Parisa: Haruka finally realises!
Haruka: I finally realise what?
Parisa: I'm not telling you, it would ruin it for the readers!
Riku: Is it something about me?
Parisa: I'm not saying a word.
Haruka/Riku: Aw, we want to know now!
Parisa: Gosh, you guys are like impatient 5 year olds!
Haruka: Hey, I may be impatient but I'm certainly not 5!
Parisa: On with the chapter…
Kingdom Hearts II: A Journey's End
Chapter 52: Realisation and wedding?!
"Mmmmmm…Riku…" Haruka mumbled and she fluttered her eyelashes and they were at the checkpoint. She rubbed her eyes and noticed that she was on Sora's back. "Sora?" He turned to her and smiled.
"Haru! You're up!" He said and she stretched.
"You can put me down now, I'm okay." She mumbled and he placed her down.
"Why did you say Riku's name?" He asked curiously and she gulped. Her face turned vibrant red just like her hair.
"Uh…heheh, what are you talkin' about Sora?" She asked and he crossed his arms.
"You did say his name." Sora stated and she laughed nervously whilst scratching the back of her head.
"Maybe it just came out randomly." She said.
"Sure it did." He said and started to walk.
"Oh quiet you!" She roared and huffed. She saw Mulan and walked over to her. "Hey Mulan, what's going on? Where are we going?" She asked.
"There's a creature that's made its way to the Imperial City." She said and Haruka gasped.
"Come on guys, chop chop! The Imperial City's in danger, let's run!" The Princess shouted and they started to run.
Imperial City: The Palace
They got to the square and it was really deserted. Yao, Ling and Shin-Po told them that Shang was in the Palace and Mulan ran first. Haruka couldn't help but giggle at this; she was in love.
Suddenly, 4 large floating Heartless appeared and another which was like a horse. They got their weapons ready but Haruka felt a bit uneasy as she stared at her Keyblade.
"This is wrong…"
"Remember what I told you before. Haruka, you must stay strong. Follow your heart wherever it may lead you, learn to accept it. Whatever you decide it's right."
They started to fight and Haruka found her strength getting stronger and stronger. They finished fighting the Heartless in a few minutes and sprinted to the doors.
Sora, Donald and Goofy started banging on the doors and shouting out to open. Haruka crossed her arms and huffed.
"You guys seriously think it's gonna open if it's locked from inside?" She asked.
Mulan was eyeing out the pillars and got an idea. "Over here, guys!" She shouted and ran up to the pillar. They followed and they all stood in front of a pillar. Mulan smiled at Haruka.
"Haruka, can you do the honours of showing Sora, Donald and Goofy?" She asked.
"Yeah!" Haruka grinned. She looked up and smiled with a tear falling down her cheek. She closed her green eyes and was transported back to a far off memory.
Flashback...
"But Haruka you're shorter than Kairi." He said and Haruka huffed at this.
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious Sherlock! And it's not like I'm going to grow taller and reach for the coconuts." Haruka looked up at the coconuts and smirked. 'This is gonna be a piece of cake.' Haruka wrapped her right arm around the trunk and he left on top. Then she pulled herself up with her feet. Just halfway, Haruka slid down and felt the friction against her body which was burning. She landed on her bottom and what made it worse was a rock.
She got up and grinded her teeth together. They watched her, as she tried, and tried, and tried to get up the tree and get those coconuts, but they ended with the same results; thuds, swear words and groans of pain.
Haruka opened her eyes and sighed with delight. She wrapped her arms around the pillar and started climbing.
The others were climbing too and got to the top. But Haruka was afraid that she would fall since she was still afraid of heights. The others were waiting for her and she looked down. She felt a little dizzy and her vision doubled. She shook her head at this and climbed.
"Haru, do you need help?" Sora asked.
"No, I can do this!" She replied and was climbing.
Haruka slid down a little but held on. She closed her eyes and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead and cheeks. She kept on sliding down and huffed.
'Haruka, you can do this! I believe in you!" She heard Riku's voice in her mind.
"I believe in you too, Riku…" She mumbled and started again, this time with more willpower. She got to the top and stretched.
"I did it!" Haruka smiled and Sora high fived her.
They got to the Antechamber and were at the top.
"Haruka, whatever you do, don't scream once we land onto the ground." Sora said and she giggled quietly and nervously.
"I'll try not to." They jumped onto the ground but Haruka stayed at the top; it was so high off the ground. Sora motioned her to jump and she shook her head with fear. He sighed and held up his arms which meant he'll catch her. The red haired girl covered her eyes and jumped.
The Princess had a soft landing and when she opened her green eyes, she was on top of Sora's back.
"I'm so sorry!" She whispered and she got off him. Haruka helped him up and he smiled at her.
"Don't worry about it." He mumbled and they turned to the hooded man who was in front of the Emperor's hall.
"Wait!" Mulan shouted.
The hooded man jumped; he was caught. He turned around and they had their weapons but Haruka didn't summon hers. The red haired girl walked closer to him but Sora had a bad feeling about this.
"Riku…it's really you." Haruka said softly with a smile. Donald and Goofy gasped at this.
"Haru, no!" Sora exclaimed.
He took off his hood and it wasn't Riku. Haruka gasped and her eyes widened; Braig. He was a little wrinkly; now wearing an eye patch and his other eye was yellow…like…Master Xehanort's?!
"No. Never heard of him." He said with a smirk. "Why, hello Hiromi's daughter." She growled at this.
"I have a name you know and it's Haruka! Got it in your head?" She asked whilst tapping the side of her head.
"Well that never gets old." He mumbled.
"Tough live with it." She summoned her Keyblade and aimed it at his face. She had such a determined face, like Harumi's. "Now, let me make your face even worse than it is now and I'll make you completely blind by making you wear another eye patch." Haruka muttered and he laughed.
"As if! I won't let you fight me yet. Now goodbye, my dear Haruka." He said and ran off. She shivered at this; freaky and gross.
"Big ol' coward." She mumbled and decided to fight alongside her friends against the many nobodies. They went outside and saw the massive dragon nobody who roared. Haruka gasped at this and got her weapon out. They jumped onto his back and started fighting him. When it fell, the 5 fell too, but thankfully the Princess summoned her Glider in time to save them.
They went into the Emperor's Hall once they defeated the nobodies and stood in front of him. Mulan explained what they saw at the mountain and the Emperor said that a young man warned him about it. Apparently, Shang was defeated against the man and Haruka snickered at this. But she stopped when the man glared at her.
"Did he say his name was Riku?" Sora asked and Haruka gasped with eyes filled with hope.
"He didn't offer his name. He was rather rude."
"RUDE? Then it was Riku!" Sora exclaimed.
She felt like a thousand emotions were twirling, like autumn leaves winding and whirling round her head in the most beautiful and delightful way. Her grin was wide as her green eyes sparkled.
"Riku!" She shouted. "That was Riku! It was him all that time. He was here! He…he saved my life twice! It was really him; I knew it in my heart all that time. Sora, Riku was here, he was here!" Haruka said excitedly and grinned widely.
"Woah, slow down Haru." He joked and she sighed with delight.
"Riku…" She placed her hand onto her heart and went quiet. She closed her eyes and thought in silence. They stared at her with confusion.
"Is she okay?" Goofy mumbled to Donald.
"I think she's thinking." He replied.
All Haruka saw was Riku. All those memories; the sweet memories, beautiful memories, romantic memories, painful memories and memorable memories. Then realisation hit her like a slap on the face. She opened her eyes and gasped.
"Is everything okay, Princess Haruka?" Shang asked.
"I just realised something." The red haired girl stated.
"What?" Mulan questioned. She smiled sweetly and her tears fell down her pink cheeks.
"I'm still in love with him." She said.
"With who?" Sora tilted his head to the side.
"I'm in love with Riku, I'm still in love with Riku and I'll always be in love with Riku. I don't care about what he's done in the past." She turned to Sora and he was amazed at the amount of immense happiness in her eyes. "Sora, I still love him."
The brown haired boy smiled at this with a tear falling down his cheek; a tear of joy. "I'm really happy for you."
"I knew it! I just knew it!" Raiden said as he entered the hall. Mulan, Shang and the Emperor looked a bit confused; a talking teddy bear? "That's why I always said you still love him. But nooooo, you kept on denying it!" Haruka giggled at this with pink cheeks.
Mulan asked the Emperor for Shang to have a vacation. Unfortunately, the Emperor said no, but he asked Mulan if she wanted to work with Shang, who agreed to. Shang wrapped an arm around Mulan's shoulder and she leaned closer to him.
Haruka smiled at this and imagined Terra and Harumi; they were just like this; but Terra was more…romantic. This brought a tear to her eye which fell down her cheek.
"Haruka, are you okay?" Sora asked and she nodded.
"Yeah, it's just that," Haruka wiped her tear and turned to Shang and Mulan with a smile "you guys remind me of my sister Harumi and Terra. They were in love, just like you two." She said and Mulan giggled.
"Looks like we have to go." Sora said.
"Yeah, we do, but we'll come for the wedding!" Haruka grinned.
"Wedding?" Mulan and Shang asked.
"Oh you two are so silly! Obviously, your wedding!" She said and they both turned ultra-red. Sora, Raiden, Donald and Goofy laughed at this and the Emperor snickered behind his hand which covered his mouth.
"Well…of course…we'll invite you." Shang mumbled and Haruka jumped up and down.
"YAY! THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED! WOOOOOOO!" She punched her fist in the air and jumped with joy. They all sweat dropped at this; Haruka will never ever change.
Aw! Please review and thanks for reading. I won't be doing a full chapter of Agrabah! I'm so sorry. I just want to reach the World That Never Was so badly because a lot of things will happen there. Not just that, but I want to make Harumi's Quest my main focus. So that means, only 5 more worlds to do before the World That Never Was ; Beast's Castle, Port Royal, Pride Lands, Hollow Bastion and finally Atlantica!
~Parisa01
