A/N: Sorry again for the long wait, guys! I've had a lot of art-related stuff to do and I've been struggling so hard with writing the endgame chapters, so thank you for your patience!
Chapter 77: Graveyard of Memories
When dawn broke the next day at Radiant Garden, everyone who agreed to go with Kairi to find the final seashell piece gathered themselves up and boarded the girls' gummi ship. Kairi made sure to say goodbye to her grandmother and promised that she would visit promptly after reuniting with Sora. It took a lot of negotiating, but Aqua finally got Ven to agree with her about staying in Radiant Garden, with Donald and Goofy agreeing to the same thing with Mickey. Xion didn't have anyone to really say goodbye to, but made comments about Riku and Naminé being suspiciously close this morning, leaving the pair flustered and blushing until they got ready for takeoff.
"Buckle up, everyone! It's gonna be a bumpy ride!" Chirithy announced.
"Where is the last piece located?" Riku asked as he approached the radar.
Kairi tapped on the touchscreen and it gave her a zoomed in view and estimated coordinates. She gasped as she realized where the final piece was located. On one hand, she felt she had expected it, but on the other, she was hoping to never have to revisit this place ever again.
"The Keyblade Graveyard." Kairi muttered softly.
"Not there…" Xion sighed and shook her head.
Mickey folded his arms upon looking at the radar himself. "It's a shame we didn't see any sign of it the last time we were there."
"We wouldn't have known at the time." Aqua noted.
Riku sighed and took a seat. "Well, there's no turning back now."
"Yeah." Kairi nodded as she began inputting the coordinates for takeoff. "As Chirithy said, it's gonna be a bumpy ride, so everyone be prepared for anything."
If Kairi, Naminé, and Xion had any bumpy rides during their journey, they were smooth compared to the flight to the Keyblade Graveyard. They had to travel through the Eclipse Galaxy, which in and of itself was practically a fortress in the sky with numerous hallways, entrances and exits. It wasn't flying through the fortress that was the problem. The Heartless ships were relentless in their shots. Avoiding both the lasers and the walls of the fortress were tougher than Kairi expected and she found herself relying on Xion and Naminé more for support and help in fighting back.
Having extra sets of eyes from Riku, Aqua, and Mickey made it helpful for sighting any blindspots the girls had, which were more common than they would have liked. Riku was able to jump in and help Naminé with using one of the new canons that were installed at the back of the ship to fire at the Heartless ships that snuck up behind them. Naminé didn't mind, especially if it meant being close and able to inhale his natural earthy scent. Mickey jumped in with Xion and helped with applying the shields when one larger Heartless ship began firing rapidly at them, which would have potentially taken them down completely had it not been for the king's reflexes in activating the shields.
After one final laser blast took out the large Heartless ship, the final stretch of the fortress was cleared and Kairi was able to finish out the rest of the flight that was much smoother than before. She took a deep breath as she could see the Keyblade Graveyard come into full view. This was it. Aqua rested a hand on her shoulder and nodded, nonverbally encouraging her to make the landing. Responding to her cue, Kairi requested for everyone to buckle up before she broke through the stratosphere, landing on site in the Keyblade Graveyard.
The dust-filled wasteland continued to be nothing more than a reminder of the tragic war that had taken place many years ago. Haunting memories of loss and reunion filled the minds of the young Keyblade wielders as they dragged their feet across the rows of abandoned Keyblades to the spot where they had once faced Xehanort and his thirteen darknesses. The labyrinth that he had created remained untouched and all signs of the previous battle had vanished. All that was there was Kairi, Riku, and their friends, one step closer to finding Sora.
"Well, this is it." Mickey said with a sigh.
"Just as we last left it." Aqua nodded.
"Nothing's changed." Riku shook his head.
Kairi exhaled briefly as she felt an unpleasant erupting feeling in her chest. She wasn't in any pain although it wasn't a great feeling. It almost felt more like her heart was trying to warn her of something that was coming or someone who might be watching from close by. Kairi was used to being followed, but the haunting graveyard made the idea all the more chilling with the lack of good hiding places in the graveyard.
"Kairi?" Naminé rested her hand on her friend's shoulder.
Kairi gasped, snapping out of her thoughts. "Huh?"
"Are you okay?" Xion asked. "We noticed you were dozing off a little bit there."
"Y-yeah, I'm okay." Kairi rested her hand against her chest. "I just...I have this funny feeling in my chest. Does anyone else feel that?"
Chirithy climbed out, shaking his head. "I feel it." He hopped down and bounced ahead a few steps. "This place…" He breathed out. "I...I know it…"
Something snapped in Chirithy's mind. He could suddenly see images of this same wasteland only the Keyblades were no longer in the ground. They were in the hands of various children who were fighting one another. The sounds of metal clashing against each other, the cries of children falling at the hands of their enemies, the dark clouds that cackled with thunder above. It proved to be too much for Chirithy to think about as he began to hold his pounding head.
"Chirithy? Are you okay?" Kairi asked.
Chirithy whimpered and nodded his head. "Y-yeah. I think...I just have...a migraine…"
Xion sighed and patted him on the head. "Get some rest, buddy."
"Kairi, where does the tracker say the last piece is?" Aqua asked.
"Oh!" Kairi pulled out her phone and pulled up the tracker app. Much to her disappointment, what normally would have been a mark indicating its location didn't appear on the screen at all. It was blank. "Wait, this is weird...it's not showing up at all…"
Riku furrowed his eyebrows before he checked the phone himself. "That makes no sense. The radar on the ship told us it was here."
"Hmmm…" Mickey folded his arms. "Something's not right."
"You're telling us." Xion chuckled.
"No, I mean something is really not right."
"What do you mean, your majesty?" Naminé asked.
Kairi sighed, curling her hand into a fist. "I think I know what he's talking about. The reason why we can't see the final piece...it's because someone else already has it. And I already know it's one of two people."
"We may be here a while. They could be anywhere in this wasteland." Riku huffed as he stepped forward. "We should split up."
"Good idea." Aqua said with a nod. "I'll go with Riku and Mickey. We'll start out east. Kairi, Naminé, Xion, you guys start out in the west."
"Right!" Kairi said with a nod.
The group split into two groups of three, each venturing off in the opposite direction. Kairi may have been used to having to trek long distances, but this time was different. Not only did she not have a single clue where she had to look for the missing seashell, but the haunting nature of the Keyblade Graveyard always stirred some hesitation inside of her. It only got worse once they reached the labyrinth Xehanort had created for the different battles between the lights and darknesses. Even the spot where Kairi remembered her lucky charm being shattered had no remnants of the previous battle remaining, leaving her disappointed that the final piece wasn't there.
All Kairi, Naminé, and Xion could do was continue their search. There was always that chance of missing it the first time and then possibly finding it the second time around. Unfortunately, time was wasted as they got lost during their trek back out of the labyrinth. Every path looked the same and every wall looked the same. It finally took Kairi pulling out her phone and having to use a map and the compass on her watch to guide them back out to the open wasteland. By this time, they were hot, tired, and even somewhat dirty from the dust clouds. Not only that, but they were all in deep thought by this point.
"Are we all thinking the same thing?" Naminé broke the silence.
Kairi nodded. "I think so." She answered, stopping in her tracks. "I haven't been here since…"
"Kairi?" Xion rested a hand on her shoulder. "You've been acting strange ever since we arrived. What's on your mind?"
The better question was what wasn't on her mind? Ever since Kairi had arrived, she had been deeper in thought and she didn't even try to hide it, nor did she even want to try and hide it. She had learned that no matter how hard she tried, she was always an open book to her friends and they could easily see when there was something on her mind.
"It's just that...I kept thinking to myself that if I ever had to step food in this graveyard again, I'd be able to do it, but now that I am, it's…" Kairi shivered. "It just feels haunting."
Naminé nodded and stepped forward. "It's strange, I've never been here before and yet, it feels like I have."
The warm presence of another friend filled Naminé's mind as she could suddenly see the memory of the battle that would change her life forever. Riku had fought his past self and while he was able to weaken the replica significantly, it took a little help from a friend to finish him off. The real replica, the one that had been with Riku all along since his departure from Castle Oblivion, intervened and finished one of the thirteen seekers of darkness. The replica's victory resulted in the seeker having his heart removed, but the vessel remained behind.
"Naminé...you're saving her." Riku's voice echoed.
It didn't matter whether he was the real Riku or a replica, he meant something to her. She knew both Riku and the replica were equally special to her in their own ways. Naminé would always be grateful for the Riku replica sacrificing his chance at a full life for her to have a vessel for her own heart. Anytime she was with Riku, Naminé would always remember the selfless act, and would feel his presence beside her.
"Riku…" Naminé spoke softly. "The replica. It's like I'm seeing his memories of this place through him."
Kairi pursed her lips and folded her arms. "I can't say that surprises me. Your powers over memory are definitely beyond anything we can comprehend."
"I remember when I first came here." Xion stepped forward, her hair blowing in the wind that blew toward the west. "I didn't have any sense of who I was. All I knew was that I was created to fight."
"But Axel and Roxas helped you regain your memories." Kairi reminded her.
"They did, but…" Xion rested a hand against her chest. "All of a sudden, I think I understand how Kaguya feels. I...I remember what it was like...to feel like you're all alone in the world with no sense of purpose."
Kairi sighed, holding her head down. "Yeah...so do I."
"Me too." Naminé nodded slowly.
"But at the end of the day, she's trying to steal my heart." Kairi huffed. "I have to protect it by any means."
"So do we." Xion and Naminé both nodded in agreement.
"Come to think of it, it really is creepy how our memories of this place just crept up on us, huh?" Xion asked.
"Yeah, speaking of memories." Kairi summoned Chirithy. "You said you know this place, but I thought you were in The Final World waiting for a friend all that time?"
Chirithy sighed and nodded his head. "I was, but...my past goes well beyond that place…"
"How so?" Naminé asked.
"There was a war…" Chirithy softly breathed out. "Some of us fled, but everyone else…" He suddenly began crying. "I'm sorry, I can't…"
"Chirithy!" Kairi quickly picked him up. "I'm sorry. If it's too painful, we understand."
"It's not about me…" He sniffled as he wiped his tears. "But, I've said too much. I'd better go back."
As Chirithy vanished, Kairi's ears perked at the familiar sound that was similar to that of a rushing waterfall. She turned back and her eyes widened at the black twister that rushed before her, Xion, and Naminé. It was just as she had remembered it. It was made up of hundreds of Shadows and they all surrounded a core. It rushed like a tide, a Demon Tide.
"Not this thing again…" Kairi growled while summoning her Keyblade.
"What is that thing?" Naminéd asked.
Xion scoffed as she summoned her Keyblade. "Whatever is it, we can handle it, right Kairi?"
Kairi was frozen in place as the Demon Tide whipped around and approached her, Naminé, and Xion much closer. She remembered the Demon Tide from the last time she was at the Keyblade Graveyard and how it swallowed her, Sora, and all of their friends without much of a fighting chance before the timeline had been altered and everyone was saved. She remembered the Demon Tide from a dream she had at the beginning of her journey and how it swallowed her up. Horrible memories of the past had a way of trying to get to Kairi's core and weaken her, almost making her helpless.
But not this time.
The Demon Tide wasn't even close to the one Sora had fought the year before and Kairi knew she could take it with her friends beside her. She gripped her Keyblade and got ready for whatever this wave of darkness had in store for them.
"Yeah! We'll take this thing down in no time!"
In terms of strength, Kairi, Naminé, and Xion could have held themselves over no problem. However, the problem with the Demon Tide was that it would aggressively shake any time either of the girls would land an attack on it. The fact that the core, its weak point, was high up didn't help either. Xion dashed herself into a Sonic Blade to attack the bottom, but the Shadow Heartless would disperse and overpower her, causing Naminé to cast Thundaga spells on the majority of the shadows and Blizzaga spells on some strays that Kairi could finish off.
Although Naminé and Kairi could get the shadows out of Xion's hair, that didn't change the bigger problem, the Shadows would just continue to materialize and replace the ones that were defeated. It was a never ending loop. The only way to take down the Demon Tide would have to be to attack the core that attracted the Shadows in a similar way to how a beehive attracted bees. Kairi decided to try and cast Stopga to try and climb up to the location of the core, but the magic wore off too quickly and whipped around, trying to throw Kairi off.
While Kairi held on, Naminé cast Firaga spells at the core, but there were too many Shadows guarding it. She attempted to use Aeroga to gust through and separate the Shadows from each other and the core. It worked, but now Kairi was being thrown back onto the ground and Shadows were raining on top of them. A few Shadows went after the girls while the rest of them swarmed back to their core and formed a tide once again, aggressively whipping about like an angered serpent.
"It won't stop moving!" Xion grunted.
"Sounds like we can use a little bit of help!" Kairi said as she tapped her watch. "Pepita! Give me strength!"
A twister of orange petals thwarted off the Demon Tide as it charged for the girls and from within, the green and blue lion creature appeared. She snarled and roared in an attempt to protect Kairi, Naminé, and Xion, but the Demon Tide wasn't remotely affected by it other than a husky breath blowing it a little further away from Pepita's roar. She looked down at Kairi and lay down, giving her a chance to climb on.
"The core, Pepita! I gotta get close to the core!" Kairi pointed out.
Pepital roared before taking off for the skies, to which the Demon Tide had fled upon realizing Kairi's added advantage. She and Pepita followed the Demon Tide as it tried circling them before trying to directly attack them. Pepita decided to charge it head on as well thanks to her horns. Thanks to the strength in her horns, many Shadows in the front were dispersed and fell to the ground for Xion and Naminé to take care of without any problems. The more Pepita charged against the Demon Tide, the more Shadows were dispersed and the more the core was revealed.
The perfect moment came when the top of the core was completely open and vulnerable. Kairi had Pepita fly really close, giving her just enough room to avoid getting attacked, but also close enough for her to jump onto the back. Once she was on the back, the Demon Tide aggressively shook to try and throw her off, but impaling her Keyblade into the core gave her just what she needed. The core began to glow and build up as if it were about to self-destruct. Kairi hopped back onto Pepita and flew as far away from it as possible as a bright explosion occurred, knocking both of them down and the Shadows all around the area.
Kairi tumbled and fell onto the ground as did Pepita, who was dismissed after she had finished her duty in assisting Kairi. Her Keyblade fell and landed right beside her just before Naminé ran beside her and cast Curaga. Xion pointed out the hundreds of Shadows that began to swarm for them out of anger and hunger for their hearts.
"That takes care of the core, but now they're everywhere!" Naminé squealed as the Shadows infested the perimeter.
Kairi growled, realizing that they were outnumbered for sure this time. "Then we're gonna need a little help from our friends!" She tapped on her watch. "Bolt! Give me strength!"
A familiar wave of lightning surrounded Kairi and the white german shepherd dashed out and barked happily, ready to help. She commanded him to try and take down as many of the Shadows as he could. Despite there being hundreds, they were easy to defeat with the combined strength of three Keyblade wielders and a dog with superpowers. Bolt's heat vision, laser beams, super speed and strength were powerful enough to defeat groups of Shadows at a time while his super bark was enough to wipe out large numbers of Shadows. Kairi felt good knowing that Bolt was strong enough to take on these Heartless by himself if she and the other girls didn't have Keyblades.
Xion wailed on a few Shadows and finished off her Ars Arcanum combo with some beams of light from her Keyblade while Naminé combined her Aeroga and Thundaga spells to create a twister of lightning and decimate another group of Shadows. Kairi had done well with her various Pearlga spells, her Seven Wishes combo finisher that was able to take out up to seven Shadows at a time, and even her Heart of Princess shotlock that rained lights down directly on them. Before they knew it, there was one last group of Shadows, and the three girls opted to finish them off together. Each of them held their Keyblades against each other and fired a powerful burst of light, finishing them off, never to be seen again.
"That's a wrap! Thanks Bolt!" Kairi thanked the pup as he was dismissed.
Naminé took a deep breath as she cast Curaga on everyone. "What was that all about?" She asked.
"I'm not sure, but...I overcame it." Kairi said with a smile.
"That's great!" Xion laughed. "That means you've finally come to terms with everything that happened last time, right?"
Kairi sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I have."
"Kairi!"
Kairi whipped back and saw Riku running toward her with Mickey and Aqua right behind him. They all had their Keyblades summoned as if they were getting ready to fight something.
"Everyone okay here?" Mickey asked.
"We saw the Demon Tide in the distance and grew worried, so we thought we'd try and see if we could help." Aqua explained.
"There was one, but we took care of it." Kairi said, nodding with confidence.
Riku chuckled. "See? I told you they could handle it."
"But who's responsible for the Heartless appearing here?" Mickey asked as he scanned the area.
Kairi could feel a twinge in her chest, as if she could feel an unpleasant presence upon her. She remembered this feeling. Someone was calling out to her. It was her.
"I'll give you one guess." Kairi said in a low tone.
The wind picked up, blowing Kairi's hair directly into her face. She turned to find a dark shadow awaiting her in the sandstorm that had picked up. There she was, waiting for her. Without even needing a word out of her, Kairi knew that Kaguya would confront her once again. This would be the last time, Kairi decided. She proceeded to move through the dust clouds with Naminé and Xion behind her and Riku, Aqua, and Mickey on either side of them. Kaguya stayed still despite being outnumbered. Her dark eyes spelled no fear as they locked with the ones belonging to the Princess of Heart.
"There she is...Kaguya!" Kairi called out.
"Surprised I showed up?" Kaguya snickered.
"Not in the slightest. You've been following me for too long and it stops now!"
"I'm offended that you already forgot what I came here for." She said as she pointed her Keyblade toward Kairi. "You and I both have something the other person needs."
Kairi growled as she curled her hand into a fist. "You don't need my heart, you want it! You want me to sacrifice my existence for your own needs."
"That'll never happen." Riku said, stepping forward. "I won't let that happen!"
Kaguya laughed and shook her head. "Way to make me sound like the selfish one. Think of it as...sharing our life together. I'm sure it'd be a big help to you, Kairi."
"What are you saying?" Kairi asked.
"I know about your heart's condition. I know if your precious little light goes out, you're done for." She noted. "If our hearts join, that won't ever be any of your concern."
Kairi grunted as she took a step back. She hated it when Kaguya was right. This time, she couldn't have been more right. With Kairi's heart relying solely on her light, it made her believe in that sole minute that joining with Kaguya's heart would solve everything, but consequences weren't clear enough for her. Sure, maybe joining hearts would benefit her personally, but what about everyone else? The consideration of what could happen to everyone but her was enough for her to reject the idea.
"Maybe, but my heart and my light both belong to me and I will never give them up!" Kairi declared. "You have no power over me!"
Kaguya's eyes began to glow red as she raised her hand and pointed it toward Kairi. "Are you sure about that?" She hissed.
With what felt like a flash, Kairi suddenly could suddenly see internally into her mind. They were vivid memories of her past, but not just any memories. She began to see the faces of such dark figures that played a significant role in her life: Terranort, Ansem, and Xemnas. Each of them approached her and reached a hand toward her, as if they were attempting to capture her like the various times they were successful. Kairi shut her eyes and held her head, trying to block the awful memories out. The more she fought back, she began to engulf with darkness, instantly stirring concern within her friends.
"Kairi!" Riku rushed toward her, only to be blocked by the dark aura and knocking him back.
"What's happening?" Naminé asked.
"I don't know, but it doesn't look good…" Xion drew her Keyblade.
In between Kairi and Kaguya, the dark aura began to disperse into three spheres before they began to transform. In their place were three pure dark shadows that each resembled one of the three Xehanorts that had haunted Kairi's past memories.
"Do these figures look familiar?' Kaguya asked with a snicker.
"Of course they do!" Kairi growled.
"And do you know how I could create them? It's because these are the living embodiments of your darkest memories, the ones that have been awakened no thanks to your little heart condition."
"Stop! That's enough! I don't have a heart condition! My heart is just fine the way it is! It's strong just the way it is!" Kairi yelled, fighting back tears.
Kaguya scoffed and turned away. "Believe what you want to believe, but you can't deny the strength of the true darkness within you. Just look at my creations and see for yourself."
"My light will pierce any darkness that tries to swallow me…"
"If that's so, then let's see if your pathetic light can pierce through me!" Kaguya whipped around.
Kairi immediately charged toward Kaguya and lunged without a second thought. This girl was pushing her beyond whatever limit or patience she had left. She had no problem wailing physical attacks on her, even if they were constantly blocked by her opponent. Their battles were no longer one-sided. They were each other's match.
"You cannot escape me!" Kaguya hissed. "I am your darkness! The brightest light will cast the biggest shadow! The more your power grows, the stronger I become!"
"We'll see about that…" Kairi resisted. She shoved Kaguya back before pressing a hand against her shoulder and summoning her Keyblade armor.
"Well what do you know? A Keyblade armor. Like mother, like daughter, right?"
"You know nothing about my family!"
Kaguya laughed and shook her head. "You're right. I only know as much as you do, which is nothing."
With the wave of her hand, Kaguya sent the three Xehanort shadows toward Kairi. She was no match for all three of them at the same time and everybody else knew it right away. Aqua and Mickey fended off 'Terranort' while Xion and Naminé charged after 'Xemnas', leaving Riku and Kairi to deal with 'Ansem'. Although they were mere shadow illusions of Kairi's memories, their strength was as if all three of them were physically there. With that in mind, Riku and Kairi were worried about Xion and Naminé, but with them tag teaming on Xion's melee attacks and Naminé's spells, 'Xemnas' wasn't too much of a threat.
Despite Aqua and Mickey fighting off 'Terranort', that didn't mean he wasn't going to try and go after the real target, which was Kairi. He dashed around the two Keyblade masters and would have struck Kairi down from behind had she not heard him and cast a barrier to block his attack. The knockback was enough to open it up for Kairi to cast Pearga spells followed by a Thundaga spell. It wasn't enough to take him out completely, but it at least got 'Terranort' off her case so she could help Riku, Naminé, and Xion.
While the fights against the Xehanorts continued on, one thought crossed Kairi's mind. Where was Kaguya? She peeked past the shadows and could see Kaguya hopping onto a glider she created using her Keyblade fleeing further into the desert and toward the labyrinth.
"Kaguya!" Kairi shouted her name.
With catching Kaguya being the only thing on Kairi's mind, she sprinted in pursuit of the speeding Keyblade glider, only stopping for a brief second to look back at her friends. Between the combined strengths of Riku, Aqua, and Mickey with Naminé and Xion assisting them, she knew they were more than capable of holding off the shadows.
"She's too fast…" Kairi gasped as she caught her breath.
"Kairi!" Chirithy hopped out of her hood. "Use your Keyblade!"
In the heat of the moment, Kairi was confused with what Chirithy meant, but when she remembered watching Kaguya escaping on what looked like a gider as well as Riku summoning a glider with his Keyblade before, she decided to give it a shot. Going along with her gut, Kairi tossed the Keyblade up and before her eyes, it became a glider similar to the hoverboard-like glider that Ven and Kaguya both used. She instantly hopped on and it zipped off in the same direction as Kaguya.
Although it took a minute to gather her balance, Kairi instantly learned how to gain control of her glider and steer it in the right direction. She had it in her mind that it was like surfing, but without the waves. Her body shuffled back and forth as she avoided cliffsides, boulders, and ledges. One crash could cause severe damage to her and Kairi wasn't about to find out how. Although, she was very lucky when the edge of her glider hit part of a cliff, but only caused her to *nearly* lose her balance. Her cry of distress from the close call drew Kaguya's attention, who was pretty close ahead.
"Kairi!" Kaguya growled upon realization that the Princess of Heart was catching up to her.
"You won't get away with this!" Kairi yelled out to her.
"What do you know? You get your mother's armor and all of a sudden you think you're a Keyblade Master." She chuckled.
"I don't need armor or a Keyblade to make me who I am!"
Kairi lunged her body to the side and side-swiped Kaguya's glider, causing her to collide with the wall beside her. The impact shook Kaguya up some, but not enough to throw her off completely. Instead, she gathered herself and her balance and spun her glider in a way that would completely collide with Kairi's and nearly launch her off completely. Chirithy managed to hop off of Kairi's shoulder at that moment and over to Kaguya's glider. He wasn't about to let her have the upper hand now.
"Hey! You mess with my friends, you're gonna mess with a nightmare!" Chirithy threatened as he landed on her shoulder.
"Guess the cat's out of the bag, hm?" Kaguya snickered.
Chirithy growled as he grabbed her by the hair and began to yank her in multiple directions. Had he been a normal cat, he could have easily used a sharp set of claws to deal some pain, but alas, he had a cape and that was about it. Kaguya grunted as the feeling of the creature yanking her hair felt like a great pinch on her scalp. Her body unevenly rocked back the more she lost control over her balance on her glider. Her center of gravity suddenly shifted to her left before it jerked to the right collided with Kairi, causing her glider to grind against the wall.
Finally, Kaguya got Chirithy off of her and threw him down to the ground. Kairi cried out for Chirithy's name, but not without seeing a boulder that was too late to try and avoid. The impact of the collision sent her flying off the glider and tumbling on the ground, rolling a few times before she ran out of momentum and came to a stop, face down. Kaguya chuckled as she left Kairi and Chirithy hurt on the ground and continued her way down the trench.
"Augh…." Kairi grunted as she got up from the ground and shook her head. "My head..." She looked ahead and gasped as she saw Chirithy lying on the ground. "Chirithy!" She rushed over to his side and picked him up. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…" He sighed. "I think my squishy head broke my fall…"
"Chirithy…" She sighed and smiled. "You should be safe. Let me handle this. I have to keep my friends safe, remember?"
Chirithy coughed and nodded. "I know, but don't forget, you don't have to do it alone."
"I know, but right now, I do."
"In that case..I guess a nap and an aspirin wouldn't hurt." He sighed and closed his eyes.
Kairi laughed as she dismissed Chirithy to rest. Her smile quickly faded when she could vaguely see Kaguya down the trench. She had just reached the top of a steep cliffside that Kairi recognized as the place atop the Skein of Severance, where the Guardians of Light once gathered to deal the final blow to Xehanort. Kairi caught her breath and wiped the little blood from her scraped lip before grabbing her Keyblade. She knew Kaguya would try to see the top as a place to escape, but she knew better.
Keyblade in hand and as the storm clouds began to gather, Kairi healed Curaga on herself and sprinted toward the steep cliffside. Thanks to the strength she had gathered on her journey and from her training, running up steep cliffs was now as natural as running on a flat path. Kaguya hadn't expected Kairi to catch up to her so fast and was caught off guard when she found herself at a dead end. The only way down was to dive down and hope for a solid landing. Although she was at a dead end, Kaguya wouldn't dare show it. She caught her breath as fast as she could as the sound of Kairi's boots crushing the gravel beneath grew louder and more defined. There was no running anymore. The Princess of Heart and her shadow would have to confront each other once and for all.
"Kaguya! You have nowhere else to go!" Kairi called out to her.
"Nowhere else to go? This all looks familiar to you...doesn't it?" Kaguya asked, slowly turning to face Kairii.
Kairi furrowed her eyebrows, clutching her hand into a fist. "Yes...it does."
"This was where everything changed for you. Your heart was shattered, and Sora had to sacrifice his existence in this world to restore it."
"He did. And I know he'd do it again."
Kaguya chuckled. "It's just too bad it's a waste."
"No…" Kairi shook her head. "His sacrifices always meant something, and whatever I have to do to restore him, it'll be worth it too."
"What do you know about sacrifice? I am darkness, your darkness. I am a sacrifice." Kaguya hissed.
"You're wrong. You're more than that."
"You're lying. You only believe that because you fear me. You now realize that your heart is no safer from darkness than your friends' hearts."
Kairi shook her head, breathing deeply to remain calm. "No, I'm not afraid of you."
"Is that so?" Kaguya asked, stepping forward. "I suppose you won't be needing this then."
In her grasp, Kairi could see the one thing that stood out from Kaguya's gloved hand. It was a small piece of purple and yellow seashell, but recognized the spiky hair and smiley face that was drawn on it with brown marker that had yet to wash off. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she recognized it was exactly what she was looking for.
"Give that to me! I need that!" Kairi yelled.
Kaguya snickered, fiddling with the piece of seashell. "So, we have more in common after all. You need something that I have, and I need something you have."
"Please, you don't understand. You don't understand how far I've come." Kairi pleaded. "I don't care what it takes! I will save Sora!"
"I don't understand?" Kaguya scoffed. "Wrong, princess! You don't understand! And you never will! You'll never understand the true feeling of emptiness! You'll never understand what it's like to exist without a sense of purpose! You'll never understand what it's like to not have a heart that is whole, a heart that can feel all that is good! Well today, that's all going to change. I know the one person your heart will always ache for if he were to never return." She snickered.
"Wha…" Kairi gasped, feeling an undiscovered sense of rage deep within. "No...if you hurt Sora…"
"Calm down, I have no intention of hurting him. That is...if…"
"If what?"
"You know the routine. Give up your heart and I'll make sure Sora remains safe." Kaguya demanded. "You can even have this seashell back."
Kairi gasped, stepping back. "You'd...you'd really do that? How can you be so cruel when you've had people show you kindness?"
"Because I am darkness. I take what I want!"
Kaguya reached out her hand and Kairi suddenly felt like something was pulling at her chest. She instinctively pressed her own hand against it, as if she were trying to shield it with all her mind. The pain was enough to send Kairi collapsing to her knees, whimpering and grunting as she used any strength she had in her to protect her heart. When Kaguya could see she wasn't doing any good, she summoned her Keyblade with the intention of striking Kairi down to make taking her heart all the easier.
"Kairi!"
As Kaguya was about to strike, another Keyblade blocked hers. It wasn't Kairi's Keyblade, but rather, it was the Kingdom Key! She gasped as she realized that the wielder wasn't Sora as she had expected, but it was someone she had a very strong connection with and didn't think she'd ever clash blades with.
"Aros?" Kaguya gasped. "What're you…?"
"Forget it, Kaguya!" Aros growled as he pushed back. "You're not taking Kairi's heart!"
Kairi looked at Aros, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Aros, what're you…?"
"It's for both of your own good." He looked over at Kaguya.
"Traitor!" Kaguya hissed.
"No." Aros shook his head, not making eye contact with her. "You're the traitor. I finally stopped running away from the truth and I accepted it. I was created using someone else's heart and memories, but it's up to me to live my life the way I want it. You refuse to accept who you are and in return, you are using that anger to hurt people that have spared you and shown you the light that you're searching for."
"You've never understood me!" She spat back at him. "And you never will! You're nothing but a clone who felt sorry for me!"
"Well if a clone is what you think I am, then I'll do what a clone of Sora is supposed to do." Aros said as he held his Keyblade in front of Kairi. "You think stealing someone else's light will help you? It'll only drive you further away! You keep saying you want to find your light and embrace it when really, I think you're scared of it! You're scared of getting too close to the light and being destroyed by it because you are darkness."
"Shut up!" Kaguya yelled.
Aros stood his ground, demanding Kairi to get out of the way. He grunted as Kaguya wailed her Keyblade, only to be blocked various times. He knew that she wasn't focused and really fighting back could hurt her. Instead, he fought defensively. Anytime Kaguya tried to cast a spell or try to attack Kairi, Aros was there to take it, whether it was him shielding it or taking damage. Thankfully he had become a competent fighter and could hold his own, despite Kaguya's great strength feeding off of Kairi's.
Kaguya immediately got back up and shook her hair out after Aros knocked her away, trying to keep as much distance between her and Kairi as possible. Her heart ached the more she tried to fight back and yet her mind became all the more clouded with pure anger and rage. It seemed that all those days she spent with Aros seeing the worlds, pouring out her feelings to him, learning about the world around her, trusting him, had all been for nothing. Kaguya grabbed her Keyblade and cast a Blizzaga spell at Aros' feet. With him trapped, she teleported behind and struck him in the back, causing him to helplessly collapse to the ground.
Kairi cried out Aros' name as she rushed to his side and knelt down. She took him in her arms, resting her head against his chest and listening for a heartbeat. It continued to beat normally, but from a distance, all Kaguya could see was the unconscious boy she gave her entire heart to and the pain she had caused him. The storm clouds above roared and flashed with thunder as rain droplets dropped onto her head the ground she stood on. All she could see in the puddle before her was a monster that did just as she was created to do, hurt anyone who got in her way.
"No…" Kaguya's body shook, dropping her Keyblade. "Is he…?"
Kairi shook her head as she felt his face. "No, he's okay. He's just knocked out." Her hand glowed green as she cast a Curaga spell over him.
"Aros…" She fell to her knees.
"Kaguya, do you see what happens when you allow your pain to control your feelings and your actions?" Kairi asked as she gently lay Aros back down. She stood and slowly walked toward her. "The people you love are always the first ones to get hurt when this happens. Your family...your friends-"
Kaguya growled as she curled her hand into a fist. "What friends? Are you talking about that cruel master that lied to me? Or the boy that chose you over me?"
"Luxu was cruel to you." Kairi nodded in agreement. "But Aros is trying to save you! Sometimes friends have to do that! Sometimes the only way to save someone you care about is going against them! But if I know you and your heart," She held out her hand. "Then once you let go of your pain and embrace your own light, you'll find the happiness you are searching for."
As tears fell to the ground, Kaguya looked closer at her own reflection in the same puddle and could have sworn that she saw someone completely different, but at the same time, it was her. She was smiling, laughing, and the best part, she wasn't alone. Aros was beside her, his expression matching hers if not softer. As she saw this reflection, Kaguya felt her cold heart warm ever so slightly, as if it were starting to thaw. She remembered these wonderful feelings and she wanted to feel them forever.
"My own light…" Kaguya looked up at Aros. "Aros…?"
Kaguya's eyes wouldn't leave Aros as he lay helplessly, still injured from her uncontrollable rage. All she wanted was to wake him up, look into his deep blue eyes, and just take everything back that had just happened in the last several minutes. It was in that minute that Kaguya expressed general remorse and regret for the first time in her short life. Kairi could see that and patiently waited for Kaguya to see it too, holding her hand out for this broken soul who needed a friend more than anything.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kaguya could still see Kairi offering a helping hand to her. She turned and could see genuine light within the blue-violet irises. Whatever was happening, it was similar to what happened when Kaguya could feel a connection forming with Aros, when she knew she could trust him with everything. The same warmth began to grow, urging Kaguya to reach for Kairi's hand.
But for Kaguya, nothing was that simple.
What are you doing?
"What? Who is that?" Kaguya asked in response to the strange hostile voice in her head.
Someone who's been with you all along.
"You're not...Master Luxu…"
I am many things, but you may call me Darkness. I am what you were created from. A darkness that cannot latch onto the heart of a pure light and is destined to build and build until it is a person of its own, one of pure sadness, anger, anxiety, pain, darkness.
"No! You mean I'll never find the light?"
The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes. Darkness cannot be defeated. This is your fate, your destiny. You walk these roads alone and you will continue to do so.
"I...I can't…" Kaguya softly cried. "I can't be alone...not anymore…"
Then take what is rightfully yours!
In a flash, Kaguya could feel her stomach and heart erupting as any sort of warmth from any light she had allowed into her heart was shrouded. In its place were once again the ice cold bitter feelings of anger, sadness, and vengeance.
"Get away from me!" Kaguya shouted as she slapped Kairi's hand away.
Kairi jumped back and summoned her Keyblade, ready to defend herself should Kaguya snap and attack her. As she predicted, the girl charged toward her and clashed her blade against Kairi's. With her mind clouded with rage, her combat was sloppy like it was against Aros with her attacks not as sharp or precise like they used to be. As Kairi pushed her away after blocking an attack, she knew that she had to get Kaguya to stop, otherwise they'd both get hurt at this point.
"Kaguya, stop! What will this accomplish?" Kairi grunted, trying to fend off Kaguya's Keyblade.
"Shut up! It's time for your fairytale to come to an end!" Kaguya yelled. "Now that our strength is matched, it is time for our hearts to join! Together, I'll become whole, and I'll finally get what I worked my whole life for...a happy ending!"
Kairi gasped. "Kaguya…no..." She choked out.
"And now…" Kaguya's voice lowered to a sinister hushed tone. "You will suffer the same pain I felt all this time!"
As if she felt a thousand knives stabbing into her body, Kairi screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Her body trembled as if she were trapped in subzero temperatures as the pure darkness that Kaguya was created from finally broke down the barriers around Kairi's heart.
Kairi could only do one thing at this point: fight for her heart.
A/N: I had to split this into two parts! Besides, leaving you guys on cliffhangers is part of the fun of fanfic writing :P