A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you guys are having a wonderful day so far! Since the last chapter left some plot threads just hanging there and I was unable to post this yesterday like I planned, I'm not going to talk much this time around. We're going to just jump in. (Many thanks for your lovely reviews guys. You're all wonderful! Thank you for the input and for asking questions too. I have so much fun seeing your thoughts on what I'm writing.)
Warnings: This chapter is another one of those weird, seemingly convoluted pieces. Just roll with it guys. All will be made clear...eventually. Muhaha!
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. It is a product of Disney, Square Enix, and Tetsuya Nomura.
Title song: This is our first K-Pop entry in terms of song titles. Don't Leave Me by BTS.
Don't Leave Me
Encryption detected in available files.
"Encryption!?" The gloved hands ceased their movement across the keypad. "First scrambling and now encryption?"
Decode existing data?
"This branch is giving me way more trouble than it should." After a couple of swift keystrokes, the hands withdrew from the keys again. The computer began an intensive scan, cycling through words hidden beneath codes and altered images, though the mysterious figure was paying more attention to the array of hardback books scattered about the sterile white desk. Each one lay open, the images within piecing together various timelines and the branches extending from each one.
To go through this much trouble to alter the data means someone's hiding something incredibly dangerous in this branch. The entries were just out of order at first, but now entire sections of data are either missing or encrypted. Piecing this together isn't impossible, but I'm going to have my work cut out for me finding the common link between the errors.
Data decoded.
"Good. Run a search through the back-up system. Recover missing files."
Select keyword for search?
"Kairi."
"Kairi?"
Aqua blinked wearily, taking note of the subtle changes in Riku's expression as he waited for someone to speak on the other line.
"Are you there?" he asked.
Though Aqua couldn't catch the words, she heard a muffled voice come through the phone. She tried to hear more, but Lightning started speaking to her then, diverting her attention.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I said to keep your head elevated," the pink-haired woman repeated, gently fluffing the pillows behind her head. "The potion soaked bandages should fix you up fine. If your head is still hurting tomorrow, I'll drive you to the doctor myself."
"That really isn't..."
Lightning arched a brow, daring her to argue.
"Um...thank you." Aqua tried to look around the older woman, her eyes straining to get a clear view of Riku as he continued talking on the phone, but between the ache in her head and Donald and Goofy asking for her to relax, she couldn't catch even the smallest bit of the conversation he was having.
And she was so tired. Try as she might to stay awake, Aqua simply couldn't manage it. She fell asleep quickly, the potion bandages doing their work to heal the wound she'd sustained.
Nearby, Riku let out a sigh.
"Kairi, are you sure you want to tell them tomorrow?"
"It's...better that way," she answered from her end. "Sora's parents should know what happened to him as soon as possible. It's...it's the least I can do for them."
"Kairi..."
"I'm okay, Riku," she told him, her breathing a little shaky. "I'm okay. I can be strong. I have to be. I promised Sora I would be strong from now on, no matter what happens."
Leaving the guest room where his mother, Donald, and Goofy were still tending to Aqua, Riku padded into the living room. "This doesn't feel right, Kairi."
"What doesn't? The fact that Sora's gone?"
"Yeah," Riku replied. "But not just that. It doesn't feel right to tell his parents yet."
"We already told our parents, didn't we?" Kairi asked. "And all our friends know too. It isn't right for his parents to find out about it last. We should have talked to them right away..."
"There's no way either of us could have handled that tonight," Riku interrupted, taking a seat on the leather couch. Releasing a sigh, he pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Are you alright?"
"Not really," he answered, closing his eyes. "How did your parents react to you coming home?"
Kairi paused for a moment. "I'm sure Donald and Goofy told you."
"Rather hear it from you."
"They cried. My mom especially, and you know she hardly ever cries."
"Yeah. Meanwhile Mayor Caelum cries at the sight of vegetables."
The two of them laughed weakly at the joke but soon fell silent.
"It doesn't feel right to laugh without him," Kairi breathed. "It hurts to even think about the past, especially when I thought...when I thought we would finally be together."
Riku opened his eyes slowly to see his reflection in the glass coffee table. The green in his irises were lacking their usual luster.
"What happened, Kairi? How did he die? I need to know. That's...the only way I can believe it's true."
Kairi remained silent for a long time.
"Please..."
"I can't," she cut in. "I can't talk about this. Not yet."
Riku's grip around the phone tightened, but he managed to keep his voice calm. "Okay. Fine."
"Riku..."
"Hmm?"
"I promise to tell you soon," Kairi whispered, her voice catching on the last word. "Until then...please just take my word for it, okay? Sora's gone."
Riku said nothing.
"We...need to tell his parents. Tomorrow."
DATA RECOVERY PRCOESSING
Recovery Status: 13%
View recovered data?
...
Understood.
Processing request.
Entry 7A-121 detected.
Location: Destiny Islands
Time: Midnight; 5 hours after the disappearance
All was silent on the play island, save for the howling of the wind. Dark clouds rolled through the blackened sky, which was a sure sign of the storm approaching, but it would pass through, as all storms do.
As the palm trees shook with the wind, a new sound created a soft echo through the otherwise silent air.
It was the sound of a dark corridor opening. A lone figure dressed in a familiar black cloak emerged from the portal with the hood raised over his head. The steps he took across the sand were swift and purposeful. There was no time to delay, not when there was work to be done.
Once at the shoreline, the cloaked figure lowered himself to the sand and began to dig his gloved hands through it. He was searching for an object he'd seen halfway buried in the sand five hours prior.
There hadn't been an opportunity to grab it then. Too many people around.
So he opted to discreetly bury it deeper in the sand with his foot until he could return for it.
"It's still here." He rejoiced inwardly, his heart guiding his hands as he continued digging through the soft grains. "I can feel it."
Though it took several minutes, his fingers eventually brushed against a metal surface.
"Bingo."
The cloaked figure smiled, feeling around the object for the chain he knew was attached to it.
"I owe you a debt, Sora..."
With a grunt of triumph, he withdrew the item from the sand. Despite the lack of light, the silver crown pendant seemed to glow in his hand.
"And with this, I'm going to pay it back."
Entry 7A-121- Complete
The following morning, Aqua woke to the soft sound of rain tapping against the window. Though groggy and confused by her surroundings, she felt fine.
"Where...oh..."
The memories of the previous day returned, bringing sorrow along with it. However, Aqua made the decision not to dwell on those feelings upon noticing a note lying atop the nightstand table. With a hesitant hand she picked up the scrap of paper and began to read.
Aqua,
Kairi and I agreed we would visit Sora's parents tomorrow to tell them the news, but Mom pulled a fast one on me. She took the liberty of calling them while I was still talking with Kairi. I wasn't convinced telling them was the best plan in the first place, but now...well, now they know, so our plan to visit them has been postponed. I just don't think it's a good idea to see them right now. They need time to grieve on their own.
It's starting to sink in that Sora might really be gone...for good.
She re-read the sentence as words from the previous night repeated in her head.
Never coming back.
He's dead.
There were new thoughts too.
Accept it. Sora is gone. Kairi said so. She would know best, wouldn't she?
"Maybe. Maybe not."
Aqua wasn't sure why she said the words aloud.
After a few more seconds of hesitation, she continued reading the note.
I'm glad you stuck around, Aqua. Right now we need someone whose strong and...like I told you last night, I think it's important for you to see our world. I want you to see the places and people who made Sora who he is...or...was.
"He isn't gone, Riku," she muttered, her fingers shaking a little. "You don't believe that any more than I do."
She inhaled slowly as she read the remainder of the letter.
Sorry. I'm a bit out of it. Can't sleep. It's actually past midnight now.
I'd like to show you around the islands, and once things have settled down a bit, we can all visit Sora's parents together. In the meantime, try to get some rest. Mom said she would make pancakes. I'll save you some if you don't wake up in time for breakfast.
See you in the morning.
~Riku
Aqua read the letter twice more then crumpled it into a ball.
"Sora...I'm not going to give up hope. I can't...because you're the person who gave it back to me."
Rising slowly, Aqua stretched her arms over her head and allowed the balled up note to fall into the wastebasket nearby. Once satisfied with the stretch she climbed out of bed and walked the few steps it took to reach the bay door. Outside the skies were overcast, but the rain had stopped.
Deciding to brave the elements, she turned the handle on the glass bay door and pushed forward.
Inhaling the fresh, crisp air, Aqua stepped gently over the threshold and onto the stone path leading to the nearby patio. For a few seconds she looked over the trail the stones created then drifted to the right, her feet pressing against the wet grass while the wind danced through her hair.
She closed her eyes and exhaled.
After ten years, she was truly breathing again.
"I'm not going to mourn you anymore," she thought wistfully, her spirit beginning to lift little by little. "You're alive. I can feel it. I can still feel you deep in my heart."
The wind picked up speed, ruffling through the fabric of the night clothes Aqua wore. For a second she felt like the wind was guiding her body toward the sky.
"Kairi is wrong. I know she is."
Her eyes opened to the sight of clouds gently parting. Soft, shimmering beams of light remained in the spaces left behind.
Aqua.
The blue-haired master remained completely still.
There was a change in the inflection of her name.
Aqua would have missed it had she not been in a state of deep meditation.
She wasn't remembering his voice this time.
Aqua.
He was saying her name in real time.
Hmmm.
His voice hummed in a way almost playful as he said her name again. It was like he was testing it on his lips, trying to decide whether he liked the sound of it or not.
Aqua was tempted to look around to see if by some miracle he was standing nearby, having played the worst kind of prank, but something invisible told her to just concentrate on his voice and listen.
Aqua. That's her name. It's...beautiful. She...she was beautiful too.
A little overwhelmed by his words, Aqua switched directions and walked the stone path to the small patio. She started to reach for the chair, needing to sit down when she noted something sparkling in her peripheral vision.
I just wish I could thank her. It's thanks to her I know my own name.
Aqua's heart pounded in a relentless rhythm, her whole body shaking as her fingertips brushed against the metal of a pendant she recognized all too easily.
She could hardly make sense of it.
"Sora...?"
Huh? That voice...
Without a doubt. He was alive.
But before Aqua even had the chance to sit with the realization, a shrill screech tore through the air, disrupting all her thoughts.
"What is that?" she questioned aloud, her gaze flying about the area while the sharp sound increased in volume.
Though not dressed for combat, Aqua held her hand out in front of her. Master Eraqus' keyblade materialized in her hand, its familiar weight soothing and foreboding all at the same time.
The dynamics of the monstrous scream softened slightly, signaling a change in the sound's direction. Whatever she was hearing was passing by her, escaping her notice.
"I don't think so."
Pivoting on her heel so she was facing the house, Aqua took ten steps backward then sprinted into a leap. She flipped once then used a bit of magic to propel her higher.
The landing on the rooftop was a little shaky, mainly because she wasn't wearing shoes and the initial impact hurt; however, the jolt of pain she felt through her feet was nothing compared to the terror overtaking her heart.
High above her head, a massive ball of varying heartless span around in a circle heading toward the center of the island. Most of them were shadows, but there were a couple larger Heartless floating through the sky as well. Some were water-based, others fire...
Aqua's grip tightened around the hilt of her keyblade, confusion and a small trace of fear etched in her expression.
"The timing for this couldn't be any worse."
"Wait! Aqua? Was that you?
There was no reply.
In a strange world suspended between life and death, Sora waited.
His body was gone. What remained were mere dust particles of light, forming the shape of a crown.
He had been there for what felt like eons, but in reality, only a day had gone by in the real world.
Aside from vague images and lingering feelings, he had no memories to speak of. However, what little he could recall from the moments before his entry to this eerily silent world were of the last person he ever saw. Out of loneliness and boredom he began to contemplate this memory aloud, though he wasn't really sure if he was actually speaking or not. It was hard to tell, but it made him feel better to think that somewhere, someone could hear him.
Sora...?
Aqua's voice was the first voice he'd heard in so long. It was a welcome sound, his name on her lips.
Since he couldn't remember any of the other voices from the silhouettes he could call to his mind's eye, the single voice he could identify as the voice of a friend made him inconceivably happy. The pure joy he felt would have brought him to tears if not for the fact he literally couldn't cry. No body. No eyes. No tears.
That thought alone was creepy, but Sora wasn't one to dwell too long on the negatives, especially when something wonderful was happening simultaneously.
However, the moment of bliss was short-lived. Mere seconds after he heard Aqua's voice, a shrill shrieking ripped through the air...
And then suddenly...nothing. All was silent again.
She was gone.
And Sora felt the crushing weight of loneliness once more.
"Don't go," he whispered pleadingly. "Don't leave me."
A/N: And that's the end of the chapter. Since some of you were worried last time, rest assured, Kairi is okay! Then again...are you sure you can trust me? (Insert evil chuckling here.) Despite being a short chapter, a lot happened here. Our mysterious data person is working diligently to piece the madness together, finding little pockets of information through recovered entries. Of course, clearly there's information missing because now Aqua has Sora's pendant. We have no idea how she got it as of now, but I'm sure the data collector person, whoever they are, will find the missing information soon.
I'm going to have to add a mystery tag to this story, aren't I?
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter despite its short length. The next one will be a lot longer. Believe me, it took me FOREVER to finish it. And originally, the ending section with Sora was not part of this chapter. I added it in today because I felt we needed to see him again and because this chapter is a calm before the storm sort of chapter. (Also, I struggled to figure out a title song for this one because it didn't have a solid theme like the other chapters did. However, after searching up the lyrics to Don't Leave Me by BTS, the inspiration hit and I was like, "There's been a change of plans!" Lyrically that song just ties in so well with the overall tone I'm going for with this entire story, so please check it out. BTS is awesome.) Have a great day everyone! See you again in the next one.