FallenStarAngel: Wow, I didn't think someone would do….er…that. Well I would if I were to tackle Rem-chan's great story again and read the chapters I didn't read…which is not likely to happen, as I had gotten lost a few too many times throughout the story but then again I was stupid when it came to anime. And a TON of people like Aozora, which surprises me. He is essentially a duty-driven teenager with a pretty crappy past; meeting Sora starts changing him so that while he tries to keep to his duty, he finally starts noticing the other corners of life, the ones he never looked into. Which all comes down to my coupling situation. The way things are, you people are still going to be in for a serious surprise. I thought this story was gonna be some not-so-long epic but now it's a drives-me-crazy epic spanning enough years to knock my socks off! So basically, you need to have patience, and see if Sora and Kairi will ever get back together again. Oh and the Aozora-bashing…i just love it. It pisses people off. XD
Aoki-chan: If my parents continue to act like idiots, I wouldn't even be able to touch my laptop! I'll do my best to update and if I can't…then I'll do my updates as soon as possible. I've planned out the updating schedule on my calendar and everything should be complete around the time Kingdom Hearts II comes out.
Cammy-world: yeah, you win for "scariest reader". But thanks for the cookie. I guess this story DOES cater to your tastes…well, I'll get back to that later…
Lena-jade: When I was strategizing the story, I came to the conclusion that Kairi's love life cannot be dictated by the rigid rules of gaming and drama and soap operas. That means love ebbs and flows; it gets caught here, it flows there, and it never touches here or there or anywhere. It goes where it will. So I must say that its good that you don't care who Kairi's with anymore. And your evil nitpicks…well, I still have room for improvement. As a warning, two chapters in this story may carry a different tone because I have re-planned them. The POV issue was that I never fooled around with POV that much before…then I started experimenting…and it went from there. Of course King Mickey knows things! He's like…omni…oh gosh, what's that word again? Well he can at least sense what's going on; and, unfortunately for Aozora, though he can keep his face blank, his eyes give away everything. Its only a matter of who would look closely. As for the whole Naminé blushing scene, I kept his shirt off because he had to rush to the train station. I don't think you can run to the train station carrying a train ticket, some (lucky) charms, and try to pull on your shirt after you take off the jacket all at the same time. He'd probably run into a pole, knock himself out, miss the train, and raise living hell. Only good thing is that design-wise, his jackets long enough. XD as for Kairi appearing in the screens, I thought that was totally bizarre and couldn't think of anything other than…well somehow she's there but maybe not really but why would she be there-you get the drift. Love triangle-wise, it'll be a mass of confusion and things will somehow start clearing up…if you can tell. The A/S/K situation was seriously a hell for me and I had to figure out how to get things together while setting up the scene for the next thing coming. When things start getting…"violent", you'll see what I mean. And for the other question, are you asking about the half-Angel situation? Because what their powers are…I'm not telling. But as far as I can tell, Sora's power is pretty scary. And when the going gets rough…it gets REALLY scary.
Great, me and my big mind (mouth)…
Secrets of Memories
Chapter 68: In Darkest Night
Riku ran through the dark streets, nimbly dodging fallen trashcans, light poles, and the occasional pedestrian who happened to be wandering about late at night.
He didn't know if the Heartless were following him. His darkness was focused on getting him to the Bell Tower as fast as possible. The trail of darkness was fading…and that was a bad sign.
" Kingdom Hearts had better not be moving out of Twilight Town anytime soon!" Riku growled under his breath as he somersaulted over a stunned passerby.
" Sorry!" he yelled and kept running.
Behind him, the stunned passerby quickly ducked into a corner and breathed heavily. He had nearly run into one of the enemies of the man who had hired him! The description was enough to identify him.
" He has silver hair but he is very young, around sixteen years of age. He is six feet tall and has a powerful built; you can tell easily. He's wearing a black trench coat and he will be wearing a blindfold over his eyes; he is blind to most of the world. Be careful; he may not be able to see you but he can smell you and his darkness can see for him. If he finds out who you are…I'm afraid you will have to be eliminated."
Shanks took a swig from his tin canteen and wiped his mouth. " Lucky for me, he didn't notice anything. Well…let's see what he's about to do, shall we?"
With that, he stepped back into the streets and slowly made his way after Riku.
''
" This really is a nice neighborhood," Sally remarked, continuing to walk in this night.
" Yes it is," Yuna agreed, still keeping her hood on. She rubbed her arms; the weather had jumped them and she really wasn't ready for rain. " Never thought it would rain here…"
" You can't predict the weather Yuna," Sally shook her head and smiled. " The little things are governed on their own; events in the future, yes, we can see but are we certain? No, for the Fates still have control. Our free will is buffeted by their control over our life threads. If they wanted, they could snip through your string and you would exist no more."
Yuna shivered. " That…was nice to know."
" Don't mention it. However, we can change the course of the future, if we can break through their binding thread. That is what we are hoping to do with Aozora. He is a powerful child but does not know just how powerful. Not only that, we don't know where his powers come from. Is it in his blood? Was it granted to him from birth? Or did it just come to him suddenly? Or perhaps, is it a bit of each? Nonetheless, he has the power to change events and save Sora from his own doom."
" Then is Sora really fated to…die?"
" Perhaps, perhaps not," Sally said. " I saw…and I see two options, two choices. His doom goes two ways. Either he dies…or he accomplishes his task but leaves the Universe. Being a hero or heroine is not easy; you can weary of daily life because of all that you have gone through. In Sora's case, he may weary of life as it is and leave the Universe forever."
" I feel sorry for him…" Yuna whispered as they slowly began to walk towards the Bell Tower. In the night, they could see its glowing face. " He is so young yet he has aged so quickly…"
" There is a third option for him…"
" And what would that be?"
Here Sally gave a mysterious smile. " If all goes well, Kairi can heal his heart of all sorrow. And then he can live in the Universe happily, for however long his string of life is supposed to run."
" That sounds happy."
" Is it now? Well, I once warned Kairi that hearts change over time, as does Time itself. If she understands now…what will Sora think?"
" Are you suggesting she loves someone else?"
" No…I'm saying she is in love…but to who, I cannot say. Here I do not know. I see two scenarios. His life may be happy and with her…or it's with another."
Yuna stopped. " Sally, hate to break it to you but you're really confusing me now."
The woman smiled. " Yes, sometimes I have to admit I confuse myself as well. What I can see is that there are four paths for Sora. Two are filled with sorrow and pain, two are filled with joy. Only one path will lead him back to Kairi. It is the tragedy of all things. They love each other very much…and no matter what happens, no matter which road he takes, that bond will be there forever. Naminé was right when she told Roxanne that Sora will never forget Kairi. No matter what happens in the future, there's always a place for her in his heart. No matter what."
Here Yuna seemed to be thinking. " Wow…they really do have to go through a lot. I mean…they're so young."
" But they will get old, no? I will get old and fall apart…and Dr. Finkelstein will no longer be there to help me. You will age, too, though your exploits will be remembered forever. You have done no wrong, Yuna; people will remember you forever that way."
" I guess…" Yuna sighed as they kept walking. She looked down on the wet ground. " I only wish…that he was here…"
Sally smiled again, which unnerved her even more. " Is love ever forgotten? No. Someday, Yuna, you will see him again. For in life and in death, you two are always connected to each other. Believe me, you two will see each other again someday…"
Sally stood still, looking rather high-headed as she looked to the west of the Bell Tower. Yuna looked at her worriedly.
" Sally, what is it?"
Sally held up a hand to silence her. With the other, she amplified her hearing.
" A battle rages…the Oblivion comes!"
" The Oblivion?"
" The night of all Keys. It is what opened Kingdom Hearts; it is what will seal Kingdom Hearts! Come Yuna; we are lucky our path has taken us to the Bell Tower. It is there that those double doors lie."
" The Bell Tower?" Yuna stared at the towering bell and clock tower. " How can a door fit in – wait a minute, what about Ashita and Yuri?"
" Oh they're not in danger yet," Sally remarked, walking much faster now, and in the direction of the tower. " It's only a matter of time, however, before the Heartless try and take over the Bell Tower. If Riku gets there in time…or we do, then they will be warned."
Sally began to power-walk her way towards the Bell Tower, with Yuna following her closely. Long-limbed as she was, the gunner had trouble matching stride with the brisk-walking mannequin.
" Sally!" Yuna exclaimed as they turned a corner and strode past a café. " Once we seal Kingdom Hearts…then what do we do?"
" Rikku and Paine will continue the search for Vegnagun, of course. No, Yuna, I will explain why only they are going. You need to go to Traverse Town and pick up news regarding things happening on the other side, where Cid Number One, Leon, Cloud, and the others are located. I will stay here with Cid your uncle and monitor all activity regarding New Universe. Riku will guard for us, as will Ashita. All we can do, really, is hope Aozora makes it to the other side in time."
" Sally?" Yuna had begun to think about what could happen. " What happens…if Sora dies?"
" It is all determined in the manner by which he dies."
" What! So we have to know how he dies, too!"
" Even here it goes two ways: either he dies and we die, or he dies and we have war. Of course, and then there's the extreme option: he dies but in the process, releases the Twins, Halocanis and Shadowrenis. They are the only ones with power over all, including Fate and Time. Halocanis could resurrect many dead heroes for us, as a matter of fact. And there's nothing the three sisters can do about it."
Sally began to laugh, a clear sound that really made her sound crazy.
" Oh my…"
''
Riku did happen to reach the Bell Tower first. His sense told him to slow down before he runs into solid concrete and brick; he slowed to a walk, then came to a complete stop. Where to from here? Where was the door, even?
" Hello?" he hollered at no one in particular. " Is anybody in the Bell Tower?"
He thought he could sense movement; the round burn on his palm was pulsing with the life forces it sensed within the building.
" Anyone? Hello?" he shouted.
" What the f – who the hell are you?" another voice, this time from somewhere above him, shouted.
" That's none of your concern! I-"
" Oh yeah, well I was taking a nap here! Don't you know better than to shout if anybody's home?"
" Well, where's the damn door?"
" What are you, blind!"
" Yes!"
That was followed by a long silence. Then another voice, a voice he recognized immediately shouted out, " Riku, is that you?"
Yuri!
" Yuri? What are you doing in the Bell Tower? And who's with you?"
What's she doing with a guy? He bristled slightly, then took control of himself and quickly assessed the situation. Kingdom Hearts was in the Bell Tower. Yuri and whoever that guy is was doing something in the Bell Tower. And Heartless come out of the Bell Tower so…
" He's my friend, Ashita! What are you doing here, anyways? It's kind of late out, you know! And it was raining! Did you get wet? Drenched? You want to come inside?"
" I'm here for serious business. No I'm fine, I was wearing my coat and hood-" not really, he thought "-and I would love come inside!"
" Yuri, who is this guy?" he heard Ashita demand of her.
" He's a friend of Cid's. He won't harm us."
" Cid? That old geezer? Yuri, can you trust any friend of his?"
" Well, his friends do include King Mickey Disney."
"Well, besides him…"
He heard a door swing open and his sense immediately detected it, as well as the figure leaning out the door.
" Over here, Riku!"
He rushed quickly to the door and inside. Someone closed the door and locked it, as Riku searched out the area. Well the Bell Tower really was tall from the inside, there was a staircase spiraling up, and there were many levels inside.
Where could Kingdom Hearts be?
" Well?" Ashita demanded. Riku sensed him out; he was nearing six feet, was probably the same age, and looked rather grumpy.
" Ashita, be nice!" Yuri scolded him. She then spoke. " Riku, why are you here?"
Riku could smell the trail of evil…
" You two are in danger," he spoke calmly, slowly, coldly. " The Bell Tower houses something incredibly dangerous up there. A pair of doors that open to and release evil. It moves from Twilight Town to Hollow Bastion constantly; right now it is here, inside the Bell Tower right now. I have to get to it before enough Heartless come out to swarm the whole of Twilight Town and wipe out everyone who lives here."
" What?" Ashita demanded furiously. " Kingdom Hearts, here!"
" That's not possible!" Yuri exclaimed, frightened. Riku resisted the urge to tell her it was all right, that he was here to protect them both, that he could solve the problem immediately…
" I have to go and seal the doors," Riku explained with as much patience as possible. " Aozora handed me a key, the same key that he used to open the doors. He saved my life in opening those doors; now it's my turn to do him a favor and close them. That way, he can expect less opposition from the Heartless in going after Sora…"
" Sora?" here Ashita seemed genuinely astonished and a little furious. " That brat; he was the one who chased Orion away. What the fuck does he have to do with anything?"
" Ashita, language!" Yuri exclaimed. " You know better vocabulary; don't use that language here and especially around me!"
" I'm sorry!" Ashita yelled back. There was fear and tension in his voice as he continues speaking. " I-"
" Don't you dare talk shit about my friend!" Riku snarled. He took a step towards Ashita, itching to take his head off with the Oblivion. " He's gone through more in just fifteen years than you ever will in your whole life! If you know what's good for you, don't spit on his name!"
" What if I did?" Ashita challenged. He spat at the floor in front of Riku's left foot.
" You're going to regret it-"
Yuri stepped in front of the both of them and shouted. " Stop it, you two. Fighting already and you guys barely met each other? There's nothing we can do about Sora and Orion now but we can do something about Kingdom Hearts. If we don't help him, Ashita, then we may be doomed."
" Just how dangerous is our situation?" the teenager demanded. Now he sounded really frightened.
" If we don't find the doors in time…you may both die and the rest of the Universe may be doomed," Riku admitted with honesty. The other two both gasped. " Therefore, Ashita, please stop fighting me. I need you guys to keep close to me; I can't trust you guys out there. I just fought off a whole bunch of Heartless and I've a feeling they're headed this way…"
The trail, it was leading up, up the stairs to the top of the tower…
" But where can Kingdom Hearts be?" Yuri whispered, edging closer to the two. She looked around nervously, half-expecting to see glowing yellow eyes.
" I think if you go up there…" Riku pointed in the general direction of 'up', " you'll find the door there. But we'll have to hurry."
He stepped to the right, then stopped. " Where would the stairs be, exactly?"
" Follow me," Ashita said with all due seriousness. He rushed to the left and showed the staircase up.
" I…knew that," Riku muttered with embarrassment. Despite the heaviness of the air and the sense of danger, Yuri giggled.
Facing danger, there was still a little light to give.
''
" Heartless! Sally, stand back!" Yuna ordered, pulling out her guns.
" There are only two now…but more will come," she replied sternly. " We must get rid of them quickly…and get in the tower! Riku got here before us; that much I know!"
" Just a moment…" Yuna fired off her guns in succession and the NeoShadows exploded into hearts and splatters of black.
Sally ran to the door of the Bell Tower. Unlike the first time Sora, Donald, and Goofy saw the tower, it didn't look boarded up and haunted. On the contrary, the Bell Tower looked quite welcoming.
Of course, that was until you realize the door is locked.
" Shoot the door open; we have to get in."
" What?" Yuna turned on Sally. " Since when were you so violent?"
" When things become urgent. Heartless already here means that more Heartless are coming. So you might want to hurry," Sally remarked.
" Alright," the gunner replied with some consternation. " Lady Yuna, breaking into a clock tower that also functions as a bell tower…"
She shot out the doorknob and kicked the door open.
They were met with dim lights. They heard footsteps rushing up stairs somewhere above them. It was a room clustered with boxes and cartons. And there was only one way up: a staircase to the left.
" Riku's here already; he must've warned Ashita and Yuri!" Yuna concluded immediately. " Thank goodness!"
" Well, now we've got to catch up to them, shouldn't we?"
" Can't the three handle it on their own?"
" They could I should tell you…however, the Heartless will still come. And who can fight off tens of NeoShadows? Hundreds? Not a lot of people. Therefore, we need to go up there anyways. You have your guns, Riku has his powers, and Ashita may have weapons stashed up there fore good use. Of course, it would be much better if Riku got his Soul Eater back but…I just hope Yuri and I don't become excess baggage. I hate to be the one people must defend but what can I do?"
" Unstitch yourself and distract the NeoShadows?"
" I hope you were joking."
Yuna grinned. " Relax, I was."
" Glad to hear that," Sally remarked and they began their tedious way up the stairs.
''
Riku stopped. The trail turned off here!
" This way!" Riku exclaimed, getting off the stairs and heading for the door that marked the control room.
" There?"
Ashita and Yuri had heard of the fight there between Aozora and Axel; did that have anything to do with those two? They looked at each other, then at Riku, who bashed his foot against the door.
" Hey, what are you-"
The door fell, forced off its hinges. Ashita gaped at the teenager; Riku didn't see him and simply grinned.
" Ladies first or shall I go in?"
" I can't fight, Riku," Yuri informed him.
" I was talking to Ashita."
The blond guy bristled. " Hey!"
Riku flashed another smile and Yuri giggled again. " Well then, I guess I'll go in first…"
He strode in. Yuri quickly followed him and Ashita, grumbling a bit, trailed in after them.
Riku, once inside, froze. Yuri bumped into him and quickly backed up, embarrassed. " Riku, what's wrong?"
" Darkness…" He hefted the Oblivion in his hands. " Yuri, Ashita stay back. " I'm going in first."
He cautiously stepped into the room, with all its blinking lights and machines. Did these two run all this?
His senses then came across scorch marks. What the-
" Riku, Heartless!" Yuri yelled.
The Oblivion went flashing; three NeoShadows no longer existed.
" Thanks for the warning!" Riku exclaimed as more appeared.
They're blocking me! Kingdom Hearts is in here…and they're blocking ,e!
Riku shouted and rushed headlong into them, the Oblivion ready to strike.
" Is he mad?" Ashita commented.
" Is he?" Yuna remarked as she stepped past him and fired on two NeoShadows. " He doesn't look like it."
" Yuna!" Yuri stepped back in surprise.
" We took a different street," Sally smiled sweetly. " Now…Ashita, can you fight?"
" Been training with Cid's three ladies," Ashita grinned back.
" Good, get your weapons," Sally ordered him. " Even if Riku locked Kingdom Hearts, there's gonna be a hoard of Heartless trying to get in…if only to kill Riku and steal his powerful heart."
Nodding, the blond teenager rushed up more stairs. Sally nodded to Yuna, who stepped forward to join Riku. " Find Kingdom Hearts. I'll blast these little bastards – or fiends, as Rikku likes to call them – into oblivion."
" Thanks."
Riku dodged the Heartless, somersaulting over some and simply slashing through others. The trail of darkness was growing stronger, as more Heartless swarmed in, Yes, the doors were here…
And, in the back of the control room were built in two tall white doors. They were white and gilt with gold; stained glass served as window panes for these thirty-some feet tall doors.
" How in hell did they fit into this room?" Riku wondered aloud, coming to a stop as his darkness flashed warning signals in his head. " Why do I even ask; Kingdom Hearts always defies logic."
The doors were agape; even as he talked to himself, more Heartless materialized. Bt that would mean all the Heartless Yuna was shooting down in this room came only Kingdom Hearts itself!
" Well," Riku grinned triumphantly, " not anymore!"
He pointed the Oblivion at the doors and a purple-black glow surrounded the Keyblade's head.
" Go Riku!" Yuri shouted. " Kingdom Hearts is ours!"
His ears burned. " Hear that, Heartless? This ain't your turf anymore!"
A dark light issued forth from the Keyblade and seemed to have grasped both doors. With an unseen strength, the dark light shoved the doors shut. There was an ominous booming sound that came with it.
Silence.
The Heartless froze. Yuna looked up. Ashita slowed as he rushed into the room wielding what looked like a very huge water gun. Yuri and Sally inched closer to each other for safety. Riku smiled again.
" Suckers."
The Oblivion suddenly burned in his hand. " What the-"
The Keyblade exploded in a burst of black and purple light.
" It's gone," Sally gasped, aghast.
" Shit…" Riku pulled up a shield, then began to push a ball of darkness into a sword like he had done before back at Hollow Bastion.
Except this time the weight was very solid and very real.
" What in hell?" Riku gripped the handle. Yes, this was a sword, with a familiar weight and feel to it.
" Riku, your Soul Eater!"
The sword he had wielded through Castle Oblivion! It had returned!
Riku heard Yuna fire again. And then Ashita fired as well. The NeoShadows were regrouping, were lashing out, were furious.
" If they want a fight, I'll give 'em a fight!" Riku snarled. Shield on his left arm, Soul Eater in his pulsing right, Riku threw himself into battle.
""
It was a full moon.
The seas rippled in the night. The gnarled, dead trees twisted across the skies.
A lone figure was sitting on a lone boulder looking out towards the sea. It was hooded and cloaked; the person was hidden to most, if not all.
Nearby stood other boulders. One particularly egg-shaped in form stood apart from the others. And why not? After all, there was some importance to this particular formation of minerals.
A flash of bluish light. A Society member stepped into this lonely world. His visible eye flashed yellowish-gold. His boots made muffled noise, cushioned by the night grass.
He strode slowly towards the seated figure, displeasure evident on his face. His eye burned with malice.
The seated Society member turned to him. One could barely see the wrinkles of age upon the visible part of his face. His tone was clear and light.
" He looks just like you."
The other stopped next to him and put on a look of disdain and anger. " That's what others say. See if I care."
" Oh I think you do," the other remarked calmly, casually.
" Just because you broke out of the Society doesn't mean that you-"
" I say what I like, Advocate, because I am who I am," the other interrupted softly. " You, for one, should know."
" Why not? I am the Advocate, aren't I? I'm quite aware of who others are….Prophet!"
" Tsk, tsk, respect your elders," the Prophet said, shaking his head. " Fleeing your past? You know you can't hide. It follows you, wherever you go…"
" Just leave me alone, will you?"
" How can I? You are the Advocate, the evil of the Universe. You are the last…and the worst. Darkness is your life. You wanted to travel other worlds and you gave yourself up to the force you once swore to fight in order to do so. In the process, you destroyed everything."
" I did not!"
" Oh? Then how do you explain Marucia's existence? How do you explain the destruction of Deep Tranquility? How do you explain the death of your family?"
" That's all a part of the past, Prophet, you old fool! I do not dwell on what had been done; I dwell on what will be done. There is no point in talking about what had already come to pass."
" You call me a fool," and here the Prophet sounded angry for the first time, " yet you yourself prove to be a fool. The past teaches great lessons and it is what happened in the past that leads us to the future. Why do you think I reside in the past? Why do I ask you constantly? Because the past determines the fate of this Universe."
" Well, what did you see so far?"
" Well, all I can say is….death."
" Rivers of blood will slowly still my pity for those who have died. Death is nothing new to me. You are hiding something else. I know you are!"
" Am I? Well, wouldn't you like to know!"
" As a matter of fact, I do!" the Advocate snapped.
" Well, if I told you your past will come back to haunt you, what will you say?"
" Ha, superstition is nothing to me! Is that the best you can do, Eldest?"
The old man smiled. " No, of course not. I can always do something else, something worse."
The Prophets smile began to bother the Advocate a lot.
" What's so funny?"
" Nothing's funny…but…do you think you really killed everyone?"
" Alara's dead! I…saw to that," Ronsend stated, bowing his head. " And so are the children…"
" I highly doubt that," Eldest remarked. " Either that or other children have been chosen. The Keyblades do not choose on a whim but they do play favorites now and then…"
" My children are dead! Alara's dead! Deep Tranquility's dead! Everyone! Everyone!"
But still Eldest smiled.
" I would agree…if I was not so skeptical."
" Are you suggesting…"
"…that they are dead? Partially. I am of the mind that at least one of them is still alive."
" They're all dead!" Ronsend shouted at his face. " All of them!"
" I…would not be so sure if I were you. The past will never forget you, even if you've forgotten the past. Remember that, Ronsend, and head my words well…"
Author's Endnote: You have any idea how hard it is to remember that Riku can't exactly "see"? Damn the darkness!
Chapter 69…
" My guess is, Kairi, that poem's warning you."
" I think I know which one."
" I'm gonna kick the crap out of Cid!"