Author's Note: Ha, the last chapter before I'm off to Korea, w00t w00t! What can I say, I'm happy 'cuz everything's cheap and I get a chance to nab something Japanese while I'm there XD! But since I'm forbidden to bring my laptop…T.T
Lena-jade: Whoo, I feel like a fool. I don't recall using 'cya' cuz if I did, I wouldn't be seeing a squiggly red line underneath it but other then that…I'm gonna look over the chapter, see what I've marked and try and fix it. And it was one of those 'inspirations in a million' that got me thinking about Riku bombing 'Vixen's' laboratory when he was little. Oh what an evil wittle boy!
Aoki-chan: Wow, you're right, Deep Dive IS coming up! Congratulations and you win 900 munny…too bad you have to wait a whole month before it actually takes place XD. Yup, Riku likes Yuri. (A/N: it's only the beginning…)
Kingdom Alchemist: Looks like our hero is 900 munny richer, XD. Sorry about that. (if asterisks actually worked I'd beat his ass for you) Here's another 900 munny, anyways, and yes, this will be the ONLY week you'll see me update so fast. Here's the last update for August…
Damn the stupid way Word formatting appears on ffn! Well, here's the next chapter.
And one final note: Tell Me What the Rain Knows – Sakamoto Maaya
Secrets of Memories Chapter 65: Tears of Ages
" Well? Explain yourself, Voice! What do you mean by if?"
Kairi was met with silence. Heavy silence.
" Why me…" She buried her face in her arms and sat hunched over in the warm sands.
First Tesled confused the hell out of her with his talk of destinies and twins that look alike but don't have to look alike, then her own subconscious mocked her, playing with her feelings and emotions.
" I don't like Aozora," she told herself fiercely. " It's Sora I've been waiting for…Sora and Riku…oh, when will I ever see you two again?"
Her eyes began to water. She dashed away the tears, then stood up and brushed off the sand. Sighing, she turned to the gray sea, now peaceful and free of the disaster she had witnessed minutes ago.
" But still…his eyes…" Those haunted bronze eyes burned themselves into the back of her mind and never left her. " I wonder what he's doing right now…"
She left out another sigh, then her feet began to take her back to that cottage home. Two more pages of Ansem's Other Report…then what? Home? Can she go home? The storms had wiped out Destiny Islands; home no longer existed.
" But Destiny Islands wasn't my home." That much she knew. " It was Hollow Bastion-"
Suddenly the image of two silver-headed toddlers appeared in her mind, a lost page from the book of memories. Riku? But who was the other kid?
" Ansem had a child." The words, the memories, they began tumbling out of the darkness in her mind, from her lips, into the listless world. " His name…was Kobi. And there were others. Orion. Yuri. Naminé. There were six of us…at Hollow Bastion – Old Citadel. That was our home. I knew Riku…from who knows when…"
Destiny Islands was never her home. Nor was it Riku's. Or Sora's. Sora came from Deep Tranquility, a world destroyed by his father, a world that tore two brothers apart and cast them into nether reaches of the Universe, where they grew up not knowing who they were.
" Incredible…"
A glowing warmth began to spread, not from within her, but around her. The world was still cloaked in drab paints but a soft, warm wind began to stir. She could smell the sea and the garden. And somewhere, lost in the home and its garden of love, was a soft voice, singing.
"Tell me what the rain knows
O are these the Tears of Ages
That wash away the Wolf's Way
And leave not a trace of the day?"
" The Wolf's Song," Kairi breathed. She knew that song. It was a song from the old stories of a land where wolves roamed. A song of a time of darkness and how a white wolf, a female, stepped forward to unite all the animals against the darkness that threatened to swamp not only the lives of the animals but also the lives of their hated enemy, Man.
But there was one thing off about the story.
" It's not a part of this world…" Kairi murmured, as the voice continued to sing.
"Tell me what the rain knows
O is this the flood of fortune
That pours itself upon me?
O see how I drown in this sea
Hark, hear the howl that eats the moon alive
Your fur is on fire
The smoke turns the whole sky raven black
And the world upon your back will crack
Where will you go
Now you've no home?
Let the rain wash away your last days…"
" Hello? Is anybody there?" Kairi called out softly, inching her way towards the source of the beautiful, haunting voice. She was quite sure it wasn't a memory.
There, sitting on a bench carved from a rough-hewn boulder, was Alara. Kairi knew her anywhere and everywhere. Her golden blonde hair tousled with the wind that was not there; her skin was vibrant, unearthly, and she wore a white dress with gold trim. She wore golden bracelets and was barefooted. Her finely sculpt face was pale, with rosy cheeks and lips the color of cherry blossoms. Her eyes were the beautiful blue that Sora shared with her. But they were weeping, crystal tears rolling down her unmarred cheeks.
" Um…hello?"
The unearthly woman was humming the song again.
" Oh…" Maybe this was a memory.
" The grace of Angels are almost gone from the face of this Universe," Alara suddenly spoke. She looked at her, her blue eyes stunning her. " Our blood is nearly lost. So few carry the golden grace of our kind."
" I'm sorry?" So this wasn't a dream?
" I'm not a memory, Kairi. I am real. I am Alara, daughter of the last Lord of the Angels."
Kairi stared. She had even forgotten to breathe.
" Oh for Haven's sake, girl, stop staring! You look less like an Angel that way."
Now Kairi was floored. " I'm sorry?"
Alara only smiled. " The race of Angels is a very ancient race. We are a race graced with beauty, intellect, strength, and power. We were the first in this Universe and we were the ones who gave grace to the Universe. Through us, the rest of the Universe rose. We gave the Universe music, the arts, craftsmanship, government, architecture, even language. But over time, the ones we taught grew angry with our blessings and sough to kill us all. There are so few left, and all are so very young…I say 'we', Kairi, for you are one of the last full-blooded Angels left. There are few others left who carry the blood but not like you."
Kairi blinked.
" You have a power in you, Kairi," Alara said softly, standing up and brushing her white dress free of debris. " It's a special power, much like the strength of your heart and soul. There are some of us gifted with a grace or power. One has the power to manipulate memories; one gifted with a voice of colors and is talented with the sword. You…have the pure powers of light, like I did long ago…"
Kairi finally found her voice, and regretted that it sounded like she squeaked out the question, " I thought you died."
" I did."
" Then how…?"
" My powers are like yours but with only one difference: I was born to be the Angel, a herald, voice, and embodiment of the true Light. The true Light's epitome is locked in Limbo; I was chosen to represent her and was gifted with all her powers. I was born from the far ages, Kairi; by the grace of the Angels I look young. We are an immortal race but that era is coming to an end. When Sora…when he opens the Door of Light, the gift of immortality will be gone. And I will cease to exist."
" Oh…" Then how old was she?
" You, Kairi, are truly young in our race. For you were born fifteen years ago and you are fifteen now. Very young by our standards but of the few who are left, they all age as fast as the human race does. Our reign is coming to an end…and when the Old Order ends and the New Order begins, our time will be over. Our grace will be lost, and our blood will become lost among the humans. Why are you so sad?"
" Because that's such a cruel fate!" Tears welled up in her eyes. " That is so evil…for a culture and a race to be lost forever…why?"
" Fate spoke and Time determined. For good things must come to an end at some point, Kairi. It is called Death. That is the great gift, and curse, of the human race. Humans, when they weary of life, will die. But some wish to live long. Why do some join the Darkness? Because they believe they can gain immortality. That is their Paradise. But it is foolish; who would want to live so long?"
" A lot of us wish…that we could live forever," Kairi admitted.
" Childish dreams. When you have lived as long as I have, when you have seen death, destruction, suffering, endless sorrow, you will weary of life. If you…were to see your life torn apart…you will wish for all things to come to an end…"
She was weeping. Kairi could feel nothing but pity; this ageless woman had died trying to defend her family, but her death was useless. The family was still torn apart. One had fallen to Darkness, the other had risen to Light, and their children were torn apart, scattered.
" I'm – I'm sorry…" Kairi looked down, grasping her hands together and not sure of what else to say. She felt out of place at the moment.
" Your kindness and empathy is what makes you great," Alara smiled through her tears. " That is part of your great power. You…hold the hearts of my children because of that. You are their light, whether you like it or not."
There was a sparkle in her eyes. Kairi realized that she and Sora were similar in many ways. That included their eyes. But Aozora looked like her, too…
They really are twins. And she really is their mother. They're part Angel…" Kairi, there is another power sleeping in you. A power to fight and heal. You once promised to Sora that you would fight. So far your heart has been fighting. Now it is time for another part of you to fight. It is a strange power; very few, like me, are gifted with its strength and healing. Yes, you can heal and you can destroy. But these powers…only work for the good of things. You can only use powers to destroy in order to defend the Light; you can never abuse the powers."
" Power in me?" Kairi gestured to herself.
Alara lifted her right hand and clasped it with her own. " Search deep within you, Kairi. There is a power sleeping, pulsing, waiting for release. Find it."
Kairi hesitated for a moment, not wanting to look like an idiot. But Alara nodded, smiling to her, assuring her, and Kairi closed her eyes. She searched deep in her mind, sifting through past memories, deep darkness, searching as Alara had told her…
She came across an unexpected bump. A lump of night, pulsing in unison with her heart. She tapped on it and was astonished when it unleashed a powerful warmth that ran down her spine and through her limbs, bringing instant relief from any prior stress.
" What-"
" That is the power," Alara told her. " But you have only tapped it. Break the seal of Time…so that its light will come pouring from your very being."
She turned Kairi's hand so its palm faced the gray heavens. Kairi obeyed her command and began to break though the seal of night. But it was hard, harder than searching for memories from the deep. She grimaced as she forced apart years and layers of darkness, feeling something hot and alive pulsing with more power with each layer she tore apart.
Then, finally, she pricked a hole in the last layer and a tiny beam of light shone in her heart and soul. Then the whole lump ruptured and Kairi gasped as white hot light spilled forth and swamped her senses, pouring through her fingers and falling through her legs to her feet. It was a churning sensation, burning and freezing at the same time.
" Look at your hand, Kairi," Alara instructed, her voice now having a silver edge. " Concentrate. Push all that white power into the palm of your hand. With practice, this will be so easy you barely need to think about it. But this is your first and it will be hard. Focus."
Kairi, tired as she was, willed herself to force the white light into her hand. It was like pushing water; the light kept weeping through her mental hands. But she fought with the strange strength and was finally rewarded with a shocker.
Glowing, hovering above the palm of her right hand, were three white crystals. They spun on individual, invisible axes, glowing in that hot white light that had exploded from the strange dark lump. It was as though the white light had liquefied into something solid.
" That is only the beginning," Alara smiled. " Touch them."
A tentative finger touched the largest spinning crystal and Kairi immediately pulled her hand back; power had rippled through her finger, a powerful warmth.
" Right now it has the strength to heal," Alara spoke. " But when you direct your anger, they will become powers of destruction. The light within you will annihilate the Heartless and destroy the Nobodies. These two forces are methodically wiping out the Universe and it is up to people like you to stop them. Your friend Riku is closing on a source of Heartless; you are nearing a source of Nobodies. Close the doors to them both…and if all goes well, Sora will find the Door of Light."
Kairi continued to stare at the glowing crystals. Another crystal gathered light and floated up to join its sisters. She stared at them, watching them glow in the pure light that came from within her.
" You can will them away, you know," Alara informed her.
The crystals vanished, as did the reassuring light. Again the world was gray.
" This was such a beautiful world," Alara smiled sadly, looking to the cottage. " It was a beautiful life. I thought I had discovered my Paradise. But deep in my heart…I knew Ronsend was not happy. He loved the children…but he wanted to leave, wander among the stars. That wanderlust he instilled in Sora. Ronsend had always favored Sora…because he was the one who resembled him most in spirit. Aozora was more of a pacifist, more emotional. He was more like the Angels of old. We do not take kindly to war but when we fight, we fight. And we are more sensitive to others. It is a gift and a curse, being an Angel. You can feel for others at a level most others never knew existed. That was why Sora was able to carry your heart with him. And that is why you feel sympathy for Aozora."
She sighed and looked to the heavens. " I wish I knew why…Aozora suffered more than Sora did. I wish neither of them had to live this way. If…if Ronsend had not fallen from grace…sometimes I wonder what life would be like now…for all of us."
" Would I have ever seen either of them?" Kairi whispered.
At this, the Angel smiled. " Perhaps not. But maybe that is why life became this way. You were to meet the both of them, as Riku was to forge a road that Sora began for him. The same with Ansem's son; Aozora began a path for him as well. Perhaps…they were meant to suffer this way…for the sake of others…"
Alara began to drift towards the cottage and Kairi felt obliged to follow her.
" The song I was singing…was a tale of a white wolf who possessed a gift. Few others had that same gift, including a predecessor from a faraway land. Those two, and one or two others shared the gift at the same high level; most others could only see so far…The white wolf suffered as no other should have, but she had forged a link between Man and Animal. One could not exist without the other. Man is brutal but He is a link in the chain of Life. The darkness in the world could not understand that and tried to destroy Man. She had seen what Man could do and used the wolf's black brother against her. But the white wolf revealed the truth, a truth only one who had the gift at her level could. Even with all the destruction Man left behind, there was still hope growing in the ice that covered their world."
" It is a story…told by the Angels," Kairi whispered, finally understanding i.
" Yes, and an allegory," Alara nodded as she followed a small pebble trail towards the back of the cottage. " It talks about dark times…and the hope that could be found in all the evil of the Universe. There will be much suffering, though. The white wolf…knew she had the power to cast the evil aside, so that she could live in peace…and raise a family of her own, enjoy Paradise that Nature offered her. But she knew better. The power she had now, the power to control all, should never be unleashed. And so she fought with the evil, until they fell to their deaths. Hers was a great sacrifice…and she gave them all hope, hope that some day Man and Animal will live in harmony and Paradise will be found."
" Death?" Kairi paled.
" Let us hope that will never come to pass," Alara remarked with a bit of cheer. She then stopped and turned to two earthenware jars sitting next to the wall of the home. " Eldest…placed the last to pages of the Report of this world in the jars. They will guide you to the door of In Between. Seal it with the Moonbeam that Aozora gave you…and you will find your way back to the Real Universe. What your path will be from there…only Eldest knows…"
Kairi turned to the Angel, only to watch her fade away. " Hearts change with time, Kairi. Do not fear the change. Embrace it with courage. Follow your heart and it will guide you…when all other hope dies away. When time comes, Kairi, your heart will give you hope. Never forget that. Farewell…"
Alara faded away, leaving Kairi standing there in astonishment at her words. Did she knew, did she understand her emotions, her feelings, and how lost she felt right now? Did Alara know…
" I don't like him…" Kairi whispered helplessly, dropping to her knees near the two jars. " He's only Sora's brother…and I don't like him. I don't!"
Her hand reached out and grasped the rim of one of the jars for support, as tears began to fall again, tears of loss and confusion.
" I just don't know if I love him…"
She began to cry.
""
" Where did that girl get herself to?" Oracle Kenaii fumed, storming around while Iago, Selphie, and Merlin went off in search of the redheaded girl. He seemed to have forgotten that the last place Kairi had gone to was the seashore.
But Tidus didn't forget. He saw and he remembered, including where Kairi had gone off to.
" I'll go find her," he said. " I think I might know where she had gone."
" Be careful!" the specter barked at him as the young man jogged off for the sea. " There are hidden hazards around here…"
Tidus ignored the ghost's warning, as he headed for the seashore. " Hidden hazards, bite my ass…"
It was a beautiful beach Tidus came upon. Gray it was but still he could see the beauty in the long, clean pale sand and the gently rolling waves that lapped the shore. Vegetation grew several feet away from the waves, giving a lush essence to the whole setting.
A pair of footprints meandered in the sand and depressions marked where the owner of the feet sat, before wandering off again.
" Gotcha…" Tidus muttered following the footprints as it meandered along the beach to his right, becoming lost in what seemed to be a hidden garden.
" Oh wow…" Tidus gasped as he stepped into another world entirely. It was a tidy cottage, lost among the garden of herbs and flowers surrounding it. A pebble path led through this beautiful garden to the house and Tidus was quite sure that this was where Kairi had disappeared to.
" Kairi?" Tidus called out, then quickly fell silent. He was sure he heard something.
" T-Tidus?" her wavering voice called back. Tidus was startled; was she crying? Over what?
" Kairi, where are you?" he called out.
" B-behind the h-house…" her voice faded.
" Kairi!" Tidus ran to the cottage, then around it. He screeched to a stop, spotting Kairi leaning against two earthenware jars, staring at two parchment papers on the ground near a pebble path. Around them were greenery, a lot of greenery. Someone had taken the time to plant a huge garden in front and a forest in back.
" Tidus?" Kairi turned her head, seeing her friend. Her eyes were red from crying. " Thank goodness you're here…"
" Kairi, what's wrong?" Tidus asked worriedly. " What happened?"
She shook her head, looking back at the parchment papers. " I…discovered memories."
" Memories?"
" Do you remember…the blond guy back at Celt Circle?"
" It's kinda hard to forget him in the first place, just to let you know."
" Well…" Kairi looked up at him. " What if I told you Sora had a brother and that was him?"
Tidus blinked at her. Five seconds later, what she just said registered in his mind. " What!"
Kairi had a bitter smile on her face. " This…was Sora's home. I just found out…not too long ago…"
" This was Sora's home!" Tidus stepped back and stared at the house. " No way!"
" Not only that," she whispered," but King Mickey was a human, a man, before a terrible spell turned him into a mouse. Sora's father destroyed this world…and tore Sora and Aozora apart. Time passed and the wounds healed; they forgot about each other."
She looked up at her friend. " The heart forgives, forgets, and heals. In our case, that was a bad thing."
" Sora's dad did all this?" Tidus referred to the razed buildings they had first seen on the way into the heart of Deep Tranquility.
" And he killed his wife, their mother. That he didn't try to do; he tried to kill King Mickey instead. But he killed Alara. And it destroyed him. He left…and King Mickey had to deal with both Sora and Aozora. Somehow, all three of them were separated…and Sora found his way to Destiny Islands."
" By Spira…" Tidus shook his head, leaning down and picking up the two parchment papers.
" The only thing was…Dream Heart knew all along," Kairi said bitterly, slowly getting up to her feet. " He took Sora away, before the world was destroyed. And…a teacher of mine from long ago, he knew everything, too."
" Why wouldn't they say anything about it?" Tidus demanded. " Imagine all the trouble they could've saved for us!"
" They wanted us to find for ourselves, I think," Kairi said, slowly making her way around the house back to the front. " Perhaps to find out more for ourselves than they could ever explain to us. After all, there are some things…that I've learned, too…"
For the fleetest instance, Tidus saw something white hot glow in the palm of her hand.
" We should take those two pieces of paper back to the others," Kairi decided, walking much faster now. The glow was gone. " They should be told of this, too."
''
Oracle Kenaii walked a few feet away, bowing his head. Merlin hemmed and hawed and basically said nothing. Selphie was gaping, Iago was…knocked out.
" You're mad!" the red parrot screeched as he jumped back up to his feet and hopped his way over to Kairi. " You're barking mad! Aladdin's brains may be fried by the sun but you…you are crazy!"
" That's all I know and that's all I can say…" Kairi began helplessly, unsure of how to calm down the raging ball of red feathers.
" You're telling me…that this blond dude…is Sora's brother?" Selphie asked. " Do they even look alike?"
" Yes…"
Merlin saw a pink tinge on Kairi's cheeks but said nothing of it. " This…explains everything, eh, Oracle Kenaii?"
" Explains?" the specter turned on them. " That's all you can say? It all fits! Everything makes sense now! No wonder they've been after Sora! If he dies, then the darkness will reign supreme and where will I be? In the damn pit hole of Hades! We have to get out of here now!"
" Sora can't die!" Kairi shrieked out. " He can't!"
He promised to come back! And he never breaks his promises…" He will die if we don't get to the Real Universe in time," Oracle Kenaii grumbled back. " You've unlocked Deep Tranquility, Kairi, but the road to the door of In Between is only a little farther. Hercules went a bit overboard with his description of that – remind me to never have him explain anything to anyone ever again – but its not that hard. As long as you have the key and we have the time, we can seal the Door of In Between and open the door back to our home: Real Universe."
" Real Universe…" Selphie whispered.
" Yuna…"
" Aladdin…old buddies…"
" My tea! …what?"
The others looked at each other. " Oracle, did Merlin's mother really drop him on his head?"
The ghost grinned. " Want me to show you the mark?"
""
Page One – There were two brothers. They were Seiryu Dragon and Phoenix. They were noble twins, from a family of long-lived, handsome race of humans. They were the heirs to the Throne of Light but they lost that heritage when Darkness first came. Two great entities, Halocanis and Shadowrenis, had been deadlocked in war for a long time but finally their fight boiled over into terrible war. And the Heartless came.
From out of nowhere came three Keyblades. Dragon found himself wielding two; Phoenix held one. Together they discovered the power of the Keyblades and began to wipe out the Heartless. Then they began to learn of the hearts of the worlds and how the Keyblades could seal them. And so they went and sealed the worlds. On their travels they met an old man, only known as Tesled. He became their guide and mentor, leading them towards a Door of Light which would rid the Universe of the Darkness of Shadowrenis. But along the way Dragon was killed. By the grace of Halocanis he returned and together, the twins opened the Door of Light. And years passed full of peace, until worlds began to destabilize and break apart. The balance of light and dark had gone haywire. Tesled told them they had to go back…and seal the Doors. Another time would come, he said, when the Door of Light will be opened forever.
Page Two – Ronsend is the last of the line of Dragon. That means he could trigger the falling of feathers, meaning Shadowrenis could finally be released from his prison and reign as the King of Darkness. But if a secret comes into light by the loss of blood, then the Queen of Light, Halocanis, would finally return as well. She and her two voices, the Crystal Force and the Angel, will begin the last war against Shadowrenis her brother and his forces.
Mickey Disney is the last of the line of Phoenix. But his grandfather had been overthrown and a man named Crimson had taken Walt Phoenix. As I write, he is still searching to close Kingdom Hearts, so that he will seal his claim to his throne.
One throne still eludes all – the Throne of Light. Whose child will take that throne – Ronsend's or Mickey's?
I will wait and see. Will the feathers fall and begin the last war? Or will the Universe topple into never-ending Darkness? Or will we all be spared of this horrible fate? I hope…that war and Darkness will never come, so that the future generations will live in peace and harmony…and the Old Order will live for at least a hundred more years.
The candle is dimming. Time flies. But still, I must write of these enemies. Heartless is one but they are not alone. Write I must…
Chapter 66…"Try living here for ten-plus years and you'll get bored."
" We think we should lend them…the silver one."
" He gave this world that name…to erase the bloody past of Walt Phoenix."