Kingdom Hearts chapter 8
Weaving Painful Memories
The sight before her was like nothing she had ever seen. She pinched herself to make sure she was awake… it seemed like she was, she felt it… but...something was wrong. A dream? But why do I feel like there's something I need to find here? Namine looked around, unsure of what to do. She was in an empty grassy field. No sign of life anywhere around her. But she saw movement on the horizon, and she turned her head. A strange figure was walking away. Unsure of what to do, she ran after it. When the figure turned, her eyes widened. It was her. A younger her. Holding a doll… she smiled happily and motioned for her to follow, turning and walking across the field happily. Namine followed, and soon she was at a small house in the middle of a meadow. The door opened and a woman greeted the little girl silently, who leaped into her arms. Namine recognized the person immediately… it was her mother, her real mother. She was beautiful… flowing brown hair and blue eyes, thin and tall. Namine looked on in wonder. She ran forward and tried to touch her mother, but the image merely vanished and seemed to register in her mind. She had a mother. She knew one thing about her past… was she finding her soul? But who was she? The little girl motioned to follow again, and entered the house. In the kitchen stood a small kitten, white and fluffy. Snow…The kitten vanished, and she knew she had a cat. Named… snow. But this was taking too long, her memories were coming back to her too slowly! Still, she was glad of them, and she followed the little girl up the stairs. There was her mother, lying in bed. The little girl cried by her side, and Namines eyes widened as she saw the mother stop moving. A sickness… unknown cause…Namine knew now that her mother was dead. A small sort of sadness washed over her. Then the scenery around her changed. It was a battlefield. A man walked forward, carrying a child. She knew it at once as her father. The man walked slowly, as if he were injured. Her mother was by his side. A shot of gunfire was heard, and the man staggered forward. The baby dropped to the ground and began to cry. The woman looked shocked, but the man smiled faintly and pointed at the baby, and then away. His lips moved but no sound was heard. The mother seemed to plead against whatever he said, but the soldiers approached and she knew she had no choice. She placed a kiss on the mans lips, and smiled sadly. She mouthed something, and Namine knew what. "I love you." The man smiled and nodded. The woman ran off, tears in her eyes. She had to keep the baby alive… the baby… Namine. The father was shot again in the head, and the image vanished. Namine felt herself crying, and outside of her dream, tears rolled down her face.
The little girl pranced down an alleyway. Namine followed, and looked on as the little girl prayed at her parents' graves. Why didn't she relive a happy memory? Pain before pleasure, perhaps… as soon as she thought this, she saw a man in black walk up and kick the girl in the ribs. Namines eyes widened as she saw who the man was. It looked like Ansem… but different. The eyes were even colder. Red hair, green eyes… a scar across his cheek. Again, the scene vanished, and she saw herself kissing a boy. He was quite handsome, but she had to look away- for some reason it just felt wrong to see herself with someone other than- she shook the thought away. It was her past, she needed to know. She looked back at the boy, and realized the boys name was Jeffrey. Her first love. Yet he had vanished one day, and she had vowed never to love again.
She had not, either. It was only until she was brought to Castle Oblivion that she had lost that vow, along with her life. Her real life. Slowly facts filled her mind.
She was born in a field, alone near a school. Jeffrey was the only one that ever was nice to her, defended her. They were childhood sweethearts. She felt love for him well up inside her, but she fought it. Still, the feeling was- her mind snapped back. Ahead in the field, she saw something that was not in her memories. The boy and the man from before were having a conversation. "So you will love her until I can have her?" The man asked.
"Yes. She deserves that much if you intend to make her a lifeless doll, and fill her with memories she did not ask for." The man slapped the boy across the face. "You will bring her to Castle Oblivion. I have plans for her… once her memory is changed, she will have the ability to change others memories." The boy nodded, looking down.
"And you will vanish as well, then." The man said.
"I know. My soul is only temporary… I wanted to spend more time with her but… I have no choice to turn her over to you. If I do not…" The boy started, but the man interrupted. "I will kill her." The boy nodded. "She lives with her mother, and does not have any friends," The man went on. "You will become her friend and you will fall in love with her. She will trust you, and you will bring her here." The boy nodded silently, tears rolling down his cheeks, and the man left. A voice entered her head. "You will see Jeffrey again, Namine." Namine looked around, the scene before her changed. All her memories clicked into place. She had led a small life… and Jeffrey was used by that man… she was brought to almost kill Sora. "Choose, Namine. I will give you Jeffrey for a love… or bring him to you as a friend later in life." Namines eyes lit up but she frowned a moment later. "Who are you, how do I know you won't simply kill us all?" A warming feeling entered her heart and she knew she could trust whoever it was. The being answered. "I do not know what I can do, but I am the only one who can mend part of your past… this is the only part I can do. Someday, you will meet Jeffrey again." Namine protested. "But I will love him! What about Riku?" The being was silent. "Choose, Namine." Namine shook her head. "Does he love me? Is he alive?"
"He wants the best for you… he has always been there with you, as have your parents. He was chained by Ansem, before Ansem lost his power over him. He merely needs a body. Yet… somehow I think he has chosen Riku to be with you." Namine looked sad. "Why? Doesn't he care?"
"He cares, he loves you. He wants to walk with you again. But Riku needs you. And you need him." Namine smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I have started a new life… tell Jeffrey to do what he wishes, I want what he wants."
"He says he wants to meet you in another lifetime… where you can walk together forever." Namine smiled.
"Tell him I think that's a good idea… and to stay with me so Riku and I can join him when we meet on the other side. We can be friends, perhaps."
"Perhaps. Now, Riku needs you. You have made your decision. You have your soul. Go."
"Wait, who are you?"
"I am Kingdom Hearts. I have been watching over you." Namine smiled.
"Of course. Thank you so much, for everything. I will take care of Riku."
With that, her eyes opened.
Riku leapt forward, grabbing for his opponent again.
"Why bother?" Sora said, smiling. "The girl is-" He was stopped short by a hand on his shoulder.
"Check your calculations again. There are two of us." Namine said with a smile.
"But… how? You should have no soul!" Sora said, eyes wide.
"Riku is my soul. We walk together. I know who I am. And you will pay for what you have done, whoever you are… the one who tricked me into coming to Castle Oblivion."
Soras eyes grew wide with fear.
"You can't know that! Everything was planned so well! Your mind destroyed, your soul lost, how on earth are you still standing?"
"I will get revenge for my lost friend, Jeffrey!" Namine yelled, striking him in the face. Sora winced.
"This isn't over!" Sora yelled, collapsing to the floor. The red haired man rose out of the body. "An unsuitable host, anyway." He said with a smile. "He could hardly move with half my speed." Sora was lost in darkness and faded into nothing. "I'll save him for later, for now, I can use my original body… no sense hiding in that filthy form any longer."
Namine grabbed Rikus hand and gave him a warm smile, nodding. Riku ran forward with his Keyblade, and Namine floated up into the air. In her memory gathering she had learned something else, Jeffrey had placed resistance into her before he had vanished. This was it.
"Riku!" Namine said, folding her arms. Giant wings spread out of her sides, and her hair turned white. A staff appeared in her hand.
"What in the hell is that? How do you hold Jeffrey's power?
Namine said nothing, but flew forward, striking the staff into his head. The man pulled out a long, black sword and struck back at the staff angrily. Riku rolled forward and landed at the mans feet, striking him with a sweeping kick and throwing him onto the ground. Namine struck down angrily, the pole missing as the man rolled to the side.
"Riku! I'll explain everything to you later! But we won't lose!" Namine yelled, her wings glowing.
"I'll stay by your side, Namine!" Riku added, rushing forward and striking down at the man.
"I am Devilo! I won't be defeated by my puppets!" Riku and Namine gasped. The being that had taken over Ansem was here. The black sword knocked both of them back with an unseen force, and a gale of wind cut into Rikus side. Namine was thrown against the wall, her angel wings vanished. Riku and Namine stood up slowly, their hearts bound as one. In an instant they were on both sides of Devilo and angrily rushing in. Devilo spun and knocked them both back, wounds opening all over them.
"Namine… Sora! Kairi! Where are they?" He turned to Devilo and gritted his teeth.
"Sora? He's locked away somewhere, and Kairi is in chains. They deserve much worse, but I'm a nice guy." Devilo looked to the side to see a cloaked figure leap in, sword drawn. It was Leon.
"You're… Riku, right? The worlds are being pulled into one, mass chaos is spreading! This world will collapse soon, too, get out of here!"
"Do you know where Kairi and Sora are?" Riku asked, shocked at his arrival but glad for help.
"It doesn't matter right now, you're needed at the Hollow Bastion- Aerith and Yuffie are waiting for you there. The entire castle is spreading off some strange force, like something huge is inside. You have to hurry, get inside and stop whatever it is! You may find your friends there as well!" Devilo frowned.
"How in the hell did you get here-" Devilo was stopped short as a giant wrapped blade struck him in the back. Cloud was there, blade gripped tightly.
"We'll take care of him. Go." Cloud said, pointing at a glowing point behind him.
Namine started to say something, but Riku grabbed her hand and ran into the light, vanishing.
"They've escaped." Cloud said calmly.
"Now our next task, to take out the servant of Ansem…" Leon added.
Devilo grimaced.
"I killed Ansem-"
"Don't play dumb. Your little act isn't going to work here, we know that you faked Ansems death to make Riku think there was a higher power in charge." Cloud said, his eyes narrowing as his sword glowed.
Devilo spun around, his red hair glowing. A blast of fire struck them both, but Leon held out his gunblade and pulled the trigger, his own explosion from his weapon reflecting the attack. Devilo cursed and spun around as Cloud hovered in the sky, striking madly at his foe. Leon ran forward, striking with his gunblade as he pulled the trigger again. Cloud sliced once more then flew back, as not to be caught in the explosion. Devilo writhed in pain, swinging madly through the smoke put out by the fire. Cloud waved to Leon a combat direction, and both circled Devilo quickly. Leon pushed off the ground, and cloud caught him in the air, swinging him around and throwing him at Devilo. The smoke cleared and Leon shot past his target, slicing into the skin and pulling the trigger, making the fire even more painful. Leon landed and threw his gunblade to Cloud, who caught it and landed on the ground, rushing forward and cutting at Devilo with his giant sword, then swinging the other up towards Devilo, pulling the trigger and taking to the air as the gun sliced along his chest and the blade burned with fire. Cloud released it as the gunblade fell into his opponent, clearing the area as the final blast struck and eliminated the threat once and for all. Leon took the sword from the burnt floor, and Cloud sheathed his blade. The two walked off through the light, leaving the cursed room behind, off to continue their task.
