Disclaimer: don't own KH.
Getting Him Back
Kairi stopped, Keyblade in hand, staring ahead at the hooded figure. She didn't need anyone to tell her who it was, she recognised him, even now. It had been almost two years since he'd been taken during the exam, since Riku had come to her with tears in his eyes, begging her forgiveness for failing to save him…to save Sora. She swallowed, it wasn't Sora, not anymore, she had to remember that. She didn't know where the others were, if any of them had survived against the other Vessels, but she was alone to face him.
She took a deep breath, walking slowly towards him, and yet he didn't move. He knew she was there, he had to, so why wasn't he attacking? She stopped out of reach, not wanting to be the one to attack first.
"Hello Princess," he finally acknowledged her presence. It was Sora's voice but also not, deeper, cold, and it made her feel sick.
"Xehanort," she forced herself to answer, and the hooded head tilted to one side.
"Aw, come on Kairi, don't be like that," he taunted, and her hands balled into fists, grip almost too tight on her Keyblade.
"Don't you dare! You aren't Sora. Give him back!" She demanded, and he finally turned to face her, lifting gloved hands to push the hood back. Seeing him hurt.
Sora's body had grown, maturing further, on the cusp of adulthood now. Once crazy brown spikes were longer and white, warm blue eyes replaced by cold gold. His tan had faded too, making him paler than she'd ever seen.
"There's nothing to give back but an empty shell. Sora's Heart sleeps in Darkness, never to wake," he smirked slightly, walking towards her, and she tensed. "Do you really plan to use that?" he asked curiously. "Can you truly bring yourself to harm this body? To harm what is left of him?"
"Sora please, wake up," she pleaded, and he shook his head.
"He cannot hear you." He grasped her wrist and she gasped; she hadn't even seen him move!
The grip was firm but not painful and she felt a gloved finger stroke her skin almost absently. He pulled her closer, off balance, and she fell against him, looking up into golden eyes, searching for any hint of Sora in them.
"You do not have seven Guardians yet but still you came. To try and rescue him? Foolish."
"I'll never give up on Sora," she snapped at him, struggling as he caressed her cheek with his other hand.
"Even if I kill dear Riku?" He taunted, knowing her weak spot. He looked away from her and she knew, Riku was coming, he at least was still alive.
"Kairi!" Riku yelled her name. "Let her go!" she felt his magic and let herself become deadweight, surprising Xehanort who had to release her to dodge the Dark fire. Then it was Riku's arm around her waist as he pulled her back. "You okay?" he asked in concern, but his eyes remained warily locked on Sora's possessed body.
"He didn't hurt me," she promised. "Watch out, he's faster than Sora," she warned. Sora had always been fast, was it really surprising that he was faster now?
"Are you really going to fight me Riku?" he asked.
"Give Sora back and I won't," was Riku's answer, and Xehanort laughed.
"Why would I do that? I have my Thirteen Seekers with him and as you have failed to gather Seven Lights, we will just have to use the new Seven Princesses in your places. Which makes all of you expendable except dear Kairi."
Kairi glared at him, as if she'd sit by and watch them kill her friends! She looked up at Riku who nodded and they moved apart a bit, giving themselves room. There was no other option, they would have to fight and hope they could find some way to drive him out of Sora's body.
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Riku dodged, Kairi was right, he was fast! And he was too good at keeping between them, making casting magic risky since there was a high chance of hitting each other. He hoped the others were okay, they'd been forced to split up right from the start and he hadn't seen anyone since. They didn't want to forge that stupid blade so they hadn't waited around to find more Keyblade wielders, especially when they all wanted to try and save Sora. Lea wanted to save his friend Isa too, which meant stopping Saïx.
He tossed a cure spell at Kairi who nodded and then lunged striking swiftly, Xehanort blocking all but one of the hits which landed against his ribs, Riku dashing in to make use of the brief opening.
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He watched the fight, torn. He didn't care if they died…did he? But if she died then so did…Naminé. The final Vessel had been kept away from him, were they worried he'd try to kill him…or that his presence would cause Sora's sleeping Heart to try and wake? He knew his memories were fake and yet…he still remembered there being good times with Sora, times when they had been friends. Sora didn't remember him, had chosen to forget him and Naminé, so why would he feel anything for him? And yet…he couldn't forget Sora's last words to him. His hands clenched into fists as Kairi skidded across the ground. Could he even do anything? The piece of Xehanort within him urged him to fight them but his own Heart…told him to fight beside them.
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Kairi tried to get her Keyblade up, seeing his smirk, she wasn't going to be able to block! She closed her eyes but nothing happened.
"What?" she heard Riku gasp and opened her eyes.
She stared in shock at what looked like a younger Riku standing in front of her, Soul Eater raised to block the Kingdom Key. He was straining against Sora's possessed body but refusing to move.
"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed.
"Choosing the right side," it was Riku's voice from when they were younger too. "Could you move?" he turned his head enough to see her and she scrambled to her feet, moving out of the way, letting him break the lock and dodge.
"It's you…" Riku murmured, and his look-alike glanced at him, nodding sharply.
"Can't even beat him with help huh?" the younger one smirked, and she took in the strange dark suit he was wearing, the longer hair…it was like someone had yanked the fifteen-year-old Riku who had sided with Maleficent forward in time…which Xehanort had probably done. And yet…he was helping them?
"Why?" Riku asked warily.
"It doesn't matter if the memories are real or not. Sora…he let me go that day." Something in his voice told her it was more than that but also helped her realise, he wasn't the past Riku…he was the Replica from Castle Oblivion that Riku had told her about. Which made him saving her even more shocking…or had it been Naminé he was protecting?
"How touching, the Princess can watch you die twice. Perhaps that will motivate her enough."
All three of them turned to him, blades ready, and Xehanort smirked coldly at them.
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Even three against one, did they really think they could defeat him? He had trained Sora's body, taking the boy's skills and adding them to his own, making him far more deadly than that stupid child could ever have been. Not once had he felt his Heart stir, it was lost to an eternal Dark slumber where nothing could reach, barely even connected to the body anymore. Soon it would be lost even from that dim connection and the body would be solely his. If only all of his Vessels had been without Hearts of their own, or at least ones lost to slumber, it made things so much easier.
He only needed to leave the Princess and Replica alive, Riku he was free to kill. The Replica turning on them was a surprise, it held a piece of his Heart too and he had believed it hated the original. It would need to be brought to heel once they were done.
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Kairi tossed a Cure at the Replica who looked surprised but then nodded in grudging thanks before rolling out of the way of a blizzard spell. Even three on one, they were struggling, having to conserve magic for healing spells, but Xehanort was tossing spells left and right. So unfair. They had to do something and soon or else…no, not thinking about that.
She darted in with a blitz attack even as Riku slashed at his back, Xehanort jumping back and all three watched the black coat drift to the ground in pieces. Well, at least they'd ruined that?
He chuckled, "is that the best you can do?"
The clothing underneath the coat was unfamiliar which made sense, the stuff Sora had been wearing would be too small now. It was all black, no trace of colour, nothing at all like what Sora would wear.
They had to restrain him, knock him out, but how? How could they remove his Heart from Sora's body? The Power of Waking only woke Hearts, waking Sora's Heart wouldn't de-possess him, though it might give him a fighting chance. The Keyblade Sora had once used to free her Heart was gone, and it'd just turn Sora into a Heartless again…freeing Roxas? Could she bring him back from that again?
She was a Princess of Heart! There had to be more to it than just being Light, there had to be something she could do!
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Riku say Kairi stop, obviously thinking, and the Xehanort he was facing became less substantial. "Kairi!" he yelled, going into a Dark roll, coming up at her side, searing pain flashing through him, hearing her scream, and then he slammed into the ground, everything fading away.
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He swore as he saw the older version limp on the ground. Stupid of her to get so distracted! He grit his teeth; he wasn't going down like that!
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Kairi stared at the growing pool of blood in horror, frozen for several precious seconds, not registering the Replica attacking Xehanort. She dropped to her knees, searching for a pulse…there! She cast the stronger Cure spell she could manage, exhausted, before forcing one of her last potions down Riku's throat. "I'm sorry," she whispered, fighting tears, before she forced herself back to her feet.
She glared at Xehanort even as he drove the Replica back, the smaller version of Riku struggling against a larger opponent. It really showed how much Sora's body had grown to see him fighting the younger Riku. She would not let him kill her friends! If Sora woke with blood on his hands…the blood of friends and allies…he would never forgive himself even though he wasn't in control or even awake. No! She wouldn't let that happen.
She rushed forward even as Xehanort grabbed the Replica by the throat, pale hands scrabbling uselessly against his grip before the Replica was tossed brutally into the nearby stone wall…and didn't get up again. She hoped he was okay but she didn't have time to check, not with Xehanort turning to her with a smirk that didn't suit Sora's face at all.
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He smirked, both versions of Riku had been dealt with, the Replica would be punished for his insubordination later but for now it was out of the fight. The real Riku was lying in a pool of his own blood, still alive, but the Princess didn't have enough magic or supplies left to get him conscious let alone able to fight. He could finish him once he was done with her. Without the Guardians the Princesses were necessary for the plan which meant she had to survive, a pity.
He hadn't seen her at all, it had been agreed that if anything would cause the boy to wake, it would be her. Happily, there was nothing, Sora was too lost to the Darkness of sleep, completely unaware of anything and everything. He chuckled as she faced him, obviously exhausted, and yet she was refusing to back down. This was going to be fun.
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Kairi took a deep breath as she faced him, she was worn out and she knew it, but she would not go down without a fight…no matter how much it hurt to fight someone wearing Sora's face, even as changed as it was. She'd tried everything she could think of – there'd been not even a flicker at her voice, she'd tried reaching out with her Heart for his…what else was there? There was no spell she knew of to free someone from possession and even if there was, she had basically no magic left. Nothing…except the Light in her Heart. The other Princesses had kept back the Darkness from the Keyhole back in Hollow Bastion, which meant it could be used, but how?
She rolled out of the way of a powerful strike, not wanting to try and make it a match of strength, not when he was obviously stronger than her. It took her a while, but she worked out that he wasn't actually trying to kill her…he was trying to restrain or knock her out. Because she wasn't just a Guardian but also one of the Princesses. Maybe if she'd had the chance to talk to the others, they could have told her something…
She ducked under his arm and then spun, kicking the back of his knee, knocking him off balance, almost as shocked as he was when that worked but she slashed with her Keyblade, cutting into his shoulder, though only shallowly. He stared at her, touching a hand to the cut in his shirt, blood on his glove when he removed it, but he quickly used a potion to heal the wound.
"You've improved from that pathetic girl that always needed saving, but not enough."
"We'll see," she told him, shifting her stance a little. He wouldn't be so easy to take of guard again. She was worried about both Riku's, one of them should have woken by now, shouldn't they?
She grimaced an instant later as he began a relentless assault, barely able to block his blows. Her Keyblade was knocked from her hand and she found herself in the same position the Replica had, Xehanort's hand around her throat. Thankfully, she'd grown, taller than the Replica, and when she kicked out, her boot hit his ribs with a satisfying thud, for a second she wished she'd aimed lower. His grip loosened in reaction to the blow and she grabbed his wrist, twisting it even though it hurt her too. His fingers released and she used her grip to jerk him close, their bodies pressed together. It was crazy, suicidal even, but she was out of time, magic, and ideas.
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He froze as soft lips pressed against his, was she seriously? What did she hope…?
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Kairi kissed him like her life depended on it, which it kind of did. She closed her eyes, seeing Sora in her mind's eye and with her Heart, his bright blue eyes, crazy brown spikey hair, and ever cheerful grin. She loved him and she was a Princess of Heart. She knew it would work, she believed with all her Heart that he would come back to her! She let her hand move up to his hair, running through it, her other hand releasing his wrist to rest on his hip. He wasn't responding but he also wasn't trying to kill her. She kissed him over and over and then she felt something shift.
She opened her eyes as he groaned before he staggered back, hand clutching his shirt, staring at her with wide golden eyes.
"Im…poss…ible…" he threw his head back and screamed, Darkness surrounding him, flowing out of his body and then something else floated out of his chest, an orb…
He choked, staggering, wavering, and their eyes met, before she lunged forward, catching him.
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He heard a scream dimly, struggling to wake up, to remember what was happening. Pain…but he fought past it, forcing his eyes open, biting his lip to keep from screaming himself. His vision was hazy….Kairi! She was…he pushed himself up on trembling arms, feeling weak. He coughed, tasting blood, his magic was drained…he reached for a potion, finding his last Elixir and quickly downing it. He closed his eyes as his wounds healed, energy returning as the pain faded away.
Riku staggered to his feet, summoning his Keyblade, only to stare at the sight of a battered Kairi and Xehanort slumped in her arms. But even as he watched white hair began to darken to familiar brown. He stared dumbly, he….he had to be seeing things, he had a concussion… maybe he was dying and seeing this was his Heart reaching for something hopeful, tricking him into thinking they'd be okay without him… but nothing changed as he stared, except Kairi beginning to buckle under the weight of a taller, more muscular, body.
"K…" he coughed. "Kairi?" he called warily, and she looked awkwardly back at him, relief clear.
"Riku help me," she answered, and he moved immediately to her side, taking one of Xehanort's…Sora's?...arms to sling over his shoulders, taking his weight off her. She took the other side and they lowered the unconscious form to the ground. "You've got him?" she asked, and Riku nodded dazedly, in too much shock to really think.
He watched her rush away and then saw the crumpled body against the rocks, wincing, finding he was hoping he was alive. No matter what, he'd helped them.
Riku looked down at the unconscious body before him, he…he looked like Sora. He reached out cautiously, on edge, ready for a trap, and carefully lifted an eyelid, shocked to see to blue and not gold. Was…was it possible? He shook his shoulder gently. "Sora?" but there was no response, he just lay there, breathing deep and even as if…as if asleep.
He took a deep breath and forced back his hope, he was a Keyblade Master, he had to remain calm and objective. Maybe Xehanort was gone and maybe he was just dormant within Sora. He couldn't let appearances blind him. He had to keep Kairi safe. Still, he couldn't help running his fingers through Sora's hair and then down to his throat, finding his pulse steady and strong.
"Riku!"
He looked up to see Aqua and Mickey running towards him, Keyblades in hand.
"Ugh," his own younger voice muttered, and he turned to see Kairi and the Replica approaching, Kairi letting him lean on her. "What happened?"
"Not sure, I woke up to his hair turning back to normal," Riku admitted, knowing the others were close enough now to hear. "Kairi?"
"I didn't know what else to do so…so I kissed him," she admitted awkwardly. "he just stood there and then…there was this explosion of Darkness coming out of his body, then what looked like a Heart and…his eyes went blue before he collapsed."
"How is that possible?" Aqua asked, eyeing his unconscious form suspiciously.
"Well, gosh. Kairi is a Princess of Heart and there is the legend of True Love's kiss breaking any curse…though I never thought possession would be considered a curse…" Mickey frowned.
"Then why won't he wake up?" she asked, kneeling beside Riku to take a limp hand in hers.
"Well…back at the end of the exam, I remember Xehanort saying they had put Sora's Heart to sleep," Mickey told her, and Riku nodded.
"He Sora's Heart was sleeping too deeply to wake while we were fighting," Kairi offered.
"Well then, if Sora's Heart is still asleep we'll need to wake it."
"Then Sora will be back?" Riku asked, even as he took Sora's other hand, with the black coat gone his hands were bare, his skin warm. "What about Terra?" he asked, looking at Aqua, who shook her head sadly.
"Hey!" Lea called, limping into view. "How's…whoa! Is that…?"
"We think it's Sora," Riku told him and then looked at the Replica who was hanging back cautiously. "Thank you."
It…he looked away, kicking at a rock, shrugging.
"Riku, is that?" Mickey looked between them, and Riku nodded.
"He helped us fight against Xehanort," he explained, looking back at the younger version of himself. "What will you do now?"
"What do you mean?" he frowned. "Unlike sleeping beauty there, I still have a piece of the old creep in me. Pretty sure that limits my options."
"Then why help them?" Aqua demanded.
"Naminé," Lea answered and the younger man nodded slightly.
"I've only got a little, I can do my own thing…to a point," he admitted. "If I keep on the move, in Worlds were the time runs differently, I might keep ahead of them. Leave them down two Vessels and not just one," he waved a hand at Sora, looking…jealous?
"He's really Sora?" Riku asked.
"I can't feel Xehanort in him like before," his Replica shrugged. "But…his Heart's been sleeping in Darkness for a long time," he stared right into Riku's eyes, and Riku nodded.
There was no way that wouldn't have affected Sora, asleep he had no defences. Out of all of them, if anyone could help Sora, it would be him, he knew what it was like to be lost in the Dark. With a last look at Kairi and then Sora, the Replica vanished into a Dark Corridor and Riku hoped he really could stay ahead of the Organisation. He didn't want to have to fight him again one day. Maybe if they got rid of the main Xehanort the pieces of his Heart in others would die as well, freeing them.
Riku took a breath and then got his arms under Sora, lifting him as he stood, it was harder than he remembered. Sora had grown a lot, not quite as tall as him but the gap was a lot smaller than he remembered. He was deadweight too which didn't help, and Kairi moved to settle lax limbs to help his body balance better in Riku's arms. He was skinny, but pure muscle, no wonder he'd hit so hard.
"Let's get back to Master Yen Sid, there has to be a way to wake his Heart," Riku told them. And with Sora, the three Hearts they'd learned he held within his. Roxas, Ventus…and one mystery, although when he thought about it, it felt like he should know. Had he forgotten someone? Ienzo and Ansem had worked hard to get Replicas ready in case they ever managed to get the Hearts in Sora's freed, so they could do that once sure Sora was alright.
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Yen Sid stood as Riku walked in with a limp body in his arms. "What has happened?" he asked, shocked that the protections on his Tower had allowed…no…he could not detect Xehanort's presence at all. Did that mean?
He looked between them, and Kairi stepped forward, haltingly explaining their fight against Xehanort and then what she had done when both versions of Riku had been nearly killed. It had been insanely risky but she was right, there had been nothing else she could have tried under the circumstances. And miraculously, it appeared to have worked.
"Is Sora's Heart still asleep Master?" Mickey asked, and Yen Sid motioned for Riku to lie the boy down on his desk for ease of access.
A few spells showed his body to be in excellent health which was good. "Indeed."
"You mean, like Ventus?" Mickey asked sadly.
"No, Mickey. This affliction is not the same," he shook his head, staring down at Sora. If they could wake him, if he was mentally healthy as well, if his Heart was whole, then they would finally be a step ahead of Xehanort.
"Can we do anything for him?" Kairi asked desperately.
Yen Sid considered the options and then looked at Riku. "In your Mark of Mastery exam, you were to unlock seven Sleeping Keyholes. By doing so, you would awaken those worlds from their prison of slumber, and also acquire the power to free a heart from its sleep. Riku, you unlocked those Keyholes within Sora's dreams and as the Organisation pointed out, became his Dream Eater. Therefore, it stands to reason that you now have the power to awaken Sora's heart."
"You want him to dive back into Sora's sleep? But Master, Sora's Heart is down in the darkest abyss. If Riku's not careful, he might just get trapped down there with him. No... I'll go instead. After so long sleeping in that kind of Darkness, who knows what dangers are there."
"And perhaps you may even succeed, Mickey. But there is no denying Riku stands the better chance, having dived into Sora's heart as long as he did back then. If not him, then Kairi would stand the next best chance, having removed Xehanort from Sora's body."
Mickey contemplated that as Donald and Goofy rushed into the room, freezing as they saw the body on the desk.
"Is...is it him?" Donald asked, clutching his wand.
"Indeed, Xehanort's Heart has been removed, thanks to Kairi. However, Sora's Heart is still lost to the sleep they placed it in during the exam," Yen Sid explained for the two. They had not liked remaining in the Tower while the others fought but they were to be the backup, thankfully unneeded in the end.
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"I'll do it," Riku said, staring at Sora. "I can't just leave him like this without trying."
"Riku…" Kairi stared at him, and Riku smiled at her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll bring him home," he promised. He would do whatever it took to wake Sora. No one, least of all Sora, deserved what had been done to him. He just hoped Sora wouldn't remembered what Xehanort had done while using him…the Worlds he had plunged into Darkness…trying to kill them all…
"Make sure you come back too!" She glared at him, and he nodded, accepting the hug. They'd grown closer after Sora was taken; she'd never blamed him thankfully. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then stepped away, calling his Keyblade. He just hoped he remembered how things worked in the Sleeping Worlds and how to use his Dream Eater powers after so long. His Keyblade lit up, the light resonating with Sora's body, opening a Portal to the Dark recesses of Sora's Heart.
He looked back and everyone nodded in agreement. He could see the fear in Aqua's eyes, if they lost Sora then they would lose Ventus too. There was already so little hope in getting Terra back, if Ventus should be lost for good… Lea nodded at him, just as worried for Roxas, but Sora as well. He'd done his best that day to save them, it wasn't his fault he'd been blocked by Saïx.
Riku took a deep breath, turning back and then entered the Portal. He found himself diving down past hundreds of floating images of Sora as he had been when they took the exam, as his friend's memories drifted around him. Some of them though were black, made of ink…or Darkness…but he recognised them too, Anti-form. They reached for him and he dodged them, twisting through the air as he plunged ever deeper, finally spotting some kind of platform ahead, slamming into it, hard.
He awoke at the bottom of the black abyss and stood up, the Darkness below rippling with every movement. "This abyss... Am I in Sora's dream?" Was this what Sora had been trapped in for so long?
An armoured figure rose from the pool below and raised a Keyblade, a Nightmare symbol emblazoned on its helmet.
"What?" Riku stared in shock, the armour reminded him of Aqua's…part of Ventus that had been corrupted? But the way it held the Keyblade reminded him of Sora. He heard a chirp and turned his head to see his Komory Bat and Ryu Dragon behind him, ready to fight. "Right, let's do this," he told them, settling into his stance even as more Nightmares rose from the pool.
The world suddenly turned white and the armour became a cloud-like ink, as if all the Darkness in the room were concentrated into it. Riku dodged as the wisp of ink surged toward him, delivering several blows to his back before releasing back out into the abyss. He staggered but spun to face it, dodging an attack from a Nightmare Meow Wow, was it Sora's and just corrupted? He didn't want to hurt them in case they were but they weren't leaving him any choice.
The air was stark and Riku and his Spirits fought their hardest against the Nightmares, the armoured one was the most dangerous, it had the most tricks up its sleeves and it was scary to see it pull some of Sora's moves.
"Sora wake up! It's me, it's Riku. I'm here to take you home!" he called to it, hoping his friend could hear him. Would Sora recognise him? He'd grown while Sora was gone, cut his hair differently, even his clothes had changed. He'd half hoped he'd take the younger form again like he had during the exam, to help Sora accept he was real, but he hadn't.
The Nightmare easily dodged his attacks by turning into ink, but otherwise was landing fast strikes against Riku. He was thankfully when he felt the magic surge, linking with his Dream Eaters, feeling the small wings form, his own speed taking a massive increase. Eventually, it was just the two of them left, all the other Nightmares gone.
It felt like an eternity, the link ending, and Riku staggered, but he could see cracks in the armour now. The armoured Nightmare raised his blade, an orb of darkness seething at the end of it. Riku held his stance before globs of Darkness shot out from the orb and Riku blocked the orbs with his own Darkness, sending them right back at the Nightmare. With his last shot, Riku teleported above the armour and landed a powerful downward slice with his Keyblade, shattering the Nightmare's helmet. With a flash, the armour burst, releasing Sora onto the dark pool.
"Sora!" he cried out in relief, but Sora just lay there, eyes closed.
To his horror, Sora began to sink into the Darkness, which itself was sinking into the
Platform, revealing delicate stained glass marked with Sora's image. He lunged, trying to grab onto Sora, desperate to save him, but it was like trying to catch a mirage. The pool kept shrinking, leaving Riku by himself on the platform. He looked up to see the black Keyblade, which slowly lost its black colouring, revealing the familiar form of the Kingdom Key.
"I'll find you, Sora," he promised as his fingers wrapped around Sora's Keyblade, a keyhole appearing on the floor. He jumped into the air, sending a beam of light at the keyhole, the Light expanding to envelope everything.
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Mickey stared at Sora's sleeping form, wishing they had some way to know what was happening. What if Riku couldn't wake him? Would he be trapped there too? Or worse…become a Nightmare? That was what happened to corrupted Dream Eaters, wasn't it?
Sora had changed so much since he'd last seen him, Xehanort had kept him well away from all of them, not even using him to taunt them with their failure. Had he had an idea of what Kairi might be able to do? Could Riku have done the same if he'd Dived since he was Sora's Dream Eater?
Even if it worked, would Sora be the same boy they had known? Or would he be forever changed by what had happened?
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He heard the familiar sound of waves, and he opened his eyes to find himself on the Destiny Islands at sunset, the Play Island specifically. The light from the golden sun twinkled on the sleepy water as Riku stood at the edge of the dock, gazing out at the sea. He turned, startled by the appearance of "Roxas?" he asked carefully.
"What is it that you're so afraid of?" the Nobody asked him seriously.
"Losing everyone important…not being able to wake Sora," he answered, shocked when Roxas' image faded away, but the teen nodded slightly just before vanishing completely.
What was going on? Why had Roxas only asked him a question? He dropped off the dock to walk across the beach, and as he did, he picked up on differences to the real Islands…damage. That wasn't good, if they represented Sora's Heart then… he shook his head, he couldn't think of that, he had to find Sora and wake him up. They could worry about everything else later. He stopped as he found himself in front of Roxas again…no…it wasn't him, though similar…and with armour on his shoulder. "Are you…Ventus?" he asked.
"What is the one thing you care about more than anything else?"
"My close friends," that one was easy, and Ventus smiled at him, lifting his hand to reveal a Wayfinder just like Aqua's. his lips moved silently but Riku made out the words, thank you. For what?
"What is going on?" he called. He looked to the tiny adjacent island attached by the bridge and gasped, seeing someone sitting on the bent tree trunk. "Sora!" he leapt onto the bridge and ran across it, but the figure sitting there was not Sora, but a girl with black hair and an Organisation coat. "Who are you?"
"Riku. What do you wish?" She asked, voice soft and…sad.
"More questions..." he took a deep breath to calm down. "All right... I wish...to recover something important that I lost." He had to, he had to save Sora.
She looked at him and her eyes…they were Sora's eyes…but almost Kairi's face. She smiled at him and then pointed towards the Secret Place before fading as well.
Riku didn't hesitate, running for it. He found a locked door blocking it but then the Kingdom Key appeared in his hand, taking care of that. He moved into the cave and instead of the wooden door or even a revealed Keyhole…there was Sora, encased in what almost looked like black ice. He approached cautiously but nothing attacked him, so he lifted a hand to the substance, finding his hand sank in without resistance. He felt the cloth of Sora's glove under his fingers and gripped tight, pulling at Sora's hand.
"Come on Sora, wake up!" he reached in with his other hand, taking Sora's shoulder, shaking him even as he pulled, trying to free him. "I'm here, and Kairi's waiting for you," he told him. "Please, don't let them win." He stared into Sora's face, praying for any sign, hating the look of frozen fear on his features. And then, he felt slack fingers twitch in his, Sora's fingers curling around his own. "Yes! Come on." He pulled and slowly, Sora's body moved, Riku backing up, until Sora fell forward into his arms, free of the black substance which vanished.
They tumbled to the ground and he quickly lay Sora on his back, brushing his hair back from his face. "Open your eyes Sora, please." He shook his shoulder and then watched as Sora's eyes slowly fluttered open.
The world flashed and he reappeared back on the beach, alone. He spun around but the Secret Place looked normal, before looking down to see a bottle hitting his foot. He picked it up, confused. Where was Sora? "What's this?"
"You were not the visitor I expected," a familiar voice said, and Riku spun around, shocked.
"DiZ! I mean... Ansem the Wise. What are you doing here?" he was dressed like DiZ but Ansem was in Radiant Garden…they'd found him with Aqua in the Realm of Darkness when they went to save her.
"Perhaps I wanted to atone for events of the past, even if no apology can undo the harm I have wrought. I felt...that I ought to leave at least something behind. So I digitized myself and my research, and hid them within Sora," he explained.
"So this is...data?" he looked down at the bottle in his hand.
"Yes. A clue, I hope, to finding yourselves or your lost friends in your hour of need. The heart has always been quick to grow. Each exposure to Light, to the natural world, to other people, shapes this most malleable part inside of us. Nobodies are not different from us in that manner. Sora was the only one able to return to his human form without destroying his Nobody. That is a statement to the love in his Heart for other people, and the bonds that tie them together. Perhaps...he has the power to bring back the hearts and existences of those connected to him-to recreate people we thought were lost to us forever. Our most precious treasures-even an empty puppet-the trees of the forest, and the petals on the wind-there are Hearts around us everywhere we look. And it does not take superhuman powers to see them. Surely we remember as children the way our Hearts made everything seem so shiny, and perfect," Ansem paused.
"Sora had a Heart like that-uncorrupted, willing to see the good before the bad. When he saw the Heart in something, it then became real. When a connection seemed broken, he may have the power to mend it. He has touched countless Hearts, he has accepted them, and he has saved them. And some of those hearts have never left him-whether they fell into Darkness or were trapped there-whether they sleep in the darkness of Sora's heart, or were welcomed into its warmth-they can be saved. All Sora needs to do is be himself once more and follow wherever it is that his Heart takes him. It is the best and the only way. The rest is in there. I had feared all was lost when Darkness took Sora's Heart but now that is gone."
"Xehanort took Sora as a Vessel by putting his Heart to sleep. I hope Sora can still see the World like that when he wakes up." He stared at the bottle, he knew two of the Hearts Ansem was referring to, was that girl the third?
"So his Heart has slept and not truly fallen to the Darkness, that is good. Falling asleep again," he chuckled, and Riku managed a weak grin.
"Yeah. What'll I do with him?"
"What, indeed? Never fear. Sora is safe now; you have freed his Heart from the Darkness of Sleep and need only guide him back to the waking World."
"Really? Thank you."
He pointed Sora's Keyblade across the water and a Keyhole appeared. A beam of light shot from the Keyblade at it and he floated into the air.
"Young man! I do not believe you ever told me your name."
"It's Riku," he answered, remembering when DiZ has asked him that and he had given a very different answer.
"Be strong Riku, he will need your help," Ansem called as Riku flew into the Keyhole.
,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Riku!" Kairi called in relief as he appeared, asleep, on the floor before the desk but then began to stir.
He blinked at her in confusion before sitting up. "Sora!"
"What happened?" Mickey asked, even as Lea helped Riku up.
Riku moved to the desk where Sora lay, not answering him. "Come on Sora, wake up," he called, and Kairi pressed a hand to her mouth as Sora's nose twitched, the most movement he'd made since he'd collapsed.
"Sora?" she called faintly, Aqua's hand going to her shoulder, supporting her.
Sora's brow furrowed, lips parting, then his fingers twitched on the desk. Ever so slowly, his eyes opened before closing again, a soft noise of protest leaving his lips, and the light immediately dimmed slightly.
Kairi took a deep breath. "Come on lazy bum, time to wake up," she called, trying to sound cheerful even as she trembled.
His head rolled towards her and then slowly his eyes opened, revealing familiar blue. He blinked several times, eyes gradually focusing. "K…" his eyes drifted shut, body going still again, and she cried out in horror.
"Calm yourselves," Master Yen Sid spoke, leaning over Sora before nodding and smiling at them all. "It is a normal sleep, his body has been through an intense battle, as has his Heart I'd assume," he looked to Riku who nodded, looking a bit tired too. "You should all get some rest, there will be much to explain to him once he wakes."
Kairi stepped closer and took Sora's hand in hers. He was really back…after so long hoping and almost giving in to despair…they'd won. Riku stepped up and picked Sora's slumbering form up, carrying him to the room that was his, that had always had two beds in it just waiting for Sora's return. She followed him, helping him get Sora settled, neither baulking at stripping the clothing Xehanort had dressed him in from his limp body.
"Riku?" she whispered as he tucked Sora in.
"Yeah?"
"How…how bad was it?"
"Bad," he admitted. "But he's awake now. I saw Roxas and Ventus, plus a girl. His Heart is the Islands and…there's damage, but we'll help him."
She nodded, of course they would. Kairi took off her shoes and then lay on the bed beside him, taking his hand.
"Kairi," Riku frowned.
"I can't leave him," she told him, and Riku sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Kairi, we don't know how he'll wake up, what he'll remember. If he wakes violently you're too close. He could panic from you holding him," he warned.
"Surely Master Yen Sid wouldn't have just let us bring Sora in here if there was any danger," she argued, and Riku hesitated.
"Alright, just try not to crowd him," he finally said, sitting down to strip out of his battle gear. "Be careful, he warned as he lay down, falling asleep almost instantly.
She felt bad, Riku had nearly died in that fight and then he'd gone into Sora's Heart to wake him, he had to be completely exhausted. She watched as he slept, face relaxing, and for the first time since the exam, Riku looked really at peace.
Kairi rolled onto her side, still holding Sora's hand loosely, making sure he had the most room on the bed, her back to the wall so he wouldn't feel trapped.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Riku..."
"Your heart will sleep forever in the folds of Darkness. And your body will be another vessel for me. So Light gives way to Darkness. Good night, Sora."
He gasped, forcing his eyes open, he had to get up, get away! He was weightless for a second before he hit something hard, scrambling away, panting in fear. No! He wouldn't let them!
"Sora! Sora calm down, it's okay, you're safe."
Slowly the words made their way through his panic and began making sense. That voice…he raised his head to meet familiar cyan, trying to breath better.
"That's it, you're doing great," Riku! It was Riku!
He took a shuddering breath and forced heavy limbs to move, reaching clumsily for him. Riku moved slowly wrapping an arm around him, gently tugging him against his body, holding on tight.
"I've got you Sora," Riku whispered, a hand rubbing his back, and he went limp. Sora…he was Sora. Everything felt fuzzy, not quite right. "We're in a bedroom in Master Yen Sid's Tower," Riku told him. "You fell off the bed when you woke up. You…you've been asleep a long time but you're awake now. I promise, this is real."
Sora gulped in and then he felt tears wetting his face, he was crying, why was he crying? He tried to hold on but his body wouldn't cooperate so he just buried his face against Riku's chest. They were safe, Riku wouldn't lie to him, unless…was Riku part of the dream? He remembered figures in black coats, chasing him through the dreams…he shuddered again. Cold and Dark…
A warm hand touched his face, urging his head up, and Riku looked down at him in concern. "Hey, say something, please Sora."
He saw movement and tensed, no, not again. He burrowed closer to Riku, forcing a hand up to clutch his shirt.
"Easy Sora," Riku murmured. "It's just Kairi, she's worried about you. I swear Sora, this is real and you're awake."
Was he really? He…he wanted to believe him, he did. He tried to move, to look and see but his body just felt off.
"Want to get up?" Riku asked, and Sora felt his arm move to be around his waist. "Okay, let's take this slowly." Riku slowly pushed to his feet, pulling Sora up with him, having to wrap his other arm around him too as Sora's legs buckled. "Here we go, back to the bed."
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Riku was worried that Sora hadn't said a word since waking but at least he was aware and reacting to things. He seemed to recognise him too which was a relief. He moved them towards Sora's bed, watching his face as Sora saw Kairi; saw the confusion and disbelief that slowly shifted to hope.
She smiled softly at him. "Sora," she whispered, holding her hand out to him, tears in her eyes.
Riku watched Sora stare at her before clumsily reaching out and he thought he realised the problem, if Sora had spent the last twenty months asleep then he would have woken to a body that was suddenly, to him at least, different. He was taller, thinner, more muscular, and he hadn't had to control his own body in that time. He helped Sora settle on the bed, resting against the headboard and pillows and then stepped back.
"I'm going to tell the others he's awake, I think maybe Aqua should look him over," Riku told her. He reached out, making sure Sora saw his hand coming, to playfully mess with his hair, Sora sending him a look that made him laugh. It was such a Sora look. "I'll be back soon, okay? Kairi will stay with you."
And for the first time since waking, Sora responded, nodding his head. Riku hated leaving when Sora was so disorientated but Kairi would look after him.
,,,,,,,,,,,,
Kairi moved to sit beside Sora who looked away from the door to meet her eyes warily. "Hey," she smiled softly, reaching for his hand, carefully threading their fingers together. He hadn't said a word since he'd woken…trauma? His Heart still adjusting to being awake and back in control of his body? Slowly, his fingers moved, closing with hers. "Can I hug you?" she asked, not wanting to overwhelm him, and Sora slowly nodded again.
He swallowed hard and then his lips parted before he frowned, and she stayed still. He tried again, a whispery sound coming from his throat, and she practically held her breath. "…Kk…" he blinked and shook his head, closing his eyes.
"It's okay Sora," she told him, carefully hugging him.
"Ka…." He shuddered against her, his free hand lifting to grip her shirt. "Kairi?"
"It's me, I'm here," she pulled back from the hug enough to smile at him, lifting her hand to stroke his face. "I've missed you so much."
"How?" he asked, looking so confused.
She hesitated, not sure how to tell him what had happened to him. How was she meant to tell him that his body had been used by Xehanort since the exam? She didn't have to as the door opened and Riku walked in, Aqua and Master Yen Sid with him.
To everyone's shock, Sora saw Aqua and screamed.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Yen Sid sat as his desk, watching the stars. It had been a month since Sora had first woken and he was recovering, if slowly. He could walk and talk now at least but he had yet to summon his Keyblade, even when startled. The poor boy had trouble at times accepting that he was truly awake, they'd had to resort to mild sleeping spells several times in order to get him to sleep because he was terrified of never waking. Riku and Kairi were the only ones that could calm him then.
It was understandable that Sora was having trouble adjusting, especially with the damage Riku had mentioned. Yen Sid was just thankful the boy showed no signs of Darkness. The Organisation had made no moves to reacquire him, not that they could breach the protections on the Tower, but perhaps he was no longer of use to them now that he was awake?
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora lay on the examination table, his hand tightly wrapped around Kairi's, blue eyes wide. Ienzo and Ansem worked the equipment. Today they were hopefully removing the three Hearts in his. They'd wanted Sora to be stable before making the attempt, not wanting to risk further damage to him. Kairi lifted her hand to gently stroke his face and Sora focused back on her. "I'm okay," he told her.
"It's okay to be scared," she smiled at him softly, leaning closer, and Sora leant up, accepting the kiss.
"Love you," he whispered as Ienzo approached, syringe in hand. Sora's grip tightened on hers before slowly going lax, his eyes closing as the sedation kicked in.
She stepped back and watched as the machine was moved into position before being activated, Ansem monitoring carefully as a Heart slowly floated up from Sora's chest, then another, and another. Two empty replicas and one human body lay nearby, waiting for the Hearts. One Heart hovered before shocking them all and moving on its own to hover over Ventus' body, sinking down into it. Aqua moved in and took Ventus' hand as he began to stir. Lea was standing between the two Replicas, watching eagerly as the remaining Hearts were guided to them.
"All done, you can reverse the sedation Ienzo," Ansem announced, the machine being moved away from them.
Despite knowing it was only a mild, non-magical sedation, it was an utter relief to see Sora beginning to stir within seconds of the reversal drug entering his system.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Ventus jerked awake, eyes wide, but then Aqua was leaning over him, smiling softly at him.
"Good morning Ven," she murmured, and he slumped back, breathing heavily.
"Aqua," he smiled at her. "Where are we?" he asked, moving to sit up, and she pressed a hand to his back, helping him.
Across the room he saw someone else sitting up with help from a redheaded girl. He gasped, as he took in those facial features…Vanitas? The hair was lighter, brown instead of black, and his eyes…even from across the room he could see they were blue. "Sora?" he whispered, and the other looked over at him, smiling slightly, almost shyly. Why? He had failed to protect him from his old Master, he'd tried so hard though, had given him his armour.
Sora stood up from the bed he'd been on and walked over, the girl at his side…Kairi? "Hi Ventus."
"Call me Ven," he smiled at the younger boy…except now Sora was older than him. He caught his own reflection, he hadn't changed at all, but Sora had grown up from the baby that had saved his life and then the young child who had given him shelter.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Riku sat on the beach, alone, hoping he would come out and eventually he did. The Dark suit was gone, thankfully, long silver hair tied back in a ponytail. "You look healthy."
"He's really gone?" the younger male asked, cautiously sitting beside him.
"Don't trust your eyes?" he teased, getting an eye roll in return. "There's someone who wants to see you, will you come back with me?"
"Who?" he asked in confusion, and Riku smiled.
"Naminé."
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the balcony, staring up at the stars. It was finally, truly, over. Xehanort would never hurt anyone again. He thought he should feel something about being the one to have ended the old man but he didn't. He'd thought the nightmares would stop once he was gone, but they hadn't, which was why he was outside instead of sleeping, he hadn't wanted to wake Kairi.
Maybe someday, he'd be able to tell her the truth. The time he'd spent as a Vessel…wasn't all a blank, sometimes, images and sounds had broken through his unending slumber. They'd just been fuel for the Nightmares after all. Ventus knew, he'd done everything he could to protect his Heart from the Darkness. Roxas and Xion had been less aware than Sora himself had been during that time and he was glad, they'd suffered enough thanks to the Organisation the first time around.
The war was done, the χ-blade unable to form with him and the Riku Replica removed from the equation. Even Xehanort could only split his Heart so many times, Sora had been the last he'd been able to give a piece to. Without the Thirteen and Seven, the blade would not form, and all the Vessels had been dealt with. As far as they knew, all of the Nobodies had become Somebodies again, Saïx had become Isa again. There'd been no sign of Xigbar or Braig and that…that worried him. There'd always been something about him…Roxas and Xion agreed.
Warm arms wrapped around his waist and he turned his head, smiling softly. "I didn't want to wake you," he murmured.
"Your not being there did," Kairi answered before leaning in for a kiss. She sat beside him and he wrapped his arm around her, letting her head rest against him.
"I love you," he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"I love you Sora," she curled against him.
The proof of their love was his presence, without her, he would still be Xehanort's Vessel. True Loves Kiss from a Princess of Heart was a powerful thing indeed. If she hadn't taken the crazy chance he would have spent the rest of his life trapped in Nightmares, unable to wake.
"Kairi?"
"Yes?" she looked up at him.
"Will you marry me?" he asked, and she smiled widely.
"Yes." She straightened up to kiss him again, laughing happily when they parted.
Sora grinned back, pulling a ring box that he'd been carrying for the last month, slipping the ring within onto her finger. "Let's tell Riku!"
"Sora…it's two in the morning!" she complained but let him tug her up and they ran to tell Riku, Sora unsurprised to find him awake since Sora'd been having nightmares.
Riku was the only reason he ever got any sleep; he was still his Dream Eater after all. He saw the ring and smirked, tossing a pillow at Sora. "About time you asked!" in the end, the three of them fell asleep in a pile on Riku's bed.
Sora knew he was still healing, that he might never be fully recovered, but Kairi and Riku made living in the real world, being awake, worth it.
The End.