Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 3
Leon was surprised to find they were all floating but he adapted, striking again and again at the massive winged creature sitting in….a volcano? It hit hard and he kept close to the girl, Yuffie at his side, as they made sure she was doing okay suddenly having to fight in the air.
It swiped a mighty claw at them, tossing them all away before hunching over. They glided back to the demon and it raised its arms, roaring loudly as an enormous torrent of flames washes over them from the volcano, swirling voraciously around the creature. Donald sent a Blizzaga spell at the beast and it began to spew fire from its mouth.
They flew behind it, spreading out to try and keep away from its reach, and attacked its neck, dodging another wall of fire. It knocked them away again and held out its arms, spinning them in the air. Spirits appeared, dancing near the end of its fingers, and it sent them after the group. Aerith cast Aeroga on everyone as they flew back into the fray, dodging the attacking spirits. After tussling with the dark demon, it roared and burst into a pillar of white hot flames, flapping its huge wings for a final time before sinking into the volcano and vanishing. The group floated down through the crater where they found a white portal.
Healing spells were quickly cast over everyone, ethers handed out to those who needed them as well, and then they passed through the portal in groups.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Axel sat on the ledge, leaning back on his elbows, watching as Roxas ate his ice cream. Something was bothering him about the boy…had been for a while….oh….huh. he hesitated but then decided to see if he was right. "Hey Sora?" he called, and Roxas, no Sora, turned to look at him, before freezing as he realised what he'd done. "You do remember," he murmured, seeing the younger Nobody tense, ready to move.
Axel sat up slowly, holding his hands out. "Easy kid," he soothed. The dullness never left his eyes, Roxa…Sora seemed even more deadened then the rest of them when it came to even faking emotion. "I won't tell," he promised, and he meant it. "We're friends Sora, got it memorised?"
"We are?" he asked, head titled slightly to the side.
Ouch, but he couldn't blame the kid, he may remember emotions but he couldn't feel them anymore and he didn't have Axel's years of using those memories to make existence more bearable. To live like he felt those emotions by using the memories to see how he would have felt in situations. He was sure of it, if they had met as people, he would want to be Sora's friend. "We are," he told him firmly.
Sora stared at him before nodding slowly. "Okay. Sorry."
"For what? Hiding or doubting we're friends?" he teased, nudging his shoulder slightly with his own, and Sora shrugged. "Why are you hiding?"
"Xemnas found me over there," Sora pointed to the forest, and the roof barely visible within, the old mansion. "I honestly didn't remember when I first woke up but then there was this brief pain and I knew I was Sora. Then Xemnas appeared and he made my name appear before spinning it…"
"And adding an X, yeah, he does that to everyone," Axel assured him.
Sora nodded. "He didn't seem to consider I that I remembered anything and…" Sora looked away, out at the view. "Axel…do you trust him?"
He looked at Sora, not sure how to answer that, but if Sora did remember, if he was hiding so much from the others, then he would have no reason to betray him. "No, I don't."
That had Sora looking at him, a flicker of life in his eyes for once. "Really?"
"Really. It's a very long story, but another and I, we ended up like this because we were looking to save someone and we've kept working on that." He didn't name Saïx because Sora didn't seem to react well to him at all.
"Before the Keyblade came back…the way Xemnas watched me, like I was only useful if I could summon it still. I think if I hadn't…"
"He'd have turned you into a Dusk?" that was the most frequent threat for failure.
"Or destroyed me totally," Sora answered.
Axel honestly wasn't sure which was worse.
"He wants to use me for something. I don't think what Marluxia told me about the Organisations goals are Xemnas' goals."
Axel had his own doubts over Kingdom Hearts giving them Hearts, after all, Xemnas….Xehanort then, had been the one to remove them in the first place. Yeah, some of the Apprentices had been willing, he and Isa had just had the bad luck of getting caught sneaking in that day.
He looked at Sora and then sighed. "You're planning on running." He didn't blame him, if Xemnas wanted to use him and his Keyblade then he'd be safer away from the Organisation. "Not yet," he told him, and Sora frowned. "You're not ready Sora, you won't make it alone, not yet. You need to learn more about being a Nobody and what we can do first. Like using the Corridors without needing someone else to open one. Were you planning on just running forever or what?"
"I…I was going to find Kairi. I know I look different but if anyone would listen, it's her. And she's a Princess of Heart, I guess I thought that if anyone could help me, it would be her."
Axel nodded, not a bad plan, if his human friend would listen. "Do you remember how you became a Nobody?" he asked since he knew some didn't.
Sora nodded. "I stabbed myself in the heart with the Keyblade of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness after defeating him. He possessed Riku, my best friend," it was all stated flatly, the teen not even bothering to try and fake emotion. "I killed Riku."
He didn't want to try and imagine the kind of emotions that would have caused. "Did you commit suicide?" he asked. While that could have been due to emotional distress and overload, if it was even partially due to a mental imbalance or weakness then that could have carried over to his Nobody since they were formed from the body.
"Kairi was the last Princess, to seal the Keyhole, it had to be completed first and it couldn't be, because her Heart wasn't in her body."
And Axel had a feeling he knew where the story was going. "It was in you?" Sure enough, he nodded. "So you killed yourself to free her Heart."
That was….wow. Would he have done that for anyone when he was a person? He…he honestly didn't think he would have. And yet Sora had, and maybe he didn't think on it, but Axel thought his grief and guilt over killing his friend would have made doing so easier, even if he didn't consciously realise it.
He stood up and stretched. "Come on Roxas, we have work to do," he told him, offering him a hand.
Sora stared at him but then accepted his hand, letting Axel pull him to his feet. "Roxas?"
"Well, can't let anyone know," he smirked. "So I guess you're stuck with Roxas till you leave." He just hoped Sora could convince his friends of his identity and that they would accept him as he was now. Was it possible for Somebodies to accept a Nobody?
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Kairi stepped forward and the doors opened. From beyond, light streamed in and engulfed the room. She blinked until she could focus, opening her eyes to see a bright sandy beach where the clouds billowed in the sky. The waves lapped at the shore and she stood there in disbelief. "Is this... Is this my island?" she whispered as the others joined her.
"This world has been connected." That was the man who had possessed Riku! But where was he?
There were gaps as the small island off the beach disappeared.
"What was that?" Goofy asked, shield at the ready.
"Tied to the darkness... Soon to be completely eclipsed."
The wooden area past the long bridge vanished into thin air.
"There is so very much to learn," he continued, and Kairi turned toward the sea.
The ocean frothed, turning a dark violet colour.
"You understand so little."
The island started to rumble and quake even as they all made their way to the waterfront, weapons in hand.
"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."
The island flashed and the sky ripped open, shattering the peaceful illusion. Beyond the gashing tears was a dark, mad world. The beach crumbled and lifted out of the water, revealing its rocky undergrowth as what once was a dock split in two. Riku stood at the edge of the water, and yet everything in her screamed that it wasn't really Riku. They ran down to the beach where he stood motionless, staring out at the sea.
"Take a look at this tiny place. To the Heart seeking freedom this is a prison surrounded by water. And so this boy sought out to escape from his prison." The man said, raising Riku's arms, looking upward, the wind gusting through his hair and clothes. "He sought a way to cross over into other worlds. And he opened his Heart to Darkness." He turned and there was nothing of Riku in his eyes.
Kairi gasped, reaching for him automatically, even as Riku's body melted away to reveal the man she had seen after waking. "Riku!"
"Don't bother. Your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His Heart belongs again to Darkness. All worlds begin in Darkness, and all so end. The Heart is no different."
She glared at him, readying her Keyblade. She would save Riku!
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora stared at Xemnas, his face blank. Axle said he was getting better at faking emotion but there was no need in front of Xemnas. He then looked at the Samurai Nobody beside him, wondering why such a low class Nobody was present. Another threat should he fail perhaps?
"It is time that you are given your own class to command. The Samurai are under your control now, they will do as you order. Use them well."
"Yes Sir."
With that he was dismissed, the Samurai following him. Just how much control did he have over them? He would need to find out from the others, if he had total control, without Xemnas being able to order them around, then that would be very useful. Depending on their intelligence when given orders, they could possibly locate Kairi for him which would make things easier.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Axel sat on the tower, waiting for Sora. Several of their members had been sent to Castle Oblivion over the last few days, permanently assigned for now rather than travelling between the two as they had been doing previously. It was the new additions that interested him and he had the feeling they would not be returning, whether it was him or someone else sent to do the job. He assumed it would be him, with Saïx's interference. Which gave him days to make sure the kid could open Corridors himself. He was good, but that place was strange, which meant there was a chance he wouldn't return either. For some strange reason, he wanted to make sure Sora would be able to make it if that happened.
He hadn't told Saïx about Sora when once he would have, but he'd been having doubts about his childhood friend lately. He hadn't told Sora who his partner in crime was either, that would keep them both safer, what they didn't know they couldn't divulge. And he honestly wasn't sure if Saïx would keep Sora's memories a secret at all. However, he knew Sora wouldn't tell if he knew that Saïx was his partner in undermining the Organisation for their own reasons…or he had been anyway. He just wasn't sure their reasons were the same anymore.
Despite being unable to feel, Sora was somehow managing to hold onto the core of who he had been, he hadn't lost all morality or anything. He knew before becoming a Nobody, he would never have done most of what he had over the years and it didn't bother him at all. Sora seemed to be using his memories as moral guidelines to restrict his behaviour. He'd seen the kid save a group of people on their last mission together, despite orders to remain unseen. He'd been utterly emotionless about it but had told Axel it was the right thing to do when he'd asked.
He grinned when the kid appeared, holding two ice creams, he'd created another addict to the things! He was so proud, or would be if he could feel it. And yet sometimes when around Sora…it almost seemed like the emotions weren't being faked, but that was impossible, he no more had a Heart than Sora did. He accepted his and then Sora sat next to him, one knee drawn up to rest his arm on as he ate.
"We're intensifying training," he warned after a while to just sit and relax.
"Why?" There was no curiosity, just a want of information in order to understand. Sora was very logical in his thinking, seeking out information before making decisions…the reverse of what had been reported before. It was amazing how the loss of his Heart had altered his way of thinking.
Axel explained about Castle Oblivion and Sora listened, nodding. When he was done they headed to their training spot where they worked on Sora opening his own Corridors. His snarl of anger at failing to do so was rather impressive considering it wasn't fuelled by real emotion. He was definitely getting better at mimicking, which would help if he could find his friends.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Kairi saw him move behind his Guardian and with a spinning motion, slammed the Keyblade into Ansem's back. Ansem said nothing, barely even flinched, and the world went black.
"Wha...?" she looked around in shock, seeing them all floating around her in mid-air. Where were they?
"Behold the endless abyss! Within it lies the heart of all worlds," Ansem motioned and they looked over to see a torn rock through the blackness, where an immense white door stood closed. "Kingdom Hearts! Look as hard as you are able. You'll not find even the smallest glimmer of light. From those dark depths are all Hearts born. Even yours. Darkness conquers all worlds!"
She gasped, grimacing as he merged with a massive…something. She didn't know what to call it, her eyes and mind recoiling from the grotesque thing. It was massive! How were they meant to defeat that? She swallowed, feeling despair growing, and then a hand touched her shoulder and she looked to find Aerith smiling gently at her even as he green eyes glinted, her staff ready in her other hand. Kairi took a deep breath and nodded, they could do this, they had to.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Numerous pillars with a bright blue substance peeking out from them filled the cavernous 'room'. The two looked around and noticed a pair of large white doors slightly cracked open.
"Is that the one?" Aqua asked.
"Yep, the door to Kingdom Hearts. Welp, it's not the Kingdom Hearts you know. Not exactly. But even though it's smaller, it's still the heart of many worlds. And even if it's not a complete Kingdom Hearts, we definitely can't leave it open like this, or darkness will escape and destroy the remaining worlds," he explained, raising the Keyblade of Darkness. "It's time. With this key and Sora's in the realm of light, we're gonna close this door. Now, all we need is Riku." Mickey wasn't as sure as he sounded though, not when Riku had been unable to sense the other boy, when Mickey himself had felt something fade from the Worlds, but he knew there was another Keyblade out there and who else could it be if not Sora?
"Sora, Riku," she whispered their names, still seeming shocked that the children had grown up.
"There!" He called, pointing to where a silver haired boy was running towards the doors. "That's everybody! Come on, Aqua."
A Demon Tide emerged from the ground near some pillars and flew over them. He spun to see what it was aiming at and gasped in horror. "Oh no!" Riku didn't have a Keyblade! They took off after it.
Aqua summoned. her Keyblade and conjured golden chains from it. "Back off!" she snapped, the chains wrapping around the tower, compressing it into a ball, but it was obvious she was struggling to keep it contained.
"Aqua!"
"Go without me!"
"No, I…!" If they got separated they might not ever find each other again.
The Demon Tide broke free from the chains and rammed into Aqua and Mickey, trapping them within the mass of Shadows forming the Demon Tide's body. Mickey fell from the Heartless, causing his shirt to disappear into sparkles of light upon impact with the ground. He watched Aqua get carried away by the Demon Tide, unable to do anything to stop it.
"Aqua!"
Aqua was swept out of the room through the wooden door which closed behind her before vanishing completely. No… he took a deep breath and then turned away, wanting to try and go after her, but he couldn't. Riku couldn't close the door alone.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Yuffie grimaced, they were all exhausted but the creep just wouldn't die! She caught her shuriken and prepared to throw again, only to stare in shock as Kairi glowed with Light, the power of a Princess and the Keyblade combined, that was so cool. She launched an impressive attack, Donald and Goofy immediately backing her up. Yuffie took a deep breath, gathering her magic, calling up the giant shuriken to unleash Doom of the Living, infusing the shuriken with all the magic she had left, seeing Leon's attack launch from nearby.
She cheered and punched the air as the massive construct began blowing up from the inside. Finally!
"Is this the answer? I can't be..." He convulsed as the construct was enveloped by a glowing light.
Forming a gigantic orb, it exploded, the energy scattering through the abyss. Yuffie yelped as it moved their way, feeling Leon move protectively in front of her, but it was too late and everything went wide.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Kairi lowered her arm and gasped in horror. Where were they? Donald and Goofy were still with her but the others…Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid… they weren't dead, they couldn't be!
She refocused as she realised Ansem was still twitching, the door to Kingdom Hearts waiting behind him.
"It is futile. The Keyblade alone cannot seal the door to darkness," he growled, whirling around, reaching out towards the door, gazing madly as a man possessed. "Kingdom Hearts! Fill me with the power of darkness..." His hand trembled as he struggled to recite the words.
To Kairi's horror, the doors began to open, tongues of Darkness emanating from beyond its cold white stone.
Ansem floated higher in the air, his robes billowing out behind him. "Supreme darkness..."
"You're wrong!" she yelled at him, she refused to believe he was right. "I know that Kingdom Hearts... is light!"
Without warning, a blinding light burst from beyond the door, causing Ansem to cover his eyes. It penetrated his being, sending his mind reeling. "Light..." he struggled, frozen in place, just like when Riku…she felt hope surge, looking for any sign Riku was taking control. "But... Why..." Light erupted from his body, sending crystals bursting from his chest. His arms were thrown apart as the light consumed everything. When it was gone, there was nothing left of him, and Kairi forced back the tears because there was no sign of Riku either.
The three of them flew over to the door and landed on the white sand. They raced over to the door.
"Come on!" she panted as she shoved the door with her whole weight, Donald and Goofy pushing the other one.
Goofy peered through them and gasped in horror.
"Stop staring and keep pushing!" Donald squawked at him before glancing as well, his eyes widening. "Huh?!"
Kairi refused to look, not wanting to see what they could be about to face if they couldn't get the doors shut. They had to! If they failed then the Worlds…Sora had died so that they could save everyone by sealing the Keyholes and now the door, she would not let his sacrifice to wake her be in vain!
"Hurry!" Donald yelled.
"I can't..." she gasped only to stare as a hand wrapped around the door just above her own…but from the other side.
"Don't give up!"
She gasped and then looked up in amazement to see Riku, tears filling her eyes even as he smiled hesitantly at her.
Come on, Kairi! Together, we can do it!" he encouraged and she nodded, returning his smile with a rather watery one.
"Okay!" She kept pushing as Riku pulled, the door slowly beginning to close. "Riku…I'm sorry."
He looked down at her in confusion. "Kairi?"
"Sora….he…"
Riku paled, looking down. "He's gone, isn't he?" he asked even as he kept pulling, and she nodded.
"It's hopeless!" Donald wailed, but then the sound of Heartless being destroyed reached them. "Huh?"
She didn't look, Riku was blocking her view anyway.
"Your Majesty!" Donald and Goofy cried together, sounding utterly relieved.
"Now, Kairi! Let's close this door for good!" the King called out to her.
"Close it, quick!" Donald agreed.
"But..." she frowned when Riku made no attempt to slip out threw the shrinking gap.
"Don't worry. There will always be a door to the light."
"Kairi, you can trust King Mickey," Goofy told her even as Riku looked back at the King.
"Now! They're coming!" He yelled.
No…no. she'd lost Sora, she couldn't lose him too! "Riku!" she cried out, pleading with him, and he looked at her sadly.
"I'm sorry." He lifted his hand and she reached back, feeling some kind of barrier between their hands. She dug in her pocket for the charm, pressing it toward him and surprisingly it passed through the barrier, Riku's fingers closing around it. "I'll find you," he swore.
"Donald, Goofy, thank you," the King called in the background even as the doors began moving together on their own.
Kairi and Riku kept their eyes locked as the doors shut between them, cutting her off from the last of her two closest friends. She took a shaky breath and then leaped back, Keyblade lifting into the air, Light forming at its tip, gathering energy which soon hit the door. The door began to glow brightly and soon disappeared, revealing a long winding pathway behind it. Kairi collapsed to her knees, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora paused, head cocked to one side as he tried to work out what had just happened. He wasn't injured, the Samurai across from him waiting patiently for orders. He absently rubbed his chest before getting back to work.
Every time he asked one of the others, they gave the same answer. Once Kingdom Hearts was completed, they would unite with it and gain Hearts of their own. He didn't understand how that could be possible…they wouldn't be their Hearts, would that change who they were? Would they become more like the person the Heart they received came from? He didn't think that he would like that. He was starting to wonder if getting his Heart back would be worth it, he could think so much more clearly without emotion getting in the way.
He dismissed the Samurai and headed for where they Corridor was anchored. Axel had left for Castle Oblivion yesterday and Sora knew he might not make it back, that should make him sad. He could leave now to find Kairi, but would he be leading danger to her if he did? Xemnas would not just let him leave and who knew if he could have a use for a Princess of Heart?
Sora paused as a blond boy rushed by, turning around to look behind Sora.
"Move it, Pence!" the boy yelled, and Sora moved aside as a girl and another boy rushed after him, out of breath.
"Hey, wait up!" the other boy complained, he must be Pence.
"Last one there has to buy the winner an ice cream!" the blond smirked before taking off.
"Oh, sure, now you tell us!" the girl shook her head even as Pence smiled.
"No fair, Hayner!"
"Better get flyin' if you don't wanna end up buyin'!" Hayner called back, heading for the Sandlot.
Seeing them like that stirred up memories of racing with Riku, playing with him and Kairi on their Island. If their World had never fallen to Darkness, he would still be human, a person, he would still have his Heart. He shook his head and started walking, there was no point thinking of what if's, he was a Nobody and nothing could change that.
TBC…
I'm really stuck so please, opinions. I can have Sora meet up at Castle Oblivion or give him longer with the Organisation and I just can't decide which way to go.