CHAPTER FIFTY ONE

We ran through Ruin and Creation's Passage. As we reached the door to the other room, Kairi called to us. We turned to see an endless wave of Shadow Heartless streaming in through the windows.

"There's gonna be no end to this!" Riku said as a giant herd of Heartless climbed up the path towards us.

"Together we can stop 'em!" Sora said. He looked at Riku then at me.

Suddenly, a wave of green fire appeared in front of us. Maleficent and Pete stood in our way.

"Be gone from here! Leave these creatures to us!" Maleficent said.

"But there's no way we can take 'em all!" Pete said.

"What, are you going to run away again?" I said.

"I will send them to Xemnas." Maleficent said. "Or, perhaps, you would rather fight them yourself?"

Pete thought about it then.

"Frankly, my dear, I'd rather... RUN!" Pete cried. I rolled my eyes.

"Off with you then!" Maleficent said.

Pete began to back away, but then he saw Mickey and stopped.

"Well, if it ain't the boat-boy King." Pete said.

"Time to weigh anchor, Captain Pete!" Mickey said.

"What, like "abandon ship"? I don't think so!"

"But you just..." I said. I sighed in frustration.

"Sora! Hallie! "Your Majesty"! Do not forget- when I've destroyed them all, this castle shall be mine!" Maleficent said.

"Now lookie here. Opportunities like this don't come along every day, ya know." Pete said. He ran over back to Maleficent's side. "Bring'em on!"

They ran towards the Heartless.

"We gotta hurry!" Mickey said.

"But..." Sora said.

"We can't just leave them!" I said.

"They're doing what their hearts command. We can't interfere." Mickey said.

We looked at them for a few more seconds, then turned around and walked away.


We climbed up the stairs to the Altar of Naught. Xemnas stood in the center, looking up at Kingdom Hearts with his arms raised. Mickey, Sora, Riku, and I stood in a line while Donald, Goofy, and Kairi stood behind us.

"Oh... My Kingdom Hearts... ruined. Now I'll have to start all over again." Xemnas said. He turned to us. "Warriors of the Keyblade! Go forth, and bring me more hearts!"

"No!" Sora, Riku, Mickey and I cried. The three boys summoned their Keyblades and pointed them at Xemnas.

"Denizens of light, answer this: Why do you hate the darkness?" Xemnas said.

"Aw, we don't hate it. It's just kinda... scary." Mickey said. "But the world's made of light AND darkness. You can't have one without the others, 'cause darkness is half of everything. Sorta makes ya wonder why we're scared of the dark."

"It's because of who's lurking inside it." Riku said.

"Then allow me another question. You accept darkness, yet choose to live in the light. So why is it that you loathe us who teeter on the edge of nothing?" Xemnas said. "We who were turned away by both light and dark- never given a choice."

"That's simple. It's because you mess up our worlds."

Xemnas scowled. "That may be... However, what other choice might we have had?"

"Just give it a rest." Sora said. "You're Nobodies! You don't even exist! You're not sad about anything!"

"Very good. You don't miss a thing. I can not feel sorrow... No matter what misery befalls the worlds. No matter what you think, what you feel, or how you exist." Xemnas chuckled. "But you've chosen to ignore one crucial fact; you've had a pawn of the darkness alongside you throughout your entire journey."

"Huh?" everyone said.

Xemnas raised his hand dramatically and pointed it at me. Suddenly, I was hit by more excruciating pain. I cried out and collapsed to my knees, clutching my head.

"This girl you thought to be your friend has been harboring the purest of darkness inside her heart since she was born. She will make the perfect vessel..." Xemnas said.

"What are you talking about?!" Sora cried.

"You... you did something to me, didn't you?!" I said through gritted teeth.

"Not quite." Xemnas said. "I believe your memories hold the answer... and they have been returning, bit by bit. As they fight back, your protected heart withers away as the darkness within you grows stronger."

I screamed and dug my nails into the sides of my head as the pain heightened. My right arm felt like it was on fire.

Fight it, Hallie! a male voice cried in my head.

The darkness can't have you! a female voice said.

"You can make it all go away..." Xemnas said, walking over to me. "Plunge deeper into the darkness, and your heart will grow even stronger. It's really quite simple. Open yourself to the darkness. That is all. Let your heart, your being, become darkness itself."

Hallie... you must be strong and fight for what is right. The gypsy's voice echoed in my head. The expectations others have for you are great, but you are the one that decides what you do with your legacy. Only you are able to decide where your destiny will take you.

Hallie, please, don't give in! I need you! That voice... My heart skipped a beat.

"NOOO!" I threw back my head and screamed as I felt myself black out.

"Hallie!" I heard Sora's muffled voice cry.


Is this what death is like?

No... I'm... still alive.

I opened my eyes and took slow, deep breaths. I sat up and looked around. The air seemed to waver and warp, and in the distance, I saw Memory's Skyscraper from the Dark City. Everything seemed like a strange, wavering illusion.

"What am I...?" I said.

"Geez, you just won't give up, huh?" a female voice said.

I gasped and turned to the Skyscraper. Seated at a one of the window ledges sat the girl I met before. She sat forward, resting her elbows on her legs and her chin in her hands. She swung her legs back and forth and giggled.

"Persistent, aren't you?" the girl said.

"You again." I said. "Did you bring me here?"

"Ding, ding, ding! You're smarter than I thought you were!"

The girl jumped off of the ledge and disappeared momentarily into darkness before reappearing at the bottom of the stairs. She sauntered over to me and crossed her arms. My eyes zeroed in on the silver chain hanging around her neck just below the choker. It was no longer empty, but a black heart charm dangled at the end.

"Who are you?" I said.

The girl smiled and casually brushed some invisible dust off her skirt. "I guess since you are about to die, you might as well die with some sense of accomplishment."

"Huh?"

The girl placed a hand on her hip and laid the other on her heart.

"My name... is Ahllixe."

In the blink of an eye, she zipped towards me, and the black heart charm hanging on her silver chain vanished with a clutter of dark sparks that transformed into End of Pain in her hand. I gasped and jumped out of the way. I landed in a roll and stood up.

"Sorry, but death is not on my agenda right now. Since you were so kind to answer my first question, answer this one, too: what are you?" I said. My fingers twitched, ready to summon my Keyblade Armor.

"It took you so long to figure it out the first time, hopefully the second time won't be as long." Ahllixe said. "I mean, the secret that drove you and Callum apart? Why, it almost KILLED him! All he wanted was to be with you, but what he didn't have was the power to BE. Love is a rather nasty thing, huh?"

"To be...?" I said. I gasped. "You're a Nobody?"

Ahllixe giggled and twirled End of Pain on her finger.

"Not just any Nobody." she said. There was a flash of light and and in her place I saw myself again. Through my amber eyes, a flash of her blood red iris color peeked through. She held her hands behind her back and smiled. "I'm your Nobody."

There was another flash, and the girl's appearance returned. She charged again. I cried out and dodged with a backhand spring.

"That... can't be possible!" I said. "Callum's my Nobody!"

"And I am, too!" Ahllixe said. "Sick twist of events, huh? Of course, no one really knew about my existence until Xemnas was kind enough to help me escape from the prison you trapped me inside."

"What-"

That's when I remembered- when we returned to Hollow Bastion to save it from the Heartless. I remembered the darkness that came from me. The pain I felt when I encountered Xemnas. The voice I heard.

"That darkness..." I said. "That was you?"

"You're getting really good at this!" Ahllixe said. "Yes, that was me. Cooped up in that little heart of yours for years, only able to see the things you saw, hear the things you heard? Surrounded by all that light? YUCK. Of course, only my body had escaped at that moment. I needed one final push to be able to be completely restored, and thankfully, Xemnas had the key."

I clenched my fist.

"C'mon, Hallie. Aren't you tired of all that confusion and anger? All the hidden secrets that even the Organization knows about? And yet no one is willing to tell you, not even your "bestest" friend! We can help you. It can all go away. Come over to the darkness!" Ahllixe said. Something gleamed in her eyes. "It's fun! Plus, the guys there are way hotter."

I bowed my head and looked away.

What is this girl talking about? There's no way that I'd ever want to do something so heinous as to join the darkness. But... she has a point. I'm tired of the secrets hidden inside of me that even I can't unlock. I'm tired of being angry and confused. I'm tired of so many questions and no answers. I just... I want it all to stop.

I remembered all too well that day in Hollow Bastion. I remembered the darkness that came from inside me. The fear I saw in my friends' eyes. I ran because I was afraid and I didn't want to face them. I tried to push people away.

But Sora... he chased after me. He never gave up on me, despite the many times I did. When I was down, he made me smile. When I cried, he was there to comfort me. Throughout our journey, he was always there for me. I could always count on him.

He was the one who saw me for who I really am: the sassy, sarcastic girl who loved to shove her knowledge down people's throats and shun those who lacked it. The girl who was an expert at pushing people away and knowing how to push their buttons.

And yet, through all my flaws and insecurities... he loved me anyways.

I reached down and unclipped the doll that hung at my belt. I gazed down at it, gently brushing my fingers through its hair. I held the doll up to my heart.

"Well?" Ahllixe said, leaning forward with her hands behind her back. "What's it gonna be? Wanna take a cruise on the cool train?"

Ahllixe reached out a hand to me. I took a deep breath, clipped the doll back onto my belt, and stood straight up.

"No."

"Excuse me?" Ahllixe said, returning the hand that was reached out back to her hip.

"You heard me. I said no." I said. "I am stronger than the darkness. I don't care what you will do to me. Torture me, maim me, kill me, whatever. I will never give in to the darkness. I'll see to that, and my friends will see to that as well. I understand now that light isn't the only thing that can conquer darkness. Love can as well. Love is a force that can never be broken, and with every friend connected through its ties, every promise whispered through its lips, the light inside of me grows stronger. I don't need the darkness, and I don't need the Keyblade. My friends are my power!"

As I raised my hand up, prepared to summon my Keyblade Armor, there was a flash of golden light. Ahllixe cried out and fell back to the ground. A stream of light descended from the sky and trickled down in front of me. I stretched my hand out and clenched my fist around it, transforming into a weapon. A Keyblade.

Ultima Weapon. I shivered at the sound of the gypsy's voice resonating in my head.

Ahllixe stood up and gasped when she saw the Keyblade in my hand.

"What? Not possible!" she cried.

I chuckled. "Not probable."

Ahllixe growled and she glowed with darkness. She summoned End of Pain and lunged towards me. I raised my Keyblade and blocked her attack. She brought her face uncomfortably close to mine.

"You need the darkness, Hallie." Ahllixe said. "Without it, you wouldn't have survived that day your precious home was destroyed."

"Home?" I said. I scowled and pushed her back. "Where my heart wants to be, where it belongs, that is my home. He is my home."

"He?" Ahllixe said. Her surprise turned into a nasty scowl.

She lifted her fist as darkness covered it. She let out an angry cry as she shot her hand forward. A burst of darkness zipped towards me.

"Let's do this, Hallie." the gypsy said. "Together."

I nodded as I began to glow. I brought a hand to my heart as the skin above it glowed especially bright.

"Light!" I cried, raising my Keyblade to the sky.

An orb of light appeared above me. It shined brightly, relinquishing the darkness around me. Ahllixe growled, but her eyes showed fear. I swung my Keyblade around, swinging the light around as well. With a grunt, I launched the orb of light in the direction of Ahllixe.

There was a scream and an explosion. The impact sent me flying back, but I took my Keyblade, stabbed the ground with it, and used the momentum to swing myself back onto my feet. As the smoke subsided, I could see Ahllixe laying on the ground. She panted and groaned as she stood up on her feet. She stumbled around a bit and she began to giggle.

"Well done, Hallie..." Ahllixe said.

She stood straight up and began to fade away. In a flash, I saw a faint silhouette standing next to her. A boy in a dark organic bodysuit. He had black spiky hair and yellow eyes. I gulped.

"See you soon..." Ahllixe and the boy said as they faded away.

The air filled with laughter. I recognized the boy's laugh from that strange chamber where I found Ventus: bitter and bone-chilling.

The laughter subsided and it was quiet. I turned and looked to Memory's Skyscraper. I took a deep breath of relief.

"Sora, hang in there." I said.

"Hallie! Where are you?" I heard Sora call.

The illusion around me disappeared into light.


The air warped around me and I fell face-first onto the floor of Altar's Naught. I groaned.

"Sora! Hallie!" Riku said.

I looked up to see everyone approaching us. Sora laid on the ground as well. We stood up and looked at each other.

"You're okay!" Mickey said.

Sora lingered his gaze on me before turning to everyone. "Where's Xemnas?"

Donald looked around and squawked. We looked up to see Xemnas floating before his distorted Kingdom Hearts.

"Hear me, Kingdom Hearts! It seems we must begin anew." Xemnas cried. "Ah, but know this: I will give to you as many hearts as it takes. Mark my words! You can no more be complete without me than I without you. Heed me, Kingdom Hearts! Lend me your power, so that we may be complete! The power to erase the fools that hinder us."

"Xemnas, no!" Mickey cried.

"Hearts quivering with hatred..."

"Xemnas, don't!" Sora cried.

"Hearts burning with rage..."

"You won't win!" I cried.

"Hearts scarred by envy... That fool Ansem said the heart's true nature was beyond his understanding. But it's not beyond mine! Hearts are the source of all power!"

Kingdom Hearts glowed with intense light. We shielded our eyes from it. When it subsided, Xemnas was gone.

"Xemnas! You can't hide from us!" Sora cried.

"We're not gonna let him get away now!" Mickey said.

"Look at that!" Kairi said, pointing past the altar at something in the distance.

There was a flash of light and a door appeared before us.

"What's goin' on?" Goofy said.

"Kingdom Hearts..." Mickey said.

"Let's go. Xemnas must be inside." Riku said.

"The worlds gave us this doorway. They want us to be the guardians of their destiny."

"They're counting on us." I said. "And there is no way that we're going to let them down."

"Once we go through, there's no turning back. It's victory... or oblivion." Riku said. "Sora, Hallie, are you ready?"

Sora looked forward towards the door. I stepped next to him. I reached out and took his hand.

"I'm not afraid." I said. "As long as we stand together, nothing will get in our way."

Sora looked down at our intertwined hands then at me. He smiled and nodded. He squeezed my hand for a second before letting go.

One by one we summoned our Keyblades: A Way to Dawn, Kingdom Key, Ultima Weapon, and Kingdom Key D. Sora looked at my Keyblade in surprise.

"But, what about...?" he said.

"Even in the deepest depths of darkness, no matter where I go, a light will always be there to find me." I said.

Sora nodded. The four of us pointed our Keyblades, the tips meeting together. Light collected at the tips of our Keyblades. We raised our Keyblades up to the sky and beams of light shot out. They connected together and the door opened.

"Get ready, Xemnas!" Sora said. "It all ends here!"


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

The Organization's Kingdom Hearts has been damaged by Hallie and the gang, but they have quickly been recaptured by an army of Heartless, and they are heading towards the group. As they ascend through the castle, they come face-to-face with the tsunami of Heartless, but Maleficent and Pete step in to hold them off while they keep going. They reach the top of The Castle That Never Was and confront Xemnas. There, Hallie learns that Xemnas has something to do with what's happening with her, as he calls out to the unknown darkness building in her heart and has supposedly been slowly working to destroy it. He tries to entice her to the darkness, but she refuses and is transported to an illusion, where she again meets the mysterious girl. She finally reveals herself: her name is Ahllixe, and she is also Hallie's Nobody. Ahllixe also tries to lure Hallie over to the darkness, but, again, she refuses, drawing power from the love she shares with her friends. In a flash of light, a new Keyblade is bestowed to Hallie: Ultima Weapon. Hallie defeats Ahllixe and returns back to reality. Xemnas disappears inside Kingdom Hearts. The worlds create a door for the gang so they can go after Xemnas and protect them. Hallie, Sora, Riku, and Mickey unlock the door, determined to put an end to the Organization once and for all.

Could Xemnas be connected to Hallie through something past his Nobody existence? Who is Ahllixe, and what's her story? How did Hallie come to have two Nobodies?

Stay tuned, and thanks for reading! Remember to review!