Razer- Don't get distracted...don't get distracted... OH NO! SOMETHING SHINY! -le gasp- Anyways...you are always my first reviewer when I put up a new chapter. I showed a couple of my friends your reviews. They think you're funny too, lol.
Perhelediel- I enjoy cliffies, hehehe. And thanks for the compliment! I am flattered. Tidus is awesome. Wakka...well I already told you guys about Wakka. At least the ones who read the author's notes, which account to about half. Heh. Tidus is so much fun to write for, because the game doesn't read much into his personality. Which means that authors like myself get to fill in the blanks. And...I am dying for an update in your story! Hehehe.
khknight- -gasp- You are psychic! Nah. I guess it was just too obvious, lol.
Guess what? This story has... -drumroll please- 945 hits! I am ecstatic, considering that this is my first fanfic ever. My goal is 1,000- woot!
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The chirping of crickets and the soft call of seagulls echoed through the air on Destiny Islands. The only sounds to be heard in the cool evening.
Except...for hissing.
Two Heartless stood outside the entrance to the Secret Place, overseeing the seige of the small cave. Waves of Heartless clawed at the entrance while the two Invisibles sat in talk. (For those of you that don't remember, Invisibles are the nasty ones with swords that can disappear and form those dark rings around you.)
There seems to be a blockade. None of our brothers have entered for nearly three minutes.
The other Heartless turned his golden, glowing eyes towards him. They tried the same plan earlier. They simply stall their own theft of heart.
The ones in there...they are the Betrayer and the Princess Of Heart?
Yes.
If a Heartless could smile, that's what they would be doing now as images of destruction and darkness filtered through their vision. We have them pinned in like rats in a trap. Finally, revenge!
And the princess. She is...different than the others, correct?
Yes. Her connection with the Keyblade Master has strengthened her heart even more. Taking her will be a glorious victory for the Darkness.
The other turned, watching the progress of the various Shadows as their long, black claws raked the stones in any attempt to get into the alcove. Stupid little things had no brains at all- they were good for only one thing. Brute strength. But the Invisible could feel something in the air.
The sweet smell of triumph as the final pebbles of the boulder crumbled to the ground.
XxX
Riku toiled away at the new wave of Heartless that appeared through the door, swinging mercilessly at each pair of golden eyes that appeared from the tunnel. Grunting, he noticed the taste of blood in his mouth. Wiping it away, the silver-haired teen stood over Kairi as she desperately threw rocks at the Heartless, ignoring a gash midway down her calf.
"K-Kairi, I can't hold this up much longer." His palms slippery with sweat, Riku adjusted his hold on the Keyblade once again, the leather grip wet with perspiration.
"I'm sure they'll be here soon. With Sora." It had been five minutes since their party left. The longest five minutes of her life. Kicking at a stray Shadow that had the bright idea to sneak up on her from behind, she panted harshly, trying to ignore the blood streaming from the cut on her leg. The Heartless seemed to have more of an effect on her, seeing as she was a Princess Of Heart. Fate was cruel to the Islanders.
The minutes ticked slowly by as the two friends grew more and more ragged. Kairi fought the urge to sink into unconsciousness as the automatically kicked at the never-ending waves of black. A thump- Riku was on his knees. Screaming, Kairi launched out of her stupor and launched a rock, scattering the Heartless in all directions. She crawled over to him, trying to protect him with herself. Wincing, she flinched as dark claws raked across her back, white hot pain engulfing her senses.
Black tinged the edge of her field of vision as Riku vainly attempted to rise, loosely holding the dark blade in his hands. "We're...we're not gonna make it."
XxX
"Sora, can you slow down!" Leon panted as he tried to keep up with the amazingly fast sprint the Keyblade master had been keeping for the last five minutes. "We can't keep running around like this."
Coming to a reluctant halt, Sora turned and looked at Leon. "Where are we? Where's the door to the Second District?"
Groping the stone walls, Leon tried to make out the familiar wood through the still thickly-falling snow. "I don't know. I'm trying-" Stopping abruptly, he sucked in a breath as his frozen fingers hit wood. "Sora- I think I found it."
Shoving away snow madly, Sora raced over to it, running his hand across the worn old door. "So where's the door? It should be right here." Then, a strange sensation. Warmth...Pulling out his hand, he started at the half-melted snow that covered it. Only one place could melt snow that quickly...
"Leon! Leon, this is it!" Racing through the unseen portal, they both stepped into none other than the Secret Place.
Leon looked in horror at the scene around him. Kairi, bleeding from a various cuts, was kneeling on the floor, trying desperately to protect a boy with silver hair as Heartless swarmed her unmercifully. A thin piece of black metal poked from underneath her- a Keyblade?
Sora's voice pierced the air. "HEAL! ARCANUM!"
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A yell echoed through the cavern. Prying her closed eyes open, Kairi struggled to register the sound through the fog of semi-consciousness. A yell...who would be yelling here? She glanced at Riku. Nope- Riku was quiet. The redhead knew she was in deep trouble when green leaves started falling on her and Riku. Now I'm hallucinating and delusional. I hope Sora forgives me...I didn't want to die...
The green leaves looked awfully real. Reaching out her hand, she touched one gently, then recoiled as her finger scattered tiny green shards of light that drifted slowly down to her knee. What the...
It was then she noticed that her hand wasn't bleeding where she touched the leaf. Slowly, she rose. Billions of green leaves swirled around her and Riku. She looked at the gash in her leg. Greenish-yellow light swirled, magically sealing the cut and replacing the lost blood until only a small scar remained. I'm thinking coherently again. And...she wasn't tired.
It was magical. Wait a minute...she knew someone with magic.
Turning slowly, as if she was afraid this dream would shatter if she moved too quickly, Kairi looked at the door.
Sora.
XxX
The brunette watched as Kairi turn, as if in a trance, and she saw him standing in the doorway.
"Kairi?"
Without another word, Kairi dropped to her knees again, completely lost in emotion. "Sora... you came back." She looks beautiful. Her shimmering auburn hair was longer, down to her shoulders. Her petite frame had filled out slightly, accenting the fact that Kairi wasn't the little girl that had referred for him and Riku on the sandy shores years ago, when they were competing for her attention.
"What took you?"
XxX
Kairi jerked her head over at Riku, his joking voice penetrating the stillness of the alcove. "Riku!"
Leon, who was immune to most of the emotion in the said scene, had been thinking about the Heartless attack. "Sora, did you ever seal the Keyhole to this world?"
"What? I mean...I just didn't think of Destiny Islands as having a Keyhole." He paused, realizing how stupid he sounded. Oops. "So...that's why the Heartless were able to get here..."
"And they're still here." finished Leon. "You need to find the Keyhole and seal it. Come on, we need to get Kairi into the town before they get through again!"
"NO!" Kairi's angry voice echoed through the not-so-Secret Place. "I'm not losing everyone again! It was so long..." Her voice quieted. "This time...I'm not going to get separated."
Everyone was quiet for a moment. Kairi wasn't one to get angry.
"Kairi- I'm always with you. We...have some of each other's hearts, remember?" A small smile on Sora's somber face.
"It...it didn't feel like it." The red head's voice choked. "Every day, I would pray that maybe this was the day that I'd hear you. But...I never did." She looked down, holding back the tears that were stinging her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a gloved hand under her chin. She looked up to see Sora's face, concern etched onto his features.
"Remember this?" he asked. In his hand was a shimmering silver keychain- a white-blue flower, glittering in the snow. Her chain- Oathkeeper. "I'll come back.."
"Promise?"
"Yeah."
With a small smile, Kairi turned and walked through the door into snowy Traverse Town. Sora stared after her for a second, then turned away from the door. Leon had a small smirk on his face.
"Never knew you to be such a softie, Sora." Heat spread down Sora's neck.
"Hey, I know a certain someone who likes you. So I wouldn't be saying anything or maybe I might say something."
Caught completely off guard, Leon stared at him. "What the-"
Sora turned away abruptly, but not before mentally noting the bemused expression on Leon's face. "So- we need to find the Keyhole."
Riku looked around. "Anyone have any idea where it is?"
XxX
Hehehe, looks like Sora is a big softie! You all thought that Sora was going to kiss Kairi! Ha! -does a little laugh- Don't worry! The fluff is coming! But I have to continue with the plot. Stupid plots- have to get in the way of fluff. -stomps off talking about plots and shiny review buttons-
Akiko
