All the Roads We Have to Walk: Chapter Fifty-One

There was a knock at the door. He looked at his mother nervously. She met his gaze with a firm look. "Answer it and tell her why you can't go."

Leaving his toys behind he got up and went to the door meekly, doing his best to stay completely quiet. Reaching up on tiptoes he pulled the handle down and opened the door.

"Good morning Sora! Me and Riku are gonna go over to the island and draw in the cave! You wanna come?"

He looked down at his shuffling feet. "I'm not allowed."

Kairi blinked and then whispered, "Did you do something bad?"

"Very bad."

"What did you do?" she asked, still whispering.

He turned away, moving to close the door. "I don't want to tell you."

"Sora…"

"I'm not allowed come out and play for a while because I was very bad. I'm sorry. I'll see you later."

When the door closed it was as though it barred the sun as well as separating them. For a heart-stopping moment Kairi felt as though she'd never see him again.

She ran away in tears, not knowing why she reacted so badly.

Kairi awoke with a horrible noise echoing in her mind. Her heart was pounding and her breath came in uneven sobs. Her red hair fell free of its tie and covered her face. Tears filled her eyes. The horror she felt was a mixture of her own and someone else's.

"Sora…what happened?"

There was a soft knock on her bedroom door. Gathering herself and trying to make her appearance a little less shocking, Kairi called for her guest to enter. Donald and Goofy came in, both looking worried.

"Are you okay Kairi?" Goofy asked. "We heard you when we were walking by."

"We were taking our watch," Donald filled in.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Goofy asked.

Donald lit a few candles with a low level Fire spell. "You can tell us. Don't worry." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Now, what's troubling you?"

Kairi rubbed her eyes with the hanky and wiped away some of the sweat. "It wasn't really a dream. It was a memory of this time when Sora, Riku and I were little and Sora wasn't allowed come out to play because he'd done something wrong."

"What did he do?" Donald asked curiously. As cheerful and energetic as Sora was the wizard couldn't imagine him misbehaving any more than a normal child.

"It was just after his Dad died. Sora didn't understand and he thought his Dad had run away and wasn't coming back. So he tore up all his Dad's clothes and smashed the things his Dad had bought his Mom. He thought he was helping because he didn't want his Mom to miss her husband anymore. But she didn't take it that way."

"I guess she was pretty mad," Goofy said, his voice quiet and sad.

"Yeah she was. And Sora… he was so unhappy after that for the longest time. Even when his Mom forgave him and let him come out to play again he was so withdrawn."

"When good people make mistakes it hurts them more than people who always do bad things," Donald said.

"Definitely."

"But that don't explain why you sounded so upset Kairi," Goofy pointed out.

She rubbed a hand over her chest. "There was just a feeling of pain – not physical but emotional. It was like nothing I've ever known before in my life." She steadily met her friends' gazes. "Donald, Goofy, I think it was Sora."

In the dark of the night, the three spent countless hours trying to reassure each other their missing companion was fine.

They didn't do very well.

He was curled up on the stone floor. Aside from him there was nothing, not even a bed. His eyes were open but not really seeing the blank room in front of him. His mind had finally released him from the nightmares but reality had little joy to give him. He was warm but only because someone else had had the presence of mind to place a blanket over him. That someone had also placed a heavy chain around his ankle, keeping him locked to the wall. Maybe they were afraid of him now. Maybe he was afraid of himself.

It had all gone so wrong. There was nothing to be done. He'd destroyed a whole world and now the people who should've trusted him the most had him locked in a cell.

That's what happens when you do the one thing you swore you'd never do.

They thought he was dangerous.

You are.

Why hadn't there been another way?

The other way was death.

What could he do now?

Face the truth.

"This is wrong. This is all so wrong."

"I know Zidane and I'm sorry but for all we know he could be a threat to us."

"A threat? A threat? How can you say that? This is Sora we're talking about. Sora who lets a little girl tie his hair in bunches and run him ragged around a ship. What happened before was just an accident."

"Zidane…"

"Don't even start Tifa."

"I don't want to be doing this either but Atlantica is gone because he did something only he can do."

"You've trusted in people who've endangered worlds before Tifa, Barret told me. Why is he any different?"

She refused to meet his eyes. "I don't know."

"You're a poor liar."

"I don't like this either Zidane." Tifa met his dark gaze, their eyes burning into one another's. "I hate what we're doing. But this is too strange and we already know there's someone very dangerous out there who's controlled him before. What if that person is here now, trying to trick us? We could only create more tragedies."

Red looked up at the pair before settling his gaze on Zidane. "We'll sort it all out but the fact remains that Atlantica has completely gone and until we know how and why Sora isn't leaving this room."

Zidane turned away from both of them. "I won't let you treat him like a traitor."

He walked out, thoroughly disgusted. In the corridor outside a perfectly calm Yuna stood waiting. All her excess energies had been used on Curaga spells to heal the wounded from Atlantica. The two ships that had left that world behind landed at the Coliseum days ago, the hot world the new safe house for all of Hollow Bastion and Atlantica's former residents. Yuna hurried after Zidane, following him down the passage and out of the Coliseum's makeshift cellblock.

"What happened?" the girl called out, her little legs unable to match Zidane's rapid pace. "Are they going to let Sora out now?"

Zidane slowed down but refused to stop. "No they aren't. They're just gonna leave him in there. He needs a friend to talk to, not have us standing in there demanding explanations. Something bad happened and we'll never understand why if we don't take a step back and wait for Sora to come to terms with what he did."

"Zidane?"

Yuna's tearful tone finally brought the blond to a standstill. He turned back to face her and found her sobbing. He quickly turned back and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry Yuna. I didn't mean to be so angry."

"Did Sora really…did he really destroy Atlantica?"

"Yeah, he did." Zidane's voice was grim. "But don't you ever believe he did it on purpose. He'd never do something like that."

"I know. So why can't I see him?"

"Because I'm not entirely sure if he's really there right now."

The pair went outside, grateful to return to the fresher air. They found Barret with Terra and Marlene doling out various supplies such as tents and camp cookers to the people lined up in front of them. Yuna and Marlene quickly headed off together and sat in the shade of the Coliseum's ruins playing Tetra Master. Barret and Terra replaced themselves with another pair of volunteers and walked with Zidane to a quieter area.

"Well?" Barret asked. "Has he said anything?"

"Nothing," Zidane replied glumly. "He's in shock. Shera's been with him on and off but she can't seem to bring him out of it. At the very least he's awake now. Then again he hasn't slept in over twenty-four hours so I dunno what was better."

"Damn," Barret punched a sandy pillar with his real hand. "We're stumped until he comes out of it."

"I still can't believe it," Terra said quietly. "First he told us Reina was there and then all of a sudden he's destroying the world."

"He didn't do that on purpose!" Zidane almost yelled, getting the attention of all those in earshot. "Look," he continued in a quieter tone, "I don't know what happened but I thought Sora was going to die when that wave knocked him under."

"Are you saying maybe he did what he did in order to save himself?" Terra interpreted.

"Have you got a better explanation?"

"Well no but that's hardly feasible."

"Until Sora tells me 'Yeah Zidane, I destroyed Atlantica 'cause I'm the most evil person you ever knew in disguise' I'll never believe anything other than it was an honest mistake."

"It's jes' a shame Sora's mistakes destroy worlds," Barret commented.

Zidane left alone. He needed a hot drink to ponder over. He had to help his friend. Mug of coffee in hand he sat at a table in the canteen area and mulled things over, occasionally sipping his drink. He was so engrossed in his thoughts he hardly noticed Tifa coming to sit with him.

"I know you're worried. We all are, including Red. He just doesn't want anyone to get hurt – Sora included. You saw what he did Zidane. We have to deal with that first before anything else." She reached out and placed her hand on top of his. "Do you want to come with me? I'm going to talk with Sora. I think he'd appreciate us trying to help him."

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll appreciate being locked up someday too." Zidane drained the rest of his drink. "I'll come. But Tifa," Zidane clenched Tifa's hand tightly, his eyes beseeching hers. "Please can we at least untie him? Please?"

She nodded. "Red wants to as well. He knows we made a bad decision. I should've put up more of a fight but we were just…"

"Worried. It's okay. I can understand it but I'll never agree to it."

The pair returned inside. Red had gone elsewhere but Galuf, crutches and all, was seated outside Sora's cell. His expression was closer to a grimace than a smile when he greeted the pair. "He hasn't moved or spoken. He just lies there and blinks every now and there. That's something to be thankful for I suppose. Are you going in? Ah, it seems Zidane's already picked the lock."

"I am a thief you know," Zidane retorted from inside the room.

Rolling her eyes, Tifa left Galuf outside and followed Zidane into the room. For a moment Sora didn't react. Then, ever so slowly, he raised his dull blue eyes to look at them both. It wasn't much but it was the first movement he'd made in quite some time.

Tifa crouched down. "Sora, are you all right?"

Nothing.

"That's a stupid question Tifa."

Tifa ignored him. "Give me a hand. Let's sit him up."

Together they pulled Sora up. Zidane tried a different tactic. "You know Sora this'd be a lot easier if you helped. Come on, move a leg."

There came the sound of metal chains brushing over concrete. Sora, face completely blank, moved his left leg back and forth. The chain tugged the bolt that fastened it to the wall.

"Oh you're funny all right," Zidane muttered. He and Tifa left Sora's chained leg bent to one side. "A real comedian. If I could I'd let you out I would but some smart ar…"

"Language."

"…Smart person thought magically chaining you to the wall was a nice idea." Zidane sat cross-legged on the floor. "Sorry. Magic isn't really my thing. I can't get it off."

Tifa sat down as well, reaching out and lifting Sora's chin. Their eyes met, whether Sora wanted to look at her or not. "It's going to be all right. I know what you did was wrong and I know that you're afraid and ashamed of what you did. But no matter what mistake you made there's a way to make up for it." In the back of her mind a little voice niggled away, telling her there was absolutely no way to repay the debt of destroying an entire world. "I don't know half of what goes on in there," she tapped his head. "But if I can I'll help you. We all will." She shifted her hand to his cheek. "You know that, right? I don't hate you. No one hates you. We just want to help." Tifa drew him into an embrace. "No one hates you."

It was as though those words were a hammer that finally thumped a tiny but very significant crack in the wall Sora had barricaded himself behind. Gradually his arms lifted up and as he embraced Tifa, he leaned a little more into her arms.

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I didn't understand it."

"That's okay."

He didn't say any more. Tifa pulled back. This time Sora looked at her. His face was still blank and his eyes were still haunted but at least he acknowledged her. "You stay here with Zidane. I've got some things to see to. I'll bring you back something to eat as well. You must be starving."

Tifa left, closing the door behind her.

Sora's eyes shifted to Zidane who was grinning broadly. "What do you say I find an axe and break you out?"

"All right." The words were blank, empty of any feeling.

"Won't be long!" Zidane breezed out the room.

Sora's eyes fell upon the open door. Outside. Outside there were people. Outside there were people who would look at him. There were people who would look and whisper and point and be afraid. Maybe he shouldn't leave. Maybe going outside was a bad idea. What if something happened?

One world out of many isn't so bad. I would've destroyed it myself later. Who wants to live in an ocean?

He didn't mean to do it.

But you did it. How will anyone ever trust you again if you don't face up to it?

"…I don't know…"

There was only one thing to hold on to. His hand slipped into his pocket and tightened around Oathkeeper.

They didn't hate him.

Morning dawned and found Kairi in the library with the others. The redheaded girl was still greatly troubled by the upheaval of the night but the day was promising to be bright so she resolved to be cheery along with the sun. Kairi couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Yuffie. The self-proclaimed "Great Ninja" looked as though she had been dragged out of bed. Yuffie's eyes were barely open and her hair was all over the place. She held a steaming mug of tea so lightly Kairi feared she'd drop it altogether.

"I've made a breakthrough!" Merlin announced and with a dramatic wave of his hands gestured to a pile of very old books. "Now normally in order to pass from one…let's call them universes…so yes, in order to pass from one universe to another one must go through a Keyhole. Ah but there's more – one more often than not must be summoned there. In Sora's case it's most likely the Keyblade took him where it needed him to go."

"But we can't go through a Keyhole without unsealing one and doing that would unleash the Heartless," Leon pointed out coolly.

"Exactly and I do believe that is a problem I may have found a solution to." Merlin tapped the books. "You see these are very old, very powerful books with spells even I haven't heard of. There are many spells within them that talk of passing between universes and I'm rather confident they would work – especially on worlds where these strange new Heartless have appeared."

"What are we waiting for?" Donald demanded. "Let's get going."

"There is one drawback."

There was a collective 'we should've known' sigh among the group.

"Yes, yes dreadfully sorry but there always is when one is dealing with magics as dark and ancient as these."

"Kinda makes y'wonder why the King had the books lurking in the library huh?" Goofy commented.

"One would hope it's for the safety of others. After all the King certainly knows the danger of such power and undoubtedly desires for such things to never fall into the wrong hands."

"You haven't told us the drawback," Cloud stated calmly.

"Oh, so sorry! Yes of course. These magics are very, very dark and more significantly too powerful to control myself. I would need at least three powerful magic users to aid me."

"Aerith and I can help," Donald said and Aerith gave an agreeable nod. "But I dunno who the third could be."

"How about me?"

For a moment everyone was completely still and silent. Kairi moved first. She was the only one who did. She ran at him and threw her arms around him, standing on tiptoes so she could reach. All his wrong doings meant nothing to her. He was all right and he was standing in front of her, laughing and hugging her back.

"Riku!"

He lifted her off the ground so she didn't have to stretch. "Kairi I'm so glad you're okay."

"What happened? Where have you been? Are you sure you're all right?" He let her down. Kairi stepped back and looked at him a little more curiously, noticing his black trench coat. "Why are you dressed like that? How did you get here?"

"Kairi," his voice was deeper than before, calmer and stronger too. "It's a long story and we don't have a lot of time. You've got to go and find Sora soon. Something bad has happened here and there's only one reason."

Kairi's joy fractured. "What's happened?"

Riku looked at her before addressing the whole group. "Atlantica has been frozen. It's like a huge ball of ice just hanging in space. There's no way to get onto the world. It means whatever's happened in the In-Between Universe has had an effect here because the barrier between universes is breaking down. That's why those new Heartless are here."

"How do you know all this?" Donald demanded.

"The King told me." Riku took a deep breath. "A lot's happened since we were in Kingdom Hearts. It's hard to explain and I'm sorry I can't go into it. We need to find Sora." He looked to Merlin. "I can help you open the gate between this universe and the one In-Between. Sora has to be there. It's the only explanation for what's been happening here. Someone in that universe is trying to take over."

"But how do we get back?" Kairi asked.

"Easy," Riku replied. "Once Sora settles whatever issue took him out of this universe and into the other everything will sort itself out and return people to where they belong. That universe will cease to exist and separate into light and dark."

"Who's gonna go?" Yuffie asked.

The doors to the library slammed open and a panicked guard came running in. "Heartless!" He gasped, trying to speak and catch his breath all in one rush. "The Heartless are attacking! There are hundreds!"

"Hasn't this world been sealed?" Riku asked in disbelief.

"No. The King must've left before he had the chance and Sora never came here," Donald answered.

Goofy, Cloud, Leon and Cid ran after the guard. "We'll get a better idea and come back," Leon said, looking grim as he unsheathed the Gunblade. "The rest of you should decide who's going to the other universe."

It was only a matter of minutes before Cloud returned, his expression even more grave than Leon's had been. "There's an army out there," he said. "We're gonna have a hard time holding them off."

"I'm going to the In-Between Universe," Kairi said, her tone so determined no one argued.

"I'm going with you," Cloud said. "Yuffie, you go help the others. It won't be long before the Heartless storm the castle."

"What kind of Heartless are they?" Donald asked.

"The good old kind," Cloud said with wry grin just as Yuffie ran out the library with Conformer in her hand. "Everything you can think of is out there."

The knowledge didn't sit well with anyone. The Heartless should've been gone, locked away in the depths of Kingdom Hearts. If they had returned someone must have purposefully released them. Either that or another world leader had taken the same path as Ansem and invited his or her own destruction.

"The spell shouldn't be too draining seeing as we're sharing the burden," Merlin said as he passed the book to Aerith so she could memorise the incantations. "And a good cup of tea will bolster our strength as well!"

"How long until we're ready to go?" Kairi asked.

"It'll be a few hours yet," Donald said with an apologetic tone. "We all need to learn the spell before we attempt it."

"All right." Kairi unhooked the hammer. "Cloud and I can go help the others and when you're ready you can come and get us. We'll hold the Heartless off. They won't make it in here."

"Since when did you fight?" Riku's eyes went wide at the sight of Kairi's weapon. "And I would've expected a sword or…even a skipping rope."

She swatted him. "Don't worry, I know how to use it."

"Don't go too far from the castle grounds," Aerith advised. "We'll need to cast the spell quickly so finding you as soon as possible will be very important."

Kairi looked at Riku, her expression gentle but serious. "When I come back with Sora you promise you'll tell us everything?"

"No more secrets Kairi, I promise."

She hugged him one last time. "This time I'll bring Sora home."

Riku nodded. "I believe in you."

With that Cloud and Kairi ran off to battle the Heartless, leaving Merlin in charge of Donald, Aerith and Riku. The process of learning powerful spells normally took months if not years but they would be doing it in a matter of hours. Merlin, Donald and Aerith all seemed quite confident but Riku was hiding his nerves as best he could. Dealing with dark magic had left him scarred and forever changed. It was a part of his life he'd spent a long time working to put behind him. Riku just kept telling himself this time he was using darker magic for all the right reasons. He owed Sora that at least. But there was more to it than that. Riku owed himself.