A note from the Hime no Argh herself–
Thanks to those who read and reviewed Part I, I greatly appreciate it. ^^ I'm just about done with the story. There will be three parts, so check back soon for the final chapter! And as always, thanks for reading!
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Part II
They arrived in the city the following evening, and pooled the munny they'd accumulated throughout their journey for hotel rooms. "A real bed!" Donald enthused as they headed toward the hotel, elbowing politely through crowds of locals. The city reminded Sora of Traverse Town, only it was bigger and the people not as friendly to outsiders.
"Want to go get dinner, Sora?" Goofy asked once the three had settled into their rooms.
"No thanks," Sora said, feigning cheeriness. "I'm gonna take a nap, I think."
"We'll bring you something," Donald assured him, tapping a foot impatiently against the floor. "Let's go, Goofy, I'm hungry!"
The two left, and Sora grimly sunk down onto the bed. He did not intend to sleep at all, oh no.
He hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes and called forth the Keyblade, the mystical weapon that was always by his side. A small smile touched his features as the smooth blade appeared in his hands. He didn't know quite where the weapon came from, only that it was always with him, and he could call or dismiss it at will. He suspected it somehow harbored itself inside of him when not manifesting into a physical form.
He opened his eyes and looked at it, running a hand over the silvery weapon. Its weight was just right for him, never too light or heavy. This Keyblade represented, more than anything, the deeds he had done and the ends he had accomplished. He believed in his Keyblade, and his Keyblade believed in him. It was a good place to start.
Sora closed his eyes again, gripping the Keyblade tightly. Believe. It was sheer will that had carried him from Destiny Island and back, that had allowed him to fight, to fly, that had brought him to the gate of Kingdom Hearts. Belief in his friends, will, and a strong heart–Sora was nothing if lacking these qualities, but his was a faith that many agreed was indomitable, even if Sora wasn't sure of that himself.
Believe in yourself and you can do anything. There will always be a door to the light.
Sora clutched the Keyblade close to his heart.
There will always be a door to the light.
He thought of Riku and Mickey, alone in the shadows, kindling in himself an intense desire to fight beside and protect his friends.
There will always be a door to the light.
Believe! Sora told himself.
There will always be a door to the light!
* * *
Sora stood in shadow.
It was like his nightmares, only the shadows around him weren't impenetrable. His Keyblade was glowing with a steady silver light, for which Sora was inexorably grateful. At the same time he wished that it wasn't, just so that he wouldn't have to see the shadows around him stir, so many yellow eyes turning to him as the Heartless became aware of his presence. There were dozens upon dozens of them, far more than Sora had ever fought.
Grimly he slid into a defensive stance, the Keyblade ready in his hands. His weapon hummed as the Heartless drew nearer as if it, too, were preparing for battle.
Then the first Heartless attacked, and everything slid away. All thoughts, all fears were gone as Sora struck, parried, and struck again, whirling and twisting and leaping. At times like these it was as though the Keyblade wielded him–he was mindless, fighting with such automatic grace that it was as though he were rehearsing a dance. Heartless fell and disappeared, slashed to ribbons by the Keyblade, but it was a violence contrasted by the serenity in Sora's soul. He had no hatred toward these creatures, only pity, for he knew first-hand how dark and empty their worlds were. What could they do but seek the warmth and light of hearts?
Though he felt little pain, he knew it when the Heartless's claws tore into him, opening small gashes that stung and bled. He ignored the wounds as he continued to fight, but there were many Heartless and only one of him. No matter how many he struck down, more appeared from the shadows, and he felt a kind of grim calm as he knew it was only a matter of time before they overpowered him.
A Heartless slashed his back viciously and Sora stumbled, caught off guard as even more of the shadows leapt for him, eyes aglow with ravenous hunger.
The Keyblade in his hand pulsed, then sang, as another silver-glowing Keyblade whirled over his head, cutting through the attacking Heartless. Seconds later Riku landed where the Heartless had been, scooping up the Keyblade into his left hand–he held a second in his right hand already–and tearing through the remaining Heartless like a whirlwind. Sora stared at him, paralyzed with astonishment, as Riku slashed and hacked, darting and whirling so fast he was little more than a silvery blur.
"Let's go, Sora!" Riku ordered when the Heartless's numbers were cut in half, and began running. Sora unfroze his legs and darted after him. Heartless followed close at their heels, more springing at them from the shadows, but Riku's dual Keyblades sliced them to ribbons before they even got close.
"Head toward the light!" Riku called to Sora, panting hard from his exertions with the Keyblades. Sora, on the other hand, felt rather as though he could run all day. He supposed he really was here just in heart, rather than body.
He could see ahead of them a large bonfire, and as he and Riku drew closer to it, the Heartless fell away. He and Riku skidded to a stop beside the bonfire in the midst of a makeshift camp. Mickey was there waiting for them.
"Thanks for the loan," Riku said breathlessly, tossing one of the Keyblades to Mickey, who caught it one-handed.
"No problem," said the mouse in a high-pitched voice before nodding to Sora. "Hello, Sora. Good to see you again."
"Likewise," said Sora.
"No, it's not good," Riku interjected, whirling on Sora. He looked furious. "I told you to stay out!"
"And I ignored you," Sora replied, gazing calmly into his friend's eyes. "I want to be here, to help you."
Riku opened his mouth as though ready to snap at him again, but Mickey cut in. "Just outta curiosity, how are you here, Sora?"
"Riku actually gave me the idea," Sora explained, ignoring his friend's snort. "He told me that you've been seeing flashes of me here, right? I've been having nightmares for months, dreaming that I was trapped here in Kingdom Hearts–but somehow I really was here, without even realizing it. So I decided to try that incorporeal rejection–"
"Incorporeal projection," said Riku and Mickey in unison.
"Yeah, that's it," Sora agreed cheerfully. "And–well–I guess it worked."
Mickey exchanged a glance with Riku, then looked at Sora again, frowning. "But incorporeal projection is very difficult. It takes immense strength of will to project your heart even temporarily into a different place. How long have you been here?"
"I'm here permanently," Sora said firmly. "You told me yourself, Mickey. If I believe in myself, I can do anything. I believed that I could project myself here permanently and I have. There will always be a door to the light," he added, intoning the phrase that he had lived by these past two years.
Riku snorted again. "Sora's got strength of will, all right. He's a thick-skulled as a mule."
"Thanks," Sora said dryly.
Riku looked at him, green eyes dangerous. "I'm not joking around with you, Sora. This isn't some game. Those Heartless could have killed you if I hadn't found you."
"That's the point, Riku. You've always helped me, so I'm here to help you." Sora let his gaze travel between Riku and Mickey. "Two years ago I let you both be sealed inside Kingdom Hearts. That was wrong, plain and simple. It should have been me, not you."
"You don't carry the worlds on your shoulders, Sora!" Riku cried, clearly frustrated. "And I don't need your protection!"
Sora smiled. He was glad two years inside Kingdom Hearts hadn't erased Riku's pride. "Think of it as teamwork, then," he suggested.
Mickey once again chose to interject. "You two are frazzled after that last attack. Let's give us a few hours to clear our heads, okay? We can talk about this later."
Riku glared at Sora for a few moments, looking madder than a stung bull. "Later," he said ominously at last.
But there would be no later, Sora thought stubbornly. He was here to stay, and that was that.
* * *
With Sora's promise to stand guard for the night–or was it day? he couldn't tell–Riku and Mickey both collapsed on the ground next to their bonfire and went to sleep.
"Lucky for us, the Heartless don't come near our fire," Mickey had explained. "They don't like the light. They've lived their entire lives in shadow; they're not as bold as the ones you encountered throughout the worlds."
"They don't like the Keyblades either," Riku added. "In fact, they're terrified of them. But we're they're only source of food, so they keep trying."
"Sometimes the bravest ones come to the camp, even with the fire," said Mickey. "That's why we need a guard at all times. Lucky there are two of us, huh?"
"Three now," Sora had pointed out, ignoring Riku's scowl, and offered to guard.
Sora shifted his weight from one foot to another as he gazed around the campsite for a sign of movement, shifting his Keyblade restlessly on his shoulders. He felt as though he would never be tired, and marveled at how much stronger he was without an actual body, however solid he seemed to be. Sora cast a brief thought to Donald and Goofy, wondering if they had discovered his body by now. He supposed he should have left a note or something to let them know what had happened to him and that he was all right. He wished he'd thought of that before projecting his heart into Kingdom Hearts.
In truth, Sora wasn't looking forward to spending a near eternity sealed inside Kingdom Hearts, waiting for the day that Goofy and Donald could set them all free. But he was here by choice and here he would remain, no matter what.
Footsteps behind him made Sora whirl, Keyblade at the ready. Riku held up his hands. "Just me." His mouth twisted in a wry smile. "You're getting as jumpy as Mickey and I already."
"I thought you were sleeping." Sora slung his Keyblade over a shoulder once more.
"I don't sleep for more than a few hours at a time," Riku said darkly, taking a seat on the ground beside Sora. Sora hesitated, then sank down next to him.
"You must lead a really hard life here."
Riku rolled his eyes. "No sympathy, Sora. I'm used to it. This is where I belong. You shouldn't be here. If you don't go back, who's going to get Mickey and I out of here?"
"Donald and Goofy will," Sora said with certainty. "They'll keep searching until they find a way."
"What about Kairi?" Riku demanded, swiftly changing tact. "Are you just going to leave her alone? I told you to take care of her, Sora!"
Sora hesitated. "Kairi...Kairi is safe, even if I'm not with her. I know she'll be okay. Someday we can return to her together." He sighed, looking at the endless shadows around them. "I'm the one who belongs here, not the other way around. You helped me so much in the end, Riku, you–"
"Dammit, Sora, that doesn't mean anything!" Riku snapped. "I betrayed you! You were my friend all along and I was too stupid to see that! I gave myself willingly over to darkness. I deserved to be controlled by Ansem. And I deserve to be here. This is my atonement for the sins I committed against you."
"But Riku, you don't have to atone for anything," Sora argued. "You're my friend, and friends forgive and forget. They also help each other."
Riku was silent for a few moments, staring into space. "You're right," he said at last. "Friends help one another to stay safe. And you're not safe here, even if you're here only in heart. So if you don't leave of your own will, Sora–" Riku's voice took on a hardened edge, "–then I'll make you leave."
"And how are you going to accomplish that?" Sora asked skeptically.
Riku half-smiled. Sora suddenly realized he was carrying his silver-black Keyblade–Sora hadn't noticed it on him before. Before either of them could say another word, both Keyblades began to glow brighter, vibrating in their hands as the shadows around them thickened.
Riku was abruptly alert, his eyes flickering everywhere. "They're coming," he said in a voice so low it was barely a whisper.
"Yeah." Sora grimly assumed a defensive stance, scanning the shadows for movement or gleaming, yellow eyes. "We'd better wake Mickey."
"No need," the mouse whispered, appearing at their side wielding his own Keyblade. All three were glowing brighter than ever and humming as if warming up for the coming battle.
Then the shadows all around them began to move, and it was only then that Sora, Riku, and Mickey realized the trouble they were in. An entire army of Heartless had come to play.
* * *
To be continued.