AN: Okay! This is the last chapter for me!!! But don't cry!!!! I was
thinking of writing something else!!! I did write something and it's at
www.fictionpress.com you all should go there and check it out. It's called
Nobody's Listening. Um anyway! I'd really like to thank all those who
reviewed!!!! Chibichibi386, dude, you rock my sox so much!!!!! I love
hearing from you!!! Catty, yea, you rock a lot and I'd love to read your
story!!!!
Cmermaid, you know already. Sashi/Trapped, you know too!!! Mike, I love you man!!! Flying Toaster.... Uhhh, yeah. Good times!!! Don't let Ansem steal any more souls from helpless little boys, okay? Thanks! Thanks go out to anyone I forgot!!!!!! If you don't understand anything I just wrote above.... don't worry. It's just me and my sick mind working and letting the wheels turn. Hopefully, you'll read my other stuff!!!! Later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chapter Eight: Chaos, Darkness, And Death
~Dawn brings a new day, and a new day brings hope~
Ansem looked at his niece and was pleased with her transformation. He led her into a dark portal and told her to wait on the other side. Her emotionless, purple eyes looked first at her old friends and then at the portal. She disappeared through it and Ansem let her friends go. Remi hit the floor and soon bounced back up on his feet. Ansem knelt down and picked up the black key still laying on the floor. He stuck into his jacket pocket. Remi took out his blade and rushed towards him. Ansem disappeared into a portal too.
Remi hit nothing but air. He was fighting himself for a while, just trying to get out all the frustration. He then slid down to his knees and cried. Nova slowly walked over to where he knelt and put her arms around him. Everyone felt the same way. But, Christa gave up her heart for them, shouldn't they be happy? Remi slammed his fists against the ground a couple of times.
"Maybe our journey means nothing after all....." Kairi whispered to herself. The others paid no attention.
They all just sat down and gave up. Manic watched from afar, and solemnly promised to himself he wouldn't give up. Who knew what that sick man could do to her? He probably could've done much worse to them. That was eminent. He turned to head onward to the final resting place.
"Where are you going?" The shell that was still with them stopped him.
"What?! You can't talk!" Manic stepped back a bit, confused. The others watched as Riku's shell continued.
"I can't talk when I'm a shell, but right now, I'm not. I'm Riku." They were puzzled. What was this guy talking about?
"Who are you? What are you?" Kairi stepped forward.
"I already answered that question." She was stunned. Wasn't that only a dream? Was it real?
"But how can you be a creation born of ignorance?" Kairi pushed onward the questions.
"Ha! That's for me to know and you to find out!" He said with the trademark Riku smirk.
"You really are Riku!" Nova ran over from Remi to Riku and put her arms around him. He was Riku, but how was this possible?
"Yeah, right now I'm me. My will made me come here and take my body back, but not forever. And in about five minutes I won't be here anymore. I have to tell you all something. All of you have to continue on to Kingdom Hearts and get me out of there. Since Christa was just apparently sucked into the darkness she's probably there too. You guys will have to fight Ansem and his new Heartless, Enog Rafoot, to win her back."
"Can we do it? Against that?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"What is this place?" Christa asked her new master. "Is this the place you've been looking for?"
"I'm surprised you remember I was looking for it back in Hallow Bastion. This is the world in its true form." Ansem still had that devilish grin on his face. Christa was following obediently. He continued, "You know, Christa, you are the source of all Heartless. You are the reason they're here." She didn't say a word. Just how he liked it.
He turned around to see the expression on her face and noticed that her eyes were green again. Ansem stopped mid-step and stopped her from walking, too. Tears were still falling from her eyes that were not purple anymore. He took a closer look.
"That's weird......." He muttered to himself. He was puzzled beyond recognition.
"What's going to happen to my friends?" He was shocked even more so than before. She should've forgotten about them after her heart was stolen. How could she have remembered?
"What is this?! I must stop you from remembering them!!!" He called forth a Heartless that grabbed her and flung her over its shoulder. She hit the wall and passed out. It then picked her up and carried her onward to Kingdom Hearts.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Cloud walked into his home and went to Aeris' door. He feared that she probably did something stupid when he denied her the love she deserved. He had promised long ago that he'd save her and be her 'Night In Shining Armor' but all he did was hurt her. He knocked and then entered. She was lying on the bed with her face down on the pillow. Aeris had apparently cried herself to sleep.
He sat on the edge of the bed for a split second and then got up and left the room. He walked down the hallway and to the Library. That was where he and Tifa would spend most of their time. He walked in and sat down. That was when he heard a giggle come from the corner of the room. He jumped up and spun on his heel to see who was behind him.
It was Tifa.
"Tifa?!" Cloud was dumbfounded.
"Hey Cloud!" She sprinted up to him and they embraced each other like they hadn't seen one another in a thousand years.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So, you're telling us that the real Riku is asleep and you took over the shell's body to help us, but you won't stay this way forever?" Kairi asked a bit confused.
"Yes." He answered simply. Riku had just finished telling them everything about Christa and the King and how they had to save her.
"You're also saying that Christa won't remember us if she stays in Kingdom Hearts for a long time?" Remi panicked as Riku nodded.
"It happened to me. But it might go faster for her. Christa's heart isn't as strong as she puts it out to be. Ansem made sure of that." He admitted and realized it caused his friends some pain to hear of such things.
"That's why she kept having those nightmares of him!!!" Kairi suddenly blurted out.
"Exactly...." He acknowledged her discovery.
"Then, what are we waiting for?! Let's go save Christa!!!" Sora cried and they ran off to the end of the End Of The World and Kingdom Hearts to save their friend. The shell slowly followed after. Riku was gone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Gah!!" Riku woke up feeling horrible. "What the crap was that!!!"
The King was still with him, although he was off to the side, he saw Riku wake up. He slowly walked over to him, leaving the Nobodies to talk amongst themselves. Riku was trying to figure out what had happened when he came back to Kingdom Hearts.
"Going back to your former body hurts a lot. When you do it permanently, the pain will linger for a while." Riku looked up as the King explained it all.
"Yeah, whatever...." He mumbled as he caught site of someone off in the distance. "Is that her?" He suddenly asked.
The King barely had the time to answer. Riku ran over to a small form in the darkness. Christa held herself close so no one would see her cry. She hated it when people asked her about her feelings and crying didn't help the situation. Her knees where pulled up to her chest and her face was buried in her arms. Riku ran over to her to see what was wrong. She heard him, but didn't move.
"Hey!!! Are you alright!?" He was within six feet of her. She still didn't move. "Hello?" He was now next to her. Christa felt sick and she still had a fever. "Ummmm.... If you're not okay then you can just sit there." He smiled and sat next to her.
They sat there for a while. Neither of them dared to move or speak. Riku had felt that he bothered her enough and if she didn't want to talk he wouldn't pester her. He had felt the same way. He'd give the silent treatment to whoever was bothering him to make it seem like he wanted to be alone so they would leave. The only one who didn't leave when he did that was Sora. So, Riku decided he wouldn't leave Christa.
Christa was so tired and really out of it. She didn't want anymore friends. If she had them, they'd probably get hurt and it would be all her fault. She wanted this kid to leave and never look back. But she was too sick to do anything about it. It was a struggle just to keep herself sitting up in the position she was in now. Her head soon fell onto Riku's shoulder and she found herself dozing. Riku was startled.
"Okaaay..... You can lay there." He looked over to where she was now.
"I'm sorry, but I'm so sleepy...." And she fell asleep. Then, Riku remembered something. Riku woke her up with a panicky look on his face.
"Do you know who you are?!" He hurriedly asked her. She looked around for a second, still half-asleep.
"Christa. I'm Ansem's niece." He sighed at her answer. 'Good.' He thought.
"Do you know where you are?" She looked puzzled for a minute.
"Kingdom Hearts....." Christa was really suspicious. 'Better.' He thought again.
"And how did you get here?" He was serious. He didn't really remember any of this. Riku didn't want another person to lose their memories.
"I sacrificed my life for my friends..." She looked down and became a little quieter 'Very good.' He thought, "My friends are on the other side. Maybe I can still talk to Sora....?"
"You can talk to Sora?" She nodded slowly, "How?!" He was desperate to talk to his best friend again, maybe even for a little while.
"Umm, I'd fall asleep and he'd be there....." She pulled her hand up to the chain around her neck to play with her key, but it wasn't there, "What?!?! Oh my God!!!! My key is gone!!!!!!" She stood up despite how horrible she felt and searched frantically for it all around her.
"Go to sleep!" She was startled by his sudden command.
"No!!! I have to find my necklace!!!" They argued about this for ten minutes before Riku pulled a Sora and clunked her on the head with his Keyblade.
"Good! Now stay down!!!" And he walked over to King Mickey. "You should leave before she wakes up. She'll go ballistic when she does and seeing you will only make it worse." Mickey turned and left immediately.
He turned back around and walked back over to Christa. She was breathing weird and Riku thought that he had really hurt her, until he realized she had a fever. He cast 'Cure' on her and then sat down and awaited her return to reality.
"Too bad she has to betray her own family....."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She ran until she came to a dead end. They were chasing her, coming ever closer. Christa could barely escape their sharp claws coming for her. She ran up the steps to the master bedroom in Hallow Bastion. The stairs went really high up until she reached the platform where it ended. They were there too, waiting for her to reach the top.
The Heartless lurched at her trying to take her heart. They stopped, antennae twitching. As if they sensed something else. They walked around her, sank into the ground, and disappeared. She watched as they ran from her as if they were scared of something. She turned around and saw them gather around her Heartless self.
"You came back?" She asked as a grin came on her face.
"What is it to you? You already have my body! What more do you want?" She yelled at the freak in front of her. All that followed was a maniacal laugh from her evil counterpart. The evil girl took out a Keyblade and went towards Christa. Although she wanted to run, this was a dream. She knew it was. And even if this girl tried, she couldn't hurt her in a dream. The girl swung at her and missed. Christa tried to kick her but slipped up and tripped. The girl hit her several times after.
It hurt, a lot. Christa went to run away and was slashed across the back with the Keyblade. Her body ached. But how was this possible? She was just dreaming?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She woke up with Riku still at her side. Christa didn't bother talking to him. He just stared into the distance as if she wasn't there. He was thinking of Sora. She could tell. Riku knew that Sora was coming and he was excited, even though he didn't show it. Then, she remembered what he did to her and got furious.
"What was that for?!" Christa referred to the bonk on the head that she got.
"Hn? Oh! Sorry, I got excited about seeing Sora again. I didn't mean it." He rubbed the back of his head. He then turned back to the darkness, "I hate this place." He blandly said while still not looking at her.
She looked around a little too and then stood up. Riku rose after her and they both walked towards the door. Neither of them said a word as the Nobody's camp came into view. Some of the Nobodies were sleeping while others were eating. The smell of food coming from their tents and campfires made her hungry. They made it to the tent that King Mickey had set up for Riku and sat outside it. Riku cast a fire spell to get the campfire started.
"So, what happened to you? How'd you get here?" She stared at the fire as Riku looked at her surprised by her question.
"Um, well, Ansem used my body to get back his power. He did that to open the door to this god-forsaken place. By the time I realized his plan it was too late. I overcame the darkness and was sent here, but my body didn't survive. He still had it. When he was done, it became a shell." He stared blankly into the fire like Christa. She adverted her gaze to him.
"Oh......" She looked back down at the ground. 'At this rate we'll be stuck here forever!' She scoffed at herself. He turned towards her and her stomach growled. She blushed and turned to him with a small smile. He went inside the tent to get her something to eat. He came out only seconds after he went in. She was still there, staring at the flames.
"You did a noble thing, sacrificing your life for your friends." He said out of nowhere. "It's the total opposite of what I did......." He couldn't continue.
"I miss them so much. It's not a noble deed if you cause the people who you were trying to save, pain. What did you do to end up here?" His expression went blank.
"I betrayed my best friend and almost killed him about five times." He couldn't look up at her anymore. Riku was so ashamed of what he'd done in the past.
"That's not so bad. I know of worse." He looked shocked for a moment. What could be worse than what he's done? She continued, "My uncle, Ansem, he murdered his sister and her husband, they were my parents." Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, "He murdered his own family and my parents as well as most of Hallow Bastion. He's my only family left, too." A tear slid silently down her cheek as she brushed it away.
Riku felt bad for her. She had no family left. All were gone, except Ansem. But, who could ever want him to be related to them? He was such a horrible monster. Riku slid over to her and sat next to her. His left arm went around her back and onto her other shoulder. He pulled Christa towards him and let her sob on his chest.
Nova would understand. Christa was upset. Anyone would've done the same. They sat there for only a few minutes. When they pulled away, Riku was smiling and Christa felt better. Riku decided that he would help her from then on.
"Christa?" His gaze became soft. She looked up to acknowledge his existence, "Will you be my little sister from now on?" (AN: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Where's this place anyway?" Nova asked with impatience dripping in her tone.
They'd been walking for hours upon end, trying to find the final resting point. Sora had gotten them no where and the longer they walked the more impatient they became. Finally, they found a giant glowing hole in the ground. This was the World Terminal. Sora stopped and looked down into it. Not many worlds had been sucked into darkness this time, but he expected to be going to the worlds that Kairi had visited.
They all jumped into the terminal one at a time. Manic was the last one in. When they were all down there they continued on to each world in search of the Final Resting Place. When they made it there, the doors stood like they always did and a strange voice crept into their minds to ask and tell them things.
"This is the last you'll see of the light. Are you ready to continue? Are you prepared to fulfill the prophecy that has been spoken of for centuries? If you fail, you let down the world and the light. Are you ready?"
They all looked towards each other. Each one was scared, except for Sora. He was used to the voice. His hand went into the middle of them all. The group looked at it and then Manic put his hand on top. The rest followed suite.
"You guys ready?" The all nodded and then dropped their hands. The door opened and allowed them passage. They walked in and found themselves floating in the middle of nothingness. The doors were ahead, but they had a big problem to deal with first.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Christa was the first person to feel it. She felt the immense power behind the doors. Riku felt it too, but Christa felt it more because it was her Uncle. He was trying to open the doors. But, why? Why would he open them when he knew that light existed there? She knew all too well why he was here and opening the doors. It was because of her.
The doors cracked open only a little at first and the Nobodies as well as Christa and Riku saw the light of day again. No one moved when the great doors opened. No one breathed or spoke. They all just stared at the crack in the door as it slowly got wider. They then heard voices on the other end. When the voices got louder the door stopped opening. The crack was now large enough to fit one person at a time through.
The Nobodies started to move forward to the crack. A Darkside rose out of the ground in front of them to stop anyone trying to get through. They all ran back to the camp. Some yelled and others cowered in fear. Only the young and stupid continued onward and got hurt.
"Riku...." He gave her a reassured look, "Since you're now my big brother, help me!" She grabbed onto his hand and they walked forward.
Riku took out a Keyblade for himself and threw one to Christa as well. She stared at it for a while and noted the feather that hung from the key chain. Out of nowhere a feel of nervousness washed over her. He held out his hand and she took it.
"You can fight with a Keyblade. That Keyblade is called the Fearie Harp." She gave him a worried look, "Don't worry. You are a Keyblade Master. I should know. Just swing it at the enemy." He walked forward and she adjusted it in her hand.
When Christa was good and ready to go, she sprinted at the giant Heartless and helped Riku pummel it into the ground. When it was good and dead, they walked over to the door and looked through.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Nova was on the ground first. She saw Ansem near the door and ran towards him, not bother to wait for the others. She took out her weapon and stopped eight feet away from where that horrible man stood. When her friends came up behind her she yelled to him.
"We have come for you, 'my liege'!" Nova's tone was drenched in sarcasm, which soon faded when Enog Rafoot rose from a dark pool behind Ansem. Ansem sat down on a nearby boulder to watch the show about to take place. Sora and the others readied their weapons and began. Kairi threw some spells at it while healing and casting 'Aeroga' on her companions. Manic and Sora both went forward with their Keyblades, using such moves as Ars Arcanum and Ragnarok.
Nova and Remi attacked with their longer weapons, hitting the damn thing from a distance. It never ceased to throw back everything it got. Enog Rafoot was by far the mightiest heartless of all Sora had ever faced.
None of them, however, would never give up to save their friends trapped within Kingdom Hearts. Soon other people were watching. They had come to get their hearts back from Kingdom Hearts. All of them were lifeless shells like Riku and Christa. They were being led by no other than King Mickey.
The King had also taken out his Keyblade and begun the battle. When it was all over for Enog Rafoot, Mickey was the last to hit the beast before it fell back into the darkness whence it came. They all turned towards Ansem, waiting for the next round. He, however, still was perched on that rock. He waved his hand forward and out came Christa's shell ready to fight. No one was ready for this.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Christa and Riku stared wide eyed through the door to their freedom. Christa slowly raised her hand and put it through the door. Her hand faded and blinked out of existence. She recoiled it in shock and alarm and looked back at Riku. He nodded his head and then looked through the door.
"You have to go first." He never took his eyes away from his friends who were about to fight.
"What?! Are you nuts!?!?" She raised an eyebrow, "That hurts!"
"It's going to hurt for a little while, but as your new big brother, I say you should go through. Get your body back before it's too late!" He pushed her body through it.
As soon as she went through, Christa disappeared in seconds. So did her shell. A great burst of light shone in the middle of everything and she stepped forward, half evil, and half good. Her eyes were still purple, but her hair was back to its original length. Christa fell to her knees and clutched at her chest. She was in so much pain.
"CHRISTA!!!!!" Remi tried to run over to her, but was cut off by a force field.
"Try to get near her and she'll suffer more!!!" Ansem yelled from his place on the rock. Riku's shell walked forward and then disappeared. Riku stepped forward in its place. He was in pain too, but he still ran towards Christa. Ansem tried another force field, but Riku was too powerful. He broke through and kept going until he was next to his little sister.
"Christa, listen to me! You have to defeat Ansem now! Do it or the prophecy won't be fulfilled and you can say good-bye to all your friends, including Remi." She weakly looked up at her friends and the people behind them. With Riku's help she was standing again. Her hand still clutched to her chest and she was breathing heavily.
Christa slowly limped her way forward. She was nine feet away from the man who killed her parents and ruined her life. The man who had started this whole journey was in front of her and the only way to make him leave was to kill him off. Riku backed off and away with the rest of her friends. They watched in fear and amazement. Some of the Nobodies had gotten through and were regaining their bodies and heading home.
They stared for a while at each other. King Mickey and Queen Minnie were there too, watching Christa. She was the only one who could destroy him for good. They were blood. Christa's face was stained with tears. New ones fell too with the old. She was in so much pain but she had to do what she had to do.
"Why?!" She suddenly asked. "Uncle Ansem, why?! I'm your niece! Doesn't that matter to you anymore? Don't I matter?" He smirked, which showed the truth. He didn't care at all. He took pride and joy in her pain. Ansem was an immoral man who laughed when people cried.
"Why would I care about a pitiful creature such as you, with a weak heart?" He laughed a maniacal laugh that filled the area.
"My life, my whole existence, doesn't matter anymore?" She continued, "What about your sister, my mom? Didn't she matter to you? Didn't she?! Why did you...."
"Poor fool. Your mother was the one who betrayed me. She died because she wanted to. That was when she asked me to raise you. But, instead I decided to use the power of your heart to bring the Heartless forth. That is why you are the source of all Heartless. Every last one, you brought here. You are the reason why so many were killed. You......"
"NO! THAT IS A LIE!" A gust of wind whirled around them and Christa heard a voice.
'When light turns to dark, the calm becomes the storm.'
'Who's there?' She thought as it continued.
'When reality is a dream, then good must face evil.'
'My dreams have all come true. Is that what you mean?' The voice sounded so familiar, but Christa was still scared of its power.
'Courage is the Key. Unlock your destiny.'
As the world came back to her, Christa realized who was talking to her the whole time. She smiled the warmest and most heartfelt smile she had and said, "Thank you, Mom."
When her eyes opened a Keyblade was in her right hand. It was pure white and really long too. The part that she now held to looked as if it had wings sprouting from it. The blade had a pearl ribbon spiraling up to the key part. That part was wide stretched and had carving in it. The Keychain that fell from the backend of the Keyblade had a little heart with wings and a crown to one side. She had summoned the Hope Keyblade.
Christa leaned into a fighting position as Ansem, too, drew his weapon. They charged and with one mighty blow they each struck. Both landed on either side of where they began. The people who were watching could barely speak. Kairi, Remi, Nova, Sora, and Riku watched wide eyed as they didn't move for a minute.
Christa fell on her face first. Ansem turned around and started to laugh. Then a burst of light shot out from his body. They were then accompanied by many more beams of light. His laugh became a scream of terror and fright. The Nobodies were long gone by now and when Ansem disappeared, Christa's friends ran forward as fast as possible.
"Chris!!!" They all yelled at the same time.
The Keyblade had disappeared when she fell. They weren't sure if she was breathing yet. Riku looked up as the Door of Darkness/Door to Light disappeared from his sight. They carried Christa to a Gummy ship as the rest of Kingdom Hearts began to fade.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hallow Bastion was where they ended up and where they rested with Christa's tired body. Remi sat by her bedside. He was now asleep, like her. It'd been three days since the whole incident with Ansem and Christa still hadn't woken up. She stirred in her sleep and pulled the blankets closer. Riku walked in and kneeled next to her bed. He hadn't really talked to Nova yet. He was too worried about Christa. Riku was soon fast asleep like Remi.
Sora walked down the hallway. Everyone had been worried since the incident and they all couldn't wait till she had woken up. Kairi was walking behind him and Nova was after her. They were walking together to see if Christa had woken yet. When they made it to the room, the sound of the doorknob turning woke both Riku and Remi. All three of them walked in and sat around the room. No one said a word. Manic walked in soon after too. That night they stayed and slept on the floor. She woke up just as Sora was falling asleep.
"Where...where am I?" She muttered as she sat up. She was so drowsy it was a surprise that she was awake. Sora jumped onto his feet and quietly ran to her bedside.
"Oh my god! Your awake!" He whispered excitedly.
"What... Sora? Where am I?" She rubbed her eyes.
"Yes it's me. We saved you after you destroyed Ansem and brought you back here." He raised his hands to symbolize the room she was sleeping in. "You're back in Hallow Bastion." The answer hadn't really fazed her as much as he had originally thought. Sora sat on the edge of her bed. He was so happy that she was alright. Everyone was so worried.
"Tomorrow, I'll talk to everyone, okay? Don't wake them up yet." She laid back down and covered herself with the blankets again. Soon she was fast asleep. Sora too laid down on the floor and was asleep too.
The next morning they all woke up and found Christa to be gone. Every single one of them was looking for her. Remi had found her in the Library, looking at a desk.
"He kept them here." She said when he walked in, "He kept my family's picture here, but now it's gone. Oh well." She turned around and he walked forward. They embraced and then kissed, many times. They both walked out of there, hand in hand.
The others were in the chapel. When Christa and Remi walked in they were relieved. Remi had given Christa back her necklace right there. The rest of the day was spent telling good stories and funny jokes. They also had a feast and a party. After that, the action died down. Remi and Christa went to hang out together, Riku and Nova went to chill in the library, and Sora and Kairi went to catch up on things. Manic decided to follow his little sister and her new love interest.
When they were in the Library, they started to make out with each other. Manic stood in the shadows watching till he couldn't bare it anymore. He stepped forward and separated them. Manic then turned to Riku.
"What do you think you are doing with my little sister?" Riku was scared pants less. He had no idea what to do.
Manic got really pissed off and took out one of his Keyblades and decided to chase Riku around Hallow Bastion. Riku ran like hell and hoped not to get beaten into tiny specks of dust. Nova went and joined the others to watch. Sora, Christa, Kairi, Remi, and Nova watched the funniest scene ever and Christa said:
"Everything is coming back to me, the true meaning of family and friends is one thing that I'll never forget." Manic had caught up to Riku now and he made Riku promise to take care of Nova before he gave him a nuggie. "I'll always remember the good times and keep them in my heart with the memories of my friends. You guys are now and forever will be my family."
*~*
~Starting over again~
*~*
AN: OMG!!!! I love this story sooooooooo much!!! I'll be writing another story soon with my friend (can't wait!). I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I had fun writing it!! God, I can't believe it's all over! I'll see you all later!!! Have fun and stay hyper!!!!! =^.^= meow!!!!!!!!!!!
Cmermaid, you know already. Sashi/Trapped, you know too!!! Mike, I love you man!!! Flying Toaster.... Uhhh, yeah. Good times!!! Don't let Ansem steal any more souls from helpless little boys, okay? Thanks! Thanks go out to anyone I forgot!!!!!! If you don't understand anything I just wrote above.... don't worry. It's just me and my sick mind working and letting the wheels turn. Hopefully, you'll read my other stuff!!!! Later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chapter Eight: Chaos, Darkness, And Death
~Dawn brings a new day, and a new day brings hope~
Ansem looked at his niece and was pleased with her transformation. He led her into a dark portal and told her to wait on the other side. Her emotionless, purple eyes looked first at her old friends and then at the portal. She disappeared through it and Ansem let her friends go. Remi hit the floor and soon bounced back up on his feet. Ansem knelt down and picked up the black key still laying on the floor. He stuck into his jacket pocket. Remi took out his blade and rushed towards him. Ansem disappeared into a portal too.
Remi hit nothing but air. He was fighting himself for a while, just trying to get out all the frustration. He then slid down to his knees and cried. Nova slowly walked over to where he knelt and put her arms around him. Everyone felt the same way. But, Christa gave up her heart for them, shouldn't they be happy? Remi slammed his fists against the ground a couple of times.
"Maybe our journey means nothing after all....." Kairi whispered to herself. The others paid no attention.
They all just sat down and gave up. Manic watched from afar, and solemnly promised to himself he wouldn't give up. Who knew what that sick man could do to her? He probably could've done much worse to them. That was eminent. He turned to head onward to the final resting place.
"Where are you going?" The shell that was still with them stopped him.
"What?! You can't talk!" Manic stepped back a bit, confused. The others watched as Riku's shell continued.
"I can't talk when I'm a shell, but right now, I'm not. I'm Riku." They were puzzled. What was this guy talking about?
"Who are you? What are you?" Kairi stepped forward.
"I already answered that question." She was stunned. Wasn't that only a dream? Was it real?
"But how can you be a creation born of ignorance?" Kairi pushed onward the questions.
"Ha! That's for me to know and you to find out!" He said with the trademark Riku smirk.
"You really are Riku!" Nova ran over from Remi to Riku and put her arms around him. He was Riku, but how was this possible?
"Yeah, right now I'm me. My will made me come here and take my body back, but not forever. And in about five minutes I won't be here anymore. I have to tell you all something. All of you have to continue on to Kingdom Hearts and get me out of there. Since Christa was just apparently sucked into the darkness she's probably there too. You guys will have to fight Ansem and his new Heartless, Enog Rafoot, to win her back."
"Can we do it? Against that?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"What is this place?" Christa asked her new master. "Is this the place you've been looking for?"
"I'm surprised you remember I was looking for it back in Hallow Bastion. This is the world in its true form." Ansem still had that devilish grin on his face. Christa was following obediently. He continued, "You know, Christa, you are the source of all Heartless. You are the reason they're here." She didn't say a word. Just how he liked it.
He turned around to see the expression on her face and noticed that her eyes were green again. Ansem stopped mid-step and stopped her from walking, too. Tears were still falling from her eyes that were not purple anymore. He took a closer look.
"That's weird......." He muttered to himself. He was puzzled beyond recognition.
"What's going to happen to my friends?" He was shocked even more so than before. She should've forgotten about them after her heart was stolen. How could she have remembered?
"What is this?! I must stop you from remembering them!!!" He called forth a Heartless that grabbed her and flung her over its shoulder. She hit the wall and passed out. It then picked her up and carried her onward to Kingdom Hearts.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Cloud walked into his home and went to Aeris' door. He feared that she probably did something stupid when he denied her the love she deserved. He had promised long ago that he'd save her and be her 'Night In Shining Armor' but all he did was hurt her. He knocked and then entered. She was lying on the bed with her face down on the pillow. Aeris had apparently cried herself to sleep.
He sat on the edge of the bed for a split second and then got up and left the room. He walked down the hallway and to the Library. That was where he and Tifa would spend most of their time. He walked in and sat down. That was when he heard a giggle come from the corner of the room. He jumped up and spun on his heel to see who was behind him.
It was Tifa.
"Tifa?!" Cloud was dumbfounded.
"Hey Cloud!" She sprinted up to him and they embraced each other like they hadn't seen one another in a thousand years.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So, you're telling us that the real Riku is asleep and you took over the shell's body to help us, but you won't stay this way forever?" Kairi asked a bit confused.
"Yes." He answered simply. Riku had just finished telling them everything about Christa and the King and how they had to save her.
"You're also saying that Christa won't remember us if she stays in Kingdom Hearts for a long time?" Remi panicked as Riku nodded.
"It happened to me. But it might go faster for her. Christa's heart isn't as strong as she puts it out to be. Ansem made sure of that." He admitted and realized it caused his friends some pain to hear of such things.
"That's why she kept having those nightmares of him!!!" Kairi suddenly blurted out.
"Exactly...." He acknowledged her discovery.
"Then, what are we waiting for?! Let's go save Christa!!!" Sora cried and they ran off to the end of the End Of The World and Kingdom Hearts to save their friend. The shell slowly followed after. Riku was gone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Gah!!" Riku woke up feeling horrible. "What the crap was that!!!"
The King was still with him, although he was off to the side, he saw Riku wake up. He slowly walked over to him, leaving the Nobodies to talk amongst themselves. Riku was trying to figure out what had happened when he came back to Kingdom Hearts.
"Going back to your former body hurts a lot. When you do it permanently, the pain will linger for a while." Riku looked up as the King explained it all.
"Yeah, whatever...." He mumbled as he caught site of someone off in the distance. "Is that her?" He suddenly asked.
The King barely had the time to answer. Riku ran over to a small form in the darkness. Christa held herself close so no one would see her cry. She hated it when people asked her about her feelings and crying didn't help the situation. Her knees where pulled up to her chest and her face was buried in her arms. Riku ran over to her to see what was wrong. She heard him, but didn't move.
"Hey!!! Are you alright!?" He was within six feet of her. She still didn't move. "Hello?" He was now next to her. Christa felt sick and she still had a fever. "Ummmm.... If you're not okay then you can just sit there." He smiled and sat next to her.
They sat there for a while. Neither of them dared to move or speak. Riku had felt that he bothered her enough and if she didn't want to talk he wouldn't pester her. He had felt the same way. He'd give the silent treatment to whoever was bothering him to make it seem like he wanted to be alone so they would leave. The only one who didn't leave when he did that was Sora. So, Riku decided he wouldn't leave Christa.
Christa was so tired and really out of it. She didn't want anymore friends. If she had them, they'd probably get hurt and it would be all her fault. She wanted this kid to leave and never look back. But she was too sick to do anything about it. It was a struggle just to keep herself sitting up in the position she was in now. Her head soon fell onto Riku's shoulder and she found herself dozing. Riku was startled.
"Okaaay..... You can lay there." He looked over to where she was now.
"I'm sorry, but I'm so sleepy...." And she fell asleep. Then, Riku remembered something. Riku woke her up with a panicky look on his face.
"Do you know who you are?!" He hurriedly asked her. She looked around for a second, still half-asleep.
"Christa. I'm Ansem's niece." He sighed at her answer. 'Good.' He thought.
"Do you know where you are?" She looked puzzled for a minute.
"Kingdom Hearts....." Christa was really suspicious. 'Better.' He thought again.
"And how did you get here?" He was serious. He didn't really remember any of this. Riku didn't want another person to lose their memories.
"I sacrificed my life for my friends..." She looked down and became a little quieter 'Very good.' He thought, "My friends are on the other side. Maybe I can still talk to Sora....?"
"You can talk to Sora?" She nodded slowly, "How?!" He was desperate to talk to his best friend again, maybe even for a little while.
"Umm, I'd fall asleep and he'd be there....." She pulled her hand up to the chain around her neck to play with her key, but it wasn't there, "What?!?! Oh my God!!!! My key is gone!!!!!!" She stood up despite how horrible she felt and searched frantically for it all around her.
"Go to sleep!" She was startled by his sudden command.
"No!!! I have to find my necklace!!!" They argued about this for ten minutes before Riku pulled a Sora and clunked her on the head with his Keyblade.
"Good! Now stay down!!!" And he walked over to King Mickey. "You should leave before she wakes up. She'll go ballistic when she does and seeing you will only make it worse." Mickey turned and left immediately.
He turned back around and walked back over to Christa. She was breathing weird and Riku thought that he had really hurt her, until he realized she had a fever. He cast 'Cure' on her and then sat down and awaited her return to reality.
"Too bad she has to betray her own family....."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She ran until she came to a dead end. They were chasing her, coming ever closer. Christa could barely escape their sharp claws coming for her. She ran up the steps to the master bedroom in Hallow Bastion. The stairs went really high up until she reached the platform where it ended. They were there too, waiting for her to reach the top.
The Heartless lurched at her trying to take her heart. They stopped, antennae twitching. As if they sensed something else. They walked around her, sank into the ground, and disappeared. She watched as they ran from her as if they were scared of something. She turned around and saw them gather around her Heartless self.
"You came back?" She asked as a grin came on her face.
"What is it to you? You already have my body! What more do you want?" She yelled at the freak in front of her. All that followed was a maniacal laugh from her evil counterpart. The evil girl took out a Keyblade and went towards Christa. Although she wanted to run, this was a dream. She knew it was. And even if this girl tried, she couldn't hurt her in a dream. The girl swung at her and missed. Christa tried to kick her but slipped up and tripped. The girl hit her several times after.
It hurt, a lot. Christa went to run away and was slashed across the back with the Keyblade. Her body ached. But how was this possible? She was just dreaming?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She woke up with Riku still at her side. Christa didn't bother talking to him. He just stared into the distance as if she wasn't there. He was thinking of Sora. She could tell. Riku knew that Sora was coming and he was excited, even though he didn't show it. Then, she remembered what he did to her and got furious.
"What was that for?!" Christa referred to the bonk on the head that she got.
"Hn? Oh! Sorry, I got excited about seeing Sora again. I didn't mean it." He rubbed the back of his head. He then turned back to the darkness, "I hate this place." He blandly said while still not looking at her.
She looked around a little too and then stood up. Riku rose after her and they both walked towards the door. Neither of them said a word as the Nobody's camp came into view. Some of the Nobodies were sleeping while others were eating. The smell of food coming from their tents and campfires made her hungry. They made it to the tent that King Mickey had set up for Riku and sat outside it. Riku cast a fire spell to get the campfire started.
"So, what happened to you? How'd you get here?" She stared at the fire as Riku looked at her surprised by her question.
"Um, well, Ansem used my body to get back his power. He did that to open the door to this god-forsaken place. By the time I realized his plan it was too late. I overcame the darkness and was sent here, but my body didn't survive. He still had it. When he was done, it became a shell." He stared blankly into the fire like Christa. She adverted her gaze to him.
"Oh......" She looked back down at the ground. 'At this rate we'll be stuck here forever!' She scoffed at herself. He turned towards her and her stomach growled. She blushed and turned to him with a small smile. He went inside the tent to get her something to eat. He came out only seconds after he went in. She was still there, staring at the flames.
"You did a noble thing, sacrificing your life for your friends." He said out of nowhere. "It's the total opposite of what I did......." He couldn't continue.
"I miss them so much. It's not a noble deed if you cause the people who you were trying to save, pain. What did you do to end up here?" His expression went blank.
"I betrayed my best friend and almost killed him about five times." He couldn't look up at her anymore. Riku was so ashamed of what he'd done in the past.
"That's not so bad. I know of worse." He looked shocked for a moment. What could be worse than what he's done? She continued, "My uncle, Ansem, he murdered his sister and her husband, they were my parents." Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, "He murdered his own family and my parents as well as most of Hallow Bastion. He's my only family left, too." A tear slid silently down her cheek as she brushed it away.
Riku felt bad for her. She had no family left. All were gone, except Ansem. But, who could ever want him to be related to them? He was such a horrible monster. Riku slid over to her and sat next to her. His left arm went around her back and onto her other shoulder. He pulled Christa towards him and let her sob on his chest.
Nova would understand. Christa was upset. Anyone would've done the same. They sat there for only a few minutes. When they pulled away, Riku was smiling and Christa felt better. Riku decided that he would help her from then on.
"Christa?" His gaze became soft. She looked up to acknowledge his existence, "Will you be my little sister from now on?" (AN: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Where's this place anyway?" Nova asked with impatience dripping in her tone.
They'd been walking for hours upon end, trying to find the final resting point. Sora had gotten them no where and the longer they walked the more impatient they became. Finally, they found a giant glowing hole in the ground. This was the World Terminal. Sora stopped and looked down into it. Not many worlds had been sucked into darkness this time, but he expected to be going to the worlds that Kairi had visited.
They all jumped into the terminal one at a time. Manic was the last one in. When they were all down there they continued on to each world in search of the Final Resting Place. When they made it there, the doors stood like they always did and a strange voice crept into their minds to ask and tell them things.
"This is the last you'll see of the light. Are you ready to continue? Are you prepared to fulfill the prophecy that has been spoken of for centuries? If you fail, you let down the world and the light. Are you ready?"
They all looked towards each other. Each one was scared, except for Sora. He was used to the voice. His hand went into the middle of them all. The group looked at it and then Manic put his hand on top. The rest followed suite.
"You guys ready?" The all nodded and then dropped their hands. The door opened and allowed them passage. They walked in and found themselves floating in the middle of nothingness. The doors were ahead, but they had a big problem to deal with first.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Christa was the first person to feel it. She felt the immense power behind the doors. Riku felt it too, but Christa felt it more because it was her Uncle. He was trying to open the doors. But, why? Why would he open them when he knew that light existed there? She knew all too well why he was here and opening the doors. It was because of her.
The doors cracked open only a little at first and the Nobodies as well as Christa and Riku saw the light of day again. No one moved when the great doors opened. No one breathed or spoke. They all just stared at the crack in the door as it slowly got wider. They then heard voices on the other end. When the voices got louder the door stopped opening. The crack was now large enough to fit one person at a time through.
The Nobodies started to move forward to the crack. A Darkside rose out of the ground in front of them to stop anyone trying to get through. They all ran back to the camp. Some yelled and others cowered in fear. Only the young and stupid continued onward and got hurt.
"Riku...." He gave her a reassured look, "Since you're now my big brother, help me!" She grabbed onto his hand and they walked forward.
Riku took out a Keyblade for himself and threw one to Christa as well. She stared at it for a while and noted the feather that hung from the key chain. Out of nowhere a feel of nervousness washed over her. He held out his hand and she took it.
"You can fight with a Keyblade. That Keyblade is called the Fearie Harp." She gave him a worried look, "Don't worry. You are a Keyblade Master. I should know. Just swing it at the enemy." He walked forward and she adjusted it in her hand.
When Christa was good and ready to go, she sprinted at the giant Heartless and helped Riku pummel it into the ground. When it was good and dead, they walked over to the door and looked through.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Nova was on the ground first. She saw Ansem near the door and ran towards him, not bother to wait for the others. She took out her weapon and stopped eight feet away from where that horrible man stood. When her friends came up behind her she yelled to him.
"We have come for you, 'my liege'!" Nova's tone was drenched in sarcasm, which soon faded when Enog Rafoot rose from a dark pool behind Ansem. Ansem sat down on a nearby boulder to watch the show about to take place. Sora and the others readied their weapons and began. Kairi threw some spells at it while healing and casting 'Aeroga' on her companions. Manic and Sora both went forward with their Keyblades, using such moves as Ars Arcanum and Ragnarok.
Nova and Remi attacked with their longer weapons, hitting the damn thing from a distance. It never ceased to throw back everything it got. Enog Rafoot was by far the mightiest heartless of all Sora had ever faced.
None of them, however, would never give up to save their friends trapped within Kingdom Hearts. Soon other people were watching. They had come to get their hearts back from Kingdom Hearts. All of them were lifeless shells like Riku and Christa. They were being led by no other than King Mickey.
The King had also taken out his Keyblade and begun the battle. When it was all over for Enog Rafoot, Mickey was the last to hit the beast before it fell back into the darkness whence it came. They all turned towards Ansem, waiting for the next round. He, however, still was perched on that rock. He waved his hand forward and out came Christa's shell ready to fight. No one was ready for this.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Christa and Riku stared wide eyed through the door to their freedom. Christa slowly raised her hand and put it through the door. Her hand faded and blinked out of existence. She recoiled it in shock and alarm and looked back at Riku. He nodded his head and then looked through the door.
"You have to go first." He never took his eyes away from his friends who were about to fight.
"What?! Are you nuts!?!?" She raised an eyebrow, "That hurts!"
"It's going to hurt for a little while, but as your new big brother, I say you should go through. Get your body back before it's too late!" He pushed her body through it.
As soon as she went through, Christa disappeared in seconds. So did her shell. A great burst of light shone in the middle of everything and she stepped forward, half evil, and half good. Her eyes were still purple, but her hair was back to its original length. Christa fell to her knees and clutched at her chest. She was in so much pain.
"CHRISTA!!!!!" Remi tried to run over to her, but was cut off by a force field.
"Try to get near her and she'll suffer more!!!" Ansem yelled from his place on the rock. Riku's shell walked forward and then disappeared. Riku stepped forward in its place. He was in pain too, but he still ran towards Christa. Ansem tried another force field, but Riku was too powerful. He broke through and kept going until he was next to his little sister.
"Christa, listen to me! You have to defeat Ansem now! Do it or the prophecy won't be fulfilled and you can say good-bye to all your friends, including Remi." She weakly looked up at her friends and the people behind them. With Riku's help she was standing again. Her hand still clutched to her chest and she was breathing heavily.
Christa slowly limped her way forward. She was nine feet away from the man who killed her parents and ruined her life. The man who had started this whole journey was in front of her and the only way to make him leave was to kill him off. Riku backed off and away with the rest of her friends. They watched in fear and amazement. Some of the Nobodies had gotten through and were regaining their bodies and heading home.
They stared for a while at each other. King Mickey and Queen Minnie were there too, watching Christa. She was the only one who could destroy him for good. They were blood. Christa's face was stained with tears. New ones fell too with the old. She was in so much pain but she had to do what she had to do.
"Why?!" She suddenly asked. "Uncle Ansem, why?! I'm your niece! Doesn't that matter to you anymore? Don't I matter?" He smirked, which showed the truth. He didn't care at all. He took pride and joy in her pain. Ansem was an immoral man who laughed when people cried.
"Why would I care about a pitiful creature such as you, with a weak heart?" He laughed a maniacal laugh that filled the area.
"My life, my whole existence, doesn't matter anymore?" She continued, "What about your sister, my mom? Didn't she matter to you? Didn't she?! Why did you...."
"Poor fool. Your mother was the one who betrayed me. She died because she wanted to. That was when she asked me to raise you. But, instead I decided to use the power of your heart to bring the Heartless forth. That is why you are the source of all Heartless. Every last one, you brought here. You are the reason why so many were killed. You......"
"NO! THAT IS A LIE!" A gust of wind whirled around them and Christa heard a voice.
'When light turns to dark, the calm becomes the storm.'
'Who's there?' She thought as it continued.
'When reality is a dream, then good must face evil.'
'My dreams have all come true. Is that what you mean?' The voice sounded so familiar, but Christa was still scared of its power.
'Courage is the Key. Unlock your destiny.'
As the world came back to her, Christa realized who was talking to her the whole time. She smiled the warmest and most heartfelt smile she had and said, "Thank you, Mom."
When her eyes opened a Keyblade was in her right hand. It was pure white and really long too. The part that she now held to looked as if it had wings sprouting from it. The blade had a pearl ribbon spiraling up to the key part. That part was wide stretched and had carving in it. The Keychain that fell from the backend of the Keyblade had a little heart with wings and a crown to one side. She had summoned the Hope Keyblade.
Christa leaned into a fighting position as Ansem, too, drew his weapon. They charged and with one mighty blow they each struck. Both landed on either side of where they began. The people who were watching could barely speak. Kairi, Remi, Nova, Sora, and Riku watched wide eyed as they didn't move for a minute.
Christa fell on her face first. Ansem turned around and started to laugh. Then a burst of light shot out from his body. They were then accompanied by many more beams of light. His laugh became a scream of terror and fright. The Nobodies were long gone by now and when Ansem disappeared, Christa's friends ran forward as fast as possible.
"Chris!!!" They all yelled at the same time.
The Keyblade had disappeared when she fell. They weren't sure if she was breathing yet. Riku looked up as the Door of Darkness/Door to Light disappeared from his sight. They carried Christa to a Gummy ship as the rest of Kingdom Hearts began to fade.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hallow Bastion was where they ended up and where they rested with Christa's tired body. Remi sat by her bedside. He was now asleep, like her. It'd been three days since the whole incident with Ansem and Christa still hadn't woken up. She stirred in her sleep and pulled the blankets closer. Riku walked in and kneeled next to her bed. He hadn't really talked to Nova yet. He was too worried about Christa. Riku was soon fast asleep like Remi.
Sora walked down the hallway. Everyone had been worried since the incident and they all couldn't wait till she had woken up. Kairi was walking behind him and Nova was after her. They were walking together to see if Christa had woken yet. When they made it to the room, the sound of the doorknob turning woke both Riku and Remi. All three of them walked in and sat around the room. No one said a word. Manic walked in soon after too. That night they stayed and slept on the floor. She woke up just as Sora was falling asleep.
"Where...where am I?" She muttered as she sat up. She was so drowsy it was a surprise that she was awake. Sora jumped onto his feet and quietly ran to her bedside.
"Oh my god! Your awake!" He whispered excitedly.
"What... Sora? Where am I?" She rubbed her eyes.
"Yes it's me. We saved you after you destroyed Ansem and brought you back here." He raised his hands to symbolize the room she was sleeping in. "You're back in Hallow Bastion." The answer hadn't really fazed her as much as he had originally thought. Sora sat on the edge of her bed. He was so happy that she was alright. Everyone was so worried.
"Tomorrow, I'll talk to everyone, okay? Don't wake them up yet." She laid back down and covered herself with the blankets again. Soon she was fast asleep. Sora too laid down on the floor and was asleep too.
The next morning they all woke up and found Christa to be gone. Every single one of them was looking for her. Remi had found her in the Library, looking at a desk.
"He kept them here." She said when he walked in, "He kept my family's picture here, but now it's gone. Oh well." She turned around and he walked forward. They embraced and then kissed, many times. They both walked out of there, hand in hand.
The others were in the chapel. When Christa and Remi walked in they were relieved. Remi had given Christa back her necklace right there. The rest of the day was spent telling good stories and funny jokes. They also had a feast and a party. After that, the action died down. Remi and Christa went to hang out together, Riku and Nova went to chill in the library, and Sora and Kairi went to catch up on things. Manic decided to follow his little sister and her new love interest.
When they were in the Library, they started to make out with each other. Manic stood in the shadows watching till he couldn't bare it anymore. He stepped forward and separated them. Manic then turned to Riku.
"What do you think you are doing with my little sister?" Riku was scared pants less. He had no idea what to do.
Manic got really pissed off and took out one of his Keyblades and decided to chase Riku around Hallow Bastion. Riku ran like hell and hoped not to get beaten into tiny specks of dust. Nova went and joined the others to watch. Sora, Christa, Kairi, Remi, and Nova watched the funniest scene ever and Christa said:
"Everything is coming back to me, the true meaning of family and friends is one thing that I'll never forget." Manic had caught up to Riku now and he made Riku promise to take care of Nova before he gave him a nuggie. "I'll always remember the good times and keep them in my heart with the memories of my friends. You guys are now and forever will be my family."
*~*
~Starting over again~
*~*
AN: OMG!!!! I love this story sooooooooo much!!! I'll be writing another story soon with my friend (can't wait!). I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I had fun writing it!! God, I can't believe it's all over! I'll see you all later!!! Have fun and stay hyper!!!!! =^.^= meow!!!!!!!!!!!