Another chapter done! I hope that you are enjoying the Story of Kokoro. Please, let the comments keep rolling in!
Aki and Riku put Lufy in another capsule of the Archangels, another was 'under their care'. The two were even, nine gems belonging to each of the fighters. Before Riku could leave, Aki took his hand. "Who was that man?" She asked. Riku just offered a blank stare. "Don't act dumb, that hooded man you were talking too back on the ship."
"Oh..." Riku looked down at their hands, the gems were slightly glowing. "He... he's the one that told me how to start the mission. I still don't know his name, but he has been good to his word."
Aki let go of his hand, allowing him to start walking off. "So then... we're not going to be king and queen? Rule together? As promised?"
Riku stopped walking, turning back at Aki. "We'll still be those people, and we will make the world right again. We're just... using him for now." She still looked at him with discontent. "Trust me, it's nothing to worry about. We have more power, if he tries something then we'll stop him."
Aki shifted her gaze downward to her hands while Riku came back to her, taking her hands into his. "Listen to me... Aki... nothing has changed." She looked up at him, Riku placing his hand on her cheek. "Trust me?" Riku pecked her with a soft kiss, Aki then left him alone in the room. Riku watched as she left, then followed to try and explain it again. Riku hardly knew this man, but he was giving Riku all of the information that they needed. What he just told Aki, that was the most he really knew.
The trip back to Traverse Town was like any other, Momo and Kokoro chatting with Sora listening in and driving. They landed and headed off their seperate ways, Kokoro went off to say hello to some of her friends, but Momo stayed with Sora. "Are you and Kokoro-"
"Don't ask." He started off to wander as well.
Momo kept to his heels, "You know, you two can still-"
"Just stop it." Sora stopped walking, his hands in fists. "Please... just... stop." He looked at Momo, then went off to restock and get ready for another mission. Momo watched as he left. It truly was over physically, but the two still had feelings for each other. The temperature had risen back to normal in Traverse Town, something not normal for January. Momo felt it, then glanced to the side. She shook the image out of her head, she thought that a little girl was standing there, staring right at her.
She headed off to find Daniel. "I need some R and R... thinking I'm seeing elements... how bizarre."
Over a week had passed sense Aki met them back on the Merrygo. Almost two weeks really. Aki never heard anything from them, no activity, but her and Riku had been busy. There was another addition to their archives, a man named Kazuma. She looked down at the casket, then back up as Riku walked up with a man walking behind him. It was the hooded figure, the one that she saw before. Riku made sure that Aki didn't attack and stood next to her, both tossing questioning looks at the man. "I thought that you should meet him."
Aki peeked at Riku, then at the man. The hood made it so none of his face could be seen, it was as if she was lost into a black nothiness. Aki's heart sank as she tried to find the identity of the man. "May I see your hands?" He asked with power, but in a weak tone. Something in her listened and she lifted her hands. She now had five gems in each hand, Riku behind her by one. The man then let go of her hands, he barely held them anyway. He seemed like a phantom. "I see... you two are almost complete."
"Yeah. After we get the next one we just get Kokoro and Sora." Aki summed up. She never really thought about it, the Royalty had to loose their heart in order for the Archangel to get the power.
She inquired into this thought, then was interuppted by the hooded man. "You are wondering... how? Are you not?" Aki shifted her eyes up to the man. "You are going to have to give your hearts up, let the gem go into the Archangel. It will destroy both of the hearts, the one of the Royalty and the Archangel. But... you will still be queen and king of Kingdom Hearts."
"How? We'll be dead!" Aki yelled.
The man groaned, then contined. "There is life after death. When you two steal the hearts of the Archangels, not destroy them, you will then take your own. The gems will leave your bodies... and go into the bodies of the Archangels. Once that is complete, the two will become one, the keys will appear. Kingdom Hearts will open, and I will bring you two back from the dead as gods."
Aki turned right to Riku. "You trust him?!" She asked in front of the man, no regrets in her voice and at the presense of the man.
Riku nodded, looking deep into Aki's eyes. "He has made a good record with me, nothing bad has happened sense he helped us. I mean... everything has been and will go according to plan." Aki was hesitant, but quickly gave in. If Riku trusted him so much, maybe she could trust him too. "So then...?"
Aki nodded. "Fine, let's hurry this up." She started out, walking past the hooded man. "You better not break your word."
"I will do all that I can." The man said. Aki closed her eyes, then started out again to the world with the last royalty.
"Where is she?!" Kokoro came running into the Accessory shop. Cid was talking with Sora about some stuff and Momo was looking at the crystal on the counter. "Where is Phoenix?! I haven't seen her in weeks, same as Tsume and Skarwind!"
Sora looked at Momo for an answer but she didn't know either. "Sorry Kokoro." Momo said. Sora and Kokoro were still not on talking terms. Momo was used to answering even if Sora wanted to.
Kokoro slammed a fist into her other hand, then ran out of the store to continue the search. Momo and Sora looked at each other, they both knew where the missing people were. "Momo, we need to tell her-"
"She's in enough trouble." Momo said before he could finish. "This... wouldn't help at all. Phoenix was her sister after all. Sure she went out with a bang... but she still went out. And Skarwind... it would break her heart." Sora turned his head back to the door that Kokoro left out of, thinking of what she would think if something did happen to her. Out of nowhere Sora started to feel hot, then turned back to Momo. She seemed like she was about faint. What-" Momo asked.
Sora started to get dizzy as well, it was getting harder to breath. The heat was increasing to unimaginable temperatures. Sora slid down the counter, his hands pressing against the side. "What... what's happening?" Sora gasped out. Cid was already out cold, rather hot, while Momo fell to her side. Sora looked over at her, then also fell to his side. He looked at his hands, why did he feel so hot? "Wha... what's... hap...hape..." He never finished asking, Sora closed his eyes to the sleep that seemed to conqure him.
Kokoro ran to Third District and back to first, no one was anywhere. She got back to First District, but found out that everyone was out, passed out. Kokoro started to run to the first person she could see, but was around the corner came Aki. She stepped in the way and stopped Kokoro in her tracks. "Did you do this?" Kokoro tried to form her Keyblades Yin and Yang, they never showed up. "I really need to start getting something else... they never seem to come anymore..."
"Kokoro, I'm not here to fight this time." Aki drew her sword, then tossed it to the side. Kokoro lowered her guard, it wasn't normal for Aki to just give up her weapon like that. "I... need your help."
Kokoro thought she didn't hear that right, so she shook her head, snapped her fingers by her ears, then stared at Aki in deep consideration. "Try that again?"
"It's Riku." Aki started. She nodded her head towards the alley where Sora landed when he first came. "Something is wrong with him... he just... passed out. Just like that."
"Passed out?" Kokoro walked up to Aki, then went to the alley. Aki followed like a shadow and Kokoro found the boy, breathing hard and leaning against a box. She went up to him and felt him, Riku seemed fine to her. He was in a cold sweat and seemed to be overheated, but none of his body felt warm. "The others in town are like this... wait!" Kokoro ran to the Accessory Shop, Aki helped Riku up and followed. Kokoro got inside and opened the door with much force, finding Sora and Momo on the floor. "What the hell is going on?" She ran up to the first person close to her, Sora, and checked on him. He was the same as Riku. She got up to go to Momo but Sora started to moan. Kokoro knelt next to him again, he didn't have a fever or even feel a little hotter. "What happened?"
"We just... felt... so hot..." Sora panted. He was also in a cold sweat, making Kokoro worry. She looked at Momo, then back at him. "It... it's... so hot..."
She peeked at Aki walking into the place, her barely holding up Riku. Kokoro let Sora lay down and checked on Momo. The girl had the same symptoms as all of the others she had checked. "So then, you know what is happening?" Aki questioned.
"I think so..." Kokoro helped Momo up, getting her to a couch to lay down. Aki put Riku on the other couch while Kokoro helped Sora to the table, the last remaining bed in the room. She then turned to Aki. "It has to be an element. Feeling hot? Can't summon the Keyblades? Only you and I are not effected?" She counted the reason on her fingers. "It has to be an element, but why is it attacking normal people..."
"Not normal huh?" Aki tried to joke. Kokoro just gave a cold stair. "Well then, none of us can do anything without helping each other."
Kokoro nodded, thinking it over with her arms crossed. "True true... so then!" She held out her hand in a truce. "Let's work together, to get everyone better again!" Aki took her hand in return, they were to work together once more and use their powers to save many people.
I know, again... not the best of chapters. But, it's better than nothing no? I'm doing really good in updates huh? XP
alright, more to come when I get time. Please keep tuned in to Kokoro!
-Kokoro
