Kingdom Hearts chapter 7
Unknown Memories
Riku looked around. White sands covered the entire area; a warm breeze blew across the dunes. Looking down, he saw Namine, who was just regaining consciousness.
"Namine." Riku said softly.
"Yes?" Namine replied, yawning and standing.
"Look where we are…" Riku pointed all around them, an ocean of white sand spread in all directions.
"The desert?" Namine asked, following his finger.
"Strange, it seems that this is the first place I've never seen before."
"Really?" Namine asked, turning her head towards him.
"The Destiny Islands, Neverland, these are places I've been to before. Or Sora has. But I don't think either of us has seen this." Namine nodded, and walked forward casually.
"It's pretty warm here, and it seems to be about to get warmer…" She replied
"How can you tell?" Riku asked. Namine pointed at a bright spot on the horizon.
"The sun… day will break soon. You're right; we had better find somewhere to take shelter until nightfall." Riku took her hand and walked forward. Namines cheeks tinted red for a moment as he pulled her, then the color vanished as soon as it had appeared.
"We need to find somewhere with water." Riku said, continuing to walk forward. Namine looked down.
"This way." She replied, letting go of his hand and walking in a different direction. Riku looked at her strangely.
"What are you talking about? We have no idea what lies ahead, this is the first time we've seen this." Riku said, turning towards her.
"Just follow me, ok? I have… a feeling that we need to go this way." Riku shrugged and nodded, following her. They walked for a while in silence, and the sun slowly rose. The temperature rose, and it seemed like all the water in their bodies had evaporated and went out of their mouth in hot breaths. Soon Riku fell to his knees. Namine looked concerned, but she pulled him back up, with more strength then Riku thought she would have.
"Let's keep going, Riku." She said calmly, wiping away sweat from his forehead.
"What are you talking about? There's only sand! Everywhere you look, sand on the horizon!"
"Trust me and follow." Namine said, and Riku followed. He didn't have any idea what she was planning, but if they stayed in one place it would be even worse. Best to keep moving.
Soon the sun was fully in the sky, and Rikus vision grew blurry. He staggered on his legs.
"Just a little more, Riku."
Riku was too weak to argue. But after a few minutes, he fell to his knees and collapsed in the heat. Namine looked disappointed. Apparently the heat was not affecting her at all. Then again, she was used to it. Sighing, she dragged Riku for a few minutes, and then smelt rushing water in the dry air. "Finally. Hang in there, Riku." Namine walked forward, and put her ear to the ground. Then she walked forward again and did the same. Finally, she seemed content. Happily she dragged Riku over to a place of warm sand, and closed her eyes. A shifting of gears was heard, and soon the ground beneath them began to sink.
Namine looked on with a calm expression and brushed the sand off of the floor, revealing a metal platform. Kneeling, she searched it. There it was. A red button was in the center. She quickly pressed it as the sand began to cave in on her as the descended and a glass covering shot upward and spun around, covering them in a bubble. Air flowed through a hole on one side of it. As if she had done it a dozen times, she lay on the ground and smiled as darkness washed over them and the glass lit up, lighting their way. Riku slept peacefully, and Namine carefully brushed the sand off of him and smoothed his hair.
Namine smiled as she saw the scenery around them, they were passing down through a cave. Luckily she knew how to navigate around the caves, due to her years of practice here. Her memories had returned, but she missed her home. She would die if this were only an illusion. Silently she waited until the elevator came to a complete halt. The bubble vanished and she picked Riku up, slowly carrying him with effort until she reached a small pool of cool water. Smiling, she dropped him in. In seconds, Riku awoke, shivering and leaping out of it.
"That's freezing! Namine, why did-"Riku stopped as he realized something. "Namine, you found water!" He smiled and hugged her, and she blushed slightly. "Where… are we?"
"It leads to the Destiny Islands. It is an underground fort…" Riku looked shocked.
"How do you know this?"
"Your ocean leads here, Riku. I once was in this place. I don't know why, but I feel like this is my home… but no one is here, it's deserted…" Namine looked down in disappointment. Riku walked around, checking out their surroundings. "I don't know what I'm feeling, I feel like I hate this place and yet I miss it so much… my memories are still sealed inside. Maybe I only visited here, I don't know. But I still want to find out more. And this place is small… I think there was a door there, but it's gone now. It led to…" Namine thought hard. "No good, I can't remember."
"Don't sweat it, Namine. Just relax, I know how you feel. I miss my home as well."
"Then why not go there?" The voice was familiar, and right away Riku gripped his keyblade.
"Don't you ever give up? Give us a break, will you? We're having a special flashback." Riku grinned, looking at the false Sora.
"Your memories, Namine. Are they real? Are they fake? You don't know, do you? I can show you, I know all about Lama, Mark, and Troy…" Namines eyes lit up. Memories flooded her head and then vanished. Namine fell to the ground. Riku looked over and cursed under his breath.
"Will you leave her alone? She's trying hard to remember, she doesn't need you to try killing her again!" Riku yelled, lashing out with his keyblade. Namine grabbed his hand. Her eyes were filled with tears.
"Riku… don't… don't hurt this place. If you fight, it will be damaged… and these memories are special to me." Riku swore and sheathed his keyblade. Sora smiled.
"You hear that, Riku? She doesn't want you to fight. What a good girl you are." He said, walking forward. Riku stepped in front of him. Sora smiled and pointed his keyblade at the wall, a wall with hieroglyphs. Namine screamed and covered her eyes, images streaming through them so fast it was hurting her.
"Make it stop, Riku!" She clung to him desperately, crying silently. Riku held her and looked angrily at Sora.
"Come with me, Namine, or those memories will destroy you." Namine pushed away from Riku and ran forward, grabbing hold of Sora.
"There, now make it stop!" Namine sobbed, clenching her fists.
"Gladly…" Sora said, making the images go faster. Namine screamed out in pain, clutching her head and staggering.
"Bastard!" Riku yelled, rushing forward and swinging his keyblade. Namine looked on in horror as her memories came back to her- unfamiliar but warm memories. Angrily she clenched her fist.
"THOSE… AREN'T… MINE!" Namine yelled, the memories fading. Sora frowned for the first time and leapt backward, pointing his hand at the wall as a warning. Riku sliced his stomach and Sora winced, but smiled as Riku was thrown back and the wound healed itself.
"You're going to need more then that, boy…" Sora yelled; pointing his hand at Namine as fire streamed through his veins.
"You made me remember… you made me happy! I THOUGHT I KNEW WHO I WAS!" Namine yelled angrily, tears running down her cheeks. Clenching her fists she ran at Sora, anger her only motivation. Riku looked on as Sora pointed one finger and a stream of fire shot out; covering Namine as she yelled out in pain and a cloud of smoke filled the room.
"She is dead, Riku. Had she come with me, her life would have been spared," Sora said menacingly. Riku only smiled and held out his keyblade. The tip shone white and a hazy fire surrounded it. The same fire Sora had shot at her, supposedly killing her.
"Her kindness granted me your strength, idiot." Riku said softly. A faint cough was heard. Sora looked over in horror as a white light emanated from the spot where Namine was. Her body was growing red, her eyes flaring.
"I will remember my memories! And Riku will be in my new ones!" Namine yelled, fire surrounding her. Anger coursed through her, and two angel-white wings sprouted.
"No…" Sora yelled, stepping back. Namines eyes shone white as she held out her arm. A blast of razor sharp feathers blasted from the tips of her fingertips, covering Sora. They molted together, making a giant cocoon like thing around her prey.
"Now, Riku!" Namine yelled, a butterfly escaping from her and flying into the distance as she shifted back to her normal form. Riku nodded and ran forward, stabbing the keyblade into the middle of the cocoon. A sharp cry was heard as the feathers vanished and Sora stepped back, clutching a wound in his chest. Namine rushed at him in her normal form, throwing a punch to the wound and striking full force. Sora, not expecting this, howled in pain and grabbed her. She flinched but her eyes still shone with anger, and a moment later claws appeared on her fingertips, stripes spreading across her body. Cat ears grew and she smiled, hissing at him. In one sweep, she sliced at the arm clutching the wound. Sora looked on in horror and fell to the ground. Namine got down on all fours, almost as if it were natural. A tail sprouted as she leapt forward and stuck her claws into the wound, ripping it across his chest. In an instant she back flipped, landing on her feet as the stripes and tail vanished, the cat ears sinking into her head. A catlike creature leapt out of her and into the wall, disappearing. Riku and Sora merely stared at her, shocked. Riku, however, had a shocked but admiring expression- while Sora just looked like he had lost a million dollar bet. Namines anger subsided, and she smiled, looking down at her fingers and remembering how sharp of a cut she had made across the one who had planted false memories in her mind. Of course she was shocked at what she had done, but also proud. She adored cats and butterflies, and she had just acted as both. Sora stepped back and swore, putting a hand on his forehead as he began to vanish. Riku and Namine, however, leapt forward and struck him at the same time. Rikus keyblade cut off his arm, and Namine hit him repeatedly in his wounds. Sora cried out in pain. Namines eyes shot open.
"Riku, let him go." She looked down at her bloody hands and gasped, rushing off to wash them in the water. She had almost killed someone. Tears streamed down her face. Riku, however, was unfazed. This thing wasn't human; it was mimicking his best friend! And if he didn't get it now, he might lose Namine again! What treachery. Turning Namine into a heartless so Riku would kill her. It would have worked, too. But somehow she was alive, now, and if that ever changed his life would never be the same again. Sora put his other hand to his forehead as his opposite arm re-attached. Riku rushed forward, keyblade drawn.
"RIKU, STOP!" Namine yelled, rushing forward.
"What are you doing, Namine?"
"What if that IS Sora?" Rikus eyes shot open. Soras eyes had a faint glimmer in them, but he had not noticed it before. But Sora was too strong to be controlled. That couldn't be him! Still… Riku rushed forward and grabbed Sora. "What have you done to him?" Riku asked angrily.
"As long as Kairi is under his control, Sora will be my slave forever." Sora responded. Rikus eyes shot open. "Kairi? Where is she?"
"Like I'd tell you. Kill me if you want. Murder your best friends' body, so he can never come back." Rikus eyes filled with tears.
"Shut up! Just give him back! And Namines memories… I know you have them, just give them back to her! I don't want her to suffer anymore!"
"She is not real… don't you get it? A mixture of blood and bones, with false memories planted inside and sealed away. She can't remember her past, and soon, she won't be able to remember you. Her true soul is lost in the darkness, this is just her body… missing the attachment." Sora grinned.
"Shut up!" Riku blinked back tears. "I know she's real. And her soul is there too… don't you even dare try to trick her!"
Namine fell back and sat, her expression motionless.
"Look at her, Riku. See her pain? Want that to continue? Do as I say and you'll have her soul… to do whatever you wish."
Namine was lost in darkness as her eyes closed as she collapsed onto the ground.
