Chapter 11: Showdown At Hollow Bastion
They soon were on their way back to Hollow Bastion to settle things once and for all. Laura sat on the loveseat with Riku beside her. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, tired. Riku smiled and kissed her forehead. Soon, they arrived at Hollow Bastion.
"C'mon guys. Let's get this over with." Riku then stood up and began to walk out. Everyone followed suit. They entered the castle but found not one heartless. They continued to walk deeper into the castle, searching for Maleficent.
"Let's check the Chapel. She likes to hide there." Sora suggested. He then began to lead the way to the chapel. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Maleficent herself.
"I see you have found me." She smirked and then looked at Laura. "You've found the princess as well. Very well done, I must say, I am impressed."
"Cut this out!" Riku yelled. "We're here to settle this score!"
Maleficent frowned. "Tsk, tsk. Don't be so impatient Riku my dear." She then pointed her staff at them. "Only three of you will fight and one of them must be the princess herself." She stared at Laura with a smirk.
"Alright, that's fine. Which of you two are going to fight with me?" Laura asked. Riku stepped forth.
"I have my own reasons for this fight as well but I won't let you fight alone." He said smiling. Sora stepped beside him.
"I've beat her before and I'll beat her again." Sora said. The three walked up to Maleficent and prepared themselves.
"Whenever you're ready Maleficent." Laura stated, her sword in front of her. Maleficent grinned. She then flew up into the air and shot a single shot in the air, creating a barrier around them. "This is so none of your little friends can save you." She said. She then grinned and shot a single shot at Laura. Laura quickly dodged it and jumped up into the air. She swung at Maleficent but missed. She landed and growled. Riku and Sora were distracting her. Laura took this time to jump up behind her and hit her a few times in her back. Maleficent screamed and hit Laura with her staff, sending her flying to the ground. She got back up and jumped back into the air, hitting her a few more times. Maleficent finally had enough. Her staff began to glow with a green light. She then pointed it at Laura, the light shooting out, hitting her. Laura fell to the ground, unconscious. Riku and Sora looked at Maleficent and then began to attack her. Sora used hit Maleficent a few times with his Keyblade while Riku use Cura on himself and Sora. He looked over at Laura. She wasn't even scratched but just unconscious. He looked at Maleficent and then jumped up into her face. He then used his dark Keyblade and hit her across the face with it. Maleficent flew backwards and ran into the wall. She looked around and then disappeared. "If you want to finish this once and for all, come back to Kingdom Hearts, where you once sealed the door before." Her voice faded and so did the barrier.
Riku sighed and looked over at Laura. She was still unconscious but she seemed to be struggling. He walked over to her and knelt down. He shook her lightly but her eyes stayed closed. "Let's get her back to the ship." Riku then picked her up and began to carry her out of the castle. Sora watched as Riku left. Everyone looked at him with concern. Sora could only shake his head. He didn't know what was going to happen to Laura but he could only hope that she would wake up.
They all followed Riku back to the ship and boarded it. Riku walked down the small passageway and into one of the spare rooms, laying Laura down on the small bed. He sat down beside her and held her hand. "C'mon, please wake up." He whispered.
Sora was outside the room, listening to Riku. He felt sorry for his friend. He knew what it was like to leave someone that he loved behind. He knew the feeling of heartache for he had it once before. Kairi walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Let him talk to her. She'll wake up." She assured Sora. She then led him back to the main room.
Riku continued to talk to her. "We're going to Kingdom Hearts to beat Maleficent and seal the door but what will you do? Will you return to your world or will you stay with me forever?" He asked. He still held her hand in his own and felt a slight grip on it. He looked at her to see her finally beginning to wake up. Her eyes opened slowly and she smiled lightly at Riku. She heard his question but didn't know how to answer. "Riku.I don't know what to do. I love you but my family's back home. I can't leave them and so is my school." She looked away from him. "Please don't be sad or angry. I just don't know yet." He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "Whatever you decide will be ok with me." He smiled at her and then stood up. He walked out of the room but soon return with something in his hand. She looked at him and looked confused. "Sit up." He said. She sat up and he sat behind her, putting something on her. She looked down to see a necklace with a Paolpu on it.
"The legend is said that if two people take a bite of the same Paolpu, their destinies will be entwined forever." Riku whispered into her ear. "I don't have the fruit with me but if you return to Destiny Island with me, I'll share one with you. We may even meet again." He kissed her cheek. She turned around and smiled at him. He leaned closer and gave her a small kiss on her lips. He pulled back and smiled. "That symbol is a symbol for how much I love you." He then stood up and walked out.
Laura still sat on the bed, looking down at the necklace. She smiled and then looked at the doorway, where Riku had just been. 'I want to stay Riku, but.' She couldn't finish her thought. This was already hard enough on her and she didn't need to think about this right now. She walked out of the room and into the main room. Everyone sighed, relieved to see that she was all right.
Liz ran up to her. "So, what's that?" She asked, pointing at the necklace. She looked over at Riku and then back to Liz.
"Oh, just a little something from Riku. That's all." She smiled. Liz examined the pendent on it.
"What is this weird thing?" She asked, looking at the star shaped pendent with a leaf on top of the stars tip.
"It's called a Paolpu fruit. I'll explain later." She then sat down beside Riku. Liz smiled and then sat back down with Squall.
They arrived at The Door after going through the Giant Crevasse. They looked back one last time and then entered the door.
End.
((A/N: That's it for this chapter. Thanks to all my reviewers as usual. I'm sad to report though that this story is coming to an end. Please R/R if you like. Until next time, cya! ~*Luna26*~ ^.^ Meow))
They soon were on their way back to Hollow Bastion to settle things once and for all. Laura sat on the loveseat with Riku beside her. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, tired. Riku smiled and kissed her forehead. Soon, they arrived at Hollow Bastion.
"C'mon guys. Let's get this over with." Riku then stood up and began to walk out. Everyone followed suit. They entered the castle but found not one heartless. They continued to walk deeper into the castle, searching for Maleficent.
"Let's check the Chapel. She likes to hide there." Sora suggested. He then began to lead the way to the chapel. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Maleficent herself.
"I see you have found me." She smirked and then looked at Laura. "You've found the princess as well. Very well done, I must say, I am impressed."
"Cut this out!" Riku yelled. "We're here to settle this score!"
Maleficent frowned. "Tsk, tsk. Don't be so impatient Riku my dear." She then pointed her staff at them. "Only three of you will fight and one of them must be the princess herself." She stared at Laura with a smirk.
"Alright, that's fine. Which of you two are going to fight with me?" Laura asked. Riku stepped forth.
"I have my own reasons for this fight as well but I won't let you fight alone." He said smiling. Sora stepped beside him.
"I've beat her before and I'll beat her again." Sora said. The three walked up to Maleficent and prepared themselves.
"Whenever you're ready Maleficent." Laura stated, her sword in front of her. Maleficent grinned. She then flew up into the air and shot a single shot in the air, creating a barrier around them. "This is so none of your little friends can save you." She said. She then grinned and shot a single shot at Laura. Laura quickly dodged it and jumped up into the air. She swung at Maleficent but missed. She landed and growled. Riku and Sora were distracting her. Laura took this time to jump up behind her and hit her a few times in her back. Maleficent screamed and hit Laura with her staff, sending her flying to the ground. She got back up and jumped back into the air, hitting her a few more times. Maleficent finally had enough. Her staff began to glow with a green light. She then pointed it at Laura, the light shooting out, hitting her. Laura fell to the ground, unconscious. Riku and Sora looked at Maleficent and then began to attack her. Sora used hit Maleficent a few times with his Keyblade while Riku use Cura on himself and Sora. He looked over at Laura. She wasn't even scratched but just unconscious. He looked at Maleficent and then jumped up into her face. He then used his dark Keyblade and hit her across the face with it. Maleficent flew backwards and ran into the wall. She looked around and then disappeared. "If you want to finish this once and for all, come back to Kingdom Hearts, where you once sealed the door before." Her voice faded and so did the barrier.
Riku sighed and looked over at Laura. She was still unconscious but she seemed to be struggling. He walked over to her and knelt down. He shook her lightly but her eyes stayed closed. "Let's get her back to the ship." Riku then picked her up and began to carry her out of the castle. Sora watched as Riku left. Everyone looked at him with concern. Sora could only shake his head. He didn't know what was going to happen to Laura but he could only hope that she would wake up.
They all followed Riku back to the ship and boarded it. Riku walked down the small passageway and into one of the spare rooms, laying Laura down on the small bed. He sat down beside her and held her hand. "C'mon, please wake up." He whispered.
Sora was outside the room, listening to Riku. He felt sorry for his friend. He knew what it was like to leave someone that he loved behind. He knew the feeling of heartache for he had it once before. Kairi walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Let him talk to her. She'll wake up." She assured Sora. She then led him back to the main room.
Riku continued to talk to her. "We're going to Kingdom Hearts to beat Maleficent and seal the door but what will you do? Will you return to your world or will you stay with me forever?" He asked. He still held her hand in his own and felt a slight grip on it. He looked at her to see her finally beginning to wake up. Her eyes opened slowly and she smiled lightly at Riku. She heard his question but didn't know how to answer. "Riku.I don't know what to do. I love you but my family's back home. I can't leave them and so is my school." She looked away from him. "Please don't be sad or angry. I just don't know yet." He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "Whatever you decide will be ok with me." He smiled at her and then stood up. He walked out of the room but soon return with something in his hand. She looked at him and looked confused. "Sit up." He said. She sat up and he sat behind her, putting something on her. She looked down to see a necklace with a Paolpu on it.
"The legend is said that if two people take a bite of the same Paolpu, their destinies will be entwined forever." Riku whispered into her ear. "I don't have the fruit with me but if you return to Destiny Island with me, I'll share one with you. We may even meet again." He kissed her cheek. She turned around and smiled at him. He leaned closer and gave her a small kiss on her lips. He pulled back and smiled. "That symbol is a symbol for how much I love you." He then stood up and walked out.
Laura still sat on the bed, looking down at the necklace. She smiled and then looked at the doorway, where Riku had just been. 'I want to stay Riku, but.' She couldn't finish her thought. This was already hard enough on her and she didn't need to think about this right now. She walked out of the room and into the main room. Everyone sighed, relieved to see that she was all right.
Liz ran up to her. "So, what's that?" She asked, pointing at the necklace. She looked over at Riku and then back to Liz.
"Oh, just a little something from Riku. That's all." She smiled. Liz examined the pendent on it.
"What is this weird thing?" She asked, looking at the star shaped pendent with a leaf on top of the stars tip.
"It's called a Paolpu fruit. I'll explain later." She then sat down beside Riku. Liz smiled and then sat back down with Squall.
They arrived at The Door after going through the Giant Crevasse. They looked back one last time and then entered the door.
End.
((A/N: That's it for this chapter. Thanks to all my reviewers as usual. I'm sad to report though that this story is coming to an end. Please R/R if you like. Until next time, cya! ~*Luna26*~ ^.^ Meow))