Xehanort

Sora pressed his knees down as he laid by Kairi's side, keeping her head up so that she wasn't completely touching the cobble floor beneath her, the sound of pipes and electrical wire echoing all around them giving the place a haunting atmosphere. Yet none of that mattered right now what mattered was that he finally found Kairi. He couldn't believe that the two of them were together again, it felt too surreal. It would have grander-if it weren't for the fact that the Riku that stood beside them was not himself. Yet he just ignored him and focused on his friend that was by his side.

"Kairi-Kairi can you hear me." He held her firmly in his arms now, Kairi's eyes closed, her body limp he tried shaking her a bit hoping to jolt her back to life but to no avail.

He feared the worst, he held her a bit closer now wrapping his arms around her into a hug Just seeing her in person in his arms for the first time in so long. Kairi, his closest friend, reunited at last, yet it was a bittersweet victory. Sora knew she couldn't hear him or see him, she was asleep. Even her eyes, when he looked in them they were hollow and empty, none of the vibrant light that he was so used to seeing. Yet he didn't want to let go and end this moment, he just wanted to hold onto her until she woke up and they could go home back to the Island.

Sora held her a bit tighter now feeling sadness overtake him, a small tear rolling down his cheek.

As he continued to hold her the echo of the voice rung in his ears, sending shivers down his spine. It sounded so familiar and yet with a gastlyness to it. As if the spirits of the dead emanated from within him.

"That girl has lost her heart, she cannot wake up."

Up above Sora saw Riku standing above them glaring down below them with a wicked expression. But yet despite looking like Riku and standing like Riku, even wearing the same darksuite that Riku had on just mere moments ago, there was one major differences that made everything different. The lights of the machine made him even more menacing, as if any sense of humanity had been stricken from him, an all that was left was a empty husk of darkness Yet what stood out from all the darkness was the eyes, something was very wrong about the eyes. They looked almost inhuman, so bright, so yellow, glowing like a demon's from the other world.

It was then that Sora remembered what Phil had told him back in Hollow Bastion before he left. There was only one person he had heard whisper of with eyes like that. One person who was so truly consumed by darkness to gain such deformities.

"So-you're Xehanort." Sora sneered trying to show some bravado yet deep down he was more terrified than he ever felt in his life.

"Yes-" Xehanort said with a evil grin, even using Riku's face he looked unrecognizable, like a creature from the foulest of pits. "It's been such a long time since I stood before a fellow master of the blade, a term I use loosely since your mastery is a limited one in that. Though you are not the first at such a young age who's tried to defy me."

"What's that supposed to mean-"

Xehanort laughed in Riku's voice but with a underlying cold echo beneath like the cool toxic breeze. "Such defiance-your predecessors had it too. It's a shame that after all this time you still understand nothing, then again neither did they. It seems everyone who opposes me is so blinded by the light that they fail to see what lies right in front of them. Take the example the consequences of your wish".

With dark magic Xehanort conjured what look like a portal which turned into a viewing mirror, Sora saw a large ungly looking Castle of spikes protruding from a blue raveen. The image changed to show Maleficent and her villains, looking angry and enraged blasting at some sort of magical vortex.

"Your wish trapped them, saving your friends, and increasing these followers of darkness forever. A fate worse than death if you ask me...Again, proves that you really do understand nothing".

Those words, Sora recognized them, it was the same words that hooded figure on the Island had spoken before it was destroyed. It was the same words he heard back in Agrabah during the sandstorm, this constant idea of not understanding. As he thought he began to put the pieces together. It must have been him-Xehanort, this whole time watching him since he started his journey. But why? All this time he thought it would be Maleficent who would be his ultimate opponent.

As he continued to think Sora noticed that in one hand he held a firm grip on a black colored Keyblade. Similar to his own yet it's smooth edges were replaced by sharp jagged ones. Almost like they were meant to pierce the body doing great damage. Whatever the reason it did not look like it was natural Keyblade, but something malevolent and evil.

"How long have you been watching us!?" Sora kept Kairi close shielding her from his gaze. "How long have you been watching me and my friends?"

"From the beginning." Slowly Xehanort stood in Riku's body and floated down towards them. "Ever since you left the Island, ever since your friend gave himself over to the darkness. For too long I have been nothing more than a wandering spirit-Heartless and cold. But I've had my eyes on you and your friends, your strong light-and his strong darkness. Which has come very necessary for my purposes. Who would have thought that such powerful children would come from a Island so base-so inconsequential. But when I made contact with your friends I touched his heart, made it dark and molded it purposes, and then after a while, I made him my vessel."

"So that's it then, all of this just to take over Riku's body!"

Snapping his fingers Xehanort summoned forth a barrier of darkness surrounding them so that no one could escape.

"That was only part of it, the rest was for this-" He pointed to the large machine standing behind him.

"You wanted to get into that super-heart?" Smarty asked.

"This is the final Keyhole, one that will lead me to the Door to Darkness, something I have yearned for for years now ,but it cannot be completed so long as the last princesses of heart still sleeps. With its power unleashed I will be able to unleash a great darkness upon the realm of light, thirteen times over. Though I shouldn't take all the credit...Ansem the Wise began the work, I merely ...approiated it once he was put in his place".

"Put in his place?"

Xehanort smirked, Riku's smirk, "Yes...He started the work, but dared to stop when he realized what would happen. Let's just say my influence allowed for it to get finished...Now...Give the Princess back her heart, and complete the blade".

His eyes now darted towards Kairi, Sora turned to look at her taking a few moments before putting all the pieces together.

"A princess?" Sora muttered before it clicked, eyes widening in shock. "Kairi's a princess!"

"Yes, one of seven pure female beings of light, hence the term Princess of Heart. Legend said that these hearts were blessed with powers of Kingdom Hearts itself, the great power that lies beyond the door but without her heart the Keyhole will remain incomplete and the door shut, it is time she woke up."

Sora glared at him looking into those yellow eyes, eyes that had nothing but malice in them. But for all his anger he was more in shock at the thought that his best friend Kairi was a princess. It did make some sense in a way. She had just one day appeared in the middle of a beach with hardly any memory of her past and former home. She was always the more mysterious of the Islanders, her past completely unknown. So it was somewhat logical that she could have come from somewhere fantastical. Yet Princess or more Princess of Heart, that was definitely not something that had ever crossed Sora mind whenever he, Riku and Kairi speculated about her past.

Kairi had always been a kind girl, sweet, innocent, yet with a fiery passion for her friends. Such a pure heart, never mean or cruel. If these Princesses of Heart were said to be so pure and filled with light, then Kairi definitely fit the bill. Still the fact that Xehanort knew this and was using it made him want to clench his fist into a ball and punch the living daylights of him.

"Why are you doing this!" He shouted. "Did you do all this just to take over my friends body!"

Xehanort glared at him now. "Hardly-Once I was a whole person, who had mastery of his key and the powers it yielded, like so many before me. To some I was an advisor of the worlds, and to the more primitive areas of this universe I was considered a god capable of feats beyond the understanding of many, even my own fellow masters. Unfortunately over the years my experiments in the darkness over time yielded me-Heartless."

"I bet it did-from what I heard a few Keyblade Wielders stopped you. I wish I could have met them, they seemed like heroes"

"So they thought- They might have stopped me, but they were hardly heroes. It was their action that kept me alive." Xehanort's voice boomed overtaking Riku's normal speaking voice before returning to a mixture of both as well with some added bitterness. "But I was left incapacitated , turned into a parasite. Parts of memory are not even fully intact, but I know enough to remember what is important, that I am a seeker of darkness. When I eventually found your friend, I saw in him myself at his age. Young and lusting for power, and willing to do whatever it took to get it, willing to break the basic concepts of good and evil, light and darkness and he sought out the darkness. For you see those do not exist, they are constructs created by those too weak to do what is necessary to understand. Perhaps now though in this final moment I will get you to understand."

Xehanort held out Riku's hand and smirked.

"Join me in everlasting darkness, and you could have everything you've ever desired. Power….Love ...A family made whole again"

Sora glared at him angrily hating every word he spoke, comparing himself to Riku, that was a insult. Yes Riku might have done things to leave the Island and his heart lead him astray. But Sora knew Riku a lot longer than he did. He remembers a Riku that was kind, looking for him and the things he cared about. How he stood up for Sora against the bullies, and confronted him when his father died. To think that this Xehanort was even a quarter of what Riku was, that made his blood of all thinking that he would fall for such tricks, that his own family would want him to take this road, he would never give himself up that easily.

Sora didn't care: "Look-Xehanort, let Riku go! Give him back his heart."

"Very well, I can do that, but first, you must give the Princesses back her heart."

He pointed the Keyblade at Sora who felt a tinge a pain in his chest the moment they made contact with one another. Sora fell to his knees as he felt the pain his chest, something inside burning, screaming, as if being attacked by something quite terrible.

"This Keyblade is made from the hearts of the seven princesses of light or should I say six, it still needs one more left. But it does still have the power to unlock people's hearts"

"Huh?"

Xehanort rolled his eyes as he approached Sora. "Don't you see yet? The princess' heart is responding, it's been there all along, Kairi's heart rests within you."

Sora gasped in shock. "Kairi's-Kairi's heart is inside me."

That must have explained those few moments during his adventure when he saw her. When certain things that had once never meant anything to Sora suddenly meant everything to him. It must have been Kairi who was emanating from within him. Her heart reaching out to him, trying to make contact. This whole time he was looking for Kairi, when she was there the whole time.

Xehanort snickered enjoying Sora's complete lack of understanding and knowledge, how such a naive boy could wield a keyblade was beyond him, let alone be alive to get this far. He was so average, so uninteresting. Such a boy like him deserved nothing more to be a mere shadow heartless if not even that. Either way it was time for his role in this story to come to a end .

Now standing before them now he raised his Keyblade ready to make the final blow. But Sora was not about to go down-he wasn't about to lose for in that moment he could hear her, Kairi speaking to him, one more time

Sora

Like a flash Sora's own Keyblade emerged as the two blades clashed against one another. He felt a surge of energy, not of rage but of righteous fury. The light that burned bright inside him was practically glowing as he grown in strength.

"Forget it! There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!"

All of a sudden his spirit returned, he felt the energy he needed to fight back, everything he was fighting for came into perspective. He was fighting for his friend, for his home, he was going to stop this mad man or die trying.

With great fervor Sora managed to push Xehanort back but not before lept into the air and stood tall again. His eyes glowing darkly as they stood behind the glowing energy of the final Keyhole. Raising his hand the evil Keyblade Master must have channeled what little power he could from it and fired a blast of dark energy at Sora.

"Now witness true power."

Sora dodged the attack landing on his back feeling a spark of energy almost hit him.

"Behold the power of darkness."

Xehanort charged but Sora managed to jump on high, the Keyblade's magic keeping him up on air a bit higher than he normally could. Again he twirled landing behind Xehanort but Xehanort was quicker he swung his blade right at Sora hitting his shoulder hard and knocking him down and kicking him back causing Sora to slide all the way to the edge of the Keyhole.

Slowly Xehanort brandished his Keyblade and pointed the tip right towards Sora neck cackling madly.

"You definitely have the fire of masters before you I will grant you that! But that is as little mercy I can offer."

Before Sora could even counterstrike Xehanort lunged his arm right at Sora his hand clenched in a fist forcing the boy back into the air. Dark aura began to circle around him. He then pointed his Keyblade straight towards Sora chest as a dark beam lurched right at him hitting him straight on.

The pain Sora felt was immense, it was like nothing he had ever felt. Ever blow he had taken so far, every attack was nothing compared to what he felt right now. It was like his insides were being slowly ripped apart from the inside. He thrashed and struggled to get out yet he had no way of freeing himself. Xehanort kept his precion straight at him. His eyes began to glow as the dark power began to emanate from him now in full force.

"Now, I shall release you now princess, release the keyhole with your power, open the door, lead me into everlasting darkness."

Sora stayed up in the air, his body feeling compressed by the dark power. There was nothing he could do, no lashing out no breaking these bonds. All he could do now is scream.

Sora fell onto the ground with a loud thud, the hard floor causing his back a sharp pain.

He was exhausted after several minutes of pure torture, every bone and muscle in his body ached and cracked. His body had been completely assaulted by Xehanort dark attacks .While the pain subsided he could feel sting the after effects of it. Every part of his body ached and bruised but he wasn't about to give up. He couldn't give up, he wasn't going to give this mad man any satisfaction.

Xehanort stepped back and glared in annoyance his yellow eyes glowing brightly emanating his power.

"Such defiance, her heart is definitely strong- But I should have known that the light of the seven would be difficult to extract. Perhaps a bit more pain will cause you to submit."

Raising a hand Sora was lifted back into the air and was knocked around hitting each pipe on various sides of the room with intense impact. Each lunge caused a whirl of pain, but he wasn't going to give this mad man the satisfaction of giving into him. He would not have Kairi's heart so long as he lived. Xehanort eventually had enough for he put him back onto the ground.

Sora looked back at him battered but alive. "You'll-never-get-her -heart."

Xehanort looked a bit surprised by how much damage Sora was willing to take, yet there he still stood defiant as ever holding his Keyblade firm even after being tossed around the room like a rag. It was a testament to him and how much he had been through that even now he was still willing to fight and maybe even die before allowing Xehanort to get what he desired.

A change in strategy was called for.

"Fine-you win." Xehanort sighed as he tossed his own Keyblade towards Sora who caught with a thud. "If I can't take it unwilling then perhaps I'll get what I want willingly."

"What are you-

Xehanort tossed the keyblade right at Sora who caught it yet fell back do to it's massive weight.

"The Keyhole remains incomplete, it will rage out of control and won't be able to locked or unlocked, such darkness will run rapid, destroying you and your pathetic allies, even Kairi's bodies will be damaged beyond repair. So long as her heart remains inside yours."

Sora looked at the Keyblade unsure what to make of it just holding it made him feel dirty. This Keyblade stenched of darkness, yet also there was a underlying warmth of it. The lights of the other princesses of heart trying to

"Pierce the blade to your chest, and the Princesses heart will be free, think about it carefully Sora, then perhaps maybe-you'll understand."

With those last words Xehanort vanished a puff of darkness leaving Sora standing there and think. Now Sora just stood there in silence, musing over those final words. After everything it didn't seem like a victory, if anything it felt like a defeat. It really didn't seem that there wasn't any way out of this situation that would cause Xehanort to get what he wanted.

He looked at the Keyblade for a moment in contemplation-he had two options, free Kairi's heart and give Xehanort what he wants, or don't and risk everyone. The answer seemed pretty clear. He could only hope his friends would understand.

"Sora-" A familiar voice called from afar.

Sora turned behind him to see Donald and Goofy approach, the Beast and the others right behind them both. His heart sank, this was not what he wanted to deal with right now as he was about to make the fatal decision.

"Is that the Keyhole?" Goofy asked pointing to the thing.

Sora nodded. "Yeah but I can't lock because it's not complete it."

"Well how do we do that?" Donald asked.

In the main chamber Jaq ran up to Cinderella's pod and tapped on ferociously. "Cinderelly, Cinderelly, wake up Cinderelly!"

"Belle!" Beast put his hand over her pod. "Why won't she wake."

"They don't have there hearts." Sora said his voice soft.

Beast looked at Belle in shock. "Then find her heart!"

Sora looked back at the Keyblade that Xehanort had given him and then at Kairi. "A keyblade with the power to unlock people's' hearts."

It was then at that moment that everything started making sense. He knew what he had to do.

This was it, the moment of truth had come, taking one last deep breath he looked at Donald and Goofy one more time trying to get the clearest picture of them in his head that he could take with him to the end of his days. All the memories of their adventures began to flow back at them, their ups and downs. He was blessed that he made such wonderful friends to join him on this great quest.

With that last thought, he smiled.

Closing his eyes Sora took a deep sigh, he knew what needed to be done, even if it mean never seeing Riku and Kairi again, even it meant never seeing his mom, his Island, or even finishing his mission. He knew that deep down, Donald, Goofy, his friends at Traverse Town, even the Beast, all could help finish what he started.

Standing next to Kairi he looked at Donald and Goofy one more time and smiled. "Thanks guys-it's been fun."

Both companions looked confused.

"Sora what are you-" Goofy question was answered.

Without warning Sora took the Keyblade and pressed it right into his heart.

Falling

Falling

Into darkness

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