiers Restoration Committee have been absorbed with the task of fighting them off, so there's a possibly of stray fire." She said leading the boy down the path of where they would be heading to.
A man cloaked in red watched from up above the homes, making sure that the two arrived to the HQ as quickly, and safe as possible. Below an animal with mahogany fur stayed strayed behind, making sure to protect the rear. "You can go…" Vincent said speaking into the microphone that hung by the collar of his cloak. "Understood, Vincent Valentine…" Shelke said, and Vincent noticed that she started to move once again. Riku could sense the presence of the Heartless, and a distinct smell in the air. 'It's the cherry blossoms again,' he thought trying not to let it get the best of him. "Behind you!" someone yelled out, and Riku summoned his Keyblade, within moments of the yell Riku panted for a moment, watching two Heartless fall to the ground. Shelke looked around the area, and drew out her two EM sabers. "You just keep going straight, Riku Fonovi," she said dashing forward, attacking more Heartless in the front. Riku felt something rush past him, and noticed the tail with flames on it, 'That's Nanaki,' he thought dodging more oncoming Heartless attacks. He watched a red cloak lay on the ground before his eys, and from the mess of fabric appeared a man with long black hair, 'Vincent,' he thought hearing the gunshots from his weapon 'Cerberus'. Bullets pierced the flesh of several enemies.
Riku felt something in his mind click, and before he had time to react his whole frame turned black. He ran wildly pulling limbs off of approaching Heartless; the scent of the cherry blossoms brought his mind, back for a while. He stopped and looked around; everything seemed to be in a hazy now. 'Not again,' he thought looking at the black claws that replaced his hands. He growled feeling helpless again, and that turned into more rage, with that it fueled him to continue his assault on the Heartless that blocked his path to the HQ. Turquoise eyes disappeared from the view of the Heartless, and quickly they felt their bodies begin ripped apart in horrible and almost inhumane manners. The fangs of the humanoid Heartless sunk into the flesh of his enemies, and the Heartless let out horrible screams feeling the pain. Nanaki watched Riku for a moment or two, looking away as the sound of induced wails came from the Heartless. Vincent fired another shot and the bullet pierced the skull of the Heartless, and it collapsed onto the floor. Shelke pulled her EM sabers out from the guts of the two Heartless, and spun around gracefully neatly knocking the heads off of other enemies.
On the high point of a rooftop
"It's sick to look at…" Amaterasu said feeling hot liquid rise to the middle point of her throat. She swallowed it down forcefully, and looked away. She never knew that a humanoid Heartless could act so ferociously towards its own kind. 'I wonder if mine does the same thing…?' she asked her inner mind, but it couldn't provide a good answer. 'I'll just have to find out for myself,' she thought looking back at Lighting. "I feel bad for them…" Lightning said feeling some sadness touch the tip of her almost complete heart now, her hands lightly touched the edge of the crimson scarf. The scent of the deceased Heartless was getting to the senses of the two of them. "You know they videotaped you." Lighting said informingly. Amaterasu nodded for a moment watching the fight die down from below. "He hasn't noticed your presence yet…" the Heartless said looking back at her 'client'.
"He will soon enough," Amaterasu said flopping back down on the flat roof. Her eyes looked up at the sky of the world. She sighed for a moment and closed her eyes thinking back to the first time she met Riku. "I never told you, did I?" Lighting looked at her a bit perplexed by the question the girl spoke of. "Never told me what?" Lighting couldn't help but ask now. Amaterasu rolled over to her side, to get a better look of the dirty blonde haired Heartless. "How I met him…" she said feeling a sad smile creep up on her lips. Lightning sat up attentively and listened to the tale for once, it was probably going to be the only chance she would get. "My dog Chico…" Amaterasu began to speak of her encounter with the future 'Dark Master of the Keyblades'.
Below the high point, Riku finally made it to Reeve's stationed area, with cuts on his arms, and a bruise on the right calf of his leg. He made it in one piece at least, and that was all that mattered to him. Reeve greeted him and the medical team within the headquarters tended to his wounds quickly. Within a matter of moments the silver haired teen reappeared before Reeve Tuesti. "What did you need to see me for, Mr. Tuesti?" Riku asked as Reeve told him to sit down. Reeve lightly pressed something on the touch screen that was in front of him, and from the projector that was placed within the middle of the table, a beam of light formed a screen. "This…" Reeve said watching the projector play the video footage. Riku watched the screen in front of him, his eyes scanning the footage being played. A young teenager walked around the area, looking for something, and another figure dressed in black held a crafted object like if it were made of glass. Once the object touched the ground it shattered, and within a blink of an eye Heartless appeared around the younger figure. The younger figure pulled their hood down, and the frame froze for a second in Riku's mind. 'Amaterasu…' he thought watching the footage continue. A dark aura appeared from her hand, and the camera went to a static screen.
"She's been sighted within the walls of this place," Reeve said looking back at Riku; he still couldn't shake the image of what he had seen. "Which means she's been around here for a couple of weeks. I've checked the gummi ship docks, and several ships docked here in Radiant Garden around a three week period. We've been conducting searches, but so far my men haven't been able to find those strange objects, or their ship." Riku's heart jumped for a moment, but when he thought back to all the things that had happened within the various months that ensued, he wasn't sure if he could face her now. Reeve dismissed him, saying that there was another matter he had to attend to, and that he was glad for Yomigami, since he found the password for the 'Room of Sleep'. Riku walked out in a daze, still watching the footage play around in his mind. Shelke, Vincent, and Nanaki had left already, since the place was clear now. Soldiers were lining up to the stationed medical units around the district of the town. Riku walked around the streets in a sort of daze, and found himself slumping against the wall of an alley. He leaned against the wall and found his whole body fall to the ground, he managed to sit up at least.
"Riku…" he looked around hearing someone call out his voice, but just assumed that his mind was playing tricks with him. "Riku!" the voice whispered harshly. He looked up and noticed a figure with a crimson scarf. He felt the corner of his mouth give in to a grin. "She's on the other side…" the Heartless said smiling down at the boy. A dark portal materialized at end of the alleyway. "But I can't face her…" Riku said looking up at the blue eyed Heartless. "It's been too long…" he said looking down for a moment. "I can't face her… Not like this…" Still somehow Riku found his body move towards the portal, something in his nature made him go, just out of curiosity. As he stepped into the portal the scent of the cherry blossoms became stronger, to the point where it gave him a headache.
Light greeted him on the other side, and he covered his eyes slightly. The place was untouched by buildings or Heartless. It looked like a field of some sort, and for once he heard silence, something that was pleasing to his ears. His turquoise eyes scanned the area for the girl he couldn't face, but for some reason he couldn't find her. He walked around the field, and stopped coming to the top of a hill, he rested for a moment, and looked at the bandages that wrapped around his arms. "It's been about half a year now since I last saw her, and it's been tough…" Riku said to himself looking out into the distance. The afternoon sun lightly touched his skin, filling him with natural warmth. A breeze carried the scent of jasmine and other wildflowers, and that same whiff of cherry blossoms. 'She's around here somewhere,' the silver haired teen thought looking around the area, he turned his head slightly to the side. "Riku…" a soft voice called out to him. He shifted his body so that he could turn around, and he couldn't breathe for a moment. His voice got stuck in his throat, the figure was holding on to a pendant that was on a necklace, his turquoise eyes noticed that tears were staining the cheeks of the figure. "I…" the figure couldn't bring themselves to speak.
A/N: You know what to do one review please!