Chapter 9
"You're mental!" Tidus yelled out.
"No, I've wanted you all along. I heard Riku telling you about the cross in Kingdom Hearts. You see that's a special cross, every time a new keyblade wielder is selected the cross is drawn blank again. The heart represents the Keyblade Wielder of Truth. That would be Sora." Ansem commented as he gestured to the youth who swore in reply.
"The heartless sign represents the Keyblade Wielder of Destruction." He pointed to Riku.
"The star has seven points. Each point represents a separate princess. The last symbol is for the protector." He finished. Tidus stared.
"The what?!" All four teenagers demanded. Ansem chuckled.
"Simple. Each sign shows itself when the person it represents has been revealed. You think it was by chance that Tidus has that sword? No, the king gave you a special weapon. It's the blade of protection." Ansem said with a tone of finality.
"Protect?! Protect what?!" Tidus demanded. Sora stared at him.
"I . . . . . I think I know the answer to that. The protector of the princesses. Of Kingdom Hearts." Sora said quietly. Tidus stared at him, so did Kairi and Riku.
"But I can't protect anyone! I can't do squat! Kairi had to save my life, I couldn't protect her at all!" The blonde replied.
"No . . .that isn't true. You saved us all that day. That day we found Sora." Riku whispered suddenly realizing something.
"What?!"
"Think about it." Riku pushed. "I know you love Kairi-" at this Kairi looked at Tidus with a look of shock. Tidus blushed and tried to deny it.
"Forget lying. It was written all across your face when I saw you look at her." Riku snapped. "I . . . . . I think YOU got rid of the Wyverns, because . . . . . .because you didn't want the heartless to hurt KAIRI!" He yelled out suddenly fitting the pieces together. "That's right! Your love for her pulled your power out of you."
"But . . . ." Tidus whispered in one last feeble attempt of protest. But the logic was working on him.
"It wasn't me." Kairi said quietly. "My power only allows me to open the final door. I couldn't work such a spell as that." She said a small smile on her face. Tidus was gaping.
"I bet you felt drained after that flash of light." Sora muttered. Tidus stared. He HAD felt tired after that. And come to think of it, didn't he hold up his arm as if he were casting a spell just before it had happened?
"So now you understand." Ansem said with a grin.
"One more thing!" Sora demanded. "If you wanted Tidus, why did you kidnap Kairi?!"
"Excellent question. Simple really, if I had wanted you or Riku to come in to this land. It wouldn't have worked. Why? Because to get into the Ethereal realms you have to come of your own free will. It was rather lucky that Tidus had feelings for Kairi. Once I kidnapped her I knew you'd follow in a fit of rage, Tidus coming with you. In the end the only way to get the protector into the Ethereal realms is of his own free will. I could have controlled him like you Sora, but that would take too much energy, energy I don't have since our last fight." Ansem muttered sourly.
"And releasing my control on you wasn't an option. If I had, you would have gotten your memory back and then you would have sought out the others in hopes of warning them. The chance of you finding them was slim, but I wasn't willing to take that chance." He finished and smiled.
"One more question. Why do you want me in the Ethereal realms?" Tidus demanded.
"Simple boy, because only in this realm are you the weakest you can be. I plan to take your heart. So that then the final gate that the king had placed goes down and I can access Kingdom Hearts again."
"New wrapping, same crappy food." Sora hissed. "An entire year Ansem and your motives haven't changed a bit. And how the heck is killing Tidus going to help you destroy the final gate?"
"The energy for that wall is taken from the protector, or more specifically the protector's heart. Give his heart to the heartless, the gate is gone and I'm free to destroy the worlds."
"Bad guy's rule, they always wanna explain their plot in destroying the world." Riku said with a sneer. Ansem laughed.
"Even in the face of death you still remain ironic. It's incredible. But now. It's time to kill you Tidus. Nothing personal. If you have any complaints, tell them to that blasted king, he's the one who made you the protector." Ansem said quietly. With a snap of his fingers a wyvern appeared.
"I do so love these creatures. So frightening to those unknowing." Ansem said with a laugh. Tidus fought against the vines. He suddenly gave a sideways glance at Kairi.
"I hoped forever, that one day you would return my feelings. I had hoped that ever since we met when we were 11. Then I saw you with Sora. I tried to forget about them, knowing that you would either chose Riku or Sora. I remembered who Sora and Riku were, as the protector I kept my memories, but the pain that you would never love me the way I did you made me forget them. My rivals." Tidus smiled lightly.
"You knew then." Riku whispered.
"I think your theory was correct, when I saw you, all the pain of reject and anger that I felt at you came flooding back, it was as if all the memories I had hidden away fitted themselves in my mind. Then when I saw Sora the same thing happened. I played dumb to pretend I had forgotten. I didn't remember being the protector though. I had thought I wouldn't be it anymore."
"Tidus. . .why?" Kairi whispered.
"I failed to protect you at the storm. I failed to protect you from the storm of darkness. I relinquished my position. I gave up all my memories of being what I was. I just hid them away." Kairi was in tears, looking like the world was lost. Sora was looking at the ground. His face in sadness. Riku's however was contorted with hate at Ansem.
"I was hiding from what I had done. I didn't deserve to live. I failed you Kairi. I was determined to make up for it by teaching you how to fight. I guess that's one thing I got right." He gave a tiny laugh. It sounded forced.
"Enough of the sappy good-byes." Ansem said quietly. He snapped his fingers, the wyvern turned into a bolt of blackness and headed straight for Tidus, he turned his head to Kairi and gave one last genuine smile. Kairi ignored the small lines trekking down her face. She moved her lips and said something so quiet that it didn't even make a noise.
"thank you." He whispered back and turned back to the bolt of lightening, a stern face replacing the kind one, it pierced him through the chest and he was free of the vines. He fell head first onto the ground and stayed there, his right arm above his head and he was face down in the clouds. He was still as the heart shaped light vanished.
"Tidus." Sora whispered, agony in his eyes.
"You were a friend." Riku muttered staring at his friend's body. Kairi stayed silent. The words she had said with her mind when she moved her lips still rolling over her tongue, wanting to be said. Those few words that had made him so happy.
*I love you*
Disclaimer: not mine.
Would you hate me if I said that was the end? Well be happy cause it's not. Yes this shall be continued. This is NOT the last chapter. Next one up soon.
"You're mental!" Tidus yelled out.
"No, I've wanted you all along. I heard Riku telling you about the cross in Kingdom Hearts. You see that's a special cross, every time a new keyblade wielder is selected the cross is drawn blank again. The heart represents the Keyblade Wielder of Truth. That would be Sora." Ansem commented as he gestured to the youth who swore in reply.
"The heartless sign represents the Keyblade Wielder of Destruction." He pointed to Riku.
"The star has seven points. Each point represents a separate princess. The last symbol is for the protector." He finished. Tidus stared.
"The what?!" All four teenagers demanded. Ansem chuckled.
"Simple. Each sign shows itself when the person it represents has been revealed. You think it was by chance that Tidus has that sword? No, the king gave you a special weapon. It's the blade of protection." Ansem said with a tone of finality.
"Protect?! Protect what?!" Tidus demanded. Sora stared at him.
"I . . . . . I think I know the answer to that. The protector of the princesses. Of Kingdom Hearts." Sora said quietly. Tidus stared at him, so did Kairi and Riku.
"But I can't protect anyone! I can't do squat! Kairi had to save my life, I couldn't protect her at all!" The blonde replied.
"No . . .that isn't true. You saved us all that day. That day we found Sora." Riku whispered suddenly realizing something.
"What?!"
"Think about it." Riku pushed. "I know you love Kairi-" at this Kairi looked at Tidus with a look of shock. Tidus blushed and tried to deny it.
"Forget lying. It was written all across your face when I saw you look at her." Riku snapped. "I . . . . . I think YOU got rid of the Wyverns, because . . . . . .because you didn't want the heartless to hurt KAIRI!" He yelled out suddenly fitting the pieces together. "That's right! Your love for her pulled your power out of you."
"But . . . ." Tidus whispered in one last feeble attempt of protest. But the logic was working on him.
"It wasn't me." Kairi said quietly. "My power only allows me to open the final door. I couldn't work such a spell as that." She said a small smile on her face. Tidus was gaping.
"I bet you felt drained after that flash of light." Sora muttered. Tidus stared. He HAD felt tired after that. And come to think of it, didn't he hold up his arm as if he were casting a spell just before it had happened?
"So now you understand." Ansem said with a grin.
"One more thing!" Sora demanded. "If you wanted Tidus, why did you kidnap Kairi?!"
"Excellent question. Simple really, if I had wanted you or Riku to come in to this land. It wouldn't have worked. Why? Because to get into the Ethereal realms you have to come of your own free will. It was rather lucky that Tidus had feelings for Kairi. Once I kidnapped her I knew you'd follow in a fit of rage, Tidus coming with you. In the end the only way to get the protector into the Ethereal realms is of his own free will. I could have controlled him like you Sora, but that would take too much energy, energy I don't have since our last fight." Ansem muttered sourly.
"And releasing my control on you wasn't an option. If I had, you would have gotten your memory back and then you would have sought out the others in hopes of warning them. The chance of you finding them was slim, but I wasn't willing to take that chance." He finished and smiled.
"One more question. Why do you want me in the Ethereal realms?" Tidus demanded.
"Simple boy, because only in this realm are you the weakest you can be. I plan to take your heart. So that then the final gate that the king had placed goes down and I can access Kingdom Hearts again."
"New wrapping, same crappy food." Sora hissed. "An entire year Ansem and your motives haven't changed a bit. And how the heck is killing Tidus going to help you destroy the final gate?"
"The energy for that wall is taken from the protector, or more specifically the protector's heart. Give his heart to the heartless, the gate is gone and I'm free to destroy the worlds."
"Bad guy's rule, they always wanna explain their plot in destroying the world." Riku said with a sneer. Ansem laughed.
"Even in the face of death you still remain ironic. It's incredible. But now. It's time to kill you Tidus. Nothing personal. If you have any complaints, tell them to that blasted king, he's the one who made you the protector." Ansem said quietly. With a snap of his fingers a wyvern appeared.
"I do so love these creatures. So frightening to those unknowing." Ansem said with a laugh. Tidus fought against the vines. He suddenly gave a sideways glance at Kairi.
"I hoped forever, that one day you would return my feelings. I had hoped that ever since we met when we were 11. Then I saw you with Sora. I tried to forget about them, knowing that you would either chose Riku or Sora. I remembered who Sora and Riku were, as the protector I kept my memories, but the pain that you would never love me the way I did you made me forget them. My rivals." Tidus smiled lightly.
"You knew then." Riku whispered.
"I think your theory was correct, when I saw you, all the pain of reject and anger that I felt at you came flooding back, it was as if all the memories I had hidden away fitted themselves in my mind. Then when I saw Sora the same thing happened. I played dumb to pretend I had forgotten. I didn't remember being the protector though. I had thought I wouldn't be it anymore."
"Tidus. . .why?" Kairi whispered.
"I failed to protect you at the storm. I failed to protect you from the storm of darkness. I relinquished my position. I gave up all my memories of being what I was. I just hid them away." Kairi was in tears, looking like the world was lost. Sora was looking at the ground. His face in sadness. Riku's however was contorted with hate at Ansem.
"I was hiding from what I had done. I didn't deserve to live. I failed you Kairi. I was determined to make up for it by teaching you how to fight. I guess that's one thing I got right." He gave a tiny laugh. It sounded forced.
"Enough of the sappy good-byes." Ansem said quietly. He snapped his fingers, the wyvern turned into a bolt of blackness and headed straight for Tidus, he turned his head to Kairi and gave one last genuine smile. Kairi ignored the small lines trekking down her face. She moved her lips and said something so quiet that it didn't even make a noise.
"thank you." He whispered back and turned back to the bolt of lightening, a stern face replacing the kind one, it pierced him through the chest and he was free of the vines. He fell head first onto the ground and stayed there, his right arm above his head and he was face down in the clouds. He was still as the heart shaped light vanished.
"Tidus." Sora whispered, agony in his eyes.
"You were a friend." Riku muttered staring at his friend's body. Kairi stayed silent. The words she had said with her mind when she moved her lips still rolling over her tongue, wanting to be said. Those few words that had made him so happy.
*I love you*
Disclaimer: not mine.
Would you hate me if I said that was the end? Well be happy cause it's not. Yes this shall be continued. This is NOT the last chapter. Next one up soon.