Epilogue
The sun was low in the sky that late afternoon, the day pleasantly crisp and cloudless as I walked along the beach beside Mari and Kairi. Palm trees swayed languidly overhead, the tree-topped caves and wooden houses cast in shadow in the fading light.
It had been about a week since our return. At first, I had been anxious, finally sitting down and explaining to the others what had happened to me. But if Sora and Riku's reactions had been any indicator, I shouldn't have been surprised by their reactions.
They'd accepted me. True, there had been a lot of surprise, shock even . . . but in the end, they'd accepted me, and for that I was grateful beyond words.
'I already told you it doesn't matter!' Kairi had said.
'Yeah, yer still our friend, Hikari!' Goofy had added.
'And you're nothing like those Organization chumps!' Donald had quacked.
'Stop looking so glum, silly!' Mari had caroled cheerfully, 'We're still best friends! Nothing'll change that!'
Truly, I could only wonder why I had been so nervous in the first place.
It was soon after that that Donald, Goofy, and the King had left, eager to return to their own home and sort issues out there, as well as see sorely missed faces. Also, Mari had a fun night of trying to explain (read; make excuses) to her mother about what exactly had happened with the two of us. In fact, everyone did, having to come up with various cover stories to explain our long absences without actually telling the truth. Mine and Mari's was 'looking for Hikari's mom, because she couldn't wait anymore. No success, please don't ground us.'
We didn't get grounded, but we were officially made to do all the chores at the house for a month.
"So, what do you think of the island?"
I glanced at Kairi, who was giving me an expectant look as she waited for my answer.
I smiled at her, "It's pretty. Wonder why I didn't come out to see it sooner, really."
"Because you were always locking yourself up in your room all day like a looooser!" Mari supplied with a grin, leaning against my shoulder and prodding me in the cheek with a finger.
"Unreasonable accusations," I responded flatly.
"Wha-? But I was there though! I watched you!" she shot back, pouting.
"You claim to watch a lot of things, and I wonder half the time of they're true."
She stuck her tongue out, eyes narrowed, "Says the girl who got proven wrong about Santa!"
Kairi laughed, a sound that swelled like the water rolling close to her feet, "Even after everything, you two haven't changed."
We exchanged a glance, then smiled.
"Nope!" Mari agreed, turning back to the redhead.
"I'll agree with that statement," I said, nodding. Looking at Kairi, I added, "Thanks for showing me the island, by the way. It was nice."
"No problem! But I was just the guided tour. Sora wants to show you the obstacle course later!"
I raised an eyebrow, "Obstacle course?"
"Yeah, and-oh!"
She looked down, and I followed her gaze to see a small, crystal bottle bouncing against Kairi's heel, carried ashore by the water. Lips pursed and brow furrowed, Kairi reached down and picked it up, a few small beads of water dripping off its surface. Upon closer inspection, I saw with surprise that a note was held within.
"What's that?" Mari asked, leaning over inquisitively.
"I . . ." Kairi trailed off, roving eyes widening as they alighted on something on the rolled vellum within.
"Kairi?" I asked, growing nervous.
"Look," she whispered, holding the bottle out to us. Curious, we both leaned closer and peered inside.
The rolled up paper bore a beige tint, the portion facing us mottled with shadows cast by the droplets still specked over the bottle's surface. All the same, the small, black emblem of a mouse's head was very easy to pick apart.
"The King?!" the two of us shouted in unison.
Kairi nodded, then turned sharply on her heel, "C'mon, we have to show this to Sora and Riku!"
"Right behind ya , sistah!" Mari yelled, sprinting over the sands.
I was right behind her, and the three of us were soon pelting across the tiny island in a flurry of feet and kicked up sand. Kairi, who was in the lead, took us through a small, old wooden door that led to the interior of a tiny, dilapidated shack. Without pause, she cleared the small stairs leading to the other one and flung it open, sunlight spilling in to a blinding degree.
I ran on regardless, and when my eyes adjusted, it was to see a small wooden bridge leading to a very small, circular island covered with sand and patchy spots of sparse grass. Several palm tree grew there, but one in particular stood out, for instead of a straight, smooth trunk like the others, this one curved out over the water like a naturally bench. A perfect spot to sit and watch the sunset.
Sora and Riku were both there now, and Kairi wasted no time in calling to them, "Sora! Riku!"
They turned to us with inquisitive looks in their eyes, watching as we came to stop before them, slightly breathless and hair frizzed from the salty wind.
"What's up?" Sora asked, looking from face to face for an answer.
"Look," Kairi held out the bottle, and Sora's eyes grew wide when he, too, saw the emblem printed on the side.
"From the King?!" he took the bottle from Kairi's hand and pulled out the cork, tipping the letter into his hand and unfurling it in haste.
We all gathered around as well, eyes roving over the page, and my heart began to thud at the words I read.
The letter was a summons.
In other words . . . a new adventure was beckoning us out.
With a glance at Mari, who was smiling in barely retained excitement, I quipped, "Guess you'll have to think of another excuse for your mom, huh?"
Instantly, the smile was gone and replaced with a look of horror, "Oh NO!"
Everyone laughed, the energized haze in the air becoming a glow that shimmered and sparkled, and I could honestly say I was looking forward for what was to come.
{******}
~Secret Ending: Unlocked~
The room was quiet save for the sound of softly rustling papers as they were perused and set aside in methodical order, a sound lulling in its constancy. It was dark, the light failing as the night breached closer with tendrils of shadow, casting the room heavily in darkness. The only occupant paid it no mind, remaining intensely focused on his task as he set aside another set of papers and plucked a new one from its stack. Slivers of white streaked his dark hair, brown eyes lined with tired winkles as his eyes flicked from page to page, mind laying out his plans as he devoured the information presented.
He looked up when the door clicked open, another figure striding into the room. Another man, tall and thin with a spine stiff with rigid formality, stood before the desk. A clipboard was tucked in the crook of his bent elbow, the other placed smartly behind his back, blue-grey eyes staring composedly at the other over the lenses of his glasses.
The man behind the desk straightened, "Yes, Doctor?"
"I've come with the recent data you requested. Also, to inform you that extraction is going smoothly. Soon we'll have all the subjects we need," the bespectacled man responded with voice like scraping ice, cold and formal.
The other nodded, "Good, good. At least that's one decent thing to come about recently."
"About that . . ." the Doctor said, "I take it you were the one who pulled Eri off the mission. The boy was looking very . . . malcontent when I saw him last."
"Yes, I did," the man responded crisply, voice underscored with a growl, "He was growing too close to Hikari, as I feared he would. Almost brought the entire plan to an early heel before we retrieved him. Even then, it seems to have done no good. She knows the truth."
"And is that such a bad thing, Sir? After all, the girl was going to find out sooner or later," the Doctor pointed out.
"But not before she completed her purpose," the other stated coldly, voice hard.
The Doctor shrugged, "I think it hardly matters. But, now that this circumstance has come about, what do you plan to do?" the bespectacled man gave a stiff bow of his head, "If it is alright to inquire, of course."
The other man sat back, dropping the papers against his desk with a frown of disgust, "After everything that happened at the World the Never Was, we are left with only one choice now."
"Oh?"
The man gave the Doctor an even, almost calculative stare. Then, he rose from his seat and strode to the open window, staring out over the pastoral garden below, "We can no longer hide in the shadows. The efforts made to stem the rising darkness by those chosen by the Keyblade has been admirable, but inefficient. Sometimes, even worse than inefficient!"
With a growl, the man slammed a fist against the ledge, the latticed window frame shaking under the blow. The Doctor remained silent at the outburst, merely watching and waiting for his temper to cool.
It did, for the man sighed and let his hand slip back to his side. However, his voice was steely, hardened with resolve, "This system of theirs has so far failed. They try and stem the darkness, and it only grows worse. You need only to look at their past endeavors to see the evidence."
"So what is your solution?" The Doctor asked.
"Regulation. An Order to end this charade of heroism and apply that power where it may actually accumulate some results," he responded swiftly, decisively, without a hint of hesitation. The answer of a man who had been debating such an action for many days now and saw it as the only course to take.
"Ha-ha-ha," The Doctor let out a short laugh, chipped ice cracking over snow, "You know as well as I do that they will not simply submit to this Order should you offer them this choice."
"Choice? My dear Doctor . . . I never said anything about a 'choice'."
The Doctor's eyes narrowed, "I see. Very well, I shall begin planning accordingly."
The man nodded, "We all will begin planning accordingly, mark my words."
The Doctor nodded and turned on his heel, making for the door with intent of doing just that. However, as his hand pressed over the handle, he paused and glanced behind him, glasses glinting, "If I may pose a more personal question . . . do you believe your daughter will be ready for the task at hand?"
The man's hands curled into fists, but his voice remained even, undisturbed, "For the sake of the worlds . . . she has to be."
On the other side of the door, a black-haired boy slunk back down the corridor before he could be caught, mind whirling with all he'd just heard.
This is bad . . . he thought, teeth worrying at his bottom lip. A wind was beginning to blow, one that would stir the leaves of fate and whip all who stood in the way into a frenzy of chaos, until it blew down everything and left only an aftermath of devastation.
He knew his orders. He knew his place. He even knew the ideal, the driving force behind the motivation for those he worked for. An ideal he agreed with. And yet . . .
He also knew he could not sit idly by, following orders, when a storm threatened to take away what he cared for.
With that thought in mind, he set out with a new purpose.
Eri would be ready.
