Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Kingdom Hearts or anyone else except Cyra so please don't sure me. This is for entertainment only, not profits.

Author's Note: Hello there faithful readers. It has been long but I have been very busy with school and play practice a lot lately so, well, obviously, it took me a while to get this one out. I like it and yes, it is also shorter. If you don't like, it is fine to tell me so, ok? I understand if some people don't. Anyway, please R&R if you can and aren't too lazy to sign in (some of you peoples out there), all right? Well, have fun! Enjoy the fic!

Word Coding:

Everything else

'Thoughts'

"speaking"

Thoughts of Zephyr

'It is so dark. Where the hell am I? This doesn't seem familiar…but…it does! I know that symbol! I know that shattered heart! I know this! I know this all too well! *Wake up Kairi* It's so quiet…who? Are they calling to me? *Wake up Kairi* Who is calling to me? Dammit! Why can't I move? Why can't I wake up? What the hell is going on?'

"KAIRI!"

I bolt up from my previous position, my head ringing as I gaze around in a daze. "Who…where am I?"

"We're in another land, another world," Leon says.

"Did I…pass out…again?" I glance around as I take in our surroundings. The smell of fresh cooked meat and fish drifts into my nose and I inhale it graciously. "Is that…smoked fish?"

Yuffie enters through the tent flap with a plate of food, a smile upon her pink lips as she hands it to me. "Here Kairi, eat up. We have a lot more to do after we rescue the princess of this world. Besides…you've been blacking out a lot lately, and we can't have that anymore. So, I'll be right back with our plates, Leon." With a cheerful nod, she is gone. Leon pokes the fire in front of us. He looks weary but still alert.

"Where are we?" I ask quietly.

"The New World," Leon answers hastily. "Apparently your sister and Riku are already here, and have been for some time. But the Chief of this tribe says that they haven't yet found the princess yet. We've still got hope, I guess. Anyway, how are you feeling Kairi? I have to agree with Yuffie that you don't seem all that well recently. Is something bothering you? "

"I see," I reply shortly. "No, nothing is bothering me, but thank you for asking." I think that this is the most Leon has ever said to me when he's not explaining for a mishap. It's very uncharacteristic of him, too. I lie back down and wait for Yuffie to comeback, my mind eventually returning to the thought of Sora and the words of the princesses. "Where is Mulan?"

"I am here, Kairi."

"Have you been in here the entire time?" I don't move at all as I speak to her where she is crouched in the corner. "I trust you know what is going on and where the princess is?"

"Of course," Mulan says, her voice calm as she eats what appears to be rice from a small bowl cradled within her lap. "You seem to be well enough now. Are you feeling up to a search?"

"No, not really," I say. "Can I rest a bit more? I feel extremely fatigued."

Mulan nods as she returns to her food, placing her chopsticks back into her pouch. "Rest as much as you feel necessary Princess Kairi, for the journey that lies before us gets no easier, I am afraid to say."

"Don't remind me," I reply as I curl into a fetal position in order to create more warmth and easier rest to come my way. I know the dangers of which she speaks; but, for my sanity, I ignore her and feign sleep. Mulan seemed fooled, for she takes her leave shortly after Leon as he goes in search of Yuffie. Silence envelops me once again; the crackling of the fire is the only sound to my ears. Still, within my solitude, I feel an eerie sense of comfort fill my being as I watch the shadows creep around the semi-lit hut. 'The new world, huh?' My mind wants to kick me for my continued belief in hopelessness while my heart has bled too much to go along with it. The helplessness that encompasses my aching soul is enough to drive my mind into the dirt, six-feet under, or worse. My sanity is beginning to drift to, trivial, not so consequential issues, things that shout and bellow stupidity, idiocy. Even now, as I lay in the gentle solitude, I feel my bones breaking, snapping, and shattering until I'll remain only skin, sagging and limp upon the dirtied ground. 'Sora…I miss you so much.' Loneliness surrounds me as I roll over to face the popping fire, watching sullenly as the flames leap, dancing as though in a ballet. My being feel so empty, like a pond without water, long since dried in the summer sun. "I feel so useless, so helpless…so lost."

"I know how you feel," a voice replies.

"Cyra? What are you doing here?" I ask her this with mild interest as she takes a seat across from me. "How is…Riku?"

"He isn't Riku anymore," she says, voice bitter. "I was simply dragged into this."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I continue to gaze impassively at her through the hot flames. "What will you do now…sister?"

Cyra bows her head as she speaks. "This isn't fair. You're my sister and we're at war! Can't we just…forget about all of this?"

"The prophecy says one of us must die, one of us will die," I say, waiting intently on her response to my revelation.

"What?"

Her head shoots up quickly. Her eyes are wide, both glistening with unshed tears, as she gapes at me. I nod again. "Yes, it's true and I am willing to die."

"But why?" She looks aghast.

"I have nothing left to live for. I trust you've heard Sora died, right?" I state this bluntly with little to no tears. My voice is stolid.

Cyra bows her head for a second time. "Kairi…I'm sorry to hear that. It's…my fault."

"No, it was meant to be, meant to happen," I say quietly.

"If it's all the same to you, I've lost everything too," Cyra replies. "But," her voice brightens, "We have ourselves, and we have each other, sister."

I feel some warmth as she says this and it isn't from the fire. It is as though I've found my family, a real true one and a true friend. "When it's all over, whoever survives lives for both of us?"

She nods. "It's a promise, Kairi."

"Funny," I murmur, "Here we are, enemies and having a nice conversation, a civil one. Seems unnatural, doesn't it?"

"So what if it is?" She smiles. "This might be our last encounter of the friendly sort. Why not make the best of it?"

"I'll take your word for it," I say as I roll over again, turning my back to her. "Goodbye Cyra."

"Goodbye Kairi." Her simple farewell and the flapping of the tent as she exits is last thing I hear before I feel sleep overcome me.

~~~~@~~~~

Wind swirled around her, ruffling her soft hair as she awaited something to reveal itself to her, despite the fact that the air was cold. She allowed a small smile to grace her lips even though her mind was weary with details, outlines and various other things that needed completion on the never-ending agenda that they, she and her companions, kept during their journey. She shivered a bit at the gruesome upcoming events that she was to present to the young Princess of Heart, Kairi. She never wanted to be the one to deliver such news to anyone, but seeing that her job was fit only for her, she knew she could not do otherwise. With a heavy sigh, Aerith trudged up the small hill where Cloud sat with his predecessor, both speaking silently to each other with weapons readied. She still didn't understand what drove them to converse-hadn't they hated each other? Didn't they still dislike each other? She shrugged her shoulders as she continued walking towards them, head tilted to the side in thought while she crossed her arms simultaneously in front of her chest. Once she'd reached them, she quickly took a seat between them and released an easy flowing breath, elongating it as she gazed out at the green meadows before her.

"Wow, this is quite gorgeous," she stated.

Sephiroth grunted as Aerith purred in delight at the sight. She acted so strange to him sometimes, even to Cloud as well, but now she was purring? He rolled his eyes as she clasped her hand in front of her like a child seeing way too many sweets in one sitting. Even after she sighed like a lovesick schoolgirl, Sephiroth couldn't find it in himself to scold her for such childish manners and expressions. Instead, he continued to roll his eyes and ignored her as she kept her interesting charade up. "Strife and I need to go exploring. You will stay here Ancient until it is safe for you to follow."

Aerith huffed right away as she realized they were both going to force her to stay behind. "You can't keep trying to keep me out! I am still a large part of this group!"

"I agree with Sephiroth on this one, Aerith," Cloud said as he sheathed his buster sword.

Aerith glared in annoyance as she crossed her arms defiantly over her chest in attempt to ignore him, determined, in her own mind, to be directly involved in anything dealing with their predicament. "I am NOT going to be left out of this again while you two parade around like best friends who are conquering the worlds! You are being pompous!"

"And you are being childish," Sephiroth stated calmly as he began walking away. "This way Strife."

She watched in utter disbelief as he nodded and accompanied his ex-captain towards the riverbank where they eventually disappeared behind the trees of the vast forest. Aerith tried not to stutter or sputter at the sight before her; but she found that quite impossible. Then, in a rather childish manner, she stood and stomped her foot angrily upon the emerald blessed ground. "DAMMIT!"

"You know Aerith, you should try venting more often. It makes you seem more human, you know?"

"Shut up Yuffie!" Aerith snapped icily at her friend as the young female ninja came to stand beside her. "I just…I just don't understand it! One minute they are trying to kill each other and now they are friends? It is positively sickening! I don't see how or why it is happening!"

"Yeah, I guess you're not meant to," Yuffie replied calmly as she began pulling Aerith with her. "Come on, it's time to go look for Pocahontas. Mulan says she knows where she is and, surprisingly, Riku is getting closer there. We don't have time to waste."

Aerith look at her stupidly for mere seconds. "But…what about Kairi?"

"She's of no use to us now." Yuffie's eyes dropped solemnly to the floor. "Come on, we have to go."

With a solemn nod, Aerith followed the young woman to the entrance of the mystifying forest, which they were soon to enter. Mulan was waiting patiently by it's front, head cocked to the side in a thoughtful manner as she sharpened her sword. Aerith shuddered at the sight of the weapon, wondering what they would encounter within the forest that they would need the sword. Mulan gave her a small, reassuring smile as she disappeared behind the dark viridescent trees, not once looking back to make sure that Yuffie and the frightened flower girl looked back. And soon they were immersed within the thicket of bushes, wild flowers, plants and gnarled trees. Aerith admitted that the forest looked intensely fearful from outside, but now that she was inside, she felt even more afraid. 'Stupid,' she thought. 'You think I'd be more afraid of Sephiroth!' She ignored her last thought as they made a sharp turn through a particularly darkened, bleak spot before they entered a wide opened space, one with tall trees and sun shining through their branches. Puzzlement washed over her at the drastic difference between the two forests, or one forest rather. Yuffie seemed surprised as well, but did not take long to dwell on it because Aerith felt herself being dragged through the other forest once again.

She didn't understand what was going on at all. Mulan appeared to know where they were going, and Aerith decided she did, finally, when they arrived atop a cliff that overlooked that finesse of the ocean before her, with a young woman sitting on its edge. Mulan was the first to approach the girl, face friendly. Immediately the woman turned to her, cocoa brown eyes curious as she observed Mulan. Then, to Yuffie and Aerith's astonishment, the young woman nodded and stood to greet Mulan with an extended hand that look unfamiliar to both of them. Neither one of them spoke as the young woman nodded continuously, looking as though she understood completely whatever it was that Mulan said. 'Either I am seeing things or they totally know each other!' Yuffie agreed as she took in Aerith's facial expression, her own mind filling with possible questions to shoot at Mulan when she finished conversing with the native woman. Once she had done so, Mulan turned to them with a gleeful face. "She knows all about this. She is ready!"

"Er," Aerith began, "how does she…know?"

"Yeah…um…isn't that strange?" Yuffie's eyes were wide as the woman approached them.

"I am Pocahontas, Princess of this tribe and yes, a Princess of Heart." Pocahontas smiled warmly. "I have known about my identity for many moons now. Our leader, Princess Belle had visited me some years ago, as well as my father, to make us aware of whom I am. She said that if ever a day came that the darkness found me, I would have to know why. And thus I know why you have come. He is here, the leader of Darkness, the Prince and Princess of hell. I can feel the earth tremble as he draws near and he is very near. I agree with Mulan that we must leave now. There is no time for explanations, which I am sure you know."

Yuffie stuttered, "Y-Yes! We should leave! Aerith," Yuffie turned to the stunned woman. "You go round up Cloud and Sephiroth. I need to go get Kairi and Squall, ok?" Aerith nodded absent-mindedly. "I'll meet you at the ship."

____@_____

"She is close!" Riku said with deranged excitement as she pulled Cyra with him towards the cliff. "I can feel her energy, just up there!"

Cyra sighed in boredom as she staggered behind him. "You are sick you know, and I spoke with Kairi."

"And what is your point? I highly doubt that anything that pathetic Princess of Heart has to say has any validation or importance to me."

"Sora is dead," Cyra stated simply.

At that moment Riku dropped her hand and came to an abrupt halt, causing Cyra to bump into him and fall backwards in her bottom. She breathed out steadily as she stood up, facing Riku somberly. Riku's eyes had widened to unearthly fractions as he peered at her from behind his wild silver hair. "What did you say?" It didn't sink in, she was sure. "You are lying to me! You are joking! This is a trick!"

"This is no trick! Why would I joke about someone being dead? Sora is dead," Cyra repeated. "Gone, nullified, disappeared, end of story, ok?"

The world seemed to have shattered around them, for Riku did something she was sure she'd never see again: Riku cried. He fell pathetically to his knees, head in his hands and sobbed, his tears flowing through his fingertips. Cyra couldn't help herself as she knelt down beside him and embraced him in a gentle hug, whispering soothing words to him as she tried in vain to bring him from his stupor. But it did not work. And before she knew it, Cyra was crying with him, eyes burning as she realized that he was Riku again, if even for a short while. She knew he would become Darkness again, be encompassed by it once again; but while he was here, in her arms, sobbing like a lost child, she would aid him. On instinct, Cyra pulled his face from his hands and gasped at seeing his eyes the sparkling aquamarine they had always been, staring straight back at her with fear, sadness and uncertainty. She shook her head as she tucked his head beneath her chin, encouraging him to respond, to show her he was there, to understand he intentions. He clung on to her back for support, which assured her that he understood what she was trying to accomplish in more ways than one.

"I will be here for you Riku, no matter what." She whispered into the softness of his pale silver hair. "When the darkness takes you, I will be here. I promise." And by her words, she knew she had sealed her fate to his and would never leave. 'I can't seem to. I just can't seem to.'

Something in her mind cursed her, a voice she knew all too well. She would have continued to protest that she wouldn't be taken, but a voice broke her thoughts, violently taking her from her solace. "Cyra, I will be taken again. I am sorry. I have failed." Riku's voice quivered most uncharacteristically as he started to pull away from her. "I must go now. He is returning, I can feel it."

She shook her head, knowing fully well that he would not return this time. "I understand."

"Before I am forced to leave," his voice, Riku's voice, began to sound distant. "You must know this: I loved Sora. I was…I am his best friend, always."

Cyra smiled sadly. "I know, and I'm sorry Riku. I am so sorry."

She watched in internal agony as his eyes slowly changed from the caring emerald to the hardened yellow-red of a heartless. His lips turned from his broken hearted frown to a sadistic sneer as his hands curled around her wrist. "Why have we stopped? I do not remember resting."

"You were distracted, highness," Cyra spat as she jerked away from him. She resumed her usual demeanor with him as she realized Riku was gone, possibly forever now. She shuddered at the thought, not wanting to believe that he was gone, not wanting to believe anything, including her sister's misery and Sora's death. She covered her ears as Riku went ahead of her, trying to block out the screams and shouts of pain that flowed through her mind, trying to escape them. Her head hurt like something horrible and her eyes were on fire with the feeling of needles, ones that were on fire, poking and prodding her eyelids. But she knew she would not scream for help or let Riku know she was hurting-it would only confirm her transitioning. Yet she knew she couldn't hold out on the pain without him noticing. She could vaguely see him still walking ahead of her; she took her chance. With a deep breath Cyra turned and ran in the opposite direction, hoping she could find a lake or some water source to soothe her eyes.

------@-----

I cringe at the sight of the Gummi ship with its cracked windows. 'To think I did that,' I mutter mentally. 'Gosh, I must have shrieked like a banshee!' The thought of me breaking all the windows with one simple scream scares me, to think I possessed such a power. 'Like an opera singer!' Normally I would laugh at such a stupid statement, but lately I feel like doing anything but that. My mind is cloudy with the remembrance of Cyra's words as we talked about never seeing each other again. To think that my sister, the one person who survived the war on Curpiona, is the one who will be killed or kill me. I know it isn't fair to either of us, but I prefer she go on living, not me. As long as Riku is alive, once we have purged the worlds of darkness, then he will return to himself, and he will return to her. But Sora…he is dead…gone, forever. I frown at the back of Leon's head as Yuffie drags him towards the ship without explaining her actions. He struggles in her grasp, insisting on knowing the reason as to why she is taking him there. 'I guess Sora and I will never do that again.' I want to, so badly to the point of exhaustion, smack myself for being so pessimistic, for being so horribly hopeless; but I cannot bring myself to refuse the feelings taking over me, despite the fact that they are detrimental to our course. I don't want to stop them-I crave them. I flinch as I try to push that thought away, aware that I haven't told anyone else about my problems, not wanting to solve them, not wanting a resolution.

My mind reels as I walk onto the ship deck, mindless like a zombie as I watch Cid kneeling before he pilot's deck to fix the window. I should feel something. I should feel compelled to help him, to fix something I caused to shatter, something I damaged. Yet I do nothing but stand there stupidly, watching with dull eyes, with emotionless eyes as he drops the glass on the floor. I see his fingers spurt blood as he catches it, wincing in pain slightly, before he pushes it back into its proper position. Out of the corner of my blank stare I see Leon scowling at me, his cobalt eyes flashing, daring me to move. I twiddle my fingers nervously as I turn to my left towards the bunking rooms, ignoring the furious glare that I am sure he is shooting at my back right now. When I bring my head back up, Yuffie is standing at the entrance hatch aiding Aerith as Sephiroth and Cloud enter, Cloud looking particularly beat up. I wonder, briefly, what happened to him but decide I'd rather not ask-it isn't my business. Without so much as another glance their way I walk past them, head bowed low as I enter the bunking area, also ignoring Mulan and Pocahontas who are chatting amiably by the door. I realize that Donald and Goofy are gone, having stayed behind with their King, but I do not care. Nothing seems to matter to me anymore, at least not that much. My mind is swirling with masses of information that is significant to our journey, to my destiny; but as before, I do not feel motivated to care about any of it. The significance crap can kiss my ass for all I give.

I know my thoughts are selfish and I don't care. All I feel is selfish lately and it doesn't bother me. Why should it? I didn't get to grieve properly for someone I loved! 'Yeah, this is true Kairi, but you also promised that you would save the worlds…for Sora's sake…and yours,' my mind shouts at me. I sigh again, angry that my logic is winning over my bleeding heart. It hasn't yet been torn to pieces but it is definitely close. The sadness in my mind washes away as I look out of the cracked window of the bunker room, noticing that Cid fixed it. 'Perhaps this cracked glass was all he could find,' my internal voice murmurs this to me. I smile as I watch the various asteroids drift by us, inanimate, floating is an endless oblivion of ebony, accompanied by ivory lights of fire. The stars are shining bright tonight. 'Maybe they shine for you, Sora, and Riku too.' A part of me, mainly within my heart, aches for both of my friends. But another part of me curses them for leaving, though I know it was not their choice. Then, in a subtle part of my subconscious mind, a part of me weeps for Cyra, my poor sister. She herself does not even know her true purpose, her destiny. She does not know that the darkness did not just randomly choose her, but that it is part of her fate, that she is actually it in all its perfection. I wanted to tell her and yet, I couldn't find the words to say or to express it, not when she looked so happy, but sad, to have Riku with her, no matter what he has become. How could I ruin her happiness? Just because I am miserable does not mean that I would taint her world too, aside from what we said in the tent.

But nothing is the same anymore. Everything is different, just like all of us. I hold this thought, allowing it to linger in my brain as I hear Cid shouting about heartless ships attacking us. I shrug my shoulders, nonplussed as Yuffie, Cloud, Leon and Sephiroth run towards the weapons hatch. Instead of assisting them as I did in the past, I slide further underneath the covers in my bunk, listening intently as the doors slam. 'Just like when Riku and Sora were here.' I hear someone, most likely Pocahontas, rustling around the room, shuffling her feet across the cold metal floor towards the four empty bunkers. I have the most amazing sinking feelings as I hear Tidus and Selphie whispering softly in the corner of their bunk. I have to grin at them, if even for a moment, because I am happy for them. Still, nothing compares to the swirl of emotions coursing through my veins like a plague implanting itself inside my skin and bloodstream. I turn over for the last time as face the outside of the window again, waiting for sleep to claim me. But as usual, it never does.

^TBC...

(Ok, personally, I liked this chapter and all. I am sorry it took so long, but I lost inspiration and I have been playing Silent Hill 3 and Resident Evil 0 a lot and, well, I got caught up! Well, please R&R to tell me what you think and constructive criticism is welcome but NO flames cause that is rude! Thank you everyone who has and hasn't reviewed! Freakin aye, at least you read it!)

+DarkKairi+