6H:Woo! Chapter 69! Who's excited? I am!
Anaretsu:That's interesting, considering your internet connection is down.
6H: Remind me, why don't ya?
Anaretsu: I already did, you baka!
6H: It's SARCASISM! You know, you use it all the time! Well, here's the story!Keep in mind I've just been playing CoM for the last three hours...
Kingdom Hearts-Shattered Fragments
Fragment 69-End of the World
"Ha ha ha! She's all mine! Come and claim her if you dare, Keyblade Master. Come and claim the path to Rakuen!"
It was an empty place, with a pale sky and a clear ground that looked like a huge lake. The water reflected everything perfectly, like a mirror almost. In the distance seemed to radiate a great, dark power behind a bright light. Sora stood at the edge of the solid ground, looking out at the horizon.
"What an empty place..."he said softly, almost sadly.
"It's full of loneliness...and darkness..."Aru added, stepping beside him. "But he's here...Ansem..."Ryu's eyes darted all around, taking in his surroundings without letting his guard down. He had done this often, as he had been trained to as a fragment hunter.
"Did you here that? I thought I heard someone...laughing..." he said, unnevred by it. "It's really creepy here."
"I wonder what'll happen to this world when it all ends."Sora thought aloud, still off in his own thoughts.
"Well, this is just one of them heartless worlds."Goofy responded. "It'll just disappear into the darkness."
"I don't know...I don't think it's that simple." Aru said, unconciously grabbing Sora's arm. "It feels like I know this place, like I've been here befo-" She suddenly cried out and fell to her knees, grabbing her head.
"Aru!" They all yelled. Sora imediatly dropped down beside her and looked her over, trying to see if she had been attacked by something. Ryu came up on her other side, placing his hands on her shoulders and shaking her.
"Aru! What's wrong?" he demanded forcfully, but the worry showed in his eyes.
"Miss Aru?" Goofy asked, trying to look over the two boy's shoulders. Donald shuddered, keeping the aura he felt to himself. They all had enough to worry about without him saying that at the moment Aru first cried out, he felt a great amount of power surge forth, as if trying to break a thin barrier.
Aru shuddered violently, and often mumbled to herself, but it was incoheirent and often too jumbled to understand. When her eyes flew open for the first time in a few moments, they were that eerie bright green color again, like they had been at Hallow Bastion. Sora felt himself shake for a moment. Their color sent chills up his spine. They were nothing like Cedeile's green eyes-hers had been a dark, deep, even soft color, even when she shot her hardest glare towards Riku's direction, back when they used to fight alot. But this green...it was almost glowing on it's own. It was like a mint color, but sharper. Aru's skin began to pale as she shook harder and her body grew cold.
"...n-n-no. Who are you?" she whispered to herself.
"It's us, Aru. Ryu and Sora-we're right here with you."
"K-k-k...keyblade m-master...where...?" Ryu suddenly drew his hands back as his eyes went blank for a moment.
Blood, death...destruction...
He shook his head so fast, Sora thought he was trying to give himself brain damage. When he stopped, the fragment hunter's eyes were back to their normal navy tone.
"What the hell was...that?" he asked. He had seen some sort of vision. He thought it was famillar, but thinking back, he really didn't recognize that white castle...
"Ryu, are you alright?" Sora asked. Ryu slowly nodded. The keyblade master went to put his own hands around Aru.
"No, Sora! Don't touch her!" Ryu yelled. Sora jumped away from the short mage in surprise. Goofy walked around to look at her from the front, but also jumped back, surprised by what he saw.
"Her skin there...it's almost got a greenish hue now..." he said, trembling. Aru's eyes drew closed suddenly and the shaking became less violent. Ryu sighed in relief when she began to take huge, gasping breaths-at least she was alive.
"No...go away..."she muttered. Her skin regained it's normal hue as the shaking ceased entirely. Her eyes came open slowly again, back to their normal crimson. Sora dared to come closer.
"Aru? What happened to you?" he asked. She shook her head as her hands relaxed.
"I don't know. It was awful...I just...it was indescribable, but it's the most terrifying thing I've ever felt." she replied as she sat back on the rock and drew her knees to her chest. Ryu sat down beside her.
"I'm sorry I had to pull my hands away. I just felt like my body was frozen in a block of ice and that if I held on any longer, I'd...anyway, I saw something when I let go of you. A white castle...and a bunch of dead bodies, fresh dead bodies...and two people among the destruction...and then one girl all alone, and she lifted something over her head, but it faded out before I could see what she had." He explained.
"Is that why you didn't want me to touch her?" Sora asked.
"I knew you wouldn't let go." Ryu replied.
"Could that be another memory?" Aru asked.
'That was no memory...' Donald thought to himself. 'A white castle? Sounds like the one back home...but I've never heard of any huge wars with so many casualties and all that...a memory? No, not a memory-a sign.'
"Can you go on, Miss Aru, or should we go on without you?" Goofy asked.
"I could stay here with you until you feel better, Aru." Ryu offered. Aru shook her head as she stood up, slightly staggering.
"No. I have to go on. I have to go with you. Cedeile and Riku are counting on all of us-that means me too. I can feel them-they're here. This is not just a world-it is the land of death itself. It is the point farthest west." she said. "Let's go now, before it's too late and Cedeile and Riku are beyond our reach. Ansem might be dragging them down into the darkness by now on his way to Rakuen!"
"Then let's head out." Donald responded. "We don't want him to get too far ahead!" The other three nodded and they ran out onto the water, running at full speed toward the light of destruction.
"Come as far as you are able! The light doesn't reach me here! Ha ha ha! Come find me at Rakuen's gates, Keyblade master!"
When they went through the light, they found themselves at the top of a huge valley that had all sorts of colorful, jagged rocks hanging out of the walls.
"Gummi blocks?" Donald asked as he came near one.
"Yeah." Ryu replied. "Must be crude ones." Sora looked over the edge of the rock.
"Aru, I'll go first and then you'll follow me. Jump down to the next ledge and I'll catch you." She nodded. Slowly, he lowered himself down to the next ledge and touched his shoes to it. After he made sure it wouldn't crumble, he put his full weight down, dropping a few inches a little too fast. He steadied himself from falling backwards and regained his balance as everyone above let out the breath they had been holding in. Sora looked up at Aru, purposly avoiding direct eye contact. "Okay, Aru, you're next." She swallowed hard and sat down on the rock, scooting herself to the edge of the rock. Closing her eyes, she put her faith in him and completely left the rock. She clenched her eyes tight in fear and sighed in relief when she felt arms grab her and set her down.
"Thank you, Sora." she said as she got her nerves back.
"No problem." he said, smiling nervously, but it was his signature grin nonetheless.
Ryu followed down next as Sora went down to the next ledge. Behind Ryu came Donald and Goofy, making their way carefully. Sora and Aru were already far ahead when they came to a stop. Ryu noticed.
"What's up, guys? Why'd you stop?" he called down. Sora looked up to him.
"Aru and I see something. It's some kind of light!" he yelled back.
"Wait till we get there!" Ryu replied. In about five mintues all five of them were looking down to the ground where the light was shining out of a hole.
"See? Kind of weird that in a world of darkness, there's all this light." Sora said.
"What do you think it is?" Donald asked.
"Looks like something out of Atlantica to me, but let's get a closer look." Ryu said as he went down to the next ledge and then down to the ground. The others followed. Ryu walked around it while he waited for them, looking it over.
"Well?" Aru asked. Ryu shurgged, and went to climb up the side of it. After slipping a few times, he finally balanced on the thin ledge.
"Ryu! What are you doing?" Sora yelled, surprised. Ryu turned back to the group, his navy eyes smirking, but his face serious.
"It's a passage." he responded and then stepped off the edge and into the light. Sora scrambled up after him and fell in, with the three others following behind him. When the light subsided, they found themselves on a new piece of ground. Ryu's horendus laughter echoed off the stone walls. "You should've seen your face when I went through!" Ryu got out in gasp breaths.
"I'm glad YOU find it funny!" Sora yelled. Aru laughed as she cleaned off her glasses.
Blazing orange eyes gazed down at the prone form. She seemed to only be asleep, but in truth she was just an empty shell now.
"Heh...they think she's beyond their reach, but I know the truth-her heart is at an attainable distance. One thing keeps it from me, though..." the figure shifted a bit. He looked down at his hands. "This body is inconvient to me. I almost forgot what it was like to have a human body again. The doors of paradise aren't very far now. I may only have six of the seven roses, but I know where the seventh rose lies..."
"These old metal gates remind me of Halloween Town." Sora stated as Ryu kicked the rusty iron.
"I'm glad you're taking trips down memory lane. Now, what's our next plan of action? We've already been through about five battles." The fragment hunter stated.
"Aru and the others seem worn out a bit." Sora said softer as the others rounded to corner.
"Sora! Aru's not feeling well again!" Donald cried as the girl slumped against a wall and then fell to the ground. Sora went to help her, but Ryu grabbed his hand before he could do anything.
"Remember last time? You don't want to see what I saw, Sora. What I descirbed wasn't even half of it. It was much more gruesome than that."
"I know...but-to leave her there-" Aru sat upright again and shook it off.
"It's nothing-I'm fine."
"Are you sure, Miss Aru?" Goofy asked.
"Yes. It's nothing...I'm feeling better already." she assured them, even though her looks proved otherwise. Her skin was pale as snow, and she was breathing hard.
"We can rest awhile." Ryu said, sitting next to her, but keeping a good distance away. Sora and the others followed suit, and they sat in silence for a few moments, Aru's raspy breath breaking in every once and awhile.
"Kairi...she told me on the ship, going back to Traverse Town, that Cedeile wasn't dead. Or, she helped me realize that she wasn't ...gone. You know?" Sora said. "Maybe her heart is hidden somewherem and it's here."
"I talked with Kairi too, that night. She said "If you want to claim what is precious to you, you have to decide what it is first.'" He laughed at himself. "I'm not quite sure what she meant."
"When did you talk with her?" Sora asked suddenly.
"None of you buisness, keyblade master! Why, jealous?" He asked, smirking. Sora blushed slightly.
"No..." he responded. "So what did you talk about?"
"You don't need to know." Ryu responded, somewhat coldly. Sora pouted to himself. Suddenly, Aru started to get worse, and Sora felt a tug on his sleeve. Before he could see what caused it, he felt the keyblade in his hand pulsate again.
'That feeling!' He thought. His eyes turned blank as he got sucked into his own mind. 'But I freed Kairi's heart! Why do I still sense it there? Wait-maybe it's another heart? Another heart in the keyblade? Is that even possible? And what's it reacting to? The dark keyblade was destroyed!'
"...ora!"
'Is it Ansem? Is he nearby?'
"Sora! Snap out of it!" A sharp pain across his face brought him back into reality. His vision shifted back into focus and he saw Ryu over him.
"Harsh, but effective." He said, smirking.
"Did you...slap me?" Sora asked, the end of his question more on the annoyed side.
"Slapping's for girls-I all out punched you. It was a good shot too." Sora sat up on his own and felt the side of his face where it burned.
"What happened?" He asked.
"You became so pale, Sora! We were worried!" Donald yelled.
"Miss Aru grabbed onto your sleeve and suddenly you went all freaky on us, A-yuk. You okay, now?"
"Yes, Goofy-I'm fine. But..."He held up the keyblade limply and rested it across his hands, looking at the silver metal. "I felt something..."
"What?" asked Donald.
"Something inside the keyblade, reacting to something-a heart."
"A heart inside the keyblade?" Ryu asked.
"I felt it at Hallow Bastion when I fought Riku, and I feel it now, too. At first I thought it was Kairi, but now I don't know who it is. By the way, is Aru any better?"
"She's sleeping now, so it must've passed over. It's strange that this has only been starting up now, since we got to this place..."Ryu trailed off.
"Something's not right with her." Donald said. "I'm getting bad vibes off of her now. It's some kind of ancient presence hovering around her."
"Is she possesed by a demon?" Ryu asked, alarmed.
"Nothing like that, which is weird. If it were only that, I wouldn't be worried, but it's different. The presence isn't demon, but with all the power I feel, it can't be human either."
"Now that you mention it, I feel that power too. Even though I don't have any magic..." Ryu said, and the thought of it unnerved him.
"We can't just leave her here, but we have to move on. What do we do?" Donald asked. Ryu stood up, his back facing them.
"I'll go on ahead and scope things out. If I don't get back in half an hour, then continue on without me." he said.
"Ryu, wait!"Sora yelled as the hunter ran off. The keyblade master sighed. "Why does he have to do everything by himself?" he pouted.
"It's because he and you are different, Sora. He has his way, and you have yours." Goofy replied. "Gawrsh, I bet he just as worried about Miss Cedeile as you are."
'Or maybe more...'Sora thought to himself.
Ryu slid down another narrow ledge as he decended farther down into the pit. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but then again, ever since he got here, that had been the case. Things that had once gone smoothly before were now broken up and choppy. Aru's strange sickness had something to do with this world. This place had no feeling to it at all. It was dead and barren...and something just didn't feel right. Lost in thought, he nearly feel off the narrow ledge he was walking across. Cursing, he steadied himself and began to walk slower.
"Ryu..." a distant echo sounded.He shook it off, thinking in his head that the strange walls in this place made a random noise that sounded like something calling out to him.
'Damnit...it's so cold down here..."he murmered to himself. He could even see his breath hang in the cold air when he breathed. What caused such a drastic tempeture change?
"Ryu, help!" the voice called again.
"Shut up!" Ryu yelled, not knowing what he was actually doing. He slipped on some stones again and flew over the edge. He grabbed on the the rock before he fell to his death and hung their for a few mintues, not sure whether it was worth hanging on or not.
"Don't just quit, Ryu! I'll help you up!" The voice said again. Ryu felt something tighten around his hand and pull his arm back onto the ledge. It was neither warm or cold-it had no feeling to it at all. He hoisted himself back over the ledge and rested on the ground for a few mintues. Finally, he realized that whoever helped him was still there.
"Thank you, whoever you ar-"He looked up to see his rescuer only to stop in midsentence, mouth hung open in shock. The girl in front of him smiled, like nothing was wrong. He could hardly say her name. "C...Cedeile?"
6H: END!
Anaretsu: That was a boring chapter.
6H: What's going on with Aru? Is it the real Cedeile in front of Ryu? Find out next time! Reviews help get the next chapter posted faster!
