Note to Disclaimers: I only own Cyra so don't sue me for anything else. This is for entertainment only, not profits.
Author's Note: Yippee! My Muses have returned from France, the bastard, and I was able to write something that I think was pretty darn good…but I'll let you all be the judge of that! I'm just happy to be back from a huge writer's block trip! And I like this chapter a lot! Anyway, please R&R if you can? Enjoy!
Word Coding:
Everything else
'Thoughts'
"Speaking"
Thoughts of Zephyr
My mind has just about stopped working. I stare at the mess before us, the sheer death that is spread across the flat plane in front of us. I'm not sure how I manage to restrain the bile from leaving my throat as it has for Selphie but I am sure I won't let it. My eyes harden as I look from Cloud to Sephiroth, both who seem, at least to me, downcast about the entire situation. Aerith's knuckles are white from gripping her staff so hard. Yuffie's eyes have widened but are rather unsympathetic at the sight before her. Leon has slung his Gunblade over his right shoulder, eyes closed in anticipation. I chance a quick glance at Ansem; he's staring at me. I glare at him. "What? Am I supposed to know where to go here? I've never ever been here! Shouldn't you know that?"
He nods. "Yes. I was simply making sure you have not changed your mind." He walks in front of us. "It will be hard to get to the palace on foot so if everyone would grab a partner, Cloud, Sephiroth and I will help escort you." Sephiroth snorts as he grabs Aerith. Cloud seems indifferent to this while Aerith protests. Yuffie latches onto Cloud and Leon makes a face as he follows. Selphie and Tidus, begrudgingly, move towards Ansem. I look around. "Do not worry Princess. Mulan and Pocahontas are gone. You have no need but to follow me. You do have the ability to fly, or float, just like Cyra."
"What? I've never even been more than a foot airborne! How am I supposed to fly?" I look at him as if he's grown another head. "Well? Do you care to explain just how in the hell I am going to achieve such a feat?"
"Just try it, won't you?" He snaps.
"Fine!" I snarl back as I think about floating and suddenly and am pushed off the ship, unceremoniously, by Sephiroth. I surprise myself by actually never once hitting the ground. I turn to him, not showing him that I am as shocked as I am or that I am excited within. "Are you happy now?" He nods. "Well, let's get going then! Lead the way."
* * * * *
"My Prince, they are here." Cyra stated as she lounged in her chair, watching as the Heartless continued to devour each other outside the castle walls. She turned to see where her Prince had wandered to but saw him standing by the window. "Is something the matter, Riku?"
"No," he replied flatly. "I am just awaiting their arrival here, at the castle. I wish to…prepare for their coming."
"What is to prepare? You want to greet them, perhaps?" Cyra smiled evilly as he glanced at her, his eyebrows raised in consideration of her suggestion. She laughed, the sound high pitched and becoming more like a cackle. "Then let us go. Why should we wait for them?"
"I have not yet finished formulating our plan." He looked away.
"Why must we have a plan?" She stood and walked around the room in small circles. "With my power, she is sure to fail this battle. There will be no battle. What makes you worry so? She is weak. Without the Key bearer, she will not stand a chance against us, even with her little friends and those pathetic Princesses of Heart. Why do you worry?"
Riku spun around, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You underestimate them, my dear. As a former, I know what they are capable of. I watched as Ansem, that idiot, destroyed himself by ignoring the words of that boy. He was foolish to think that he would win so easily. It never happens that way, I know." She yawned in response. "What makes you so sure we will be victorious my dear? You're awfully cocky as of the moment. What, pray tell, do you know that has made you so confident?"
She merely chuckled, maliciously. "Don't be silly, my Prince. I have the powers of Darkness, all of them, at my disposal. If they are able to make it here, then I will see if they stand a chance. As of now, I fear that this will be quite a boring, inconsequential battle with that little girl."
"You care not that she is your sister?"
"She is no sister of mine! Are you testing me?" She hissed at him as he moved closer to her. "I would do away with you, you know."
"But you wouldn't." He smirked.
"And why is that? I am more powerful than you and I have control of the heartless." She stared at him, defiantly.
"True, my Princess, but what would you do in a world all by yourself?" He laughed in her face. " You would need someone to torture. Who would you have to keep your devilish mind occupied?"
"Are you suggesting I need an emotion known as "love" in the future?" She grimaced.
"No, of course not." He shuddered. "You will need someone to torment."
"I shall heed this for now. In the meantime, we should gather the army." Cyra snapped her fingers and automatically the heartless ceased their mindless ravaging, forming lines as an army would. Cyra surveyed her work as she gazed out at the thousands of heartless lined up, standing still before the castle gates that had not yet been destroyed from their venomous claws. She grinned manically. "I believe it will soon be time, my Prince. Come, we must make things ready for their arrival. I wish to look my best."
"As you wish it." Riku complied as they disappeared through the darkness of a castle hallway.
* * * * *
Yuffie sighs. "How much further Ansem? Doesn't it seem strange that we haven't encountered any heartless yet?"
"You spoke too soon. You ALWAYS speak too soon." Leon's face is angry, his Gunblade readied in his hands.
I look back and see a blurry mist of dark gray objects coming our way. I notice Yuffie readying her Conformer in her hands, Cloud raising his Buster Sword, Aerith twirling her Ancient's Staff and Sephiroth sliding the Masumane blade out of its sheath. Instinctively I pull Oathkeeper from behind my back, forgetting all about my nun chucks. 'I don't think they'll be of any use to me now.' Nevertheless I feel the weight of my weapons on my hip belt, suddenly realizing that I have slept with them there ever since I bought them in Traverse Town. I chuckle inwardly at such a stupid thought, my nerves giddy for the battle approaching. The heartless are marching in lines, I see, which is strange for them. 'They're almost like an army-so uniform. Cyra must have manipulated them to do this.' There have to be more than one thousand in just the fast approaching wave but I continue to grip Oathkeeper with all my might. I notice Ansem walking forward with his hands outstretched-magic. When I glance to my left, briefly, I notice Tidus has grabbed his blitz ball, twirling it on his finger while a grin plays over his lips. 'At least he has a weapon.' It is then that I realize Selphie has nothing to guard herself with; she's playing idly with her hands. I look to my hip belt. 'Selphie was always the better of us two.' I allow Oathkeeper to fall to my side as I walk over to Selphie and shove the Nun chucks at her. She gives me a questioning look.
"You'll need them. Besides, you've always been better at that kind of stuff Selph." I grin at her as she nods, twirling them immediately with such grace that I am ashamed of even buying them for myself.
"Thank you Kairi."
"You're welcome." I turn back to the mass of gray, which is now becoming larger with every passing minute. "How do we kill them Ansem?"
"Go for their Antennas…it cuts off their equilibrium and will give you a chance to stab the place where their hearts are supposed to be, thus killing them." His hands are emitting orange type sparks now.
I shake my head as I ready the keyblade once again within my fingers, which suddenly feel rather warm and antsy. 'They're here.' The Heartless stop in front of us, seemingly waiting for someone to make the first move. They sway back and forth, stupidly in appearance, as they look at us with their horribly empty yellow eyes. I feel my blood run cold as one, a lighter shade of black, lifts its twisted looking finger and points directly at me. The others look at it, sway momentarily then spring into action, jumping at me. I don't have time to scream as I lift Oathkeeper and bring it down in front of me. I open my eyes, chancing a glance at the Heartless that lies at my feet. I have split its head open from the frontal lobe and blood of a sickening yellow color is spilling out. It touches my shoe and I hear a hissing sound; acid is burning through my shoe front. I leap back. The heartless have started to still. I manage to bring my head back up to see them; they've stopped moving completely. But before I can decipher what they are doing, a swarm leaps forward and attacks. I see Sephiroth immediately slice through more than half of the first attacking line while Cloud smashes through the other half. Aerith, Yuffie, Ansem and Leon stare at the heartless that have, once again, stopped moving, pausing. Selphie and Tidus, both who are on either side of me, are tense-I can feel it. I watch as the leader raises its gnarled fingers again, this time making a sweeping motions, gesturing to all of us at once-then it slams its hand down to the ground.
It is not even a mere fraction of a second before heartless are swarming us, trying to smother us. Using the techniques I learned from Riku I stomp forward, Keyblade in hand, slicing and dicing everything in my path. I see the blood, the yellow acidic blood, flying all around me and feel it burn into my skin, seeping into it. The pain does not register fully enough though. To my right Yuffie and Leon are surrounded by what must be about 300 Heartless; they seem to be having fun slaughtering them. Sephiroth is above us with Ansem, each doing his share of electrocuting them from their antennas and watching as they stumble around like idiots. Most of them have either no antennas, half of one, or have had them completely singed off from Ansem's magic or Sephiroth's Masumane blade. Aerith is doing fairly well too, having stabbed each one in their supposed heart after having Ansem and Sephiroth decimate their antennas. Selphie and Tidus seem to have the same idea, Selphie cutting and stabbing while Tidus knocks them over, stamps their antennas brutally and then, Selphie stabs them for him. 'Am I the only noticing this or does everyone seem to have gone on a crazy killing spree?' It is true; everyone around me appears to be enjoying killing the heartless, not that I mind. I imagine it is because of what the heartless have done to their worlds and families. But something inside me hurts every time I kill one, stab one, hit one. I do not know what it is; I just know it's there.
My attention is grabbed away from my sinister friends as I suddenly I hear a swishing noise and duck, instinctively. I feel the sharpness of a blade graze my ear and whirl around. Cloud is standing there, blood dripping from his sword as he smiles. "Sorry Kairi, didn't mean to scare you but it looks like someone wanted to be done with you already."
I glance to my left. A heartless has been cleanly slice in half. I thank Cloud quickly and he is off, as am I. I have just cut through what seems to be ten or twenty heartless when I feel someone smack me backward in a violently rough manner (A/N: redundant, no?). Dazed, I am barely able to lift my head before I am slapped again and sent hurtling into Selphie. For her part, Selphie jumps back up, unaffected, and rushes towards a group of heartless with the nun chucks drawn. It is only now that I am able to look up and meet the face of my attacker. 'The leader!' This heartless is slightly bigger than the rest, its antennas longer and claws much sharper than the others. Its eyes are almost orange instead of yellow and it is running towards me at a speed unknown to ordinary humans. I spring to my feet upon reflex and charge as well. When we draw closer I let out a feral scream and jump just at it does. "You're mine!" I knock a random heartless out of the way and slam into the leader heartless with ease, Oathkeeper nailing it straight in its heart or lack there of. It twists itself around the Keyblade, screaming and screeching in pain, agony written all over its usually emotionless face. 'What? They have emotions now? But they are heartless!' Ripping Oathkeeper from its acidic bloody substance, I wrench myself away as it crumbles to the ground in a liquid pool of sulfur smelling rubble.
I hear Yuffie shouting in triumph as I notice all the heartless have been destroyed, but Leon silences her. "Don't be silly Yuffie. That was only the first onslaught, I'm sure."
"Yeah," Yuffie answers sarcastically. "But how hard could the next be?"
"That's not what I'm worried about." Leon's eyes are testy.
Ansem nods with him. "You're friend Leon is right young Yuffie. The heartless may not be strong but they are large in number and we are small. You must remember…this was only the army. We have to go through the ten that have sought us before. Do you remember?"
Her jaw drops. "The elite group? The E-group?"
Sephiroth snarls in her general direction as he marches forward, yanking me with him in the process. "Yes, that group. Now, our first task is to protect this child. She needs to stay alive to fight the final battle."
"I am not a child," I shout at him as I struggle to have him release me. When he does not, I give up and settle to being led around like part of a cattle car. My mind wants to scream at him for handling me the way he is but I decide it would be plain out stupid to do so, at least without a valid reason. "Fine. Where are we going now? I can't see anything for miles."
"We're heading to the palace of course," Sephiroth snaps at me as though I have asked the obvious, which I most likely have.
"I know THAT but what I meant was, how come we don't teleport or something? I mean…wouldn't that be easier?" My question makes everyone stop-except Ansem and Sephiroth who is still dragging me like a rag doll.
"No, that would be unwise Princess. If we use any type of teleportation on this planet, then, Cyra's minions will be made aware of our presence all over Nebula." Ansem states this as kindly as he can but I am not done talking as I am confused.
"But we teleported earlier, didn't we?" I looked at him, puzzled.
"Yes, this is true, but we were not quite as deep into the Palace Realms as we are now. Once we cross this desert like terrain we will be upon the brink of the Castle. One wrong move from Sephiroth, Cloud or myself and we will be knee deep in trouble. I assure you, since we are connected to the darkness, if we use powers, magic or otherwise, we will be targeted as once. As long as we prevent this, the darkness cannot track where we are. The most that Cyra and Riku can do to us at this point is to send their armies of heartless. They cannot pinpoint our location exactly, nor can they track us." Ansem continues his explanation as we continue walking, Sephiroth still leading by my arm, roughly. "All Cyra knows as of now is that we have arrived and that is simply because the heartless reacted to the foreign presence of others on the land itself. I imagine they will be waiting for us nonetheless."
"Thank you Ansem, for stating the obvious," Sephiroth says to Ansem who doesn't seem bothered by his partner's icy statements.
I shrug my shoulders helplessly as I look up and see the next wave of Heartless heading our way. 'Great, we haven't even been an hour into our journey and here we are, battling armies ten times bigger than us. I can't wait!' The sarcasm in my thoughts doesn't surprise me as I snatch my arm from the One-winged angel and I ready Oathkeeper for the impending fight ahead of us. I learn that we aren't supposed to strike until they reach us or it will be a waste of energy. Ansem says they don't act without a leader now unlike the past heartless that jumped the minute they saw someone WITH a heart. 'I guess it's because they are more human.' I watch as Yuffie cleans off her Conformer, chatting up a small storm with Aerith as Leon and Cloud walk in silence together. 'I still haven't apologized to her yet. It will have to wait again.' I hate having to put off my apology with Yuffie but there are more important matters at hand, like pulverizing stupid heartless. I still haven't seen a sign of the E-group but Ansem warns that we will meet them soon enough, most likely at the gate before we enter the castle. He says that they prey on us in particular and won't stop until we're dead or they're dead. They are the elite class that is special. I stop, momentarily facing Ansem, ignoring the heartless coming towards us. They are still a good 50 yards away, which is enough time for me to ask him a quick question.
"Ansem, how exactly did the E Class Heartless come into being?"
He appears thoughtful for a moment before glancing towards the heartless in front of us. "Truthfully, they were here before I gained power. Everything was different when I came back into power here…but I assume the driving forces behind the darkness created them. I imagine they were created by Cyra's subconscious mind though her power lay dormant to her, consciously."
"Ah…I see…then how come I don't have an E Class of some sort?" I feel irritated that we have no real advantages.
Ansem smiles. "I do not know Princess."
"Damn," I swear in anger as I point Oathkeeper in front of me. The heartless are now about 15 yards away. "Well…whatever the case, these bastards are going to pay for everything they've done."
* * * * *
"Do you think it possible for an outburst to occur now? The time is bad and her state is critical. Another blow might damage her spirit and cause her confidence to dwindle."
He continued gazing out at the vast horizon as if he hadn't heard. "I do not deny that this is bad timing and so forth, but the likely nature of another incident is quite beyond possible." He shifted his foot to turn around. "We draw closer to Nebula's core, and the castle must be breached. Cyra and Riku are awaiting us with the heartless at their beck and call. If we make one wrong move, even one, we shall fail."
"And what of the Princess? If her heart is weak…" Aerith covered her face with two perfectly pale hands. "What will we do? Sora may never come back! I don't understand…"
"You don't have to so don't bother," Cloud warned. He threw a withering look at Sephiroth as he began walking away. "Are you coming? We have business to take care of outside."
Aerith jumped up. "When will you return?"
"There is a good chance that they won't," Ansem said as Cloud left without another word. Aerith did not wait. "What? Is something the matter?"
"Sephiroth!"
He spun around to face her, eyes daring her to come forward. She gathered all her courage. Without warning, she grabbed his hand and led him to a more private area, if that was at all possible in the open area they had stopped to rest within. Once embraced by the silence Sephiroth jerked away from her touch. "Ancient?" He hissed at her.
"I can't explain what is about to happen but I don't, and won't, regret it," she replied.
"What are you babbling about Ancient? I have work to take care of and you are hindering it!" He glared at her.
"I do not care! For once I know why you treat me this way and I regret not knowing it sooner; but I will not be naïve and stupid this time!" Her yelling set him off balance enough for her to step forward and grab him by his coat collar. "Believe me," She began as he stood there, momentarily stupefied by her actions and distance. "Neither of us will regret this."
Before he could comprehend anything Aerith had pulled him close, crushing her fragile lips to his own. If he had a weakness, it showed in his actions towards her. She couldn't believe he hadn't pulled away. He began to respond after a minute but she pulled away, breathing hard as he gripped her waist with his gloved hands. His eyes were closed; she wished for them to open, but what would she do when they did? She bit her lips in nervousness as he released an elongated sigh, her eyes wide with anticipation. 'In any other situation I would be calm and collected but now…I'm so apprehensive about everything I have been doing…' Her first thought at his initial stillness was to run away and hide for doing what she did. 'Cloud will be so angry with me for this…but…I do not feel guilty.' When he did finally open his eyes, Aerith found that they were unreadable. She couldn't seem to control herself as she raised her hand to his cheek, caressing his face gently as she leaned in again. This time she paused just an inch away from his lips. 'This is wrong, I know…but I cannot stop this.' He moved.
"Ancient, what are you doing?" Sephiroth's voice was low.
"I wish I could tell you but I don't exactly know myself." Aerith looked away. "But I am not a child and my actions are true and valid."
Silence ensued for a while as she awaited his response. When his fingers crept under her chin, she felt her blood rising to her cheeks. She chanced a quick glance at him, again. "You love the puppet, not me," Sephiroth muttered more to himself than to her; but he continued looking at her.
"But what if I love you and him?" Aerith ventured aloud.
"You cannot love two people!" His response was forced and strained, as though he could not believe her words.
"No, perhaps not. But I can love two people who were once one with the same personality and qualities."
"I was never one with him!" Sephiroth spat at her.
"When the darkness took you and Cloud, he told me what happened to you, to himself, to Riku, to Ansem. I admit I don't know as much about Riku or Ansem but you…I know now." Aerith hesitantly leaned against him, the feeling of his leather jacket rubbing against her skin. He did not push her away; he stood stiffly in her arms. If she were similar to her past self, she would have, once again, ran away. But she was determined to make him understand her persistence. She wasn't about to give up on him now, not after all her hard work. "Listen to me, I am not messing with your mind. I am in love, no doubt, with both you and Cloud Strife." She felt her eyes water but no tears would fall. "Please…believe me." She felt his muscles relax slightly as she said this and his once stiff arms circled her too.
"Perhaps," he said, "we well come to an understanding on this. I must go now…Aerith."
"Whichever one of you comes back…well, I'll be here waiting for him." With that said, Aerith gave him one last kiss before breaking away. "Goodbye Sephiroth." She was gone.
* * * * *
'So it's come to this, has it not, my sister? You will kill me without a second thought and for you; I would return the same favor. But which of us will die? You truly deserved to live no matter of the darkness is yours. The Prince is at your side; my Prince has died. I do not wish to live without my Prince. Life's meaning is not the same without his presence near. I have no desire to live though death is far more unappealing. Life may be sweet but not for me. It has done praises in your favor, my sister. At least let me fight…one last time.' I stand alone in front of the Centro Nebula, beyond the gates where I was earlier, awaiting the inner gates to open. Upon my early arrival the Heartless immediately cleared a path got me to walk through. When I did, they simply stood there and allowed me to the brink of the castle gates. They were and are still so uniform in their movements and formations that I could not hide my surprise any longer. So here I am, watching and waiting for Cyra's first move. Riku is standing a good two or three meters behind her, staring like a spectator. 'Will I fight them both? Riku knows all my moves, for he trained me!' Panic sweeps over my mind as the miniscule dots become larger with each passing second. I suddenly begin to feel very small and weak as I glance at Oathkeeper, then to Oblivion, which is in Riku's hand and the staff that lies in Cyra's. 'The Night Staff, the staff that belongs to the ruler of Darkness…but where is my Day Staff…the one that belongs to the Ruler of Light?'
I can't help but feel a sudden fluster take over me as the Heartless continue to sway back and forth beside me, behind me, in front of me, all around me-mindlessly. They appear to be awaiting orders as I am awaiting Cyra and Riku's first moves. Something is about both of them, though, and I don't mean the darkness. I think back to what happened moments ago, though it seemed like hours in my mind.
* * * * * * (A/N: This is what happened before Kairi entered the Castle Grounds)
"Ansem, will you take the others? I think I need to face them on my own." Kairi's eyes were dead head.
He didn't blink as he motioned for them to leave. "As you wish it, Princess."
She merely nodded as she heard their protests and shuffling retreat away from Castle Nebula. The heartless had not moved from the star surrounding the castle and their mistress, Cyra. She knew they would not move. Slowly, she lifted her keyblade, relishing in the warmth of Sora's raging spirit as it flowed over her fingertips and into her veins. Her mind was spinning at the sensations, her mind spinning at the sheer high she was getting off the sudden power washing over her entire being. Only one word came to mind. 'Kill.' She fought the intense urge to do so as her heart cried out in anguish. 'No, Cyra, don't do it!' Kairi clutched her heart, breathing heavily as she fell to her knees cradling Oathkeeper to her chest. "Cyra…your pain…it hurts!"
She felt as though her body was on fire from the intense pain coursing through every single part of her veins' mainstream. Her blood was at its boiling point and quite ready to burst within itself. Something inside her told her it was necessary to prevent the others from experiencing the same sensation. Using all her remaining strength, her hand shot out in warning. "Keep them back! If you come anywhere near here...you'll be burned on the spot!"
"Kairi!" Selphie cried out as Kairi's face contorted in pain.
Kairi stayed glued to her place, slightly bent over in agony as Oathkeeper slipped from her grasp and landed with a loud clang next to her feet. Flames suddenly engulfed her in an orange and blue fury as she fought the urge to fall upon the earth, crying her surrender. 'I will not be swayed so easily Cyra!' She reached out and grabbed Oathkeeper as she fell to her knees in anguish, her body becoming more tired by each passing second. She was resisting the urge to give in and her body was resisting her commands on it. 'How will I win against my body's needs?' Just then, something jabbed painfully in her chest. Kairi grabbed at her heart through the thin material of her now torn shirt, clutching at her skin as blood began seeping through her outstretched fingers. "What's this?"
Her heart felt as if it was being ripped in two. 'No…not my heart…Cyra's heart!' Her tears of agony spilled over as her body trembled in pain, excruciating tremors shaking her body. Her nerve endings felt as though they'd burst from underneath her skin. Each one was on fire, a hot fury of white flames. She felt slightly achy all over her bones, fingers and legs as they gave way and she fell to the floor completely. She coughed violently the entire way down. She instantly began to curl into herself as if protecting herself from further external harm. The heartless began to sway back and forth producing a loud "swishing" noise as Kairi continued to ignore the malicious call of Cyra's vicious, tainted heart. She knew if she tried to run, Cyra's heart would win the battle. Kairi refused. Finally, after she realized she would fall, Kairi lifted her head to the stupefied swaying heartless. She forced her practically useless body up into a semi-standing position. With her last ounce of strength Kairi released a shout. "STOP THIS CYRA!"
All time seemed to stop as Cyra's smirk faded and the heartless stopped their mindless dancing. Kairi heaved a large breath as she collapsed to the floor once again, atop Oathkeeper's shining edges. The sharp metal dug into her thighs and shoulders as her energy began to fade. Her eyes filled over with a strange haze as she mentioned her last words. "Cyra…you've won." The flames that surrounded Kairi burst out in anger, their fury heightened as they rose higher and higher until Kairi was engulfed in them, her body concealed by the heat. Then something resembling a bright white light flashed very quickly.
Yuffie watched in horror as Kairi's limp body begin to soak up her own blood. The pool in which Kairi lay was dark and forbidding. Her auburn hair was matted heavily with her own blood, her skin marred by the liquid staining her pale skin. Leon managed to catch the young ninja as she began screaming obscenities at Cyra from behind the containment field that protected them. She clutched Leon as fear and anger coursed through her body at the sight of their fallen comrade. "Kairi!"
"She's gone Yuffie."
"No! That was too easy!" Yuffie wrestled with Leon. "KAIRI, GET UP!"
Ansem whipped around to see what Kairi's commotion was about since Selphie had just fainted. When he noticed the blood upon her delicate, pale skin, her swore loudly to himself. "Princess, it isn't real! Don't give in!"
"How can you say that isn't real?" Yuffie shouted in anger as Leon held her back. "That's blood!"
"No, it's an illusion! Cyra wants us to believe Kairi is dying before us! In fact...Kairi isn't even here to begin with. This is all an illusion." Ansem grabbed hold of Aerith who had fainted as well. Sephiroth and Cloud had long since disappeared within the darkness with Riku. Why Ansem himself had not been taken was not something that even he understood, at that point. With his hand still clutching Aerith, He ascended up above the flames and peered down at where Kairi should have been. 'Just as I guessed it.' Kairi was nowhere within in the flames; only an empty space faced him. He chanced a quick glance at the others below him; they were still in confusion as they saw Kairi within the flames. "Do not believe it! There is no living being inside of those flames!"
Yuffie was the first to react, running up to the flames and thrusting her hands through the firewall to grab Kairi. What she managed to fist was air and her hands did not burn. She blinked in surprise and stumbled backwards into Leon's arms as he checked for burns. As realization dawned on her, Yuffie released a relieved but bitter laugh. "She had us playing right into her game...but thank the heavens it wasn't really Kairi." Leon was still inspecting her hands. "What are you doing Squall?"
"Checking for..."
"Burns," Yuffie finished with a small smile. "I'm all right Squall, really. Look, it was all an illusion."
Leon swore just as loudly as Ansem as he pulled Yuffie close to him, inhaling the scent of her hair. "I'm just glad you're ok."
Yuffie chuckled against his chest even through the irony of their situation. "You worry too much." She turned to Ansem. "So, it wasn't Kairi. That is good."
"Well, not entirely the whole time." Ansem resettled on the ground as Aerith began to come to. "You see…partially, Kairi, well…she was there. A lot of what we saw did actually happen to her. I suppose the only thing that didn't happen were the flames burning her. Did you see that flash of light? The very bright one?" Yuffie nodded. "That was the illusion part of it. Everything else you saw…I am afraid that it did happen."
Yuffie's jaw dropped. "No…because then Kairi…NO!"
"I am afraid so." The former ruler of the heartless looked away. " There is no time for this. We must go on or Kairi's efforts will be in vain. Let us go now."
* * * * * *
From the very deep recesses of her mind, Aerith could feel her eyes remain closed as she tried to concentrate in hopes to contact the council and fallen princess. 'Please…mother…Belle…hear me!' No response. She clasped her hands together as he ancient's staff rose above her. 'Please hear me now…Princesses of the Purest Hearts. Bring the keybearer to me; bring his soul to awakening. Hear me…he must arise…their soul is at risk!'
"She's not dead."
Aerith snapped from her pleading. The ancient's staff clattered loudly upon the floor beneath them. Her eyes met his in a curious yet astonished gaze. "She isn't? But…the calls of the Cetra…the Princesses…they've-
"Sora cannot be brought back like that."
She dissolved. "But where are the others? Sephiroth…Cloud…I do not feel them!"
"We are not THERE anymore." Ansem's voice was soft as he pointed to the view before them. Aerith looked aghast. Before her very eyes was a plane covered in acidic blood surrounded by a sky of dark gray. In the middle of a mass of heartless were two colorful figures. Blood was flying everywhere. She threw herself against the glass in desperation. "Cloud, Sephiroth! Ansem, get them out! They'll die!"
"I am afraid I cannot," he replied calmly. "I apologize."
She felt angry tears burn her eyes. "Why not?"
"She is controlling them," he answered. "Soon, I will be gone as well."
Aerith turned to him, fists clenched. "I must help?"
He nodded. "I fear this may be our last meeting and I must explain everything to you before I am swallowed by her awesome power.
She smiled grimly. "Tell me everything I need to know."
^TBC…
(Woohoo! They have begun combat and Cyra and Kairi have finally had their first, actual confrontation! Ok, personally, I really enjoyed writing this chapter cause we finally are going to be getting somewhere! Well, please R&R to tell me what you think and constructive criticism is welcome but NO flames cause that is rude!)
+DarkKairi+