I think it's safe to talk about KH 3. And... oh boy... I am... not okay. My heart shattered. Tears happened. It immediately went from internally cheering to just straight horror for what was the final fate of Sora. That is until I had miraculously achieved the secret ending on my first run. XD Anyway, I fixed the previous chapter! And Akari's new memory form... this chapter, I'll definitely have her use one of the three introduced forms.
XIV ~ Fantastical Hearts
Dive to the Hearts...
My body felt light. Although I couldn't open my eyes, I didn't feel like there was a need to wake up. Those memories I saw were just too much.
"So much for being ready," a girl spoke in a huff, sounding a bit disappointed. "This is the second time you've experienced the painful memories, and you're already refusing to wake up."
"But... it hurts..."
"I know..." I could hear the empathy in her voice. "But you can't stop now! The worlds already went on a year without you. Especially him... So please, just stay up a bit longer. Once you've regained your memories, you can sleep all you want!"
That's what I want. To rest. But she's right. I don't want to keep everyone waiting. Despite how much I want to stop, I can't just yet. Not when I have so many waiting for me! I try to open my eyes again, this time with much more force. However, this time it felt like I couldn't, it's like my eyelids suddenly became lead. It felt like something was trying to keep me from waking up, but what? As I was struggling to force my eyes open, something warm touched my arm, making me stop.
"They're going to be alright..." That same warmth began to wrap itself around my body. "YOU'RE going to be alright."
Olympus Coliseum...
Voices were echoing all around me. Each time my eyelids partially parted, I would either see a person hovering over me or the sight of a monster as it's attacked by three fast-moving figures.
"You guys get out of here! Find a safe place for cover!" I heard a familiar voice shout. By the time I had open my eyes, I saw a long tail swerve above my face. Then Donald as he shouts for help as he dangles from the mouth of a monster. I blink as I tried to comprehend what I just saw. Suddenly, an unfamiliar face blocks my view of the blue sky and stares down at me with his bright blue-green eyes. I could barely make out his face, mostly because I just woke up and had the sun blaring down on my face.
"Who... are you?" I mutter once my vision adjusts to the light. He seemed relieved to see that I was awake. I reach up to touch his face, but he grabs my hand, stopping me from making contact. There was a flicker of pain in his eyes but he shakes it off, staring down at me sternly. It was almost scary with the way he was looking at me.
"Think you can fight?" the boy asks to change the subject. Letting my hand go so I could move, I groggily sit up.
"Yeah... Yeah... I think I can," I mumble while rubbing a sore spot on the back of my neck.
"Good." He abruptly stands up. "Sora needs your help. Only together will you both gain the strength you need."
Before I could ask who he was and what he meant, Phil comes flying at me from behind, painfully crashing against my back. Because I sat with my legs open, the upper half of my body ended up painfully leaning far too close to the ground. I let out a small whimper as I held back a scream. I don't know if Phil was knocked out or he's still dizzy after suddenly being sent flying in my direction, but he wasn't getting off, and his weight was starting to make my spine turn into a rubber band. Stretching like this isn't normal! Having enough, I firmly plant both hands on the ground and force myself up.
It took a lot not to spew out a single curse word I learned from the other portion of my recovered memories. But eventually, I was able to push Donald off and get in a much more comfortable position. "Say, I never got your-" I look up, hoping to see the boy again only to find he had disappeared. "Name..." I trail off as I look around, searching for at least some sign that he wasn't part of my imagination. My eyes quickly spotted a small charm on the exact spot I saw the boy. It looks exactly like the summoning charm I have of Sora.
'Could he be someone I know?' I wonder as I reach over and pick it up. Before I could get a proper look at it, another person is thrown by the monster, this time they went past me. I briefly shut my eyes and reflexively wince at the loud thud. Cracking on eye open, I let out a sharp gasp when I see who it was. "SORA!?" He was thrown at one of the coliseum banners, landed on the floor on his head and had his legs above his face. The banner didn't fall on him, but it was partially torn. Hearing a booming roar from behind my back, I grab Phil by the leg and hurriedly run-up to Sora.
Without thinking, I drop the half-goat once we were safely away from whatever it is that's behind me and went to check on my other friend. I'm going to have to apologize to Phil later if he wakes up to find himself aching all over, but at least he's safe.
"Sora! Are you okay?" I ask, my eyes scanning his body for any injuries. I let out a breath when I saw there wasn't.
"I'm fine... AKARI! Watch out!" Sora yells before he grabs my shoulders.
I didn't have time to register what was going on. Sora throws himself to me and tackles me to the ground. Acting as a human shield, Sora holds me close. We heard a loud sound from above us. Sora partially rolls off me so we could both see a Pegasus bashing his body against one of the monster's heads. Sora pries himself off me then extends a helping hand. I quickly accept it and felt my weight shift as he pulls me up to my feet.
"You okay?" he asks.
"I'm fine. I didn't miss anything, did I?"
Donald continues to scream as he is still dangling on one of the monster's teeth. We both look at each then got into our fighting stances, summoning our keyblades at the same time.
"Fill me in on everything later?"
"With pleasure m'lady!"
I couldn't help but laugh at the way he addressed me. We ran straight towards the monster side my side. He jumps for a moment as one of the head flies straight towards him, slashing at the neck as he does so. I turn my head back to find another head coming towards me this time. I lean back and slid across the floor. I take this chance to behead the creature, only to receive an unnecessary amount of green slime all over my body.
"Gross! What is this stuff!?" I exclaim as I got up to shake the stuff off my arms. After I get some off, I look up to see Sora helping out Goofy.
"LET GO OF ME NOW!" Donald yells, his entire head completely red as he swings his arms around.
"Hold on Donald! I'll get you down!"
I point my keyblade at him. Closing one eye, I began to aim by adjusting my arm to point at the small part of his shirt that was stuck on the - one of many - uncomfortably long tooth. Once I saw an opening, I drew my arm back flung Starlight towards Donald as hard I could. Seeing the spinning keyblade flying towards him, Donald goes from struggling for freedom to screaming and clinging to the tooth of the monster in fear.
I cross my fingers and repeatedly chant, "Please don't hit Donald... Please don't hit Donald..."
And to my relief, it didn't. However, now that he was cut free, there comes the other issue which I didn't think about until now. Who's going to catch him? He looks down then at me before falling to the ground.
"Donald!" I shout. As if on cue, the Pegasus from earlier flies past me and catches Donald before the monster had the chance to turn him into a pancake. I let out a relieved breath before shouting, "Sorry Donald!"
"It's fine... Just don't do that again!"
Just as I was about to say something, two of the monster's heads sprout from the ground in front of me, gnashing its teeth as it rose and hovers over my smaller form. As if it knew I was in danger, my keyblade disappears from its previous spot and reappears in my left hand. The monster roars and both heads dove in an attempt to snatch me up in one of their mouths. As if I'd be dumb enough to let either head have a taste of me! I roll to the side as one head moves past me then I swipe at the other as it opens its mouth in an attempt to devour me entirely. I was somehow to hit its jaw just in time, sending its head away from me and bumping into one of the other heads.
What's hilarious about it is that because it didn't close its mouth, it accidentally bit the other head. I could hear Goofy laugh from behind only to be replaced with a short 'watch out!' before I was sent flying upward and miraculously landed on top of its back. When I felt it move beneath me, I push myself up to see one head being cut off. It was disgusting to see the same green slime from early spew out for a brief moment. Then something happened, which sort of explained why this thing has so many heads. After one head was cut off and disappeared in a burst of green flames, two more sprouts in its place.
"Ew, that's disgusting!" I shout in disgust, which I should have kept to myself. Hearing me on its back, all heads towards me. I slowly step back as they began to loom over me with hungry eyes, some heads licking their lips with its long pointed tongue. Without even waiting for any of them to react, I twirl around and frantically ran for my life. The muscles in my legs were starting to strain, but the adrenaline kept pumping through them, allowing them to continue running and sometimes jumping forward when one head attempts to snap at me. There was a whistle in the distance, but I didn't exactly have the time to figure out who it was coming from.
When I reached its tail - which is disturbingly split into two at a certain point - I bit my lip, turn around and ready to defend myself. Just as two of the monster's heads were about to reach me, something swoops in-between us, grabs me by my waist and then pulls me away as I am suddenly lifted into the air. I scream and clung onto whoever it was that rescued me.
"Woah! Calm down Akari, it's just me!" As relieved as I am to know it was Sora, that doesn't exactly help where we are!
I was about to open my eyes and respond only for the heads to appear around us. Sora pulls me up - who I now recognize is Pegasus - to help my climb onto the flying steeds back. Once I was properly seated behind him, I immediately clung onto Sora's back as Pegasus boosts his speed without warning. I spot the others down below. Meg was trying her best to escort Herc to a safer spot while Phil was on top of a pile of rubble and was... shouting at us?
"GET ON THE HYDRA'S BACK!"
"THEY ALREADY DID!" Donald angrily shouts.
I don't know why, but I found Phil's help extremely annoying. Phil was probably trying to give us some tips, though he could give out other pointers instead of that one line. I think everyone else found his advice more irritating than helpful. And since Donald was quick to react, he must have been shouting that for a while. Sora suddenly places a hand over mine, gaining my full attention.
Without looking at me, he asks, "You think you can help me cut off all the heads?"
I was appalled to be asked such a thing. It's not that I'm against defeating an enemy, but this is the first to be asked to help in ending something's life. And I'm not counting heartless since they're basically containers of stolen hearts. Noticing my silence, he looks over my shoulder, silently asking me what my response is. As we continued to fly around, I took this chance to look at the coliseum. Many parts of it were demolished, and it seemed like this was the end of this small portion of the world. But then a deep part of my memories resurfaced, words that I said when some thought all hope was lost.
"Hope isn't something that can be served on a silver platter..." I slowly recite, recognition crossing Sora's face as I continued. "You need to work hard to achieve it so that you can spark the light inside the hearts of others."
I look down at my keyblade and stared down at the metal as my reflection stares back at me. Now more determined than ever, I tightly grip the handle and look back up. With a firm nod, Sora nods back in acknowledgment and gently kicks Pegasus' sides, signaling that we were ready. I was holding onto him when Sora's clothes were suddenly engulfed in a red light. Shutting my eyes, I refrained to use one to shield them as to make sure I don't fall off. When I opened them back up, I was surprised to see the change in color scheme and symbols on some parts of his attire. My jaw hangs for a moment, in awe at his new form.
Before I could question his change in attire, Pegasus maneuvers around, spinning while avoiding several of the Hydra's heads. Once we were steady, Sora lets go and summons not one, but TWO keyblades. I didn't even know he could do it too! One did seem oddly familiar, but now's not the time to think about it. Summoning one of my newer keyblades - Rainfell - in one hand, I summon Starlight in the other and entered one of my Memory Forms. Because Sora couldn't see properly, he was confused at the sudden light behind his back. When he looks over, he is just as stunned as I was with him at my change in attire.
Rainfell was lighter than Earthshaker and slightly longer, but I'm not sure if I can use the new keyblade so easily. I've been using brute force until now. I look back down at the others, and I could see they were all struggling. Donald and Goofy were barely holding their own against one head. One switching between fire and ice magic, while the other uses his shield to protect and knock back the head, oblivious of the other that was inching closer with its mouth wide open. It's time to test my other forms out for once.
"I'm going on the hydra's back!" I told Sora.
"Wait, what?"
Taking a deep breath through my nostrils, I tilt my body to the side then slid off Pegasus' back. "Akari!" Sora tries to grab me but was forced to fly away as all of the heads attempt to attack him all at once.
'Sora needs times to cut off all the heads without notice! So-' Although it wasn't ready just yet, this was all I can do since I can't use magic of my own. Holding my hands in front with the blades of the keyblades facing outward and slam the backend of the weapons together. My entire field of vision was engulfed with light. I watch as the keyblades meld together, thinning themselves out as it bends into a recurve bow. I grab it the second a string made of light forms.
"Hey, uglies!" I shout, gaining all ten(!?) heads attention. I pull the string and aim as a light arrow takes shape. "Hope you're still hungry! Cause there's a nice little snack waiting right here!"
All of them hiss before moving straight towards me. I fired several times at them, but they seem to be bouncing off their skin like rubber. Still, I continued to persist when I saw Sora cut off every individual head without it noticing. Somehow. Just when they were all about to reach me, I felt a strange surge of power when I drew the thread back one last time. I look down at both of my arms to see them being engulfed in ice. Confused at first on what was going on, I was about to lower my weapon until one of the heads reached me and attempted to devour me in one bite. Setting my questions aside for later, I jump out of the way and shot the head as it passes by.
It froze and limply fell on its own back. I let out a surprised gasp as I gaze at my arms then my bow. I can use magic. I can use magic! Overjoyed, I was about to shout this news to Sora only to find myself completely surrounded. I attempt to run but I found I was already close to its tail. Just when I thought I was done for until they all stopped moving, all of their jaws slacked open. In a burst of green flames, every single one disappears. The corners of my lips raised as I saw Sora on top of Pegasus with his keyblades raised. Spotting me, he jumps off of Pegasus and runs towards me. My form cancels itself out the second Sora throws his arms around me.
Surprised, I drop both of my keyblades - Rainfell disappearing after it touches the ground - and place my arms around his back.
"Don't ever do that again!" he yells. I could feel his arms shaking as he held me.
"Sorry..." I said as I closed my eyes. I don't know why, but this feels somewhat familiar. As if this has happened several times. "I promise..."
As if there was another person with me, we spoke the same line together. "I won't disappear, ever again."
My legs suddenly began to feel weak and my head felt a little fuzzy. I lean myself against Sora to keep myself from falling over. He feels this and tightens his hold on me. I didn't feel tired, but I do feel strange. I yelp in surprise when I felt him shift his hold and lifts me off my feet. Embarrassed, I cover my face with both hands as Sora carries me back to the others. And just in time too as after Sora jumps off the Hyrda's back, the same green flame from earlier suddenly bursts around the headless body. We all watch as it was reduced to nothing but ash.
"I guess that means it's over..." I said, letting out a short sigh of relief.
"For now," Sora said, turning so the both of us were facing the others. "But there's still a lot that needs to be done."
"Are you alright?" Meg asks as Sora helps me stand.
"Yes. Sorry for worrying you guys," I said as I gaze at all of them with sad eyes. "I wasn't able to help Herc properly in the underworld. And..." I trail off as I turn to what remains of the coliseum. "I didn't wake up in time to stop this. I'm sorry guys."
"It's alright Akari," Sora said, placing a hand over my shoulder. "There's nothing any of us could have done. You tried your best and that's what matters."
My heart began to beat happily at his words. I warmly smile at him. For some reason, he turns red and looks away, receiving a strange look from Meg, who just happened to catch this.
"What did happen to you, Akari?" Goofy asks.
"I don't know myself..." I crossed my arms and closed my eyes as I thought it over. "I remember that I was about to follow after you. And then..." An image of a hand grabbing my face appears in my thoughts. "A Fragment..."
"A what?" Donald asks, having barely heard what I said.
"A Fragment," I told him in a louder voice. "They're like heartless but contain pieces of myself within them. Defeating helps me regain my memories."
A look of recognition crosses Sora's face. "Like the one I faced back in Hollow Bastion," Sora said slowly. "Is that what they're called? Is that why you disappeared last time?"
I nod. "They always attack whenever I'm alone. If not, they'll be creative and force away from you guys."
"Hold up." Herc struggles to stand up and looks down at me "What do you mean by 'pieces of yourself'? What's wrong with your memories?" he questions, quickly picking up on what I said.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy exchanged looks, all three unsure what they should say. It was my fault they had to worry about this. I was the one that was concerned with how our friends would react if they found out I had lost my memories. So I did the only sensible thing, tell them the truth. I held a hand in front of the three and smiled, silently telling them it's alright.
"You've been nothing but kind to me. But..." I trail off and turn my head to Sora. "But I think you guys deserve to know the truth."
After that I told them everything, leaving out the bits and pieces about the other worlds as much as I could. I received mixed reactions at first. They were mad that I didn't say anything before, then they were worried just how much I've forgotten. Then finally, they understood why I chose not to share my situation with them. I glanced over at Sora several times, and he seemed surprised at how honest I was about this. I am too. Could this be an effect of my memories? Were there things I regret not saying? Eventually, our conversation ended with me apologizing.
Despite their assurances that it was alright, I could tell that because I told them the truth, Herc and Phil didn't know how to act.
"So, how much have you recovered?" Herc asks.
"Just some. They're mainly about my childhood," I told them. I noticed how tense that made Sora. I chose to pretend not to notice and continued, "I do remember some parts of our journey, but they only come back to me sometime after I regain a piece of myself."
"I see... So that's why..." he trails off.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want any of you to worry. But I remembered I made a promise a long time ago." I close my eyes and recalled all the new memories I received. "To never leave things left unsaid."
They were silent at first. It must have been a shock to learn that I lost my memories, and I'm pretty sure the same will go for the other friends we made on our previous journey. But to my surprise, Herc was far from upset. When I opened my eyes, I received a light pat on my head.
Herc smiles down at me as he said, "Well, I guess I can't say anything except thank you." I tilt my head in confusion but remained silent to listen to what else he has to say. "You still chose to help even though you don't know who we are. You did the same thing the first time you and the others dropped by, so even without your memories, you're still you."
Teary-eyed, I wipe the tears from my eyes with the back of my fishnet fingerless glove. It felt so relieving to finally say it out loud. Meg had to hug me when she saw I was about to burst out in tears. To finally have some of this weight off my shoulders made my heart feel somewhat lighter. Phil blinked his tears away then proceeded to reprimand me, "You should have said something sooner! No wonder you were out of form during the tournament! The next time you junior heroes get back, expect a harsh training regimen when you get back!" They all laughed as I look down at him with wide eyes, mortified at the idea of intense training.
As if my very first training experience wasn't bad already! After talking for a bit longer it was time to say farewell, for now. Herc sat on what remains on the steps of the coliseum, hunched over as he blankly stares down at his feet. He was still depressed over what happened.
"I let you down. I'm just..." He covers his face with his hands as he finishes, "No use..."
Empathetic at this plight, Meg sat beside the man and rubbed his shoulder. "It's not your fault. Hey, even a god would be exhausted."
I nod. "Don't beat yourself up, Herc. You've done all you can."
Sora agrees, along with Donald, as he states, "They're right. Give yourself a chance to rest."
"There won't be any games for a while, anyway!" Goofy said to lighten the mood.
Giving Herc one last harsh look for berating himself, she stands and brushes some dirt off her dress to properly talk to us. She assured us with a small smile. "Don't worry about Wonderboy here. I'll look after him. Sora, Akari, Donald, Goofy," she addressed us individually before finishing, "I owe you big time."
Sora grins but shakes his head. "Hey, it's no big deal! Just let us know if Hades or the Heartless start acting up. We'll take care of it."
"And the next time we do come back, I'm sure by then, I'll have definitely regained most of my memories!" I cheerfully add. "I'm sure we have a lot to catch up on! Hopefully, I'll be awake the next time we have to kick Hades' butt! He needs to be put in his place!"
"Yeah, that's what heroes are for!" Donald said as he puffs his chest out.
Meg raises a brow and asks us with a teasing smile, "When did you four make hero?"
"Let's save that for another time..." Sora said, briefly glaring down at Donald. "We have to hit the road."
"Okay, don't be strangers."
"Gwarsh, I hope you feel better soon, Hercules," Goofy told him, earning a tired smile from the man.
"Yeah..." he answers, still slightly short of breath.
"Phil?" Donald turns to the pudgy goat man.
"Oh, well, take care you guys!" Phil quickly said, not expecting the sudden attention. "Stay a little longer next time. We got some serious training to catch up on! And that mostly goes for you," he adds as he points a finger to me. He wore a stern expression but it was immediately replaced with a smile.
"Well, time to go!" As he and the others turn away, I spot something shiny sticking out of Sora's pocket. I grab his arm and point down at the object when he looks over at me. "Oh, I almost forgot! The Olympus Stone." I let go and step back as Sora takes the stone out. Herc weakly stands up, assisted by Meg until he was able to stand on his own feet. Just as he was about to reach over and touch the stone, it glows. Looks like we found another gateway! I step back to give Sora some space as a ray of light emits from the stone and up into the sky, a keyhole appearing a second later. As we all watch him lock the keyhole, there was a strange throb in my chest.
It didn't hurt, but it did make me concerned. I place a hand over my chest and stare down at it with worried eyes. Something was wrong, I can feel it.
Gummi Ship...
I silently sat in my seat and stare out the window. After we left the Olympus Coliseum, I don't know, something about my experience there removed a huge burden from my shoulders. The rest of my memories are slowly returning. Although there wasn't a lot to go on, it was enough. I used to have my doubts, more than once actually, but now I'm more determined than ever to remember the rest.
"You sure seem happy," Sora muses as he places a hand on my shoulder.
I lean against his body and happily sigh, "You could say that."
"New happy memories?"
I shook my head. "No, they're just like the ones I received in Beast's world. But it made me realize something."
"And what's that?"
"I know what's at stake. If I don't remember the bad things that happened in life, I'll never know all of the sacrifices that were made for my sake. I wouldn't be able to make amends to the people I inadvertently hurt until it's too late." I close my eyes, recalling that one memory of Sora's crying face. "When you asked me if I really wanted to regain my memories back in Mulan's world, I wasn't lying. But... I did feel that there was some hesitation on your part." I open my eyes and saw guilt cross Sora's face.
"I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to remember so others wouldn't worry. I just wasn't expecting to remember all the hurt I went through so soon. But now that I look back at all the good memories that later resurfaced, it just makes me excited to see more of it.." I stare back at my faint reflection on the glass. "I can't wait to remember everything."
"Right..." Sora moves to stand in front of me. He kneels on one knee and looks up at me with sad eyes. "Akari, I know I said I'd never leave you in the dark, but I have. I didn't want to tell you until you got back enough of your memories, but I can't keep some parts of the truth from you."
I took his hands and gently held them. "Alright, I'm ready to listen."
Gathering of Light...
Ellen exits the Corridor of light and pauses as her eyes laid upon the ring of white thrones. She knew it was her time. That's why she asked Ellen to make sure no one else will arrive because this was the process many before would rather go through in solitude. The corridor closes as she silently approaches her designated place, summoning her boomerang as she draws near. Her knees buckles when she felt a familiar ache in her chest. It didn't hurt as much as the other times, but it did catch her off guard. Tightly gripping her weapon, she hastily approaches her throne before the pain reoccurs. She had to do this soon or else the others will see.
Just as she was about to place it on the seat, a lightly briefly appears behind her back. Before she could turn, she felt a small body slam against her legs and hugs them.
"Oh Luz..." She gently pushes him away, kneels and hugs him. "I know it's scary... but there's nothing you can do. This-" She gestures to all the thrones with abandoned weapons resting on them. "Is our fate." She felt the clothe of her pants dampened as he buries his face deeper, refusing to let go even as she tries to gently push him again. Before Ellen could make her second attempt in reasoning with the boy, another Corridor of Light opens not too far from where they stood. Chiara steps out, the portal disappearing after she hastily pulls her hood down, fearing her curly pink hair. She looked around frantically, failing to notice the two at Ellen's designated throne.
"Luz! Where- LUZ!" A look of relief washes over Chiara's previously hollow features as she runs up to the boy. He lets out a mute yelp as she rushes to them, completely ignoring a bewildered Ellen, and throws her arms around his head. "You had me worried sick! Don't run off like that after we spotted another Fragment?"
"You found another one?" Ellen spoke up. Because of her sudden voice, Chiara screamed and almost punched her fellow Forgotten.
Chiara nods, "Yes. It's actually in her next destination. We checked the what kind it memories it contains before we left."
"I see-" Feeling a sharp pain in her chest, Ellen clenches her jew as she turns away to tightly grips her chest. It was almost time. She doesn't want Luz to be around when it happen. Ellen struggles to even turn half of her body as the pain was so strong, it restricted most of her body movements. Upon making eye contact with the curly-haired girl, Chiara knew exactly what she wanted to say, Luz has to go before it happens. Although most of them are almost chronologically old enough to be as old as Yen Sid, they all physically and mentally remained the same from when they lost their heart.
Luz was still a child, just like the very few that unfortunately fell at an early age. To make sure he wasn't traumatized any further, Chiara knew she had to take him away from this place. Just long enough until Ellen's passed. Gathering up the little boy in her arms, she looks down at her past self with sad eyes, feeling remorseful for being unable to do anything to comfort the older girl. Ellen sends an appreciative look. Luz tries to get out of her grasp, but Chiara casts Sleep. She quietly lulls him to sleep as he slowly starts to lose consciousness. Before he completely passes out, Luz tries to reach out to Ellen, desperately trying to remain at her side.
Ellen doesn't do anything as she watching the boy drops his arm and becomes limp in Chiara's arms. Adjusting her hold on him, she looks back at Ellen one last time before extending one arm and creating a Corridor of Light. She was about to leave until Ellen said, "Don't forget. We shall always remain connected."
Biting her lip, with a heavy heart she forces her eyes away and leaves with Luz. Once they left, Ellen collapses to her knees and wails in pain. It hurt so much, It almost felt like something was trying to burst out of her chest. Unzipping her coat, she wasn't at all surprised to see a small ray of light shining out of her chest. Opening it up, she looks down to see a single crack on her chest, which slowly began to spread as seconds went by. Ellen knew it wouldn't be easy to pass, but she never knew it'd be this hard, she never imagined the process would be like this. The idea that those before her had passed made her dread how the others after her will be out through the same painful process.
The fact many of them still exist is a miracle itself, but it is also a curse, being forced to remain in the realm of light until their bodies expire. That is an existence they've all been forced to accept and endure. Forcing herself back on her feet, she grabs onto the nearest throne for support and lifts herself on shaking knees. Carefully sliding one foot in front of the other, Ellen slowly makes her way to her throne, tightly clutching onto the white fabric of her coat as the pain continues to grow from her chest to the rest of her body. Her vision starts to blur, becoming enveloped with white. It was then she realizes that her body was fading away.
She lifts her free hand to her face and watches as specks of light rise, a bright aura slowly surrounding the entirety of her body. Her body stilled as her arm transforms into light. She closes her eyes, accepting her fate once more as a small smile crosses her lips.
Lanes In Between...
I don't know why, but ever since we left Olympus Coliseum, there's this strange feeling in my chest. It wasn't pain, it was something else. I just can't describe what this sensation is. As if sensing something was wrong, Sora stands from his seat, walks over to mine and touches my shoulder. Feeling his hand, I crane my neck to look up at him.
"You alright?" he asks, staring down at me with concerned eyes.
I nod and send him a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine..." I wasn't lying. I am fine, it's just this weird feeling in my chest that keeps bothering me. Sora transfers his hand from my shoulder to my hand, giving it a small squeeze as he goes on one knee. He didn't have to say anything, I could tell just from his expression alone what feelings he wants to convey. He wants me to know that he'll always be there for me and that this time, things will be different from now on. And I believe him. From the number of times, I've doubted him, doubted myself on what it is I truly want, I can finally say that I am truly ready to face what lies ahead.
I am ready to face my fears. I open my mouth to say something but I was interrupted when the ship comes to an abrupt halt. I was almost sent me flying if Sora hadn't stood up, grabbed both armrests, and used his body to prevent me from leaving my seat. I grab his shoulders after I slammed against him. Sora flinches upon impact. I send him an apologetic look, but he shakes his head, returning an assuring smile. He hutches forward when we felt the entire ship violently shake. Scared that we might end up crashing, I shut my eyes and instinctively wrap my arms around his neck. Sora tenses under my hold but relaxes.
He rubs my back, trying to help soothe my feelings as the ship continues to move. Once the ship stopped shaking, Sora moves back, allowing me to stand. Though because of what happened, I refused to let him go. I don't know why, but ever since Olympus, a part of me wants to remain at Sora's side at all times. Could it be from the fear that Fragment tried to plant into my heart? Although confused at my odd clinging, he doesn't protest and allows me to keep my arms around him, at least around his shoulders so he can move. "What's going on?" Sora asks. Donald and Goofy were panicking at the controls.
Both were frantically pressing random buttons. And what's worse, they seem to have no idea what it was they were doing. My eyes almost popped out when Donald yells in frustration and bashes at the controls with his fists.
"WORK ALREADY!" he screeches in frustration.
"Donald, stop!" Goofy shouts before Donald could hit the controls again.
"Donald finally broke the ship..." I said, earning a short nod from Sora.
"I DID NOT!" Donald immediately yells as he jumps to turn around and stand on his seat. He angrily points at us. "Just because I'm the one flying doesn't give you both the right to automatically blame ME!"
"Maybe we're out of fuel?" Goofy suggests, sounding a bit unsure of himself.
"Whaaaat? But we've been smiling the whole time! See!" Sora puts his fingers in his mouth and pulls the corners to stretch it into a wide smile. Seeing him do this caused me to smile and laugh. Donald rolls his eyes and plops down his seat, proceeding to once again press every random button within his reach. Goofy lets out a loud 'hyuck!' before covering his mouth when Donald snapped his head in our friend's direction. I slowly slip my arms off Sora, but I remained at his side as we watch Donald fume in his seat while Goofy tries to apologize. We both look at each other and cover our mouths to contain our laughter.
Since we know that our pilots are still capable of flying the ship and that we haven't run out of smiling fuel, that just leaves one little problem which I'm now realizing. Why aren't we moving? I walk over to the nearest window and lean close, screwing up my eyes as I peer closely at the vacuum of space. There has to be a reason why we're not moving. There wasn't anything nearby, not even a nearby world. All I can see were stars, each individually twinkling in the distance. I can sort of see Hollow Bastion, but that's just about it. Then the entire ship shook again, this time it felt a little different.
I turn my head back to the front to find Sora running to the controls as Donald and Goofy began to panic. I strain my eyes as I stared at the front window. That's when I noticed what was going on. We were moving again but sideways!? Fear struck my heart as I rush over to the three.
"What's going on!?" I shout.
"I- Look!" Goofy shot up from his feet and points at something ahead of us. We all follow the direction he was pointing at and saw a new world. It looks like it had a castle on it. The more I stare at it, the more I felt some nostalgia towards it. I glance over at Sora and saw curiosity painted all over his face, whereas Donald and Goofy were smiling from ear to ear. I can only guess that Sora and I have never been there.
"Home!" They both happily shout.
Home... That's something I haven't talked about with Sora since we woke up. I only remember bits and pieces of it, but I don't know much after that. Sora seems to have noticed as he suddenly takes my hand after staring at the new world for a bit too long. He leans to whisper into my ear, "Don't worry. When we have the time, I'll tell you all about it." I smile and nod, grateful at his neverending kindness.
Disney Castle...
It didn't take us long to get to the new world. Sora and I almost had a heart attack when our pilots decided to amp up the speed and head straight to it. I almost thought we were going to crash! After we got off the ship, I immediately slap the back of Donald's head.
"OW! What was that for!"
"For scaring the pants off of me and Sora! You guys keep telling me that Sora's a bad pilot, but I never thought you'd do something like that!" I yell, angrily tapping my foot and crossing my arms.
"Hey, I'm not a bad pilot! I just crashed the ship that one time-" I immediately send Sora an appalled look after he cuts himself off. No one told me that!
"Why doesn't Goofy get slapped?" Donald fumes, rubbing his head.
"Easy. He's too nice for me to hit," I said in a matter-of-fact tone. Goofy's cheeks slightly turn pink as he bashfully smiles, both touched and embarrassed at the comment.
We made our way down the cobblestone steps. The hangar looks completely out of this world. There were so many turning gears and pipes that I could barely tell which direction the power was being directed. I was a bit uncomfortable to see that there was a bottomless pit when I walked to see what's below some of the pipes. I shook my head, trying to shake off my fears as I rejoined the others. Now there was just one thing left to worry about, and I can tell Donald and Goofy noticed it too. Where is everyone? Sora failed to notice this small little fact as we watch the two worriedly glance around the hangar.
"This is your castle..." Sora says in awe as he glances around the room. "Must be nice to be home, huh?" He pauses for a bit before inquiring again. "Well?" He doesn't receive an answer as his words fall on deaf ears. Both were too preoccupied with their own thoughts to even glance back at us. Whatever's going on must be pretty serious for the two to suddenly forget our presence.
"Ya know, somethin' just don't feel quite right..." Goofy comments, to which Donald agrees with a short 'yeah'.
"Why do I have a feeling that we haven't encountered our first world absent of heartless...?" I wonder out loud.
As if on cue, panting began to echo into the hangar from one direction. We all look up to see a chipmunk wearing an apron hop into view on, what I believe is, the upper floor of the entrance. It jumps upon seeing us. He stops and stands on his two feet. Another chipmunk comes in a second later, bumping into and almost knocking the other off the ledge. Both looked-a-like, the only difference was one had a red nose while the other had a black but smaller nose. The first chipmunk glares at their companion before pointing us out to them. He happily hops in the air before they both run and slide down the short staircase that was beside them.
"You're back!" the black-nose chipmunk shouts as he arrives at the bottom of the steps.
"Move it! Let's go!" the red-nose chipmunk said, sounding much more frantic than the others. I can briefly tell the difference now. Besides their noses, the key difference between the two was the voices; one spoke in a slightly ear-piercing high-pitched voice, whereas the other sounds almost like Goofy. If he breathed in some helium.
"Queen Minnie needs to see you!"
"The castle's in danger! Hurry! To the Library!"
Before either Sora and I could say anything, Donald and Goofy were the first to react and ran straight up the stairs. I send Sora a quizzical look, who just shrugs, seeming just as sure as I was about this whole situation. Everything was being thrown at us, and we've only just arrived! When we saw the chipmunks run after the two, Sora grabs my hand and pulls me with him as we run after them. I was able to match my pace with his and, while still maintaining contact, continued to run at his side. I still have no clue as to what's going on, but we have to help.
This is Donald and Goofy's world. If something happened, then we have to help them in any way we can. I'm sure they'd do the same if we needed their help to save ours. After we exit the hanger and climbed up the winding flights of stairs, we finally enter a new area through two human-sized doors. As Sora pushes it open, we take several steps inside and found ourselves in a courtyard. What we exited from was, ironically, a sculptured hedge of a castle.
"Wow..." I said as I took several steps forward. Just as I was about to turn to the others, I was suddenly tackled to the ground, barely catching sight of a ball of fire flying across my line of vision as I fell. I shut my eyes and grimace as I felt my back hit the ground with a loud thud. It wasn't too painful, but it was enough to make me not want to stand just yet. At first I thought it was Sora that rescued me, then I realized they were somewhat bigger from what I'm familiar with. My eyes snap open and I found myself staring into a familiar pair of cat-like eyes.
Chills ran down my spine after I realize who it was that tackled me. I resist the urge to kick her off as stands then step back as Sora rushes over to check on me. He helps me sit up while also checking for any abnormalities on my body. I tried to assure him I was fine. "Sora, I'm alright! The flowers kinda broke my fall." That seemed to somewhat relieve him, but that still didn't stop him from worrying over my well-being.
"You sure?" he asks.
"Yes," I answer with a small smile.
"Ugh, YES! She's fine," Aura snaps. She marches right past him, grabs my arm, then abruptly pulls me to my feet. "You're even worse than me..." she mutters under her breath as she glares at the side.
"It's you..." I breathed, somewhat amazed and fearful of her sudden presence. I watch in a daze as she lets me go and moves away, prompting Sora to slowly step in between the two of us, I never thought I'd see her again. I was HOPING I wouldn't, but here she is, standing on the same grounds as us and is talking like a regular person.
"I'm not supposed to be here, but my master sent a message instructing me to investigate and assist." She sounded a little bit too robotic. Because of our first encounter, I'm a little bit wary of her. Aura purposely fought me as a test, to test if I was ready for the strong memories that one fragment had. She didn't say it, but I could feel it. Why else would she be talking to me about her master? How could she know I was the Purest of all Hearts? I already figured, based on the lack of reactions I've received from the people we've met so far, that it's not something commonly known to everyone.
"You better tell us-" Sora summons Kingdom Key then finishes with a serious gaze, "Or else."
Aura holds up her hands. "Huh, guess the rumors were right." She casually brings her finger to the end of his keyblade and pushes it away. "A protector is driven by instinct to protect the Purest of all Hearts. There truly is no true relationship between the Light and her throwaway shield."
Her cold words struck a chord in my heart. I saw Sora's shoulders stiffen as he slowly begins to lower his keyblade, he had no idea how to react to this. My blood began to boil with anger when I turn my head and came in direct contact with the older teen. Unable to contain myself, I walk past Sora and summon Starlight, pointing it directly at her head without an ounce of hesitation. She may be stronger than me, it was a miracle itself that I was able to get through that fight at all, but I won't let her talk about us like that. She has no right!
I send her a heated glare as she stares back with cold eyes. Unnerved at my silent rage, Aura drops her arms to her side and gazes at me with a similar look. If not darker. I saw her right hand open and some ice and lightning began to form around her fingers. Just when I thought I was going to have to, once again, fight against the she-devil, a yellow bird jumps from behind her legs and runs in between us. It was about my knee level, head slightly bigger its body and legs were somewhat long. It almost reminds me of an ostrich, though it didn't have a long neck and had bright yellow feathers. The bird turns and outwardly extends its small wings.
"Master Aura! This is no time to be picking up fights!" he reprimands the girl. She looks down at him in astonishment as she cancels out her magic. Huffing, the bird jumps around and gives us an extremely deep bow. I think he accidentally cracked his skull when his head collided against the grassy ground. "I deeply apologize for my master's unconventional behavior! She's been in a bad mood since she accidentally entered Atlantica!"
That caused Aura's entire face to turn completely dark. It was almost as if her own face was transformed into that of a heartless! "Choco..." she lets out a low growl. My head immediately snaps down to the yellow bird. I feel like I've heard that name from somewhere, but where? And it seems like I'm not the only one. To my confusion, Sora knelt down to get a closer look at the bird. Choco tilts his head in confusion as Sora reaches to touch his large beak. I knelt beside him and notice a spark of recognition in his blue eyes. Is this another talking creature we've met?
"Choco...?" he utters, barely a whisper as he spoke.
"Is something wrong?" Choco asks innocently, clocking his head from side to side.
When I saw he wasn't responding, I grab his arm and gently shook him. "Sora, you okay?" That seemed to somewhat snap out of whatever trance he was in. Sora shook his head then withdrew his hand. "Sorry you... you just remind me of a bird Akari and I used to take care of when we were kids." It was the first for me to see a pained look cross his face as he began to reminisce. "It's a little weird. We named the bird Choco after Riku told us it was a-"
"Chocobo..." I finished, earning surprised looks from everyone. It just slipped out, but judging from Sora's reaction, I got it right.
"Alright, let's stop there," Aura cuts in. She picks up Choco and holds him under her arm as she changes the subject, "You two can go talking about your imaginary friend later. Right now we need to figure out what these two rats-" Both chipmunks voice their protests at the insult. "Want. The faster we get this over with, the faster I can get back to my mission."
She really gets straight to the point when she needs to, even if she's rudely blunt about it. I guess we can appreciate that, though I wish she would leave out some insults. Now that I think about it, I don't even know who the two chipmunks are. I cough to gain some attention before asking, "Can someone introduce me who these two are? I don't want to keep mentally calling them 'the chipmunks' while we're here."
"Oh, I'm sorry! The name's Chip," black nose chirps as he extends his paw(?).
"And I'm his brother Dale!" red nose adds, accidentally bumping into the other.
"And I'm Bob! Can we hurry it up?" Aura snaps before storming away from the group.
"I thought her name was Aura...?" Goofy whispers over to us.
"HURRY UP OR I'M LEAVING YOU!" she screeches from the other side of the courtyard. Wait, how'd she get there so fast!? "F-Follow us?" Chip said, slightly bewildered at the unexpected new party member. We were going to follow until a bunch of heartless appeared. And just as we were about to get ready to fight, they were all shot at by some of Aura's ice arrows. We just stood there, unsure what to do next now that we were in position to fight.
"I SAID HURRY UP!" Aura shouts again. Her mood was getting worse by the second.
I didn't even think it was even possible. To think I'd meet someone that wants to hurry up and save a world then leave once we've done it, just to get back to whatever they were doing prior. Saying it out loud would get probably aggravate Aura's already bad mood, but I would be straight with her and tell her, straight to her face, that she needs to set her priorities straight. If only it was possible to tell her that without upsetting her. The last thing I want is to fight her again and get Sora, Donald and Goofy mixed up. We followed the path to the exit, which led us to a staircase to the upper floor of the castle.
As we began to ascend the stairs after Aura disappears at the top, more heartless appeared. They were just Shadow Heartless, but they were the ones I dislike the most. Not just because they were the first type to attack me when I first woke up in Hollow Bastion, they can turn into their bodies into a literal shadow. Some sink into the ground began to move straight towards me. This forces me to jump back as the others block off several others when they jumped towards us. I tried to stab the ground, thinking I could at least get them while they're still submerged in the ground. All I did was leave a few marks on the steps... I'll apologize for that later.
The three emerged from the ground and immediately jumped up to attack me from above. I was able to block the first two as they clawed at me, but the last aimed for my hand. It hit the guard, but it was still able to partially reach my fingers. I hiss in pain as I push it back, struggling to retain maintain my grip on the handle. I look down at my hand and saw there were about three thin claw marks. I was going to reach for a potion in my pocket but one of the heartless grabbed me by the ankle and attempted to knock me off the stairs. I was able to cut its arm off, destroying it completely in the process.
"The light... the light must be extinguished... IT MUST BE EXTINGUISHED!"
Fear struck my heart as the voice entered my thought. I tried to block it out, but because I lost focus, I lost track of my surroundings as I instinctively took a small step back and felt my foot slip. Losing my balance, I failed to regain my footing and ended up balancing on one foot. I blindly swung my keyblade when one of the heartless attempted to, again, jumps towards me. To my horror, the other shot up from the ground and grabs my fighting arm. I tried to shake it off but stop when I saw it was looking right at me, its yellow eyes staring deeply into my eyes. I was rendered defenseless as I watch the heartless fly closer to me.
"AKARI!" Kingdom Key flies across from me, destroying the heartless in one hit and is then caught by Sora, who was running back down to my aid. I throw my arm in front of me, bring the heartless into full view as it continues to cling on. I stare at the heartless again, which blankly stared back before it was destroyed. My keyblade disappears as Sora grabs the same arm, preventing me from falling as he pulls me towards him. I didn't realize I stopped breathing until my body slams against his. Everyone else had finished off the remaining heartless.
"Are you two alright?" Jiminy asks as he steps out from Sora's hoodie.
"I am. What about you, Akari?"
"I think so... Didn't think I'd hear them talk to me again." When I said this, I noticed that everyone was exchanging worried looks. "What? Isn't it a normal thing for me?"
Sora shook his head. "No... No, it isn't." He places a hand on my shoulder and asks, "How long have you been able to hear them?"
"Since I woke up."
"That's because her heart has come in contact with darkness." I scream as jump away from each other when Aura suddenly pops up in between us. She looks around then said, "I'll explain later. Let's go meet the queen first." She was surprisingly calm. Just a few minutes ago she seemed just about ready to bite off someone's head, now she's just as she was when I met her. Cold yet... Actually, I can't think of anything except that she comes off as a cold person. She ascends the stairs again, this time she chose to wait for us. Donald was the first to run up, followed by Goofy after he placed Chip and Dale on his shoulder to ensure their safety.
I was about to follow after them, then I noticed that Sora hadn't moved a single inch. "Sora?" He doesn't respond. Worried that something was wrong, I was going to say something until he takes one step closer to me, takes my hand and then follows after the others, dragging me with him. Is he worrying about my poor performance earlier? I'm not at that level just yet, but fighting on stairs isn't an easy feat. They have experience. Me? If I had my memories, sure maybe I could, but I've basically been awake for about a few weeks! After we reached the top, even as we entered the hallway Sora refused to let me go. He won't even look my way.
I chose to remain silent. Until we get to safety, I'll leave him at his own thoughts. The hallway itself was surprisingly empty. The entire castle was carved in white marble, some parts of it painted with gold to give it some design. The red carpet was so long and neat it made me feel guilty for walking on it. I can just imagine how hard it is to maintain such a large castle. On our left, we got a view of the courtyard, and there was a line of weirdly shaped gold statues. Though something about the large round ears felt familiar.
"First time in a castle?" I yelp in surprise as Choco's sudden appearance.
"Will you stop doing that!? You two are going to give me a heart attack!"
"Oh... I'm sorry! I'm just so used to warping around that-" He stops in his tracks when something starts shining in his pouch. This causes me and to stop as well, quietly observing as Choco uses his wing to lift up the pouch then uses his beak to take something out. It kind of resembled a star. "Whoops! Forgot, I left her literally hanging in space! I'll be right back!"
We shield our eyes when Choco's body was suddenly engulfed in light. After the light died down, my jaw hangs when I saw that he had disappeared. We looked around to see if he could find a trace of him, but he completely vanished! "Sora, Akari!" we hear Goofy call out to us. Sora takes my hand again, silently telling me that we have to go before anything else happens. As much as I want to stay in case Choco comes back, I knew we have to go, so I nod and run with Sora to rejoin the others.
Library...
The library is... really weird. It felt like I was hallucinating when I saw how oddly shaped everything was. The golden fireplace and was crooked, and the given bookcase was so curved, I don't even know it's just like that or it's an illusion. But even the books looked curved!
"Your majesty! Queen Minnie! We're back!" Donald declares with a salute after we enter the new area.
"You're here!" A mouse walks up to us in an elegant ball gown. She was so delighted to see us that her tiara nearly fell off her head.
Goofy was the next to salute. "Your Royal Highness, did ya happen to summon us?"
"Yes."
I've never seen these two act like this before. They've talked about the king several times, but it more sounded as if they were close friends. If the one before us is the wife of their friend, I was kinda expecting they wouldn't be acting so formal around her. Either that, or it's just Sora who acts out of line without knowing it. And just as I thought that Sora approaches the two from behind, places a hand on Goofy's shoulder and, much to the duck's annoyance, on Donald's head.
"Where's the King?" Sora asks, earning a bewildered look from Goofy and a heated glare from Donald. Aura just slaps herself as I place a hand on my forehead and shook my head at his lack of formality.
Aura whispers over to me, "I'm starting to question why you chose him as your protector..."
I was going to protest until I picked up on what she said. I chose Sora? It's the first I've heard of it. Before I could ask, I was surprised when Donald jumps and grabs Sora's ear, forcing him down as he apologized for his friend's behavior. "Excuse him. This is our friend, Sora."
"Oh, Sora!" she smiles, pleased to see him. "The King told me all about you in his letters. He said you're a very brave young man." The queen looks around then asks them, "Is she here?"
Donald lets go of Sora's ear, but not before receiving a light punch to the shoulder by the boy, and moves to the side. Goofy does so as well. Sora stands up straight and slightly turns to face me, allowing Queen Minnie to have a full view of me. Aura stiffens and slowly steps away from me, not wanting to gain any attention on her. I eye her curiously but chose to ask her later when the queen approached me.
"Oh my... it's you..." she gasps, covering her mouth with her oversized gloved hands. I tilt my head then panic when I saw tears appear on the corner of her eyes. I tried to look for a handkerchief in my pockets but she raises her hand to stop me. "I'm sorry. It's just been so long since I've last her. You just look so much like her."
"Who?" I ask. The queen hesitates, and so do Donald and Goofy when I turn to them.
"Lumina," Aura spoke up. She was leaning against the first place with her arms crossed. She sounded a bit reluctant to let her presence be known, but it seemed like she was the only one that could answer. "The Purest of all Hearts before you, she traveled to the other worlds with her protector just like you are right now." She opened her eyes and unfolds her arms as she continued, "She was meant to be the last. We all thought she was."
"There was... someone before me?"
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned grim. I look around the room, hoping this wasn't true, but most of them were avoiding my gaze. Then I turned to Sora, he was at a loss for words. Their silence and his hesitation spoke volumes. Is this what Sora meant? Is this what he meant when he said I will meet other people that even he hasn't met? I felt a sharp pang of pain at the prospect of there being others before me. Not wanting to face them any longer, I ignore their cries and run out of the room.
"I'm baaaaaaa- what did I miss?" Choco had to drop his cheerful tone after noticing the heavy atmosphere. He was surprised to be greeted by a room full of silence when he returned.
"I'm so sorry..." Queen Minnie apologized. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"Brought what up?" Choco asked, popping right in between Donald and Goofy. Scared at his sudden presence, Donald jumps into Goofy's arms as they both scream. That earned a well-deserved 'really?' look as he raises a brow at them. He rolls his eyes them brings up the topic at hand. "Can someone tell me what I missed while I was in space? Because being nagged at can make anyone lose track of time."
Chip and Dale were about to answer only to be interrupted when Sora moved to leave the room. "Wait." Aura grabs Sora's arm to stop him. "Let her go. She needs to learn what her role is and its importance." She stared at the back of the brunette's head, waiting for an expected angry response. Clenching a fist, Sora stared at the grown while struggling to hold back his incoming wrath. He was never the type to get angry. His reaction to Pete's words played on his grief over Akari's supposed passing, but it wasn't enough to entirely enrage him. For someone, an absolute stranger upset his closest friend, that should have been more than enough.
But he knew it'd be pointless. He stares straight ahead with determined eyes. "Akari's my best friend. I can't ignore that she's upset, not again. You think that leaving her alone is for the best, I thought so too, but I know better now." Forcing his arm out of her grasp, he walks to the door. "She told me earlier that she made a promise, and that promise was to never leave things unsaid. And that's what I'm going to do as well."
Aura felt crestfallen when Sora left the room to follow after Akari. She never meant to upset them, but she knew Akari had to learn someday. Finally picking up on what was going on, Choco flies over to Aura and pecks the side of her head. She yelps in pain as Choco not-so-gracefully floats back down. "And you wonder why I prefer working with your sister most of the time! When they get back, you better apologize!"
As the two were arguing, Donald and Goofy exit the room, deathly worried about Sora and Akari. It didn't take him long to find her, she was at the other end of the hall - pecurilously - by herself. He was surprised at the lack of heartless when he spotted her. She was leaning forward against the balustrades, staring at the courtyard with downcast eyes. She doesn't say anything as Sora approaches and leans against the concrete beside her. As much as he wanted to rightfully point out the dangers of running out like she had, with no heartless around, Sora knew this was the best time for her to cool her head. If he forced her back in, he is certain that someone will get hurt.
"I always wondered how I could have known Master Yen Sid," she spoke up. She lifts her hand and blankly stares at the back. "The way he spoke to me, it's just like everyone else that I've met. He talked to me as if I was an old acquaintance. I guess that's why so many people at Hollow Bastion and the Mysterious Tower knew so much about me."
Sora reaches over to take her hand. He answers, "It's a lot more complicated than that. No one actually has the exact answers on what is the Purest of all Hearts. Yen Sid's probably the only person who we can both turn to for answers."
"We?" Akari repeats, immediately picking up on what he said.
"Yep." Sora bows his head in defeat. "He did tell me about a few things, like what your true purpose is and who I am as your protector. But I feel like there's something he hasn't told us. I knew that other you had a Protector before me, but... a part of me doesn't like the idea that you were protected by someone else."
"Sora..."
"But I am hopeful about one thing." He turns his head to smile at her. "Master Yen Sid said there have been clear signs that you will be the last. And that means I won't have to say goodbye." She didn't know why, but when he said that last line it almost appeared to her as if he was going to cry.
To Be Continued
Sorry, once again, for the long wait! I am still studying for my nclex so I'm still trying to properly allot my time in studying and writing. I'm still laughing at the recent comment I got. Thank you to that one reader for thinking of Akari when watching the live-action movie of Aladdin! I didn't think that would happen, but thanks for thinking of her! Now I have FINISHED KH 3 plus the dlc. And I was shocked that heart fragments ARE a thing in KH. Thankfully, not in the same way as Akari's case... because if they were, I might have been forced to rewrite the entire plot. I am on youtube so you can see... for yourself how much I suffered. Anyway, please R&R! See ya guys!