Hand in Hand

Disclaimer: No patience to explain!... see previous chapters…

Pre-story note: I can't explain why the writer's mind works better at late night. Oh well.

Chapter VI: That Night

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Sora grumbled as he went past Wakka towards the Secret Place. Wakka raised an eyebrow upon seeing Sora in this mood, but decided not to say anything.

It was the day after Sora found himself in this alternate version of Destiny Islands. He had just discovered that his 'mother' in this place was an unfamiliar woman who had no real personality (after that thought, he was ashamed that he thought of that for his own mother… even though not his real one). And today, he just lost to Riku on a tree-tagging race. It's not that he had lost that got Sora in a bad mood, just that Riku had scared him because he brought up the topic of Paopu fruit again.

"Deal? The winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi," Riku had challenged him. Because of that, Sora just had to do his best to win… but he didn't. At least Riku was just kidding with the deal and all.

And now, because Sora had lost, Kairi had sent him on one of the most annoying jobs for their 'raft quest'; Food Gathering. He was already done whacking the coconut trees silly for coconuts, he almost fell when he hunted for that seagull egg (he was attacked by its mother seagull) and he was already all wet for getting fresh water and chasing after little fish (Selphie was laughing her head off at the sight of him). At least he was already at the last place for mushroom hunting, the Secret Place. (Of course, he still wasn't sure if the other mushrooms he had obtained were edible at all or not, but he was just following orders.)

"Wait," he thought as he walked through the narrow path within the Secret Place. "I think this scene is gonna be an important one…"

"Wow, will you look at that," Sora mumbled to himself as he stared at the image on the cavern wall—doodles of him and Kairi that they had drawn when they were little.

He spotted a sharp rock just below the drawings. Then, without thinking, he grabbed the rock and scratched an additional doodle on the wall—Little Sora handing a star to Little Kairi.

Sora surprised himself when he did that because he did it out of choice. Oh well, he shrugged, dropped the rock and found the mushrooms he was looking for. Then, he felt it.

A man was there, probably watching him the whole time. Sora felt his eyes at him (that is, if he had eyes at all), but he didn't bother turning around to look at him.

"I've come to see the door to this world."

"This world has been connected."

"Tied to the darkness… soon to be completely eclipsed."

"You do not know yet what lies beyond the door…"

Sora felt the hairs at the back of his neck rising. "You don't want this world…" he mumbled, not sure if he was trying to convince this man to stop. This man was probably the start of the trouble that lies ahead…

"There is so very much to learn. You understand so little." Sora knew that the man was smirking nastily at him.

Whatever, Sora thought. "You know what, your riddles are beginning to bother me. Well, I'm gonna learn what's out there. You'll see," he snapped.

"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand… nothing."

And just like that, the man disappeared.

Sora took a deep breath before turning to leave the Secret Place. But before he left, he grabbed the sharp rock again, and after much thought, scribbled the following words:

You guys, whatever happens, we'll always be together. Remember that!

I'll look for you if I have to. –Sora

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Right now, I'm lying in this bed… Worrying about the incoming storm that's about to change everybody's lives.

I've already talked to Riku. Asked him what he was planning to do tonight, tried to talk him into sleeping over at my house… but he refused. And he didn't tell me why, exactly.

As I waited, I just stared up the ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened. Being a noobie in showbiz, and now, a 'chosen one' of some sorts in this alternate universe.

"I can't wait… once we set sail. It'll be great."

I sighed. It was depressing listening to Kairi earlier, knowing that we'll never set sail.

Well, I'm not gonna let us three be separated tonight. Not now that I have a chance to stop this.

Without further thought, I jumped out the window as the first drops of rain began to fall.

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The moment his feet landed on sand, Shadows ambushed him.

He grabbed his toy sword and swatted them away the best as he could, but the wooden plaything couldn't touch them, let alone hurt them. "Dammit!" his shout was barely heard within the loud winds. He decided to run away from them when the gashes began to hurt.

Desperately, through the darkness, he searched for the islet where the Riku's Paopu tree stood. And there he found Riku as expected—looking out to the endless, dark sea.

"Riku! Get out of there!" Sora shouted.

Riku turned to him and smiled. Sora didn't like the expression on his face… "The door has opened…"

"Riku—"

"The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world!" Riku said almost joyfully. The winds were getting stronger now.

"Riku, you don't know what you're getting yourself into—what you're getting us and Kairi into! Please listen to me!" Sora shouted again, barely avoiding an attack from a Shadow that had reached the islet.

"Kairi's coming with us! Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!" Riku replied. His green eyes were almost glowing with the excitement of leaving this island. No trace of fear or anything, Sora noted.

He offered his hand to Sora. "Sora… let's go," his voice seemed so far away now. Now that the darkness was engulfing him.

Riku… you're losing yourself…

"NO!!!" I… I have to save him…! Sora ran towards Riku, intending to get him away from the dark circle that appeared at his feet. "Riku!!!"

Sora tackled… nothing. It was too late. Riku was gone.

"No…" he whispered hopelessly. Sora was gasping hard, suddenly eyeing the Heartless Army that was behind him all along. A flash of light, then he found the Keyblade in his grasp.

Oh no… Kairi!

He swung the Keyblade at the Shadows, making them disappear. Then, using the adrenaline pumping through his veins, he ran his fastest towards the Secret Place. Maybe there was still hope in rescuing Kairi.

Sora ran through the narrow path again. Surprisingly, it was silent when he reached the place with the door… where Kairi was standing, looking very fragile.

"Kairi!" Sora called out, running towards her.

"Sora…" her voice sounded very weak. Tired blue eyes looked up to him.

A black wind swept her away. Sora tried to catch her, but he caught… nothing.

He was unable to rescue them both…

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I couldn't save them…

Darkside appeared just as the Islands were being destroyed.

Sora's fear of this monster lasted only for a moment. Then, with all of his strength and the last part of his brain functioning properly, he had managed to defeat it.

I knew what was gonna happen… I still couldn't stop them…

He felt the ground he was standing on beginning to crumble.

Riku… Kairi…

All of the Islands were sucked into a black hole.

I'm… sorry…

Sora didn't fight this force that was pulling him in. Not daring to open his eyes, he felt himself falling again… Behind his closed eyelids, he saw flashes of light fading from sight…

Somewhere in Traverse Town, a mage and a soldier watched fearfully as another star blinked out of existence.

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*Sniff* Thanks for reviewing, you guys! Hey, do you think it was OOC for Sora to curse like that? I just thought that since he's 14, he's capable of saying anything he wants, right?

Anyways, I was debating with myself if every detail of what had happened in Destiny Islands should be mentioned here (a lot of it was significant for the story, ya know), but I think it would be agonizing to read through all that, and in a state of confusion, I came up with this chapter… Anyway, Traverse Town's up next! Isn't it just grand… And, whether you like it or not, Donald and Goofy would be in it too! And they have major roles! Whoo!

Okay, til next we meet. Bye bye!